I'm not allowed to have rare/expensive dolls

You should not limit yourself to cheap or expensive dolls but buy the dolls you love and can keep for a long time to come. Don't worry about mishandling your doll (cheap or expensive), if the doll is meant for you, you will be able to handle him or her just fine.

I have a twist to this thread title though....my mom who is a doll lover and collector of dolls is 80 years old this year, she used to tell me...."You should not be spending any money on dolls!".........It dawned on me that all her dollies are presents! She spent $0 on dolls because in her younger days, women did not work or if they did, they earned very little, not enough to buy a doll. Her boyfriends and admirers including me dad bought her dolls! She was at first upset that I am buying my own dolls with my own money. I suppose she pitied me! She even asked my dad to buy me a doll when I was little! So you see, according to her, we are not suppose to have rare and expensive dolls unless someone buys them for us as presents.

 

If I want to spend my money on a limited edition doll just to throw it on the ground and run over it with my car, well, it’s my money and my property and there’s nothing and no one to say I can’t do what I want with my stuff.

If you want a rare doll and have the funds, go buy the pretty doll and enjoy it. If you want to keep it in pristine condition then make sure you have the skills to be able to repair it, or make sure you know where to go to get those items repaired. There is nothing wrong with playing with your dolls. Do what you want, they’re yours!

 

The cost and/or rarity of the dolls shouldn't prevent you from having them.

I pay with all my dolls, I take them places, I dress and redress them, I pick them up just because, they are frequently to be found wherever aroun the hous ei happen to have put them down (although most of them do have space in the livingroom where theycan be tidied away - some in a glass fronted cabinet, others on open shelves) but the cost/rarity of the individual dolls has nothing to do with whether they get played with.

Mine go to work with me (one or two a day, not all at once), visit friends, go to events (SF conventions, dol conventions, craft days, doll meets, dolly days with friends), go to visit places, historical reenactments wherever. Sometimes they rtravel in doll-carriers (especially if I'm taking more than a coupole of them, otherwise they just go into my everyday backpack with a silk scarf (or scrap of soft fabric) wrapped around their head to protect the faceup.

When it comes down to it, not playing with a BJD is just a waste of resin. They're dolls. Dolls, like any other toy, are meant to be played with.

Teddy

 

I WILL play with my dolls. No matter if they're limited or how expensive they are. They belong to me and it's my choice. Don't let handling your dolls keep you from having the ones you love.

 

I play with my dolls a lot. To me, it's a hobby that is all about customisation and I won't be able to do that without constant handling. At the moment, I have 2 dolls on my craft desk next to me, one of him has been cling-wrapped as I attempt my first mohair wig on his head! I've learned through my years of modding/customising that these resin babies can handle a lot of things I've thrown at them and they're more resilient than one might think!

It's really up to you how you decide to interact with your dolls and this hobby, as what you feel about how to handle your dolls is completely relevant too! Different people see this hobby differently and you should not let that discourage you from enjoying it the way you want to

 

I handle my dolls all the same way, for the most part. I don't wear gloves to handle them, I just make sure my hands are washed first. I also clean my dolls regularly, since I like taking them outside and posing them with my pets. I just give them a sponge bath to remove any dust, hair and debris.

I do like taking a certain doll out and just playing with random poses. With my BJDs, I'm not so concerned about whether they're rare or limited or not. I would still enjoy taking them out and posing them, regardless of rarity.

 

Price tag and rarity would never ever stop me from touching and playing with my doll. If I paid that much for something, I'm going to handle it however I want. I love playing with my dolls and for me it would be pointless to buy one if I could never touch it. Besides, they're really not all that fragile. If you're worried about dropping it and breaking it, sit down at a table while you hold it. Easy peasy.

 

I never wear gloves, just wash my hands with a non-oily soap first like I’m at work. My husband pats my favorite doll on the head and adjusts her hands with his bare hands too. Dolls should be enjoyed any way you want.

 

I kind of move them around all the time. They are like little tiny roommates. If I get bored I might pick one up just to fuss with it. Sometimes I will just sit and pose it while watching a show, or mess with the hair, or change the clothing for no reason other then I feel like doing it. If one of them catches my eye, and looks lonely, I'll just pick it up, just because, and sit it on my desk to keep each other company.

I think they were meant to be handled and played with, at least for me. If someone else wants to put their dolls behind a glass case and look at them, that is fine too, it is their collection, but I am going to play with my dolls.

 

I have three cheapish dolls that I handle freely. With them every scratch on body blushing is just like "oops ookay I'll wipe that if I ever sell you". I have extremely long nails (must be an inch on some fingers) and I do accidentally scratch my dolls' blushing a lot, but natural nails as they are, they are not strong or sharp enough to actually damage resin itself. Then I have in another sealed cabinet the expensive rare 1 grand plus club, where I do try to be a little more careful, but definitely I handle them too sometimes. I guess I am just too cheap to not think about the money tied on them, yikes.

 

I totally understand the feeling you've got, here--on some level, I'm still really nervous about handling my dude, because I can't shake the feeling of 'oh geez he's expensive what if i mess up?' But on the plus side, resin is a LOT more durable than I think is commonly expected? Like, before I got into the hobby properly and learned more, I used to think it was really fragile. And yeah, it's not completely bulletproof, but it's definitely way more sturdy than I was figuring it was. Now that I've gotten some more information, I'm a lot more confident about handling my doll, because I know more about the material he's made with. Maybe looking into resin-related info might help you, too?
Nothing wrong with being anxious about it, though; a lot of people feel the same way, but I really do hope you get more comfortable with handling your dolls! They're yours, after all, and you should be able to enjoy them how you please. c:

 

I always just make sure I wash my hands before I handle my dolls, but I handle them a ton. I wouldn’t worry about it as long as you know your hands are clean because the oil on your hands is pretty well washed away if you wash your hands before handling them. Another great thing is touching their clothes instead so that you don’t need to worry too much. Hard when you’re trying to change their clothes, but it’s still feasible!

 

*looks at own dolls which are dremeled and drilled and dyed and sanded, etc...* uh yeah, touching the dolls without gloves is totes bad and stuff >.>'

 

I used to wear cotton gloves all the time with my first doll. He was nothing like the Barbies I played with as a child, and he was way more expensive than any doll I'd had before.

As time went on, however, I relaxed and dropped the overprotective habit of wearing gloves. As long as my hands aren't coated in some sort of filth, I don't worry. I do still put gloves on when I'm handling their heads for eye changes. Particularly a pair that are off-topic but both nightmares to get the head-caps off of.

I have something of a 'grail' inbound soon, and I think I might be handling him with kid gloves for a while after he does come in. Even though I've been in this hobby long enough to know that they aren't as fragile as they seem.