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In a hobby for longer than 4 years? How is it going?

Mar 15, 2011

    1. I started collecting in 2005 and was active in the hobby until 2009. I loved the whole idea of customization so I went straight to work learning how to do string, suede and do faceups. I had 9 dolls then. Now I have 7. The biggest change for me was taking some time off. I took a break for several reasons. I saw that I was beginning to get wrapped up in the "more and more" mentality. I wasn't appreciating what I had. I also was moving up the "corporate ladder" and was busier and busier with work. Not to mention that I was spending more time out of the house with my kids because they were finally at an age they could get involved in outside activities. For two years, I still kept up on creating clothes, shoes and accessories for my dolls as well as changing their face-ups without purchasing a new doll. Then life took over and my dolls sat on shelves and eventually were stored away for a couple more years. A few months ago, I took them out again and made room for them. Some yellowing has occurred but I've noticed it's not severe as the color of the resin still looks flesh-toned. Except for my Unidoll UH-13. Her coloring hasn't yellowed at all that I can tell. I've been making things for them again and realize how much I've missed it. I see the companies have changed. Some gone, some new and there are lots of new types of sculpts. I am finding that the dolls I like are still from my favorite companies of years ago: Dollstown and Supia. How I've changed? I don't see my buying anymore male sculpts but I do see 2 or 3 more female sculpts in my future.
       
    2. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
      Well, I joined DoA in 2010.


      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc
      In the beginning, I did not know what to do with them. Now I have a clear concept.

      How many dolls have you got over the years?
      8 dolls


      and the question that interests me the most:
      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?
      Yes, they did yellow.,But it does not bother me even a little bit. Though I admit that stay,away from tan skinned dolls, as lovely as they may look.
      Thank you ![/QUOTE]
       
    3. Update time!

      I've been in the hobby for 11 years almost. In a couple of weeks, it will be 11 years! Not much has changed but I know I have favorites. I no longer sew as my mother passed away last year and she was my help. I still do not paint my dolls. I got 8 in need of faces, but 3 of those belong to one doll. I have over 100, maybe close to 110. Still can't tell any more yellowing but they generally stay in my room. Maybe Mike's hands have mellowed out more, and the doll who's yellow is YELLOW, went to a new home, my best friend!
       
    4. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
      I've been in the hobby 12 years! Oh wow, I didn't realise it had been that long :aeyepop:

      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc
      I was terrified of restringing and face ups when I first got into the hobby and now I'll happily take a dremel to a doll without any qualms.

      How many dolls have you got over the years?
      I tend to circulate my collection, so the oldest doll I have a present was bought second hand in 2014. The most I've owned at any one time is my current set of 8, plus 5 which are yet to arrive, so that would make it 13 altogether (give or take).

      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?
      As I rotate my collection and sell dolls as my tastes change, none of my current dolls have much yellowing. One of my bunch though is on a second hand body which was a creamy off white when I bought it (was originally WS). She hasn't changed much since I bought her late last year.
       
    5. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
      Just passed 10 years last month!

      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc
      I don't think so? When I got my first doll, I was really careful with him for maybe the first month or so. Then I got the hang of it and just started handling him normally and have been handling all of my dolls like that since. The only thing I have been doing differently from when I first started out is the way I dress them. I'd usually remove their heads and hands when changing them now to better protect their faceups.

      How many dolls have you got over the years?
      My current collection consists of 4 SDs, 1 MSD, 2 pet dolls, and a floating SD head. I have another SD and a body for the floating head on the way.

      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?
      My first two dolls, the ones I got 10 years ago have definitely yellowed. I have newer dolls from the same company so you can tell how different their skintones are when placed side-by-side. But I'd have to say the yellowing is pretty natural. They look the best in photos without requiring much touch up. The newer dolls on the other hand, are either too pale or too pink and I'd always have to add just a tad more yellow to them when editing pictures with them in it.

      As for resin condition, I'd say they're holding up really well! There are some tiny chips around some of the joints of my first doll, and he also has a hairline crack going up one of his knees, but these are all from mishandling in my first year of ownership. There hasn't been any additional damage over the years, unless you count their faceups wearing out. Resin is really quite hardy. :)
       
    6. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
      This years may be the 10th or the 11th. For sure I've received my first doll in 2006, but I've lurked about it since before.

      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc
      Unfortunately I don't have much time for them anymore. I used to sew, make photostories, and play more with them.
      Also, the way the market changes in these years make me think A LOT before buying dolls, because I find it more difficult to sell.

      How many dolls have you got over the years?
      I've usually always had 9-10 dolls at home. They were not always the same 10 tough. Some new came, some traveled to new owners. I have 12 now, but I'm considering about selling 2.

      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?
      My first doll has quite yellowed from 2006. My other dolls has not changed that much, and if they changed, it does not depend on the time, imho. Some resin is more stable than other, I think.
      In these years only 2 of my doll were restringed, but I think it's the same of the resin yellowing. My narsha seems always in need of a new restringing. XD
       
    7. I have only been in the hobby for almost a year, but wow its awesome to see people in the hobby for this long still loving it!
       
    8. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
      About eight or nine years. I got interested somewhere around 2007/2008 but I really can't remember. I got my first doll, a Luts KDF Cherry Elf, around Christmas 2010.

      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc
      Well I've definitely developed a taste in terms of what dolls I like. I've also realized it's a bad idea to buy dolls for the sake of collecting them instead of having them be your own. Also, I'm horribly indecisive about what to do with a doll once I have it! And I no longer keep my dolls in their boxes. They sit like a little family on my desk now. I also now treat them kinda like people.

      How many dolls have you got over the years?
      I currently have four. I haven't traded or sold anything off and I don't plan to. I'm trying to stop myself from buying more until I have enough clothes, wigs, and shoes for my current ones, haha.

      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?
      Well they're all in one piece, so that's a good place to start. My second doll has a lot of yellowing due to what has to be frequent sun exposure and age, but it's even and doesn't bother me much. My first one has been a confusing project from day one and I still don't know what's going on with her. She has some staining in her face from faceup mistakes, she's floppy and poses horribly, and her legs don't lock because the joints wore down. One day I literally looked down at her and the corner of her ear was bent? :? So many things with her. Kinda want to buy a new body altogether because Luts has released newer and much better ones. Three is in great shape but with minor flaws from me handling her (a small leg chip on top of a fixed chip is the worst one), and four just came out of the box today! I don't plan on reselling any of my dolls at all but I always worry greatly about damaging their "value." But I guess the most important thing is that I love them and they make me happy. Keeping them wrapped up in their box won't make me happy.
       
    9. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?

      I have researched bjds since 2004 but I have actually owned dolls since March of 2012, so I have a little over 4 years in the hobby.

      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc

      Not much has changed in the way I treat my dolls. I am always very careful, but I am currently buying a bit more expensive clothes and accessories for my dolls. I am also buying furniture and props for them.

      How many dolls have you got over the years?

      Currently I own 29 dolls including a doll that is currently on order with Dollios. I have not sold any of my dolls to date and I have different sizes ranging from a 9cm pet doll to the 80cm doll I'm currently waiting for.


      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?
      Currently, I have 8 dolls on display, but most of my collection spends the majority of the time inside their boxes unless I take them out for fotographs.

      My first doll, a 70cm Resin Soul Feng Boy in white skin has not yellowed much at all, but I could say that if he has yellowed it is slight and even.

      On the other hand, my EID Realskin Iplehouse Aurora made in 2012 has greened/oxidized a little faster compared to other Iplehouse dolls in realskin resin made that year (which I also own), but I have the feeling it is due to the production process of that particular batch because I never take her outside in direct sunlight, and she also spends most of her time in her box.

      I love her a lot though, and she is my favorite doll in the collection. As a matter of fact, she is my avatar picture on DoA and Tmblr. :D
       
    10. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
      A long time? I found out about BJDs in 2004, kept researching for a long time until I was able to afford purchasing my first which happened in 2011. Technically, I've been "here" here for five years?

      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc
      Well, I'm making my own dolls now!? xD; Other than that, I don't think so? I've always treated my little horde of tiny resin people with respect, that never changed. I suppose I'm a little more hands-on when doing maintenance on them now than I used to be back in the day, though.

      I've also realized that SDs and I don't mesh too well, but if I am going for the select few characters I want in that size I prefer the 65-70+ range rather than small dolls. I sold off a whole lot of dolls during my time in the hobby and that brought my collection closer to what I wanted every time this happened as my tastes changed and got more refined.

      How many dolls have you got over the years?
      Too many... Currently I have 15 dolls (+2 incoming) as well as a staggering 10 floating heads, some of which are going to be eternal floaters (always sharing bodies) while some others are going to be eventually receiving their own bodies.

      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?
      They're all doing great thankfully~ Some, especially the WS ones do show signs of yellowing but that's understandable considering I don't keep them in boxes and it just tends to happen due to age.
       
    11. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?

      Around eleven years. It wasn't long form finding out BJD's existed to getting my first one - and I know for certain I had him before August 2005 because I took him to WorldCon with me. I'd probably had him a few months by then.

      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc.

      Not really - I've been amassing dolls of all sorts since childhood and I pretty much treat all of them the same as I ever did. BJD's are just one aspect of my doll interest.

      How many dolls have you got over the years?

      BJD's... Fifty-one (but I had to write them all down and count up) I have no idea how many other dolls.

      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?

      A bit of yellowing (which I like because most "normal" resins are a bit too pale and pink for my liking anyway) but not much - more mellowing than yellowing, I suppose.

      I don't keep them boxed up (what's the point of having them if they're in boxes!?) They are out on shelves or wherever they'll fit at home - they aren't in direct sunlight but neither are any of my opther dolls and bears, so I've not made any extra special arrangements for the BJDs.

      Teddy
       
      #291 Teddy, Jun 5, 2016
      Last edited: Jun 5, 2016
    12. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
      Since 2010 when I bought my very first BJD.

      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc
      My photography skills have improved over these 6 years.
      I started sewing and hand made. It's all because of my BJDs.
      Last years I regularly buy wigs, eyes and outfits for them.

      How many dolls have you got over the years?
      I have 7 full dolls and 7 additional heads at this moment.

      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?
      Some of my dolls have a little yellowing but it's okay for me.
      My SDs live in their boxes. MSD and Tiny usually seat somewhere in my room.
      I try to be careful but... That was awful when I cracked a finger of my precious favorite SD doll.
      Thanks God I can buy a new pair of hands for her. All my other dolls in a perfect condition.
       
    13. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
      Seven years.

      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc
      Not really. I tend to have one or two out and then keep the rest in boxes. I have cats so I don’t like risking them getting damaged.

      How many dolls have you got over the years?
      Fifteen, I think. I’ve sold one. Even if the others aren’t really my style anymore, I like them for sentimental reasons.

      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?
      I think they all look pretty good. I got a few of them secondhand so some have been around even longer than seven years. I try to keep them in cool, dark places, which I think has helped. There's some body blushing damage, but that was bound to happen and I can always get it redone someday.
       
    14. How long have you been in the BJD hobby?
      6 years :)

      Did anything change? like the way you treat your dolls, etc
      I am also terrified of restringing :) but I treat my dolls the same way than before
      I want to see them so they are on the shelves
      I want enjoyed it and not keeping them in a closet

      How many dolls have you got over the years?
      20 I think
      the thing is that I'm not very talented in selling them :)
      I love them so it's quite difficult for me to sell one of them
      I think I only sold 3 of them

      How are your dolls doing? Severe yellowing..etc. How are they holding over time?
      Each purchase is really meaning to me : it's like an adoption
      I cannot let them go
      perhaps some of them have yellowing but I don't care
      I don't have dolls to make profit
      I just want enjoyed my hobby