Is BJD really just for adults? And adults, what do you think of kids who like them?

I agree with the comments of it being a case by case basis... there are very young children who I would trust to care for and respect my dolls... while there are adults who I wouldn't let within 10 feet of my dolls.

It really has to do with one's ability to respect both their own and other people's belongings, as well as objects of immense value (emotional or monetary), rather than anything to do with age.

 

Seeing people at age 40+ with dolls makes me feel like a little kid here some days... *is 17*

I don't think it's really an adult only hobby though I don't think it's really for kids either... mainly because here in the states the thought of a little kid with a mature, anatomically correct doll is a bit weird (well... I have a baby doll with girl parts when I was little but I had no idea what anything was. :B ). Plus I don't think kids would know how to treat a BJD... I mean, even at 13 I was giving my American Girl baths in the sink and painting her nails with human nail polish. o______o

I say young teen years is where I draw the line. It's fine to let little kids hold your doll or play gently with them but letting a little kid own a BJD I think is too big a responsibility and not the best thing to spend money on for a kid that age. You have to be a bit more mature to really take care of and appreciate these dolls I think.

 

When I was 12 my parents bought my brother (11 years old) a super nintendo for his birthday - I know they must have saved up for a long time for it because we were fairly poor. But you know what - that nintendo still works, we still have all our games and it's sitting beside my wii right now (although it's in a box to protect it from dust when we don't use it). It was my brother's birthday at the start of this week - so that snes is like 15 years old now - wow is that possible?

My parents were also fairly liberated about censorship too though - so if my brother and I are an example of purchasing and looking after expensive toys then any children that I have will have the same responsibilities and privileges. To cut it short:

BJDs can be for kids.

 

Well, I feel personally its a hobby for at least college age people. But that's just my personal opinion. But in reality anyone, no matter the age can own a bjd as long as they can care or them properly.

If they pay for some part of the doll, I'm good with is. Its okay for a younger person to be given a doll if they either deserve it or take care of it as long as they buy everything else for the doll.

I"m talking clothes, wigs and such because I personally don't like the idea of someone getting a doll and can't even get clothes for it.

That's me.

 

I personally think it is wonderful. If a parent is able and willing to spend the money on a BJD for a child or the child has the money and the parent says it is okay, I think it a great way to allow creativity to flow. There are so many things someone can learn through these dolls like sewing, painting, etc.

My daughter is now 11 and while she so far only has a vinyl BJD, by her own choice, she has her eye on an anthro. She has expressed an interest in learning to do face-ups and since DH is the artist-type, it is some thing they can do together.

 

I say anyone who adores BJD is more than welcome in this hobby. I'm often surprized when 'grown ups' are so protective of the 'collector' nature of the BJD world. I have collected various rather pricey objects since I was a small child. I do not come from a collecting family... I fell in love with these objects and chose to collect on my own, not because I was brought into it by a parent or friend. It has nothing to do with age when one is genuinely in love with particular sculpture and has the maturity to treat ones collection with respect.

I had 52 Breyer horses (roughly $70 apiece) by the age of ten, for instance. All lovingly treated, regularily dusted, and carefully arranged on their shelves when not being played with. By me, I might add, not my parents. I bought most of them with my own money, too. At the age of 13 I went on a family trip to Kentucky to attend Breyerfest, and had saved up allowance and garage sale money for a year to buy a $250 limited resin. It's all about a real love for the hobby, not about age.

I also know a 3 year old with a DZ bunny.... the bunny's name is Truck. XD How awesome is that??

 

In my opinion, I don't think it's the cost that keeps younger people out of this hobby. Because, for a lot of kids, while they may not have jobs, mommy and daddy do like to find reasons to give them money (like, giving a kid 30$ to go out, or a weekly allowence or some such). And the ones that do have jobs, it's just disposable income. No rent, lease, water bill, food cost, etc.

I really just think it's a fad thing, and a judgement thing. When they're under the age of 17, a lot of kids aren't sure of themselves, and just kinda go with whatever is popular. BJD's aren't exactly mainstream or popular (though they seem to be growing that way), so very few kids over all are going to get into them.

By the time most people get into college, they may have developed a love for the dolls, but now their income is being spent on the rent and bills and other life expenses, because the income is not large, and if they do have one, it's through careful money management that they were able to afford one.

I mean, very obviously, it's a case by case situation. But I just don't think, over all, younger kids are going to

And <b>KasaMadhuri777</b>, I used to collect Breyers as well. I still have like 20 of them at my parents house.

 

I AM 13 and turning 14 in november (22ed) !!!!!!!!!!
I got $100 from my parents for x-mas this year wich helped me get Iyra, my minifee, this febuary... But the other $359 (shiping I HATE U) i had to earn on my own by babysiting ....took me 2.5 years...ya so I started lovine BJDs at 11...ya hu...
won't be able to aford to get another doll ( MNF's!!!) till I graguate...lovely

 

*heh*...I think that the only exclusively adult thing about BJD as a hobby is the cost. Unless you have a Daddy Warbucks footing the bill, you aren't old enough legally to work to afford these dolls and their accessories, no matter how skilled with a needle or paintbrush one is.

Having said that....I don't consider 13 to be a child either. Teenagers are have paper routes, babysitting and other odd under the table money making opportunities to add to their birthday & holiday stash of cash ~ and if they can convince the parental units that this is a better thing than buying than an ipod or whatever then it's like any other interest.

I do think it would be odd for a child....say an 8 or 10 year old to have this as a self-motivated hobby....but I could see it evolving slowly from that age as they watch an older sibling play with his or her beautiful but must not touch dollies and covet one of her own in the future.

That is of course just the opinon of a 43 year old woman who has been asked more times than she can count "why are you reading that?" when people see her with manga in her hands. Oddly enough half the people that ask me are under the age of 16....except they word it like this; YOU READ THIS STUFF??!!!!

Yes...yes I do. And then I lend them to my 66 year old mother who makes grabby hands for the next volume in over 2 dozen series that I'm currently collecting.

Of course the manga is easy to explain away to adults. The dolls...oh the dolls....well...at least 13 year olds GET that.

 

The question of this being an adult hobby is kinda interesting. I recently told my mom that I wanted an bjd, and she told my dad.

dad: you really are serious about wanting a doll?
me: yep
dad: i thought you were too old for dolls, you're ALMOST 19
me: given what they cost actually there are a lot of people who are much older than me who collect them.
dad: hm

It's interesting how my parents go from saying I'm barely 18 to saying I'm almost 19 depending on what point they are making. Ok, back on topic... as been said before, what makes this an adult (I thought that word implied something dirty in english?) hobby is the fact that they cost so much. Ofcourse there's different kinds of kids, my sister never had any money wheras I always had lots of money saved. So there are kids who can save up the money to get bjd's, it just might take a quarter of their life

 

"Adult hobby", like "adult book" or "adult entertainment" usually does carry an implication that something "dirty" is going on.

In my experience, parents will use the "You're too old" or "You're too young" or "You're too whatever" to weasel out of spending a lot of money on something a kid wants. I frankly don't care if someone in this hobby is 13 or 73 as long as they act mature about it, which to me would not only include managing their debt level wisely and taking good care of the expensive doll, but also not having emotional upsets and tantrums every time someone else didn't like the doll or wasn't nice enough at a meet, et cetera. Having seen people of all ages behaving like they are 2 years old in this hobby as well as in other arenas, I tend to judge people more on the age they act, rather than the numerical age they are.

 

I think BJDs are for anyone. I don't have a problem with kids who like them, it just means (to me, at least) that they are a little more mature. Besides, who wants to play with Barbie and G.I. Joe FOREVER? Not me!

 

I would only think it's a hobby for adults if we're talking about the money. Kids and teens under the legal age to work would have more difficulties to buy them and their complements, but i'm sure they can love and enjoy the hobby as much as the adults do :3

 

That all can't be true i'm 15 and going to order my doll soon so i would't call me an adult i have no job and stuff i had to work up the money the old fashion way..... chores -_- and at first my mom thought they were creepy

 

Of course not...........
I've fallen in love with BJDs when I'm still 12years old....
But, yeah, there is one reason supporting the 'BJD's for adult' saying... That is money.
However, in my opinion , every thing will be possible only with love!!!!!!><

 

i think the hobby can be for the younger group. i think cost is a big factor i could never afford these dolls nor could my parents as a kid. when i was 11 i saved up for a fairly expensive teddy bear. i was about half way there and my 12 birthday came around and i got him as a gift. im almost 39 and i still have that bear and although he lost his nose and is well loved he is in very good to near mint shape and i carried him everywhere for a few years! so i think bjd collecting can be for responsible young people.

 

That's the cutest thing in the world!

Cost is the biggest factor. I would have loved dolls like this ten, twelve years ago, but I just wouldn't have had the money back then. I never had a regular allowance to save up, I just had spending money if I was going on a trip which inevitably got spent at the time.

It was only when I got a job at 14 that I finally had a disposable income and I spent it on shoes. Shoes were my first collection. I have some Terry de Havilland platforms I adore and some limited edition Converse and I will never lose my love for shoes, but I'm converted to BJDs now!

I think in a way the cost weeds out the kids who want one on a whim and the kids who really, really love them. The kids who only want one for the sake of having one will give up before they've even saved half of the amount to buy one, the kids who are committed will go the distance. It's the same with anything. Some kids only do karate because the classes are paid for them, then when they get older and have to pay their way, they drop out!

 

If a child can take care of the doll properly, why not?--especially if he or she contributes to the cost of the doll..

I think adults freak out when we see child playing with a bjd because it reminds us that we're adults playing with dolls..

Personally, I have no problem with that at all!

 

I really think that the stereotype that the hobby is for older people is mainly because of the cost of them and older people who have jobs can easily be able to afford them more than younger kids unless their parents are willing to buy them one.

I became interested in BJDs when I was 15, but all through high school I felt I could never be able to afford one. Now that I'm 21 and working however, I have 3 now and saving for several more.

Its just all the cost factor and for younger people, parents thinking that they're a waste of time and money or that they are 'too old' to be playing with dolls.

 

I'm 18, and even though I know that I'm consider an adult...I haven't completely come out my whole childish fase if that makes any sense. Lets put it this way...I like to goof around and have fun but I also know when it's time to smarten up and start acting the way I'm suppose to.
As for young people that like them...I think that's great and all. But I don't think I could trust a young person with a doll so expensive. I mean, I can see a 12, 13 year old going out and buying their own doll...they just don't have that kind of money. So their parents would have to get it for them and to me that's stupid on their part because even though the dolls are well made and what not, they are still rather fragile and for somebody who hasn't had enough in their life. And who hasn't learned the value of money quite yet...I think it would just be stupid for somebody to get their child that young a doll of such great value.