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

i think that the kids whose parents by them BJD's are increibely lucky! My parents were not fortunate enough to be able to afford many things, and certainly not hundreds of dollars worth of dolls. I think if they want a BJD they should really save up and buy it themself- it teaches them about having money. Now that I am in a good financial situation, it makes me think more about it, and I still wouldn't buy my child a $600 doll because I think that is too much money to spend on a child. I would help towards it, encourage them to do bootsales and work around the house to earn some stuff towards it, but findamentally they should pay for it. I'm always astounded that parents buy BJD's for their kids.

 

I think what makes people think it's an "adult" hobby is the cost. Many kids can't or won't shell out the hundreds of dollars it can cost to get a doll, relying on parents, who in many cases don't want to support their child's interest with something that expensive.

That being said, my daughter 12 years old - she asked at birthdays and Christmas to receive money instead of presents, and also did odds and ends around the house to be able to pay for her first doll. She has also received dolls from myself or her dad, because of her excellent grades, etc. She has a couple of friends who really like her dolls and say they want one, but one of them will never put out the money herself, she'll save up and then decide to get something else, and her other friend the parents won't let her spend her money on expensive things like dolls - or unmaterial things like gaia cash cards.

So, Is it more accessible to adults - yes. Would you want to buy a bjd for a really young child even if they wanted one - I wouldn't. Do I think parents should just buy their children dolls just because they want it, but has done nothing to deserve it - no. Do I think parents should be more understanding of what their children like and allow them to explore their interests even if they don't understand them, as long as they are willing to work for it - yes.

But are bjd's and adult hobby - no.

 

I don't think Bjds are an adult hobby. I got introoduced to BJDs by my cousin, when I was 12. I am now 14 since June 26, and have sold and bought many with no problem.

I think you need to be responsible, as it is a lot of money, but kids can do it too. I started my family with a BF May (now sold) mnf shiwoo, and FB liebchen which I got as presents on christmas and 13th birthday, for the rest I had to buy myself, and had to work for my money. My parents support me in this hobby as I am very responsible and take good care of the dolls, and use the money wisely.

When I sell or buy a doll, I do everything myself, while I also have to manage my school work... I also have a very good feedback here on DOA. I have shipped internationally, without any problem too. So I don't think that you have to be an adult to deal with BJDs. Furthermore, I am very reasonable with the amount of dolls I have, I want to take equal care of all of them and only keep the ones that I prefer.

I save all my money to buy my BJDs, and I am very proud once I get them. I have sold with no problem an elfdoll Mir, BF special May, FB body, Lati yellow special christmas event Cookie, Lati tanned body, AOD Zi-Yuan. I am very mature and responsible which is why I was able to sell with no problem and got good feedbacks from the buyers. (I sold my first doll at 13 by myself with parent supervision of course lol) But now I do everything myself except drive to the post office since of course I don't have legal age lol.

I am very proud of the family I have now - Luts CP El, Lati yellow Lea, FB Liebchen hybrid, Luts mnf Shiwoo, AOD Ai Ai, AOD Ming, Elfdoll hana angel, Dollmore Chami. I take very good care of them and always bring them along when I go to vacation, in plane, or by car, and they are all in very good condition, never fell once

I am planning on still adding members to my BJD family too So no I don't think you need to be an adult to own BJD or to take good care of them.

 

If anything, these dolls are uncool, though.. They may be a little bit more popular than they were before, but definitely aren't "trendy" like furbies were.. show them to your friends and the majority of them will say "Eww, what a creepy doll!". Instead of making everyone think you're so cool and awesome and rich, they'll just think you're an idiot that spent too much money on a "barbie".

I've seen lots of people that like these dolls and think "Oh pretty, I want one!", start saving up, but aren't committed enough to pay the full price for them, sure. But not one person I've seen ever got them to impress anyone, seem cool, show off something expensive, or just because a friend had one... and if anything, most of us lie about the real price of our dolls to people that wouldnt understand. When it comes down to it it's impossible to seem cool with a doll, because lets face it, playing with dolls when you're not a little kid is a very unpopular thing to do.

The teenagers ive showed these dolls to.. It's hit and miss. They either hate them and think they're especially creepy, or they'd love one for their own, to actually play with and customize and build characters for.

 

Okay it is pretty obvious that we just keep repeating ourselves. I've read several starting paragraphs where people say, it doesn't matter on the age, it's all about how mature the person is. I know this, that's exactly what I was saying...and for Lami...I never said that I would be the one spending my money on these dolls. That's just how I feel if I was in that situation. You are giving me the impression that you keep going right over that point and completely changing my words to make it sound like I said something else. Sorry if maybe my wording was a little off, but it made sense to me when I typed it out.

So let me blunt.
This hobby isn't just for adults, it's for anybody of any age with the maturity to have them. Not for some bratty kid who gets whatever they want like some others said, because they saw somebody else with it and thought that it would be cool to have one so they could fit in. Parent's of these sorts of children who just go out and get them whatever they want gives them the impression that they can do whatever they want with the doll because if something happens well, "Mommy and Daddy will just get me another one." So again going back to somebody's maturity level regardless of age.

 

I completely agree Hakkai.

If the kid is not mature enough to know to take care of something that expensive, treat it poorly, and not give a care, then they do not deserve to have it. End of story.

If I had a child, and I felt that they wouldn't appreciate it, and take care of it, then they are not getting one, no matter how much they want one. I would tell them that until they could take care of their things, and respect what people get for them, then they are not getting it. Why raise your child to think they can get what ever they want, and not have to respect what is given to them, and take care of it? ESSPECIALLY something as expensive as ABJD.

Point is, until the child can learn to care for their things, they don't deserve to have one. ABJD as just to expensive, and to amazing for that kind of treatment. Giving a kid who wont take care of it a ABJD is throwing money right out the window. And I am sure that with the economy the way it is that is the last thing you need to be doing.

 

Agreed. I think those people that are dumb enough to spend their money on a younger person because they whine about it doesn't teach them the value of money. I understand that money is only what me make it worth...but until everybody in the world realizes that and stops using it...we are stuck with it. So be it. By showing them that they can't just get what they want, having them do things around the house and what not. Letting them now that money isn't something that grows on trees is the only way my child would get one of these dolls, if I had any.

 

Once more I agree.

It's the persons choice obviously, if they want to spoil their child, and blow their money on them like that. That's fine. I can't sit here and tell anyone what they can or can not do. I just wish people respected the value of money more. I am sure not everyone of us on here just has the money to throw into this hobby whenever we want. We have to wait, and save for it, and realise that if now isn't the time to have one, then now isn't the time. Wait and then when you are ready and can honestly afford it, you can get it.

I admit I jumped right in, and used money I probably should have saved, however it will be a good amount of time before I can get another. I know this. There are things right now that are just more important than getting another doll.

Anyhow back to the subject at hand.

 

Yes exactly the point I was trying to say earlier...but people kept ignoring that. Not once did I say that these people couldn't spend their money on these dolls for their children. Because after all it's their money and what do I care what they do with it? I don't...thinking about it now though, the parents are almost as bad as the children who don't really respect the dolls. It's basically like handing the kids the money in a paper bag and telling them to go put it in the garbage...but hey if they have the money to do just whatever with. Then more power to you.

 

lol. Well I'm 18. ...Which is only just an adult. xD;

I think that as long as your mature enough to take on the responsibility of buying, keeping and looking after something like BJD, then you're old enough to have one. : D

Though I would freak out a little if I saw a real kid (under ten) with a BJD. Dx Just because I get paranoid.

 

I don't think age matters at this point. It's the matter of whether you would want to be commited into the hobby of BJD, and understanding the responsibilties of caring for a doll, and also the cost of maintaning the doll and so forth. I'm going to be 20 years old in one month time, and I don't have a BJD yet, but I did ordered one and I clearly understood about the hobby and caring for one doll.

I have my youngest sister who is just 10 years old, and she has her own bank account. How you asked? She collects money and saves them. Like many people had said, maturity is also another matter. My sister can be really childish at times, but when it comes to money, she saves and spends rather well. Right now, she has around RM 3000+ in her bank account, and I'm not joking. How she got that much money you ask? She collects money from red packets every Chinese New Year, and whenever she had good grades in school, my parents would give her money as a reward. She saves the money and had never use it in her life.

For now, she is deciding whether she wants to get a BJD, not because she wants to tag along with her sister or because it is now a popular trend. In here, I don't see any another BJD owners in real life, but I hope to meet a couple at meet-ups one day. As for my youngest sister, she is clearly interested in one Yo-SD from DoD, a DoB Arie but I had advised her to wait for my doll to come first and see how she would react with my own doll firstly before she takes on the hobby herself.

But anyways, as for the question, no. I do not think BJD is just for adults. I was actually excited to know that my kid sister is interested in getting one of her own BJD of herself, and clearly, she has the money to do so. For now, I'm just waiting for her decision but she had mentioned that she had indeed fell in love with DoB Arie.

 

I think it has more to do with being mentally adult rather than age, because of the responsabilities you get in marketplace transactions and because of the cost of the doll itself. I hope I made my point clear ^^U

 

Im not offended, Im 15 and I have a Tintan and a Megi. But... mmmmmm... I guess with the age and stuff... well. The BJD's have lots of small parts to them and are durable but, get them in the hands of the wrong kid and youd get a cracked scull. ( V_V ) But, as long as the kids mature and you know the kids not going to like kill the doll in anyway... i dont really see anything that bad at it... and yeah i know what you mean, i feel young compared to lots of people on the site

 

It's kind of funny because I'm over here at Mechacon this weekend and another DoA member and I presented a panel on abjds and in the front row was a little girl, I'm guessing seven or eight years old and her mom showed up after a bit and sat with her while we gave our talk and I heard her at the end of the panel mutter to her kid "I'm not getting you a $300 doll now or ever, so don't ask." XD I was thinking "OMG lady, ultimatum much?" I could understand her not getting the girl one now, but what's wrong with seeing if she could scrimp and save for her own? I mean it is a good way to teach a kid saving for a goal, isn't it?

 

It is a fantastic way to learn to save up. That will give them a great idea about what money means and what not and that it can hard sometimes to get to a certain goal. Especially at the price of some of these dolls. By doing so I'm sure she will also become more mature because of this lesson. And that's great. I think kids like that deserve then more then one who just gets what they want obviously. I mean I know 8 and what not is young, but they aren't that dumb. Not saying that you said that or anything. But eventually they will catch on that, "Hey, saving up for this doll is really hard." So once they finally have the money and the doll comes in they know to appreciate it more because it took them so long to get it in the first place. Does that make sense?

 

I'm 16, and that's exactly what I think, too.

It seems to be more of an adult hobby because they actually have an income (or one that's not minimal), and it seems they really feel the value of money, respecting it after knowing what work it takes to earn it and then extending that to what they buy with it. But there are definitely younger people, maybe not young children but at least teenagers, out there who do respect and could deserve valuable and fragile things like BJDs. Of course, there are some out there who are into hobbies like this just because it seems like the next big thing, and that can be very frustrating in itself along with how it rubs off to others perceptions of younger people... Really, though, it all just depends on the individual.

 

Yes exactly. We all seem to be on the same page now.
I'm 18 and barely an adult and I don't have an income only because it's insane to get a job around here...people are looking for people with experience, or they just simply are not hiring because of the way the economy is and that's depressing. But I'm hoping that it won't stay that way for too long.
Anyways back to the subject we are all suppose to be talking about. The saying, "Age is just a number." Is almost perfect in this situation. Because truly it is. It's all mature you are up stairs that would decide whether people truly deserve them or not.

 

It's definitely a matter of mental maturity over age If someone is going to understand and respect the expense of their doll, and genuinely take an interest in the hobby (as in: not like their doll for one day and then get sick of it, and move on to something new), then age doesn't matter I do admit that seeing the kids my age and under whose parents buy their dolls makes me a bit bitter, but I get over it. Just because their parents are able and willing to buy their doll for them does not mean they're some immature little kid.
I generally see more adults in the BJD hobby, though, and I suppose it has something to do with finances. Although my parents would be horrified if they knew I wanted to go to doll meets where the majority is older than I am, I really don't mind the age difference. n_n A BJD owner is a BJD owner. (though I am initially awkward around adults because I try too hard to balance politeness and my dry humor)

Woops, that turned out a lot longer than I had intended

 

I think bjd are for people of all ages to collect~
It's fun meeting people of different ages at doll meets i think

Even if you are younger but you have the effort to save up for one and look after it properly, it's fine i think o.O

I tihnk actually at most doll meets I've been to most are teens or in 20's?
There are just a few adults I've met.. XD

 

I don't really care if kids like/have them. I think it is fun when anyone as an interest in them.