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

Maybe the price is more an adult thing and taking care of them and stuff like that. But i think that a doll is for everyone. My little sister (6 years old) wants to have a Puki Puki :3

And i want to buy her one, of course we will take care of her/him together! ^^

 

I'm 20 but I first got into BJD when I was about 14 or 15. I just didn't have the means to actually get one for myself until last year.

So long as the person enjoys it and can handle the responsibility, I don't see what age has to do with anything. Especially if the person's parent is into the hobby as well, it's kind of hard not to pass it down (especially with mothers and daughters, I think).

 

*gasps*
A twin soul!

I'm fourteen, and while I've been looking for a doll I hear people saying things like ; "They're really expensive, It's kind of an adult thing" and " most BJD collectors are grown-ups" (yes, they said GROWN-UPS.)

But I think that there's no reason it should be weird for kids to own BJDS.

 

I'm fifteen myself and have been totally sucked into the hobby. I'm kinda cheating, though, I'm getting my Hid boy as a Christmas present... xB

I've not actually had anyone say it to me yet, but I've heard about BJD owners who think kids are too "stupid" or immature to be able to own something like a BJD. It's true, unfortunately, for a lot of kids my age to be immature and not know how to take care of a doll properly. My best friend (or so she claims, OH THE DRAMA) wants a BJD because I said I wanted one. This TERRIFIED me, because I know she's a very irresponsible person, and I could just see any poor doll she got getting nom nom'd by her dog. T_T I started explaining how careful you have to be, and all that goes into keeping your dolls (for lack of a better term) happy and healthy. She then said that it sounded like too much work and she didn't "care about dolls THAT much". She's also called me crazy because I'm willing to spend $230 on Hid.

TLDR; Everyone I know personally is too irresponsible to be trusted with a BJD. But that doesn't mean all kids are.

 

BJD is for anyone who is willing to handle the expenses and time put into the hobby regardless of age IMO.

 

I think it is fine for kids, I am just amazed that their parents can afford it. I was at the Volks store in LA one time and these two girls - both under 10 - had their MSDs and each one was picking out clothes, etc. for their doll. Each girl paid for the doll clothes out of "their own" money - i.e. it was in their purse. The older of the two bought over $300 worth of clothes and paid in cash - all $20 bills. I was aghast. The adult with them said something like - "we won't be coming back until you get enough allowance money to buy, because I told you I am not paying for them." I still thought - Wow! because when I was a kid my parents would never have had that kind of money to spend on a doll - I had garage sale dolls with clothes that my mom or I made for them, out of scraps of clothes that my mom made for herself or for me. Allowance for my brother and I was less than $5 a week, l got a whopping $15 from my grandparents on my birthday, and I really raked in the money at report card time, because my parents would reward us with $5 for each A we got.

Anyway, I am not having children, but if I were going to, they could not play with MY dolls - they would have to get their own dolls.

 

I totally understand what you mean.
I'm 15 now but I got my first bjd when I was just 14. Now let me tell you that being young and owning a bjd doesnt automatically = RICH PARENTS!!!
I really hate to think that people see me as a spoilt brat that just happens to have £300 lying around to spend on a doll. It's not like that. I had to save for ages and I'm pretty sure most people here did too.
Now the other thing you mentioned about feeling like a baby. When I first came to DOA I felt like the biggest baby ever! I mean it felt like EVERYONE was older than me, more experiences, more dolly knowledge etc. But I guess after a couple of months you kinda settle into the community. I still get the "wah!! Are you really just 15?" sometimes and the other day I couldnt go to this meet-up cause I was too young -_- but overall being "just 15" doesnt bother me too much.

One of my moms biggest arguments about me getting a bjd were that these were "dolls for adults". Pfft! every little girl played with dolls when they were young right? whats wrong with getting more ambicious and carryone on the hobby as you get a little older?
I think dolls are for everyone who wants them. There should be no limits or rules when it comes to playing and having fun. ^^




p.s. jeez, I really rambled on, didn't I? sorry about that

 

lol Well, I can see how some parents wouldn't like the idea of their daughter playing with a boy doll that actually has a penis. But other than that, don't see the problem.

 

That was actually one of my main concerns when I went to my mother about getting a BJD since most are anatomically correct. She didn't care, since she trusts me to be responsible and mature about it (to an extent - you'd better believe both of us are going to be giggling and muttering about penis when Hid arrives). I can see why some parents wouldn't want their little ten-year-olds playing with dolls that have a penis, but really, when you're thirteen+ it's nothing you haven't heard about in school.

 

lol I don't know, I hadn't learned much about it even by your age. XD Then again, I was very sheltered.

 

It's kind of like cell phones for me. I hate seeing people abuse their phones and have them replaced. (And I don't just mean teens/kids.) I also hate seeing four-year-olds with cell phones. Those kind of things bug me because you know the person didn't work for it. I actually consider it to be a bit insulting to the rest of us who have.

Of course, if the person hasn't earned it but knows and understands the worth, then who cares? It's not about age, it's about maturity. Fyi, I'm 15 with two boys on the way.

Edit: Then there's the whole "anatomically correct thing". Once again, it's all about maturity. *is super immature at times*

 

I was fourteen/fifteen when I got in the hobby. It took me four years to get my doll, though. I actually think that getting into the hobby at a younger age is good. It teaches you financial responsibility, it give you something to work towards, and look forward too. I think it'd be great to say, well, if I get straight A's this year, I'll buy a new pair of shoes and a new wig for my doll. If you don't purchase it yourself, it'd be a present you'd never forget, and if you do purchase it yourself, it's a goal you finally realized.
And I love that it gets people excited about arts and crafts. Before bjds, i was never interested in sewing or crochet, wigmaking. And it's really helped with my anatomy in drawing, and my details in painting.

Now, i think having a really small child with a Bjd, like a five to ten year old, would be a bad idea. I have visions of what I used to do the the 20 dollar barbies my mother bought for me. Now, granted if you pop a BJD's head off and swing it from a ceiling fan, it does go back on, but the permanent marker would be bad.

 

I got my first BJD when I was 16 (I'm nearly 18 now) so I don't think they are strictly for adults. The reason I think people say they are is becasue most kids don't have the money for them and also, they are a bigger responsibility than most people would think. I know lots of good owners who are under 18 and do fine. I'd probably say it's more 13+ though, even though that's still a little young IMO.

As a kid, tastes and preferences change so buying an expensive doll may not always be a great idea because you might change your mind about the doll or dolls all together relatively quickly. That's my only concern.

 

The thing is, I'm 21 and might be trying for my first BJD - and people in my family think I'm too OLD for dolls!! OTL

 

I think BJDs are for whomever can afford them and are mature enough to appreciate and take care of them. Age is irrelevant.

 

I'm 17 and bought my first boy using my graduation money... I think it all depends on the individual!

~Ari

 

I think kid's under a teenage level shouldn't have dolls. They might not be able to take care of it properly and when you're young you haven't grasped the concept of money yet... so dolls can't be valued as such valuable items.

 

Personally I feel its a matter of maturity rather than age...its the difference between earning/saving up for one, or running to Mommy and/or Daddy and saying "gimme".

 

I don't think BJDs are just for adults. Most people think I'm too old for dolls as it is! I'd hate to think there was a special window of time when it's OK to have them. ("Sorry, 13 is too young and 21 is too old. You can only have a doll from the ages of 15-16.")

My daughter is 6 years old and I wouldn't have a problem buying her a small BJD if she showed interest in it. However, she has already said that she doesn't want a doll like that yet. I think she's more worried about her friends breaking it because she is pretty good about taking care of herself. It's when her friends come over that things get broken/lost/left out/whatnot. So maybe when she's old enough to be able to tell her friends to keep their hands off her fragile dolls ^_^

 

-Exactly like I woulda said. But those mature kids are extremely few, though. I wouldn't imagine buying a bjd for my girls in maaaany years. Well, the oldest one's 4 now, so there'll be many years to wait in any case