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

I've wanted to get a BJD since I was 15! Finally, now at 18, I'm getting my first.

I simply ignore the elitists that say they're only for older people. As long as you can take care of it well, then there is no problem?

 

IMHO, you are neither too young or two old to have a love of any hobby. Though your age may dictate how much you can participate, ie: a 13yo who has a weekend job is going to have to save for a while longer for a doll and its accessories than a 30+yo with a decent annual salary. But I have seen a lot of "necessity it the mother of invention" from some of the younger members in the forum, with their sewing and painting abilities too, so even the slow income doesnt hold them back.

And like has been said earlier, so long as you have respect, care and an ability to deal appropriately with the things that go with this sort of hobby then you are in the right place And that applies to all age groups, kids, teens and us old cronies alike

 

I have two boys in the house one is 8 and the other 2 years old. Whilst I won't let the little one play with doll, I DO let him bring his stuffed toys to "talk" to him when I have him out and play with him. The older boy quite often help me take photoes and make stories with him. I wouldn't let him play with him on his own because he is a bit clumsy and that doll WAS expensive but he does take part in the activity.

So although I consider it to be MY hobby, it is nice to have one I can share with the little ones... the other hobby is Yaoi and I keep it more or less to myself XD.

 

Popping in late. Did not read the entire thread. But just thought I'd add my tuppence. 43 and male. How does that fit your stereotype?

 

I know what you mean to some degree, my daughters nearly 6 months old yet loves staring at my boys and gabbering away to them ^_^ whether or not she'll get into the hobby i don't know but if she had the patience to save at a young age and treat them well and show an interest then I'd let her have one.

A hobby shouldn't be defined by age but by your love for the hobby itself ^_^

 

Exactly. Nor should it be defined by gender. My mother in law absolutely freaks when she sees my son go head over heels over my doll. She believes it is something that should be reserved for girls only and YOUNG girls at that.

Oddly enough my son's little cousin who is a very very VERY girly girl... I mean - wears pink and wants to be a fairy princess with a hoard of pink wearing fairy princess Barbie dolls girly ... is utterly creeped out by my elf-doll wu ^^;;. She took one look at him when me and my older boy made a story with him and ran out of the room in TEARS XD.

I think the love of the BJD will not go in THAT direction ...

 

Probably people who stereotype the hobby would imidietly go 'OMG OLD PERVERT CREEPER.'
But for me I don't care, as long as you enjoy it go for it ^^

 

Didn't read the entire thread, but I don't think age always has to do with maturity and gratitude. I think dollfies, being as expensive as they are, need owners who appreciate that they can stain, break, chip, marble, warp, etc. And when they do, you've got a damaged piece of $500+ dollar artwork.

There are some people who can appreciate that at the age of 12, and would be careful as to not purposely cause damage and/or vandalism to their properties, dollfies and other things included.

There are people I have met over 30 years of age who just don't give a damn.
I've met people who, out of vanity, buy Burberry handkerchiefs to use as a table rags.

I think as long as you know to appreciate something, there are no age boundaries for what you can get involved in.

 

I've loved dolls since I can remember (I'm 35 now) but have recently began to collect bjd's. I have a 10 year old daughter who has expressed a lot of interest in collecting as well. I am so excited that now I have someone to share my love of bjd's with! She told me that she doesn't tell anyone at school that she likes dolls because some of her friends made fun of her. I can't believe that a 10 yr old is not "supposed" to play with dolls anymore?! The world is teaching our little ones to grow up too quickly! I'm glad to be such a rebel and I'm going to encourage my girl to be one as well! Long live BJD's!!

 

Children should remain innocent and childlike as long as possible. The world is difficult enough for adults so why interest a child in adult dolls before they are really at an age to understand.

I am an adult doll collector. I want to be with other adults who collect dolls. I do not in any way want to have children at adult doll meetings as the subject matter is adult in nature. The outfits on the dolls and the body sculpts are provocative.

As an adult I wonder if exposing children to adult BJds would be considered corrupting the morals of a minor in the USA. I would consider removing myself from the meeting before subjecting children to the adult conversation.Adult means over 21 in some areas over 18 but that is pushing the limits. In other countries it means something different. So when in Rome do as the Romans. If it is considered irresponsible and corrupting morals in the USA while in the USA do not espose the child to adult situations.

If a parent wants to introduce children to art and nudity he or she should take the child to an art museum and show them the works of great artists. Show them the history behind the sculptures and the history of the world when the paintings and the sculptures were made. Gradually introduce them to an adult world. Do not involve others in raising your own child.

If the Parent wants the child to have a BJD then do it in their own home in their own privacy. Do not subject a child to other adults who may not feel this same way about esposing children to an adult hobby. What is good for one family may not be good for another.

 

Suzan no longr n Pgh has a good point, and there are "childlike" dolls out there, take pukipukis for example. That said Barbie is a hell of a lot more mature than some bjds out there and children are bombarded with her - at least bjds are proportioned. But i feel like it misses the point of the original question which was, what do adult bjd collectors feel about the younger collectors? and vice versa... basically

Im 17, and my sisters are 13 and 11. We each have our own bjds. We saved and saved and saved to get them. My sisters even attended doll meets with me before we got them so they knew what they were getting into before it was too late. They are careful with them and love them to pieces, as well as giving us a hobby we can share. We haven't had a meet since we got our girls but they have always been careful when handling other peoples dolls.

imo opinion it shouldn't matter how old you are, just that you have a healthy amount of respect for the other people and dolls you are interacting with

 

hehehe, this made me laugh my ass off!! I think that fits you in the kids section under Peter-Pan with impeccable taste in hobbies ... Unless Soom releases a 1/2 scale Valentino Rossi, on an equally impressive scaled Ducati, my 43 yo Hubby is content to build the accessories for me bless him ....

 

What a fantastic point!! My kids have had a little exposure to art and nudity in their tender young years as we toured Italy and Croatia for 9 weeks with them in tow, seeing pieces such as Michaelangelos "La Pieta" they have been to a doll meet with me, though they honestly were a pain in the bum and I'll never take them again!! But they still have not grasped the concept of nudie-good or nudie-bad, once they start with that distinction - I agree with you that a degree of sensitivity is required, my kids may be more "worldy" than others children and I never assume thats whats okay for mine is okay for yours.... My kids have only ever seen my mini dolls (all female)either fully clothed or in LOTS of pieces on the work bench looking nothing like a person, but they have never ever seen one of my SD boys (all gone now) nude... Only because like you said, I'm not ready to explain that yet, nor do I feel that my babies need to know just yet what its all about... let them have their rainbows and leave the big scary world out there a while longer I say LOL

I love all the points coming across in here I believe we are all on the same wavelength and that it all boils down to respecting the individual... my ideals wont always match others, but I readily accept that; "they like green and I like purple" and its okay that they dont match...

Back On topic, though I've already answered prior. I've not personally met any "kids" in this hobby other than when I am talking with them on-line so without first hand experience face to face, I can only comment on my involvement with the younger members... I've found a couple (totally non-specific) to be a little childish at times, but hey when I get into my lolcats moods I'm probably worse

For the most part I translate the expression "adult hobby" into; a person who is mature enough to be responsible, respectful of the melting pot of ethnicity, race and demographics in the forum and who has a gennuine care and enjoyment for the dolls it is centred around. Fitting this description IMHO is more important than being the right "age"

*doll love and hugs*

Devils Conscience: I can sooo vouch for you and your lovely family, age irrelevant your sisters were so incredibly lovely and I look forwards to a meet again (without my screeching little monkeys LOL)

 

I fail to see how BJDs can be conceived entirely as an ADULT occupation. My doll does not represent a sexual object and having it without clothes is not conceived by me to be a sexual activity. Exposing my sons to my doll sans clothes fails to be percieved by me to be morally corupting... but to each their own... I find my dolls highly stimulating creatively and as such a lovely aid for imaginitive play for all ages.

Just as a point of clarity - I am an avid yaoi fan and my private library contains many sexually explicit material. In THAT hobby - I find my children have no part at this stage of their lives.

The two hobbies are seperated though. When I play with my dolls with my children there is nothing explicit in it. Doll nudity simply does not register as SEXUAL to me. End of story.


I don't know what others do with their dolls but mine does not currently symbolize anyhing ADULT in nature. At least not when my children share activities with them and so I am NOT going to bar them from playing with them.

I would be careful of over interpreting other people doll habbits or tell them how to play with them though.

 

"I would be careful of over interpreting other people doll habbits or tell them how to play with them though.[/QUOTE]


If the club itself started with adults and was for adults from the beginning of its conception then it should be remain so unless everyone agrees to allow children.

If one has no babysitter to watch one's child while one goes to an adult participating club then one should consider staying home than subjecting other adults to one's child. It is not fair to the other adults.(sometimes kids can be very distracting, mischievious,damagingto others property and annoying to others) It is not the other adults fault that one does not have someone to watch the child that time. Taking the child to an adult club is like punishing the other adults because one does not have a sitter and the other adults do not have children.

It is also selfish and immature on the part of any parent who just assumes everyone will accept the child in the adult group.

One can always start a BJD for children and supervise the group if you so desire but make sure that the childs parent approves of this and is able to attend meetings to assure that the childrens group remains a safe environment for the child. Do not assume that the adult in charge of the group will be responsible for what your child sees and hears. And make sure that if it is in a public place that the establishment does not object or will not be held liable for any actions or injuries to the children while in their establishment.

I draw the line at 18. If and when I go to club and there is a child under the age of 18 I will go home or find something else to do during that time. I have raised my own children to adulthood and I do not care to be responsible for other's children. Because good intentions do pave the road to hell. No matter what good may be intended that does not mean something will not go totally opposite of good intentions. Does anything ever go the way it really should go?

As far as children liking BJDs. It is solely up to the parents to decide if the genre is approriate for the child and it is the parents responsibility to see that the child is safe. What one parent views as safe play may not be what another parent views as safe play.

As far as Barbies go. It is also up to the parents to decide when the right time is to give the child a Barbie doll. Just because it states on the box not intended for children under three does not mean the doll should be given to a child of 4 to play with. It mainly means that the doll can not be safely played with by children under three who could bite off a foot or a hand or an arm or eat the hair and hurt themselves.

So it all falls on the parent to do what is best for the child and respect other adults who may not want to have children around when it is to be adult time and relaxation.


And My mother use to say,"If everyone jumps off a bridge do you think you should to do it too?" It is a matter of choice what is right or wrong for the child. Only the parent can be responsible for this.

So what if it is unpopular to say No to a doll.Then so be it. A parent does not need to be popular with the child. A parent needs to be a parent and protect the child.



IMO: BJDs are not for children, unless the parent wishes it so and keeps it within his or her own family or group and does not interfere with the rights of other adults in a club intended for adults and respect children of parents who do not wish their children to be exposed to BJDs.

 

If I remember correctly, there's already several threads about BJDs and nudity. Let's try to keep this thread on track.

I don't really care what age you are. If you're 10 and keep your dolls in perfect condition, or you're 50 and you scribble all over them with Sharpies....it doesn't affect me. You're caring for your own property in your own way. It has nothing to do with me.

 

I guess I missunderstood you there at first.

Since you specifically speak about meet-ups and club meetings I would tentatively agree to the sentiment. Club rules are club rules and one should follow them by all means. and there is indeed less control over what happens in group activity involving a majority of adults... this is mostly why I do not take my children with me to anime conventions...

However - I am very much NOT a meet-up and club person when BJDs are concerned. I tend to stick to my home in this regard and enjoy my BJD in my personal space. The few times I do take my doll to see other doll people is when the meetup is exclusively between friends who know me and my children for a long time. Thus - a sare environment for children both physically and mentaly.

I would very much hate to exclude my children from something they so obviously enjoy within the privacy of my own home.

On the publich aspect of the hobby - I mostly agree...

 

I don't think there is an age limitation on habbits.
And it is really easy to understand why children or young people likes dolls, just like the kids like babies or other dolls. BJD, yeah, maybe partly so different from the babies, but still they are "Dolls".
But the reason why many people say that BJD is the adult's hobby, in my opinion maybe because that adults can think deeper about the meaning of the dolls. What they are ,what they means to the owner's life~~ Then, adults can pay more attention on the dolls, and use their life experience to improve the dolls, to let them have souls. As have and rise a "child" is the business that belongs to adults.

Maybe that would be the reason.

But still, nobody can stop others' interests on anything. If you really like them, then just try to pay you love, pay your care, and even pay your life on them~~

 

Some of us have a license to work in a certain field, medicine, nursing, teaching, social work, accounting, law inforcement, judical counselers etc. This license is a priviledge to work in that field.
Also,licensed persons in some areas are required by law to report child neglect or abuse on or off duty that means both mentally as well as physically.
The license will be revoked if the individual is convicted of theft, murder, under influence of drugs alcohol and impared or convicted of corrupting the morals of a minor child or child molestation.

Failure to follow those conditions can cause the license and the privilege to earn a living to be revoked and a strike against one's character in the future.


Why tempt fate?

Kids should be with kids, adults should be with adults.

Only a parent can decide what is good for their child.


Another scenerio:

What if a child comes to an adult club and breaks a $1200 ooak of another person in club? Say the child drops the doll and the nose, ears, hands and feet break? You and I would both agree that the adult parent of the childis responsible for the doll's damage, now, has a legal responsibility to the other adult owner of the doll to replace the doll or pay for doll.

Why tempt fate?

If a parent wants to give their child a doll valued at 15 cents or $1200 that is their right, privilege and responsibilty.If they feel the need to include a child in an adult activity

 

A little perspective goes a very long way:

I have to say - I live in the UK and I am very much aware of the law. From painful personal experience. My mother in law complained about me being a parent and collecting homoerotica. The result was a warning TO HER for wasting the authority time and showing homophobic opinion.

The social services informed her that I am allowed my own adult activity - I can assure you that doll nudity is in NO WAY considered adult anywhere near me so I am not in the least bit worried.

I know for a FACT that any such authority here would laught out loudly at any suggestion that I am a negletful parent or a moraly corruptive one because I allowed my children to look upon my doll when it is not dressed. The very notion is proposterous as far as the law is concerned.

I am not showing them pornography - even pictures of nude people - it is a DOLL. Not a sexual object.

I sleep easy in my bed letting my children play with my BJDs.