Is going to a bjd convention worth it?

Not a doll convention strictly speaking but I went to Volks' Tokyo Bay Cruise last year over Easter and even though it was super expensive it also was totally worth it! I'd absolutely do it again if I got the opportunity and had the money available.

 

As its been said above, it depends on what you are looking to do at a convention. Its really nice to be at a gathering with people who have the same passion as you. Personally i think its totally worth it!!

 

I go to anime conventions and I think the same rules would apply. Decent priced tickets and pocket money you were able to save up. Maybe no more than $300 all together? Some items are overpriced so you don't want to bring all your savings or you'll go spending crazy!

 

I really really would love to travel to LDoll. I visited Lyon a long time ago and always wanted to go back. I'm not sure even if I would like the atmosphere of the show since I get overwhelmed by crowds easily, but going is on my to do list!!

If you're not sure you would like to go to a convention I would suggest picking even a small doll/other interest convention near you and just seeing what you think.

 

i go to doll north (an extension of the Canadian anime convention anime north) every year, and have gone for around 4 years now. For all of those years except this year I didn't have a doll for myself but I still got a very good experience just attending, browsing the market and chatting with other doll owners.
As a few others have said, if you're only going for shopping, you're probably better off just buying online. My favorite part of doll conventions is talking to other bjd fans, especially about their dolls. I love hearing about the characters people have made with their dolls and doll conventions are a great place to discuss it. And of course if you can attending panels and workshops is an important part of the experience in my opinion so it'd be a good idea to check the convention schedule before you make your plans to see if there's anything that you're particularly interested in. I'm not sure about other conventions, but doll north also hosts a swap meet, and if you live in an area that doesn't have a local bjd group that hosts some every few months convention swap meets are another great reason to go.
And as for the price, if you think its worth it I think the experience is priceless. However, be prepared for have travel costs drain your wallet before you even get there so keeping an iron fist on your savings is very important. I usually take an several hour bus and other public transit rides to reach the convention center because even though it takes longer, it's the cheapest option, and I always split a hotel with others which helps the lower the cost a lot of you have other people who may be interested in going.

 

In my case I will tell you: yes it's worth it! I traveled from Germany to Barcelona twice and Lyon once (this year will be my second time) to go to a dolly convention. And everytime I was there was filled with fun and meeting lovely people.
And the spending money is another thing. I'm always looking up who will have a booth and what the things might cost I want to buy (and a lil extra for food etc) and that money I will bring.

 

There aren't any BJD conventions anywhere near my area, so I'd have to travel hours to go to one. For me personally, it wouldn't be worth the time and cost. I'm not really big on conventions, and I don't mind enjoying the hobby in an individual way. My main enjoyment from this hobby is taking photos of my dolls and expanding my photography skills. I like the online community, but I just don't have the urge to travel long distances for a con. I totally understand why others enjoy attending though, and if there was one super close, I would consider going

 

I think if you're looking for a more interactive con experience then the ones in USA & Europe are a good choice with all the different panels & workshops you can attend.

Asian cons save for volks dolpas are pretty much 100% shopping only, but if you can work one of the big scale ones like Dollvie, Hoffman's, Dollism Plus HK or Tokyo into your vacation schedule (they're all half day affairs in easily accessible locations) they're great for picking up stuff from indie vendors that only sell stuff at cons. Most people there understand simple english too so communication isn't a problem.

 

For me, the best part of Dollism was the room sales. Actually seeing dolls and outfits on display gave me a much better idea of what I wanted. And being able to buy a doll, walk next door, and tell the wig vendor that if the wig he showed me earlier fit the doll I'd buy it, then buy her eyes the next morning, was a wonderful experience. I didn't have to worry about anything not fitting.

 

Dollism Plus USA was magical. We.Need.Another.One

I've been to Anime North a few times and each year I find myself spending less and less time at Doll North.
I wish more people attended and more companies were represented.

The travel to Dollism was definitely worth it, we drove about 5 hours and stayed at the hotel for the weekend.
We paid for the hotel using points from a loyalty program so we did not stay at the hotel the con was at.
This was a double edged sword, we saved the money but at the same time there were times when I would have loved to go up to my room, sort through my purchases or just to take a break.

If bringing cash; please be careful. Many of the company booths accepted Paypal which made things very easy, but you will need cash for second-hand/room sales.
Set a budget for yourself and stick with it. You may want to use your first day at the con just to look around and then make your purchases on the second day.

Anime/Doll North is 7 hours away, again we always book our hotels with points.
If it weren't for Anime North however, I would not attend Doll North, even though it's nice, it's just very small and in my opinion, not worth the expenses I would incur.

 

Sadly I don't see that happening again any time soon because Mint on Card organized the first one, and Mint on Card's owners are... no longer in the business.

 

Honestly I think it depends on how much money you have to spend! LOL! I have been to several of the San Diego cons and I had a lot more fun when I could actually buy things. The others were nice to hang out and the picture opportunities are great. You'll see lots of sculpts in person you might not otherwise. But the shopping (for me) is the best part. That's one of the reasons I haven't been to the Portland con. It's kind of depressing to look at cool stuff you can't afford...

 

They'er good for buying stuff for your dolls and seeing others in the community.

 

Cons in general are worth it to travel to, if it’s something you’re interested or passionate about. The further away it is, the more it’s a fan vacation.

 

I would LOVE to go to one! There don't seem to be any here in Southern California though.

 

Volks often has Dolpa in Los Angeles! Just last year (2017) there was one. I’m sure there will be another soon (there was one in 2015 too). And annually there is a San Diego BJD convention. I have never been to a bjd convention but there are lots of events here in Southern California compared to other areas.

 

I agree that So. California is not bad for doll cons, with the annual San Diego BJD Con and the hopefully annual or every-other-year Volks LA Dolpas in Los Angeles. We also had the KBJD Show in 2014. That was SO worth going to!

So was Dollism US in NY. @elf-ears and I flew all the way across the US for that one. It was fantastic seeing all the companies there.

We are going to L-Doll in France this October. Elf-ears hasn't been to France before, so we're making it a travel vacation, even though it's quite a distance to go from California. I haven't done any foreign travel in a while and had air miles. Plus, I think France is lovely. Yeah, it's expensive, but we're also doing it to sight-see, so it's not just going to a con. However--we do like bjd cons a lot. We won't know anyone there and don't speak French, but are still hoping to enjoy L-Doll. And we will love seeing the doll artists and sellers.

I have to say that I didn't go to many bjd cons early on because all my money went into buying dolls and stuff for dolls. But after a while I had a number of dolls and had clothes, and had some money to spare on checking out doll cons and having some interesting travel trips.

I agree that the smaller cons are better if you aren't going to be spending a lot on travel and hotels (and food and everything--plus buying doll things). It helps if you can afford spending the travel money and still have enough to buy some things at the con. And researching what cons are worth spending time and money attending.

I've loved traveling to cons (anime, comic, game, fantasy, science fiction, books/writing, art, painting, etc.) for years and years... so the bjd cons were definitely something I was always interested in going to.

 

Has anyone attended a doll con as a vendor? How was the experience? Would you recommend it?