Is going to a bjd convention worth it?

ldoll is going on in france in october i really wanna go just for the fact i wanna see it but i feel like because i doll have dolls i wont be able to talk to other people around but thats just me worrying x3 one day i will be able to go

 

I think conventions are great - especially if you've saved enough spending money for those. I mean it's gonna be a spending spree OR you're just crying not having the extra bucks to buy "that cool thing that I definitely will need in my life". I've been to Ldoll once and a couple smaller conventions (they were more like just sellers market, no actual activity) in Japan.

Anyhow, I'll be going to Ldoll this year. It's been a long time planning. ^_^

 

I wish there was one closer to me. They all seem now to be more West Coast of the US. One is in Texas but still...I like seeing different dolls and shopping, and some panels. I wish one was on the East Coast again. I have done 4 bjd cons. Two in KY that only lasted 2 years, Dollism in NY, and one in Orlando. Atlanta had one but they closed down and I was hoping the Orlando one would keep going but they were a one time thing too...

 

Dang it, there was one in Orlando?! I completely missed that!

I missed Dollism as well, but I went to one of the Volks NYC Dolpas way back when and I loved it. It would be great to have a more regular con on the East Coast. The only thing I have right now is the occasional doll meetup/panel at Dragoncon. Is there a way we can encourage/set up another one?

 

Hmm I'm thinking going to one if the company I want to buy the doll from is there, seems that they have merch/fullset dolls there that you can buy, instead of waiting for months for it...

 

I definitely want to attend LDoll in Lyon this year!! It's the only 'larger' BJD con in Europe that I'm aware of (even though I'm probably missing a lot of good regional conventions that I just don't know about >.<)

 

Doll conventions are definitely worth it!
For travel expenses, I try to go to doll conventions that are within my budget, spending money included. There's no point going to the other side of the world if that uses up all your money.
And then, I try to look who's there and budget accordingly (how much for an eventual doll? How much for clothes? accessories?).
And when I can, I try to couple the convention with a day or two of sightseeing of the place.

 

I think going to doll conventions in general is worth it, assuming you have the funds in your budget. You get to meet new and like minded folks. You get to attend seminars about dolls. You might even get to meet some doll artists. And don't even get me started about the salesrooms. That's where a major chunk of the budget will probably go.

 

I was at one convention in 2014, the Dollism held in Buffalo, NY. I personally thought it was totally worth it, if only because of being able to interact with other bjd collectors. Like a gigantic meetup. Got to meet so many collectors and see so many dolls. There aren’t a lot of chances to attend meets in my area so it was a nice treat.

It was also fantastic to be able to browse the sales hall and get to see the company representatives and their wares. To be able to see in person the dolls and clothes and such before deciding to purchase. Oh, and the room sales! They were fun, too.

As for money, I brought several hundred with me last time and I think if I ever get a chance to attend another convention I’ll be bringing a lot more. lol Not just for the sales, but if I want to go out and do things outside the convention it would be nice to have extra cash.

I keep hoping another Dollism will happen in New York or in a state closer to me. One of these days, I hope to be able to attend one of the conventions across the country but that is a little outside my price range at the moment.

 

Dear Stormlight, I am with you. I would love to attend a BJD convention in the future. Let's hope when these challenging times are over someone will host one that we can attend. The thought of that possibility makes me smile.

 

Never been to a bjd con. Would love to go at least once to see the atmosphere of one. If anything, would really like to attend a US based Volks Dolpa. Since I have the experience of going to anime cons, and spending a lot at said cons. I'd bring a hovel of money with me anyway....

 

Most conventions I've seen are either on the west coast or way up north, so I'll probably never get to go to one, but if I had the chance I would love to!

 

It depends a lot on the vibe of the convention for me.

Ones where there's a lot of workshops, you're learning and doing things; or you meet up with people and chill; or which are fan-led, very DIY and participatory - I love that.

But I've been to some conventions which were like, one big shop. Lots of tables run by different brands, then presentations by different brands - and for me at least, that gets quite soulless quite quickly? Like I'm paying to go to a shop where I can then spend more money. From experience, I know that convention isn't my sort of thing.

So, it depends on the specific event.