Is having many dolls a good thing?

Some dolls just don't feel complete (even wearing the right wig and eyes and clothes and having the perfect shell for the character) without being surrounded by their cast/crew, whether that's one other doll or one hundred other dolls.

 

If that is what you want from life then go for it. I like things and tend to collect a bunch of things when the interest hits me. It's why I have so many books, anime and dolls for customising. I'm not sure if I will own very many bjd's but I really do find them beautiful.

 

I don't want my collection to get out of hand, or to have dolls I don't bond with, so I try to be careful about my purchases. Although I'll probably end up with too many at some point.

 

I am going to give you a very unpopular answer, and that is no.

But, please let me explain.

The term "many" is very subjective and it is generally determined by someone's collecting purpose. Those who create intricate story lines where characters weave in and out of the spotlight require more dolls than those who only want to collect cute or pretty things. This is because the characters tend to be limited to particular wigs/looks but those who do not have characters may completely transform their dolls. But, the moment the characters become too much to handle or there is simply not enough time in the days to keep up with maintaining the cute/pretty looks (i.e. wig maintenance) that "many" can become a burden rather than a joy.

In addition, the objective to have "many" can be a hurdle to overcome in determining "like" versus "love" and really put a priority on the number of dolls rather than on the quality of dolls. And by quality, I mean the degree of "like" one has for that particular doll, not price or size. There is no point having a hundred dolls if one feels "ho-hum" about half of them. I feel loving one doll is more important than loving the idea of having an entire collection. The difference is collecting and addiction, in my opinion. Buying something only to complete a collection when there is no love for it and no desire to actually interact with it (kind of put it in a box in a closet with the rest kind of thing) is an addiction.

The harsh reality is that people in this hobby can be greedy, especially where limited dolls are concerned. It is one thing to have twins or triplets and actually play with them or, at the very least, have them on display and admire them. It is quite another to simply grab everything and anything just because a particular company makes it or it is "rare" or it will be "expensive" one day and keep it stored away to never be seen again.

Arguably, some people who have larger collections get to that point because they want their dolls to make them happy, but dolls cannot make you happy. The experiences attached to dolls, however, have the potential to enrich one's life.

When I had too many dolls *for me* it felt like my dolls were more work than a place of joy. It was like, ugh, I have to photograph that doll or, ugh, I have to clean and change that doll, or even, ugh, I have to play with a doll. Sometimes, I would walk into my doll room, look around and not have any idea which doll I wanted to play with. Interestingly (or perhaps I am just nuts), I would feel guilty if I played with one doll and not the other. I came to realise that guilt came from me preferring one doll over the other. When that would happen I would overcompensate by playing with the doll I did not like as much since I did not want to hurt its feelings. Those dolls I felt an obligation to play with have now found new homes.

Congratulations!

 

For me, I don't have a home at the moment and don't own very many possessions. I have major depression and bouncing around without a place that belongs to me is stressful and it makes me sad. I know for myself, I need a creative outlet to thrive in any environment. I have to have something that I can enjoy or I'll crumble. BJDs are that creative outlet for me right now and they help me maintain my happiness. So, YES!

 

It's lovely and at one point I had a sizable crew but there is a caveat to owning a bunch of dolls. If you ever get into a bind and have to sell them off or someone steals them it's not just one doll loss that breaks your heart it's multiple dolls being lost that breaks your heart. Keep that in mind. The more dolls the more time you put in the more it's going to hurt if they go. I spent a lot of time hybriding mine so I could afford them. I spent on a lot of dolls what some people spend on a really expensive one. So when they went it really hurt. I had so much invested in them. Time, money, love....

 

Shockingly (for me anyway)... yes! But it’s tricky. When I think of my collection as a number, I panic and start analyzing my choices to heck and back. I make plans to sell them off. Negotiate with myself, etc. I never really had collections growing up, except like... Pokémon cards.

But when I think of the dolls themselves, I just feel joy. I love having a resin crew, and I feel super lucky I’ve been able to grow my collection this way, all things considered. It does rotate a little bit here and there, but basically I just have as many dolls as makes sense for me to have - Versus how many I think I “ought to” have. There have been times where that’s just a few, and others where it’s nigh on 20.

now if only I had more space to display them well! I need to be more creative, there are a lot of inspiring solutions out there ‘w’

 

Compare these two quotes:

versus

If you're feeling as though you should have more dolls to feel more accepted within the hobby, then the answer to "Is having many dolls a good thing?" is no. You should have exactly as many as you feel comfortable and happy with, and that's totally going to differ from person to person.

However, I think it's definitely become more common over the years to have a larger collection for several reasons: the now relative ease of purchase, the introduction of many more less expensive doll companies, the value drop in the secondary market, the ability and variety of parts available to hybridize, and also the tenure of collectors. When I first joined this hobby, most people on the forum here only had a few dolls; the difficulty in obtaining BJDs made the large collections we see today a real novelty. Of course, these dolls are still expensive no matter what year you joined the hobby, but they have been made so much more accessible over time (which in turn has led to them multiplying like bunnies).

Personally, I really enjoy having a larger collection (50+) that I have curated over a now sixteen year period. They just bring me joy! I don't ever feel anxiety about having too many or not giving them enough attention or leaving them unfinished - it's a hobby, not an obligation. As I prefer buying secondhand, adore the older and unfashionable sculpts, and don't mind hybridizing or "project dolls," I've been able to get the majority of my BJDs for much cheaper and thus also have no guilt about spending on them. I also really savor the experience of getting a doll put together exactly the way I like it, which usually takes years for me. Having many dolls means I get to rotate between working on them without feeling frustrated or bored.

As for a good time to stop...I've finally reached the point where I have only one doll left on my "must buy" wishlist. I'm very content to work on my collection as-is, but would not turn down the opportunity to purchase some older sculpts if they ever popped up. I've never set a limit for myself on what is "too much" but I feel like right now is "just about right."

 

I legitimately thought we would only have three dolls ever. Then we negotiated to having enough to sit on our doll-sized couch. Then we negotiated to how many could sit on the couch and safely stand behind the couch. Now, we're at the point where we buy if we really like it and are open to branching out. My husband and I are also collectors of other things so it was probably a natural progression.

When it comes to non-BJD owners around us, it depends on their degree of closeness to us. For my parents and brother, they understand my various hobbies and collections so they don't even blink an eye at how many but every once in a while my Mom would say to put the dolls in the curio because they have an idea of how much they cost. For my best friends that are close to me, they think it's fine, one is even a BJD collector with her husband, and some even remember the names of one or two of my dolls and sometimes buy something for one of them. I think at some point I tried to introduce the hobby to others or prance around in public with one or two of them, but I gave up because of the whole "grubby hands"/man-handling my doll without my permission experiences unless I was at a dolly event where everyone else knew proper doll handling etiquette.

I think having a decent group close enough to you that understands your hobby certainly helps with doll numbers in your collection. If it wasn't accepted or looked down upon, I think I could see myself still having between one to three dolls. But now, I live freely with dolls sitting here and there in my house. Hahaha.

 

Ack, I accidentally posted my response twice when the page wasn't refreshing correctly. Hahaha. Oops.

 

I think it doesn’t matter how many you have as long as you have the space and can afford it without being in a great amount of debt or putting off bills. Also, I think it matters that your dolls make you happy and you get enjoyment out of them in whatever way that might be (even if it’s just looking at them). I won’t buy a doll unless I’m really, really sure I love it. Not to say I haven’t had a one or two impulse buys initially entering the hobby, but now I know more what works for me and what is worth it to me as well.

For me, I don’t really have a limit on the number of dolls (as in, I’ll stop once I get to this amount) but I am limited by space and also money. But I guess that’s a good think because I do have a tendency to be a bit of a crazy collector

 

Define 'many'.... haha. I really, really thought I would only have one doll. Just one. That was because it was a real accomplishment for me to have that amount of money, and really feel financially secure enough for the first time in my life to buy one without anything else seeming more important. I did not know it at the time, but, I simply had reached a comfortable spot in my life. For me, I didn't really understand that there was a difference in the way I was familiar with living versus the way I might in the future. I worked very, very hard to become secure enough in my job to think of it as a career. It took a lot to have a house of my own, and a vehicle that was reliable. Since I had a hard time getting established as an adult, raising my son and doing so many responsible and serious things, it was a luxury that was difficult to justify for a very long time. I had so many responsibilities! I also had the impression that BJD dolls were only owned by people that had large disposable incomes and lived in big cities! Let's just say, my first exposure to BJD collector culture was not a realistic or typical one. That made me think I would probably only have one. That wouldn't have been a bad thing either!

After the first doll, I discovered the secondary market. I also kept getting more and more overtime that I really didn't want to work, and I really didn't 'need' the extra income from it. All that extra time spent at work was part of the deal, and caused a lot of stress, so I found that the hobby really helped give me some balance to my life. I also had a lot more free time on my hands after an elder member of my household passed away. I needed a hobby and I needed some friends outside work. BJDs gave me some nice dolls, and also so much more. Planning a new doll and creating their world is a great escape that doesn't involve me doing any harm to myself of others. I see others struggling to cope, and they have no room to criticize my style. This hobby is a great way for me to cope with stress in a healthy way. It's just something that has enriched my life more than I knew possible. The friends I've made are the unexpected and much welcomed surprise. I generally don't enjoy people very much... but doll people are the exception!

I've downsized since, as I didn't need a large home anymore. So, the space for dolls and hobby activities factor is now the limiting one. I don't think it matters so much if you are only admiring the dolls and being hopeful to one day have one, or owning dozens. What really matters is that it's good for you and your situation. Everyone enjoys them differently, in different situations for different reasons. Also, it's something that you can simply quit, or take a break, or sell off everything in your collection and start over again! It really doesn't matter!

 

I like a lot of sculpts, but try to keep the number low. I have to move in ~2 years and I dont want to move with like 20 dolls. Moving can be expensive too, so I try to safe up for that. I've set my doll limit to 5 atm. Maybe 6, if it's my limited grail on the second hand market. xD
For me it depends on the person, what they want, how much they can effort and how they choose to live. If you want to sarcifive more for it, do it. If you dont...dont? ^^

 

@Qianna congratulations on the baby!

I'm always amazed by the size of peoples collections! I didn't think owning that many BJDs was possible.

Personally for me I always tend to pick favorites, whether Barbies, Gunpla, or BJDs. I'm pretty happy when I have my few favorites and get a bit overwhelmed when the space gets eaten up. I have a large room but its shared with my sister and the personal space I have feels quite limited so space is a huge factor for my collection.

I actually already feel very satisfied with the 4 BJDs that I currently own but the latest one feels incomplete without the presence of two of my other original characters. So 6 dolls it is

 

I think photo story ideas it what lead me to order most of my dolls.

 

I don't really see having many dolls as a good thing and it baffles me when I see collectors that have like 50 and still want more.
Although I do have more dolls than intended (mainly because of being gifted them) and I love them all and there are some dolls that I would like to have in the future, it's overwhelming and stressful a lot of the time. They take up a lot of mental energy, space and resources that I would rather use for other things.
I feel the same about other collectables as well, more is not always a good thing and can become stressful. I think the only thing I don't feel that way about is pencils/markers since (as an artist) not having the particular color that you need can put a damper on things.

 

As others have said, "many" is subjective. I currently have 24, with one more awaited. They are mostly tinies with 2 MSDs. I like having a variety of resin tones, face sculpts, and body types, but I feel like I have too many. I've realized its not the number that's the problem for me, but that so few have face-ups and some of them are dolls I like, but don't love. My preference in aesthetics and how much I value posability have changed in the eight years since I started collecting BJDs.