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Is it too expensive?

Mar 15, 2011

    1. One of my majors hobbies for most of my life has been travel. Not only is that an expensive hobby (especially overseas), but not much left afterwards but memories & some pics. (Plus whatever souvenirs you pick up...)
      So I prefer collecting dolls now (although I feel the need for a trip to Japan at some point...) - not much difference $$$
       
    2. Yes it is expensive compared to a lot of hobbies. But I completely agree it is what you make of it. It's your choice whether you spend 200 or 500 on a doll and accessories.
       
    3. It is an expensive hobby to start, (buy the doll, wig, etc.) but I do think that you can make it as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be later on.
       
    4. It's only as expensive as you want to make it. I know some people who are happy with one doll and sometimes buys clothes. As for me I haven't found the doll that completes the collection yet so I keep on buying. I don't know if others feel that way either.
       
    5. It is expensive, even though I think I earn enough, but there is temptation everywhere - beautifull dolls (especially when you have a softspot for limited editions), outfits and wigs... But one of the good sides of the hobby, for me personally, it teaches you to manage your money, and that there is no point sitting on your money when you can buy something that will bring you joy and happiness.
       
    6. I agree absolutely with Isara~~~ It is expensive for sure monetarily, but as an art lover and also into creative arts, i just can't live without them now, even though it has only been 5 months into the hobby, and i have spent nearly as much in that time as i have on my car!
       
    7. This /is/ a more expensive hobby that others, even the cheapest companies can set you back hundreds, especially if you're like me and you live in the Uk, not only is shipping gonna be more but then you risk being pulled up by customs. Where as, for instance, with my painting, even my expensive supplies are not that expensive, and with whatever I buy I can paint an awful lot, it keeps you sustained for a long time, whereas there is often a rising urge to buy more and more dolls. The only thing I can see it being comparable with, where base price is concerned, to other hobbies, is music, where the cost of an instrument is high.

      Furthermore, though it's true that you don't need to but new wigs and outfits and eyes all the time, there is a lot of peer pressure to. I have genuinely been told that I'm an abusive doll owner because I don't by Nancy new things ever month, and i've been slagged off because her outfits are home made, or because she was a sock hoody, because i'm too skint to afford anything else.

      So I think, whilst you can limit the expense of the hobby, it is still more costly that most other hobbies and there is a lot of pressure to spend and spend and spend.
       
    8. There are other hobbies that are much more expensive, such as building cars, or interior design. Compared to those, ABJD is cheap!

      Frankly it's kind of rude to tell someone that whatever they love is too expensive. Clearly we've all weighed the pros and cons of the expenses involved in doll owning, and decided our love of the dolls is worth more to us than the price. I think part of it is just because dolls seem like a "useless" hobby.
       
    9. I also collect high end dolls house miniatures. I have built, decorated, wired and incorporated textured brick compound into the design of my house...trust me, this also adds up! Compared to this, my doll collecting isn't exclusively expensive. I am very careful about how much I spend. Some months I spend nothing at all and other months I treat myself. I consider both hobbies to be long term so I take a lot of pleasure watching them evolve! :lol:
       
    10. I agree with both sides but i think BJD are expensive because of all the work put in to making them
       
    11. I think this hobby is expensive. Doll's clothes costs almost like human, shoes nearly too. If you can do by yourself wigs, clothes, shoes, eyes, furniture, accessories and make-up - it is perfect. But if no there is a lot of outlays on different staff. And cheap staff usually is bad quality.
       
    12. I think it is indeed subjective. However, as a first time buyer (and getting my very first doll) I think there was a LOT of sticker shock for me. I know its because I fell in love with a specific sculpt and so I'm going to pay a lot more. However, looking at that number, it took me a lot by surprise. I haven't paid that much at one time for a leasure item in..well..ever. But I think he'll be more than worth it. Even if I'll be adding to his cost when he gets home; fabric/notions/better camera...
       
    13. I'm a new buyer as well, and I definitely balked at the idea of spending a thousand dollars on, well, anything. but that's why I did my research and starting off with a relatively inexpensive model (that I still absolutely LOVE!).

      It is all as expensive as you want it really, and I don't want my new hobby to cost too much. I think biding my time and waiting for Christmas and birthday presents is definitely the way for me to pay for this hobby. Although I don't know what My older brother would think if I asked him for a box full of eyes for Christmas. :lol:
       
    14. It's very expensive .. I save money from April.. I must sell my tonner's doll and a lot of clothes for them. For Poles and for many people cost of doll is very high (1-2 salaries). New doll is the target to which I aspire :) I love dolls .. It's my hobby but I'm very determined to buy doll
       
    15. I don't think it is too expensive. If you spend more money on your hobby than you have and run into debts than it is too expensive. But I don't see a difference to people who spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on travelling or tuning your car or clothes/bags/shoes or parties or what not.
      I have enough money to feed all my 3 collecting hobbies and don't spend a lot of money on other things at all. That's my decision and I'm happy with it. Although there are always people who have more money to spend than me^^
       
    16. I think... it's as expensive as you want to make it. But I also think that this hobby is less enjoyable and engaging if you curb the amount you spend not out of choice but out of necessity.

      It feels like the last three years I've been swept up in a whirlwind. I've moved house five times and have stayed with as many different people and only now is it even close to settling down. It goes without saying that life has put a bit of a strain on my resources and as such my favourite doll is as naked as the day I opened his box. A couple of months in I bought him a wig. One and a half years later I got him some new eyes and two and a half years later he's still the same.

      I think the hobby is often too expensive to keep up, but not expensive enough to quit.
       
    17. I have the same opinion like Glowbee.

      The dolls per se are a little pricey but well, they are unique handcrafted items.

      As for the equipment like clothes, wigs, eyes etc. I search for handmade & second hand stuff which is way cheaper than some limited super-duper artsy outfit. I personally, don't need such expensive clothes for my dolls.

      Yesterday I bought stuff from a home improvement store to do handicrafts for 20$/15€ and built a simple dollroom.
      So it's not always a furtune to pay, but well it all depends on money after all.
       
    18. In my opinion this Hobby is expensive as you make it. Surely dolls are expensive but I see them like art crafts so the price is perfectly justified.
      I'm a college student, so I had to save for a long time before being able to purchase my first doll, but the satisfaction of having your dream doll entirely payed by yourself is priceless! :D

      Wigs, clothes, shoes etc are expensive but there are so many ways to get a beautiful doll even without a Dollheart exclusive suit! Marketplace is surely one of these ways! XD
       
    19. It has a lot to do with priorities. If you really want something, then you don't care too much that it's expensive. A hobby you aren't a fan of will always seem more expensive to you, compared to one you like. So, no. I don't think it's too expensive. ^^
       
    20. I honestly believe that price can be a barrier if you don't understand the hobby. At first I didn't want to be in the hobby because of the price. But if you conserve money (say not ordering tea at restaurant and getting free water instead), it adds up. Also, BJDs are a really really good investment, and they are amazing. If you're going to be in a doll hobby, get dolls that you love!