Is it too expensive?

What you read online as the reason people give for giving up the hobby may only be part of the story. There may be more complicated reasons why someone would give it up, and they just feel it's too personal to discuss in public. I don't think it's right to judge someone for what they say on line.

 

as @ParlourGoddness says - i may be something in their personali lives that made them sell the dolls. But hey, it's not about judging... just being curious, right?

I think that some people, on the one hand, do not realise that a doll itself is nothing, when compared to all the shipping, maintanece stuff (faceup, elastic string, eye putty, magic sponge) a few wigs and pairs of shoes and some basic clothes (even if one san sew, still not everything can be easily made) do cost money as well. Often the outfit/maintenance costs a whole another doll itseld. On the other hand, many people are int this whole 'rat-race' where they see others (often well-off adult-adults) oorder continually tons of dolly stuff, resin included. Well... and they simply want to have just as much, often to be thought highly of or even accepted int he dolly community. I mean, they have this mindset that if you don't publish a dolly box opening every month or so, then you;ll sink down and remain forgotten lol xD

I think the problem often lies there

 

I think the hobby is both sides of the coin. Initially it falls under the category of "expensive," since one has to buy a doll, at least one outfit, a wig, possibly some eyes, and whatever miscellaneous items one deems necessary (string, putty, silicone wig cap, etc). My theory is that the beginning collector perceives this initial large purchase as more expensive than usual because a lot of times they're not used to spending that much at one whack. I know it was that way for me.

After that, once you've got your doll and his/her initial things, the hobby morphs into the "as expensive as you make it" phase. With clothes and wigs one can go as cheap or as expensive as one chooses. For example, I tend to go on aesthetic first and price second. I look at the aesthetic and see if it matches what I want for the doll. Then I look at the price. Price determines whether I buy the item right then or wait.

The exception for me is eyes. My taste in eyes tends to run on the high side. I like acrylics, but for some weird reason I insist on splurging instead. Oscar eyes are my Kryptonite.

 

I do believe the hobby is as expensive as you make it, as in you could buy one cheap doll, get some inexpensive clothes, one wig and one set of eyes and call it done, never to sink another penny into it. Reasonably, you could probably do all of that for under $200.

However, some people get bored with just one doll, or they have one but want it to have a lot of different looks. The hobby is about customization, and often that doesn't end with 'completing' a doll. My dolls are never complete. I'm constantly selling, buying and trading dolls, reshelling, getting new clothes and accessories. I like the constant change. Which is expensive.

 

It would be nice to be in such circumstances that it was not viewed as being expensive...

 

That's so true about the 'rat-race' and wanting to be accepted by the community.
I'm also a member of another forum for a different luxury hobby, and it was discovered that one woman was posting pictures of items that weren't even hers! It turned out that she was a live-in house maid, posting pictures pretending the items were hers, posing with them etc. She was outed by one of the owner's friends who recognised the items and happened to be on the forum as well!

While I haven't heard of anything quite that crazy on here, some people do seem to buy and sell a lot, turning over items very quickly. It seems like a bit of a shopping compulsion rather than a creative hobby. There are of course others who probably make more money from this hobby than they spend, which is awesome!

 

Yes this hobby is expensive but so are many hobbies,sports, activities etc. It's just something you simply have to accept and if you like dolls that much then it's not going to be too much of a problem. No one needs to go mad in this hobby, you can own as many or as little dolls as you like. Resin BJD's are relatively pricey (although people on a very good income may see things a little differently) but you can budget if you want, for example you can save money by making clothes and accessories for your dolls if you wish, instead of buying from stores. I lurve dolls so I've pretty much got to pay what they are selling for otherwise i'd miss out and for me personally that's not an option. If I want something that badly then i'll have to save up for it. Whenever I make the decision to sell any of my dolls it's because i've (dare I say it) simply gotten tired of them, it's not because of the financial cost tied to them.

 

I think you have to admit it's fairly pricey relative to other hobbies (which are often free or inexpensive). Even if you're buying budget dolls & making your own clothes the cost of all that equipment and material adds up! But like all other expensive hobbies, it's absolutely worth it as long as you have the means to pay for it