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Is it too expensive?

Mar 15, 2011

    1. Look at my avatar; I know ;). But, when you're making your own, it takes a year if not more before you've got a master you can cast AND you won't need to buy all the supplies at the same time. I stack up on supplies every 5 or 6 months or so and I'm not spending hundreds at each go. Spreading out the cost makes it a little more doable. And, in my case, it's easier to justify spending money on something you create yourself, then on a doll that will most of the time just sit there.

      Although this is true, I still think you can cover this risk by setting aside money for emergencies only, 'cause I would hate having to sell my dolls if something unexpected should happen (let alone having to go through that nerve-wracking time where you really need the money, but no-one seems to want to buy your doll).

      Somebody mentioned students: it's strange, but when I still was one I had more money to spend than I have now, lol. I used to only have to pay rent for one room, as opposed to having to pay for an entire house, and frankly, I made more money then than I do now (several side-jobs vs. job with low income).
      I agree with that person who said that it depends on the individual. Despite not being able to afford dolls right now, I still don't think this hobby is expensive, 'cause the ones I do have... well, they are all paid for. But if you are a 'struggling student' without money and you're still saving up for your first, I can imagine you would sometimes curse at the prices. Perhaps even want to give up at times.
       
    2. This is an expensive hobby, no doubt about that. Even the "cheaper" dolls will cost over $100, and that's for just a blank, naked doll. But there are bargins to be had in the second hand market if you take your time and hunt for them. And even doing things to "save" money in this hobby can get expensive. In order to do your own face ups you have to buy the supplies, and fabric and tiny notions can get pretty pricy too when sewing for your dolls. I think there are ways to save money in the hobby, but you have to be patient and creative to find them. Otherwise one must accept that this, like so many other hobbies out there, can get pretty expensive.
       
    3. I agree with the OP. I think this hobby really is only expensive if you make it so.

      My doll has two wigs (one came free), one set of eyes, and a few items of clothing and accessories. All in all, things would probably cost around $500. Now, I'd like another wig or two, and maybe some glass eyes that look like the acrylics she has now (though they are still really good acrylics, btw) but I don't have to. It's not really important that she have an array of stuff that I must buy. No one's going to take my doll away if I don't brush her wigs with a wig brush or toothbrush - though I understand why they do it.

      If you have a character that you can tell is going to take a lot of work and effort, I can see how one would get overwhelmed. Maybe the hobby wasn't for them after all? And if so, it's good they realized it, and found their way out of it before they did something they might have regretted later on.
       
    4. The expensive/non-expensive issue can also somewhat depend on the person's income. Some might earn enough to pay their bills, mortgage, food, clothes, AND buy a BJD / BJD-related items every month without making a hole in their budget. However, I've heard many stories of people having to save for months for a BBB or another inexpensive company's MSD. For them, this hobby definitely costs way too much.

      For me personally, it's somewhere in the middle. It's definitely more expensive than art, but not as expensive as cars, as someone pointed out above. If you are doing well financially, then it isn't too costly at all. Being able to sew and make your own face-ups is an additional bonus to that ))
       
    5. I am definitely on the more expensive side. I have only one doll, but he is definitely going to get the more expensive clothes (just because that is the style I want), typically priced wig (I tried getting a cheap wig once and it was a disaster!), and my largest "unnecessary" expense would probably be the eyes. I'm going to buy some of the most expensive, because I personally don't like the looks of many of the cheaper ones.

      I think my saving grace is that I don't feel the need to have multiple wigs, eyes, clothes, etc. Just the one set. Maybe extra clothes, but wig and eyes are going to be a one pair sort of deal.

      So, I do agree with others that is more depends on how picky you are. And that it isn't entirely reasonable to say "Well, I'm just make everything else" since most don't make their own eyes, etc. I think that people should probably do more research before going into this hobby. A nice faceup: $30-150. A nice wig: $30. A nice pair of eyes: $30-100. A nice set of clothes: $30-$200. Shoes: $30-100. So at the minimum it's an extra $150 or so investment. People need to be more aware of that when they come into the hobby. Even those that been in it for a while. Having multiples of eyes, wigs, etc. pretty much means you could buy another small doll with the same amount. One really has to balance new dols with how much their accessories are going to cost.
       
    6. I'd say it's an expensive hobby, but just how expensive depends on the person and how they approach the hobby.
      Some people spend more than others when making doll related purchases, but even the cheapest BJDs are fairly pricey.
      Obviously, there are less expensive and more expensive hobbies out there, but any hobby can end up being expensive depending on what you buy.
       
    7. It IS expensive, plain and simple. $100 may not seem like a lot to most of us anymore, but it really is when you look at it. $100 for a doll is considered "cheap", but $100 for many other things... like a pair of jeans... is expensive.

      I don't think anyone is going to say this is an inexpensive hobby, but there are people who make it more inexpensive than others do. There are people who may have 7 dolls, but have only spent maybe $1000 getting them all, complete with accessories. There are other people who have one doll that could be $1000. It's as expensive as you make it, but as long as you're happy with what you have, and you're not spending over your limits, it should be worth it to you. ^^ If you're unhappy having five $300 dolls, then I think it's time to sell them and move on... or at least sell a couple of them so you'll be happier with the amount of money you've put into them. :)
       
    8. Defining TOO expensive is subjective to opinion (and everyone else has done very well on that :) )

      At the end of the day, even the 'cheapest' doll is still a lot of money to some, and that's without shipping. Even to start in this hobby you need to put quite a bit of cash down, unlike, say, drawing where you just need pencils and paper.

      Maybe it's the fact that there's no 'gentle' payment curve, but BAM lots of money gone and it keeps on going.
      I don't think it's just the price of the hobby that makes people want to give up, but also that they're not interested anymore.
       
    9. It is expensive. However, the question of just how expensive it is depends on each individual person, their financial situation, what dolls they like, how patient they are about saving etc. Also, smart shopping and patience can get you pretty far -- there are great deals to be had second hand, sometimes companies have sales, the amount of clothes and accessories from different manufacturers has really increased over time, so there is a wider range of prices. It doesn't take a huge income to be involved, it doesn't have to break the bank.

      All that said, though. There's no getting around that there's going to be an outlay of money, and for people not used to prices on collectible items, they can get sticker shock bad -- if people are going to be involved in the hobby, it's something that they're going to have to come to terms with and learn to work around.
       
    10. Obviously, if you're posting here, and own dolls.. it's not expensive enough to keep you out of the hobby. However, yes. BJDs /are/ expensive. As someone else stated, even the most economical of dolls are over $100. Clothing, like some of the coveted Dollheart sets are sometimes even more expensive than dolls themselves.
       
    11. For a high school student from a medium income family, it is expensive to the point that I really shouldn't be in the hobby. I agree with Kuharai and xallfalldownx. The small little things like shipping, eyes, wigs, etc. add up. Before I got into this hobby, I assumed that once I bought the doll, the major expense would be out of the way. I was wrong. :( I admired them for their beauty. I had no idea that behind the beauty are things such as eye putty, shoes, wigs, wig brushes, wig spray, hot glue for sueding, masks for sanding, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, fabric for making clothes, and the list goes on and on. I agree that it is as expensive as you make it, but some things you just need to have a complete doll. Arielle went without a wig for two weeks after her arrival because I didn't have enough money to buy one after paying for her and her faceup. It's different for different people. Unfortunately, I am one of those who personally finds the hobby expensive. It doesn't stop me from enjoying what I do have, however. :D I actually enjoy the "challenge" of obtaining/making doll items. How boring would it be if I could have all the things I want in just one small time frame? Also, the price of things makes me appreciate Arielle more. If she was cheap, I would take her for granted. I am proud of the fact that I worked hard for her. :)
       
    12. I think its as expensive as you make it. I mean the price for a doll, even a cheap one is 100 or above, and you also need to get a wig, and eyes. But after you get the eyes, the wig(s), and maybe some clothing, I think at that point it will be as expensive as you make it. There are cheap alternatives to getting what you want for your doll, like making clothing, or even props for them.
       
    13. Good points.

      It really is too expensive. :sweat I think people get into this hobby when they see amazing dolls that make their jaws drop, but to actually own one of those takes the big bucks for high-end stuff. Then you try to keep the cost down and wind up with a doll that's cute, but not mind-blowingly awesome. At that point you may as well collect a less expensive type of doll, eh?

      Obviously I'm not trying to pick on anyone, as I have a good number of average-looking dolls myself. :lol: I love 'em, but if I hadn't had money to burn at the time when I bought them . . . yeah. It really is too expensive.
       
    14. "Half the fun" and "unsatisfying" are TOTALLY subjective things. This hobby is not all about customization, except for that subset of the whole population who's into customization. So sometimes the distinction between how much is spent on a doll just boils down to personal plans. I know a great many people who buy one perfect pair of eyes, one perfect wig, one perfect outfit, and one perfect pair of shoes for their doll character-- and then stop shopping. Reaching a concrete completion-point is totally satisfying to that owner, who never spends another penny on that doll.

      I myself get a tremendous kick out of shopping for shoes and eyeballs, so I absolutely do not belong to this camp.... I am one who makes the hobby expensive for myself, by treating the peripherals as sub-hobbies. It's way too easy to blow my entire tax-return on eyeballs and shoes, and whatever trashy little accessory or other that I don't happen to have yet. The cost of eyeballs & shoes sure does add up! But I love to shop for peripherals, so to me, that is half the fun, and therefore worth it.
       
    15. Mind-blowingly awesome is in the eye of the beholder, and depending on what style of clothes you want for your doll, it may or may not be quite as expensive -- it just depends. Plus some of what makes a doll look awesome is the styling and photography of the owner -- both things take practice (believe me, I know). I don't think you can say that you might as well collect something cheaper -- bjds have their own style and charm, and the hobby it's own culture. If someone really loves bjds, then it might just make more sense to have an 'average' looking bjd than a different doll that they probably wouldn't like as well.

      Once I get a wig and eye combo that I like for a doll, I tend to not swap around too much. I do like to change their clothes, but not everybody is a clothes horse. I have a couple of fan dolls that once their outfits are put together (one is almost complete, the other still has a little ways to go), they aren't going to change them often if at all. Other dolls I change every few weeks...again it depends, but what I'm getting at is that not every doll I have needs piles of expensive stuff, and what I do need can be saved for. I'm sure I'm not the only one whose situation is similar.
       
    16. You know, when the topic of expense comes up, people often talk about the cost-saving measure of do-it-yourself. Faceups too expensive? Do your own! Except...materials (especially quality ones) can easily cost just as much as a company or mid-range customiser faceup. Ditto for clothes - you can accomplish a fair bit with scraps of cloth you already have around the house, but I'm here to tell you that I've spent at least a mid-price Mini's worth on cloth, yarn, and patterns over the 4 years I've been in the hobby. And the time...! Not just the time it takes to knit a particular sweater or blush a particular body, but to learn the skills that go into it - hours and hours!

      On the whole, I agree that the hobby is only as expensive as you choose to make it, and that it stacks up more or less on par with a lot of other hobbies I know (for example, before I got into dolls, I spent hundreds of dollars a year taking dance classes. My husband spends a few hundred every year on videogames and other electronics. And so on and so forth...), but...there's no way BJD collecting can get as cheap as some hobbies (reading if you like second hand/library books, light hiking if you don't have to travel far to do it, frisbee golf if there's open space or a free course nearby).

      ETA: as far as people leaving the hobby because it's "too expensive," I think it's safe to say that in their case one of two things has happened: either something has changed in their finances, or they are no longer getting as much enjoyment from the hobby, and either way it's no longer worth the money, although the price has not actually changed.
       
    17. Expensive, as has been pointed out, is relative. I think this is an expensive hobby, but not too expensive. More patient and skilled people than I can do it a lot more cheaply than I have. And even though I have a lot less money now, my tastes have annoyingly gotten more expensive . . . :P

      There are actually a lot of hobbies that, when you're just getting into them, are about as expensive as getting into BJDs. I had horses for years, and almost everything involved with them carries a hefty price (thank gackt we had land and could graze them, and I didn't have to pay for boarding). The horse, as they say, was the cheapest part. I'm a little surprised to find that the same can be true with BJDs :sweat. Seriously, I'm sure my YoSD has stuff equal to or over the amount I got him for . . .
       
    18. I'm going to follow the herd on this one and say it's going to be as expensive or costly as someone chooses to make it. That may be more or less than that person is comfortable spending, or even able to spend. There are definitely more and less accessible options out there, and if someone's tastes are exclusively at the highest range, yeah, that's going to be potentially limiting.

      I would suspect that if someone leaves due to expense, it's more because they've found other things to put the money toward that they feel are more worthwhile. It happens. People's interests and priorities change. Something that seems worth it and reasonable today could be otherwise tomorrow.
       
    19. It is as expensive as you make it. After extensively searching BJDs for years for the perfect doll, I realized why I couldn't find it: It was too expensive to me. And by too expensive, I meant, not worth that large price tag. To me, at least.

      In an subjective sense, yes it is expensive. 300-800 dollars is never just pocket change, no matter what. Otherwise, this community wouldn't NEARLY be as big. But if you look at it, and you give up a few things like iPods, smartphones, video games, HDTVs, jewelry, name brand goods...the savings add up pretty quickly.

      But that doesn't mean that YOU saved that money. Especially if you don't already buy those things in the first place.

      So instead, you MAKE this hobby less expensive. Two heads, two bodies, and 400 dollars later, I have 2 SD dolls in hand. But I do have to give up certain things: they're secondhand, hybrids, no faceups...but if you're willing, you can make it work. Just for comparison, my grail doll was a MSD doll for 400, an Iplehouse JID Vito.

      I think the only thing I regret about this decision to always stick to secondhand and try to save at least 50% each time is that, because I'm getting the doll in pieces, I don't really get the complete box opening experience. What's so magical about box openings are the fact that they come to you, assembled, like a newborn child, complete with new resin smell for that extra zing. xDD But I know I'll still have lots of fun when I do get to do my own box opening, even if it's not EXACTLY the same.
       
    20. Even though I'm still very new to the hobby, I've responded very strongly to them for years for a few reasons. But even though it's expensive, I can't say it's too expensive, because my collecting is focused on a few factors:

      1) I'm collecting art
      2) Their value remains high - if it came to that, the value of these creatures doesn't drop significantly
      3) They're heirloom items, beautifully-made and high quality
      4) I can practice my own art upon them. So join this with #1 above, they're interactive creative artworks for me!

      So in terms of the sheer joy I get from the dolls, they are inexpensive to me, and absolutely worth it.