Is it too expensive?

It isn't cheap at all. I find it to be incredibly expensive, but that is what saving is for, right? You save for the doll you love, and it is that more rewarding once you can finally buy him/her/it. Granted, this might not apply to those with the financial means to drop that kind of money on a whim, but I know it applies to me.

If it were "too expensive" I wouldn't be in the hobby. As long as I know I can still eat and pay rent, it's not too expensive.

 

I've been involved in a very expensive hobby for years - recreation societies. That's where its YOU that you're transforming. Plus props, traveling, etc etc etc. I financed it (having a family & all) by selling costumes & dancing... Anyway, I'm close to retiring & am enchanted at the thought of getting stuff for dolls instead of me - believe me when I say I've got enough material in my house to clothe 50 dolls easily LOL I've friends who pay big bucks to attend every concert of their fav band, or who backpack (expensive hobby), or are into high end stereo stuff (unreal what some people will pay for a stereo needle) etc etc. & these dolls seem to have a much better resale value than some of the afore mentioned stuff.
I'm just glad that I can afford to get the dolls & their stuff now

 

I personally am leaving the hobby for the reason that I need the money. BJDs are only expensive if you don't have the extra cash to purchase them with, which I did at the time, but not anymore. I find that I could use the money for other things that I am more interested in, and that this hobby just is not something that I personally enjoy anymore. I have taken a three year hiatus in the past, and perhaps I simply need one of those again.

I understand if others think this hobby is too expensive...sure it is less expensive than something such as restoring old cars, but people like to argue that it's crazy to spend so much money on a doll (though we all know how much work goes into making these and so forth). There are also people who prefer certain dolls such as those from Fairyland, which are more expensive than something like BBB, and so others may prefer to see if they can buy second-hand or not at all. It is as expensive as you make it, but I'm sure everyone can agree that $300 is still $300. Just my feelings on the matter.

 

I think it's simple to fathom whether a doll hobby is 'too expensive' on a personal basis. Can I reasonably buy and style the doll(s) I want and participate in the hobby to a level that brings me joy and fulfillment, using comfortably disposable income that doesn't cause any compromise in my or my dependents' quality of life or a harsh compromise in lifestyle in order to participate? If this answer quickly devolves into 'oh but if I changed this and scrimped on that and sold x', then that's a clue right there. And it's a common thing I see. Look at the huge sticky on 'How to get money for dolls!'

addendum: the above was not meant to judge or stand for anyone but myself and the criteria I set on myself personally--of course I compare and form opinions about things, who doesn't??...lol!
'Too expensive' is a very subjective and personal term, (not to mention quirky what each person judges 'expensive') and this is strictly my own view and definition for it. Yes I set my criteria by it but then that is just that and no more, my personal opinion

 

Yes, this hobby is expensive...that's why I only have 1 doll...-_-

 

"In my opinion, it's only as expensive as you make it."

I totally agree.

I didn't have to watch too closely before, because I was quite a frugal person before I got into this hobby. As long as we were saving what we wanted to save each month, I indulged in doll stuff. However, since I have stopped work to have my first child with my husband, I can't imagine giving it up just because I can't have a new doll every month... so what we did was come up with an amount per month I can use on dolls and other non-essentials. I'm finding myself able to work with this amount even thought it is far, far lower than the amount I used to be spending.

So I now have this set "doll budget" (per month, that I can use up, or save up, husband has the exact same amount for himself each month as well for his hobbies), and I'm hoping to learn to sew soon, so I can save money there on clothing and just buy fabric and notions which are cheaper, and be able to use my budget on things like shoes, wigs and eyes and so on, which I don't know how to make on my own.

So yes... I think it is only as expensive as you want it to be. You are quite right about the initial doll cost being about the only thing that someone might balk at... everything else is up to the individual spender.

I also wanted to comment on what mimimontoya said... I in no way suffer for doll cash, but as I described above, I have a strict doll specific allotment that my husband gives me per month to work with (everything else in our lives, including savings, is taken care of) so when I talk about scraping up funds, I don't mean from my bank account, I mean from the "allowance" I have to work with for this particular hobby. I know there are people who mean their bank accounts, but I just mean, not everyone who says that is living on ramen or something. lol ... oh, and I'm sure some of them may be teenagers who also only have "allowance" to work with, no?

 

This hobby is most defiantly "too expensive" for what it is. And I very much do not agree that it is merely as expensive as you make it. Because let us be honest. That significantly cheaper doll? Is usually significantly cheaper for a reason. The same goes for clothes, wigs, accessories... Unless you're content with your doll looking like cheap crap (which it will, if you only buy cheap items, because that's simply what it is) then you bet you're shelling out quite a bit of money. This goes for any hobby for that matter.

Budgets and pacing yourself is all fine and well, and works, but in the end you're still laying that money down whether it's now or in three months.

 

revien: Someone might approach the hobby with a desire to own one or two dolls, that cost $300 or $400 each, and then buy a wardrobe with about... let's say $200 to $300. They have a $400 camera, and go to dolly meet ups. They have just "enjoyed the hobby" for several years (potentially) for considerably less than what it takes to buy a nice laptop computer.

To me, that is not "expensive" there are hobbies far more expensive than that.

What get's expensive is the personal choice/desire for "more."

 

cariilup omg that's awesome, lol... is the tv spot up somewhere?

 

I'd like to see the TV spot too, how cool and congrats!
I question my monthly doll budgeting sometimes, and occasionally keep it stricter then it technically <needs> to be on a steady basis, but then when the larger item purchase opportunity comes available, suddenly, with a limited time window to buy or pay it off, I am glad, and can leap for it with a good conscience and not have to worry overly much about it.
It seems sometimes to be all 'dry spells then a sudden flood'! My tastes are evolving slightly as I settle into owning and styling the dolls and has changed a bit since I got my first resin in 2009.
When I didn't have any, I wanted many and now that I have many (to me), I just want a certain few and pretty specific ones from here forward

 

Has anyone mentioned the "other stuff" you need to make the dolls comfy. Furniture, pillows, set designs and all the stuff that goes along with making an environment for your dolls to live in. Scouting around for all this extra stuff can be very costly. Michaels Crafts has seen me shopping many times......

 

i think from an outsiders point, when i first thought ''oooh pretty dolls!'' It does look like an expensive hobbie, but when you get into it its not that bad. I mean i was the first to say id never spend that on a doll!, then i thought to myself about my avarage spends;
ie this week

Pandora bead- £30
Blazer - £230
Jeans £60

then i realised if i could justify my (stupid) spending on clothes that i'l wear once, then leave in my exer expanding wardrobe, then surely i can justify spending money on something beautiful i really love! I think ive rambled enough now :P

 

I agree, and these are very much a part of the hobby for me too. I love the gorgeous furniture and sweet in scale accessories! Also suitable artist grade paints, pastels, brushes, MSC, remover chemicals, stringing tool, if working on them... I think for me is the point that to be able to 'afford the hobby' I think it means to be able to comfortably participate at whatever level that makes a person happy and satisfied. Staying on a sensible budget is good and desirable, but I think most people find there is more expense to achieve that happy level then they first thought, if they just budgeted for 1 doll and the bare minimum for the accessories and such. Then if they can't afford more it often makes them unhappy :/ and sometimes grumpy and detectably jelly of others, to be honest, and that can cause awkwardness :/

 

I'm leaning more towards it being "as expensive as you make it". All hobbies have a cost associated with them, but how much $$ a person puts into it is entirely up to them. I think how costly it gets in the long run, though, has to do with how a person collects. If someone is only after super limited items and feels the need to lay their hands on every limited that's out there, then you're talking a small (or large) fortune in outgoing funds and it may not leave a lot left over for the things their dolls need. On the other hand, a person could collect fewer/less rare dolls and then have the extra funds to equip the dolls the way they'd like to. I tend to be on the fewer dolls/more doll stuff end of the spectrum. I've also been pretty good about my current dolls paying for future dolls, so the impact on our household budget is minimal(ish).

 

This is why I still think this hobby is as expensive as you make it. I don't have anything like the above (primarily because I have no room for any of it), but I'm fine with them not having it. I don't feel that they need individual sets, furniture, or much more than a generous amount of props and clothes. But that's me. Other people might feel the above is a necessity, and will end up spending more than I ever will. It's all individual.

 

Like all hobbies it's only expensive if you keep buying more then you can afford. Even hobbies that don't cost a lot of money can get expensive if you keep purchasing items. It's good to know your limit with these things. Granted, it can be difficult to resist a new doll, outfit, etc especially if it's limited edition. I believe that's also where this hobby gets you. The fact that you can save up for something you love but by the time you have enough money you may not be able to find it for the same price or even at all. It's definitely not an excuse but it does make things a bit more difficult because you never know when you may see something you'll fall in love with. Still, with the proper planning and an "emergency fund" for those things those unexpected purchases is bound to keep you within limits and not make this hobby "too expensive".

 

I fondly agree with those that have said it is exactly what you make it. If (like me) you are on a tight budget well then, it is sad but right now my dolly (who is so goth and likes a certain type of clothing) will just have to stay how she is. She has two wigs, a perfect face, and even perfect shoes. I would just like to get her one or two more outfits. But as we all know, "one or two" more outfits can get pricey very quickly. Not to mention if I acquired more dolls. (The thought is tantalizing but making my bank card shrivel in my pocket.) Now my friend, who has nine dolls (so jealous. -___-) is also a very good sewing woman, and so she has a secondary option to help cut the cost, and she can also make clothes to sell to add to her "funds to buy new things".

If you have the time, and can afford the materials I think it would make more sense to learn how to sew your own clothes, make accessories, or make wigs. Then not only are you gaining a skill that can help cut the costs for your own dolls, but it can also help you earn money on the side to gain what you might really want but can't seem to make. I know in today's world it's hard to find time to do this with two kids running around, or a family member who needs you, or your boss dangling over time over your head...but I like to always think of solutions to help balance out the costs of this hobby, seeing as I am new, I am learning a lot about what is a good price or this or that, and how to slightly weasel around things.

 

I dont think this hobby is too exspensive.
There are plenty of other hobbies out there that cost way more.

The only problem is that i can see is for people who...
want to have their faceups done by the best of the best. even if its like a 100+ faceup.
and then they need like 5 pairs of 40-80$ shoes.
Countless amounts of professional quality outfits. thats like 50-100$ each.
The best quality wigs.
And tons and tons of amazing accessories and props.
(okay.. thats all stuff i want...)

knowing when you can and cannot buy stuff is what helps in making it affordable i think

 

It is definitely as expensive as you make it. If you are smart with your money you can get good looking wigs and eyes for your doll that don't cost an arm an a leg. Granted that means you spend a lot more time searching but in the end it is worth it for me. Eventually I know if there is a specific wig I want (and there is one) I will shell out the money for it but it's still not crazy expensive. I do advise ppl with limited budgets not to simply buy a wig or etc because you can afford it because in the end that means you have something lying around you don't really care for and probably can't resell.

As for clothing, if your doll has specific tastes but you want to bring them around with a bit of clothing, it doesn't take that much to make a simple sock outfit to keep them in until you can save up money for the perfect outfit. I don't think that the expense for quality is a problem. The expense is only a problem if you're not responsible and spend more money than you can afford or spend it on items you don't need or can't resell if it doesn't work out.

Dolls don't need expensive faceups to look good. Sure they won't look as good as a doll done by a pro but i've seen a doll's look get transformed by simple blushing.

Another consideration is that if you have a skill you can always trade for something that you can't do yourself. In the end a naked blank doll to me is quite satisfying in and of itself so I don't need all the extras right away and if you're a doll person I think you understand what i mean by this. Sure you probably can't buy a blank giant soom but there are other options that are just as lovable.

 

I just learned something interesting for me: Until now, I thought you can save a big lot of money by sewing things yourself.

Now I have a 65 cm-boy, and for a complete outfit (say, a suit), you need quite a bit of good fabric. And then the liner, if you want to do it well, buttons,...and so on. You simply need...more of everything. If I can't get fabric for free, it does not really pay off.

And I would have to fiddle it out regarding cut, fit, etc. There are people here on the forum who can do it much better for less money.

Now I love working with leather. And I am able, after quite several examples gone wrong, to put together a decent pair of shoes. But given the material and time which goes into these, they cost more than the shoes you can buy from the big companies. In this case it was necessary, because I did not find anything comparable.

So it's often good to look around, and to compare costs. Whether it is cheaper to buy, or make yourself. Also to consider that it may take several turns until you achieved the desired result.