Is it too expensive?

Initially, it's expensive. Maintaining the hobby is as expensive as you make it.

What I mean is, getting into the hobby is by definition spendy, because there's not much you can really do to participate without at least one doll. Those of us who don't have BJDs yet can chat on the forum and enjoy vicariously, but until we have our first one, we're on the outside looking in, not really part of the hobby. Obviously there's a price variation between dolls - which is good - but any of them are a significant investment of money, even the most inexpensive. So yes, getting into the BJD hobby is expensive, and aside from not getting any at all, there's no way to prevent that entirely.

However, once you have at least one complete doll, you wouldn't necessarily have to continue to have significant expenses with the hobby. Especially if you have a decent camera and the ability to sew and craft, you don't have to spend much to spend time with your doll. You'll have occasional maintenance costs and the cost of materials, but even so it could be less expensive than most other hobbies.

Most people will still want to spend more money to have more... and that's totally fine. All I'm saying is that you don't have to at that point to participate. You've put in money initially, but you don't have to keep putting it in at the same level.

Whether it's too expensive starting out really depends on the individual and their budget. Obviously it's not so expensive that everyone has abandoned it, so it's not too expensive for everyone. There may be people who decide it's too expensive for them to get into, and I think that's also a valid choice.

When people say it's too expensive to continue... I think they more mean that they're overwhelmed. They could just stop buying new things, in theory. It may not feel like that, though, when plans and wishes exceed means. I can totally understand feeling overwhelmed, and there's no shame in it - I just think it's a somewhat different problem than "too expensive."

 

I think the term expensive is relative so it by definition is going to vary widely for people. For some $100 or $500 is cheap while for others it may take months of saving.

I am constantly shocked how expensive teeny tiny shoes and dressed can be while some actual dolls seem to be real bargains.

I think it takes a fair amount of $ to start and from there can really be very $$$ if you let it.

 

I often hear from somebody that my hobby is craziness because of prices, but I have money, so I can afford to buy dolls. We have to 'cut your coat according to your cloth' (I hope it's clearly for You).
S.T.A.B. M.E. told very wise thing: "It is an expensive hobby - but we decide to pay it!" - I agree!

 

Compared to a lot of common hobbies, BJD's aren't too expensive if you think about it. Sure, to get started it will usually cost you 300-600, but some people will put the same amount of money into video games, art, cars, etc. It just depends on what you wanna buy with your money. Personally I can't see myself spends a $1,000 on one doll and I see that as too expensive, but the average doll isn't that expensive unless you do spend that much on clothes and things.

 

I don't think it's one or the other -- it's a little bit of both. I mean, let's face it, this hobby DOES cost a lot of money. Even if you only ever buy one doll, with one wig, one basic faceup, and one outfit, and even if those items are cheap, you're still looking at an outlay of well over $100 just to have one doll. Even the cheapest dolls I have ever seen that aren't vinyl are $100 or more, and as far as I know most dolls are still in the $300-900 range.

So yeah, on the one hand, you can choose to buy dolls at the cheaper end of the range (new or otherwise), you can choose the cheapest options for faceups, clothes, etc. You can choose to only have one doll, which is probably the easiest way to keep costs down in the hobby. You can choose to make clothes on your own, do your own faceups, whatever other things you can do to save a little money. But even then the hobby is still fairly expensive.

 

Expensive? All relative. There are people who collect cars. Some of those would buy a lot of eyes, wigs, and face-ups. Then there are the train layouts and so on. In my doll club some of the folk collect antique dolls that meke ours look like an iniexpensive purchase.
Yes, all relative.

 

I agree that it can be as expensive as you make it to be. To those who do not understand the hobby or love for the hobby, they think i'm insane. Yet when they are going about buying electronics for 600$ a piece, they're not insane. So it's all relative to each persons personal belief. I adore this hobby, and to get started I did need to save up and have the funds to do so, but really it all depends on the sculpt, brand, company, clothing and all that that starts to rank up the costs. I'll never spend over 1000$ for a bjd with nothing, because I can't justify it, but some can. So, it's both.

 

I could not afford to indulge myself w/dolls while raising my family (which turned out just as well because the dolls I was interested in then were as nothing to BJDs - didn't HAVE BJDs in the 70s/80s...) I did see some BJDs 6 years ago & knew I couldn't even look at them due to price.
But I can afford them now. I'm getting all the stuff I really need to do my photo story projects. Once that's done, tho, it will no longer be an expensive hobby. I sew. I have a roomful of fabric collected over years. Once I get the dolls, eyes, wigs & shoes/boots, it will be only the occasional expenditure for me.
I have a friend who's got one doll, & has made everything for her. Her hobby is really very reasonable - an expenditure of around $200 which is not bad for any hobby (I never actually added up what my costuming cost - since I made money making other people's costumes - but I am very sure it was more than $200).

 

Well, hobbies usually are A. ridiculously Time consuming B. Expensive or Usually C. Both.

Ppl that fix up old cars for a hobby are going to spend alot, arent they?
Xbox 360 and Ps3 costs about...300-400 dollars. and the games are like 50 bucks a pop. include the money for controllers, headsets, and xbox live...your looking at similar prices, in my opinion.

So I don't think it is "too expensive" Unless you Make it that way. (those "buy five 600 dollar dolls in one year because I'd rather starve than not have em" ppl)I also think the fact that Bjds is not a very...well known hobby and a little new to other ppl, it can appear that way.

 

It is an expensive hobbies, but once you fell in love with a gorgeous doll, you will do anything to get it no matter how hard or how expensive the price is.

 

For me this hobby is very expensive. Even $100 is a huge money for me. Buying wigs, eyes isn't that expensive but the doll itself requires quite a lot of money. Finding $200+ is hard. :/ I kind of have some money saved up but I'm afraid I will need those to help my great-grandma with her house. That's why I'm still having doubts about this hobby.

 

Is this hobby expensive, or is it as expensive as you make it?

I take this question to mean this hobby costing quite a lot of money isn't the main and only reason people leave this hobby. For me, this hobby is expensive, in that I do spend more money on this than I do any other non-essential in my life. However, what is considered 'expensive but worth it', and 'too expensive to be worth it' is completely relative and dependant upon the individual. There will be people who will pay hundreds of dollars for a gaming console or a smartphone, and not consider it 'too expensive', but will consider a hundred dollar doll as 'too expensive' to obtain, even if they did want it. It simply depends on whether you are willing to pay x amount for y, and if you aren't willing, then it's too expensive for you.

In some cases, it's not that you're not willing to spend the money, but that you simply don't have the money. In which case you can enjoy this hobby without owning the doll, and get one when you do have the money, if you still think it's worth it.

 

Is it too expensive? ... For a college student, yes.

 

If you have the money, go ahead.
I think that the biggest problem is that this hobby is addictive, you get your doll, the clothes. Then you see an outfit that is mesmerizing... shoes and wig to go with it... the head you wanted is listed for event... obviously you get it... Wait! it needs a body!... clothes, and you start all over again. Its just knowing when to stop without getting penniless.

 

Actually I don't think this hobby is any more expensive that other hobbies. Especially if the hobby is to collect something; the deeper you get into it, the more expensive it'll come.

Like other people already said, this hobby is about as expensive you make it. Sure the doll costs lots of money but it's buyers choise how much they're ready to spend on their dollies after they have one. Since there isn't just one way to play with these dollies the hobby itself isn't necessarily that expenive.
I think that in the end the horse riding - for example - is way more expensive. xD

Money is just money after all... though as a student I would love to have it more so I actually could spoil my dollies with goods.

 

Is this hobby expensive, or is it as expensive as you make it?

Like a couple of others, I have to agree on the fence sitting.

On one side, this is a LOT more expensive than some other hobbies out there- the base cost of one of our darlings is rather high compared to other hobbies. HOWEVER.

If you want to invest in a doll out of interest but can't afford, say, a Volks, or a Soom, monthly/limited doll, there are a LOT of dolls out there that are, realistically, affordable. We make the choice to shell out that extra 400-800, or more, for the ones we like better. The same with clothing. There are a lot of people out there who make do with sock clothing- and some of that is just brilliantly made, to be honest- and then there are people who want their dolls in designer duds.

If you buy these $1000 dolls, and their $450 custom outfit in the first place, you're making it expensive for yourself. If, however, you buy one of the 'cheaper' dolls and make outfits, it all, in the grand scheme of things, becomes rather affordable.

It does also depend on how your financial situation is though- when we get down to it, it's all to do with our own value of money.

 

It's indeed quitte expensive in my opinion. It's not like my parents would buy me the doll whenever i'm asking. /I wish it was like that! D:
Anyhow, yes. It also depends on what kind of mold it is, or if you would make it's clothes yourself or buy it.
It also depends on the incoming though. The more, the easier. I had to save for 7 months to get my first doll ^^

 

It's as expensive as every other hobby when you want to do it "right", i.e. not only buy one tiny piece but really start collecting/working/etc.
I have friends who spend 500$ regulary on a cosplay, another one buys videogames and videoconsoles/new gaming PCs fairly often, and the other one just likes to spend money on clothes or alcohol.

I just spend nearly 100$ for three DVD boxes from one of my favourite series, that could have been a nice Dollheart Set instead, and also bought books from the same series worth 30$, that could have been a wig.
Pretty much every hobby is expensive in the end, but we deal with it because it's worth it for us

So it's not about the real price but if it's worth its price for us.
I think that an iPhone is WAAAY to expensive for me, even though I spend the same amount of money when buying a doll. But the doll purchase feels "right" for me, while the iPhone feels like someone tries to steal my hard earned moned
And that's the same for other people while looking at our hobby.

 

I'd have to say yes, it is an expensive hobby.

 

It's a very expensive hobby I can't deny it,if you have money it may not be such a big deal to get a doll or some acessories now and then.
Even if cheaper companies exist,depending on your money situation,maybe the doll are still to expensive o the sculp you like is from another expensive company :/.