Is it worth it?

This is difficult for one person to answer...It's only going to be worth what you want to get out of it if you put enough into it to see the results you want. If that makes sense.

You need to know what you want out this hobby (or any hobby I guess) first. Then you have to be willing to invest the time, effort, creativity and even money into it to get that.
If all you want is a pretty doll to put on a shelf and look at, and you buy your doll, a gorgeous outfit and wig and eyes and put it on the shelf and it makes you happy every time you look at it, it's worth it.

If you want a doll to photograph, sew for, make props and other things for, do face ups and who knows what else, and you buy a doll and an outfit and then let it sit on your shelf and get frustrated because it's not what you want...it won't seem worth it.

You have to put in what you want to get, for it to really be worth it. I have put a crapload of time, creativity, energy, money and life into my dolls and it's worth every damn bit.

 

As some of the posters have already said, spending a lot of money all at one time is scary. But really, it's scary no matter what you're buying. You never know for sure if it's worth it until you have it in hand.

Were you able to see your cousin's doll in person, and did you get to handle it? This would have a lot of influence on your decision about whether BJDs are right for you. It seems you're already creatively inclined that way, and as other posters have already mentioned, the BJD hobby has a lot of creative options to offer.

Speaking for myself, it's been VERY well worth it. I've collected dolls since around 1986, and the BJDs are the most wonderful dolls I've ever owned. They inspire me like nothing else. I create their characters, photograph them in photostories that I write, dress them, make props for them, and even sew for them a little. I've never regretted buying them. And I've since sold my other doll collections to fund my BJD hobby.

Let us know how it goes when your BJD comes home to you! I'd like to know if it lives up to your expectations. My first one exceeded my expectations in every way.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

I'm glad you decided to take the plunge, and started with an affordable doll. My best advice is to spend lots of time on it, making things, taking pictures, and sharing them with the community. It's a good way to make more friends!

 

When searching for your first doll what I really advise is to look at a lot of owner pictures. The company site photos can be rather deceptively glamorous. Importantly, they tend to only show the doll from a full frontal pose. Profiles matter! I am a nut for perfectly straight noses and full lips myself. Go look at flickr, pinterest, deviant art...etc. ... a lot of photo sites to make sure you know what the doll really looks like. I advise not ordering a doll unless/until you have gone to look at it every day for weeks or months on end. I still have every BJD I have ever bought, and I am as madly enamoured of them as the first time I saw their beautiful faces. Goodluck! I hope you are as lucky as I have been, in finding BJDs I truly love. I am curious, what doll are you planning to order?

 

Company photos can also be deceptively UNglamorous! Bobobie has some rather poor company photos that don't do their BJDs justice. I had to see Bobobie Weylin in person before I realized how gorgeous he is. Owner photos reveal SO much.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

I love this hobby to bits! It's not just the Bjd that are interesting it's the process of making something that's all your own that's fun! Picking the eye color, hair style/ color, clothing, perfect sculpt... ect... the list goes on and on! It's fun to photograph them and make outfit's for them! Bjd are also fun when you can dress up and have a cord with your dollies. It's endless fun when you take the time to love them and have fun with them! XD

 

Yes! It is worth it. Though this will vary from person to person.

I love when my dolls sit on the shelf just looking cute. I love when I get inspiration and capture great photographs. I love having something to look forward to, whether its a new wig, eyes, doll, accessories etc. I love the community, being able to chat and share with people who have similar interests. I just really love this hobby overall. It's amazing.

 

It depends on who you ask if its worth it. If you ask me, then I'd say yes. If you asked my mom, she'd say absolutely not. I feel like it takes a very creative and artistic person to really value and appreciate these dolls. From what you've said, you fit the profile. One of my favorite aspects is photographing them and publishing the pictures up on my blog. Its like my digital trophy case Brings me a lot of joy and pride. So if photography is your thing, you may enjoy it too.

I know buying expensive things online is scarier than handling something and inspecting it in person, but you've had a chance to actually see the dolls in real life... so you're already ahead of the game to make a decision. Most of us never got to see one in person first.

I'd say take your time looking through each company's dolls. From my experience, certain dolls will "stand out" while scrolling through. Focus on those, look through owner photos, think about the potential the doll may offer. And if you decide on one and end up not adoring it when it arrives, don't sweat it. Like others have said, they usually resell for about what you paid. So you can try one out and see if its for you, and if not, you can easily bow out with no harm done.

I wouldn't recommend just going with a cheaper doll though, unless it just happens to be the one you click with. I know a lot of people recommend this, but I really feel like you should go for your absolute favorite as an introductory doll. I think it leads to less disappointment overall and will make your experience much better. If the doll is expensive, save up little by little. Even the pricier dolls can be resold if you're not into it.

 

I think it depends and I want to answer your questiong of picking a wrong scuplt. If you are in love with it you will think it is worth it! So try to find one that you really love

 

For a few years I've really like the dolls, had no idea what they were but loved them. As soon as I found out what they were I was deadset on getting one (with proper research of course). My first and only is a 60cm Bobobie, really wasn't planning on a two foot doll. I really wanted a slim 45cm boy but I just couldn't find what I wanted at all. But I fell in love with the bbb Rachael as soon as I first saw her face, so I bought her. Her body isn't great but her face is amazing! She is completely different than what I was looking for but I love her. Sometimes you just gotta take a risk. And if it doesn't work out, there's plenty of people who will gladly take a doll off your hands and love it.

 

It's really a personal choice thing.

For me, the first dolls I bought left me with a bad experience with the company, and while I loved them at first, I ended up finding I preferred different types of dolls, different resin colours (they were both exceedingly pale natural skin, it honestly looked white, where I really prefer natural, or etherial colours like pastels and grays). In the end, I decided to sell them both. I had other dolls who I spent more time with, and I felt that it 'wasn't fair' to keep dolls who I didn't put effort into. My little sister (19 at the time) really adored one of them, and begged me not to sell her, saying that she'd buy it and she'd save up. I knew she wouldn't have the money to save up, so I gifted her to her, with new shoes and an outfit, and a 'voucher' for the use of my faceup materials. The other I sold.
In the case of another of my first dolls, it took me until earlier this year (so that's.....almost 5 years) to finally get her character/look right. I really like the sculpt and think it is really, really versatile, but I couldn't pin-point what I wanted her to be/look like.

So don't worry if the first sculpt you get isn't the 'right' one. You can either on sell it, or sometimes find a way to make it the right sculpt.

 

I didn't buy my first doll because I wanted a doll, but because I fell head over heels in love with his sculpt. I had tried sculpting my own characters as dolls but failed miserably, and then I found this doll... I did a quick search to figure out if I would be able to do maintenance things like restringing, and as soon as I thought it would work, I bought my first doll. The first doll part that I actually held in my hands, though, was a practice head. And as soon as I held that, I knew this hobby was so right for me. I didn't even like the sculpt, but just the touch and weight of the resin was enough to convince me!

If you have any affinity with dolls at all, I think you can't go wrong. That said, you may want to look into dolls that are easy to handle. My first was just perfect in that respect - easy to pose, easy to restring, easy everything. If one of my other dolls - a gorgeous girl, but I had trouble getting her to stand at first - had been my first, I think I might have been kind of ... put off? I had trouble getting to terms with her until I restrung her and put silicone disks in her joints, and that is something I wouldn't have dared to attempt with my first when he arrived... :p

 

To be honest, at first, I was kind of hesitant to get a BJD doll, what with how expensive they are, and the fact that I might not 'bond' with the doll or something like that. But when she arrived and I got to hold her and play with her, I think that the money that I've spent was all worth it, seeing as just being able to see her and take photos of her and stuff makes me real happy. :3

 

I think they are totally worth it. However, when I first started, I was in college and had barely any money to speak of. It was stressful to buy one head, there was as much stress as there was excitement. Now that I'm working and financially stable, my dolls are much more enjoyable. I have so much fun with my dolls, taking pictures of them, writing stories, etc, that I would recommend this hobby to people if it interests them. However, if someone is only looking whether or not this hobby is worth it due to the resale value, then it might not be worth it. Secondhand prices can fluctuate a lot. I never buy dolls I wouldn't mind owning for the rest of my life. Buy what you love, popular or not!