Is it wrong to keep a doll you don't even play with?

I think if you keep a doll put away because you're afraid of messing her up, you've already wasted your money. How will you know if she's yellowing or staining if you don't even look at her? I'd rather keep my doll out where I can admire him, and take care of a problem when it occurs, rather than worry about what might or could happen from simple display. I want to enjoy them. Nothing lasts forever, and they're not worth having if you can't even look at them.

 

Who are you to say they're not worth having if you don't play with them? How you choose to treat your own dolls is up to you, but just because you treat your dolls one particular way that doesn't mean everyone else should. If you buy a doll, you own it, and the only person who has any legitimate say in how you treat it is you. Not the company that produced it, not your friends and family, and certainly not some online community where 95% of the members are complete strangers. You. I get heartily sick of threads like this; if you own a doll then what you choose to do with it is entirely up to you; there's no "right" or "wrong" involved here. People need to stop being so keen to toe some imaginary line that meets the approval of a bunch of complete strangers on the internet and just learn to enjoy their dolls however they see fit. If that means locking away your dolls for safety, good for you! Go with what YOU feel comfortable with, not what other people feel you "should" do. They can go buy their own dolls and treat them how they see fit.

 

As long as you love the doll, then keep it. But I would rather keep my dolls out where I can see them daily, and play with them whenever I get the urge. It just feels wrong to have dolls locked away out of sight.

 

I treat all my dolls the same way standard or limited ( I place the same amount of effort into their look/ face-ups so I value all of them the same). They all sit in the same shelf on display.

The only reason I would put a doll in a box, or leave it in a box is, if I don't want the doll anymore and they are going for sale. But that's the reason why I would do that. That may not apply to you.

But yeah, I pretty much think, what you feel is comfortable for you and your doll is fine. If you feel like treasuring it (leaving it in a box) kinda like a pirate and a treasure chest senario. Then go for it. Or a form of preserving it, (Kinda reminds me of Cryonics) that's fine too. lol. There is no right or wrong way to appreciate your dolls.

 

I might not be the best person to respond, but I think people use the term "play" to mean anything from sewing for them, photo shoots, meet-ups, and instances where the doll would be taken out and about in some form.

 

Nope, I don't feel it's wrong at all. Mine stay in their boxes for long periods of time and I only take them out when I feel like it. I don't like them collecting dust and stuff. Currently the only ones that are not in their box is my MSD boy, Scar and my SD boy, Dani. Even then, I cover them up whenever I leave the windows open so they're not exposed to direct sunlight.

 

I suppose if it becomes hoarding then yes. I love my dolls and don't get enough time to give each of them enough attention

 

I go for pretty long periods of time without touching my doll, but I do have him out on a shelf with some other stuffed animals and plushies x3

 

My boy lies in the box under a bed if I was not present the house. I am very careful with it I address

 

I don't really play with my dolls a lot. But they're on their shelves happily watching and guarding my room. If I have time, I'll play with them; but I work a lot of hours a week. My joy really is having them, saying hello to them when I get home, knowing that they're there when I'm watching a movie, writing, doing artwork, etc. etc. etc. I love my dolls, and I don't think not playing with them is a reason to give them away/sell them especially if you still love them and bond with them ^^

 

Is it wrong to keep a doll you don't even play with?
I think it's not, but when I don't use them at all (playing, taking photos or just looking at) I don't see the point in getting one in the first place. Just knowing I own dolls doesn't really do it for me. I'd probably sell them in that case.
I'm not the 24/7 doll person myself. Five times a week, twice a month, it varies how often I play with them.

 

that's no right or wrong just thinking makes it so, in fact keep them away to avoid damage from them is kinda way to express love to dolls for some people.if i cannot guarantee they won't get harm or sth,i would do so rather than just watch them get hurt..

 

Oh boy.

So basically, I see it as: this isn't like having a KID or a PET, if you don't want to interact with something, that doesn't mean you need to sell it off or that you're a bad owner! For goodness sake, I haven't touched any of my dolls in a month, they're literally sitting in a bag waiting to get dumped off in my closet at home where I'm planning to leave them because they make me feel immature when they're sitting in my room on campus. I don't have to sell them, nor do I feel bad or even give a rats tail whether they sit in that closet forever! They belong to me- I don't owe anyone, and whatever decision I want to make regarding my stuff is my bloody business. Good grief! Dolls don't *require* attention, they're things just like books, cds, my laptop, and my clothes. Because I don't plan to sell them, I don't care if they yellow, stains can be removed, and no matter what they look like I know I'll like 'em just because they're mine. It's mind boggling to think that people assume that they've got some sort of responsibility to 'take care of' or interact with an inanimate object.

 

I'm sorry - THIS I have a problem with - if you are talking about art. The mere idea of some rich hoarder buying a VanGogh or Reubens then locking it away where no one else can ever see it until the owner dies is appalling to me.
That being said, I'm thinking most of these dolls aren't in that class - although if a doll that's been seen online a lot gets bought by someone who then hides it away forever that is very sad...
But I'd say that the real problem about someone who buys expensive dolls (or anything) then just puts it away in a box never to be seen again, is a personal one... If that's what floats your boat, well have fun w/it
Putting the dolls in their boxes to protect them when not in use (whatever use you make of them) does not seem unreasonable to me, however. If you've got an expensive full-set doll w/an elaborate outfit & beautiful face-up, then protecting it seems highly intelligent!

 

Have you ever noticed...
When you started getting bored of your doll...but then you don't want to admit it?
I sometimes practically don't want to admit it because...well...I just don't want to hurt my dolls feelings lol...
And giving them away means that you're not interested anymore...
Have you ever had a feeling like that?
Btw..
Trying my best to improve my grammars and all xD

 

I've seen this before - owner gets "grail doll" and puts it on shrine or locks in "dungeon" for safe keeping then suffers guilt for not "playing" with doll and starts thinking it would be better to have money for new "UNgrail" dolls.

Collectors: people who collect specialty value items and keep them in pristine condition (in boxes, books, vinyl covers, etc.). "Grail" doll is your collectors piece. Why not just let it be so?

I have many dolls that I end up dusting off. I'm not just a grown-up who "plays" with my dolls. I am also a doll collector. I have items I keep in boxes away from dust. And items I'd rather look at because they are for MY enjoyment.

 

Do you have certain dolls that you just keep in their boxes in a closet?

No. I have never had a doll that I just keep in a box or in a closet at all time. When I got my first girl I took her everywhere. And by everywhere I do mean everywhere. School, work, just out with me. Yeah...My second girl was biggest but it was close enough with the same thing. I just ordered a new girl who isn't with me currently, she's my grail doll but I will be treating her no differently.
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Do you ever take them out for anything?

I don't really 'lock up' or 'keep away' my dolls so they are out all the time. Currently the one I do have is at a face up artist and went to her straight from the company so I haven't gotten a chance to see or touch her, but when she gets here even if she is my grail doll she will be out everywhere doing everything that's for sure.​

Do you treat your more expensive, hard to get dolls the same way you treat your standard dolls?

Yes, or at least I plan to. As mentioned above I recently bought my grail doll, and Iplehouse I in light brown skin. Originally it was just I that I craved for, but I wanted a darker skinned doll. Then I found out about CDS and I might as well have been drooling. Now while she wasn't all that expensive as what other people consider 'grail dolls' she was still my grail doll and that was all that really mattered. Now, I've ordered her, she's at a face up artist right now, and will probably be with me at the beginning of January. But when she get's here she's going to be my little model and going everywhere with me like my first two original dolls did. Just because she's more expensive and I hold her to a higher standard doesn't mean I'm going to be afraid to do anything with her.

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Now with all that being said do I think it's wrong for people to just let their dolls sit in a box? It's not wrong, I would never do it, but not wrong at all. That's just how the owner chooses to treat their dolls. It's like the owners that decide to do some of the strangest mods to their doll. Not would I would do, though that all really depends on the mod, but that doesn't make it wrong in anyway, that's just the owners preference. As long as the owner is happy with the doll and still wants the doll then they can keep or do what ever they want with the doll.

 

It's not like anyone can say you have to do this/that when it's your doll. I keep mine often in their boxes when I don't play with them. One reason is that three out of five is white skin and even tought I have UV protective sealing on them I'm bit of afraid of them yellowing.

Altought there is times when I just take them out sitting next to computer and let them be ....

As for the matter of treating differently, nope I don't treat my limited dolls (3/5) any different than unlimited ones. I see no reason for that

 

As Clint Eastwood once said to Gene Hackman before blowing his head off, "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."

Some people don't play with their dolls at all. They don't come with a play-requirement. You bought the doll; it's yours; you can do whatever you want, or nothing, with it. You can rest assured that there is no Doll Illuminati in black helicopters running covert surveillance on you to make sure you "deserve" to own this inanimate object, or that you only do certain things with it, so that you qualify for your Doll Ownership License. Dolls are not community property, so the verb "deserve" really has nothing to do with them at all.

Enjoy your Charlotte (in whatever way you see fit)!

 

My dolls with face-ups I can't replicate get better treated than the ones with face-ups I did myself when it comes to travelling.

Otherwise... I don't really 'play' with my SD. They're too heavy, and I have nerve weakness problems. However, I do enjoy that it's easier to do elaborate costumes for them because of their size. So basically, they sit around and serve as particularly pretty cosplay models.

My MSD tend to get to go to cons, since they're easiest for me to carry, and they're still a good size for costuming.

My YoSD tend to get to go to meet ups, since I can carry the most of them at once.