Is it "wrong" to let younger kids have BJDs?

I agree with you completely. And here I was starting to think I was the only one with this kind of view.

 

LovelyBadger you make some interesting points and I too feel the same about my BJD buying experience. However, I am not sure that I feel like kids are "invading" my hobbies. Maybe I would be more concerned if the hobby turned in favor of their popular fads that seemed more immature? I'm not sure really.

I recently had an interesting experience that relates to this topic. My niece who is around 13 wants a BJD. At first I thought she was too young for it but after some consideration I am not so sure. First, I know that she wants something inspiring to create clothing for as she is learning to sew and design costumes. Also, Julia is really REALLY into Japanese anything. Mangas, art, anime, cosplay, you name it. These interests are not exactly mainstream in the area she is growing up in even though my family is living in the suburbs of NY city. I think she sees BJDs as an extension of her off beat tastes and a way to express her interests. So she is saving for a doll as we speak and I have agreed to help her make up the difference (within a certain limit) and call it an "8thgrade graduation-Bday-Xmasgift". I am introducing her to a bunch of companies with a very slight nudge toward Volks because of our proximity to NY city and the chance that someday she could take her doll to a Volks event and share it with other enthusiasts. That and because she is in love with all things Japanese and I think taking her doll to a DolPa would blow her mind!

So do I think she should wait? Maybe but at the same time I think caring for a doll that will take so much effort and savings to obtain might be a good thing for her. Also, a BJD is a way for her to express her passionate interest in cosplay and manga and it might serve to keep her focused on improving other skills like sewing and drawing. I mean this is the same kid who over came her reading problem because she wanted to read more mangas!

Just food for thought.

 

I don't think there's an explicit answer to this.

I was reading a book called Cinderella Ate My Daughter! and, I can't find the chapter, but at one point the author, Peggy, brought up Barbie dolls. Barbie dolls used to be adult toys in the way BJDs are, to be collected and cared for by adults. But, as with many trends, it's descended the generations to become the playthings of tots, because that's what happens with many things. Little kids see their moms/older sisters playing with Barbies, and want them for themselves. So, it descends an age group, and then another, and another, until even 3 year olds dismiss Barbie as "for babies".

I think that younger people who want BJDs either see an older figure playing with them, or they discover them through the internet, as there is a giant fandom. The question comes down to the individual. Unlike a Barbie, you can't just save your pocket money for a couple of weeks and trot out to buy one. If someone younger wants a BJD, maybe come to an agreement with them. Maybe make them pay for half of it, or buy them the mould and have them save up for the clothes, wigs, faceups and customization. That way, they see the true value of the doll and learn to appreciate it instead of just tossing it into the toy chest after a few months.

To make the distinction between a BJD as a gift and a toy, I think that the receiver needs to be made aware of the value, especially if they're young. That way, they treat it more like a collectable and less like a toy.

 

yes it is i know a girl who is 12 and has one and another who is 9 and has one i mean seriously, dollfie are not durable toy things

 

I like to think of bjd collecting as a semi adult hobby...when kids start collecting I may stop....what is a kid 0-12 years. one thing that makes the hobby so fabulous is that you can see something that's out of your price rang but personalty work hard to enjoy it and not have to as mom and dad for a doll, doll accessories etc.

 

well I think it can't be a problem if they know how to hendle them.
I think you have to wait untill they past there doll playing period.

 

That is only partly correct. While Barbie dolls were indeed inspired by a German novelty toy marketed to adults (the coveted Bild Lilli dolls, based on a popular cartoon in a tabloid) in the late 1950s, Ruth Handler secured the rights with the explicit intention to market this to children, as a three-dimensional version of dress-up paper dolls. Barbie dolls were intended for children from the start, however, they were intended for older children (up to 12, 13). Mattel did not recognize until the early 1990s that adult collectors were an additional market to be catered to.

You are very right, however, and that leads back to the topic, in that the target audience for playline Barbies has become younger over the years.

I think, in addition to the process you described, it may be connected to the way many children nowadays seem to have shorter childhoods in general. They stop playing earlier than the generations before them, act like teen-agers, and in girls, periods start to set in a couple of years earlier than in the generations before. Some explain it with the hormones in our food, but I think it is also a social phenomenon. Anyway, while their bodies may mature earlier and peer pressure forces them to stop playing, some kids may actually not have reached the point, in their minds, to be "adults" already. They still feel the need to play (well, some never stop ;-) ) and BJDs offer themselves as a toy that is "sanctioned" by society because it is an adult collectible rather than a child´s plaything.

 

I think it's a great common interest between my daughter and I. Shopping together, swapping bjd sites, planning sewing projects. I think it's a case by case basis whether a child is old enough for the responsibility just like any other expensive hobby item but if they are why not?

 

I got my first doll, last year before I turned 16, and my parnets are fine with it. I have three now. But I think it depends on the parnets. My told me that if I want them I need to take care of them and if I don't I'm not allowed to get anymore. But I truly think that it depends on the parents in the long run. BUt I wouldn't give a 9 year girl a male doll inless she understands the male's body. Or a 9 year boy a girl doll. But that's just me.

 

Echoing a lot of others here in that I feel that it depends on the individual. If someone, child or not, had a history of not taking care of their things or those of others' then I wouldn't spend my money on something like a BJD as a gift for them, and I wouldn't advise anyone else to either.

 

I don't think younger children have the income or responsibility to maintain a BJD. I mean, to an extent, they may be responsible, but this is also a very pricy hobby that many people can't appreciate until they've reached a certain age. At that age, I feel like a simple doll could serve the same purpose as the BJD, it'd just be a cheaper, less delicate option.

 

It depends actually. If the child is ready enough to understand it and take care of it, sure I'll let he/she have it. C:

 

My younger twin cousins, who are almost ten, desperately want a bjd. They have handled all of mine and are EXTREMELY careful with them. I'm probably going to get them a BBB tiny for Christmas. Its a cheaper company and the tiny sculpts are perfect size for them. Granted the twins are very mature for their age and have been around my dolls since they were little so they know more. I guess I'm going to repeat what everyone is saying and go with "it depends on the kid".

 

Not at all! But then again I think it depends on the age and how mature they are! I was 12 when I had my first BJD and she's just the way she was when I got her!

 

As long as the kid doesn't eat the doll, feed it to someone/something else, burn it and breathe in the fumes, etc, I think it's fine. I really don't see why leaving a doll on the shelf is a bad thing -- I do that and I'm sure plenty of other adults do as well. I think if someone gives a child a doll, it would be a good idea to give the child some knowledge about how to care for it, though. But even if they don't take care of it, it still wouldn't be "wrong" -- it's not like the doll is alive.

 

I think it depends on the personality of the kid and how young they are. I would never get one for my younger nephews who are ten and eight, because they practically destroy their possessions.

My thirteen year old niece, however, is a little more careful with her things and I think is probably mature enough to own a small BJD. I'm actually thinking of getting her one someday, once I can afford it and if she's still interested.

 

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I mean, it's a waste if your kids are like I was. I ALWAYS broke my barbies and never took care of them. I went and destroyed things. It would be a lot of money to buy a small child a BJD.

 

It's not 'wrong' to let children have BJDs (provided that the child is past the age when having a doll with small parts and strung on a tension string with metal hooks is hazardous). BJDs are dolls. Children play with dolls. Don't see anything wrong with this scenario.

Would I let my hypothetical child have a BJD? Yes, with conditions. Once the child is old enough to handle a BJD unsupervised (in other words, will not injure herself during play), I would be willing to get one as a gift for a special occasion. However, I would start her out with a cheaper and unlimited doll. I am not that concerned with the child not 'taking care' of the BJD properly; I want my kid to be a kid and play with the doll to her heart's content, even if it means that the doll will take baths, get yellow and/or get some dirt on her. Of course, if she ruins the doll, she won't get another one - that would be made clear before the doll is gifted. If, when she is older, she wants to be part of the BJD hobby, then, I'll consider giving her more expensive dolls or LEs for holidays/birthdays.

To me, giving a BJD to a child is similar to giving, say, a purse. Will she get a Chanel purse as a gift when she is 8? God, no. But, she will get a pretty, inexpensive one that she can carry around and not be constantly burdened with the adult responsibility of caring for and maintaining an expensive luxury item. Childhood goes by so quickly these days as it is. That, and I wouldn't want my child to develop a sense of entitlement by being given luxury gifts when she has no capacity to appreciate what it means to hold down a full-time job and pay bills. Once she grows up and is able to support herself, she'd be free to make purchasing decisions as she sees fit. Until then, she'll be given age-appropriate gifts that will enhance her childhood in a positive way.

 

well i donno your right to maybe give it to a mature child but i guess if they work hard to get the doll they will look after it . i have seen this one girl on youtube who plays with bjds and i think shes maybe 15 or so and she seems to look after them and be carful but i think they belong to her mother? but to be trusted to play with one too is a big deal too.