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

Oct 26, 2009

    1. I'd just like to add. A friend of mine has just turned 15 and she is wonderful with her boy. So mature, I would not consider her a child.

      I gave my yonger sister who is 10 soon to be 11 a BJD, only a small cheaper one(offtopic here) but if I had the money I would buy her a fairyland or iplehouse or soom. She cares for it because she understands and is mature enough. But I wouldn't trust my doll with some of my friends older than me at all. For me as stated before, it is all down to maturity and understanding of the hobby.
       
    2. I don't think it's wrong, but I don't think it's a good idea either.* Everyone's gauge of maturity is so different, and just because a kid is mature doesn't mean they're responsible.

      I think it is also more dependent on if they have dolls already and how well they care for and treat them. Because, I wouldn't buy a 12 year old a bjd when they're going through the infamous 'Barbie decapitation' phaze or the 'Lets give the Tonner a hair cut!' mode.

      With all that being said, if the kid's above that, then it would come down to earning money. If they pay for every single cent of the doll itself, and understand the cost and value of this doll/hobby, and the general concept and process of getting a bjd, fine.

      But I wouldn't consider this until the kid's at least halfway through high school, has a job, or at least has a solid way of earning money, and a solid grasp on what they want and why they like it.
       
    3. Of course not. It's still Just a doll. Kids get super expensive toys all the time. Hello playstation!
      Just make sure they're old enough not to chew on it or try and eat it's parts. XD kids get things like collectable figures and porclain dolls all the time so, *shrug* not much difference to me.
       
    4. I don't think it's wrong, and it totally depends on the child whether it's a good idea to get them one or not. My best friend's daughter got one as well (She's 8) and she handles her doll with lots of care. While I wouldn't get my cousine (10 years old) one cause she's burn it or something.

      It's just that a child needs to know that BJD's are very expensive and that if they break it they WON'T get a new one like barbie and Baby Born or whatever...
       
    5. I think it depends on the 'child's' personality and maturity. I know a twelve-year-old boy who loves BJDs and is so careful with his dolls. He's a very skilled photographer too and he did chores to pay for his dolls which I think is really sweet. I don't judge people for their age though. I've met people who are 5 years younger but we get along really well - most of the time I don't realise the age difference. Or maybe I'm immature...;)
       
    6. My first instinct is to say "No way would I ever give a child something so expensive." But, as people have mentioned, it really henges on the maturity level. See, most children I've known, and the children I was friends with when I was a kid, couldn't handle owning something like a BJD. Sure, they get game systems, and whatnot, but that's something else versus a collectable.

      If the kid was mature enough, and past, as someone said up above the "Barbie Decapitating phase" (in my case, it was Ken Dolls...o__O), and if they understand how to take care of the doll, then I suppose it would be okay. Even better if the child is willing to save for it and supply the cash for it his or herself. That's essentially what I was told when I was in high school and showing these things to my mom. She saw the price and said "good luck with that."

      I would start a younger person out with one of the less expensive varieties, though.
       
    7. I agree completely. There are videos of babies playing with iPads, which are about the cost of an SD-sized BJD. BJDs are just posessions, like iPads, cell phones, computers, etc. I started using a computer in elemenary school, and when I was 10 we were using the awesome rainbow iMacs. BJDs shouldn't have an age limit, unless they could actually choke or hurt themselves with it ;) It can actually turn into a lifelong lesson for responsibility and respect for one's posessions.
       
    8. there are no laws about age....dont give an expensive doll to a child who treats it like a toy. all kids are different, some will treat them good despite of age. :aheartbea
       
    9. I have to say I let my 18month play with my MSD girl. I know most people here would gasp in horror at that, but she only ever plays with her when I'm there and it's only for 5mins at most. But in my mind I'm starting at the young age so when shes like 7 she'll understand enough to have her own. I believe if you teach kids from a young age to sensible with possessions then 9 times out of 10 they will be.

      In my opinion its not about maturity, its about understanding. Just because your mature doesnt always mean you'll treat something right :)
       
    10. I got my first BJD when I was 14; obviously I was mature enough, as I planned and saved all my own money for months. I think if a parent buys their child a BJD just because they said, "Mommy mommy I want one,"...that would make me mad. I can't say it's 'wrong', per se, because it's completely up to the parents what they buy for their children, but something that expensive should not be in the hands of someone who isn't old enough or responsible enough to care for it properly. I feel the same way about parents buying their six and seven year olds DSs and PSPs. They're just going to drop it and break it and whine for another, that's $150 or more down the drain and it's all your stupid fault.

      Also, BJDs have...more personality to me than a video game or other expensive item. If I saw a little kid hauling around an obviously not cared for BJD, I would first think for the safety of the doll, not the stupidity of the parents. I feel like something that has been so lovingly crafted just for you should be treated with respect and dignity, not just thrown around like an overgrown Barbie. It's disrespectful to the artist and to anyone that does take such good care of their dolls. ((At least, in my opinion.))
       
    11. People are letting toddlers play with their iPhones. I think a doll - an item a child is more readily able to connect to as a familiar object - is a good way to start teaching them responsibility. (And it won't die, doesn't poo on the floor, etc... hah) Obviously, as has been mentioned, there's always the concern of whether a household can afford that sort of investment, quality, sturdiness, etc...

      But if I had children (I have nieces and nephews but I never get to make these ultimate decisions), I would certainly consider it seriously. My niece is, at age 8, considering saving up her allowance to get a PukiFee and her father supports this. (Double lesson of the value of money, and her own personal investment in the doll.) I've seen her care for her other toys and think she'd do really well taking that kind of attention and care for her possessions to the next level.
       
    12. Well it would of course suck if you bought a BJD for a kid that accidentally broken due to not knowing how to handle it, but as mentioned, it's a doll. That's essentially all it is. Personality and such are fabricated by the owner, and that is what makes them so dear to them I imagine.
      So, no, it's not unethical to buy a young child an expensive doll. It's pretty stupid if you don't teach it how to handle it, like with all other possessions, but yeah, it's not "wrong".
       
    13. My mom is isn't against my hobby,in fact she is supporting me in this hobby ans she is the one who introduced me to BJD when i'm just 12, well, she really likes collecting dolls for she had over 40 collectible barbie and 10 tonner dolls, so I thinks it's just influence. lol.
       
    14. Age has nothing to do with this in my opinion. There are plenty of adult BJD owners that doesn't take care of their dolls as well. As long as you understand the value of the doll, you can be 10 years old or 80, it doesn't matter.
       
    15. I think it's okay to let a child have a bjd. BJDs are dolls and they are meant to bring happiness to their owners. There is no reason why you should not let children play with BJDs (unless they could hurt themselves with a doll or try to eat its parts).

      I think vinyl BJDs are more suitable for children. They aren't so expensive and it isn't easy to break a vinyl doll.
      Isn't this doll cute :)? http://dimdoll.com/shop/step1.php?number=336
       
    16. I am far older than you and I have to laugh at your admonitions. You sound like a jealous child upset because your own parents would not buy you the expensive toys you desired and so you do not want other parents to do so for their own children. When I was far younger than I am now there were no handheld video games (shocking to imagine I am sure). When they first came out can you imagine who they were marketed to? Children. Those original clunky Gameboys and Segas were meant for kids. Even now Ds's are really marketed towards children and both of my children have one of their own. Nintendo had the foresight to design a system that could survive rough handling. Neither of my children has ever broken a gaming system, not a handheld system like a Gameboy Advanced or DS, nor a platform like the PS2, PS3 or Wii. The only place you were correct in your little tirade is that it is my right as their parent to make the decision to purchase those items for them as gifts. My children are far to well behaved to beg obnoxiously for things, however they did put items on gift lists for holidays and as they are my children and I love them and like to do things for them I chose to buy them gifts, as did their other relatives. The PS3 actually belongs to my husband and myself but the kids are allowed to use it. They also have tablets that they use for schoolwork. I'm sure that is horrifying considering they are 6 and 10 respectively.

      I hear the opinion that these dolls have personality or "soul" and therefore deserve respect or extra care but honestly these dolls are inanimate objects. That is all they are. I love my dolls very much but they are still no more or less than very pretty, expensive dolls. They deserve respect as what they are. They do not have souls nor personality more than what their owners give them. When my then 8 year old asked me for a doll for his 9th birthday I knew he would take good care of it and I agreed. He has always taken good care of that doll. He has "saved up money" to pay for two more dolls. His father and I helped him along the way because it is hard for a young child to make any money. He loves those dolls very much and he is always searching for his next doll. Even my youngest started collecting at 5. They respect dolls because they have always been around them. Keep in mind it was not uncommon for little girls to receive porcelain dolls as gifts at one time. My mother still has hers from when she was a child. BJDs are not nearly so delicate as the old porcelain dolls. It is this need to make these dolls "special" and put them on pedestal that creates a kind of elitist attitude and alienates younger collectors. I also think it is a kind of "sour grapes" feeling in those who wish some one would gift them dolls and can't stand that anyone does it for their own children.
       
    17. -_- I'm going to make this as short as I can, I don't feel like typing right now...
      1) This is my own opinion. I do not need you telling me off about my own experiences and making assumptions about me just because you're older than me. You do not have to be disrespectful and sarcastic to get your point across.
      2) I am building from my own experiences here. The first time I dropped my DS, it broke. The second time I dropped my DS, it broke. Whenever any of my friends have dropped their DSs or PSPs, they have broken.
      3) 'Excuse me for having an imagination, I'll be sure to tell Aelic and Grimm and Kiyo that they actually aren't that special, and I'll commence throwing them around and treating them like Barbie dolls now.' I don't need to be told that dolls are inanimate objects; I'm completely aware of this, thanks for the memo though. Debate; opinions, remember.
      4) You really have wonderful children; none of the kids I know would be able to do that. Most of the teenagers I know would not be able to take care of their possessions as well as your children can. You are extremely lucky, as I am sure you are aware.
      5) *coughcough* I am a younger collector, and I think all this talk about people being 'elitist' is crap. I've never met anyone like that. But I do put BJDs over other dolls because, quite frankly, they're freaking expensive.
      6) ... ... I don't have a six. Not right now at least. Your turn, though I think I'm done. My hands hurt.
       
    18. I believe that Kiyoshi has a point. If one looks at the BJDs as works of art, it can be distressing to see a child handle them as they might a 5 dollar Barbie. But of course, if they are carefully taught, and they are able to maintain the dolls (though I've certainly never seen a child younger than 10 that had that type of careful hand, I am sure there must be an exception somewhere in the universe. My kids were well-behaved, but I wouldn't have allowed them to drag a Rembrandt or an artist-created BJD around the basement playroom.)
      I wouldn't assume that Kiyoshi has any jealousy towards children that are given their expensive dolls rather than buying them with earned money. After all, what we are given, we usually cannot value as much as what we have earned. I think it is a lucky child, after all, whose parents have guided to be self-sufficient and able to handle money well enough to save for a long-desired treasure like a BJD.
      At almost 50, my imagination still gives my dolls personality, and I also have feelings of tenderness and care towards them. I enjoy taking care of them, and it would pain me to see a child mistreat a doll, not just because of the expense, but also because they look like cute little people.
       
    19. There's nothing inherently wrong in a child having a BJD. As iris0110 said, children commonly used to have porcelain dolls at a young age. I can't imagine children now having changed so much and becoming so incapable of taking care of their belongings in such a short time. However, some children wouldn't care for their dolls and while that would be a pity, it's up to the parents to decide whether to spend that kind of money or not. Personally, I'd get my child a BJD if they wanted one. Not a super expensive one mind you. I think it would be a good way to teach responsibility and how to care for one's belongings. If they mistreated or damaged their doll then that would be it.
       
    20. In my personal opinion, I am a very paranoid person. I wouldn't trust anyone a few years younger than myself (I'm just out of my teens) to hold something fragile or expensive, but it's only because I am selfish and very anxious when it comes to my personal belongings (in regards to expensive or treasured objects). Nevertheless, to each their own; I would trust the owner of the doll (or an adult buying for a younger child) to make the right decision. :)