Leaving Your Dolls Behind

When on college my dolls mostly stayed in their boxes I just didn't had space for them and also why I'm only coming back to the hobby now. I sometimes would wish I could play with them more, take them out and just be able to stare at them. But the more semester passed less time I had and even less time to wonder about it, I would take them from the box on the weekend, if I had time, and just let them see the sun lol

I didn't really feel lonely or guilty, more like missed being able to do something I enjoy and made me relax. I know another girl who took her bjd to class on my college, it on the art history class and sometimes I tought about doing it, but I always had atelier too and I didn't want them to get dirty or leave them in one of the closets (people picked lockets all the time). So I sucked it up and I'm gonna make up for it now.

 

I got my first doll in the mail at home during my last semester at college, and I played with her on my weekends home but she stayed home. I didn't want to risk something so valuable in the 3 hour journey or the less safe environment of a college dorm room.

 

Hubby and family wouldn't let me take my dollies to our honeymoon. Made me pout, but eh. Honestly, I only take my dolls out for doll meets and craft trips.

 

I was working far from home when I ordered my first bjd. So the parcel went straight to my native town while I was away. Of course I wanted to see my doll asap )) I had a small doll with me so it helped a bit cause it's hard to be without dolls at all )

 

I went out to visit relatives across the country and couldn't take all my dolls. I ended up taking one of my little ones and missing my big guys. I had her set up next to my bed so I could stare at her while I was falling asleep and it made it feel a bit better but when other people were around I had to put her in her case as people were uncomfortable around her. The weird thing is that I don't think about missing them during the day because I just see them every day. But when I am away from home it just feels odd that they are not there.

I started collecting after college so I never had to deal with the dorm room problem. I did go back a few times to visit one of the clubs I was a member of (my then boyfriend now husband was still there). I brought one of my SDs with me for movie nights and he would hangout on the couch and watch with us. I was always worried that someone was going to hurt him. When I brought my MSD people thought he was adorable and kept walking around with him. I was more afraid someone was going to take him. I can't imagine keeping them in a college environment!

 

I can't really remember a trip where I ever missed my dolls. I have a dog and I tend to miss him more. When it's a stressful trip though or when I know I got a doll shipping THEN I'm like: "I wanna go home, I wanna see my dolls, (whoever's watching the house) better sleep in fear if they knocked over one of them!" But when it's not those things... *shrug* I'm usually too busy catching up with my relatives since their all mostly family trips, or worrying about other things.

 

A few days after my first doll arrived I went on a holiday and I missed him so much! Soon after than I had to stay away AGAIN (and this time I really did have to leave him behind because it was part of my volunteer work) T_T But since then I haven't really stayed away anywhere so all has been good (I spend too much time at home )

I'm planning to go to Uni in September but I assumed I would take my dolls with me - I think I'd be sad to be without them for that long

 

Happens every summer, winter, easter and otherwise vacation. All my dolls are in my ouse I stay yearly for my studies in my university and I can't possibly take them all along for the few months of summer... It's always harsh deciding who will come with me...

 

Awe, do you have a few photos you can put in little frames to have with you at school? I am sure he misses you too! I don't blame you for keeping him at home, sometimes college dorm rooms are not safe at all. Maybe later you will feel more secure with another roommate or another kind of housing change in the future. Good Luck!

 

I'm also in a college dorm, but I brought mine with me here. I had just gotten her that August, and it never occurred to me to leave her, I guess. During the five/four hour trip, I just kept her in her box in my lap, and I leave her in her box in a secure place (mostly because I am an overly, irrationally afraid of yellowing for some reason?). And I tried to take her out only when my roommate was out of the room, but she's come home early a few times and "caught" me. Super awkward at first, but now it's more just whatever, you know?

I do leave her behind (under lock and key) in the dorm on simple week long vacations, like Thanksgiving and probably will on spring break, too. And it's kinda hard just for that time, even though I don't take her out normally anyway. I couldn't imagine leaving her home a whole semester, but the pictures could be a good idea, especially when living in a less than safe place!

 

If you have the room, and you can trust your roommate not to touch your things, you could always try bringing your dolls with you for a little while to see how things go. If you are afraid of what your roommate would think, you could possibly share a picture of your doll and ask what they think, both of your doll in general and of having a new "roommate".

If that's not feasible, perhaps you could get a tiny to keep with you at college? While that would not be the same as having a bigger doll around, it would still be a BJD, and one that's easier to store at that.

I never had BJDs in college, but I had some MSD-sized off topic dolls and Barbies that I took with me. While I did not share a room with roommates, I did have suitemates, but I just did my own thing and tried not to care too much about what they thought. That's the true beauty of college--getting to branch out and be your own person.

 

My valuable/delicate items all stay at my parent's house while I live in an apartment at college. I go to a college much further away from my home than it seems the others who posted in this thread do (I have a four hour flight between, the drive would be 22 hours) and I just don't like the idea of them traveling on the plane because of how many things can go wrong. Since I make this trip regularly and since I am not yet living in a stable situation where I won't be moving every 1-2 years I would rather just leave them with my parents where I know they are safe. It's definitely hard to do, but I know it's better for them in the long run. Since I go home for holidays pretty often I get to see them then too, and I occasionally have my mother check on things for me.

Definitely check with your roommate first! I am lucky enough to have a roommate who knew of all my hobbies beforehand and finds them interesting, but there are people out there who are uncomfortable with dolls. No reason to make your living situation tenser than it needs to be

 

I took my dolls with me to uni in the UK. Which was okay, but perhaps they should have stayed behind. I lived with smokers who smoked in the house and though they don't smell anymore if I ever tried to sell them, I'd have to disclose that and people may be disinclined to buy because of it. Also, for the past 4 years dolls really took a back seat. I was busy with uni, then I moved around the UK, got a job waitressing, got married and moved back the US. Only now do I have the time to really get back into the doll scene and spruce them up. I'm actually missing one, an OrientDoll tiny (12cm) amongst all of my husband's and my stuff I'm really worried and if I had just left her behind, she'd be safe.

It's really a gamble and depends on how you live/plan on living. If you think you won't have time for the doll, just leave him home and make sure you have a bunch of pics on your computer to look at when you do have time and want to squee over him.

If you plan on moving a lot at college (I moved every year for the past 9 years), it may be safer to leave him behind.

Also, a lot of student accommodations are prone to burgling, parties, etc. My houses were never broken into, but a friends house got broken into (a couple photography students lived there with a lot of tech), another friend (she's actually on DoA) had her house flood over winter break (thank goodness her stuff was pretty much untouched), and like I said, I lived with and was an indoor smoker. I've also heard of people having parties, wild ones or not, where things inevitably get broken or stolen if they are not locked away in a room. I once sat horrified as a mutual friend of my housemate's who I didn't really know at the time, pick up my Glati and started really man-handling him and playing with his legs and joints. I eventually said "Uh.. please don't. That thing is worth the same amount of money as your laptop." Living in a college/university setting is very different to living on your own or with your family. Just some things to consider, and I don't want to fear-monger but just talk completely candidly. Everyone has different experiences at college, mine may be more normal or mine may be a little bit more "wild" than the norm.

 

I'd be torn one way or the other. Because on the one hand, I'd love to take my doll everywhere with me, but I'd be terrified of them somehow getting damaged in transit. Thankfully I don't really have to worry where I do end up leaving the doll, because I live with a respectful roommate and she'd never touch my things without my permission.

 

I love taking my dolls out for photos, doll meets, ect. If we take a vacation they will come along. I pack them safely in my doll carrier so I know they will be ok.

 

I'm a college student that lives at home so I don't really have to leave my dolls. There are times when I go out of town and I do have to leave my dolls at home. Most of those times I'm at an anime convention. I put my dolls in their boxes the night before I have to go because it makes me feel safer when I'm away. I don't have to worry about family members coming into my room and touching them. The way I cope with not having my dolls around is I buy a new figure or plush from the convention I'm at. I would bring one of my dolls to a convention but I would be worrying about it or it would get too heavy for me since my collection mainly consists of SD dolls and larger.

I think if I end up transferring colleges, I'll at least bring one of my dolls with me, most likely Seth, my Soul Doll Juhl. There's no way I can sleep for long periods of time without him near my bed.

 

I'm in college and I took all my dolls with me. I'd miss them a lot if I didn't! But I'm living in an apartment not a little dorm room. When I moved I was really scared they might get damaged, but I packed them well and everything went okay. I wouldn't want to take them on a shorter trip with me because I wouldn't have enough time to play with them and they could get damaged or stolen.

 

When I moved overseas I left my dolls behind for almost 3 years. It wasn't hard because I had a different focus in life at that point. I bought a few but it wasn't the same without all my supplies (clothes, wigs, eyes, face up tools, sewing machine etc) so it wasn't interesting. Slowly, I have had *almost* all my dolls and their things sent or brought to me and built up my collection of supplies again. I'm moving again soon though and my dolls will be in storage again for I don't know how long. This time I'm more not-looking forward to it :T. However, it is a good opportunity to take stock of what you have (when you've been in the hobby almost 10 years you kind of accumulate a lot of stuff) and reorganize.