Limiting the BJD Addiction

I am a freelancer, so I don't get paid regularly...

Anyways, I think I'll start selling some of my collectible stuff in order to make money to purchase all of my dream dolls! :grin:

 

HA! Exact same problem XD 'Sweet Dream Lucas and Dark Michael are my dreams... ;_; OMG Michael! *gets* Okay... I must repay all the money I spent... >: ( And then I can get another dollfie...... Ren. ' And boom. I'm now waiting for Ren with Michael. ^^;; Ha. Didn't even repay the money I spent on Michael. XD

 

I've been having some troubles with the people close to me lately because the number of Super Dollfie-type dolls I want has been growing. It's true that at first I was sure I would be fine with just one, but the number of companies and types of dolls coming out has almost been overwhelming... There are so many beautiful and original ones that I have trouble focusing sometimes. I have been trying to be careful in the decisions I make towards who I bring into my BJD family, but I realize now that I need more restraint and need to focus on the ones I deem absolutely 'necessary' (hahahah).

-(you can skip this paragraph if you want)-
So I've worked out this simple folder system on my computer. I have a folder named "Consideration" where I put pictures of BJDs that really grab my attention. Inside that folder is another named "Wanted". In the Wanted folder, I put the pics of the dolls from the Consideration folder that I am actually considering buying. Then I have one final folder named "Absolute". This folder contains the pictures of the dolls I find exceptionally special; ones that have widthstood the test of time and have been on my mind for a long time(usually a couple months up to a year, and past that sometimes).
Currently insider this folder (being honest) there are pics of 6 large-size dolls, and one Pocket Fairy (I really want one to take to work to encourage me ;-; ).


The Absolute ones I want are:
Anais II, Kun boy (Cloud), Bermann, Dark Elf Soo, F-16 Sunlight boy, Tsukasa Konoe and Choco.
I think these are really perfect selections for me... I am not honestly shooting for Tsukasa though, because if it came down to me getting him or getting Bermann + DES, I would choose the two over the one(he's just too inexcusably expensive). He was just the first SD I really was attracted to, and if I'm ever lucky I'll get him(or his head, hehe)^^

(so, to the original problem of too many SDs--)
I don't think I'm wrong for wanting this many. I have agreed with the people close to me that I really should keep it minimal, yet at the same time there are only a few things I enjoy doing with my hard-earned money and my passion for these perfect dolls is at the top of the list(travel & electronics follow shortly after ). It's true that there will always be more and more dolls coming out, but some of the ones I want have been out for a long time.
I think also, if I am dissatisfied with a certain doll after a period of time, it is not wrong to adopt them out into a new family where they will be better appreciated, and then possibly someone will come into my arms that I will fully appreciate.
Yet still, this seems to be too many or wrong in some peoples' opinions...
Has anyone else had problems of this sort?

I dunno, sometimes I feel maybe I could just be being greedy or unappreciative... but I don't think that's just it. I just want something wonderful to have with me to show me that all the hard work I do is worth something and giving something beautiful back to me.
I also don't think I will be getting all of the ones on my list. If it turns out I do, I am really going to slow down and appreciate what I have and resist buying new ones and focus more on making the ones I already have more happy^^
There are also a few boys that I have been kinda teetering on for the last while(Link and a blond Isao), so we'll see how it all pans out.

Any feedback is really appreciated... I guess I am lucky to even be able to get any, because I know the pain of wanting one for so long and not being able to get it, like many of the people here, but now that I can work for what I want I don't think I should have to hold back because of other people.

ok, I think I let off all the steam now ~.~;; /rant

 

I have the same problem. I want a ton of dolls. (Soo, Chiwoo, Adel, Ken, Anias, the list goes on.) I don't plan on getting all of them, though - it's just fun to dream. Sure, I've got a few I really want (Chiwoo, Adel, Soo) but for now, I'm just content to look.

 

It's not wrong, but you don't HAVE to cave to temptation every time. I have two, and I have trouble juggling my love and attention for them as it is. There are lots of dolls I like, but I don't like them enough to want to buy them.

Besides I just don't know what I'd do with them all, they would probably just sit on a shelf and get dusty. I certainly don't have the tenacity to sew clothes for and play with and customise more than 2 or 3 at the most. Having two now, I would consider selling one to buy another instead of just buying yet another.. but certainly i would prefer to give them new faceups instead of replacing them, as such a change seems to give them a new lease on life when I get bored with the current look.

- Therese

 

Buy what you can afford at the time, and don't give a toss what anyone else thinks. Also, be realistic in your expectations (ie .. $25 saved against a $3000 wish list is NOT all that wise). Some people are happy with one doll which fills their every waking hour, some people have 100's of different dolls, one for every mood they experiencel. There are no rules, apart from doing what makes *you* feel right.


If anyone criticises your way of collecting, then it's their problem, not yours - envy, resentment, spite .. whatever ...

 

I don't really see how anything would be wrong with having many dolls. I guess I'm not that deep dollfie fan yet but to me they are dolls and not living things you need to take of in daily basis. Dolls are your hobby and you should be able to roam around freely and enjoy what you have and can have. I see no reason to feel bad.

Of course, if it would be an issue of having many of a same kind of rare doll, then I'd say it would be a bit unfair towards other doll-lovers. Thankfully some of the doll sites even seem to have a policy of not selling more than one ( same type of ) limited doll for one person.

 

My position is that I want another doll, but who that doll would be changes a lot. I don't think I want to own more than two. But if it's my hard earned money, and I wanted a bunch of dolls, I'd do it. Probably end up selling a few but it's better than beating yourself up for it.
Just as long as your parents aren't buying you multiple dolls. I highly disaprove. (jealous ((obviously))
I think Two is a good number for dolls to own. Unless this really is what you want to devote money to! I think committing is important too.

I'm too busy thinking about dolls to make sense, right? Joke.

 

I also only have one, and would like to add one more, but keep going back and forth on who it will be. Right now, since it looks like it is a firm possibility, I am leaning toward one of the new Bermanns (the only thing I am sure about is that it will be a boy). Other times I want a smaller one, like DoD Wi. Other times I want a Chiwoo.

I doubt I will have a large family of BJDs. I'd rather have just a couple (okay, *maybe* three ) well-loved, well-played with, well-kitted out dolls, that I have time for. Perhaps it's because I have a lot of fashion dolls, and even though I love how they look, redressing them, posing them, etc., can sometimes be a chore, and I don't want that to ever be the case with my boys.

I do download pics of the BJDs I really like to my computer, so I can enjoy them without having to actually own them (rather like expensive art).

Michelle

 

*****n/a*****

 

Ah, well do I know the sydrome of 'Oh, just one will be more then enough for me!' which progresses to the day when you wake up and there's four of them sitting next to your bed. XD Which is exactly what happened to me.

I think what Dezarii says is right. A lot of the time, I get overwhelmed with looking at all the gorgeous dolls out there, and thinking they're all so beautiful, and often finding myself wanting them. However I think a lot of the time it's just me getting caught up in the appreciation of the dolls - I'll always keep looking at new ones, and thinking about getting them, even when I aquire dolls from my 'dream' list. There will always be an ever growing 'want/wish list' for me - both of dolls, wigs, outfits etc. I've just got to choose when I truely DO want them to when I'm just googly over how great they are.

That being said, if you're truely set on getting particular dolls, and have the money to do so - then go for it! Hobbies are about making yourself happy, and engaging in something enjoyable. You have that right - you shouldn't let other people inhibit your enjoyment of the hobby, no matter what they think. In the end it's all your decision. As long as you don't feel you have too many, as long as you can appreciate them all, then I say get as many as you'd like. All dolls are very different and have differnt charms, which is why we want them so much.

As you said, if you do buy some dolls, and find that they're not what you wanted, or you have gotten overwhelmed, then there's always the option of adopting them out again - there are plenty of people on the look out for dolls and I'm sure you'd be able to find a good home for them!

And, in my own opion... I think working towards getting the dolls is the most fun part. It's good to have to plan them all out, and wait, and save, so that you appreciate them all the more once you get them!

 

I don't think it is wrong to want/own so many dolls. However, IMO, it shouldn't compromise other aspects of life--> living expenses and other necessarities.

Personally, I only take on what I can place in my home, meaning that space constraint is also one factor. I tend to go abit crazy if I see a shelf full of dolls all cramped up. It sometimes makes it overwhelming and I find that their beauty is heavily compromised. I have a total of 5 (3 SD sized/ 1 MSD and 1 pocketfairy). I sometimes feel bad that they have to share things (especially for the boys) and I gotta divide my time to play with all of them equally. I don't really plan that carefully for future dolls. I go according to my feelings and my current piggy bank status. If I missed out on a doll that I like (due to it being limited etc), I don't feel bitter coz I see them online here in DOA as other doll owners post pictures of them~ I only get those that "SCREAM" out to me and "HAUNT" me in my sleep (it's not that scary...just to describe the intensity).

Well,it's just my 2 cents worth~

 

I have around 11 now. Really it's too many for the time I am able to devote to them. If you can keep the number lower, you should be able to enjoy the individual dolls more. These days I spend a lot more time looking at them than I do playing with them. There's nothing wrong with looking at them, mind you.


Ken

 

I think this is entirely personal, and really, this is about you and what makes you happy. So everyone's opinions are fine and dandy, but at the end of the day, it's your business and no-one else's.

Remember...they are dolls. It's perfectly acceptable to love and admire many of them without having responsibility to them. There are days when I don't touch any of my dolls, but I love them no less than someone who has one doll and buys loads of things for it. I have three now, and like you, I have a large wishlist and LOVE planning. I don't want limiteds - for me the thrill is from seeing how I can alter each head to make it "mine".

The trick is to find your boundaries, and stick to them. Keep it manageable for YOU.

I have bought dolls and then resold them. Every doll owner learns from their mistakes and when you're fairly new, or don't own so many dolls, you DO want to try as much as possible to find out what's right for you. Go ahead, and enjoy it!

You're not under a social contract to buy them clothes every week. You're not under contract to pay them a certain amount of attention - once again, this is about you and your comfort level. Do what you like, until it stops making you happy, then re-evaluate. If you go through a period where it's not right, the dolls will still be there once you make up your mind about what to do.

 

Very well said.

I just wish there wasn't people who try to do their best to make others feel bad if they don't show 100% keen devotion to their dolls every minute :/

 

It would be too scary to give 100% keen devotion (afterall, life still have to go on :wink... In my case, I only can play with my BJDs when I am free or during my holidays ( holidays ending in 2 days)... Sometimes, seeing them just sitting there makes my stressful day happy~ : . I realised in my case studying for a degree just kills lots of my creativity, I used to draw/write fanfics, now at least I got my BJDs to express my half dead brain worth of warped creativity (which isn't alot)~

As alot of people said, it is based on your own personal preference~

*Kaisuki off to buy another pair of undies for her boy. 2 boys sharing one... makes Kaisuki go * I don't share my undies with anyone so my dolls should keep a certain "hygiene" level . It's my hygiene oddity~

 

Everyone plays in different ways. I just really don't think it's up to anyone to make someone else feel badly about not playing enough with their dolls... gosh, who says what's right and what's wrong? How you play is totally up to you. For some, playing IS just dressing them and leaving them on a shelf where they sit and look pretty. It's not up to me to say I dont' think that's "real play" or a good kind of play.

I agree with everyone; if you can afford them, more power to you. I have more than 1, and they are all so different... whenever I think well maybe I should get rid of X or Y, I can't, they each are so special! My other problem is that I like a lot of different styles of clothing, and as versatile as these dolls really are, there is a limit, and some outfits I like are better suited to one rather than another.

There is nothing wrong with wish lists, looking at dolls, and wanting more than one. I also agree with those who said household expenses come first - I have not been very good in the past few months, and I see it and feel it, so if I had any advice to give you at all, it would be that. :grin:

 

If these dolls were not so expensive or hard to get, this topic would never come up. After all, who feels like a bad person for not playing w/ Barbie/Gene/Tyler dolls?

I tend to have serial infatuations w/ my BJD; I really only play w/ one at at time. The current favorite will be perched on my work table while the others are on a doll sofa or a seldom-used human easy chair. I do not have them on doll stands as I think that looks so uncomfortable and unkind. At least sitting around together they look like they have their own thoughts and interests; in a doll stand it's like all they can do is wait for you to notice them again. :cry: