Losing Interest In BJDs?

I lost almost all interest in the hobby for almost 5 years. I considered selling all of my dolls multiple times during that period, because I just couldn't seem to get my interest back. I tried a few times to get back into things, but nothing stuck for more than maybe a day or two.

A couple months ago, out of nowhere, my interest returned. I have no idea why.

I don't have any helpful advice for rekindling things, unfortunately. For me, when I got back into things, certain dolls maintained their appeal, but others that I previously was very fond of don't elicit any sort of reaction anymore. I find myself wondering what drew me to them in the first place.

It could be that your tastes have just changed. Maybe you can see if there is anything out there that sparks your interest? Or maybe you just need a break?

 

I have taken breaks from certain dolls, but have never completely left hobby. Closest I came was I sold all but one doll thinking if I had just one I could focus on other things. But no other hobby has made me happier so having just one didn't last long. It's perfectly fine to put them all away, or just the ones you love and sell the others. But it's something you need to really think over because replacing some dolls is harder then others.

 

I've definitely heard of other people having some negative feelings after long or difficult transactions. I think that's perfectly normal. It seems like sometimes the love for the doll will return after the negative feelings have passed, but I've also read about instances where the situation permanently ruined things.

Have you tried looking at what other people have done with this doll (or one that is similar) to see if anything inspires you?

 

I think it just happens naturally. We only have so much time and money for the different hobbies. I get periods where I don’t do anything with my dolls for months. It doesn’t really feel like I’ve gotten my first doll since 2018. 2 years passed and I didn’t do nearly much things with them lol. But I still check forum, sometimes the social media or talk to my friend who is also into them and it sparks interest that way!

 

I fell out of the BJD fandom for a year or so, but I have songs I associate with my dolls, and every time I heard one, it would make me think of them. I don't know exactly what got me to go back, other than coming back onto DoA and looking at my unboxing threads for my dolls. I resolved to get their face-ups done and make some clothes for them, and I've been active in the fandom ever since!

 

This happens to me a lot- with all my interests! I will jump from hobby to hobby, sometimes abandoning one for years only to come back to it again! I think my specific experience is due to adhd though

 

I lost interest many years back when I was a student and realized I couldn't afford the hobby. Now that I have a proper job, my interest has renewed. In my opinion, be very picky with your doll interests and only buy what you really really love and buy quality. It's your hard earned money!

 

I took an approximately 4 year-ish break after I went through a terrible time in my life personally. I sold most my dolls because I figured I was done and never coming back. don't do that. >.< Out of nowhere last year the doll urge hit me again. And then I had to track down stuff that was hard to find when I left, even harder when I returned. I regret selling several of my dolls. But I am also enjoying re-discovering the hobby, finding new dolls and rebuilding.

 

I've gone through periods where I've lost interest in my dolls, some short, some a couple years long. For me it sometimes had more to do with bouts of depression, as well as financial issues. It's an expensive hobby, so sometimes I just didn't have the money for what I wanted to do, and it made me lose interest. Plus, on top of being expensive, bjds are also very fiddly: wigs always seem to slip off easily even with silicone caps, you need to remove some body parts to change clothes, eyes need to be adjusted, etc. etc. I like to 'play' with my dolls, but the constant fixing and adjusting was just too much when I wasn't feeling well. When I got my Littlefee Cygne, I had such a difficult time putting her wig on that the fear of accidentally knocking it off again kept me from wanting to touch her for a long time. And, of course, sometimes I just got bored while waiting for a doll to arrive and my ADHD couldn't handle it, so I switched to a new obsession. The interest always comes back, often out of nowhere. Usually it's after I've left the dolls alone and out of sight for a bit before bringing them back out and holding them. It's frustrating, but it's not forever!

 

Oh goodness, I'm guessing that the majority of us go through that phase at one time or another! For some, it really is the end - they realize that it was just a passing fancy, and they will never never want to get involved again. For me, well, I've gone through periods where I did not even look at my dolls for a year or more, and then something pulls me back to DoA, I start reading posts, I'm tempted to look at websites, and the next thing I know, I'm buying dolls and clothing and even reimagining my old-timers like a madwoman.

Sometimes it's best to put your resin in a closet and forget it for awhile, because absence really can make the heart grow fonder. But in the meantime, I think it's really key to not sell your dolls during an 'off period'. If two years have gone by and you still just look at them and say, "meh," then it's probably time to move on...but selling too soon can lead to a lot of regret if your interest is reignited. Nothing worse in this hobby than parting with a hard to find sculpt, and suddenly wishing that you hadn't let it go! (And yes, I do speak from experience. )

 

I think most people have times where they're really, really active with their dolls and want to do stuff with them every day and then times where they still own dolls but their interest is diverted elsewhere for awhile. And I think that's totally fine. For me, I go through periods where I'm really, really in the mood to sew and craft, and I get super excited about my dolls and make loads of stuff for them and am working on one doll project or another in almost all of my free time. But I also go through periods where all my creative impulses are directed towards painting and drawing, and during those times, my dolls basically sit on their display shelf and become just a nice decoration in my art room that I enjoy seeing when I happen to glance in that direction while cleaning a brush or something. It's all good either way, you don't have to be perpetually active with them or have them always be your main interest! I definitely agree with some of the previous posts-- if I'd gotten rid of my doll collection during previous times where I was way too absorbed with painting and drawing to feel like doing anything with them, I'd really regret it right now.

 

I think it's normal to feel a little burnt out sometimes (whether in our hobbies or work) and just need a break.

I fell out of the hobby for a couple of years, I can't even remember why. I put most of my dolls away but kept my favourites out on display. However, I just displayed them and didn't do anything else with them. Then one day, I just suddenly felt like doing something with them again, logged back onto this forum, looked around for what I missed during my absence and ended up buying new dolls!

There are some of my older dolls that I've completely lost interest in though and I really should try to sell them or give them away...

 

At the moment, I am mostly doing nothing with my dolls. Right now, I simply feel no urge to do anything with them. My new motorbike is simply more interesting, and otherwise my family is still working on the aftermaths of my mum's passing away. Tons of stuff to sort out...although I have to admit that I kept things like interesting fabrics and items which I could use for my dolls.

But I am sure as soon as I find time to breathe again, and when the bike is sitting in our garage waiting for springtime, my interest for my dolls will be rekindled again. It comes and goes. Good thing is they do not get angry or sick when I just leave them in their glass cabinet just looking cool. They still make me happy, although they are a permanent work in progress.

 

I have lost interest in collecting or adding anymore BJD for a long time now (over a decade now, maybe?). But I never lost interest in my own dolls or the grails I'll never own. I've always been a doll/toy collector, even long before I discovered BJD, I collected dolls and toys of all kinds. There was a time I stopped purchasing Barbie, for example, but I never lost interest in the ones I already owned. I never thought "I should get rid of these." I never felt the need to get rid or sell any of the toys I own just because I stopped collecting them. When I learned about BJD, I always wanted to own less than ten, it was never my intention to continue adding to my collection over time, because smaller sizes weren't available in the styles I wanted them (mature), so I didn't want a ton of giant dolls, simply because I am not a fan of the weight and space they take. I also lost interest for a while, in coming to DoA and checking what was new, for a short period of time, around two years worth maybe? I did regret that because I didn't know that DZ would discontinue my favorite sculpt from them that I already own, but modified. I could have easily purchased the head had I known, but I didn't', and now I wont ever be able to have an unmodified version, in the condition I want him in.

From then on, I decided that whether I'm actively purchasing BJD anymore or not, I will continue to check BJD related news because I don't want to miss out on something I could have easily purchased, had I been actively checking on the news. I am also doing it for most other hobbies I have, because I also regret completely loosing interest in looking for news some other hobbies, and missing out on things that now cost triple their retail price. I'm just not actively adding BJD to my collection anymore, but I still want to know that if I see something I like, I'll be able to get it and not regret not buying it when it wasn't extra rare, yellowed or just not available anymore. I never was the type of collector to lose interest in a hobby and also lose the interest in my own collection, so much so that I would just sell all -- I kind of hoard.

I believe that's what has helped me in the end, that I do tend to hoard, so even if I am completely not interested in anything to do with a hobby, I would never get rid of my collectibles. On the other hand, the biggest interest I had on BJD in the beginning was the customizability as an artist, even if I lost interest in adding more BJD to my collection, I never lost the interest to keep customizing my own collection. So, maybe that's what has kept me coming back, more than just seeing if DZ miraculously decides to re-release the sculpt I wanted to own unmodified. Probably not helpful to anyone, but I'm a weirdo. DX

 

Yes, I went through a roughly 4 year hiatus from BJDs. Most of those years were when I was in college, and had basically zero free-time. Hobbies were a non-option. It was a grueling and exhausting period of my life.

It wasn't until a year into my job post-college, that I finally started feeling comfortable with indulging in this hobby again. I suddenly had my own free-time back and a little more expendable money, so BJDs were back on the table, lol.

 

I have, but that usually means I’m losing interest in my current dolls, not the hobby as a whole. I do get bored with my dolls after awhile, sell off most of the crew and renew it with new dolls. I don’t like anything in life to get stale, I get bored with things that never change. It’s not the hobby, it’s the dolls.

 

My interest always comes and goes like the tides and can be just as strong. lol When I hit the lows of interest in and of my hobbies, I turn my attention to something different as a change in pace and mood reset my passions or the one I was waning. After a while I always find myself coming back.