mainstream

I think you're right *Meep but some people like the idea of being a small community. It's more of a niche. Can you imagine the scams if it were more widely known?
I guess people are worried about it being a fad where as most doll lovers have liked these dolls a while and love them forever maybe they would feel the love has been cheapend if anyone can have it.
I don't know, just my ideas.

 

Heh, I remember being 12 years old and feeling that way about anime. I eventually got over my elitism, as the years passed and I realized that it made anime much easier to find, and frequently less expensive. I think that I was worried that with the new influx of fans, the community would no longer feel cozy and welcoming.

It took me awhile to realize that rather than being less cosy and welcoming, I was able to find my niche with other fans who had similar interests and opinions as myself, outside of just anime (yes, just anime. As in, not the center of the universe *gasp*). All in all, it's led to a more relaxed atmosphere, and me being able to enjoy anime on a level other than rabid fangirl-ism. It's also a relief to feel like, since there are so many anime fans out there now, I don't have to like or agree with each and every one of them. We've all got our little corners to retreat to, and I like it that way.

So, I'm all for BJDs becoming a little bit more mainstream. Do I want everyone and their gramother's cat to have one? Not particularly. But I wouldn't object to the variety that it could bring to the fandom, and to the dolls themselves. After all, the beauty of these dolls is that they are so customizable that it is incredibly easy to make your own resin kids different from everyone else's. Even a million extra fans can't take that away from you

EDIT: And just like the bad translations and incredibly awful dubs in anime, just like the Goth Lite wear available at Hot Topic, if they do start mass producing cheap knockoffs, you don't have to buy them. The originals that you value so highly are not going to be spirited away into the night, and replaced with Barbie lookalikes. Seriously, if they do go 'mainstream', it will probably be like the fashion industry, with the most expensive, elite brands at the top of the pyramid, and the progressively more affordable but lower quality copies filling the majority of the space at the bottom. Just because there might be similar things that are mass produced, that you absolutely can't stand, it doesn't mean that the original ceases to exist.

 

I would really like to read all your posts/opinions but first I have to post myself...

I really *really* dislike the idea of BJD's becoming a mainstream thing. I know there are advantages to mainstream, but if a thing get's that status it loses it's value I think. Like so many things today.(and we can all think of things that we like(d) and that have become mainstream) Would anyone like to see that BJD's become a thing of the masses? Or become the new generation of Barbies?? I do not. 'Cause I've finally found a thing that not everybody knows or is interested in. Well, that's my opinion

 

I don't kno. My friend was telling me that she saw a program on Asian-TV about Volks dolls. (It should be Volks, she said Japan)

being mainstream... i like the idea that it's a cozy community but i also like the idea that i've made friends on this community like Shido ^^ we live too close.

But being in mainstream isn't too bad of a thing. It makes buyign stuff for the dolls easier and less 'odd' in the eyes of others.

The only thing that does bother me is when ppl treat it as a fad. yeah i kno it's their money, dolls are meant to be enjoyed but what miffs me is that (not referring to anyone) I have seen ppl on DoA or on other forums going "Oh i want one! I want one badly but they're so expensive..." there are some who are going i want one but are not helping themselves to save.

There are very responsible ppl i kno, i'm not going to say age is a factor. but when i see some ppl buying a BJD just for the sake of owning one and not even very bothered or caring then i get annoyed. I don't kno it's my personal taste. not to influence anyone. I get emotionally attached to things easily. I can't even throw out old teddies.

I bond with my dolls and my toys, i feel hard to let them go. I gave my barbies to my cousin because i didn't want to throw them out. When i go over i still see the there and it tugs my heart to see my favourite 2 girls from childhood (my cousin is only 12) So i find it hard to accept how ppl buy these dolls for the 'cult' or the 'fad' of the season. Once something new comes along they forget about these dolls and they get neglected. Not implying anyone, just saying.

guess that's what annoys me about things being mainstream, it becomes a 'must have' item. One thing tho although i do understand and sympathise with ppl who are trying to desperately save for a doll. I do get miffed when they go "Oh i want a doll but it's too expensive, can ppl help me out?" just getting a doll for the sake of it, it just feels wrong for me.

 

Yukihotaru That's exactly what I think just I'm too lazy to type it. Thanks! I knew somenoe would make a bigger point!

 

Personally i don't give a damn who buys BJD's or for whatever reason - i got into them so why should'nt others. There will always be top quality dolls made and those that are pasionate about BJD's will continue to buy them and those that are just passing through will buy the cheaper ones and then go off and do something else when they get bored (it happens right?).
Dolls in general are mainstream and have been for years - doubtless BJD's will continue to become more popular as more people find out about them.
Good, i just want to be able to go into a shop, pick up some nice clothes and not have to buy them from the other side of the world without having seen them first...........how great would that be? ^_^

 

I don't give a hoot whether or not they become "mainstream" but I doubt they will. It's like people complaining about how because anime and manga are popular, it's all become crap. Uh, hello? Anime and manga are 70% crap anyway, I'm sorry to tell you. The sheer VOLUME of ridiculous and bad stuff that doesn't get translated makes what does look like money-making GENIUS.

That being said, I think popularity in a HOBBY only diversifies the hobby, you know? New people, new ideas, new trends--new little niches to snuggle into if you need that sort of thing in your life.

 

My friend told me she didn't want it to go mainstream because that's why she's into it. Likes being different, I guess.

I suppose I like having something and being into something that you don't see every day. It's a nice change when people ask what you're into and you say 'dolls and lace' XD

But eh. I can make anything normal seem like a camel in Antarctica, so I'm not worried, lol.

 

I didn't understand it at the start of this conversation and I still don't get it. Why is it that people care so much that they are the OMG SO SPESHUL only fans of something? I see this in fashion communities, in the anime/manga community, in animation, in literature, in music. Everywhere. It's just as bad as only liking something because it's a trend.

If someone only likes something because other people don't know about it then they don't really like it.

I can understand being afraid of being mistaken for some stereotype. I can understand being annoyed with that. But to go out of your way to complain about something being liked by other people is just selfish and stupid.

It's like when people freak out because someone else at their school owns the same mass produced shirt that they do. No one is trying to steal your identity because they bought one of the several thousand of the same item that you did. BJDs as a whole are not going to become the next "Barbie", for one thing Barbie is a brand and BJDs are a whole classification. BJDs will never be classic "fashion dolls" like Barbie. Why? Because if they were they wouldn't be BJDs anymore. It's like compairing different styles of painting. An oil painting of a bowl of fruit, no matter how popular, is not going to suddenly transform into a watercolor landscape.

On the topic of fads and trends VS people really interested in something. There will always be a difference between someone who actually apreciates something and is part of a subculture and someone who's only there for a weekend then goes home. Just like even with the popularity of the "punk" style and the hoards of people who shop at places like hot topic; there will always be a difference between a shirt you bought pre-ripped with safety pins in it and one that's being held together by said pins because the shirt is that old and tattered and the owner doesn't know how to sew.

 

I prefer it not to go mainstream, it's a unique and special hobby, and that's why i love it. ^^ Even though, that would be so awesome going to hot topic and buying some doll clothes! ^_^

 

I don't see any problem with BJDs becoming mainstream. Even if the dolls themselves were mass-produced cheaply and such, I would still readily buy the quality resin dolls before even thinking of buying a plastic BJD. I love the work that goes into them, and honestly, I can't see these dolls becoming mass-produced.

It would be nice to see some cheaper clothes for BJDs, but again, I would rather shell out a little more money for something that is high quality with working pockets and handmade with quality materials than something that popped out of a machine.

One of the positive things I can see about them ever becoming mainstream is: PROPS. I plan on making a full-blown house for my dears, and furnishing it is going to be hell! If I could find some cheap furniture and the like in the right scale, that would be awesome.

But overall, I don't see how it would really be a problem.

 

While I have no qualms about most things becoming "mainstream" I'd rather not see that happen to BJDs, mainly because of quality issues. Let's face it, for any doll to really be mainstream it's going to have to be released in the thousands & mass marketed. There's simply no way that the quality of these dolls wouldn't suffer by such massive production.

The other thing that would happen is that the value of the dolls would be adversely affected. Look at Tonner dolls & collectible Barbies, the over production of them has reduced their secondary market value to pennies on the dollar. While I certainly don't buy my dolls with the thought of reselling them it's nice to know that if an emergency arose I could get close to what I put into a doll out of it.

BJDs have already become more popular among doll collectors in general & US companies are sitting up & taking notice as are the Chinese. I'd hate to see them become "the next big thing" though with dozens of companies mass producing low quality, cheap dolls.

 

I think that whatever we do, and whatever we want, the only way to prevent BJDs from becoming more mainstream is to never talk about them or show them to anyone outside the existing fans. For every person who gets into the hobby, whether it's as a fad or they're genuinely interested, dozens of other people are exposed, and some of them may get into it...so whatever happens, the hobby can only grow. The only thing we can do is make peace with that fact and reassure ourselves that no matter how many people get into the hobby, the dolls we as individuals create, customize and love will still be completely, uniquely one of a kind and ours, and that's what makes this hoby so great.

And even if the numbers of morons increase exponentially, the amount of cool stuff to buy our kids will go up too, and that's got to count for something!

 

I'm newly in to the hobby myself, so I'm not sure how much weight my opinion holds, but I can think of positives and negatives about BJD's becoming mainstream.

It would be cool to have places nearby where you could go in and hold the dolls first and get it the day you ordered it. And having a hard to find clothes for doll I would really love having the convenience of having a place where I could try clothes on my doll before I buy them and not have the clothes cost practically as much as the doll itself.

But like anything that goes mainstream you suddenly get an influx of stupid people who are just doing it because its the "cool" thing to do. That's just what happens, and I actually kinda like not really having to deal with large numbers of people like that when it comes to BJD's as I get enough of it in cosplay. Plus, I would be afraid that the quality would suffer. Not so much from the already established companies but from ones that would start just to get in on the money. That would make it hard for people who are seriously wanting to get in to the hobby to find decent dolls because they would have to wade through companies that wouldn't be worth even one look. And it could end up making the whole hobby look bad.

I can say that if it ever does become mainstream I won't stop collecting but I would be highly selective about who in the hobby I talked too and became friends with.

 

I don't want BJD's to become mainstream.

because I don't want everyone in my country/city to have it and just play it like an ordinary doll.

Call me selfish but what's making these dolls more importance because you get in a hard way, it's rare and it has a high value than other dolls. Imagine if you bought a doll for $500 that you saved for several months. Then one day your doll was mass produced and the price dropped 50%-70%. Then you suddenly saw a kid playing it as if it was just like a ordinary toy. how would you feel about that. If that happens I wouldn't buy anymore. I'm not a doll lover until I saw these BJDs. Not all people care for the stuffs that they bought except if it was their collection. Collecting is a hobby and when you collect something like BJDs you do everything that you can just to have it and when you have it in your arms you'll cherish it and take good care of it.

That's why I don't want this BJDs to be in a mainstream.

 

IMO whether we want to admit it or not BJDs have already become "mainstream".

I think that, at least here in the US, it's more likely that mainstreaming will be targeted to the collectors of modern fashion dolls. Sorta fashion dolls that happen to BJDs not BJDs that are treated as fashion dolls. Case in point, the dolls from Goodreau as well as Wilde Imagination's up coming Evangeline Gastly (a 19" resin BJD).

This is not to say that there won't be FD collectors who fall for ABJDs just like we did as I'm sure there will be. As for worrying about being the "fad of the week" --- fads come and go, that's why they're fads. As many people have said the price of ABJDs will keep some of the wannabes to a minimum. And for those that it doesn't, I really don't see what the problem is.

So some kid gets her parents to buy a doll, she loves it for a few months then gets bored w/ it and moves on to the next thing that catches her fancy - big fat hairy deal. Just who or what is this hurting exactly? Okay maybe the parent's pocketbooks but it's their call to spoil their kid not ours.

I think I've rambled enough for now.
Morgan

 

I agree with BloodRedRoses1. As a relative n00b to the hobby (although I've known about BJD for about a year and a half now), my opinion might be skewed, but the fact that I can talk to the owner of Featherfall in BC (Can't remember her DoA name, sorry) when I'm living in Canada or take the train to visit Connie's new shop in Berlin when I'm here in Germany means that yes, BJDs are already mainstream. They are readily acquired and relatively popular worldwide. What more do you need to be mainstream?

Being mainstream and selling well only in a niche market are not mutually exclusive things. Even the new American dolls are still going to cater only to the niche markets of generic doll collectors, BJD fans, and the occasional rich mom who wants to buy their kid something expensive. (I doubt Goodreau, as an example of an American company, will show up at Toys R Us - but if she does, good on her! If the result is a new fan, then by all means let this hobby grow. I love seeing new ideas come to life in a new doll. But I don't think that this will change how we buy dolls and who we order from.)

And I could easily see a company like Mattel cashing in on the BJD trend - but unfortunately they would have to play it like the Asian companies do for the dolls to sell in the niche market. Given what they are, they will not sell in the mass market, I don't think. I didn't instantly like BJDs when I saw them, but as I learned of the variety of sculpts and the customization potential, I grew to really love them. But the mass market isn't going to do research like I did.

Let's say Mattel does release a 1/3 scale doll, with ball joints and realistic proportions. The mass market is going to find that creepy! My stepsister and her friends, and hell, even some of my friends, find Sal downright scary. And not just 1/3 scale, either. The realism on MSD and Tiny size dolls - hell, even on my 27cm Obitsus - has them all creeped out.

Unless Mattel were to create a quality customizable resin product on par with [insert favourite doll company here] that catered to the present BJD collectors' tastes, they would get no further than Teen Trends. And if Mattel DID create a quality resin (or quality vinyl, even) product on par with Dollmore (for the purposes of using my favourite doll company), and I liked the sculpts they were offering, and it was available by North American catalog shopping or by doing an FCS-like arrangement in specialty shops, hells yes I'd be all over it. Why not?

In closing, I don't think BJDs as we know them will EVER get mainstream to the point where you can pick one up at Toys R Us. Their aesthetic is too different from what the Mass Market is used to. However, the niche market and number of collectors of BJDs are growing, and they can be shipped to/found worldwide, so in a sense they already are mainstream.

 

I dont think dolls will be mainstream untill the price drops a lot and are easier to acces on the mass market. In a (selfish) way I dont want them to be overly mainstream because, everybody will have one, it's only normal that some dolls will be discarded and not cherished and looked after like most of the BJD are now.
Things being mainstream aren't that much fun to me anymore. after anime gotten really mainstream, i've pretty much lost all interest. Only because it's getting overly cliche, repetive and boring. Maybe it's because they have run out of imagination i dont know (or perhaps i'm getting older haha)
Though i suppose you cant get out of being mainstream so perhaps someday, i'll just go with the flow? O_o

 

The only thing I don´t like about things being mainstream is that people start to buy stuff, just because everyone has it. Somebody I know really wants the new Iphone but when I asked him why he simply said: All the others want it too.

Personally I think BJDs and the GL-Style are already a bit mainstream although it will never so much everyone will want or have it. At least it will never be as much as the Anime/Manga-genre.

 

I honestly don't see them going any more mainstream than the more popular lines of fashion dolls.

They cost a LOT, even the Teen Trends dolls and Hopscotch Hill kids (the two closest American "mainstream" dolls I can think of) were $50+ when released and they were marketed for the 8-12 audiance. Neither doll sold very well and both lines have since been discontinued. I don't know how much more mainstream marketed you can get than those. The price was right, and they were elastic strung and ball jointed.

I see these hitting the American fashion doll collectors much more than I see them appealing to large doll manufactorers and the general "Hot Topic" market. (and really, I'd LOVE some of the prominant artists in the Fashion Doll world to start doing work on BJD; There are MANY talented artists out there!)