Meeting people in the hobby

It's rare in my area to randomly go out and bump into somebody in the hobby, but there ARE several of us within an hour or so of each other and we try to meet up once a month! I've met most of these people through DoA meetup threads, but I've also made friends online through roleplay. They may be far away, but I've still managed to meet and hang out with them on occasion.

I do think hobbies are more fun with others to share with, as long as you can bond over other stuff, too, and everybody plays nicely. I'm very lucky to have a friendly local group, we have a lot of fun!

 

I have just started going to a meet up a little over an hour from where I live, I am planning to take two of my dolls to a convention this weekend I am vendoring at so will be interesting to see if I meet anyone there.

 

Despite how a lot of people say that the local doll group where I'm at is very welcoming (and they really are, don't get me wrong), I find it hard to talk to them?

...which is odd because when I was browsing for gunpla at a hobby store and met a complete stranger who was looking at the same units as I was, we hit it off so well, gushing over the latest armaments on gundams for more than five minutes, and then parted in good spirits without ever learning each other's names.

I think it's a matter of aura (or whatever you call that seemingly instinctive feeling you get from the energy of a place or group of people that tells you whether or not you'll be comfy, or you'll belong) :P I've gone to but ONE local meet and didn't stay for more than an hour ^^; Everyone knows someone, and knowing someone counts :\

Goodness knows I was so happy when one of my IRL friends got into BJDs as well. I could finally talk to someone!

 

I'm hoping to go to a meet up in December. I'm nervous because it's not something I have ever done for any of my hobbies but it is something I have ALWAYS wanted to do. I used to dream about going to cosplay events but never had the guts to do it. I'm getting tired though, of being the only person I know who is interested in BJD's.

My boyfriend is very sweet and will listen to me gab about them but he doesn't add to the conversation. He just thinks "aw, that's cute you like dolls" lol. My parents are interested because they are artists so they "get it" but they still don't want to own one. My friends just think "typical Brittany!"

I am definitely shy about going. Especially since I don't have a doll yet. For some reason I feel it would give me a sense of security. I'm generally not an insecure person but I do have some social anxieties as a result of being bullied through high school.

Either way I'm excited to dive into the world of BJD's and all aspects of the hobby.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

When I first got into the hobby, way before I even got my first doll, I was actually quite surprised about the amount of doll-people in Finland.. Then I registered into a finnish bjd-forum, and have gotten to know people through there and see that the amount of people in this hobby has been increasing quite radically past few years, which I find really nice Also, when I met my partner (engaged one these days) and first started talking about bjd's with her and found out that she desperately wanted one, too, I was really happy ! Right now I also have two classmates that own a few bjd kids and almost daily I talk with them about this hobby :3

Also, I think it's always nice to meet people in cons and in everyday life, that get interested about this hobby and start asking questions about it Especially one grandma who told me and my partner that our vampire girl is really cute when we got her into a shopping mall with us :'D

 

I've definitely had that problem! I have several online BJD friends but not many locally, which I'd love to have more of. I'm going to try to go to a meet-up next weekend, but you'd think living near Los Angeles would mean I'd know more local BJD people! Though when I have gone to meets in the past, in my old home town, I experienced some of the same issues. Everyone had these huge groups of people they fit in with and I didn't really seem to fit in with any. They all knew each other, had long histories, and would only talk about things I couldn't contribute to (mostly inside jokes/stories/etc). I mean, don't get me wrong, they were all really friendly and nice people, just hard to get in with.

 

I travel about an hour and 30mins by train to London meets. The Pygmalion Society is a really friendly group =) Even though i was really shy my first meet, I still had a good time because everyone was so nice and it was really interesting to see their dolls and hear about how they enoyed the hobby. I think meets are great for encouraging you to make new friend. Now i've been to a few i feel really a part of the group and have a lot of fun. ^_^

 

I had been into and looking at BJDs long before I got to meet my first friend who actually had one. I meet her at Borders where I worked and we hit it off from there. Granted I don't talk much to her right now but I hope to remedy that by going down to one job. Other thrn her though...I found it hard to meet other collectors or rather those who weren't....um, rude? Mean? I was friends with one girl I met on here for a while. I should have known better because she was upsetting others hut I am too darn forgiving and gullible for my own good. I wanted the friendship to work hut it was just getting destructive. That and another girl in my area was abusive to the friendship I had with her then began purposely buying and copying my dolls or creating my characters I told her I was going to do with her own dolls. She started lying about deaths in the family and that quickly ended that friendship.

I am getting a bit depressed thinking about my doll "friends" . XD I need to meet more to abolish the idea they will all turn outlike the two bad experiances I have had.

On a good note, my roomy is into collecting now and that is helping. She has amazing ideas, can sew...I can do faces... so yeah! I helped her find her first doll and now she is going to expand her dolly family by a lot come June. Between her, me, and my first doll friend we could have a mini doll meet.

 

I really love the group nearest to where I am-- I'm far from the most social person, and for a long time I think I spent the first half of every meet I attended 'hiding behind' my sister, so to speak, but it isn't because anyone in the group is unwelcoming, it's my social anxiety. I find myself loosening up more easily than I used to, though, and it's a talented and helpful group, and if I only feel up to listening and not to talking much when I'm there, I don't feel so awkward anymore. I don't always make it to meets because the nearest group is still about an hour's drive, but I always feel it's worth it when I can make it-- it's a really interesting group and it's a setting where I come out of my shell more than I ordinarily do out in meatspace.

 

I've never met another person into the hobby aside from my cousin. But I'm sooo shy that I probably never will. All I can ever muster is a little compliment here or there about how cool someone else's doll looks, and that's never been enough to score me a friend. But, I love to chat, watch anime, and rp, so feel free to bother me if you are lonely too! I would really love more dolly friends....

 

I once met a bjd artist online, apart from that, I have only begun to meet people, since I joined two weeks ago.
I love it here :-) :-) :-) :-)

 

I have a lot of online BJD friends but none otherwise as far as I know I'm the only one in my whole state who has BJDs; there's other people who collects them in other states but as I'm underage I can't go to meets and those things because they're far away from here

 

I'm in love in BJDs since childhood and had some online friends only, but till this summer when I got my Sherlock minimee head I couldn't believe I was not alone in my town, though it's not very big) but most of them have MSD of smaller, so I don't have anyone to share my thoughts about SDs and 70+s. Besides all of them are much more older than me, so I don't have a lot of common interests with them except dolls((

 

I started talking with a doll friend on Tumblr and found out she lived right in the area. Then she invited me to a monthly doll meet so now I know all kinds of bjd people! It was totally random and really quite lovely. Thanks, Sicktress!

 

I met one of my closest friends at a BJD meet. There are a few people in my area who collect dolls, and about two or three years ago I was finally able to attend a meet. There were six of us, including one lady's boyfriend and my Mom (both of which were not into BJDs). I had been in the hobby for some time, but I was really glad to finally talk with people in person about it and to see other sculpts that I might not have seen otherwise. My close friend was the one I really "bonded" with, if you will. Ha ha
We also had other things in common to talk about, which really helps me when I'm getting to know someone. I've met people from surrounding states, too, and they're always really friendly!

It should be mentioned that I was able to get my Mom into BJDs, so at the moment I am living with another collector. She actually prefers meetups compared to interacting with other BJD owners online.

 

In my area, I know lots of people that own dolls, but they're all super far away! I recently sent a request to join a UK London Dolls Group and am hoping I am accepted so I can meet local people with dolls.

 

Meetups are definitely a great way to meet people and get exposure to lovely dolls! During my first meet, I didn't even have a doll and didn't know anyone but luckily the group has very welcoming people . I'm really shy too, but meeting a group of people that had the same love and interest in the hobby really allowed me to just have fun and not worry about the uncomfortable-ness that comes with meeting people for the first time. It's one of my fondest memories . Now that we've had a year of meets, we know each other pretty well and sometimes, we end up talking about things other than dolls (like pets, vacations, other hobbies)! We do occasionally get newer members and they often seem uncomfortable because everyone else already knows each other, but really, we're a friendly bunch and we try to welcome them as best as we can .

 

I got my first doll in 2009 or so and didn't really meet anyone from the area until I was walking around Anime Boston with my doll, then someone introduced me to the local meet up group. All the people in the Boston group were exceptionally nice. The first meet up they even helped me restring my doll as I awkwardly sat around with a dumbfounded look on my face. Eventually I got to know them all really well until I moved back to TO in October. (I still keep in contact with most of them though!)

Its hard though since I don't know how I feel about going to any of the local meet ups now . Granted this feeling could also be laziness.

 

Of course it is fun to have someone to share in this hobby!!!! I am lucky I have found 2 girls here that we frequently meet to see each others dolls ....arrange face ups and exchange info about this lovely dolly world!!! Thank God my two friends are many years in the hobby and know wayyyyyy many more things and tricks about the bjd dolls so I am learning from them.... I love to discuss about bjd dolls and Blythes and trully I am happy with our small group!!!