Meetups and ... theft? (also, other meetup questions)

Just take ordinary precautions.

Don't leave stuff lying about that someone walking by could easily take.

If there's a place you can keep an eye on, you can put your bags there.

As shimmeringcat said, there's more a problem with a doll getting accidentally knocked over or falling on their own. I've been to a ton of big and small meets and no one has had a problem with stealing within the group. Might be problems with wigs and items slipping off and getting lost, if you're not paying attention, though. And once or twice, a doll has been knocked over or fallen--so that's the biggest fear, really.

I've left a small item of clothing accidentally and one of the other attendees found it and remembered it belonged to my doll and chased after me to return it!

Regarding dolls participating in photos or not--Owners will understand that is is totally up to the owner of the doll what they wish to do with their dolls! Forget about peer pressure of any kind. People are pretty sensible about these things, I've found.

There are lots of things that can happen, but they can happen anywhere, with anything. Just use your common sense and be careful. But there should be no bigger problems with meets than with anything else.

 

We had a wig go missing at an Atlanta meetup once. Everyone was really helpful to Libby (I myself checked my case 10 times over if not more to make sure that all the stuff I had was mine) I usually do that at every meetup before leaving, not because I don't trust them, but because I'm really forgetful and my stuff winds up everywhere. Also, usually if something is left once everyone is packing up, they usually wave it in the air and say something to the extent of "Who's boot is this?!" So you could say that we all kind of look out for one another.

I don't worry too much about it usually, and I wouldn't say that you should worry too much either. Though I do wonder if Lib's wig ever did turn up again.

 

I think I'd be more afraid of my camera getting stolen than my doll. The average, non-doll person isn't likely to look at your doll and wonder how much they can sell it for, but a camera? You bet.

I think a good rule of thumb is just don't take anything that you can't easily keep track of. If you feel that you can't keep an eye on more than one doll, don't take two. Don't take a bunch of accessories if they're easily misplaced. If you think you can keep track of which wigs are yours when people are wig-swapping but not eyes? Take the wigs and not the eyes. Simple as that.

Honestly, I have no idea how people manage to take a large amount of accessories with them and not lose anything one way or another. I know I couldn't!

 

I've only been to one meet-up thus far (and am helping plan another, YAY!!), but everything was perfectly fine! Although lugging around all my extra crud was kinda embarrassing and really awkward....

Anyway~!

Everyone was super friendly, and I don't doubt for a second that if one of us had to get up and go somewhere quick, the others would watch their dolls just like their own! Even my little plastic baggies we used to keep our babies from getting their bumbs moist weren't allowed to be forgotten!

But really, just remember that the other members of the meet-up would NEVER let anything happen to your doll! So you're in safe hands! And if anything gets mixed up, it's a sure thing it'll be returned---I'm positive!

 

I have personally never had a problem... although I remember at the Acen meet where the entire meet nearly had a group heart attack because we thought someone's tiny had gone missing. [Turns out someone had picked it up with a photo without telling the owner, but it wasn't gone.]

How cautious I am depends on where the meet is and how well I know the people there. I'm a naturally paranoid person so I'm always hovering over my dolls, but more so if it's in a public place with a lot of non-doll people. Again at Acen, there was one guy wandering around the edges of the group, not introducing himself, and I kind of kept an eye on him because while he could have been shy, he could have been waiting for an unwatched doll as well.

I think it's important to continue to be cautious, even though most of us haven't had a bad experience at a doll-meet. As the hobby becomes more well-known, more people with bad intentions are going to become involved or aware of it. What's to stop someone who is aware of what the dolls are worth, but isn't necessarily even a fan, from sliding into a meet at a convention and slipping away with an unwatched doll?

Heck, I had a plushie snitched from me once, and when we caught up with the person responsible they had the audacity to say "You've got a lot of them and I don't have any. Why can't you just let me have this one?" So if someone with that mentality were to attend a doll meet...

 

Just take the same care you do with your purse or backpack. Just be cautious (within reason) and keep your stuff in sight.

 

I've actually organized 2 official meet up's to date, and working on a 3rd now for the summer. And I can say that it was actually one of my main worries. Not so much with the people AT the meet up, but those who might try and "crash the party".

SO I organized all the meetup's in a controlled environment. Which meant, finding places that only WE would be. The first one, we rented a hotel's convention room. The second, we went to a dance academy studio (courtesy of Anielle. ^_^). So all of our places were controlled. We were the only one's there.

And we actually had a list. Of how many people, and how many guests. With a deadline date to let us know if they were attending or not. And being sure to watch how many were coming as well.

the WI group here, is incredibly nice, honest, and all out wonderful. They're the nicest bunch of people i've ever met. ^_^ Bringing my dolls to the meetups, haven't become as big a concern as they were when we first began.

But I will admit, when I take my dolls out on my own somewhere, they NEVER leave my hands. EVER. Sure, I look like a 6 year old hugging her favorite stuffy.. but I don't care. If anyone knew the cost of that doll.. they'd be hugging it just as tightly too! heh.

My advice? .. ALWAYS keep in mind 2 things. How much your doll COST, and how RARE your doll is.

Now, I don't mean an EL is rare or anything. But YOUR doll is rare. because it's YOUR doll. It's YOUR personality into there. It's YOUR oufit design your doll is wearing (you may not have made it, but YOU chose it!), it's YOUR face-up (again, you may not have done it, but it was the one you chose for your doll). I look at mine, as priceless. I have too much put into them, to lose them. And the pain of that would just haunt me for the rest of my life.

All that alone, is enough to keep my dollies near me. I'd rather lose a credit card, then one of my dolls. Why? Because I can ALWAYS get my credit card back.. but if I ever lost Nyoko, i KNOW I'd NEVER see her again. And I'd NEVER find another like her.

Hope this all made sense. Sorry for my rambling. ^_^;;

 

nobody will believe this but someone stole my dolls underwear

 

I agree , since its a hobby we all share ..i have never thought that somebody in the group would be low enough to steal . My experience has been people being very honest with eachother .

 

Yeah, I have only been to one meet-up and it was a fantastic time. It never even occurred to me that any of the people there might have stolen something. It was at someone's home, so there were no strangers, just people with the same interest and respect. I am hoping that that is going to be the same at the meet-up this next weekend that I am going to.

 

I've been to countless meetups and never had a problem. In fact, I accidently left an elaborate headpiece behind one time, and someone posted on the meetup thread that they had found it and were keeping it safe until the next meet. Maybe it's because it's such an unual hobby, but I've found that we all bond together and look out for each other and the dolls. Or possibly that's just my experience here. (Yay, Vegas!)

 

It is absolutely unreasonable to think that "no one" would steal something of yours at a meetup. It has happened, it continues to happen, and it will not stop happening. So just take precautions and be alert.

 

Most doll owners are just as particular with their dolls as you are likely to be with yours and, as others have said, are much more likely to watch and protect your doll(s) than even consider taking one. Though of course you should not leave your doll(s) in any situation you are not comfortable with.

As far as the public goes mainly watch out for kids with unattentive parents who may try to play with your doll(s). I am personally not very worried about public doll theft as I honestly believe I could leave out my $150 digital camera and a fullset SD worth quadruple the price of the camera and have the camera stolen and the doll untouched because the majority of the public has no idea what they are worth.

 

I've never lost anything. Luckily. I assume at places with all doll-people, that they don't steal because they wouldn't like it if their stuff is stolen.. but maybe i just want to believe in the goodness of people. so I just dump my stuff anywhere..
One time someone asked if she could hold my doll and show him to a couple of friends.
I was a little naief about it, cause i didn't know her, but said it was okay, luckily she came back with him.. but an hour later or so *had a near death fright*
sometimes i guess i'm a little too careless, but anyway all 's well that ends well..

 

There has been one incident openly discussed on the board where a person had dolls stolen at a meetup, but because this is a close knit community the dolls were then found, since it was reasonably easy to identify the perpetrator by a process of elimination. Other than that occasionally something goes missing but that is usually just a mixup, things getting mixed in with someone else's gear and fairly easy to fix. Really the doll community are a fairly honest bunch, and because meets tend to be small it is easy to keep track (whether this honesty is forced by the risk of getting caught/lack of opportunity, or because people are genuinely honest I do not kow, call me cynical if you must). That said yes, you do need to be careful in an open environment where non doll people, particularly children (who do not have the same sense of external ownership as adults do ie. I want it therefore it is MINE) may be present. At a meet not just you, but every doll person there will be vigalent to protect not just their dolls, but every other doll there, it is closed ranks on theft but open ranks on questions, outsiders can come in and look, but someone tries to walk off with something and doll owners close ranks.

 

Seeing as the OP is from Seattle and I've met with the Seattle group on several occasions (a few years ago, but I'd assume there's still some of the same people around) they are a very good bunch who I always felt comfortable around. Granted, all the meets I attended, were either in a private room or in a doll shop or with enought other doll people around to make me feel like there's enough eyes on all the dolls.

However, as has been stated several times, just be vigilant. Especially if it's your first meet. One thing you could always do since you have a tiny is to just carry your little one around until you feel comfortable with the group. Then you will have an eye (and a hand) on your doll while still getting to show him off and enjoy the party. :3

 

We've never had a problem at the local meets. Ours are almost always at public places, Saturdays mid-afternoon (when it's buzzing with people~) and yeah. We're a big enough group to kinda put others off of coming near us, though.

 

8V Yupyup, just keep an eye on your things and your doll, don't carry excess, etc...

The only incident where I'd worry is in a convention setting or a very public place with a large amount of people, as someone could snatch something in the blink of an eye. Usually it's some random kid or something i'd be wary of, not a doll owner.

8Y Do be careful of the tipping over/toppling. ;u;! I had it happen to me at the first meetup I took Judas to D8 It was a 5 doll chain domino effect lol. I swear I lost ten years of my life xD.

 

Well, shortly after I posted here before our former fashion doll club turned into fuill-blown BJD meet-ups & tripled in size. We've recently moved to a larger location to accomodate everyone. And still all the folks are great. We continue to pass around the dolls so we can each get a good look but if someone is uncomfortable with that they don't have to.

Nothing's ever gone missing but we're a pretty close knit group even with 25 or more people. Carriers & purses generally end up under the tables as there's simply no other place to put them. Even the servers (we now meet in Denny's party room) don't bother the dolls & are careful not to spill anything or put the food too close to a doll.

All in all, my meet-up experiences have been nothing less than great. It's so much fun to get out for an evening with nothing but dolls every month.

 

I'm usually armed with a SD sized carrier and a wheeled Barbie container. I set out a small blanket for my crew, preferably on a table with their backs against the wall or the carrier. And set them up in a way that everyone can be seen and reached if someone wants a closer look. One doll leaves gets looked at at a time right there with the troupe and we've never lost a member or a thing. The wheeled Barbie container fits right under the table with my purse on top of it.

The doll blanket has worked great, keeps them clean, we've done outdoor meets with it, and heaven forbid can quickly bundle up and make an escape. I've never had problems with doll people. I keep my eye out for unwatched children and groups of teens. And I used to do extra work in Hollywood so I know about dealing with crowds and keeping your stuff secure.