Of Barbies and BJDs

I LOOOVED playing with toys as a kid. I could seriously spend days in my room with my toys (a mixture of stuffed animals, 25-cent vending machine toys, barbies, model cars/planes/space ships, a few lego men, some self-made toys (I loved doing that too) and a bunch of those little fuzzy creatures with sticky feet (though I tore off their feet because I thought they were ugly )) and even forget to eat.

I didn't really like Barbies though, because I couldn't make them into boys. I had very few toys that I considered to be female (for some reason they all looked male to me), and barbies made up a good chunk of that population. Then I got an Anakin doll, and my interest in barbies suddenly skyrocketed (I guess because now they had a boy to play with?). So they kind of became part of the regular main cast. They went on all kinds of awesome adventures and my room would be an alien planet one day, mount everest the next, and the caribbean sea after that. (And oh, I'd go all out re-creating "alien jungle" in my room, or whatever else I need.... Let me say, cleaning up was a several hour chore at the end of the day).

It all stopped really abruptly though, when I was 11. Like, I literally boarded a trans-pacific flight, and when I got off at the other end I could no longer play with barbies. Or stuffed animals. Or create worlds in my room. I honestly don't know what happened, and it made me really, really sad but I just couldn't because it felt so awkward and I had no more free-flowing ideas and improvisation skills. Wasn't a conscious thing, or some kind of an attempt at wanting to be "grown up". It was all just gone.

After that, Barbie and friends got put away into a box (until I gave them to my sister, who's 13 year younger than me. From my understanding they're doing pretty well among their new sisters). I did collect some movie and anime figures/plushies after that, which sat on my shelf and looked pretty.

As far as carrying things on to BJD's... Yes and no. Even as a kid I was absolutely obsessed with perfection. Sure my barbies went on some wild wacky and dangerous adventures, but after playing I would always wash and dry them, comb their hair, touch up any scrapes to the paint they may have sustained... I NEEDED all of my toys to look perfect, and I treated them all very carefully. I still do this with my BJD's.

On the other hand, I made all of my barbie (and other) clothes and accessories. Buying them was nice, but I liked making my own, because they could suit whatever story I was working on at the time. As a result I actually have fairly decent sewing and crafting skills but... It's just not something I do with my BJD's. If I'm going to spend hundreds of dollars on a doll then the level of quality I can produce (right now) is not enough, so I actually buy everything for my dolls (though I am itching to try my hand at making things myself again).

My perception of BJD's is different from my toys - BJD's are my characters, set in stone. That is their purpose. My barbies and others switched characters and personalities depending on how I felt that day so... I never saw them in the same way. I did love taking pictures of my toys when I was younger though! And I still do it with dolls today.

 

I'm answering both sets of questions because I still have my Holiday collection Barbies, and I also played with the cheaper ones my mom would get me.

People Who Played with Barbies:
How old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?

I think I was 12, like most people who've commented, when I finally stopped playing with them. I had a friend over for most of one summer and we played with them together, then fervently swore as school started in the fall to never reveal to anyone we had done that. After that, I had my own self to modify and work on.

Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?

Now that I think about it, the only thing that has seemed to carry over is my incessant desire to accessorize them. I adore tiny props and clothes and furniture, so I like gathering things for my dolls. Barbie had it easier though--her props were cheap and plentiful and in scale with her already. BJDs have a harder, but more fun, time with that. I get to go hunting through antique stores now. I love it.

People who only got the collected Barbies:
How long did you keep your collectors dolls? Did you have any dolls you were able to play with, or did you want to?

I still have them! Though, having entered into this hobby and having gained more adult concerns, I'm mostly waiting until the market makes it possible to sell them for something closer to their current value, so I can furnish my schooling and BJD habit. I wanted desperately to play with the collector dolls with their gorgeous dresses...My mom would give me and my sister each one collectable Barbie every Christmas. I really did want to play with them badly. It's like handing a chocoholic a Hershey kiss and then putting a box of See's candy on a shelf and telling them it was for display only. Just mean. One year I managed to get the Barbie out of the box and was working on those annoying twist ties when my mom caught me. I never attempted to open one again after that argument. Lol. I still have that one, too. It's in Mint condition but the box is considerably less so.

Do you feel that you should treat BJD's the same way like a collector doll?

Absolutely not. I'm not much one for BJD dolls sitting in collector's cases. My collectable Barbies are shoved on top of my closet and forgotten about most of the time; I will never have space for pure display items larger than a couple inches high (not without a drastic change in my living status anyway). My BJDs are down where I can pose them and make clothes for them, and otherwise enjoy them, though I do close the closet door on them during the day to protect them from the sunlight when I'm not home.

 

i never really stopped until I got BJDs. I had ALOT of barbies, and even when I was still in high school painted them and was sewing for them, But by then I was Just buying weird ones("gangsta" barbies that were different hieghts, Bratz and the like) and Ive still got most of them packed away to make room for bjds

And most of the way I played has carried over into how I play now, When I was a kid The thing I did most was work on thier clothes. I would buy cheap barbie clothes that never fit Properly and was usually ugly, and I would tailor them to fit or make something completly new. I also changed their hair and redid their makeup

 

never really liked barbie. since I was a kid I complained about her odd waist and hips and tiny feet xD
I was more into bratz. YES they are even more unrealistic then barbie, but they are clearly made to be "stylized". so to me it was all right.
I owned about 50 of them. it was INTENSE.I even ordered some on Ebay since they werent being sold where I live. it was halfly a collection of precious object (I took great care of them), and halfly just toys ^_^
the last time I bought a bratz.... hmm I think it was in 2009, the year I got my first BJD. christmas gift xD (for me). but I wasn't really PLAYING with them anymore. at that point it really was just a collection. I had lost interest in "playing". I think I was about 11-12 when I stopped playing with them.
my dolls are treated the same way my bratz collection was. halfly precious stuff, halfly toys. (I play with BJD because they are funnier :3 like they can do poses and stuff. it's more entertaining)
though now my bratz are stored in a drawer and half of them given away. my BJD will NEVER get stored in a drawer though D:

 

I think I stopped playing with Barbies around 11 or 12. No real reason, it was just time. All my friends were getting American Girl dolls too at the time. I do remember one Christmas I opened a large present I got very excitedly, and when I saw it was a Barbie suitcase, I kind of went quiet and frowned. My Mom was a little confused, and asked if I wasn't into Barbies anymore. We took it back and got me something else I liked. I just, wasn't into them anymore.

I guess the desire for LOTS of clothes and accessories carried over. Although, so did my devotion to really only having one or two dolls that I give all my attention to. Right now I've got one on the way, and I don't think I will find myself getting another for quite some time. I couldn't ever imagine having three!

I have a collector doll, although she isn't a Barbie. While I intend to play with my BJD to my heart's content, the collector doll has only ever left the box once or twice to show someone else. She may go on display if I ever own a larger home after college, but I just don't see them on the same level I guess.

 

How Old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?

OK, I'm really going to date myself here, but I still have my original Barbie... the 1961 ponytail. She was the only Barbie I ever owned, and I took care of her and played with her, a lot. I had a sister very close in age and she had a bubble hair Barbie, and she and I were always dressing and playing with the girls. I probably stopped when I was 13 or so, because television started taking over my freetime. She currently resides in a box with her clothes in my cool basement storage. The only "collector" Barbie I ever owned and still do, is the Barbie and Ken Star Trek set. I never liked keeping things in boxes, always liked playing with them. But, this one set, I never opened.

Then there is Ken. Hated the looks of the guy (at least until his more recent incarnations).

When my daughter was young we had an army of Barbies. All girls, and we'd dress them up in swimming suits and they'd sit around having a pool party and making small talk. I got to play many voices of different girls, and my daughter did the same. She quit the Barbies about the same time she started 3rd grade. There was never one Barbie that was special to her, so they are all gone now.

Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?

Weird thing is, I only have boy/male BJDs. But I dress and play with at least two of them everyday, just like I did with my Barbie. When I say play I really mean play. They come out of their bookcase/house and interact with one another. Or I take photos or make some clothing. (I never sewed for my Barbie, didn't know how at the time and my mom was against teaching girls to sew... an original feminist.)

 

How Old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?

I stopped playing with my Barbies when I was finally forced to sell them due to selling my home and having to live out of a college dorm room. I simply had no space to keep all of them and sold them. A fair number of them looked almost as good as they did when I was a little girl. If I hadn't had to sell them, I would still have them and prob would still occasionally break them out to change their clothes. I often constructed very elaborate homes for them that took up entire rooms of our house and would display them even into my 20's if the fancy struck me.

Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?

I was always extremely fussy with my toys and kept them as pristine as I could. My Barbies never suffered hair cutting or horrible makeovers because I wouldn't want them if I didn't like the way they looked, and as my skills were probably subpar, I wouldn't want to destroy a doll or make it ugly by working on it myself. The exact opposite of me was my younger sister, who was never allowed to borrow anything I owned. She couldn't be trusted. I was taught and to this day believe if you love something you own, you treat it with respect and keep it pristine.

They also lead very rich fantasy lives and included two Kens who were very much in love with each other. So yeah, even in kindergarten I had gay dolls. Also, my fave Barbie hair and eye combination is one of my fave BJD ones, black hair and green eyes, and I collected Midge cause I love redheads. I have a lot of redheaded BJDS.

How long did you keep your collectors dolls? Did you have any dolls you were able to play with, or did you want to?

I had collectible Barbies as well, and no, I never really felt the urge to open their boxes because those dolls were for looking at and not play. I also had play Barbies that I treated well, and some play dolls I never opened either because I was happy with them boxed.

Do you feel that you should treat BJD's the same way like a collector doll?

I treat my BJDs the same way I treated my Barbies, though with more specialized care due to BJDs being inherently more delicate than Barbies and made from a much fussier material. I don't drag my BJDs everywhere and keeping them looking beautiful is my biggest priority. I also have a pretty elaborate universe set up for them where all of their characters live.

Clearly, I've deboxed them but these dolls are meant to be deboxed and customized, but I do treat them as very special items in my doll collection.

 

I had a few Barbies, but was never really interested. One got fed to the Star Wars Rancor monster -- I think it still has a Barbie leg stuck in it, lol. To an extent I played with some of my Mom's dolls from when she was little, and showed them a lot more respect than I ever did for Barbie, however, as a child dolls were never really my thing. I preferred playing Star Wars or with my stuffed animals and model horses.

My abjds are entirely different -- I spend so much more time on them than I ever did with dolls as a child, am far greater attached to them, and they have far more developed personalities.

 

I was so long ago o.o I maybe stopped around 13-14? -_- I liked having them involved in stories and what not not. I never really had a traumatic experience that made me stop. Well I should say I didn't have my own to play with but once my sister was old enough, i played with hers a little XD she wasn't keeping them straight so I would take them and brush their hair.
I'm 22 now ^_^ and I saw these beautiful creatures :O lol I got into the hobby about a year ago and have like 11 dolls now XD of course I was a newb buying anything pretty... now I'm more experienced and I think about the character before I choose a sculpt.
I never got a limited edition barbie though. I would want to play with them I did have this one barbie I made online, kinda like a full choice system barbie lol I would have loved to keep her

 

How old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?
Um... I didn't want to stop playing with Barbies! I was the oldest girl in my neighborhood, and at some point even the girls a few years younger then me were like, "Aren't you a little old for that?" So I was peer-pressured into giving them up! I think the Dream House and few stragglers who hadn't been given to younger cousins were finally packed away my freshman year of high school, when my mom suggested that it was time to get rid of the lavender paint job in my bedroom.

That said, my very first act on going to college and realizing that eBay existed and I had a debit card was to buy myself a Henry Higgins Ken! Of course, I treated him like a play doll and he sat on my desk in college, much to the chagrin of my roommate. Growing up, a few of my friends had collector's Barbies, but the few in the $20 range that I had, I saved up for myself. I always stood around in Toys R Us and drooled at the case of collector Barbies, particularly the movie characters and queens.

Was there anything that you did with Barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?
When I had Barbies, I was obsessed with having the prettiest Barbies. I saved up for some Barbie who had black, black hair and a gold-and-black dress (and I named her Cordelia Violet); next in my favorites was Baywatch Barbie, because she didn't have bangs, and her headmold was different. When the MyScene Barbies came out (um, late college, I think?), I bought a few of the boys because, again, they were soooo pretty. Now, though I have characters for my dolls, I do tend to gravitate to the ones I feel are just gorgeous to look at, and my primary pleasure comes from sewing for them and taking pictures. As a kid, I made up elaborate stories for my Barbies, but unless someone else was around, I didn't act them out. I just put them in the house and imagined what was going on. My biggest regret about my BJDs is that I'm super scared of the sun in our very sunny condo, as well as our marauding felines, so I keep my dolls in their cabinet, covered, unless I'm taking pictures. In an ideal world and house, I'd have shelves all over, and I'd set dolls on the shelves all the time, like way-more-awesome knick-knacks.

 

How Old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?
...If you can call it playing.

I had an older brother and when I was little, I used to follow him around like a baby bird. I much preferred playing with his toys than with my own, and I would love it when he would play with my toys with me. If the game was 'rip the head off barbie and see how far we can throw it', well, it was fun.

I was one of the little cretins that cut Barbie's hair pretty much as soon as I got her, threw her for the dog to chase, and bent her arms at awkward angles.

The few barbies that survived my malice were retired to the dolls house permanently at 10, and I never really looked back, having discovered -computers- and -the internet- and -anime-.

Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?

Nope. my dolls do not get abused in the way that my Barbies did - but this partially because that with the interest in anime and the job, I got into collecting anime figures, which I take great care of. The dolls represent characters for me now, and I could never harm the -character- in any representation of it.

 

How Old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?
I stopped around 5th or 6th grade I think. Sure I had a younger sister, and I loved playing with dolls, but all my friends wanted so badly to grow up. (/Lame) It wasn't that I felt it was time, it was that I just didn't pick the doll up again after I put it down.

Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?
Its hard for me to say. Cause I used to have some epic story-lines that I would play with my dolls. But the story-lines for my bjd's are there they just aren't being acted.(Unless I made some Photostories.)
Also I was always taught to take care of my dolls, which I obviously carry over to BJD's.

 

How Old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?

Frankly, as I got older, Barbies got cooler. I know a lot of people go and blame Barbie for being some overly stereotypical role model for kids, being fake, and so-on, but having done a whole report on her for school, I have a totally opposite feeling about her - she's awesome! I never had the thought that I wanted to be like Barbie - maybe get a boyfriend, and pretty trivial stuff like that, but I never wondered if this is how I should look (yeah, I thought I was going to look like that when I grew up at the time, but as the years progressed, I didn't believe that).

And as I grew older, Barbie's coolness grew on me, too. When I was 14, I was all about the My Scene barbie dolls. Even last month, I found myself walking through the doll section at my local drug store, saw the dolls there, and thought "Oh wow - those are cool!"

I think, if it was still socially acceptable, I'd still be buying them.


Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?

When I had Barbies, all I would really do is dress them up and do stuff with their hair. I wouldn't do that 'talking' thing. So, I do that with Emma.

BJDs are like dolls set on 'hard', I think. You have to be ultra careful with the face-up, the eyelashes, the resin itself - never had to worry with Barbies. It takes some getting used to.

 

People Who Played with Barbies:
How old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?
I got bored with them, around 13-14 or so, and they sat in a closet. I never felt a need to stop sooner because my other friends still played with them, and we'd play together. Heck, we still would randomly bring them out even after that.

Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?
Fortunately not XD I was bad with my Barbies. Tangled hair, cat-chewed hands and feet, and taking them in the tub are not good to let happen to a BJD. I also had an overload of clothing, so I'd change their clothes a lot, but my BJDs haven't had a change of clothing in a while now.

People who only got the collected Barbies:
How long did you keep your collectors dolls? Did you have any dolls you were able to play with, or did you want to?
I'll answer this because I have a collectible (I guess) one. She's still in her box, untouched, because I thought she'd be worth something some day. She's not yet, even after 9 years, but I see no need to play with her or sell her. I guess in another 9 years I'll re-check her value ^^;;

Do you feel that you should treat BJD's the same way like a collector doll?
Naah. I tote my boys around the house and play with them. I wouldn't leave them in a box on a shelf like that Barbie. She might be worth something if kept pristine- BJDs already are, even if 'well-loved', but I don't plan on keeping them nice with the intention of selling. I keep them as nice as I can while still enjoying them ^^

 

My experience with Barbie is sort of a weird mixture of both, so I'll answer both parts. ^ ^;;

People Who Played with Barbies:
How Old were you when you stopped playing with barbies?
Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?
I never truly "played" with Barbies, at least not like most girls my age (back then) played with them,
I just kind of "collected" them; rarely opened many of the ones I got as a child, but I never outgrow them
either. I think I have bought at least two in the past four years – if I think one looks 'cool' I'll buy it,
but I haven't removed a Barbie from its box since I was around 8-10.

Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?
No. I always felt that I wanted a doll I could customize, but the type of custom work done
with Barbies never interested me in the least. I guess what I am doing with my BJDs (and other OT dolls)
is what I wanted to do with my Barbies, but never felt that it was possible to do with them.
However, I always treated Barbie as more of decorative object that sits on a shelf and just looks “pretty,”
my BJDs are more like very creative/artistic-outlets I actually feel excited about, which I never truly
felt with Barbies – although I still enjoy it when I see ‘cool’ ones and on rare occasions I still buy one or two.


People who only got the collected Barbies:
How long did you keep your collectors dolls? Did you have any dolls you were able to play with,
or did you want to?
I still have all the ones I got as a child and all the few that I’ve gotten as an adult.
I have never so far in my life sold any of my material possessions, never seen a reason to do so,
I don’t see why I would now – I still enjoy looking at my small collection of Barbies. XB


Do you feel that you should treat BJD's the same way like a collector doll?
No. I never got many "collector" Barbies, just never opened many of the ones I got.
I just never played with them, so after a certain point it felt kind of pointless to keep opening them,
but I still like some of them so I kept/keep buying them, simple as that. I don't buy dolls/BJDs as collector
items, a doll/toy to me will never be an investment of that sort (unless it's a Hottoys figure,
but then I didn’t had the will to resist opening my C. Redfield S.T.A.R.S. version, so it’s no longer a “collectible”!). XD


- Enzyme

 

People Who Played with Barbies:
How Old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?

I didn't have any Barbies, but I had a Skipper and other types of fashion dolls. I probably stopped around 11 or 12... I think I just stopped being as interested and went on to different things.

But I always liked dolls. When I was 18 and went on a trip to Europe, I bought a few souvenir dolls in various costumes.

Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?
The whole idea of having a wardrobe for the dolls, with accessories and props... that has the same appeal.

People who only got the collected Barbies:

How long did you keep your collectors dolls? Did you have any dolls you were able to play with, or did you want to?

I got into collecting a few Barbies in the years right before I got into BJDs. I still have those Barbies. I love the characters and the clothes. I didn't play with them. They are all still in the boxes. So... not at all as fun as BJDs. They were collectibles and not dolls to play with...

Do you feel that you should treat BJD's the same way like a collector doll?

No, thank goodness! I treat BJDs like a non-collectible. I take them out of the box and alter them and I don't worry about keeping them mint so that the price is good.

 

People Who Played with Barbies:
How Old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?
When I was young, I only asked my parents to buy me barbies because I wanted to play with them. I stopped playing with them sometime in third grade I believe... I just sort of lost interest. I didn't feel like I had to give them up, they just no longer entertained me.

Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?
I don't have my first BJD yet, but I will probably play with any BJDs I have like I did with my barbies. I had doll houses for my barbies, lots of furniture, etc. etc. and I'll probably try to come up with something similar for my BJDs. I'll "play house" with my BJDs and have them interact with each other to form stories. I remember when I was young I cut one of my barbie's hair (it turned out terrible), that desire to customize and create a specific look/character myself will carry over to my BJDs.

People who only got the collected Barbies:
How long did you keep your collectors dolls? Did you have any dolls you were able to play with, or did you want to?
When I was a child, my parents bought my cousin and I each an expensive collectible barbie. She was able to keep hers mint in sealed box like my parents suggested, while I completely disregarded them. I opened her up and played with her right away. When I was young I didn't care about collectors value - I just wanted to play with them! Right now, I have one set of collectible barbies that are mint in sealed box. I bought them not because I collect barbies, but because they fit into a fandom I do collect (The Phantom of the Opera). I have no desire to play with my Christine & Phantom barbie set, I WANT to keep them MISB. I bought them not to play with, but to be a part of my collection.

Do you feel that you should treat BJD's the same way like a collector doll?
I probably wouldn't treat my (future) BJDs like collector dolls. I want to handle them, take pictures, make stuff for them, etc. However, if for some reason I spent like over $2k on a BJD, Id probably treat that BJD differently and be less likely to handle/play with it.

 

I was very fond of my Barbies and they played a big part in my life as a child and young teenager. I played with little cars and garages until I got my first Barbie on a holiday in France, then I was hooked. I was so wrapped up in Barbies that when I received a new one it was inevitably one of the happiest moments in my life as a child. I guess that old association with doll - best moment in life makes me very eligible/vulnerable for this hobby.

I was more careful then most with my Barbies and cutting their hair was something like a sacrilege to me. We didn't have a lot of money and every Barbie was worth a lot to me, not something to just ruin or dispose off. I still find it hard to fathom that children can be so brutal with their toys.
Maybe it's relevant, maybe not, but Barbie was not a cheap toy when I was little, not a mass-produced thing you could find in the supermarket. I dont know how that was for other people in other places and other times.

I loved dressing up my Barbies and building little apartments for them, but I could also dress them and comb their hair for hours, then put them on a thing that was supposed to be some sort of make- shift raft and played 'flood', (very Dutch I guess ) with dramatic dollydeaths and rescues and all. Funny how natural the combination dressing up and early demise seemed to be for my tiny female brain! I did play with the dolls the boys had (he-man I believe) and though I loved their skeleton castles of Doom and especially their jointing I inevitably got bored with their lack of clothes and hair.

 

I never liked dolls as i child
I had Barbies but I didn't play with them much, I was more of a soft toy animal girl XD
I treat my BJD with a lot more respect, mostly because I'm older and I know that my BJD are worth more.

 

How Old were you when you stopped playing with barbies? Was it young due to needing to feel older or was it because you just felt it was time?
I... never really did. For me, though, playing tended to be just dressing them in new combinations of things, posing them in some fancy way, or taking 'modeling photos' of them that all came out blurry with my kiddie camera. It's pretty close to how many folks play with their BJDs from what I can tell, so there's a fairly clear line there.

I started making my dolls clothes (with varying levels of success, naturally) before I was even out of kindergarten because my mother did, my grandmother did, and them teaching me how and watching me sew lace onto things and cobble together shiny fabrics was strongly encouraged. In later years -- college and onward -- I tended to focus on that, or on campy comedy, like dressing the lot of them in 'Soldiers of the World' outfits spliced together with shiny Barbie clubwear and making the 'the fashion militia' spread across the top of the television or something.

Was there anything that you did with barbies, that carried over to how you treat your BJDs?
I intended for all of the above to translate over, but I haven't had the time to make clothes and do the customizations I want. (That, and who knows where my camera is. Note to self: When putting something somewhere 'where it will be safe' while moving things around, remember where the heck that actually is.)

How long did you keep your collectors dolls? Did you have any dolls you were able to play with, or did you want to?
I did this, too, so it was never all one or the other. I still have some in their boxes, and I have others I -- shock, horror! -- deboxed so I could display them as part of the very weird decor in the house. I will still buy one every once in a while if there's a cheaper one that I find fun or amusing -- this extends to other similar play dolls, too, since I had to pick up a Monster High doll because I could not stop squeaking, "AWWW TEENSY NECKBOLTS! SO MUCH CUTE!" Sometimes there's one of the collector ones I like, and happen across a really good deal on, so I'll pick it up and add it to the pile of boxes atop the foyer display case where it's not really on display, but it's there. For instance, I had to pick up a M*A*C Barbie when they made one, because the concept alone made me grin. (Same with things like the X-Files set, and a few others. Just, conceptually, they made me smile for some reason, and I strongly feel that things that make you smile any time you see them tend to be worth picking up if it doesn't kill the budget.)

Do you feel that you should treat BJD's the same way like a collector doll?
Yes and no. It doesn't hurt to remember that you spent a fortune on your BJD and thus should handle it with care and respect. Even lower cost BJDs are not inexpensive dolls, and are on par in pricing with some of the 'never remove it from the box ever!' Barbie dolls that many collectors buy to keep pristine. I don't believe in never removing a BJD from the box -- as mentioned above, I don't even adhere to that with the other dolls in the house -- or never handling it, though.