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Others Handling Your Dolls

Sep 7, 2018

    1. That first story sounds like an absolutely horrible experience! :horror: I am sure I would come across someone like this if I ever took any of my dolls outside, so that's just another reason to keep them inside away from prying hands.
      As for letting others handle my dolls, I am not very comfortable with the idea. My BJDs are not toys but works of art. To me, they are rather expensive items for collectors. I would hate to see them get damaged, so I will be the only person to touch them. It's better to be safe than sorry. :)
       
    2. The first BJD I ever touched in real life was because of a virtual stranger. We were at a sewing meetup, and she was working on a pillow and told us who it was for. The next time she came for sewing, she brought her doll, and let us get all up close and personal with her. So brave!!! Later on when I learned how much it cost and the type of work that goes into such a thing I was blown away by her boldness!

      But honestly, it was holding the doll that made me know I wanted one for myself. I had seen them previously online, and thought they were nice enough, but holding one in person really made all the difference. There is something about the weight and hand feel that just does not come across in pictures, and is very intriguing for me. As a person who never cared for dolls when I was younger, I just didn't have a concept that different types of dolls would feel different.

      I can't believe she was so generous with us, but I am so very grateful! Because of my positive experience I am more open to (cautiously) sharing with others. I'm sure if I had a run in with a crazy lady in the park, or someone walking away from my doll, I might feel differently.
       
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    3. I've never really taken my girl out and about, but I have let some close friends/older family members hold her. I'm still a bit wary about anything else:sweat
       
    4. I let people touch my dolls, but I tend to be a bit of a hoverer and I get a bit anxious. For me, the anxiety is just because my dolls are expensive and also very precious to me.
       
    5. I Not let people touch my dolls:shudder
       
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    6. Not sure if it is because i have a form of Autism or just me being strange, but i'm extremely protective of my stuff in general.
      I never liked people comming close to my things and with my dolls that protective feeling is even stronger as they are fragile and expensive.
      Only people that have BJD's themselves or that i trust deeply are allowed to touch them; With my permission and never without me being there! So that basicaly limmits the touchings to my Mom, Boyfriend (who both own dolls themselves too) and people at BJD meetings that i see care well for their own dolls.
      No one gets into my room without me being there too, so they stay safe in there. I take Zuki with me to my boyfriend a lot of times and once left him there when i had to go home quickly. Afterwards i heard his mother came by with his niece and he told me he let her hold his doll but not let her touch mine. I had a panic attack when i heard it... I still get anxious when i think about it, seeing doom stories in front of me of his niece touching Zuki... I know he won't lie to me, so she realy didn't touch him, but after that, i never left Zuki there when i went home. I just can't even handle the idea of someone (especialy children!!) comming close to my Dolls...
       
    7. To be honest I don't even like the idea of other people holding my dolls. My mum can touch them, I know she only will be holding one of them for a minute because I ask her, but few times when I had one of my dolls during the meeting with my friends and they were holding my doll... I know I'm probably worst friend ever :sweat, but I definitely wasn't happy about it and wanted to say "your face is way to close to his head, it's not a child, put him down... :sigh" But still I know for sure that my friends will be careful while touching my dolls, but for other people, kids and strangers it's one, big NO and go away.
       
    8. I am very protective of my dolls but I kinda find it hard and awk's telling people not to touch them because firstly its expensive and secondly it took me agessss to customize each part and if anything is gonna happen imma cry...
      The other day I told my friend that I was saving up for a new doll body, and he recently bought a 3D printer and wanted to try making figures. So he asked me when I would be getting the body as he wants to see the mechanics behind it but I was like I don't think I'll be getting one anytime soon but I already have 2 dolls. Then he asked me if he could come over and 'have a feel' of how the joints worked and I was like... well unless I de-clothes them and take them apart its hard to really see the joints but I'll allow him to observe if I ever do any maintenance on them, but he'll be better off just going on youtube and look up videos. But then he replied saying that he still wants to come over, see them and handle them in real life cause he's never touched one before :doh I thought I made it obvious enough that I don't want him 'touching' my dolls but apparently he didn't get the queue so I had to be very upfront about it and said sorry but i don't think I'll ever let anyone handle my doll... just because its quite expensive and time consuming to customize and fix. He was understanding though and said he didn't know how expensive and fragile they actually are.
      I dislike telling people that they can't touch my dolls so I don't really tell people about them :eusa_sileonly my fam and my best friends really know about them and they know how iffy I am about people touching them so they never cross that boundary. So my doll currently forever lives in my room and doesn't go out in the public.Well I used to bring my first doll out a bit but then like many others here, I also experienced the grabby hands of kids which makes me paranoid now:|
       
    9. ONLY PEOPLE THAT I TRUST 120% ARE ALLOWED TO TOUCH MY DOLLS!!!
      Lol the all caps were a little aggressive but that’s just how I feel. My boyfriend and parents and my cousin who is also into dolls are the only people that I’m comfortable with touching my dolls. I just feel like others wouldn’t understand how much they mean to me thus wouldn’t handle the dolls with as much care as they do.
       
    10. i'd really rather they not... but i don't really have anyone come visit so i don't really have a lot to worry about.
       
    11. I also would only hand my dolls to someone I trusted, and someone who knew they need to be handled carefully.
      Just the thought of a stranger, or a child (I'm sure sure kids can be responsible but I don't have any in my close family so none I'd trust anyway), grabbing my dolls, touching the face and wig, possibly dropping the doll, is making me cringe!
       
    12. I wouldn't let anyone touch mine period.:eek:
       
    13. I haven't owned my BJDs for very long (almost a year since I ordered my first!) and my husband - while he supports my hobby - doesn't touch them. So it's just been me this entire time.

      I might let my family touch her but definitely not children since I don't consider my dolls as toys.
       
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    14. Oof, I know I would have a heart attack if children came near mine. I probably sound like a jerk for saying this, but my brother and his wife want to have kids soon and I'm worried for my dolls (I'm almost never around children in general). Kids can be very grabby dangerous at times. I'd rather not have a toddler or small child around something so precious and extremely expensive. When they're older (11-12ish) maybe I'd let them hold it. And that just my future niece/nephew, any other child can back off! xD
       
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    15. Nope. No one touches them unless I trust you. I've had some experiences in the past with people I didn't trust trying to grab my really expensive silver trumpet, and sometimes it ends well and sometimes it doesn't. Some people understand when I tell them why they can't hold it, and some people just get petulant about it. If I don't know you, and I don't know if you're going to respect my things, you don't get to even lay a finger on them. The only person I trust would be my older sister and my parents.
       
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    16. I'm a pretty anxious dude, so it really depends...for example, my little sister (a junior in high school) absolutely adores my dolls and is super respectful of them, always asking permission first and making a point of washing her hands beforehand. Even my 11 year old brother is very gentle around them...granted I keep an eye on him but it's still nice to see my items treated so respectfully! <3

      My best friend irl also owns dolls and has even given my crew faceups so she's trustworthy for sure :3nodding:

      As for strangers...I had a cool experience at a convention a couple years back where a cosplayer (she was dressed as Alice Margatroid from Touhou, a character who works with dolls) held one of my yosds for a couple of photos! They were really cool about it and those are still some of my favorite pics :sumomo:
      I have been lucky that no one has tried to grab my dolls, and I'm really sorry that some of you have had such awful experiences ;;~;;
       
    17. I think for me, it depends. I really don't mind letting someone hold my dolls- stranger or not- as long as their hands are clean and they're not going to chuck it like a football. :lol: I'd be weary with younger kids, however, because of how hyper they can be (and I know this from personal experience, haha.)
       
    18. I actually experienced something quite similar to this. If it weren't for the girl who let me hold her bjd at a doll show, I would never have had the courage to commit to purchasing my first doll.
       
    19. I let people handle my dolls, as long as they're careful. Otherwise, it just depends on if the doll's joints are delicate. Like my Doll Chateau Matthew, I wouldn't let people touch him since his jointed fingers are small and fragile. :)
       
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    20. If somebody knows what they are, I have no major issues with them touching them. When I worked in a doll store, I had some coworkers who, while not familiar with BJDs specifically, were familiar with dolls in general and how to baby a doll that finally, finally looks good (or just how to treat somebody else's doll). That's also fine. Such people often refuse anyway -- even when I assure them that the dolls aren't especially fragile and they don't bite, they're still very cautious and polite.

      Otherwise, please don't. I haven't had issues with that problem, though -- I must be pretty good at putting off "DON'T TOUCH THE THING" vibes. Or at least, my dolls are. I did have one woman at a doll show pick up Saskia (with permission) and study her for a few minutes... only to flinch and hand her back as soon as Saskia made eye contact. Saskia is very good at making her own wants known.
       
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