Possible to do the hobby on your own?

Interesting question.

For me, I got into bjds way back in 2004, so there weren't big communities then. DoA had just started and it was very helpful in answering questions, but I wasn't so used to being active in forums or online generally (this was before all the social media stuff like FB!), so it was primarily about the dolls for me.

I really like the online communities--so I've been active on them and would be sad not to be so involved in them--but I think I could still enjoy my dolls without them. Also, if one FB group is not doing it for me, there are others to go to, and same with forums! So I doubt I've HAVE to give up the online stuff completely. And there are new groups online forming all the time. Plus there are local groups. So I don't worry about leaving one group for a time if something is going on that I don't like.

I'm also lucky that I live in a very populous area with lots of doll owners, so the same goes for the local meetups... There are always different groups of people getting together, so if I wish to avoid some groups, I can always go find others.

But it definitely depends on the individual. There are a lot of doll owners who aren't all that active online and are quite happy playing with their dolls on their own.

 

I have been into BJD for over 6 years now but only joined an online community (DOA obviously) this past December. Before DOA I knew BJD through local collectors and friends. I was mostly into them photography wise until my friend got her IH Carina and I just knew I had to have one for myself. That was back in 2011 so I continued with BJD alone until my one friend invited me onto DOA.

I really enjoy being here on DOA but I still like to "go it alone" with my dolls. I mostly use DOA to work on my sewing and photography skills but it is a wonderful community to get tips and information from as well.

 

I've been into BJD's since.. 2005? I'm not very involved here (very little), and I don't have many friends in this hobby, but I'm in it for the dolls and the joy the bring, yah? So, I could do this alone, but.. it's always nice to have someone to enjoy the hobby with.

 

As far as my bjd collecting I've been lucky as far as community goes... with the exception of the years my mothers health made it impossible to participate my experiences have been good and I have had good experiences both online and IRL. However I can say that yes it is possible to 'go it alone' as far as a doll hobby is concerned. I also collect Barbie and have for over 20 years... I belong to no clubs, on or off line. I have no one to share it with either and never did. Mentioning it casually like this is as close as I get to sharing that particular doll hobby. If you can be happy with just you and your dolls then sure, do it... otherwise look for a way 'to join' that fits for you. It may mean keeping things light and more impersonal. I know that a lot of ppl lurk in here even... Be a 'fly on the wall for a while ^^. But you can definitely enjoy the hobby if it just you and your dolls... if not I'd have tossed Barbie decades ago ^^.

Also try for something local (doll meets). A couple hours once a month with real people no mater how diverse is good if only to just make outside contact. I get the impression you have not connected with a regular group. And if there isn't one.... START ONE! Be the one to take charge of YOUR hobby and maybe help other possibly 'hidden' doll people ^^. And if not... just enjoy them alone... it is after all YOUR interest and your decision so enjoy it your way.

 

Don't let the actions of others dictate your choice. I've been the target of a misunderstanding over the omission of ONE PHRASE that led to a 8 page flame war when I was just out of high school (summer of 2004). That left a serious resentment toward the members here until I chose to move on. Why let complete strangers have ANY impact on your feelings? Respect their opinion, ignore their post if necessary but move on. And ya know what? I'm still here having fun and getting pretty sculpts and they left the hobby. ( you don't see many 04's anymore)

It's best to have company IMHO.

 

Everyone enjoys their dolls in their own way. Only you can decide if you can do the hobby alone... of course it is possible, and fully worth it, but would it be for you? That is a very personal decision.

Since you are going to a public forum seeking to answer that question, maybe solitary enjoyment of the hobby isn't for you.

 

Yes, it is possible to enjoy the hobby without interacting with others. It's possible to enjoy the dolls you do have without looking at new ones or how someone else styled their dolls. It's just a matter of what you want. There is a lot of emphasis placed on getting together in this hobby, but honestly...if all you have in common with someone is that you both collect dolls that's not always enough to grow an acquaintance let alone a friendship out of.

Technically I do my hobby "alone" outside of lurking and posting occasionally. I mostly stick to the Company News and the MP. Occasionally I look at size specific threads or post here. My best friend has a doll, but due to life demands right now we hardly get to see each other. The big doll community in my area is still over an hour away and gas isn't cheap, lol. They are very nice and very friendly, mostly, but over all it isn't a big deal for me. It is nice to see a huge dolly pile, but it's still awkward for me because I don't know anyone very well and it takes me a long time to get comfortable and open up. I sat next to a lady whose name I know and I *still* kept calling her someone else!

Do I enjoy my dolls less because I don't have others to do things with? No. Is there a point to having my dolls? Yes! They make me happy and they are everything I've ever wanted in a doll. That will always be true whether I never interact with another doll person or become best friends with the "worst" dolly enabler of them all. XD

Do what makes you happy whether you're on your own or with a group. If you're happy, it's worth it.

 

I think this depends on your personality and your definition of "doing the hobby." My personal definition of "doing the hobby" basically including collecting and/or making dolls and their accessories (which for the sake of the definition includes clothes, wigs, eyes, props, doll furniture, etc.). Participating in the doll community can certainly help with those things, especially if a hobbyist or potential hobbyist is trying to research options or turn some aspect of the hobby into a source of income (e.g. making doll clothes), but isn't required for being part of the hobby. In fact, I would argue that "participating in the community" could itself be defined in many different ways -- does it count if you're only in online communities or do you have to attend meet-ups? Or vice versa? How about if you just browse on places like DoA but never post anything, buy anything, sell anything, review anything...? -- and that community participation is going to vary depending on a person's interests, desires, and abilities (e.g. I tend to live in places with no doll community or where I question the wisdom of risking my students, coworkers, or bosses seeing me involved in public meetups, so I generally limit my community participation to the occasional foray into forums like DoA or Tumblr blobs).

For me, "doing the hobby" doesn't require any kind of community participation at all, so of course you can do it on your own. But if the social aspect is important to you, then you might not be able to do it on your own (I'm not seeing how looking at pretty pictures can't be done if you take a break from or completely leave the community, though, since you can totally do that on your own).

 

It's VERY possible to do it on your own! I got Amir and Loki in 2008, and I didn't join DoA until almost 2 years later. The ONLY online forum I was a part of was JunkySpot, and I really wasn't even very active there at all. I still loved my boys, and did a lot with them- pictures, writing stories, making clothes, etc. I didn't really become very active on DoA until about 2 years ago, I've just started posting on Tumblr in the last few months, and I don't do anything on FB groups, Deviant Art, Flickr, Live Journal, etc. I still adore my dolls! The biggest thing that keeps me bonded is role play. I do usually lose the bond without that, but that doesn't necessarily have to be with other doll owners, the dolls can simply be shelled versions of your characters from ANY RP.

 

It's definitely possible to just enjoy your dolls on your own. It might even be nice to have a break from the wider community and just do your own thing, or stick to local in-person groups if you do fancy some human hobby companionship outside of your dolls.

I'm sure there are people who just buy BJDs for their general doll collections and don't engage in the 'BJD hobby' online or in person.

If I wasn't active in the online hobby I'd still have my dolls. I have them because they make me happy.

 

I started collecting dolls awhile before I joined DOA, too... I got my first dolls in the summer of 2005, and was following the advice of a couple of online pen-pal "mentor" friends who were already familiar with the scene. I am not much of a socializer or a joiner, so I didn't really want to join anything that required regular online presence; at that point I was happy to share my photobucket links with my two friends, look at doll-pictures on google searches & people's LJs, and play with my own dolls at home, and that was how I rolled. Actually I joined ControversialDoll before DOA, because I wanted to see the farthest reaches of what people could do with these dolls. ^^

But, eventually, the need for Marketplace & Discussion & News access outgrew my desire to not-join... My online friend would send me links and make the odd Marketplace purchase for me, but life is just WAY easier when you have the access to the information yourself & make your own deals. So I joined DOA, and within a few months I had made a crowd of local collector friends, which really added dimension to my enjoyment of this hobby.

I still do most of my doll activities alone, but I do rely on DOA for up-to-the-minute news, and the shopping opportunities, and the connections, and the information. Back when I started, there were not so many companies around to do research on, so choices were easier, and recasts were fewer. Now it is a crowded minefield out there, so having this great crowdsource-of-information at my fingertips is a great thing. Whenever the social scene starts to irritate me, I just stop looking at any threads that use words. I stick to looking at pretty pictures (or, I turn off the computer and go play with my dolls :3) until I feel like socializing again. Hiatuses can be taken anytime at your own discretion!

 

It's fun to have fellowship in your interests and activities. But I, an introvert, personally feel that it isn't necessary for my enjoyment of my dolls.

 

Other than one or two local friends, who are great,
I do the hobby mostly on my own except for internet interactions.

I had a conflict of personality with the gal who runs the local Facebook group that organizes everything BJD around here, so since we wouldn't really mesh well, I left that fb board and have been without much contact with anyone else in my state since then. (The locals don't use DOA to arrange any meets.)

It's a bit lonely, and I wish I could meet some more people around here who are into SDs, but that's how things have panned out.

And I agree with Jenny- Hiatuses are good for the enjoyment of dolls.

 

Oh gosh, I'm so used to doing just about everything on my own that if I stepped back from the online community it wouldn't be much of a shift. And I don't belong to any groups except being a part of DOA which is so fun for rambles, research and sharing "dolly issues" & how awesome it is to finally find a perfect scale prop. Plus I think there are a ton of hobbies out there where people are collecting/enjoying on their own, like seashells, dried flowers, etc...Sometimes it can seem like there is a lot of pressure to keep up with the Jones's when in a group - so taking a step back and getting grounded again for personal enjoyment is always a good idea.

 

It's possible to enjoy your dolls without other people. I had mine for a couple of years before I got into DOA or had anyone to ask for advice. I also have an off topic fashion doll,and there are no active forums at all for that. But I enjoy that doll as much as my other ones anyway.

 

I've been struggling a lot with not having anyone to share my doll interest with. I've been on DoA the entire two years I've been into BJDs, but as for people in real life, I've got almost zero. I have four people around me that are into BJDs, but I'm the only one who is super enthusiastic about it. My first friend sold me one of her dolls because she's not that into it, the second cosplays and just has her two dolls because they are her favorite characters, the third didn't even want her doll- it was a gift, and the fourth friend hasn't even shown me her doll. I've been to two meet-ups and had the time of my life. I definitely wish that I had more people to share with, and I too have considered selling my dolls for lack of friendship. It's hard to be the only person who really, truly appreciates my dolls. So far, when I think about selling my resin babies though, the thought devastates me since I am pretty attached to them. Because I am devastated like that, I know that I am "in" the hobby and that I shouldn't give up. I am learning how to photograph better, and often don't touch my dolls for weeks or months at a time. I think that the breaks do help, because then I a) don't think about not having friends and b) appreciate my dolls more whenever I pull them back out and play. It's hard, but stick in there! I've spent most of my doll time alone, but I am still very attached to my little resin family members. This hobby is often about self-satisfaction. That was a hard thing to learn (and I sometimes wonder if I'm still learning it!).

 

I'v been collecting for 3 years now. Though I have a BJD tumblr and a DoA account, I'm not really all that immersed in the community. I wish there were more people I could talk to around home that collect, but the doll community here is almost nonexistent. It really helps to have DoA and such for reference, but that doesn't mean you have to be fully active on here to make use of the helpful stuff or to pop in and ask for questions. It's all dependent on what you prefer and what lets you get the most out of the hobby. If you can't stand being alone in it and having no one to talk to about dolls, then maybe being involved in some sort of doll community would be better and help you enjoy it more. But if you enjoy just having your dolls and don't mind being more solitary, or if you dislike some of the problems and danger in the doll community (possible scams, drama, etc.) then maybe things like DoA are better solely for reference. For me, it's nice to be able to come on here and look up information on dolls, and ask questions. I just did my first swap, and I've loved it. I even bought a secondhand doll in the marketplace. However, though I post in the General Discussion threads sometimes, I don't participate heavily. I haven't really established myself much in the hobby. I prefer just lurking mostly. Same for my tumblr, the occasional photo, but mostly questions and comments on whatever in the hobby catches my fancy. No major involvement in the community, really. There are no meets in my area, and I attended one relatively nearby back in October. I was so excited for the meet, but it ended up not meeting expectations. Everyone split up early on and there wasn't much communication throughout the day. It just wasn't what I was interested in doing in the future. I've had better experiences though, with Otakon's doll meet ups. I love going. Everyone is friendly and talkative. There are enough people that if one or two disappear, there's still people to talk to. I've yet to have a bad time at those meetups. I wish I could have some like that where I live. ^^

 

I'm so sorry you've had a bad experience. As you might can see from my number of posts, I'm pretty new. HI!!!. I've only been collecting for, like less than a year, but I have been extremely lucky to meet a great group of ladies to share with. That being said, I do relate to your issue. I live 3 hours from the area where I go to meetup with people. I haven't found ANY groups locally, so I don't get to participate with the group easily. I think it's fine to go it alone if that's what you need right now. As long as it brings you happiness, that all that matters. I collect for myself. My close friends don't get it at all, but that's ok because they accept me for my differences just as I do for them. I do think it's more fulfilling to be able to share with others, I think we all get a little rush when people admire our kids, but I would still enjoy the hobby if I had noone to share it with.

 

If you love them and they give you pleasure then that's all that counts. I have found going to meetups and chatting online is great though as when I bought my first two I had never met anyone with a bjd. Now I have other people who are not bored silly by me talking endlessly about them. I enjoy them on my own but it's fun to be able to talk to people about them too. Do what feels right for you and don't feel pressured by others. Your interests are a part of you and friends should appreciate this.