"PRETTY please?": the art of obtaining.

Mine goes a little like this...

Me: Can I get a doll?
Mom: You like dolls?
Me: Yes, they're called BJD's
Mom: What is a BJD
Me: *Takes 2 hours explaining what they are and why I want one*
Mom: Oh, that sounds cool, how much do they cost?
Me: The one that I want is $400
Mom: WHAT!?!? That's insane! I'm not paying that much for a doll.
Me: PLEASE?!
Mom: You're going to have to earn your own money for them.
Me: Okay
Now I just have to figure out how to get $300 more dollars...

 

Well, during a period of time in which I was not working very much do to family circumstances, I had to finace my doll stuff by selling off part of my anime collection... other than that, I just buy them with my own money that I make from my job... I was 25 when I got into the hobby.

 

I'm happy I had just turned 18 the year before joining the hobby, meaning I had an income of my own. I could never ask such an expensive gift from anyone, not even my parents.
I've never been the type to ask for expensive things, I'm usually happy with cheaper stuff.
I have gifted my mother three dolls though, but that's different. She didn't ask for them, but she got very happy, so I don't mind.
I also didn't have a fight to convince my parents that it's okay to buy dolls. My mother is a big fan of dolls and my father just accepts that I have my own interests.

 

Mine was surprisingly easy. Partially considering I paid for it and my mother's overhead costs. Yeah. She charges me an overhead for my dolls. But I would rather pay that than not have them.

It basically went like this:

Me: *le browsing dA* Ooh... this is a pretty painting! *clicks doll photo* DAFUQ?! A PHOTO? Oh, wait, that's a pretty dollie. Hmm. *shows mother said photo*
Mom: That's... interesting.

Me, the next week: *drools* OMIGOD. This doll is BEAUTIFUL! MOM!
Mom: What?
Me: I want this doll. *shows doll*
Mom: You mean that kind you showed me last week?
Me: Yup.
Mom: No.
Me: Please? I'll pay for it!
Mom: Fine. But I'm charging you a fee.
Me: WHAT?! *thinks* M'kay.

The next day:
Me: Yeah, that one. *points at BBD Waltz* Isn't he cute?
Mom: That's a boy?
Me: -_-
Mom: Fine, fine. I expect my money back by this evening.
Me: The bank's closed!
Mom: I don't care.
Me: Fine.

The next month:
Me: *opens dollie box* MOM! He's so cute! I love him! I'mma name 'im Rumi!
Mom: Good for you.
Me: ._. Okay.

Now:
Me: MOM!
Mom: What?!
Me: I want a new doll! I've found the one! It's a girl, but I'mma make him a boy!
Mom: *completely unfazed* Okay. Do you have the money?
Me: .... *shifty eyes*... uh, no.
Mom: Sucks being you.
Me: -_-

And that's where I'm at now. DX

My mom doesn't really care. She doesn't understand it and gave up trying to a longlonglong time ago. I don't really blame her. And honestly, as long as she lets me get my dollies, I don't really care.

 

The first BJD I really fell for was a Leeke World LE vampire, but with a face up and his clothes he came to nearly $1,000. I hoped to save the money by the end of the summer when the ordering period end. Didn't happen and my parents were not in favor of the idea. Several years go by (and more Tonner dolls are aquired) and I've taken to stalking Soom's website. 2012 Christmas kits are released and that tan mini Uyoo is so pretty and more affordable than usual. My parents get a warning that I'm spending my own money on a $250 doll as a reward to myself for a hard semester. My dad proceeds to become concerned about Soom's long shipping time. But she comes in time for me to assemble and be entranced by her over my spring break. It takes a week to get my bank account straightend out so I can get her a wig and nicer eyes.

While I'm awaiting my girl from Soom, I used most of my Christmas money to buy a banji, partly to prevent myself from ordering Soom's Pandy. She has since gotten to my house while I'm away at school. I am now dreaming of my next doll, a Fairyland Realpuki. It kind of freaks my dad out that my dolls are now coming from Asia, but its my money.
Unfortunately I still want that cute panda.... I will keep saving money so I can get him if he's re-released. with his hat.

So my method is save, pay for, mention to parents.

 

I realized a long time ago me and my mom adore fantasy things so I actually look more at elf eared and fantasy dolls more then anything else. I especially love elf eared dolls and I know my mom has a weakness for elf ears...So I look mainly at those sculpts knowing she likes them too. It's easier to persuade if it's in her interests too. Avalon we both fell in love with and she loves him almost as much as I do. She saw me sit up after falling asleep with him by accident and she was worried about his face up which was totally A okay. He was my birthday present from her and I love him even more because he was a gift from my mother.

Any other BJD's though? HA I have to get THAT on my own but she won't object at least. I said "This is the only resinsoul doll I'm getting."

She laughed and said "Good luck with that."

She knows me too well. XD;;

 

I was image-googling something to do with jrock back then out of boredom and came across a stock photo of Luts Shiwoo. I clicked on the photo, was led to the site, and started browsing. I showed my parents the doll because I was excited, and when we looked at the prices we were all dismayed (my dad just scoffed haha). Anyway, a few years later they kept cropping up and I still wanted one. I told my mom I'd save up and buy one, etc, as she always found me sketching them and mentioned they would be good models for my art classes. A couple more doll-less years pass while I was saving up, and on Christmas day I was sat down by my parents at the computer and told to pick out a doll since I still liked them so much.

My second doll (which my parents were concerned about for the price) was a search. I found him and saved up loose change from the ground and bummed change from my friends. It became a game to my friends, and I never had to ask them for their change. I found the doll in the MP on a Sunday and almost died, because I had enough sans shipping and the bank was closed. Without being asked, mom took pity and bought the doll. I gave her my giant jars of coins/paper money and a huge hug in return.

My last doll was a loanish doll. I wanted a Bermann but couldn't afford one. Someone in the MP was willing to split a doll during an event; I'd get the event head and body, amd they would get the regular head and outfit. The event head looked so much like a Bermann that I cried haha My mom helped me pay for it, and I forfeited all cheques to her until it was paid off. My mom really helped a lot, gosh.... The only doll I initally bought entirely on my own was a pukipuki.

 

Ironically my father is more decided to pay for my doll (and more interested about them) than my mother. My mother founds the dolls cute and well made but takes it like a whim I have and that it's going to pass soon like everything, my father was the same or even worse until the day I took him to a japanese convention and saw them, he started to ask me about them and felt very curious so I told him that they were very expensive and that someday I would like to have one of my own, so he proposed to me that this summer since I'm going to pass the school and I'm going to be 3 months doing nothing, why not pick a temporary job like in a supermarket or in a shop and with the money buy the doll and at the same time know more about the "adults life", things about fees, contracts, banks, etc... so when I finish studying for my career I know something and it doesn't take me by surprise. And since the doll is like one salary and a half with the other half I could buy with some help a laptop.

 

I've so far used my own money, obtained from winning prizes at school events and selling the prizes, and money gifts from my grandmother to buy my dolls. My mother thinks this is just a phase I am going through that I will grow out of, and my father is ironically more pleased with my new hobby than my mother is. He's happy that I am leaving my apartment to go to meetups and talk to people. Hopefully in a few years when I'm still interested in dolls, mother will have come around. Good thing I don't need to beg her for doll money. I do, however, have to beg her for help making doll clothes, but she is happy to help with that.

 

A have a bit of a different story than most; I don't have a family of my own, but I currently live with my boyfriend and his parents. (I've been living here a couple years now, they pretty much treat me as their child).
It kind of goes like this:

Me: "Ohhh! Look at this pretty doll!" *shows picture*
Boyfriend's Mom: "OH MY GOODNESS SHE IS BEAUTIFUL."
Me: "I know! Ahhh I'm in love~"
Boyfriend's Mom: "How much is she?"
Me: "Somewhere between ~$300-500"
Boyfriend's Mom: "Do you want her? Use my Paypal!"
Me: "Ehhhhhh..."

She always insists on me buying more dollies, but I would just feel so guilty. I know it should be endearing, and I know they are in a very stable financial place with disposable income, but it's just so much in my opinion.
Recently she keeps hinting at me to find a YO-SD size dollie I would want because she thinks they are just too cute.
Same with clothes! She's too nice.

 

TrinityInRainbows ​you are so lucky for having such a mother-in-law, she seems pretty nice! ^^

 

Dailah, I feel that way too, they really do replace the family that I truly wish I could have, and I know I should feel blessed at the circumstances. But I would just feel so guilty for taking her money like that, even if she insisted. I just feel like I would be taking advantage of her hospitality.
I do like how she can connect with me with dolls, and that she is just as enthusiastic about them as I am though. ^ ^ Maybe for a Birthday or Christmas, maybe that would make me feel okay. Then there's a true "reason" for it. Hehe.

 

I could NEVER ask my parents for something this costly! I don't even like receiving birthday presents!

I really hate when I hear people complain their parents DIDN'T buy them something expensive, and you hear it a lot in the BJD community. Makes them sound spoilt.

 

I saved up some money, got stressed because it was taking too long and borrowed the rest from my fiance. I'm not very patient.

 

uhhh...

"ooo pretty doll"
*searches funds* .....
"welp... there's always the credit card..."

 

I am not spoiled...I tried to insist my mom let me pay for my doll myself but she refused to let me.

Just speaking for myself.

 

My problem is less when my parents don't buy me something expensive, and more when my parents buy me something expensive instead of the other thing I asked for, especially when the thing I actually wanted was less expensive. I have limited space in my apartment, and when gift giving seasons come around and my mother is asking me "what do you want?" I limit what I say I want to things I know I have space for. So when she gets me things I didn't ask for, I don't always have room for them. If my parents didn't get me anything, I wouldn't complain. But I would prefer they bought the things I ask for rather than a fossil necklace that makes me feel creeped out because dead things are mildly disconcerting. Doll things are less creepy and possibly less expensive.

 

I never said everyone who's parents buy them dolls are spoilt. I said people who complain when their parents refuse are spoilt.

I don't like receiving gifts as it is. I'll say to my boyfriend jokingly that he should buy me things, but if he actually did/does I feel so embarrassed! Even though the only times I've received gifts from him are special occasions. As for my parents, at birthdays and christmasses I only ask for necessities. Whilst my parents have more money than some, I don't have any reason for them to spend THEIR money on me.

 

My story isn't that long but here goes:

January 2012: stumbled on to luts? website (I think it was luts.... I actually first saw BJDs on http://bluoxyde.deviantart.com/ which are freakin amazing!)
faved a ton of bluoxyde's pics and talked to my friend about them and found out she owned some!
Joined DoA :]
Started reading EVERYTHING I could get my hands on about BJDs and how to take care of them etc.
Instantly hooked on Souldoll Juana after finding her on Denverdoll Emporium [and still am XD]
Plan to buy a normal skin resinsoul Mei and coffee Song on the double jointed Rong and male body
Start looking into faceup stuff and customization
kinda pull away from customization and bit and look at sewing clothes
plan to make all my doll's clothes
Stumble on to Aria Doll just in time to find out they are closing and I'll never get an Aria Doll Narvy unless I find her on the MP :/
find out about Fairyland and add Merwin and Karsh to wishlist
Find Soom *drools over rosette dollies and gems*
Keeps seeing Supia dolls all over DoA and wonder what website is.... finally finds it. OMFG! wantsrosynaeletc.
Finds out about Doll Leaves a little while later and immediately plans for BJD [Vanesa ]
OMFGWANTS Iple House.... -is doomed- [see wishlist for why XD]
Work really hard for months trying to get Marketplace access.... and finally get it
Starts college and then realizes refund money = doll money YAY!

almost year later.... after stumbling on to Doll Leaves....
February: Orders Doll Leaves Vanesa feb. 20th 2013 through MoC ^^

She's still being made atm but I cant wait until she's home!

EDIT:

totally forgot to mention... I have tried to get my family to come to the dark side and fall in love with BJDs but only one person seems to even be that interested and that's my Great Grandma. Although my dad seems supportive of my hobby and is buying me some Purity Seal this week for faceups and some other supplies that I need My mom thinks it's a waste of money and my sister and boyfriend dont like hearing me talk about them at all.... my boyfriend doesn't mainly because I spent my money that I got from my college refund on my doll instead of help buying groceries.... but well I felt like I needed a reward for myself for doing so well in college [4.0 GPA last semester and doing really well this semester too All A's and one B on midterms ^^]. I've never bought anything this extravagant in my entire life... though I did spend a few hundred bucks on Bratz dolls several years ago... but that wasnt all in one go and it was my detasseling money that I worked really hard for over the summer when I was 13 and 14 yrs old XD But I plan on this being my only doll for at least a year or two.. since I cant really afford to get anymore any time soon. I'm kinda sad my boyfriend thinks they are creepy because my doll should be home within the next month at least and I dont want him to hate her :/

Also the only person I've asked to borrow money from is my Great Grandma... and I only had to borrow it from her because my mom took some of my refund money as "payment" for carting me around since I dont have my driver's license or my own car yet x.x Plus she doesnt have a lot of money and I felt bad so I let her keep most of the money she kept from me in the first place... which was about $70 bucks

 

At first, I tried to convince my parents to buy me whatever doll I saw. They immediately said no, mostly because these dolls were 500 dollars and I was just springing it on them. Two years pass, and I finally did research and saved up enough money where I could buy the doll I want, which is now a Resinsoul MSD instead of a DoD SD, eyes, clothes, and wigs. Herein lies the problem. I have to convince my parents to let me spend the money. xD