Regretting Getting Involved in BJDs?

Have I....
Had a panic attacks over how much I just spent, whether or not my doll will get here safely, and so on? YUP!!!
Had sleepless nights because I was up till O'Dark:30 purusing DoA threads for tutorials so I can make more dollieh goodness? You betcha!
Run across what I would consider Pissing contests and rolled my eyes? Of Course!
Been told by friends and family(and the occassional random stranger) that my dolls are just plain creepy? Indeedy!
Eatten Ramen and Kool-Aid because Oh Crap I forgot about that bill and spent all my "free" cash on doll stuff? Just last month!
Taken advice from this community with consideration AND a grain of salt? Every time!
Ever regretted the hobby on a whole? NOPE!

and Would I do it all again? HELLZ YEAH! I my dolls

Love what you do, do what you love, doo be doo be dooo

 

I had a moment of "Oh gosh, why did I do this? I have no idea what I'm doing!" only once, and it was right after I got my first doll. The head did not match or fit the body, and I wasn't sure how I was going to fix it. However, it worked out, and I never truly regretted getting into BJDs again. One time, I joked with myself (yes, I joke with myself) that if I had not gotten a certain doll, I could have gotten a Husky that was in the MP a few weeks after the purchase, but really, I did not truly regret that doll either, though I still want a second Husky. I occasionally joke to the people who know how much my dolls cost that I should sell them all and take a trip to Europe, but in reality, I would never consider taking steps to make that happen.

I can understand why other people may regret the hobby, however. I have spent more money on BJDs than on any other hobby, and I used to keep a marine fish tank. I guess I can understand, in theory the stress caused by unpleasant people in the hobby as well. Though, that can be found in any hobby, career, church, school, etc.


EDIT! To answer the questions and points as they are presented- because I am at work but don't have work at the moment.

But, have there ever been times when you've thought, "I wish I'd never gotten into this hobby?"
Once, and I thought/felt that way for only a few minutes.


•the rarity of certain sculpts and how difficult it can be to buy the one you've fallen for
For me, this is not a reason to regret getting into the hobby. If I really want my Bermann(s) one day, it's just a matter of saving, saving, and patience. If I really can not get a doll I want, it will not kill me. I can still enjoy the ones I have. However, I could understand someone feeling badly if they saw one doll they really want but are truly in no financial situation to purchase it. I could understand them wishing they had simply never known about it.

•how easy it is to scratch a face-up, break a finger, rip limited clothes, or otherwise damage a BJD vs. the difficulty of getting replacements
I do not understand this as I do not find it easy to damage dolls or quality doll items. I have several dolls now, have had at least one doll for a few years, have kept another person's dolls (so I don't think it's just my super-sealed faceups) and only just damaged a faceup in the last two months, and I really DROPPED his head! (it flew out of my hand, hit a table, slammed onto the floor, then rolled under the table, and it just got a little scratch on the chin. :O ) Accidents happen, but I think most BJDs are pretty hardy... aren't they? ?_?

•the high cost of dolls and accessories putting a strain on your wallet
If I really cannot afford a doll or doll item, I don't buy it, and that is fine. However, this reason makes the most sense to me when it comes to things that would make a person regret the hobby.

•the difficulty of face-ups or modding, and failed attempts causing stress - "I'll never be any good!"
Some of my faceups are craptastic, I can't sew anything more than a tube dress, and I have only taken a handful of decent pictures of anything within my lifetime, but that's okay No one is good at everything, and people who really cannot do a faceup, sew, etc. should not feel badly over it.

•negative reactions from family and friends (bullying from non-doll fans)
I got annoyed with a family member over a doll-related conversation once, but this family member annoyed me before dolls- he just tends towards being irritating and can use any subject to do it. I can understand how this would be a problem for a teenager who does not have control over his/her money, even if s/he earned it and has to deal with a parent who thinks the hobby is absurd. However, for someone who does not have to worry about that, I don't see this as a major issue. At least, not one so major it should make a person regret something they otherwise enjoy.

•unfortunate encounters at doll meets or online (bullying from doll fans)
Who cares? Bullies, wherever you meet them, are sad people. If someone truly bullies you and does not cause you financial problems or send you to the hospital, if you feel sad, feel sad for the sake of the bully. Emotionally and psychologically well people don't bully...

•etc.
hmm... Well, maybe someone would regret getting into a hobby in which most of the makers and sellers live on the other side of the world. (obviously, not applicable to everyone. ^^; )

 

I have never ever regretted it and I am also sure I will not. I think the cons described at the start of this thread, and some others, are completely true, but in my opinion every hobby, and everything in general, has its pros and cons. For me they are not a reason to regret for getting involved with BJDs. Cons just make things harder some times, but nothing is easy all the time.

 

Yes I regret everyday getting into the hobby as I am now really at an age where I don't have the energy or health to devote to it properly. What should be fun and enjoyable is a chore to get the dolls together, get them dressed and get a photo shoot done. Gone is the spark I once thought was there as work and RL have taken/ squeezed most all enjoyment out. Then there are the times when the (in)significent other breaks some critical part of one of the dolls, a comissioned piece, mind you... and all they can say is "I don't know how I sat on it. Honestly I don't know how it got on my chair in the 1st place." Now I will have to either ask and pay the artist to please make me another pair or do without. I hang on just hoping that something will rekindle my interest and revitalize my desire to be creative again. But then I say that about my resin garage kits too. I just bought 2 more and haven't touched one in over 2 years now. But I look on the bright side... I haven't sold any of them nor any of the doll stuff so maybe there's still hope... here's hoping.

- ShadowHawke -

 

I don't regret being a part of the hobby, but sometimes I do worry that I ought to leave the hobby. Sometimes, when I haven't done anything with my dolls in a while, I think about all the money that I've spent and feel concerned that I've wasted my money, time, and effort. I don't really dwell on it, though--I have a tendency to think this way about anything I'm not passionately involved in at the moment. It still happens, though~

 

Sometimes I worry about the upkeep of my dolls. Like someone else in this thread I am unemployed due to medical issues. This means I don't have the physical energy or funds to do faceups or repairs. I love my dolls so much, and so I wonder if they'd just be better off with someone that can take care of them more. I have never regretted having them in any other way than feeling like I've "failed" as a doll owner.

 

Rarity does not really bother me, I like these dolls because they are customisable, yes sometimes there are sculpts I like that get discontinued but I just go looking for another that I like instead, for example I wanted a Dollshe Husky for a character of mine but now I'll be getting a materfull Kazi Dan head instead, TBH the head I am getting instead will probably fit in with the aesthetic of my other dolls better anyway. it might sound odd but for me personality matters more than an exact feature with my dolls, so things like wig/faceup all contribute

I've never ripped an outfit, limited or otherwise, or ruined a faceup for that matter. The worst 'damage' I have done is losing a knee joint for one of my dolls, but I was going to mod the knee anyway so its not the end of the world, I've just worked around it with the mod.

And to continue on the subject of mods I do stress over them, but thats a pretty normal part of any creative process for me, I'm quite clumsy so I am always doing something stupid like sewing through my finger, spilling chemicals or super gluing my hand to the table. If I'm not swearing at my supplies I'm probably not having fun

cost can sometimes be off putting, especially when you have a new naked dolly staring back at you and you have a 'wishlist' in a shopping cart totalling $1,000 and you can't decide what to take out. It would be nice if I could nip down the shops and happen upon the perfect doll shoes/wig/outfit and get them bit by bit to ease the strain on funds but I knew that was not going to happen from the start so its never pushed me quite to the stage of regret, if anything it tends to be the other way around for me and I regret spending in other areas, like I recently bought a big TV (I'm also a gamer) and when I got it home the first thing I thought was "sheesh I could have bought a new doll for the cost of this!"

My friends / family don't really make negative comments, some friends are a bit creeped out by them but thats about it.
I have had a few comments from other people in the hobby which did kind of make me wonder what got their panties all in a bunch but I just let them stress about it on their own, like you said you are going to get people like that in all hobbies so as long as you are happy then why worry about other people?


TL;DR
Yes I stress but no I don't regret it

 

• the rarity of certain sculpts and how difficult it can be to buy the one you've fallen for
  For me, this is so troublesome. But I don't regret coming in the hobby just because a certain very limited doll is released. I get frustrated mostly over the prices. That is a lot of money, and I know that you can get your dream doll on the second hand market, but still, it's a hard work and will be expensive. But that is a part of the hobby I think
  
  
• how easy it is to scratch a face-up, break a finger, rip limited clothes, or otherwise damage a BJD vs. the difficulty of getting replacements
  You can always fix things like that. One of my boys got a damaged face up and my friend fixed it for me, parts break and you find ways to fix it. Even if you just want to cry and scream when it happens, but once again, it's a part of the hobby
  
  
• the high cost of dolls and accessories putting a strain on your wallet
  This is the thing I have the most problem with really. Lots of money. But I could spend money on worse things... and it's a hobby, and I try not to think of it... but Yes, I would have so much money on my hands if I didn't come into this hobby =/
  
  
• the difficulty of face-ups or modding, and failed attempts causing stress - "I'll never be any good!"
  No not really, if you have a bad temper of don't patience to practise on things, maybe dolls is a bad hobby to be in I know I have a bad temper and have no patience, and that is why I at times don't go near my dolls... But if you gonna be good at something, you need practise, no matter what hobby it is
  
  
• negative reactions from family and friends (bullying from non-doll fans)
  Not really no.
  
  
• unfortunate encounters at doll meets or online (bullying from doll fans)
  Well, even if I could think "If I never was in this hobby I would not have met his or her..." But then... I would not have met all the other great people in this hobby either. You have to take the jerks with the good people, and don't care to much for the jerks

​

 

I've regretted it- when people look at me like I'm crazy for having my dolls, and when I don't have time to devote to my bjd-related projects, and when I think about how much money I could have saved if I hadn't ever heard of it, I definitely regretted it. However, even though I've thought about it, I'm not going to just sell all my dolls and quit the hobby tomorrow. I've already invested the money, time, and attention to get this far, and I've developed a bunch of hobbies I might not otherwise have had, and I'm learning to be stronger when it comes to what other people think or perceive about me, so for the time being, even thought I may have had a lot of other things, I'm glad I found BJDs and they make me happy. Hopefully, that will be the case for a long time to come.

 

I haven't regretted buying my doll, but I have regretted letting non-doll people know about it, as that just opens you up to "that's so creepy" comments. A hobby isn't very fun when you feel the need to be secretive about it.

 

I've never regretted getting into the hobby. I've met some wonderful friends online and in real life, gone to places I would never have been otherwise, found out interesting bits of knowledge about Asian culture, and tried some new creative things. I've regretted a few purchases I made, and occasionally there is some online dispute that I wish I hadn't been involved in, but the pros far outweigh the cons.

 

Hmms....Well it depends on my mood certainly -_-
I never regretted getting into this hobby but I only regret about a step slower or over expenditure :/
doll bullying..well,bullies are all around the world~_~ Treat them as an invisible wall and the world will be so great with my boys around
Now I'm experiencing a hard time trying to get my piggy bank back to its' original state before I stepped into the hobby,thankfully,I don't have any financial issues right on,so I can take my time to do it.
Well,the pros that this hobby got me is definitely making me to learn to spend instead of saving blankly~_~
Also I'm the youngest in my family,there's a pretty wide age gap between me and my siblings >: so it can sometimes be lonely to spend my freetime doing stuffs alone.I'm also a pretty indoor person,so my boys are here to accompany me ! That's definitely the greatest part of all ^_^. I enjoy dressing them up too

Cons :O...
Except pocket straining I think there's not much complains for me :X

 

While what I am feeling is not really regret... but more of an uncertainty I am feeling...
I would like to underline that most hobbies one have is bound to be questioned at least once.

(long rant like text ahead...)

The high cost of dolls and accessories putting a strain on your wallet.
"Have I spent THIS much on that stuff?!" Like I look around my room... The most expensive or valuable thing I got is my 200+ COPIC markers. NOT my HD TV...
Sure, the value of things such as TVs goes down every now and then as new technology comes along... But so much money spent on marker pens..?
It does make you feel a bit bad at times.
Same with these dolls.
Though I only just got my first one, I am feeling a sort of uncertainty... "Was it right to buy it?"
I could have spent that money on art supplies - in which I could improve and actually do something..!
But that is just my own ranting...

Negative reactions from family and friends (bullying from non-doll fans)
I stressed about this before deciding to get a doll and such… Now that I have one, at least from my family side, I have not had a single comment about her. I know that my younger brother has seen her, mom might have too. But they have not said a thing. To be honest, that I am a bit disappointed by now. I would not like to hear constant “you should not play with and spend money on dolls!” (I am old enough to be in charge of my own money though), but to know where they stand would be nice… I think. But this is not really the point of the topic at hand…

The difficulty of face-ups or modding, and failed attempts causing stress - "I'll never be any good!"
Another thingI stressed about this a bit before I tried..! I felt so overwhelmed by the task at a time.
But since my first face-up was a success - not perfect-awesome-godly-quality, it is good enough for me (not having seen a pro face-up in person either...).
But regret is not the issue at all here!
Yes... I believe that removing face-ups constantly or such will damage the doll a bit, but I felt that the face-up was what I felt the most happy about. I wish I could do more, like, get new dolls just to do the face-up, so that I at least feel that I get to do something with them and get a feeling of achievement at the same time.

I do not know if it is because I am feeling down, depressed, alone/left out and generally bored that I feel that my doll is rather pointless... Since life feels... rather pointless...

I just do not see what I should do from now on...
She is so very beautiful to look at though, I do not deny that. But is that all?
I wish I had something to do with her... Sewing, yes, I should actually get around trying that... But of the list I have with stuff one can do with a doll, none really speaks to me...

"Have I not bonded with the doll perhaps?", "Should I get more/another one?", "Should I get in contact with another BJD owner to fuel the interest?", "Should I redo her/change her character?"
Those thoughts are all part of my uncertainty. But it is not regret.
It might just be too early for me to say anything about regret when I do not feel like someone who is even in the hobby that much. But I thought I would share my thoughts, er, wall o’text anyway.

 

I have enjoyed this hobby and if you ask, what are the regrets that I have for this hobby, I would say, I regretted that I have discover this hobby later and honestly no offence, I'm quite envious of those who are younger than myself, owns and knows about BJD so much more than me >___<

 

I regret getting back into the hobby often. I ignored dolls completely for over 2 years and decided to buy just one more to celebrate my graduation. Unfortunately, the "just one" turned into like 15. My regrets are usually fairly short-lived though! Anyway, answering the questions:

The rarity of certain sculpts and how difficult it can be to buy the one you've fallen for

This doesn't really bother me. I like so many sculpts that not being able to get a few I really like isn't a concern.

how easy it is to scratch a face-up, break a finger, rip limited clothes, or otherwise damage a BJD vs. the difficulty of getting replacements
This one bothers me, and I don't really do very much with my dolls partially because I worry about damaging them.

the high cost of dolls and accessories putting a strain on your wallet
Well, this probably bothers everyone, but at least these dolls/accessories have some resale value. Though dolls generally depreciate somewhat, it's not a rapid as electronics or furniture/home accessories.

the difficulty of face-ups or modding, and failed attempts causing stress - "I'll never be any good!"

I started doing face-ups out of curiosity for the process and I'm a complete utter failure at them--but it doesn't bother me! It makes me feel better about all the money I've paid others to do them and it gives me more appreciation for skilled face-up artists.

negative reactions from family and friends (bullying from non-doll fans)
I haven't shown my dolls to anyone who would be negative.

unfortunate encounters at doll meets or online (bullying from doll fans)
I've never went to a meet and online people are generally nice.

etc.Another thing that bothers me about the hobby is that it's a reminder that I'm not creative--I can't sew, do face-ups, take good pictures, use photo editing programs, write photostories, or even make up backgrounds for the dolls. I don't have "characters" like most people seem to have. I think I might enjoy the dolls more if I saw them as more than pretty room accessories. Of course, this could be more due to laziness than lack of creativity.

 

Im waiting on my first one to arrive and but I collect other dolls and the money issues is a big one but other than that I love my dolls and dressing them up. Unfortunately I dont sew or do face ups so its more money for me.

 

personally, the only part I regret about getting into the hobby is the people. Either elitists, saying recasts are like supporting rape, the huge debates over stupid toys, it get's ridiculous.

 

So much.


So, SO much… When I first got into BJDs I went a little bitnuts… I bought my first doll and it was like an avalanche happened, the nextthing I knew I had six of them on my hands and –nothing- was working out forme. Since then it seemed like the moreeffort I was putting into the hobby, the more frustrated I became. I went through all six of those sculpts andonly one of them remains with me today, a completely different character thanshe’d started out.

I tried moving to tinies- Oh I love the little devils. I hadextraordinary plans for a set of minis… That likewise ended in heartbreak.

The sheer amount of money spent on wigs that didn’t fit-eyes that just weren’t right and clothes that were five sizes too small left mepulling my hair and venting my frustrations to my roommate.

By the time I received my Asa I was completely ready tothrow in the towel- I hated her, the sculpt I’d been wanting so badly – the onewho I thought would be perfect- just another new headache that didn’t work nomatter what I tried for her. I was ready to ship my JID’s back to MO and justcall it quits. Looking back on the money I’d spent, the hours that had beenwasted trying to make something- anything- work… I couldn’t see what I possiblyhad to gain from this mess.

And yet, my SD girl seemed to prove all of that wrong. She was exactly right- her eyes, her wig, herfaceup delightful and even if she couldn’t pose very well (she’s quite fond ofsitting in a particularly graceful heap) she was still everything I could wantin a doll.

Getting my Priscilla only added to the hope that maybe, justmaybe I’d be able to find a way to make things work out, and while I may stillget frustrated from time to time (Iplehouse! So hard to dress!) or lament thelost possibilities (and funds…ugh.) it has definitely made me give much morethought into each aspect of a doll I intend to purchase.

I’m sure there will still be days when I want to throw myhands up and declare ‘That’s it! I QUIT!’ but hopefully they’ll be few and farbetween… And if nothing else, I can always look at Vadoma and remember thatsometimes, some things can go completely right.

 

I am fairly new to the hobby but so far the only thing I regret is the first few dolls I bought. They are OT and not as expensive as most of the others but once I saw the 'real" BJD's, I regret spending any money on these.
I do get some comments from friends and family that they are creepy and they laugh that I am playing with dolls, but I just say so what, I like them and it is a hobby like anyone elses.