Second thoughts about the hobby

- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby? Yes, a few times actually

- For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters? Im not sure if this is what your asking but I have a character, made him MSD because hes shorter then the other character I made. But MSD was just WAY too short and I really hated it. So I sold him =___=".

- What made you have these second thoughts? Its not the dolls. Its actually some of the doll owners >>;;;. Some are a bit.. umm.. too odd for me. I know I can be very odd but not the same way. Like, for example, I know some1 whom is a full grown adult and likes to basically do rape stories and pedofile stuff and augh it just made me really not want to be apart of the BJD world if its just another way for sick people to get off. BUT I know *most* doll owners arnt like this. Also, the level of cockiness some people get.. like seriously? Augh people need to learn to relax about stuff.

- What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby? Well, in the end, I love my dolls. They make me smile and I love their characters. Its a really fun hobby too for people whom like sewing . Its great being able to be able to hold character you made up in story .

 

I've always had second thoughts about the hobby. When I met my girlfriend, I wasn't really put off, but more interested then anything else. As time went by, Line (gf's MSD - I'm glad I'm getting the acronyms finally right) grew on me and I wanted to have my own. Being a guy I really had a lot of second thought type moments because when I would hang out with my friend they would do the whole 'bleh' about me getting dolls.

What was the main cause of all the jumbled mess in my head was what people would think of me. I was always nervous to tell people at work I was into manga or really into gaming because I would be shunned for not 'acting my age' (I thought all 22 year olds were into reading manga). So yeah tacking on the interest in asian ball jionted dolls would definite let me keep it kinda of secret, but I kind of got over it. I like spending time trying to work on Line and do some reasearh on how they're made and the different molds. Kinda makes me wanna really get into it and buy like a crap load of'em XP.

Sorry if I didn't answer you question or the rand rant I just did, but I hope I most of the topic XP.

PS. - sorry about the spelling.

 

- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby? Ohhhhh yes, quite often.

- For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters? I have characters who I have in my head that I want my dolls to be like - I haven't written a story to go with them (I did once, but I just couldn't deal with having to stick to it, and the dolls I had planned for it I lost interest in) But I do have characters that I want them to fit. My only current doll is a PukiPuki Flora, called Porridge, and she is a House Faerie. Before I got her, I wanted her to be a House Faerie, and when she arrived she was just what I wanted. Before I got her (my partner bought her for me as an extra and belated birthday gift) I had realised I had gotten myself into a mess with a company who is taking ages to produce and send dolls (6months wait at the moment, the advertised one is 5-6 weeks) and I was really angry, and wanted to quit altogether, and get my money back. But once Porridge arrived, I realised that I had to have the two that I had, because of all the short story parts I had written them into. For me, I do have a lot of focus on Porridge at the moment, rather than the story, but I think it is because all the story parts in my head have her interacting with the other characters.

- What made you have these second thoughts? For me, definitely the money side of things was a big issue. I live in New Zealand, and the exchange rate means that for me I am paying almost double the advertised price. So if I see a doll for $150 that I want, I have to save $300 to make sure I have enough for the doll and shipping, and incase the exchange rate changes. I also find it very hard to deal with some of the other doll owners I have come into contact with, because they were just not my kind of people, or they were really brash or rude. Customer service from companies is also a biggie for me. I have the company I am currently dealing with waiting forever for my dolls, another I asked a question about a doll, and they placed an order for me and it took repetitive emails to tell them to cancel it as I had asked a question about sizing, not asking to order. It seems like such a strain to deal with some companies, and often I really like the dolls from companies that seem to have appauling CS!!

- What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby? Now that I have Porridge, I know that I cannot give up on this hobby. I have a myriad of various, and several severe, mood disorders and mental issues, and she really makes things easier for me a lot of the time. I have also had so many really good experiences with some companies - two of which will be getting orders from me once I have saved enough!
And following that, I have made a lot of new friends from this hobby, especially through DoA, and that makes me smile!

 

- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby?
Even though I haven't been in the hoby for a very long time, yes, several times.

- What made you have these second thoughts?
The financial side of them. They are expensive and being a student means a new doll is a very noticable chunk of money gone, a chunk that could have gone on other things. Saving for and buying them required quite a financial sacrifice.

- What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?
With all the sacrifices that were made, other things have made up for that (discovering the area I live in has alot of other collectors was a massive bonus) and I feel better off for getting my dolls. Even with the odd 'oh god I can't believe spent $500 on a doll' days, I generaly feel they are worth every penny spent on them.

 

- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby?
I don't even have my first doll yet, but yes I have, im worried that i'll fall out of it when she arrives.

- What made you have these second thoughts?
Posts of other people opening their dolls and just not liking them, the amount of people who quit the hobby, I don't want to come out of the BJD hobby. The money issues too, being a student and all, it's hard to earn the money for them. Possible theft if somebody saw me with my doll (when she arrives) and thought "Ooh a pretty doll! I want it!" and decided to take her from me. I get attached to things very easily, plus the fact that she would've cost so much, i'd be devastated. Also the area I live in isn't the safest of places.

-What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?
Well, technically im not in it yet, but I think I decided to get my very own BJD because i've wanted one for such and long time and saved for it for a long time. I just know that i'll be thrilled when she arrives, I certainly won't take my eyes off her if I take her out. Also I feel that BJDs are worth what they are, owners with BJDs give them their own little worlds and lives, whereas a barbie collector doesnt really interact with a barbie the same way a BJD owner interacts with their doll. BJDs can be a companion almost. Some people talk to their BJDs, some people put them to bed and all BJD owners love their dolls. I don't think any other type of doll shares that kind of relationship with an owner for a long time like BJDs do. A barbie might be special for a while, until a new one comes out, but BJDs stay special to the owner for a very long time.
(I have nothing against barbies and barbie collectors, but I just dont see the same love and affection given to them as BJD owners give to BJDs.)
Sorry for rambling on there >.<

 

Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby?

Not about the hobby as such, but, as someone commented earlier I have had some major second thoughts about DOA. I always come back because the majority of people on here are lovely and there's such a wealth of information.

For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters?

I think I'm now going for a happy medium between pre-existing characters and allowing the dolls to dictate what they are best suited to be.

What made you have these second thoughts?

Just that as a middle aged person I have gotten to a place where I don't really suffer fools that gladly and coming on here can sometimes feel like opening the floodgates to people I really don't want to meet or hear from. There are some who have really dictatorial views on dolls and think that everyone should approach the hobby the way they do. They also tend to be the ones who love to retort to any opposing comments and hog discussions/debates... then I remember the DOLLS, that's why I'm here to learn about the dolls

What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?

Because I go and look at my beautiful dolls and remember how much I love them and how much fun I have making things for and with them and remember that on here at least I have met some really nice people who share my passion, and how easy it is to drown out the loudly clanging empty vessels by turning off the Mac!

 

I seem to have second thoughts about the doll hobby daily, mostly because of money issues. The fact that most of the things I want are extremely hard to get doesn't help keep me very involved in the hobby either. What has kept me in the hobby so far is how badly I want to have the feeling of little doll twins again.

When I entered the hobby, I blew $2,500 within a month, I went right out and bought two very expensive dolls and a handful of expensive accessories. Then I ended up very disappointed in the size of doll I'd chosen, which certainly put a sour taste in my mouth on this hobby. A lot of things in this hobby are big gambles and I'm not really the gambling type... When buying a doll second-hand, you never really know if you will be screwed out of hundreds of dollars or not. When buying from a company you never really know if they're exaggerating their product or not. Knowing all of this and knowing that 90% of items in the hobby are limited edition items, it sometimes makes me question my sanity for ever getting involved. When you look at it with an outside eye, you really kind of gap at the whole prospect.

That and the fact I can come up with things I could be spending the money on that wouldn't be such a gamble, yet are still luxuries. Like getting my hair permanently straightened, replacing my dying computer fan, buying new shoes for myself instead of dolls since mine are getting worn out, things to that effect. When you have limited funds and are torn between doll items and other items, it can be quite frustrating that when doll items end up the winner, you get screwed out of more money than you had originally thought (meaning in the case of buying a doll, finding out you don't like it, putting it up for sale and taking a huuuge lose). All the while you're asking yourself, 'Why did I choose doll items? Why do I always choose doll items when I have such a bad track record? Why don't I just dump this hobby all together?'.

Those are the second thoughts which come to mind for me daily. At this point, I still might leave the hobby. I'm going to give it one last chance with YoSDs, if those don't strike my fancy I know nothing will and I will give up and move on with my life like the average person. Who knows? Maybe if I broke even a little more often in this hobby I might think differently. But at this point, a lot of the hobby for me has been disappointment and a money pit that weighs heavily on my conscience, if that is all the hobby will ever be for me it will be tossed aside; I think that is true for a lot of people who leave the hobby.

 

- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby?
Yep! Quite a few, actually.

- For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters?
Not... Particularly, but it sort of feels like the character I bought the doll for isn't really there, and it sort of developed it's own character. Hard to explain. What I was expecting when she got here and what I got was different, but not disappointing. So, I don't think of it as a mistake.

- What made you have these second thoughts?
Discouragement. When a project falls through (sewing or otherwise) or things just don't go the way I'd planned, I get upset and refuse to try again for awhile.

That and spending money I could be using on other things. For instance, a nice laptop or a "get out of debt free" card (student loans). At the time since I'm still in college, my loans aren't collecting interest and I put back from every paycheck no matter what, so this isn't as bad.

- What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?
Realizing how silly it is to get upset over the little things. My art teacher used to quote a famous man by saying "It's not that you've failed at making a piece of pottery. You just learned another way not to make one." and I do my best to remember that in everything I do.

And as for the money thing, my boyfriend helps me with that. He tells me that I'm old enough to decide what to do with my money, and I'm still putting back for the loan anyways, so there's nothing I should feel guilty about. That helps me a lot.

 

- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby?
A couple of times, yes. This, however, was not connected to the doll-owning - rather to hanging out on several doll-related web-sites.
- For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake?
We all make mistakes. Sometimes they're tiny, sometimes they cost a small fortune. In my case there was a character for whom I found a doll and originally though that she was the most suitable one. But as I worked on the doll I became more and more certain that the character needed another "avatar". As I still adore the sculpt, I keep the doll, buy her clothes, shoes etc. It's just that she no longer represents the character I had in mind for her and I need to save money to buy another doll that would be much more suitable >_<
- What made you have these second thoughts?
There were several reasons. For one, I have never spent so much time in the Internet, and the way I was becoming addicted to it unnerved me.
Then, there were a couple of scandals in another BJD-community (thank Goodness DoA remains a nice place to visit and people do try to be kind to each other ^__^) that got people discouraged from joining the BJD hobby.
Also, one of my friends became really discouraging when I wanted to talk about BJDs (she owns one, but I still feel uneasy at times), which made me quite sad as she was the only person IRL I could share my love of dolls with. Now that my sister is seemingly also interested in the hobby this is not an issue anymore.
- What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?
Just a side-note: me leaving the hobby would simply mean that I would stop visiting such websites as DoA and buy new dolls. This would never mean me selling the dolls I already have or writing farewell messages.
There is just a lot that I personally adore within the hobby. The possibility to grow and evolve as a photographer is definitely one thing. They are the reason why I travel to all sorts of places along the coast, taking photos, looking for nice photography spots.
There are also great people I have met here and I do believe that by staying a while longer I could be meeting even more.
Naturally, I also love my dolls and I see quite a few more sculpts that I could get home.

 

I'm feeling what Rikka_Mika is saying about the hobby. I'm quite frustrated at times about this hobby because I know the money I've been spending on these dolls can be used towards other luxuries or even more practical wants like a $200 Sonicare toothbrush to maintain oral hygiene, etc.

- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby? What made you have these second thoughts?
I've had plenty that I believe second thoughts about this hobby. Mainly concerns are the money and the risks that you take by investing not only your money but also your time into buying/play with these dolls. For example, I had my first SD10 girl around a year ago or so and I couldn't bond with her at all. Then I had to go through a process of selling her. As she wasn't a popular mold, it took quite a while to adopt her out. It's these situations that I'm starting to get tired of. Whether or not I'm going to really enjoy the doll when it gets here. I know I can do as much research and look up every photo that an owner has but you never really know until the doll is in your hands. Another factor is also the hassle of maintenance or worrying that the faceup is going to chip or whether my doll is dressed as well as it should.

- For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters?
I usually create the character after I get my doll.

- What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?
I think what changed my mind was the fact that these dolls were very captivating, and the comfort that sometimes dolls can bring to you.

 

- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby? I haven't ever had second thoughts about the dolls. Like some others have mentioned, I have been put off by some of the other people who collect dolls. But it doesn't change how I feel about my dolls.

- For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters? Hmm. I don't know if I can answer this question or not. I have, kindof a cosplay doll, I guess. Which is kinda like a character doll, I suppose. But I still love her as a character and a doll. She was my first doll. I would never think of her as a mistake. She's still a dream to me. : )

- What made you have these second thoughts? Like I said, sometimes people have gotten on my nerves. But that's just people being people, nobody ever 100% agrees with everybody. It has nothing to do with my dolls, though.

- What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby? Because in the end, it doesn't matter what other people think or say.

 

It really is easier just to use the search function. These 4 threads may help you find some perspective.

Relief
Leaving
Losing Interest
Finding Time

As for the OP...
- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby?
Nope. I'm pretty darn clear about who I am, what I want, and where I stand in this hobby. I did extensive research and educated myself before leaping in the deep end. And I always exercise self control when it comes to dolls, so I don't find myself in a financial hole. 8Y Not everyone goes through life the way I do though, so I can understand others if they leave. If anything, I'd leave the forums, not the hobby.

- For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters?
Not at all. My characters have actually developed further, as I think more often about my dolls and characters than I did before. I'm very aware that the character and the doll are separate entities. Sometimes it's easy to blend them together, but if the line is drawn I wouldn't worry too much about crossing it.

- What made you have these second thoughts?
8/ About leaving the forums? Oh same old same old. Rudeness, disrespectful attitudes, immaturity.. I don't care for it much at all. Generally I flit in and out of DoA for news and markets. Sometimes I see things that really have not been warranted, and the ball of drama rolls bigger and bigger. Then I just close my browser =u= b

 

- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby?

God, yes. Not about owning dolls--I would never, ever give up dolls themselves. But participating in online doll forums? Yes, I've sometimes considered getting the hell away from doll boards for good.

- For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters?

Most of my dolls are based on characters I've created. Chae-ri, my newest, is based on an old RP/fanfic character, although she's not exactly like the old character. Megumi was different from my other dolls in that I didn't conceive of her character until I actually had the doll in hand. My main problem with having one doll as my "favorite" is that I get bored very easily. I don't have that problem with Chae-ri because I can change her wig, her eyes, her face-up, and make her look completely different.

- What made you have these second thoughts?

Mostly...I hate to say it, but I've encountered several people on various forums (not mentioning any here) that were, to put it bluntly, snobs. If your doll didn't cost a lot of money, or if you didn't spend hundreds of dollars on their wardrobe, clothes, etc., you weren't "serious" about the hobby. I actually saw a post from someone that said basically "If you aren't willing to go hungry in order to spend money on a doll, you're not REALLY into BJDs." No, it wasn't here. No, I won't tell you where I saw it. That, to me, is where collection slides over into dangerous obsession--and, thankfully, that attitude is quite rare. But at the time it did give me considerable pause. Why should anyone have to justify how much or how little they spend on a doll?

- What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?

Basically, I love dolls--of all kinds, including BJDs. I love reading about them, I love talking about them, I love seeing pretty pictures of them, and I love admiring a doll I know I'll never be able to afford. I've taken breaks from forum posting (I've spent months lurking here and there), but I've never left completely. Doll hobbyists in general and BJD hobbyists in particular are wonderful, imaginative, creative, and fun people to be around. I'm proud to count myself among them.

 

Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby?

Sometimes, I think I spend too much time online and too much money on dolls.

For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters?

I typically fall in love with the doll's face, then make up a character for them afterward.


What made you have these second thoughts?

I'm a little put off by the way some people behave. I collect dolls for fun. I don't like being around people who take the fun out of it by being rude or quarrelsome. Online, I can just go somewhere else, but in person it's a little more difficult.


What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?

I avoid the people who irritate me and either play with my dolls by myself or spend time with the people in the hobby that I like, either online or in person. Most people are wonderful and fun to hang around with.

 

My only second thoughts have ever been about the total cost, because not only am I personally going broke, but my family is going from middle-middle class to lower-middle class, and we can't afford ANYTHING. But because of my mental illness, I am very unstable, and my dolls give me something that nothing else can. They are the only thing in the world that can always comfort me, and I literally NEED them. Screw the money, I NEED my dolls.

 

As someone who is technically not a doll owner at the moment but is and has been heavily invested in the hobby for several years...

- Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby?
No. I knew from the get-go that dolls are a big investment, they cost a lot of money and are only valuable to myself and my fellow collectors, and that it's an entirely ridiculous thing to play with dolls. Needless to say, I enjoy and will continue to enjoy it, though... I just don't get grand delusions that it will make me some sort of incredible artist, or it will open people's eyes to dolls, etc etc. I always knew that it would be expensive and that even though I might love my doll one day, if other priorities stepped up ahead of dolls demanding cash, I would liquidate my collection to accommodate it the next - which I have done several times.

- For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters?
Yes, I have many many characters, and not always does bringing a character to a doll work. In some cases it ruins the characters. In others, it does them great favor. In one case, I took a character who i was only moderately fond of but had the perfect doll for, slapped them together, and proceeded to enjoy about 4 years of that character, developing them further and liking them more. I eventually parted with him for personal reasons but I do not regret owning him.

- What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?
As I sort of "left" at the... end of last year, was it? I had figured I might not collect again for a long time though I never ever would like to leave the hobby entirely - I check the forums religiously and follow new companies and dolls. I plan on buying a doll again in the future, and hopefully getting back in to the hobby. My affection for BJDdom is derived from the simple act of owning and playing with the dolls, seeing characters I love realized, and accomplishing a look I wanted. I get very little, if any, satisfaction from community activities or socialization with other doll owners. I think it's cause I have a somewhat disrespectful love of the silly little toys we collect (I'll make fun of someone for playing with big resin barbies but I'll be damned if you don't find one in my wish list, if not in my home!).

 

Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby?

More, as others have said, on leaving the forum communities than the hobby. When I get to that point, I avoid the GD and Debate subforums (where most of my irritation begins) and start making things. You know, actually playing with my dollies. I've always enjoyed dolls and had a dollhouse once, when I was a kid. I still miss it (it got tossed out in a move), and I was fascinated with collecting tiny furniture and things to make sets with for the dolls I had, which were uber-cheap dollar store plastic things. So mainly, I've simply upgraded to cooler dolls.

For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters?

My Khorae is a character first, doll second, but as I roleplay her frequently, regardless of how much time I spend on her in dolly form, she gets her due in creativity. So no, I've no balance issues between the doll shell and the essence of the character. She's pleased with the shell, as am I, and I'm enjoying the process of making something physical and tangible for and on the doll, as opposed to my dissatisfaction with my drawings lately (my art is ok, but I wanna make something more touchable right now, so the dolls are great!).

What made you have these second thoughts?

Frankly, morons on the forums. Sometimes people say the most outrageous things and I just stare in disbelief. If it's in a debate or GD thread, I just don't bother with it any more. As for the dolls, I do despair on ever finding the money to buy them myself. I mean, I own two (technically three, but the third hasn't shipped yet), but they are all gifts. Don't get me wrong, I am over the moon with these presents! I just wonder if I'll ever be financially sound enough to buy the ones I'm eyeing or gift a doll back to my friends, to surprise them and repay their kindnesses (sorta, I mostly wanna see their faces ).

What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?

The internet is a wonderful thing. If I don't like something, I can click somewhere else and go on my merry way. And I love the dolls. It's very easy on such a big forum to ignore the sillyness and get the info and see the cool and inspirational things other owners come up with. If nothing cool and inspirational is there, I go on and make something to share with others. It helps that my roommate is a collector and infected her cousin, so I get dolls surrounding me all the time.
​

 

THIS!!!

Also:

Have you ever had second thoughts about the hobby? What made you have these second thoughts?

Not even a little bit. I've been collecting dolls of various types for a long time. I'm used to being the only person in my life who is into any one of my various interests (though I've also been known to 'recruit' people into my hobbies inadvertently. ). I discovered BJD's 2 or 3 years ago, & only recently got serious about buying one... & now i have one (from the MP) & another on the way (as soon as Iplehouse stops holding my boy for ransom that I've already paid in full! ). Kind of like VonBonBon & others have said, I'm into dolls because I'm into dolls, not because I want to be part of a certain crowd or 'fit in', or because I want to be 'weird' or different (which is the vibe I get from some people here & I will never never ever understand).

For those of you with characters before dolls; Have you ever thought it was a mistake? Or that the focus shifted too much to the dolls, and not enough on the characters?

Repeat: I'm into dolls because I'm into dolls, not for any other reason. I think that the characters & stories that some people have created for their dolls are cool, but my dolls barely get more than a name. I've started to sketch out basic personas for them, but this is mostly to give me a starting point in terms of their style/look when I'm thinking about what kind of faceup they need & what to get them when shopping for (or making) their clothes.

What made you change your mind and decide to stay in the hobby?

I've never considered it, & don't think I ever will. The closest I'd even get would be to stop visiting DoA as much, but then for every annoying jerk I come across, there are at least two really cool people, so I don't think that's likely, either.