So... what do they do?

I... actually have never gotten these questions about my dolls. Which is weird, because I've gotten the money question and the 'you could have bought x' question about some of my other collections and hobbies. I'm not sure if it is wry-headshaking behind my back, but my family and friends just kind of accept my dolls, even if they don't understand them. I think it's because they see them as a creative outlet for me, and how they link into some of the other things I do like write and draw. Mum is particularly supportive - she sticks her head in quite frequently when I'm doing a new faceup to see what's going on, and comment on whether or not it's a 'good one' or if it needs more work in some area that I hadn't thought about.

 

What did you buy that for? Because it's beautiful to look at and I wanted it. You know how I like looking at pretty things.
How much was it? Expensive but cheaper than fixing that car of yours, or any one of those stock which has deflated into worthless pieces of paper by now.
What does it do though? It's a doll. What do you think it does?
What are you going to do with it? I'm going to dress it up, paint its face, put it in a nice setting and take pictures, and draw stories based on it. It will satisfy 5 of my interests. Fashion, painting, window design, photography, drawing. That's 5 in 1. Cool huh?
You could have bought a ..... for that amount of money! Yeah so? What am I going to do with ....? I don't need it. I need this.

 

"What are you going to do with it" is one I get a lot. People don't seem to understand that these pieces of expensive plastic make me happy. Some people spend money on trips. Some on cars or fashion. Just because I cant wear or eat my dolls some people figure they are pointless

 

I hate getting these questions! If it was from someone that was genuinely curious then I don't think that I would mind much but I always get it from people who have no business asking and are rude too.

What did you buy that for?
The same reason you bought your new *insert unnecessary item here* , because I felt like it and I could.

How much was it?
Here it really depends on the person as I have gotten genuinely curious people as well as the rude one.
Genuinely curious: There is a wide variety of different companies though and prices do vary from company to company and between sizes and whether or not the doll is limited. This particular one was a standard and at the time she was $700, she's discontinued now so her price varies on the secondhand market, usually between $400-$800. The clothes, shoes, spare parts, ect don't come with her and those vary in price depending on where you order from. A lot of companies also charge extra for a face-up, KIPS, eyes, wig, clothes while others include all that in the base price.
Rude people: why does that matter (to you)?

What does it do though?
It does the same thing your new *insert item here* does, bring happiness (and look pretty).

What are you going to do with it?
Dress her up, take pictures, make her sit next to me while I'm working on other stuff.

You could have bought a ..... for that amount of money!
Yes, I could have bought that just like I could have spent it on alcohol and partying but it's my money and I much prefer these dolls.

 

When I was really getting into BJDs and starting my collection early this year, I told one of my friends about them. I'm pretty sure she's the kind of person who never liked dolls, even when she was a kid. So I started talking about this articulated doll and she gave me a blank stare. So I just kept talking and explained about how you can customize a doll's faceup, eyes, wig, etc., and how there's this huge worldwide artisan community making clothing, shoes, and props for them. My friend's expression suddenly softened and she said, "Oh, so it's an ART doll!"

I thought that was such an interesting perspective, probably because I've always considered ALL my dolls to be art, even the ones I had when I was little! Maybe in today's world of throwaway consumables, people just need to be reminded that collections -- whether dolls, action figures, Pokemon cards, Beanie Babies, or zillion-dollar oil paintings -- can be a form of art.

I sometimes use the "art doll" terminology when I'm explaining BJDs to people who have never heard of them and do not collect anything themselves. In fact, I think I'm going to start talking about every aspect of my life as a type of unique art form, just to see where that gets me.

 

I love these answers, especially from my fellow ozzies... that's just what I say.... wtf business is it of yours.....
If you tried to explain beauty and art, you'd be wasting your time.... better to keep it for you

 

Thankfully people don't ask! They do however like to nosey at what I do with my dolls, but then again I keep leaving bits all over the place and can be found in the garden wildly shaking sealant cans!!!! I don't think anyone I know would tell me that it is a waste of time or money as they all have their own interests and hobbies and they appreciate that I get a lot of enjoyment out of my dolls

 

Ooo, this topic is fun. I've been in the hobby for a while, so I've encountered many of these questions/comments.

Here are my usual replies:

What did you buy that for?
They're pretty and they make me happy. It's my hobby, and they give me plenty of things to do.

How much was it?
I don't think you'd want to know. OR Try guessing.
If they keep pushing:
They range anywhere between several hundreds to a few thousand. (I'll just stop here unless they seem genuinely interested. Then I'll go on about the customization and stuff.)

What does it do though?
Nothing. It's what I do with them that matters. I like taking pictures of them, and making them look pretty.

What are you going to do with it?
Refer to my answer above.

You could have bought a ..... for that amount of money!
True. But did you travel lately? How much was that? You could've bought a [whatever that is] for that amount of money too!
If they retort with something like "That's different! I experienced blah blah blah":
Did you enjoy your trip? Well, I enjoy my dolls too. And on the plus side, I get to keep my dolls for years, your trips will come to an end eventually. And then you go home tired.

 

You Rock!

I've not had anyone ask me those questions. My brothers don't live with me and have never seen them, but would probably be ok with it. My parents died a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure they would love them. My parents were very supportive of other collections and hobbies I had.

My friends who have seen the dolls think they are fun. I even got one friend interested enough to become a collector herself.

The only negative comment was one of my room mates who thinks that anything coming from another country is going to be toxic (huh?). She's a little odd, to say the least.

What I spend money on is nobody's business, and therefore I don't tell anyone what I paid for them. The only way my best friend found out how much they cost, was when she wanted to get one of her own. She wasn't as shocked by the price as I thought she would be.

 

I have been asked those questions a million times xD all my family ask that when they first see my dolls. Also my friends asked that xD [MENTION=55590]quidam[/MENTION], I laught so hard at your answer, that's what I am going to say the next time they ask xD

What did you buy that for? I wanted to evolve creatively, have a shell for certain characters of my novels...
More sincerely, to people who I trust, I would say: I wanted to leave aside other hobbies that were hurting me.

How much was it? It depends on the size of the doll. And if they are asking for a certain doll: Not much, just a Christmas box xD

What does it do though? Not too much for themselves, that would be creepy xD What I can make with them is what matters. I can give life to my dreams with them.

What are you going to do with it? Everything I want to do. Make photo-stories, take pictures, learn to sew new clothes, draw them...

You could have bought a ..... for that amount of money! Yeah, but I chose to buy it. I could have spent it on parties, alcohol, drugs... but I prefer to stay home and play with dollies ^w^

 

If I feel like teasing them or they're being condescending, I answer like so.
What did you buy that for?
'Cause I wanted it.
How much was it?
I used to have two kidneys.
What does it do though?
It keeps me up at night with it's maniacal laughter and creaking joints.
What are you going to do with it?
Lewd things.
You could have bought a ..... for that amount of money!
I could've bought a lot of things with that money, yes. But I didn't.

But for the genuinely curious I try to give actual responses.

What did you buy that for?
Because the idea of a 4/10th's of an inch short of being 2 feet tall- doll amused me and I thought it'd be awesome to own one.
How much was it?
A little bit more than a higher ranged GPU but less than what my kidney is probably worth. I'd honestly rather not say the exact total unless you're considering getting one of your own. I still suffer sticker shock when I think about it for too long.
What does it do though?
It poses and looks pretty and serves as a physical incarnation of my imagination.
If Danny Choo ever makes good on those 1/3rd sized smart dolls I can buy one and gut it for the parts and stuff it into my doll here and go Chobits up in here. But until that happens yeah it's just really pretty to look at and make stuff for.
What are you going to do with it?
I like having it sit on the edge of my computer desk while I'm on the internet. I'm also going to take a lot of photographs and make a photobook.
You could have bought a ..... for that amount of money!
I could've became a doctor and saved lives, too. I could've won the lottery. I could've died loads of times where luck saved my butt instead. I could have done a lot of things. I don't like to dwell on could. I prefer to move on with what I have.

 

Why do some people go out of their way to spend thousands of dollars on a signed baseball? Because it's worth something to them. It's part of their hobby. Thus few people question it.
Same goes for dolls in my opinion. You can buy a limited doll and sell it because it's worth something. Or you can keep it because it's worth something to you personally.
To me their works of art you can grow upon freely. Someone somewhere sat down and sculpted for hours. Made sure balance was perfect, molded it and made a few for the world.
A work of art for you to express yourself with as you please.
Sure it might not protect you from the next apocalypse if you believe there will be one. But in the moment it's perfect.

 

I've never really had to answer for it... but I rarely share it around that I collect them either. Not for shame so much as it doesn't occur to me to talk about it with someone who couldn't carry on their end of the conversation because it's not interesting to them. So they end up asking annoying questions.

What did you buy that for? Because I wanted it.
How much was it? Less than my smart phone and my husband's video game collection.
What does it do though? Looks pretty.
What are you going to do with it? Put in on my shelf and take fun pictures to share.
You could have bought a ..... for that amount of money! I already have everything I need. I really don't feel I'm missing out.

 

Every last question my boyfriend asked me when I bought my first doll lol. He still says the last one. "You could get an led hula hoop for the same price as that doll you want". Which is very true and I do want the hula hoop but I don't feel as capable of making use of it in a house where I am kind of locked away in my room. x.x But yeah I get this all the time. Answers usually are:
"I want it"
"This one is $$$"
"It fuels my imagination and thinks about killing you in your sleep. jk but it does fuel my creative needs"
"All the things.... ALL.... of the things... every last thing"
"Or you could just buy it for me and I can buy the doll. No? Oh well looks like I'm just getting the doll. Offer still stands if you change your mind"

 

I usually respond with something like: "It's a hobby. Just as you like to spend money and time on 'X' when you're not working, so am I. Only for me it's these dolls. Yes I could've spend it on a trip to Hawaii, but I don't want to go to Hawaii, I want to have this doll, because it will last a lifetime."

Truth be told, it does make it easier for me that most people who ask me these questions know what my job is. Nobody tells me how they are 'so insaaaanely expensive', as that would inadvertently insult me as well .

 

What did you buy that for? For having fun, that's their only purpose.
How much was it? To me, they are worth every single cent. If it were jewels, it would be acceptable? But equally useless.
What does it do though? With me, they have to suffer a lot. Getting holes in their body, limbs cut apart...all for the sake of experimenting on their mobility. They are quite happy if they get only their nose sanded. And the guys are so pleased when I have finished a new piece of their wardrobe of if they do not have to run around bald any longer. Shortly, they are my creative outlet.
What are you going to do with it? Learning how to take really cool pics.
You could have bought a ..... for that amount of money! Yeah, I know. A whole car. But what do I do with two of them? Take group pictures? But it is cool having herds of dolls!