taking out your dolls

I don't take my boy out but for photoshootings and then I use a big backpack. I don't like it if I always can use just one hand and arm. But if I take him outside especially older women are asking a lot of questions and make a lot of compliments. Teenagers and young grown-ups look strange. One time I took him with me to university - I wanted to win a bet xD' - and it's the smallest university in Germany I'm going too. I felt like a coloured dog ... one guy cried out when he saw Soji. He really was afraid of him!

 

I apologize if this sort of a thread has been posted already, if it has could you please redirect me?

I'll be honest, I've had a hard time wording this properly so here goes: is it acceptable to take your doll out to public places with you? I realize that some owners like to take pictures of their dolls and often do so in public places, but I mean this as just taking your doll with you without any real reason.

Like for example I once saw a girl with her doll at a concert. Does this mean it's okay to take your doll with you to the coffee shop or maybe even class? Sure sometimes owners take their dolls on vacation trips and I've heard of owners taking their dolls to conventions and markets, but what I'm asking is if it's okay to take your doll with you to places that aren't generally doll-heavy (often). Is it safe for your doll for you to be doing this? What are some of the physical damages that could result from this?

I love dolls and I personally feel that if you're willing to spend hundreds of dollars on something, you should enjoy it. At the same time, I'm not too sure when it would be crossing the boarder with playing your doll and mistreating it/unintentionally damaging it.

I hope I worded this right. Sorry if it's difficult to understand!

 

I dont think i would consider taking your doll anywhere mistreating it! Ive heard of lots of doll owners taking thier dolls places, you never know when a good photo opportunity could arise. Personally, im a bit shy/chicken when it comes to getting odd glances or having people ask me questions so I typically dont have them out in public, but i have snuck some dolls into the movies in my purse just for fun!
As far as class, i know lots of owners do this but i think it would be too distracting/cumbersome so i wouldnt without making sure it was ok in advance. Ive also heard horror stories. Not only can your doll lose things like shoes/magnetic parts/etc in public ive heard of dolls falling out of moving cars, being thrown over fences, etc. So basically whenever you take them out you have to accept the fact that something bad could always happen.

 

I think there is a thread addressing this issue already, but I sure couldn't find it (it's pre-coffee time for me). Of course it's "okay" to take your doll out and about. No dolly police officer is going to arrest you for taking your doll out to lunch! However, there are places where it may be inappropriate to bring dolls. School and work, for example. Unless it's an art class and you're using the doll as a model, but still clear it with your instructor first.

Be prepared for some funny looks, and also for curious folks asking questions about your doll. I've never had any rude people say anything nasty, but it can happen. Mostly though, people think they're lovely and want to know more about them. You'll want to make sure your doll is protected; if it's a tiny you can make a padded pouch for it to stash in your bag. Larger dolls need their own carrier. I prefer hard sided carriers that can stand to be banged around a bit during travel. Remember that all resin will yellow over time, and sun exposure & heat will hasten the process. Never leave a doll in a hot car and if you plan on taking it out in the sun quite a bit, you may want to consider spraying it with a UV protectant such a MSC UV cut (make sure it's safe for resin).

Common sense precautions like washing your hands after eating (especially greasy foods) and using good judgement when letting strangers hold your doll (an enchanted little old lady will likely handle your doll with great care; a pushy kid, not so much) will keep your doll safe. Buy some wig velcro to keep those pesky gusts of wind from making off with your doll's hair (wigs will roll in the wind like little tumble weeds and you'll look silly running after them, trust me) and keep a square of magic eraser handy for cleaning off any stray marks your doll may pick up while out in the wide world.

I'm a firm believer in people enjoying their dolls in whatever way they like, whether it's keeping them pristine in their boxes or hauling them all over town. So if you want to take your dolls out on the town, go ahead!

 

I don't see how it's maltreatment to bring a doll with you. From what I hear you'll be really careful with it. Just keep in mind that you'll be carrying an expensive item and it might get stolen.

There's nothing wrong with bringing a doll with you in public and many bjd-owners do. If you want to: i'd say go for it!

As for the damage that could come from taking a doll to a place other than your home: well, it's the same as the damage it could get from staying home. Your doll's fingers might break, it could get scratches, it might fall, be pushed off a table accidently etc.

Remember that most people don't really know anything about BJD's. When they see a doll, they think of baby-dolls you can buy for a few bucks in a toy store and so they might not handle yours as carefully as you'd like. So, part of your 'job' is to tell people the doll is fragile.

The chance of damage is not as bad as it sounds. When you use your common sense and you keep an eye on your doll, in most cases you can prevent any harm.

 

Honestly, it's "okay" to do whatever you want with your doll, as long as you aren't hurting people with it. :P

As far as what's acceptable in the community...that varies SO much from person to person that there is no right answer. There are doll owners that would be mortified to even consider being seen with a doll in public, and there are others that never leave home without one.

The main things you need to think about:
1. Keeping it safe. Do you have something to carry it in securely (bag, arms, whatever) so s/he won't get damaged?
2. Is it going to be a burden? If you will be very active and needing free hands a lot, will it be more hassle than fun?
3. Other people. People don't understand how expensive your doll is or why you have it out with you. They will ask questions, they will comment. In my experiences, most people are curious and will point or ask questions. Most are nice, but you do run into the idiots that jump and scream "Ew, it's Chucky". -eyeroll- Even if your doll looks NOTHING like Chucky, some people are just stupid...
4. Kids. they see a "toy", they want it, they grab. Make sure you don't leave him where sticky little fingers can run off with him or break him. From my experience, there are a lot more parents ignoring the situation or thinking you are overreacting than there are telling heir child not to touch.
5. Will you be okay carrying him all day? Dolls do get heavy (-has packed 2 SD boys all over many tourist sites-), so consider if you'll be able to handle the extra weight, or if you have somebody to help you. Leaving them in the car is really not a good open, especially in hot weather or high theft areas.


Overall, I enjoy taking my dolls out with me. the bad things that could happen are few and far between and I've had many more positive experiences than negative. It can be a lot of fun, it can get others interested in the hobby, it helps to have them around to checking scale when you randomly find cute tiny stuff, and interesting photo ops are often unexpected. I say go for it!

 

Besides what everyone else has already said, there are a LOT of threads on this general topic, covering many different angles. For instance (there are actually a bunch more threads about taking BJDs specific places, such as work or school/college, but these are the more general ones):
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?326023-taking-out-your-dolls
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?200001-Where-Do-You-Take-Your-Dolls
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?359245-Dolls-and-Malls-Take-um-or-not
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...ou-ve-ever-taken-your-doll-and-gotten-noticed
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...-your-limited-or-rare-dolls-out-of-your-house
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?395300-Never-taking-your-dolls-out-again
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...ere-anywhere-you-refuse-to-take-your-doll-why
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/s...-do-when-a-person-stares-at-you-and-your-doll
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?334825-Wanting-to-take-your-dolls-places-but-can-t
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?399117-When-You-Can-t-Take-Them-With-You-(

 

It's like taking your dog everywhere, just to keep you company.. sure it looks odd sometimes but if you feel fine I dont see the problem. I took my LTF with me to a bakery where I was painting some cakes, and she sat there with me and people passed by an looked but I did not care.

 

I take my dolls with me on trips. Sometimes they come with me to work, and sit at my desk. My coworkers seem to like them -- they bring toys over to keep them company!
Everyone treats their doll differently, though. I wouldn't take my doll out with me on a date, or on a hangout with friends or anything like that. I'm not that kind of collector. Even when it's me and D, (my roommate who also collects,) we decide way in advance if it's going to be a dolly outing, or if it's going to be a normal outing.
I've thought about bringing my dolls to concerts, as their characters are fans of some of the bands... for example, when I was thinking of seeing Big Bang in LA this year, I seriously considered bringing Niko (MNF Boy Ryeon) along for the trip. (He likes GD, of course.) But I'd be afraid of them breaking because of overzealous fans! Instead of seeing Big Bang, I'm going to visit family in Texas -- and I will definitely bring one of my resin babies along for the trip, there is no question about it.

 

It's your doll, so you get to do whatever you want with it. You don't need anyone's permission. You will probably get some extra attention whenever you have your doll with you. So if you're the type of person that doesn't want to answer questions about your doll from the people you encounter, leave your doll at home. Sorry, but I don't think there's any reason for debate on this. Just have fun, it's called play for a reason.

 

I would MUCH rather have somebody bring their doll into my local supermarket or restaurant than their dogs. It's currently the fashion for dog-owners in this city to flout all health & safety laws, bringing them everywhere including near other people's food items & clothing. Dolls don't have to worry about that!.. I would much rather be faced with a whole army of crazy doll ladies than to have to put up with one more Paris Hilton Chihuahua sneezing over the pile of organic oranges I was about to reach for.

 

As most have said, do whatever you want with your doll. A lot depends on your level of comfort at being stared at should you have your doll out in the open in public. I would, however, HIGHLY recommend taking them out in a padded carrier. The reason being that if you've got them in your arms and you trip or somebody bumps into you, you and your doll can end up on the ground. You heal. A doll won't.

I was carrying 2 of my dolls in their carrier while at a con this past May. It was a bright, sunny day, perfectly level sidewalk and I was wearing flat sandals (with good traction on the soles) firmly strapped to my feet. I tripped over... something and went down like a ton of bricks. My hands got scrapped up badly, I had a huge bruise on my chin from where it connected with the sidewalk and I severely sprained my wrist. But my dolls were perfectly fine because they were in a padded carrier with an extra blanket around them to keep them safe. Funny thing was, I'd thought about carrying them in my arms so I could stuff the items I'd bought at the doll market in the doll bag. I didn't have far to walk and I didn't want to be juggling the various packages. If I had carried my dolls in my arms I'm sure there would've been smashed resin all over the sidewalk.

 

Every time you want to ask a question beginning "Is it OK to...?", just remember, the answer is YES.

(Unless you were finishing that question with "buy a recast/con someone on the MP/scalp limited dolls etc" in which case the answer is NO.)

 

Hey! I live in Texas, too ~ and have taken my dolls (one at a time) out and about several times. I don't get the strange looks as much as in the past.....maybe because most everyone has a camera nowadays (on their phone, etc) ~ and are taking pix of all kinds of stuff.
Regardless, I have always have positive experiences with my doll in tow. Just expect curious spectators and sometimes questions about your doll. Sometimes I feel like a BJD spokesperson. (not everyone knows what they are ~ and many folks ask where they can buy one, so venture out and be prepared to share!)
HAVE FUN!!!

 

Thanks for the wonderful responses! I'm not exactly the shyest person, but I just wanted to see what other people's experiences have been with this. A lot of good points were made that I'll definitely consider if I ever decide to take my doll out with me.
My bad for wording it "is it okay..." I understand that it's fine for you to do whatever with your dolls, I just wanted personal opinions. I should've worded it differently, sorry for the confusion!
Thanks to the person who linked me to all those other posts. I'll definitely check them out, it's very nice to have them all in one place! Thanks for going to the trouble to dig those out!

Thanks again!
PS. Koka, that is adorable! Your doll has quite good taste! I think my boy's going to be more of an EXO fan himself, but we'll see, haha. Also I wish you could've gone, I'm actually going there from Texas. Kinnda weird ha.
Also FrankieCat No way, so cool! It's actually more comfortable knowing someone from here has dealt with this.

 

Ah. Well in that case, I don't mind if other people want to take their dolls out (I've even heard of people putting their BJDs in prams to wheel them around the supermarket, asking them what they want for dinner) and take them everywhere, but it's not for me. Now I live in an urban area with an overlooked garden, I don't even like taking them outside! I just feel unsafe with them, especially as they're mostly SDs, and big creepy ones at that. I wouldn't like anything bad to happen with them.

 

I see nothing wrong with someone bringing their dolls with them to places. I'm likely going to be doing the same exact thing.

So long as you're careful, and realize you might get odd looks. Taking your dolls with you isn't any form of mistreatment, nor could it be seen as unacceptable.

 

Sometimes I've taken a doll with me because I was feeling uneasy and wanted some reassurance. When people noticed and asked why I had a doll, they were understanding.

 

I think it's perfectly fine to take your doll with you anywhere that you want to take them, it's not mistreating/harming them at all as long as you use common sense (not leaving them lying around random places) and are careful, you're just loving them more by taking them out with you!
Personally I wish I could take my girl everywhere with me but because it's not always safe for me (and even less so for her) I can't.

 

I've always wanted to and even planned to several times but only ever took out a doll once during all these years. And that's sort of a pity because there are really nice potential photoshoot places where I live.

I think it's because of my fear of potentially damaging them. :/