The Pretentious Display of One's BJDs

Showing off can only be perceived as "showing off" to the viewer....if people are insecure and need constant confirmation that what they have is "better" than everyone elses then its their problem.

As an owner and an onlooker i always just marvel at the skill the effort and the love we have for our "muses in resin" and also part of me says bring on the display the love the fandom, these dolls arnt cheap our time we put into them isnt cheap either and its well worth looking at and appreciating what we all have and adore.

 

You know to me, my dolls are the best, prettiest, most amazing and perfect dolls around. I brought these dolls because I loved them above the rest.

I think everyone is a bjd show off to a certain extent. If people didn't show of their dolls then we wouldn't have gallery forums, we wouldn't have a forum for showcasing your sewing or customization and we wouldn't care about giving or receiving face up critiques. If we didn't want to show of what we have or what we have done then the DOA would be nothing more then a discussion forum.

I think showing off is a good thing as long as people don't go too far with it. Obviously if someone is spouting 'I only own Volks limited dolls and that makes my dolls so much better then yours' nonsense every five seconds, or posting around 'You doll is really cute, but you should see my ____________ he's way cooler' then yes that is going to far, but general showing off? Thas a ok with me.

If people didn't show of, I wouldn't have all those pretty dorries to look at D;

 

I think you'd need a doll to understand why people love "showing them off".

 

Considering my own gallery posts, i'm far from pretentious, i think. I'm more likely to think "yeah, my story is lame, my pictures are crap, and no one's looking anyway, but if you're looking i love you an dyou're awesome for it ".

On the thought of titles like "you know you want me", thats not always saying "You know you love my dolls, so comment and reaffirm your love for them/him". I'm saying this now, i'm bound to do posts like that, but not out of "my ___is the best/prettiest/sexiest/whateverist doll ever" its more like "Dude, i've never seen a chiwoo pull of a come hither look of that calibur, and i've managed to capture it in a multitude of pictures. I'll share them cause i'm in love with him and im very amused with how they came out, maybe someone else will get a kick out of my lameness or soemthing ^^" The "you know you want me" line is generally more of an assertation of the doll's character rather than a "Heeeeey, arent you jealous that i've got *insertlimitedmoldhere*?" Least, as far as i've seen ^.~

Fanclubs? I've never actually heard of anyone having a fanclub for their doll. Sometimes it may seem like it if certain users post a lot or have very memorable dolls that a lot of people follow, but its not like they've started fanclubs. If anyone's ever actually donet his? o_O;;; Making the doll controversial just for the sake of making noise is odd too. Most people i know of do things becaue they want to, because thats how they want the doll to be, not because they want to start something.

And i have to raise this point: post people strive to make their dolls the most awesome thing ever in their own eyes, so whats wrong with saying "Finally, i got her look perfect!" if its got the attitude of "she's perfect, now she's better than everyone else's dolls, then thats a different story.

 

I don't think it's showing off if you write posts like that, some dolls here do have a fan club which is perfectly understandable.
One of my dolls is kind of a show off but that's her character and I wouldn't change her just coz some people think it's annoying, there are people in life that like, just cocky.
I post my dolls pictures in the gallery when I think they look super cute and I want people to take a look at them, I don't mind if they get comments, although that is nice if they do. I just like people to see them and think they are as cute as I do, if that's showing off then I'm not ashamed to say I do that.
I guess if you think an owner is being that way just stay out of their threads, I personally have never taken it that way though. They're all gorgeous and deserved to be adored, people spend a lot of time and money on them.
Also maybe there is a hint of jealously with that too though, saying people show off a doll coz someone else wants it.

 

I think I'm not a person who likes to show off.

I like to share pics of my doll, and I like it when people say something nice about him. It makes me happy, especially when it seems like people enjoy seeing my photos. It's the same with my pictures, I'm happy when it seems like I've made someone happy with my art.

And sometimes I just can't resist spamming my friends (which mostly don't even know BJDs) just because I'm so in love with my boy *__*
But it's not a "Haha, look what I've got!", it's more a "Look, that's one of the things making me happy. Maybe it makes you happy too "

 

OMG!! There are people that make fanclubs for their dolls?? I've never heard that one before. I almost burst out laughing when I read that. Now thats... there are no words. Talk about going too far...

Anyway, I will admit that I like it when people comment on my dolls. I like it so much that I feel sorta let down when there aren't that many comments. To me, it sorta feels like nobody likes what I offer the doll community, so I feel it is sort of a negative thing when nobody comments. I will also admit that I really like to show off for people, but it's not something I do a whole lot since I'm generally a shy person (but online it's different). I don't think that my posts in the gallery seem pretentious though. They probably don't even come close since I really try to downplay that part and just try to seem really humble. But inwardly, I generally feel that I deserve nice comments.

I think it's good to show off your dolls. I just think that some people are probably taking it too far if they're out there making fanclubs for them...

 

I only have one doll and I am very proud of my megi. I've taken plenty of pictures of him and they are all on my private photobucket account. As for showing them off here, there's only one picture and that is stricktly for dollzone dolls and it was more for their character then it was to just show off pictures. I think stuff like that makes more sense that way people actually some dedication into what they are posting rather then just sexy pictures of their dolls where people drool and what not because the doll is doing some fan service or something. Don't get me wrong I don't mind people doing that...but I don't think I ever would. I love Kazuo, he's very close to me. What others think is what others think. All that matters is that I appreciate having him around because after all I am the one that purchased him.

 

Starting a fan club for your doll(s) or posting something like "OMG YOU SO WANT IN MY PANTS" as a title for your doll pictures is a level of narcissism & crazy, I hope never to encounter personally.

But I also agree with this...

I don't mind people showing off their dolls because as a collector - who doesn't want to see what is out there and what people come up with to customize it or give it personality. Their wigs, clothing, accessories, settings - you get a lot of ideas for yourself and it's entertaining. I don't think there is anything obnoxious, attention-seeking or snobby about it.

It's the people that demand comments for their photos or whine when they aren't getting any, that are the biggest and most obnoxious attention seekers - those and people that would actually start a freakin' FAN CLUB for their dolls. I haven't seen that myself, but wow, I just have no more words for how freakin' crazy arrogant that is.....

 

Sometimes... we want people to show off!

Frankly, there are some dozen or more (more to be honest) dolls on this forum that I adore, and get excited every time I see that their owner has posted some pictures of them. I would seriously join fanclubs for those dolls, if someone ever made them. I fangirl over dolls the same way some people fangirl over actors.

So... I don't think I'm a show off with my own dolls, but there are some people I wish were show offs, so I could see more of their beauties!

 

Sure, if a doll is gorgeous, I think the owner has every right to flaunt their creation, if they do it tastefully.
But the doll owners that make their doll controversial, just for the sake of attention really irk me.

If any of my dolls are controversial, it wasn't done on purpose for attention, it was a character quirk in their design.

At meet-ups I always compliment their doll back if their owner compliments mine...
It really annoys me when some arrogant owner forces their doll on me and I compliment it out of politeness, then they go on about nothing else but their doll for the next 5 hours XD It really makes me want to get away...

If I wanted to hear the doll's entire backstory, I would have asked ;;

 

I have never, nor would I ever create a fanclub for my doll. However, the character he is, has grown it's own fandom on a few sites I used to go to. But the people, girls, that did so became stalker-ish and made the sites displeasing to be on.

I can't say that I don't love my doll and think the world of him and his character; but I wouldn't go so far as to give him a fansite. <<; He's big headed enough, I must not feed it with such things.

There are plenty of dolls that I adore on this site. That I absolutely love and love seeing. However, as much as I adore them, I wouldn't want to be in a group of people talking about them with other adoring 'fans.' <<; I don't get the point in that.

 

I think that's it's really hard to not want to show off your doll. I mean...you spent sometimes upwards of 700 dollars on it, of course you want to take a gazillion photos in which they change their pose maybe once because you love it so darn much! But I agree, there's a difference between being a butthole about it and just showing off your doll. I also agree about the backstory comment-If I wanted to hear about it I would ask. And in most cases I will say "so what kind of person are they?" in person but that doesn't mean I necessarily want to spend the entire meet up etc sitting there listening to you give me your doll's whole life story ^^; Though I admit I love talking about my characters too ha ha. I've never seen any pretentiousness on this site though(lol that's because I haven't got my doll yet ho ho ho<---pretentious sounding laugh?) ha ha.

 

I've offered to start a fanclub for someone else's doll, but all in "jest", and we're friends. XD
I'm a total non-practicing attention whore, but my photography skills aren't anywhere near what they need to be to "show off"
And it's bad, duh. You end up a selfish snotty loser.

 

I think some people are just naturally controversial.
​

 

I agree with this. Probably to people outside the hobby, or even to some people new to it, it would definitely look like we, or at least anyone who has ever posted in 'gallery', is 'showing off'. But, its perfectly reasonable and acceptable, and as long as its not to the exclusion of other people's dolls, then its all good. I've only been to one meet-up where I got the idea that people only cared for their own dolls. And, as a face-up artist, I feel like I can be a part of other people's doll families, and I follow their dolls in threads and stuff to see what they are up to. So I enjoy the 'showing off', and mourn the dolls that I never get to see!

 

I agree with hobbywhelmed and Buff here . . . everyone naturally will love their dolls and think they are the best thing since sliced bread. I'd say its only a negative thing if you ignore/put down other people's dolls.

"Showing off" is an important part of the BJD hobby, in a way. I don't know about everyone else, but I not only enjoy posting pics of my dolls but also looking at pics of other people's dolls. The latter of which I would imagine may inspire future doll purchases. XD

 

It's a matter of intention and preception. How you 'intended' your doll pictures, etc... to be, and how another preceives said pictures, etc... If you are posting specifically to 'show off' your new doll, outfit, etc... is that so wrong? If your posting in hopes of approval (that your value of YOUR doll is based off of what others think of your doll) then that's not right. But then some people just collect rare dolls (or whatever) because they are rare and the 'value' that is assumed with such.

As for fanclubs for your dolls. I have a website set up for my dolls, but just so I can keep track of them. And to limit the number of questions I get about 'what other dolls/characters do you have?'. I've also set up a group for other people with similuar dolls/interests (HP Themed dolls). I did this because I wanted a place/way that we (HP doll people) could get together due to our shared interest that was focused to our interest. So a 'fanclub' could be seen the same way. It's a place to share/focus on a shared interest in a particular doll/mold/character. If people want to join, so be it. The problem is when the person again values their dolls based on other people's acceptance of their dolls. That they don't like their dolls because people won't/don't join their fanclub for their dolls. (shrugs)

-Anneke

 

I'm not a showoff...I'm pretty subdued with my dolls and think lot's of people's are prettier *is so cruel* (unless well, their dolls are really ugly >_<)
I met someone at a convention with a thousand dolls...they were all pretty ratty and beat-up but they were acting like they were the most awesome things ever. It was annoying.
I don't think people should be pompous about anything, and dolls are no exception. It's alright to recognize your doll's prettyness but don't say they're better than others.

 

Okay, people, listen up! I'm starting a fan club for my doll. Everyone get in line and when your turn comes you can get on your hands and knees and kiss his big toe!

Oh, sorry! I got carried away! LOL!

I've yet to be offended by any of the gallery posts or their titles. We love our dolls, we love to share pics of our dolls. I wish I had time to comment on every pic I look at. I enjoy looking.

The only thing I object to is when a person makes a snarky remark about another person's doll. That, I think, is unnecessary and snobbish.

You may have the most beautiful sculpt in the world but there's always someone who doesn't think so.

Pretentious to me would be if someone posted a pic that said 'You know you think my doll is the most beautiful you've ever seen". And then proceeded to state that they expected to be agreed with and wanted comments affirming that fact.

So far no one's done that! I hope it stays that way!