They get dirty doing meet-ups (About dolly respect)

I'm not bothered about my dolls gettin a bit grubby - I regularly clean them/reblush them anyway. I would be very, very careful touching anyone else's doll tho, cos I know some people like their dolls totally pristine all the time. It's about taking other people's feelings into account, I think. I don't normally let kids touch the dolls, tho, but only because their parents would feel awful if they accidentally damaged them. I'm sorry you had a bad experience at a meet. Perhaps best to carry your doll with you all the time at meets, then you are in total control of who touches the doll. Doll meets are fun, and it would be a shame for you to miss out or not enjoy the meet because you were too worried about your doll. :-)

 

At the last meet-up I went to--also my first one (I remember talking to you, blackwingsblackheart :3)--I didn't touch anybody's dolls. I figured, I wouldn't want anybody touching mine, certainly not without asking first. Though there were a few I wanted to touch/hold, I still didn't ask, because I didn't know how any given person would react I think I got lucky, though, because while I saw people taking pics of my boys, it didn't seem like anybody had touched them. I got asked to lift up Lucian's shirt to show off his "senior delf abs", but that was about it :P

I think whoever mentioned hand wipes is really on to something, though. I think for the next meet-up, I might bring some along.

Back on topic, a little dirt wouldn't bother me. I knew I was taking a risk anyway with Lucian's clothes, because they were dark, and I didn't pre-wash them...^^;; But even the face-up aspect didn't bother me that much, because I did his face-up myself. So, if it got screwed up, I'd just redo it. I suppose Yuki's is a little more original, so I might've been more upset about that, but even so, he came to me with a smudge on one of his eyebrows, so, not a big deal. But that's just me. I can understand if someone had a face-up that they paid a lot of money for (one done by the company, etc.), then yeah, having that damaged would cause ill feelings, because that is irreplaceable.

Only if one/both of my boys had gotten scratched or chipped, or something along those lines, would I have gotten really upset. But that's because I try to take good care of my possessions, and even better care with the possessions of others, and for someone to have that blatant of a disregard for others' stuff is just wrong.

 

I don't particularly mind people handling my dolls, or trying stuff of theirs on, as long as I they have ASKED me. I'd even take eyes out if someone asked. I have had one negative experience where someone took the wig off my doll so they could place her wig on their doll. During this-which they were doing 1 handed as she was sitting on the edge of a table- they DROPPED her. Thankfully, she fell backwards onto the table so she wasn't damaged, but either way- I was a little ticked. I would have gotten the wig off if the person had asked.

If you're worried, keep your doll in your sight and tell people to ask you if they can try something on, etc. early on. Most people will probably respect explicitly stated rules.

 

Come to think of it, as meticulous as I am about washing my hands, I actually encourage other people to hold my dolls a lot. But generally these are the people that I can tell know the general etiquette of this hobby and it hasn't been a problem.

 

I always ask people I don't really know at meets if I can touch/handle/take pictures of thier dolls. That's half the point of a meet up for me - going to see molds I don't own (the last meet I went to I ended up buying a nanuri 07 because of the one I met at the meet!) and to let people see my boys - who are DEFINATLY molds that don't get enough exposure! Pimp out that angelregion love, oh yea!

So my lads generally just get thrown in the pile and left to it. I keep an eye on them sure, but I've never come across anyone just scoopin' 'em up and buggerin' off. Anything that could happen at a meet - chipped face up, dirty marks, hands falling off, doll falling apart, nose being chipped....Has already happened to me, at home, or when it was me playing with my doll.

I guess I've very much got a "been there done that!" with the dollie breakages and drama's. So I'm real laid back about the whole affair.

However, like I said before, I do handle any one else's doll like they were made of china, because I recognise that no everyone is as laid back as myself.

 

I won't take my dolls to a meet at conventions or anything where there's going to be a huge number of unknown people. There's too much that could happen and way too many unresponsible people.

We do go to DoA meets. Usually I stick with the local DC ones, where I've gotten comfortable with the regulars. Yes, my dolls come home a little dirtier than they left, but everyone is very cool about handling dolls and being considerate, so its a small price to pay for having an awesome time with my dolls.

 

I agree that people should be careful with all dolls at a dollmeet. Especially if they don't belong to you~! I'm happy with the attention they get and all but people treating them roughly really really worries me! ;;

Last dollmeet I placed my boy on the table and posed him carefully, moved away a metre and a random person picks him up by his head, shoves it in the face of another DoA member behind the table and asks how much are they selling him for o__O;
My reaction was a bit "WTF NO D<" *scared to wander far from the table* after that...

I hate it when people pick my dolls up by their heads/necks...

 

I'm surprised no one has posted any sort of guide to protecting dolls and dolly etiquette yet..but maybe they have and I just don't know it. So here's my idea. I'm sure things can be added.


DO:

-Make sure your hands are clean before handling a doll. Wash them thoroughly, or even bring gloves (Volks uses white gloves all the time to handle dolls)

-Ask before handling the dolls of others, and respect the right for others to say no.

-Handle any doll you play with gently. They're not porcelain, but they can still break if consideration is not taken.

-Bring a small blanket/towel/chair/etc. for your dolls to sit on to protect them from being damaged. Especially good for dolls with shorts, dresses, or any outfit that might have resin exposed on their legs, as well as dolls who have trouble sitting without being supported.

-Use caution when adding your doll to a group of dolls on display.

-Watch where you stand, sit, etc. so as not to risk knocking dolls over.

-Enjoy the dollies! Just treat them with respect! Sharing dolls should not be a stressful experience.


DON'T

-Handle a doll that is 'off limits' to other handlers. If you want a closer look, let the owner show you (we like to do that anyway!)

-Handle dolls with dirty hands, or while eating/drinking/smoking. Keep all items that could make messes away from the dolls.

-For that matter, be careful when photographing dolls on display. That awesome shot of that Yukinojo could mean that the SeiTenshi takes an accidental dip in the fountain behind her.

-Leave doll carriers and such out to where people can fall over them.

-Put dolls in a place that could be disruptive to those not in the meetup.



Again, I am sure there is more. Just a matter of using the brains of others

 

I agree. I think these things are logical SaiBySai, and -in my opinion- it's surprising that there are people in this hobby that is not acting that way...
Everybody in this hobby should follow this guide

 

Mm well i went to a meetup, not at a convention. And i got home. the next day i noticed this black mark by the knee joint on his thigh. Its still there.. i dont know what it is.. and havent tried cleaning it, doesnt really bother me.. no ones gonna be like "Oh my god, your doll is disgusting look at that black stain" so i dont really care, also he has air bubbles and dents from being an artist doll.

I let people handle my dollies and such. It doesnt bother me if they get dirty.

Sort of like what someone else said, i think anything can be fixed ^^

On the handling other peoples dollies part, im actually scared to hangle them.. or touch them.. because i dont want to mess them up lol... totally opposite of how i teated my guys.

Im super extra careful~ and dont want the owner to have to worry about their dolls being held so yeah.

 

I'm not maniac about having my dolls in a pristine condition 24/7, but I do try to keep clean if it can be helped! I've been to a few meets, some bigger than others, and regardless of whether it's with a few close friends or many casual acquaintences at a meet, I've no problems with people wanting to handle my dolls, but I -do- appreciate them asking me for permissions prior. I try to keep my dolls very close to me at all times, so people will know that they're mine, and so far, everyone has been respectful and hasn't just picked up and doll to photograph or admire without permission.

I always make sure my own hands are clean before handling dolls, and always ask for permission, and I think people see that and do the same for my dolls. If I had complete disregard for other people's dolls, I can hardly expect them to treat mine with respect, no?

But yes, SaiBySai's list is a great one - may be common sense to most, but still useful for some that are new to meet-ups! I'll also add that personally, I try never to touch other people's dolls by the exposed resin if I can help it - so I'll try to handle/pose them where they're clothed, and -never- touch their faceups. If I have to turn their heads, I always handle them by their wigs, or back of head. That's probably my one pet peeve, is that some people just touch the faceups with grubby hands. XD

 

I hate that. >.< Dirt that is invisible on people always seems to tranfer magically into a really dark smudge right in the middle of a doll's face. The newer/harder to replace the doll's faceup is, the more protective I am over it, but dirt on the rest of the doll doesn't bother me at all.

It really only happens to me at anime/manga conventions and festival meets though, which makes me suspect manga ink and shopping has something to do with it, lol. XD

 

ANd the thing is...your hands may LOOK clean, but think about all the stuff you touch over the course of a day!

 

As a note, hand sanitizer gel isn't going to clean your hands. Disinfect them, yes, but your dolly doesn't care about germs. All it does with actual dirt and oil is smear it around. Baby wipes are slightly better, but not by much. If you're going to insist that no one touch your doll without clean hands, you might as well station yourself next to the bathroom and force people to go wash their hands with soap, buy a box of latex gloves, or just ban people from touching him altogether.

My personal viewpoint is that dolls are made to be touched. As long as your buddy Colonel Sanders doesn't want to hold my girl, I'm good. Almost everything else will wash off. Heck, the last meet I was at, I stripped her buck-naked and let someone play with her because she's got a relatively new body type and they'd never seen one before. That said, I do ask permission before handling or holding other people's dolls. I'd rather hunt somebody down and get permission to hold their doll than hear "YOU THERE! Unhand that dolly!" shouted across the room.

 

I would probably a little irritated but not much cause I could clean him, I always bring those nifty little sponges. Though there was this one incedent, it was at my first meet up, some jackass had scraped off a huge chunk of his face up, there was a clear boot print across his face, and pop all over him.
I haven't trusted people quite the same since then. Makes me wonder if it was done on purpose cause my other boy was snuggled up close yet not so much as a speck of dirt on him. Cause if it was an accident I'd assume him being that close he'd have some form of a mark. Just seems my poor Mephisto was singled out D:

Edit: As for handling other peoples dolls I don't. I usually just crouch and admire at meets. I've been yelled at to pick them up lol and had them shoved into my arms a few times. I'm just terrified of something happening cause I'm paranoid like that. I'm super careful around other dolls ><

 

Sometime during my boy's second meet at an anime con, he lost a chunk of his faceup right over his eyebrow. I was kind of upset, but I don't have a proper doll carrier and wondered if somehow something had happened in transit. In my case I deemed it a possibility, since I had two dolls in the bag. I ended up writing the 'scar' into his back story and made the best of it. It's sort of a bummer when people don't treat the property of others with respect. I let other owners hold my gang at meets, but maybe I'm far too trusting?

EDIT: EEK! Reading about Mephisto makes me wonder if I AM being too trusting. I wonder who would have done something like that... Wasn't your first meet the mini meet that had four of us, though? Or do you mean the first big one?

 

Well, although I generally don't mind a little dirt and people touching my dolls... it's kinda GROSS that you discover other people's grime left on your own dolls! It's disgusting!

Certainly out and out carelessness by others in handling other people's dolls is annoying. I'm not all THAT careful with my dolls, but I'm not going to go to a meetup and EXPECT damage or grime or carelessness from others. That's just crazy. I'll tell them not to touch my dolls if I think it's important. I care less about being all nicey-nice than I do about my dolls potentially being damaged!

But fortunately for me, I haven't had my dolls damaged or even noticeably made dirty by others at meetups. Most other owners have been pretty conscientious about other people's dolls. And if a little kid come tottering up, I'll warn them to be careful--or even not to touch. These things can stand some dirt and a certain amount of rough-handling, but they aren't toys to be bashed about... they will break or be damaged and they are expensive and I care about them enough not to want them destroyed or scratched or broken.

 

I don't think anyone's ever really touched my dolls at cons. Elina got moved around on the table TWICE during her first convention, but no one really touched her other than that, and that was to make more room on a hurriedly filling table.
At her second con, Mina's first, I don't think they actually budged an inch the whole time...
On the subject of dirt and stuff, I don't mind simple dirt. That comes off with a Mr.Magic eraser sponge thing.
I'd be a bit more peeved with damage happening to the dolls...
Elina's taken one or two falls. She has a mark on her noseline that is paint from her glasses that won't come off, but it's really light. She's never broken from a fall...

I think I am very trusting though, I will pop my lovelies down at the doll zone and wander off around the convention.
Now, I totally trust the people who run Doll Zone (the uk table at London Expo/ JapanEx) and I trust you guys here...
However, at a con there are so many unknowns. It doesn't even have to be someone who knows what the dolls and their values are to grab one and wander off when there's a large gathering around the table..
Though, if it's quiet, I can relax, safe in the knowledge that the people running the stall don't let anyone touch my girls but me, or if I have a friend with me that I point to, that person. 'Cept the people running the stall. They have the right to move my dolls around, as it's their table, and they're dollsitting for me.

 

Hahaha~! I try to handle other people's dolls tons more carefully than I do even my own. I think, with mine I am comfortable. If I make a mistake with my own, well that's my fault (even though I'd feel horrible for the guy..). But if I make a mistake with someone elses, wahhhh oh man, I can't imagine!!!!! D:

It makes me go "O_o;; You trust me?" when people hand me their dolls saying "Hold her/him for me for a second." I'm so scared to be dropping or damaging a doll, as I'm way clumsy T_T;; But at least I have quick reflexes??

For other people handling my dolls, I try to feel them out first before letting them play. This can be done with chatter, seeing how much the person knows about BJD, how they treat their own dolls, etc, or by watching them handle their own/other owners' dolls. A few people have mishandled Kiril in particular, and I get so angry each time it happens (especially if I didn't give permission to handle him!). But most of the time, people are very careful with the dolls at meetups I do keep a close eye on them still, though, unless they're with someone I trust -- comicbookartistboy had a table at a con, for instance, and I had no problems leaving Kiril with him while I wandered off with a few other doll people meters away ^^; )

As for being dirty, I always bring a magic eraser (I have two on me at all times -- even at AFO, when I thought I left it in the hotel room! T_T;; I later found it in the pocket of my bag haha;; ). Also, you have to understand that some dolls just.... attract dirt o_O;; And interactions between your dolls and others' can cause some smudgin (knee-high boots connect with bare leg... etc...).

Wahh, sorry to have rambled

 

Wow - you are all freaking me out about ever going to a doll meet!

I am very careful with my dolls. I never touch their faceups, always pick them up by the waist or chest, handle them gently, always make sure they are very stable on a stable surface when I am not holding them, and never leave dark clothes or wigs on them.

Between this thread and and some of the doll meet photos I have seen that seem to degenerate into some kind of doll-on-doll groping session, I don't know if I will ever go to a meet.

BTW - Hand sanitizer is often alcohol based. Alcohol is one of the solvents that can be used to remove MSC and faceups. I would not want hand sanitizer used around any of my dolls.

Carolyn