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

magic sponge to the rescue!

 

Well, it's good to know that I was practicing good doll etiquette when I got to meet some dolls last weekend. I had just washed my hands, asked permission, didn't touch the face, and tried not to even touch parts of the doll that weren't covered by clothes.

 

Ugh! I'm so sorry for that. I can totally understand your feelings. @__@

I really don't like it when my dolls get dirty. But I do realise that it comes with handling them, and that it's almost impossible to prevent due to clothing stains, smudges from whatever you sit them on, and etc. However, I do expect people to NOT TOUCH my kid's faces or any part of their body that has paint on it. That's just common courtesy, and I work really hard on their faceups, so I'd be pretty angry if one of them got mussed up.

I do think it's a good idea to carry a Magic Sponge around, as others in this thread have suggested as well. You can find a drinking fountain or other source of water at a meetup pretty easily, and all it takes is a quick wipe with a damp eraser to get most small dirt and smudges off! I carry one with me when I go places with my kids.

Also, having a sign, or better yet, a pin for your kids stating your rules is pretty good IMO. I've got a pin that says "You can look but you can't touch" that Adrian wears around to meets sometimes, and it usually makes others ask before they pick him up, which I greatly appreciate. @__@ When I go to meets, I expect others to ask before they touch my kids. It really really bothers me when they just zoom over and start messing with them, unless they're people I know pretty well and have given permission to touch them whenever they like. ^__^;;

And... scratches. I find scratches and dings relatively unforgivable if they're because someone messed with your kid without asking. Scratches can be sanded, yes, but that can change the shape of wherever you're sanding, and scratches can be SO much more permanent than smudges or a dirty face. >_<

So to prevent all this stuff, I keep a REALLY close eye on my kiddos, and keep them really close by so that I don't have to go through the kinds of negative stuff that can happen to them. ^__^ I also ALWAYS ask if I can touch someone else's kid. And I treat them extremely gently, even more so than my own boys. @__@

 

I'm sorry that happened to you. I don't mind my resin bjds getting dirty as much as my vinily girl because vinily stains MUCH easyer! >.< I dont realy like handeling other ppls dolls (except my good friends because then I'm familure with how they pose and are strung) just for the simpel fact that I would feel HORIBULL if anything happened while I was holding them. I will not touch other ppls BJDs if I have been eating/drawing, and have not yet cleaned my hands ^.^ and the least you can do at a convention is to clean your hands with germ-x (it dose get small amounts dirt off your hands if you wipe them on a towl, napkin whatever have you)

As for other ppl holding mine, I dont realy mind if they understand both the cost phyisicaly and sentamentaly (spelt those wrong ^.^ and as long as they are not covered in black marks I can clean them off relitivly easy ^.^ they like to play with others ^.^

-Kira

 

You're very brave... I couldn't possibly do that, I can't even stop looking if someone is anywhere near my doll. It's not a matter of not trusting the person... Accidents happen and... yes.. I'm paranoid

Back on topic. I would only take my doll to a meet if there were only doll owners, they know what not to do. Dirt is ok, it happens, but scratches or dents??? I don't care if they can be fixed, I'd kill the person!!! If I'm careful I expect the same from other people and I would even treat other people's dolls with more care than I treat my own, so I really don't understand that attitude... feel sorry for you, you're right to be mad.

Well, imagine this whole problem with a person that suffers from obsessive compulsive behaviour...

 

I've just had my first two tiny bjd 2 arrived 2 weeks ago. Their white skin tone looks so clean and makes me want to wash my hands before dressing them, which i always do. I also try not to touch their faces and turn their heads by holding onto their wigs. I've never been to a BJD meet or convention, but I saw a few BJDs at a doll show a mth ago on display.
My dolls have limited exposure to others except myself and close friends, and I think I'll be afraid to handle or hold other people's dolls unless I know the person well. I'll feel uneasy if strangers touch my dollies, let alone touch their faces or anywhere which is not clothed.

I believe in respect for the dolls and owners, meaning only ask if you wanna hold them to take a closer look. Usually with dolly frens (i collect blythe dolls), I'm happy to let them hold my dolls and warn them not to touch their faces. I'm new to BJDs, and I dare not try any face-ups and my dollies came with face-ups done, may be that's why I'm a bit more careful with their faces.

 

I meant the first big one. When I had gotten back to my friends place I had noticed it was more than just the make up that was scraped. It just made me think a little cause with Takuya being right there you'd think if it was an accident like someone tripping he'd have gotten nailed too o.O I always sit my boys close together unless I'm fiddling with a pose or taking pictures o.o I was a right mess by the time I got home. Some guy asked if my daughter ws ok all I managed to yell was "it's a boy" and ran off >< Looking back that must've been quite a sight lol. Wonder if he noticed it was a doll o.o

 

Yeah. We know. But we all have active imaginations xp So a "bruise" might be a scratch or discolor in the resin.

 

I've had this happen to me before... normally my friends are really respectful of my dolls and everything, and they were. But at our mini meet-up there were a lot of people I didn't know and I left Adriel out for a bit because I expected people to respect him and keep him clean because I don't think they would want their dolls dirty.
But when I came back I found he had oil on him, his nose, cheeks, and the back of his head was all dirty. Thank God I had some clean wipes there to clean him off a bit but the back of his head was stained and it took a while to get out.
Next time I wont leave him in one place and just let people ask me for a picture if they want one. I do expect people to respect my property because I respect theirs.

 

Getting dirty at a meet or con is only natural, I imagine. There is so much going on that, expecting your freshly cleaned doll to stay freshly cleaned will only result in disappointment.

As for nicks and scratches, people causing that type of damage to doll and not telling you about it is horrible.

Then there are other forms of disrespect for personal property... I went to a con this past weekend and someone actually poked my new doll's gore mods and rubbed his nose without even asking. At another con, a person grabbed my YoSD by her face. However, neither of these people were doll owners, so I assume they didn't know any better.... An unfortunent hazard of conventions. >.>

 

While I do get twitchy about an owner I don't know very well handling one of my dolls (and I wouldn't let anyone I don't at all know touch them. Period.) I trust the other owners that I know not to touch my dolls face ups etc and I'm likewise careful with their dolls but we do pretty much help ourselves to one anothers dolls at meets because there is that level of trust so it really supprises me that another owner would be so careless as to get someone elses doll noticably dirty, though of course accidents do happen.

I could never leave them on a table somewhere for just anyone to get their grubby mits on, the idea of it alone makes me shudder.

 

I am extremely meticulous when it comes to my dolls being clean. Every single time after I finish handling them, for sewing or photographing or whathaveyou, I give them a good look-over to make sure they didn't get dirty. If there are any smudges or marks whatsoever, even tiny ones, I clean them first with a damp cloth and if that doesnt work, a magic eraser. I couldn't stand knowing that my dolls were even the least bit dirty! So when I went to my first doll meet, I was astounded by the condition some dolls were in. They were totally smudged all over! However, after being to many more meets, I've realized that some people aren't very bothered by stuff like that I still am, but I accept that other people aren't.

So when I go to meets, I don't let my darlings out of my sight. I'll let people handle them only if I've seen how they treat their own dolls and I'm there to watch them. And it's bad, but when some people ask to hold them (this is usually the case with non-dolly people), I want to scream at them, "No way! Look at the way you treat your own possessions! Get away from mine."

 

with me its a matter of respect with me and my dolls, I do not mind others picking up and playing with my dolls only if they ask me first (and of course clean hands are a plus) because I have had the whole someone wiping off my dolls face up with their finger thing and I wasnt too pleased with that, but yet still I do not mind others playing with my boys or touching my boys, matter of fact there are times where I will hand a person a doll just to let them get a better idea of what they are getting into if they get into the hobby, and of course they do get dirty during outdoor meetups, its to be expected my thing is you just bring em home, give em a nice solid bath and all is well, I do understand there are some out there who wont let anyone touch their dollies I respect that, but me personaly its not a huge problem for me if you just ask, I mean i do ask if I can hold anothers in return.....

eh maybe its just me

 

General rule, yeah: Don't bring anything out if you don't want to risk it getting dirty. Because even in well-outfitted meetups amongst other experienced dollpeople-- as much as while among strangers at cons or malls-- accidents will happen.

I don't mind some people picking up my doll, if they ask first, & if they keep their hands away from his face. I would also try to notice how they've been handling their own dolls before I say Yes or No, because some people are just too rough.

It's true, it's true-- for both dolls and people-- some of them just "attract dirt" more than others! You know how some kids just always seem grubby no matter how much you wipe them & fix their hair & try to make them presentable? I was one of those children, and now in adulthood, it seems that at least three of my dolls have followed suit. XP But it's mostly dolls that I've bought pre-coated. If the doll's body has been sealed/coated (with or without blushing), dirt sticks to it really easily-- and some clothes will stain them that don't stain an unsealed doll. Kaiya, who never gets to go to meetups because of his million-dollar faceup, gets dirty from his sealant just by sitting still all day. But Sora, who is unsealed, gets grubby because he's constantly out with me on adventures. Life is just dirty.

I can keep myself clean now, at least at meetups. And I try to remember to bring a stash of moist hand-towellettes from the BBQ takeout place. No kidding. I know you can go buy big boxes of towellettes at Costco or whatever, but I'm cheap. And it gives me an excuse to regularly go out for pork ribs.

Yes, I would like to express random annoyance at this phenomenon too. It Just Happens Sometimes. Some leathers & pleathers may leave black scuffmarks if they even brush against a bare resin leg; and some of those shiny lacquered soles (Volks LE boys' boots, I'm looking in your direction) leave black scuffmarks in places you didn't know they'd been.

 

I've never had problems like that. I guess because the people who go to the local meet-ups are very respectful... You rarely see anyone holding or playing with a doll except its' owner at the meet-ups I go to XD

 

i think its safe to say if youre leaving your doll unattended anything can happen. im not sure theres much to debate about this, to be honest

and leaving a doll unattended is simply not something i would do, even though i know alot of people do, and of course i would be careful but im also aware alot of people dont have the same respect (the only other peoples dolls i hold i just go into ulra protective careful mode ^^; then my friend promptly smeared his finger across the dolls face while i was holding it and i was like O_O; )

 

I dont handle or touch other peoples dolls unless they invite me. I invite others to take my doll from me if they want to look at him/her and I realize that if they get a little dirty thats fine. I love the Volks sponge and I never put on my best dolly clothes if I am going to have them handled.
If I do want to dress them up and htey have some delicate peices on I always make sure to point that out beore the person handles them (in a polite way)

Most BJDers are usually very (in my experince) respectful of handling dolls. I for some reason keep running across threads where meet ups at anime conventions usually arent to positive. Maybe its because there are alot of people that handle the dolls that dont have BJDs? I am not sure.

 

At meet-ups, dolls are going to get handled; basically if you don't want a particular doll to be handled, don't take it to a meet - simple as that.

 

Dirt doesn't matter to me, that happens with dolls all of the time. As long as it isn't the face-up, that's fine. Scratches are different, but honestly I would never expect to come back from a meetup outside with a perfectly clean doll.
Once my doll lost two fingers on a meet-up though.. It was an accident and I don't blame the one who caused it at all, but after that I'm more careful with where I leave my dolls :3

I am a lot more careful with other dolls than with my own, though... Because I know others are more afraid of dirt and stains than me. And I'm always super careful with dolls that are blushed.

 

The first time I took Shuichi to an anime convention, he got absolutely filthy, from me, the first day. He was wearing his sailor fuku with a very short skirt, rode in my baby sling and rarely left it so I knew all the filth came from me picking up manga, artwork and toys. I cleaned him off when I got home that night, dressed him for the next day, and off we went.

My solution? I put my dolls in long sleeves and long pants when they go to meetups or cons, unless they are doing cosplay. That way, the clothes get dirty, not the resin. Their hands get dirty sometimes and sometimes something small gets on their faces, but that's to be expected. My guys love do dive-bomb on their noses for some reason. I think they are trying to land in someone's cleavage and miss.

As to other people's dolls - I ask permission to touch them first before doing so, especially if they are a new face to the meetup group. And I wash my hands if I have been eating something. We have meetups at food places sometimes so everyone makes the trek to the sink after they finish eating.

When someone wants to touch mine, I give them pointers on each of my guys - like Eiri's head doesn't turn well so don't try it; Shindo has the Luts head flop so don't try to pose it in positions he just cannot hold; Shuichi is VERY loosely strung so don't try to make him stand - and I volunteer to do it for them; certain shoes will not allow the guy wearing them to stand so don't try it; etc.

Naturally, a few of us locals are very comfortable with each other handling our resin, no questions asked. Some of my dolls are more popular than others, so I expect them to get pawed a lot. My Hound, Trans, has a fan club of sorts so those four people pass him around a lot.

Even with those who trust me, I always turn doll heads by their wig-covered ears, not by their chins like some local people like to do. I have stopped some people from doing that to any doll not theirs.
And someone usually has some magic erasers in their bags for mishaps!

Oh, I usually carry a few bandanas with me for my guys to sit on if the table is dirty.