Too young for the hobby?

I was 13 when I first got interested in them, and when I got my first doll. I knew nothing about them at first, and I asked so many questions, and I made myself look like a fool most of the time, asking such simple things and what not, but I wanted one so bad, and I knew what it would take to save up for one [[still only having ten bucks a week through chores...]] but I kept up with it cause they were so cool and interesting.

Anyway. It depends on the kid, and the maturity level, for sure. I mean, I'm not saying I was mature but I mean, I wasn't a goofy jerk like little kids usually are. xD I understood that it was going to take a lot to save up and I needed to be organized and gentle and I knew they were a bit high maintenance, and I was totally ready for the challange. Besides, I guess I wish I was mature for my age, then, I guess. Now being 16 [[ooh, big change. xD]] and having three and a half I love to see some good little kids getting their hands on a doll! It's a good way to learn, almost like getting a dog [[]], for patience and such.

 

I've collected antique and artist dolls since I was 12, and I took excellent care of my things. When I was 18 I sold them all and took my first trip to Europe.

I've seen ill-kempt bjd owned by older teenagers and adults so it's not like age matters that much for this kind of thing.

Raven

 

i had my first at 11 and nothing bad happened to it, i'm very careful with my dolls and i've always been. ^_^ i think it only matters how you play with them, not your age. there are many adults out there who would break them, y'know.

 

I dont see anything wrong in the mother wanting to buy a BJD for her child. Although you don't except a child to take good care of a BJD, but perharps the mother wuld not let her play until she's ard to supervise the child ? I don't think there's a too young, (maybe if u tell me a 5year old I'd be stunned but ohwell) in this hobby, there is always an unespected.

 

I have to agree with everyone here.

With the example the OP gave, it doesn't seem like they know anything about bjds. That is what I think is worrisome. The girl won't know how to take care of it if anything happens. She might be careful with it, she might not, but she won't know what to do if, for example, the face-up gets damaged.

I think it's more the problem of people getting bjds while not knowing what they're getting into, rather than a child being 'too young'.

 

If the person paying for the doll doesn't care about its fate, then it's not really my business.

That said, I keep trying to convince my in-laws to let me buy a Puki for my four-year-old niece; she loves mine and takes excellent care of it without me telling her to. I would feel confident that she would take proper care of it and love it, though not to death. When I was four, however, G.I. Joe's Viking Funeral was a Friday night tradition.

On the other hand, when people live with smaller children, those children must also be considered. My little brother used to smash my stuff whenever he was mad at anyone. I didn't buy a doll until I had moved far away from him, because I am not home 24/7, and I didn't want to risk him taking a hammer to it.
(Yes, we were demonspawn and our parents sucked. I hear it's not an uncommon condition.)

 

This. I honestly don't care how careful a child is, if they buy the doll themselves they have every right to throw it against a wall if they so choose. However, as far as I'm concerned, if you can't save up and buy it yourself, you shouldn't be involved in anything that requires long-term commitment.

I am extremely grateful that my parents never bought me the expensive dolls I was always looking at as a child. By the time I was old enough to work and do it myself, I could make an honest decision as to wether or not it was right for me.

 

OP seemed to be more concerned about the lack of knowledge on the child and parent's parts. I have no problems with younger people owning BJDs as long as they care enough to do research. Everyone says 'it's their money', but in all honesty it would bother me to see a doll with a sharpie face-up or in poor condition because the owner didn't give a crap. I got Nayo and Lye when I was fourteen (a little over 2 years ago), and they're still in great condition.

Strongly disagree |:

My resin crew is a mix of presents AND saving up on my part. I adore them all and realize the value of each individual one. Just because they're gifts doesn't mean they're taken for granted.

 

diamondust http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=332690 - this thread might interest you, it's about BJDs and the wisdom of giving them to children.

 

There are some hobbies I just don't think kids as in under 16 or 17 need to be anywhere near i sneer and cringe at the thought of a kid having one as much as i would the same kids having a collectors car. yes if they save up the money themselves its okay cause they worked for it and they probably wouldn't crash it into a tree but on the whole my answer is not no buck Heck no! Any parent willing to buy their child an item like that is criminally irresponsible, its like save time and throw the doll into a wood chipper as soon as it arrives for how children and many teens treat things

 

Just to let the original poster know, we have the exact same topic already going on in another debate thread regarding "is it wrong to let younger (age 9-15) kids have BJDs":

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=332690

Moreover, this thread is still right on the first page of debate. I'd suggest that it would have been a good idea to look at that and see if you could have a different angle before starting a whole new second thread on what amounts to the same topic. As I already posted in that thread, I'll skip addressing the topic any more here.

 

My niece is only 11 and I consider her too young to collect BJDs, especially when I see the state of her room (LOL), but as long as I let her know exactly how much they are worth I am pretty sure I would let her handle my dolls because she respects other people's stuff. Right now she is into Sylvanian Families and that is an expensive enough hobby as it is (I know, I have the brother at home set sitting on top of my wardrobe waiting to be posted in time for her birthday - I had better sort it out on Monday!).

Maybe when she hits 12 or 13 I may pass a BJD her way. Or maybe I should buy her an Obitsu 27cm for Christmas and seed BJDs into her that way?

Phil.

 

I know of a five year old who has a tiny, but he knows how to care for his little doll and to play with him without damaging his face or anything. So too young is probably an incorrect thing to say, I'd be more concerned of people who do not know how to care for them.

 

Can't say even better...
all case i've seen is more like this...spoiled kids turn into spoiled big 'adults'...not all kids appreciate it when their parents give whatever they want...
it would be good if one want to prove it with their own kids about this...but I won't take any risk......seen the result already and it was passed to second generation...

 

I think it depends upon the child. As a small girl I took very good care of my dolls, but in later childhood I went through what may be called a destructive faze. My barbies bore the brunt of my destruction, but it was really intense creativity. I have a barbie who's hands I cut off while playing with her. She was caught steeling and that was the punishment. I also have one who's arm I cut off for her Sheshomarou cosplay and one who's brests I spent a long while painstakingly carving off so that I could have another "male" doll to play with. All of this was done with no more malice than the modding you see here. My brother, however, has hit the stage where if he gets bored or angry he'll smash a cd or pull apart his tv, etc.

While, looking at the supposed wreckage of our things no parent would give either of us an expensive, easily broken toy at that time, some children may in fact be capable of caring for a bjd, maybe even more than some adults. I know I also had a porcelain doll as a young child. I carted that thing all over the place and I can only ever remember breaking her once. I dropped her on the concrete and her leg broke into many pieces. I was devestated and my mom helped me glue her back togeather. I cared for her even more after that.

I know I've sort of rambled, but I'm just saying that maybe we should give sometimes give children the benefit of the doubt, if you have the money to spend on a possible risk.

 

I am a teenager, and I have a job. I always work and save up for my dolls. Rarely my parents buy me a full doll. They mostly donate money to a glass jar I have sitting out on my hallway shelf. Small little donations that make me feel extremely grateful towards them.

I think people who 'mooch' or leech money off their parents to buy dolls or simply throw tantrums until they have the dolls are too young. I have nothing against parents saving up to buy their child a doll after the said child has shown respect towards these dolls.

When parents give gifts of dolls to their children I have no problem with that either. It's a very nice thing of them to do, and seeing as has happened to me a few times, I can't say its bad to receive one.

 

I was given porcelain dolls as a very small child (from ages 3 to 7) and they still look like the day I received them (I'm currently 19). I don't mean to say I was a very mature or well-behaved child, I just knew how to take care of my things.

When I was 5 and a cousin was 11, we both received similar porcelain dolls for Christmas. I still have my doll in pristine condition while my cousin had broken her doll within a year of receiving it. Honestly, I think it just depends upon the child.

 

Funny story about maturity and age...

I was at the Kstate Japanese Festival and I brought my 60cm Narae with me. A few people had politely asked to look at her, no big deal.

I was waiting for the tea ceremony to begin and this woman and her 13-14 year old daughter and daughter's friend come up. The two girls were very polite and said how they really liked BJDs and hoped to be able to afford one someday. I offered to let the mother, who seemed pretty curious about it, hold the doll seeing as this woman was near my own mother's age and just... well a normal mom. She then begins to manhandle my doll, pulling on the arms as hard as she can and generally tossing her around, then tells me she can't understand why I'd spend so much on a toy. The two girls are HORRIFIED and apologize profusely before slinking away, thoroughly embarrassed.

That said I'd happily let me little five year old cousin play with my doll before my 15 year old niece. I adore my niece but she's really clumsy and doesn't always seem to understand "You need to be gentle with this." She's not a rough and tumble girl... she's just not careful with things. My little cousin on the other hand is a bit ocd and anal.

It all depends on the child and on the adult. :3

 

If the child is mature enough, willing to earn a good portion of the costs themselves, and they AND their adult guardian have done a bit of research as to what they're getting into, then I see no reason why a younger person should not join the hobby!