Too young for the hobby?

I think Armeleia has some valid points here. A child may be able to take care of ABJDs as well as any responsible adult and I've seen adults mess up their expensive dolls so bad that the dolls had to be restored by a skilled customizer. Age does not have to say anything about responsibility and common sense.

I do agree that many other parts of the hobby like business transactions, the online community and meet ups may be unsuited for children. I am of the opinion that a child (someone younger than sixteen) should not attend any kind of meet up with people from an online community unchaperoned. Not to make sure the child behaves, but to make sure that nothing bad happens to the child. (16-year-olds and older should be careful, but at one point you have to give children space to learn what's safe and what's not.) I've been a moderator at an online community that was frequently visited by young people (an oekaki board) and have first hand experience with the craftiness of a paedophile.
It's sad, but I can imagine that not being allowed to go to meet ups for adults is an invitation for someone with bad intentions to contact a child and say "Hey, I just read that you want to go to a meet up, but can't because of your age. I don't mind, so how about we meet up somewhere? Just the two of us, so we won't be a bother to the old ones. It will be fun." You may think nobody will fall for that, but that's exactly what has happened to someone I know and it didn't end well.

I wouldn't like to do business with a 12-year-old for several hundreds of dollars without an adult backing up the child. Adults can scam too or be irresponsible, but it's easier to take legal action against an adult.

 

my daughter has a tiny and she is 11..she looks after her and its is something we can share our love of which is nice ... i think it is really dependent on the person...

 

I'm fourteen right now, and I think this is the PERFECT age for a bjd owner to start. Not any younger XD
I've been in this hobby for three years (yes, I was very little when I first was into this) but even then, I just planned on getting a little 27cm. vinyl doll or something, but I didn't feel I was up to getting a legit resin doll. But, I don't mean to sound messed up, I've always been told I've been "more mature" than other people/children/teens my age, if that has anything to do with it... I know my parents only let me have this doll because they knew I would take care of it.
Soooo... I never got a little vinyl doll, but here I am, years later with the most gorgeous resin 70cm. boy ever in my posession ^^ and I guess what I mean is that someone really young and small should probably have a smaller, less-valuable doll to ease into it..? I suppose? Whatever you feel is comfortable for your child, I guess. :/
(But I just want to add, I do know some people who kinda spoil their kids when they can't handle it... i.e 5 year old with an itouch, etc.) XDDD

 

Diamond, hugs
I'm too young, and I have um...about 20 of the bloomin' things

 

Lol. Random 16 year old here.
I just ordered my first ever doll, so I'm not sure if everything will turn out right. I did however do a year + of research before actually ordering her. Still abit unclear on a few points but I'll cross that bridge when i get to it. I really doubt that age itself is a determining factor for owning a doll. Seriously, the thought of my doll in the hands of my 21 year old cousin thoroughly petrifies me!

 

Agreed!

 

It all depends on the maturity. (as it has been said multiple times)

Age doesn't matter. I know some 13 year old's who take better care and are more responsible for their dolls then 34 year old's. People believe age matters because people assume maturity comes with age. It doesn't. It comes withexperience.

I got my first BJD at 15 and paid for it by myself. I take excellent care of them now and will always.

 

I've just been watching doll videos on YouTube and one girl who had some videos up was 10 years old. She seemed pretty much the same as everyone here on DoA, only smaller, heh. I mean, as far as hobbies go, it's not really rocket science. It's a pretty simple hobby with easy-to-understand concepts. Get a doll, be careful, have fun. Most kids are capable of that when they try to be.

 

It really does depend on the child. One of my sisters just turned twelve, and would definitely be responsible enough to handle owning a BJD. However, my other sister whom is only 2 years younger, would be likely to neglect and or break it within a week of owning it. Its possible that the mother didn't know what she was getting into, and its also possible that she knew how responsible her daughter really is. I think that age is really only a number, and cannot ACCURATELY determine maturity or responsibility. With this being said, I would still frown upon a six year old running around with a $800, 70cm doll! Thats just a bit risky! Hahah.

 

Although some preteens may want a doll in the spurr of the moment, there are many who are mature enough to understand the commitment a doll is. I think if they do the research, and remain interested in the hobby for a while (so that it's not a phase), they are ready for a BJD. I am in high school and many of my friends are extremely dedicated to their dolls and take excellant care of them. I became interested in the hobby when I was twelve, however had not purchased a doll, and instead spent time talking to owners and doing research. However, I will be ordering my first doll (A Blue Fairy TF May) soon!

 

I'm 14 and I thought for about a year about what I was getting into, the cost, the maintenance etc. I did a hell of a lot of research and saving up (my parents said it was my hobby, so I had to have enough cash) before taking the plunge and I think it depends on the child. Also, my parents helped me with the business/money side of things (transaction, they didn't lend me money or anything). It definitely wasn't a spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment purchase. However, I can imagine some children who are particularly spoilt can just say to their parents "I want this doll" and the parents will happily oblige. This is the only time I would object to a child buying a BJD.

 

I don't think anyone could take "good" care of a BJD without outside information, and many adults damage their dolls because they don't know how to take care of the resin etc.

As for age, kids are so good at living up to the expectations people give them. If a child is given a BJD and really held to the expectation of taking good care of it, I'm sure they will, especially if they had to work for it in one way or another. As far as kids not sticking with things/not having the attention span for BJDs, I have a friend who is 18 and is still writing about a set of characters that started out as a Playmobil story when she was 8.

I mean, plenty of kids 12 and younger are the only person in their family that really know how to use a computer, and they (some of them) are more competent than adults I've seen who work in the tech department at my college.

Kids are capable of a lot, and these days they all know how to put something they're interested in into Google to find out more. I don't think a parent should buy their child (or anyone) a BJD as an impulse gift, but if the parent makes them "earn" the BJD in some other way than making money I am fine with that.

That said, with a younger teen or child I think that the parent or an older sibling should be willing to learn alongside the child and help out when needed.

 

I think there are some really good points in this thread. I agree, that in the end, it's just a doll and there's no reason a child can't buy one, no matter how well or badly they're going to treat it.
I also think there's a definate distinction between having a doll and being part of the hobby - but it's just basic parenting not to let an under 16 go to meets on their own or get into financial transactions on the marketplace or elsewhere on the internet if they're not old enough.

I think to me the main thing would be that the child has support from an bjd-interested adult. Its great when parents get their kids into dolls or vice-sersa. But I know some parents who might buy their kid a doll but wouldn't trust them to play with it because it was so expensive, that would be a shame, it's good to give kids the chance to be responsible.

I also have to admit as a grown up I'm so envious of all the youngsters who get dolls as gifts of whose parents help them out with the cost!

 

I agree with most of the things said here. ^.^

I don't have my first doll yet, I'm waiting for my mom to pay me back my money that she borrowed, but I have a cousin who is one of my closest friends as well, and my dollie-obsession has kind of stuck onto her too. I keep showing her pics over IM and talking about them, and she even went to a doll site, and has her favorite now (Iplehouse EID Yur). Shes a really mature person. Shes the most mature 10 year old I've ever met. And personally, I can see her owning an expensive BJD and taking care of it. I can't say she has enough interest yet, she kinda just has that favorite, but not with a passion like everyone here.
What I'm trying to convey is that my cousin is 10, and normally I would be like "D: Do not get that 10 year old this kind of item!!", but with her I'm like "xD Get a dolly so ours can hang out!!"

Hehe~ x)

 

I know that anyone is able to own them no matter what the age, however "the hobby" aspect of the doll hobby is a little unsuited for children over all. I know, it sounds "ageist" or whatever but unfortunately there aren't other words to use instead of "child" and "kid" that we all hate so much. I was there, i know what it sounds like to hear those words in reference to you, but still no matter how you put it it's what you still are until you're old enough to not be considered one in the eyes of the world around you.

Adults are adults, and around kids they don't know they're going to feel awkward and not able to converse or behave as they normally would in the event that only other adults were in attendance. Mostly because no matter how you mature you are you'll still give off the vibe of being an unfamiliar kid to any and every stranger, because they don't know you. They don't know how mature you are or what have you. So, people curtail themselves in the presence of unfamiliar children, even more so than they do with unfamiliar adults. Most don't do it on purpose, but out of reflex, and courtesy.

Meet ups, no matter how fun, really should be reserved for at least +16. Just because of the awkward factor. It's bad enough with a bunch of adults meeting one another for the first time, but imagine having to try that with someone(s) more than obviously younger than you, or being the chaperone to this youngster and finding that your early teen son/daughter's meeting to play dolls with 25+ year olds. o_o"

Just my opinion. I know there are exceptions to every situation, but for every exception there is an actual situation where that could actually occur as well.

 

better than Age, I would check on the Mental Age.
Because there are lots of people than are much older and still don't have maturity. And the worst thing is that they think they have.
...

 

I think as long as there's an interest, a person should be allowed to be interested in something. Now, granted, children don't have resources to buy a doll or replace a broken doll, so obviously they may not be able to get one at a young age. But if they have the money ready for spending, whether by saving up by mowing people's lawns, petsitting, or however they managed to get the money, I see no reason not to let a child buy a doll that s/he will obviously know how to take care of, after obsessing over it for as long as they would have to to save up that kind of money.

I started this hobby when I was 17, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have started it when I was 12 and been OK. I mean, I didn't know they EXISTED when I was 12, and I would have thought them too expensive to be interested at that time, though I probably would have looked at pictures and everything all over the 'net. Maybe when I was 14 I would have bought my first, after two years of obsession, but I can't be sure. Then again, I've always been money-conscious. (I was RELIEVED when I started to budget my money, lol.)

But still, as long as there's an interest, I think it's OK to be interested. Just don't buy dolls for kids who may have a fleeting interest or couldn't have the resources to buy one of their own or replace broken parts, etc. (in this case, resources meaning cash and income.) But I honestly see nothing to prevent children who are conscious of how careful they must be with their dolls to own their dolls. I dread the thought of any age limit being put on any hobby. Sure, some hobbies may have to be "childified", i.e., taking blood guts 'n' gore out of certain games to allow children to play them, but no one should outlaw kids from any hobby.

 

My mom used to buy me porcelain dolls at the age of 5. She told me to "display" them not play with them and she would place them on the shelves in my room. Sometimes at night when the light would hit them just right i'd look up at them and start to think they were staring at me and they were just waiting for me to go to sleep so they could attack me. Then my mom bought a very large porcelain doll and it really freaked me out whenever i had to run to the bathroom at night. Needless to say...those weren't going to be the dolls I would collect. My mom also bought Barbies for me, these were the special holiday Barbies which she would tell me to leave them in the box for one day in the future.

What I'm getting at is I was always taught that some dolls are meant to be played with such as basic Barbies and cheap baby dolls, then there were dolls to let sit and be displayed such as special holiday Barbies, certain teddy bears and porcelain dolls. I think this made me appreciate something a tad more expensive even though my mom believes I don't have respect for anything material wise. I admit there are some things of mine which weren't cared for and...some things i still don't take care of like I should, but I respect dolls for some odd reason. Now at the age of say 10 or 12 if my mom would have bought me a ball jointed doll I probably would not have respected it as much as I do now, especially if she bought it for me without me seeing them/picking one out myself.

I feel there are responsible teens/preteens even responsible 5 year olds which would care for such an expensive doll. If my mom would have purchased a bjd for my sister at the age of 5 she would have taken very good care of it, but my sister was always a very responsible child. she always kept her toys picked up and her clothes were always in the hamper or the closet, everything had a place and that item would be in it's place. So I really think it depends on the child and how they were raised. I think such an expensive doll though should be saved for by the child themself. At least then you'd really know if they wanted the doll and if they saved the money and bought the doll then threw it in a corner it's their money they wasted.