Too young for the hobby?

I had a number of porcelain/ceramic figures, snow-globes and music boxes as a child, and even played with them carefully. I took care of them, but my brothers (we shared a room) inevitably broke nearly every single one of my more fragile keepsakes, some very soon after I got them. It was always by accident, but they simply weren't showing care with how they played around my things, because they had no meaning to them--but they were fine around the more fragile things that had meaning to them. I think this is a big part of it, and why buying a BJD as a gift for a child who doesn't know about them wouldn't be a good idea... the doll should be important to the child, and if it's just an interesting new thing... well, they might not be as inclined to take care of it.

 

I dont think 12 is too young. Especially if they are saving up their own money. If I had a tween kid that really wanted their first BJD I would encourage the creativity behind the hobby. Every kid is different and my advice would be start small.. maybe a BB size

 

agree 100% well put

 

I can see why the topic was started.

Basically I think if a parent gives a child something like that, you're expected to take good care of it. Though as a child, even no matter how careful you are, your peers may not be so. And kids are pushy!
If one of her friends asks to see and they break it, the child will be left responsible.

And then they're parent will be angry with them because they dropped 400+ on something that just broke!

I kinda think it's a trap for a kid. You know YOU can take care of it. But others around you, not so much...

Maintainability is already pricey. It's an expensive hobby and breaking is not the only issue. Maybe it's best for adults.

When you really think about it, I don't even think they were ever intended for children. Like a lot of things...(I may be wrong here@@)

My guess is that these dolls were made for teens-adults to have something to their name. Once you grow up...It's like you can't find anything not geared for kids anymore. Thus products like THESE are built so that those groups can still enjoy the hobby of playing with dolls.

Us as teens and young adults are all here because we are responsible and our parents recognized that. But It would break my heart to see a kid make ONE small mistake
and their parent takes their beloved doll away.

That's why I say it's a trap. If you have negative influences that is. There are just those things children can't control.
Otherwise, they would be geared to kids, and not us. Teens and adults.

For the sake of the kids, they should wait I think.

 

Agreed as well. A good example for this is my youngest sister who recently turned eleven. She loves my dolls, and I trust her completely to take care of them, and she too wants one of her own. Only problem is she asks my mother for one, rather than planning a way to save up money (as I did when I was barely older than she is now). The way I see it is, if my mother were to give in and get her one, it would soon be forgotten. While she may like my dolls, and play with them when given permission, they are still my dolls, my possession, and therefore hold a specific attraction to her because it is something she will never fully have (even if she tries to bribe me with fivers). She would never take it upon herself to save up her allowance for two years to get her own doll, she would much rather be given one right away, with no hard work at all.

I agree that if the child can save up for it, they are mature enough to own it.

 

This thread makes me think of all the adults that adopt pets and give them away/drop them at shelters or worse - abandon them in neighborhoods. All the dogs running around my neighborhood off leash. All the adults I know that have been hit by other drivers and the other driver ran-off (hit & run). All the adults that disrespect other people's stuff...

I could never of had a bjd growing up because even though I mowed yards, babysat, and cleaned houses = earned enough to buy one. My adopted mother would have gave it away or broke it to hurt my feelings.

I'm not sure why we judge people's maturity and responsibility by age. Internet safety & personal safety (meetings) and social awkwardness are separate issues. We should all be aware of internet safety and personal safety issues but especially people (who come in all ages) more likely taken in by scams/predators. I also find social awkwardness exists when I don't share some things in common with the people - like I knit but I don't always fit in with knitting circles just because everyone there knits. I can have more in common to have a great conversation with a 13 year old than another 30something-year-old-nearly-40 person like myself (thinking back to a recent boring baby shower where I hung out with a teen avoiding terrible baby shower games.)

As far as other people damaging the bjd - siblings, friends, strangers, etc. -that's a really good point. I'll keep that in mind. So far I only have one friend I know I could trust and would understand the value of my bjd to me.

 

First of all....it's a DOLL! Children younger than 12
are given living creatures that require actual care, and
often the end result is a dead animal or parents who end
up taking care of the pet or giving it away. So lets be realistic
please. If the parents see nothing wrong with giving their child
a $200 & up "toy" (yes, that's what they are) then that's their
decision. I would have taken perfectly good care of a BJD at
the age of 8-10...would I have gotten one at that age (there
weren't ABJD then...& no I'm not OLD) absolutely NOT.
There was no money for pricey things like that. But times
have changed greatly.....children have cell phones now!!
The bottom line is, if the parents don't mind the cost and even
if the kid is not responsible enough to handle the doll in a way
others feel is appropriate...it's just a doll and it's not a strangers
business. Sorry. I'd sooner give a child a BJD than a living breathing
feels pain and suffers if hurt animal. Period.

As for the "If parents keep buying everything for their children...
I'm afraid they'll never mature comment" I don't agree entirely.
Perhaps you are talking about "spoiling" a child? But even that
is only based on an individuals idea of spoiling. My Mother still
buys me things (including BJD's!) but I'm not an immature person
IMO. So, once again it all depends on the child/person.

edit: You made some really good points LeilaniB.
And I'm sorry to hear you had such a tough childhood.
Now you can enjoy your things and not worry that someone
will hurt them and you. Growing up my belongings were in
constant danger of being given away by my Dad, I'm sooo
glad that that worry is gone. No one is taking away my dolls XD

 

I wouldn't hand my doll to any kid under 12 honestly but I also wouldn't hand it to somebody I didn't know or don't
trust because even adults can be really immature especially when they just think of it as a "doll" and not something
valuable and special.

But If a kid under 12 can buy one then its whatever. Its there's they can do what they want with it.

 

There is a 10yr old in our local doll group, she collects along side her mother. I don't think age is a deciding factor, nor is the price even, but these dolls aren't something you just buy (with the exception of some fullsets I guess) they come naked, wigless, faceless, eye less, ect. Not something I would think appealing to just a kid who wanted a pretty doll to play with. Even if the child can be gentle if she knows nothing about the hobby it probably isn't ideal. It isn't that the child might break the doll, at 12 chances are she can handle it, it is that starting in the BJD hobby can be really intimidating, even for an adult. While you can jump in without a ton of research and figure it out as you go that might be stressful for a pre-teen and her mom. Or it may be a great hobby for them to get into together, it is really hard to tell. When you think about it, parents buy their preteens expensive MP3 players, cell phones, netbooks, lap tops, and electronic games. I easily spent as much on a Wii system for my 8 yr old for his birthday as I would have buying him a small doll, and he could just as easily break it by mistreating it. The difference is that the doll is going to be a lot harder to enjoy if you don't know anything about it.

 

Speaking as a parent who has actually experienced buying a Soom tiny for her eight year old daughter, age itself is irrelevant. In fact, the only truly relevant points I can think of offhand are:

How badly the child wants the doll.
How coordinated the child is (up until a certain point, children drop things without meaning to, ALL the time).
That the child does not have the attention span of a gnat.
That the child clearly understands the doll is fragile, special, and will not be replaced if lost or damaged.

Beyond that - saying an all inclusive 'young children should not have BJDs' is pretty silly. My daughter's box opening and first look at her new girl were as thrilling for her as those special events are for anyone on DoA. She loves and takes care of that little chunk of resin as maternally as she did on day one. So what more is there to debate about?

 

Thank you and yes, I love enjoying nice things without fear of them disappearing. I just went a large FFA event with tons of kids showing their cows, pigs, horses, goats, and bunnies. It was so great seeing all the really capable kids - a couple showed me a bit about grooming an angora bunny and needle felting.

 

A kid whose parent will plan on buying them a $400 spur-of-the-moment birthday present is probably not ever going to learn to take care of anything. She'll just learn to dip into her trust fund and buy herself a new one. It's impossible to appreciate the value of an object when you've never had to earn your own allowance, ya know?

 

I was 12 when my mother got me a bobobie. >.<
And I have to admit, by that time, I was head-over-heels in love with BJDs, lawl.
Now I'm 15 and my 9 year old sister love them, well at lest the furry ones. I fully trust her, but not some kids.
Besides, age is only a number, I've had some adults tell me rude comments while young children handle her with more care than I ever would, so it depends.

 

There's no such thing as too young, only a thing as too immature.

 

Amen!

 

Honsetly, it's not a matter of age, it's a matter of maturity, and maturity varies on a case by case basis. I got into the hobby when I was 11, but I didn't get my first doll until I was almost 13. My parents made me pay for her myself, which is completely reasonable, but it made me very sure how dedicated I was to the hobby. I am not an idiot who puts nail polish on her doll's faces, but I'm sure there are PLENTY of girls out there who do. Then again, there are plenty who are actually and ganuinely interested in the hobby and CARE. Take in by a case by case basis.

 

On one hand I feel like, even if she does end up treating the doll like any other Barbie, and it gets destroyed, who cares? It's her doll. Some kid treating expensive stuff like garbage isn't going to change how careful I am with my dolls.

But then my inner jealous bitch rises, and I can't help but think "Must be nice to have rich parents to drop $400 on ya," and I get all bitter.

 

Everyone's income situation is different, and even though it is sad that some people can't afford things they would dearly cherish while others can drop huge amounts of cash on things they'll soon forget, it's also not the fault of the people who are wealthy and it doesn't make them bad people because they can afford these things, not unless they start rubbing it in the faces of those who are less fortunate. After all, I'm betting that most of us don't guilt ourselves for having clean running water even though there're people who walk five miles every day carrying a 50-lb plastic can of quasi-clean water home to their families. Yes, that's a necessity and dolls are a luxury, but being able to pursue what you love is still an important part of one's life, regardless of what may constitute that in one's situation; having something to hope and dream for matters even though it differs widely for different people's situations.

A doll also isn't a person of its own accord. Yes, our dolls that we love and care for are special to us, but until we bring them home and make them ours, unless someone's spent time on a faceup or carefully hand-stitched their clothes just for the doll itself, ultimately they are only resin until we put our own emotions and love and connection into them. If they are more, it's because they've been loved and cared for. Isn't there a Japanese belief that old objects-- including but not limited to dolls-- acquire a soul over time? Because, I think, someone's cared for them. If it's not something where someone really cares for it and wants it to go to a good owner, then it's just resin.

BJDs may be inappropriate for the child who doesn't realise what kind of thing she's getting into, because (as has been said) they're not the type of doll you can so easily get and play with out of the box; they're a doll you need to put work into. You need to be willing to go through with putting it together and caring for it, or it'll be a waste. Wasted effort and money, and, well, a waste is a shame. It sounds like the mom doesn't really get it that that's how BJDs tend to be. I suppose maybe she can just buy one that's all finished and clothed, and then... it's up to her to decide whether it's a waste or not on her particular child. I hope she makes the decision based on a knowledge of what her child's like and how she'll react and how she'll treat such a thing, rather than just buying it because she can. In other words, I hope she won't be wasteful. (As some other posters have said, though, some kids treat their toys extremely well and appreciate their value-- I was one of these, too-- and without knowing what the particular child is like, we can't really know whether it's a waste or not.)

 

This was printed on the side of the box of my Volks SD Sara.

Attention: This product is for advanced players. Read this notice first.
- This product is for over 15 years old. This product cannot be sold to less than 15 years old.
- Please read the included instruction carefully.
- Keep this product away from children.

Food for thought. XD

 

A year or so ago I recall seeing a mother and a daughter arguing (with laughter) over what their doll would wear when at Sato. The mother wanted the doll to wear one outfit and the daughter wanted the doll to wear another. They then proceeded to photograph the doll and share the camera while having fun. The daughter was maybe ten years old.

Sometimes parents only want to see their children smile and see them happy. Let the child enjoy the doll.