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Travelling with your dolls: issues/ideas/etc. Part I

Aug 20, 2004

    1. Well, our vacations are usually to conventions, and the dolls of course must come to conventions. ;D We just pack them up as though we're heading to a friends house and take them on the plane. The future cons are going to be a bit more interesting, since we can no longer fit all our dolls into two DOD bags anymore... dangit. ;D but we'll find a way to get them on the plane... I'd like to keep them with me, so I'll probably put them in their bag as carry-ons and just stuff my things in with them. ^_^ I don't know if I'd wanna have them checked o_o; though I'm sure that would be fine, as long as they were well padded. <3 They're pretty sturdy, it takes a lot to hurt them, really.

      As for while I'm at the conventions, I'll probably have at least one or two with me at all times. I don't feel paranoid about leaving them in the hotel room. Especially if they're in their bag, they'll be pretty safe and out of the way, I think, and I share a hotel room with people I love and trust, so I'm not worried, since someone's usually 'home'. ^^

      Even if I wasn't going somewhere like a con, I think I'd still have to take them with me. . . I'm just too clingy. <3
       
    2. I bring my dolls with me when I go on vacations though usually only one for each trip as I carry him/her in my arms rather than in a doll carrier.

      Like what others have said, you get to take awesome photos in different countries with different views. Plus once in awhile, they need to go out and see the world.
       
    3. Well Vincents Comming to Vegas with me. But only because..

      1. I don't trust my room mate (many many reasons >,< )
      2. He will be my carry on, In my lap the whole trip
      3. We're staying with family that has no children in a safe neighbourhood.
      4. Photoshoots Photoshoots Photoshoots! LMAO

      So I feel safer having him with me, and knowing I can trust whom/where I'd be leaving him if I need to.

      /Violet
       
    4. I took Alice to the ocean several times and I took her to two furry cons. I like taking a doll to my furry cons because she keeps me sane after a day full of selling art of animal critters to random fanboys. I do worry that something bad will happen to her but I try my best to make sure she's safe while I am away.

      I may bring one of my dolls to Florida with me but I'm not certian yet.
       
    5. I always travel with at least one doll. Especially when I travel alone because my doll acts as a stand-in for me when taking pictures of new places and sights...so much more interesting than just shooting scenery. However, it is crucial to pack your doll into your carry-on luggage. I would never check a bag containing my doll because there is always a slim possibly that luggage could be delayed, or go missing. Sadly, this has happened to friends of mine. If you aren't comfortable taking you doll out and about anywhere though, you may want to try going on little adventures before taking it with you on vacation. Treat your doll as you would something valuable and irreplacable, don't leave it out when your hotel room is being cleaned, and take it with you if you're staying in a youth hostel. I've also found that if you tell airport security or customs that you have a doll in you carry-on before it goes through the X-ray, they're prepared for what they'll see and are less likely to delay you. I also make sure my doll is undressed to make it easy to see that it is in fact a harmless object of art. For the past few years, my usual "travel doll" is a non-ABJD, wooden-bodied 9-inch jointed doll with porcelain head, hands, and glass eyes, that I've named Terri. She was made by Wendy Lawton in 1997, and now goes for about $1,250 on the secondary mkt. Her wooden body contains wiring and springs and always raises some eyebrows at DC area airports, but since I've advised the agents that they'll be seeing my doll, they are more amused than ready to call her a security risk. ;) Hope you and your doll enjoy many a happy journey together!

      Hugs, Juli DC :)
       
    6. Yeah, he hasn't been on a plane yet though x_x;; I don't have a carrier for him, or a bag big enough for him

      But I don't like to be without him ^_^;
       
    7. oh my my doll goes EVERYWHERE with me. i mean that lol. if your careful with watching her id say take her with you, if i were a doll and my human left me id be pissed lol.. juli you made a good point, id warn security that you have your doll with you first to make sure things dont go wrong. ^.^
       
    8. I'm going to make a big trip to Florida next month!
      If Kazuki is there before I leave, I'll definitly take him with me!
      I still have to get him a carrier bag though!
       
    9. I have been worrying about this too, I am going on my honeymoon in a few months, of to Bali, I am a little concerned with the Drug charges Aussises are getting over there right now they might be unsubtle/careless in checking the boy's bags and damage them, or that the hotel room might get broken into or something, just feeling paranoid, but on the other hand I really do not want to leave them behind, nor do I want to leave them in my Mother's care (she thinks they are a frivilous waste)
       
    10. As other said it is so cool to travle with your doll(s)!!
      Last Christmas i was very worried about taking Sybil & Mael to a plane check for here in France, sometimes the airport checking staff is very straight and do not want things with hooks or pointed little things to get in the plane with you!!
      I was SO nervous, i almost looked like the kind of character of manga, paranoid, sweating and so on....
      But the staff was ok, they just made fun of my dolls when they passed through the x-ray detector... (said they looked like "aliens"!!! T_T"")
      But finally they went on plane with me and so i could finally show them to my parents who live abroad!!

      I truly things keeping your dolls with you when travelling is awesome.
      May sounds stupid, but somehow i felt a little closer to them, sharing miles and the sky with those wondeful creatures.... ^^'

      As long as said earlier: put them well wrapped in a carrier bag and it would be perfectly ok and safe for them!!


      A question:
      Has anyone had taken his/her dolls to Japan (when coming from the US, Europe or other)
      I'd like to know if the customs or the arrival staff does not make problems??
      I'm planning to take my dolls with me for the next trip to Japan and i'm really paranoid about people asking me what is it and if they can enter the country (as i know japanese staff are very serious...)
      Can someone tell me??
       
    11. I recently went on a trip to New York and my Edessa came with me ^_^;

      He sat on my shoulder on my way to and from but stayed int eh room while I was there. He came home unharmed ^_^
       
    12. I've been wondering this thing also since my sister lives in Ireland (I'm in Finland) and I will go to visit her on May. She has a BJD also and I'd love to take my dolls with me. I bought a luts carrier for them but I'm not sure if it would be wise to take them with me since I'm afraid that they'd get broken or something. ^^'

      But I'm certainly gonna think about it becouse with in few weeks I'll travel to Helsinki (about 700km & 7,5 hours in train) so this will be a good experience and helps me for to decide if I dare take them with me. :3
       
    13. Don't worry! :)

      I live in Japan and took both my dolls on a trip to the US in December. There were no problems on the Japanese side. The security staff at Japanese airports are relaxed, friendly, and careful with travelers' items. If they do ask to open your luggage, they'll do it in front of you and take great care not to harm anything in your luggage.

      As for Japanese customs, it's just a formality going into the country. Sometimes they have cute dogs sniffing around baggage claim for drugs, which I guess is the only thing they care about. For customs itself, it's such a simple process that I can't even remember how it goes, despite having traveled in and out of Japan over 10 times! They never open anything. You might need to show your passport, or some piece of paper they give you on the airplane.
       
    14. I can never afford vacations [lol] so that pretty much solves that

      but should it ever happen... I think I'd have a hard time chosing which one to bring O_o;; and once that choice was made, they would be with me at all times, whether in the carrier or in my arms. I would never be able to check them anywhere
       
    15. I'll go to on vocation trip in summer (only one week, bute better then nothing ^^) and I'm planning to take bot dolls with me. I really want to take some photos with them *delight*
      I'll always take care of them

      Ohh~~ you came to Germany
      I live in Germany...
      :love I love Ilú :love
      *giggles*
       
    16. Yes, but then I go to Cons on vacation. I also take them with me when I got and see my parents.
       
    17. I would definetly bring my doll on vacation. Taking pictures would be fun!
      Definetly I'd keep her beside me though and safely in a case at all times, I'd have a heart attack or something if I lost her in luggage, or worse, got damaged (my luggage got searched the last time I went on vacation, and they stained a blouse of mine and ruined a pair of shoes, I'm not sure how they did either, but I haven't been able to fix them ;_; )!
       
    18. I always take a doll or two on vacations in this country. If I was going out of the country I probably wouldn't though, I'd be too concerend that they might get confiscated for some weird reason, so I just wouldn't even risk that.
       
    19. I always take a doll when I go somewhere special.
      Normally, the Blythe Gang have dibs on being travel dolls.

      I haven´t taken a BJD anywhere yet, since Lorelei hasn´t arrived here very long ago and I simply haven´t had the time yet. But I don´t think I would take her just anywhere - it would totally depend on how safe it was for her.

      I do want to show her the Lorelei rock later in the summer, though.
      After all, her previous guardian named her after the legend and now that she´s living only a few hours´ drive from the real place... she just has to go there.
       
    20. I received Phir last November, just before Christmas. Shortly after receiving him, I found out that I was probably going to embark on a journey to my crappy home province, Saskatchewan, to see my family. I wanted to bring my doll for a variety of reasons, one being that I was intimidated by relatives and could use the extra support/companionship, and two because I wanted my father to see the doll that I worked so hard for.

      So, here's what I did.

      When I went to Saskatchewan, I made went through extra pains to BUY MY DOLL A CARRYING CASE. If you're going traveling *further* than just around town, I would *not* recommend leaving without one. I bought a nice, beautiful white AR doll cariier from Dutchgirl. It fits my gigantic Volks boy with room to aspare, and it looks really nice. Again, I cannot stress the importabnce of having something to carry your doll in if you're leaving on some kind of overnight, non sleepover travel. If you don't have a case, your doll could get broken or lost on the trip alot easier than if it were in one, and it's just safer in general. They're expensive, though.

      But worth it. I know that I had a blast in the hick province of Canada, and I know that it made my visit alot more memorable and fun having my doll there. It also made bonding with my estranged family alot easier, because they were experiencing first hand my hobby and what I like to do. Even the kids were very respectful of my doll, and my father even told me that Phir was probably the closest thing he had to a grandson. ^^. I really do recommend travel with your dolls. Good bonding, good times. Where could you go wrong?