"Waste of Money?"

I have never thought that I'm now wasting money for my dolls because I receive happiness just from watching how cute my dolls are. Other than this hobby, I don't spend much money because I don't like to go shopping for myself, don't even go to cinema or travel to somewhere far away, etc...So nobody around me said I've been wasting money.

 

When deciding on my first doll, even the cheapest seemed like a waste of money to me. I'm kind of cheap lol. I'd just rather spend the money on clothes or something more "useful". But my husband convinced me to get the one I really wanted rather than settle for a fashion doll. And I'm glad he did! For me, buying lots of dolls seems like a waste of money, unless they have a specific purpose. I don't think I will ever have more than 2 actual BJDs just because there are a lot of other priorities. Plus I feel like they can get lost in the collection.

So yeah opposite with me :/ I'm always cheap and regretting it later. I can sympathize with people concerned about the cost of these dolls. But I don't think they would be nearly as enchanting for $50 a doll. The waste of money (like a pair of expensive shoes) makes them desirable to me too, in a way lol

 

I think it's just like any hobby. Especially collection hobbies, but any hobbies, really. People who aren't into it have a difficult time understanding the time and money spent into it. Or they'll find it plain weird. And I try my best to explain them than a hobby isn't really weirder to another and is just a matter of personal taste, if I like to collect dolls and another collects stamps or coins...But I must admit... I hate feeling like I should justify myself and my hobbies to people who allow themselves to judge negatively something they know nothing about.

 

Well... When someone says that BJDs are a "waste of money" I simply tell them it is non of their business what I spend my money on just like it's non of my business what they spend their money on. If I am happy with my BJDs they're worth the money and time. ^-^

 

no one has said anything to me, but i guess i am just a bit private about it anyways. My significant other knows about it, but i think he loves it as it justifies his spending lots of money on guitar technics and stuff like that. ANYWAY, it is no one elses business what i spend my money on once the bills are paid. I don't smoke (must confess to drinking though! - it links in with my late night ebay purchases!!!), and i dont go on expensive holidays, i even have a bit of an obsession about buying the majority of my clothes from charity shops, so if i decide to spend £2k on a doll (oh yes i did! - a few years ago, before i saw any bjds) then it is my business!! (BTW, i just confessed that to you all, partner doesnt know it was that much!)

 

Oh, I believe they are a waste of money. Most things are and I'm going to choose how I waste my money instead of letting someone else decide for me.

 

You know what, it may be a waste of money, but it's just as much of waste as anything else that people do for fun. Sporting events, fancy cars, expensive clothes, art supplies, video games, concerts, all of that is a complete waste of money if you really think about it. But they all provide with entertainment and something to make live enjoyable. So yes this hobby may seem like a waste of money to some, but if it makes you happy, it isn't to you. And there are far more expensive things like vintage cars and designer handbags. I think as long as you use and enjoy your dolls they're not a waste. The only way this could be a real waste of money is if you decided to buy a doll over food or paying rent or something like that. Life is too short though to worry about what others deem to be a waste or not though.

 

I agree with everyone above who mentioned any hobby being considered a "waste" to some people. If it's not a necessity, it can technically be considered a waste of money, just because it's superfluous. And maybe it is, but so what? My mom in particular likes to remind me that my dolls are a foolish waste of money, despite supporting my barbie collection throughout the entirety of my childhood. I guess these dolls are different because they're expensive, and take a lot of work to get them perfect. I'm a wholehearted believer in pursuing interests and passions, though, and I think so long as you're not like, using up every last cent of your money towards them and neglecting basic necessities as a result, there's nothing wrong with having an expensive hobby. It's all about moderation and money management in my opinion. If you're balancing things out and making like, savings goals then it won't hit your wallet as hard (and there's nothing wrong with the occasional spur of the moment splurge when the time is right ;D ) I don't think it's my personal business to police how others spend their money, and I expect that my friends and family respect my privacy when it comes to finances as well.

 

I've actually had a conversation on this topic with the manager of the Games Workshop location nearby, on one of the times I went in to pick up some sealant and paints. He told me about the people who wander in, not knowing what the store is, and start complaining about the "waste of money" that is small wargaming figures that need customization to be finished, much like BJDs. And he always responds by telling them that everyone has a hobby they waste money on. It might be dolls, it might be gaming figures... or it might be cars, or designer purses, or going out to the bar on Friday nights, or any number of hobbies people might have. And no one has any right to judge someone else for what expensive hobby they've chosen over the others.

I also had a similar conversation with a close friend of mine, who tested out the BJD hobby and has decided it's not for her... she's trading it in for "another money pit," elaborate fishtank setups.

We all have that waste of money in our lives somewhere. Anyone calling our hobby a waste of money ought to take the time to reflect on what their own waste is.

 

So - which hobby ISN'T a waste of money? Or a waste of time? Even if you, say, knit as a hobby and sell the stuff you knit - you'll never get the money for your knits that they're actually WORTH, considering the hours spent on knitting. BJDs aren't my main hobby. My main hobby is writing - fanfics. Complete waste of time, right? Since, you know, I'll never ever be able to make a single penny from writing fanfics since I can't sell those stories. Yah, well - so what? As long as I'm having fun ...

 

usually say "why not?" my money and I spend it how I want! dolls make me happy! ^^ We live once, so I don't care what people think a waste of money.

 

I've had family and friends call my dolls creepy or strange but never have they told me that I was wasting my money. I think that's more to do with my upbringing though. I'm from a very large family and my parents were very liberal when I was growing up. I made my own decisions and spent my money how I wished; if I stuffed up then I made the mistake. They were always there if I needed help but I was my own person and I had to make my own decisions.

 

I've only ever had one person tell me this was a waste of money. But she also thinks one of my dolls is "one of those gays" because I dressed the little yosd boy in a skirt...

 

My mother says they're a waste of money. I tell her this "It may be a waste of money to you, but not to me. You spend your money on sewing machines which are just as expensive, but I don't tell you that they're a waste of money." My mom has a regular sewing machine, a serger, and a 1940 industrial sewing machine. She also wants ANOTHER machine, but I never tell her it's a waste. I try to explain what they're all about and how artistic they are because she knows I'm an artist, but she never wants to listen. I don't understand why she feels the need to bash on my hobby. Especially when shes not putting a single penny into it.

 

In a way, I feel like I cheated with this scenario in a humorous way! Let me explain. I've always admired other artists, and wanted to do art, as a teen I began following a very popular BJD faceup artist. She was also the first to introduce me to vinyl fashion doll repainting and that was the bridge I crossed into this realm, I was able to practice customizing doll at a more affordable price (also note, this assumption was incorrect in the end of it all it still took a huge investment to start producing the quality of custom doll I expected).

When people insinuate what I do is a sink hole for money I feel compelled to elaborate how every area of craftsmanship has niche markets where excessive amounts of money limit the amount of people that own and get to utilize the convenience/efficiency of a product. Money was made by man and the things we spend that money on holds as much value as we ourselves see it. It's not up to them to understand.

 

I have a relative who believes that I should change hobbies because she saw my collection of bjds. I believe that my relative is wrong because my bjds make me happy and I believe that is more important than that relative's opinion. So I am going to keep collecting because what makes me happy counts more than someone else opinion.

 

Whenever someone comments how much of a "waste of money" my dolls are, I explain that each one is made by hands by artists; artists who have often followed the entire creation of the doll. They're pieces of art. People like that usually don't get to me because this is a hobby that I love (and a lot of them said the same thing about cosplay).

 

I've been told very strongly by two friends that bjds are a huge waste of money. My best friend does NOT understand why anyone would spend so much on something, but she's never said to my face she thinks they're a waste of money, because she knows how much I love the doll hobby and looking at doll things! I have never understood why something has to be useful to spend money on it. My family is full of "collectors" though. My grandmothers both collected expensive china and serving wear that is not actually for using with food, just to keep in glass cabinets. My dad collects a really specific antique glass and chrome line of glasses and decanters, and has a TON of guitars, not just to play, but for their rarity. My mom LOVES Mary Englebreit stuff and has collected dishes and vases and sugar bowls and dolls and toys. She also collects anything and everything with Scotty dogs on it! My sister collected Barbies for YEARS before she finally just got tired of it, and had a huge Beanie Baby collection. Most of this stuff could be seen as a waste of money! But only my former friends have every directly used the term "waste of money." And to all of those people out there who think money could be better spent on useful things or should be saved, why do we have to live the same spartan existence you do? Maybe we want to spend our money on something that makes us happy! Maybe if all those "waste of money" people had something that actually made them happy, they'd stop complaining.

 

The people that usually tell me that BJDs are a waste of money have things (more expensive than BJDs) that they waste their money on so I just ignore it most of the time, sometimes though I say things like "so is your new _____ but you don't see me complaining about it to you", "It's not your money" or simply "it's not your business".
I don't spend money on eating out, coffee, smoking, drinking, movies, clubbing, designer shoes/clothes/purses, cellphone (I don't have a cellphone) ect so I don't want to hear that my hobbies are a waste of money coming from people who spend more on unnecessary things.

My family doesn't really care much either way, I get the occasional "that's not necessary, you shouldn't buy that" but they generally don't say anything about it.

 

Although no one say that to me,i blamed myself on spending too much on dolls