What do you do when you move away from the hobby?

Having recently had a baby...I can totally understand what you mean! There is no time that is not baby time.

I dutifully packed away my dolls before my baby was born and stored them in the closet. Hehe, but that lasted about two days before I couldn't stand not seeing some of them, and back out came the majority of my collection. Instead I got more creative about my display situation and came up with a way to seat a lot of them on a higher shelf.

Hm, but there are still those poor dolls in the closet, packed snuggly away in their boxes (the ones that take up too much space to justify having out, or are in some stage of blank/needing a faceup that I don't have time to give them right now). I toy with the idea of selling them. It seems that I can stand not to see them daily at least...but I still haven't been able to bring myself to do it. In the end this hobby and my dolls mean too much to me, and I know I want to keep them for myself. Someday I will have more time!

If it has been years, and you really feel that they are more of a burden than a joy, then it's ok to say goodbye if you need to. Personally, I know that I would regret it 1000 fold, so I'm going to wait it out.

 

Is it lack of time that is keeping you from your dolls, or a true lack of interest? Do you sometimes pull one out and feel a twang or regret or remorse that you don't have more time/energy/resources to spend on them, or do you just wish they were gone so you could move onto something else that interests you more?

I don't feel like there's anything wrong at all to grow out of the hobby, and if you feel like you've reached a point where they're simply clutter in your home, then you should take the steps to remove them. For the past three or four years I have done almost nothing with my dolls. They sat on their shelf getting dusty and that was it. I was simply too busy with other areas of my life. But once when I tried to pack them all up and put them in storage, I missed them all so much I took them out again the next day. It didn't matter that I wasn't actively doing anything with them, I still loved having them around me. Now, as of January if this year, I've slowly begin to immerse myself in the hobby once more. I've bought 2.5 dolls in the past 10 months and I'm so glad I didn't give them up for good. I think my sadness at simply having them packed away for even a day was a good indicator I wasn't ready to let them go just yet.

On the flip-side, I've also been a member of the Lolita community since 2007. Over the years I acquired a pretty decent collection of skirts and dresses and I used to wear them almost every day. But I'm no longer in college and I'm no longer as "confident" in my body and how it looks in ruffly, cute clothing. Over this past year I've stopped buying Lolita almost entirely and wear it maybe once every few months. I would look at my dresses and feel guilty for spending so much on them and never wearing them. I did a major closet cleaning and stored about 80% of my Lolita things away, out of sight, and I found myself feeling much happier that I didn't have to worry or think about them anymore. Last month I hosted a sales meet and managed to sell a good portion of my wardrobe and it's a huge relief. I still kept two of my favorite dresses and three of my skirts, but not much more, and I think perhaps that might work for you with your dolls as well. Perhaps instead of keeping everything (or selling everything), maybe just keep one doll-and this goes for her accessories as well. Sell off anything-clothes, wigs, eyes, etc. that aren't your absolute favorite, and see if you're happier with a smaller collection. Maybe when you feel less overwhelmed with doll things, you'll find having your doll to be very enjoyable again and less time consuming. But, if you still find yourself ignoring her, then go ahead and sell her too and move onto something else that makes you happy

Good luck!

 

I think it's perfectly normal to move away from a hobby a little bit, only to come back to it later. I have multiple hobbies and experienced this with each of them. As for BJD's - I actually took a 2.5 year break from them for lack of time and resources. I sold off some unused parts but kept the dolls themselves and I'm very happy that I didn't let go of them completely, because I was so happy to re-discover them!

Sometimes taking some time away from hobbies is actually good - when you do get back you will do so with renewed inspiration and different views, which can elevate your interests to an entirely different level! When I got back to my dolls I discovered that the creation of characters and stories, and the outfits that went with them, were very important to me and it was that aspect of the hobby that I wanted to focus on. It really gave me a focus to all my crafty ventures, and I enjoy my dolls so much more now. It's amazing to see them together just as I envisioned them.

 

I have a baby and yeah, there doesn't seem to be anything. I have no time for this hobby... but I've never been really deep into anyway. I don't think that means you can't enjoy dolls though. My girl sits on my shelf, and she makes me happy. That's good enough for me.

If she wasn't bringing me joy, then I'd probably sell her. :/ I've certainly done that with other hobbies. (Although usually I try to keep 1 or 2 things if I feel like maybe one day I'll like the hobby again).

 

Life gets in the way of the hobby sometimes. I've never completely left the hobby but sometimes I'll stray away for a while and then pick it up again a few months later. I'll still look at my favorite dollies but I leave most of the social aspect of the hobby alone then something will spark my interest in it again.

 

Not quite the case you are looking for, as I never sold my girls to make a clean break, but due to a number of factors, I drifted away from the hobby for a good few years without meaning to. It just sort of happened.

From the stress of moving country, to trying to get set up in the new country (job, stable living arrangements, etc.) my dolls just fell to the bottom of the importance pile. Also didn't seem to be a community here (geographically), which I missed. When I picked up the hobby, I was in Japan and it was a great way to meet new people. They started out just on display and then ended up spending over a year just in boxes. Not getting played with, just literally gathering dust on the outside of their boxes.

Now, a couple of years later, I am 90% settled again. Have built up a stable job, great friendship circle and live with my super supportive partner instead of in a house share. We haven't figured out a display area for them yet, but I have the time and stability to get involved in the hobby again. I have finally completed my Soom Heliot (God Master version) after having had the fantasy parts just floating back from his release in 2009! (Grail - check!) and have started gathering together the bits to make another of my characters AND I have found a community to squee over the dolls with (which has an influence). But yeah - 2009 to 2015 - that was effectively a 6 year break.

Personally (YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary), I am super happy that I didn't sell my girls or my Heliot's parts (and I felt so guilty for a while that I *knew* I had these hard to get parts that if I was not going to complete the doll, could help somebody else complete him if they had the same grail doll). I'd say see how you feel about it. Every time I thought about selling my dolls, I would feel heart breakingly guilty about it, more than I did at the thought that they were currently "on hold" and out of sight - I took that as a sign that I did still have interest in the hobby. That was my barometer, but yours may be different.

Good luck in figuring it out!

 

Real Life and the things going on in it lately is making it very difficult for me to spend as much time making things for and facing up my dolls. I have so many ideas for what I want to do with mine and not much time to play. I can't imagine ever giving up my dolls completely. Dolls are just too important to me. Even when I can't play with them just having them around makes me feel less stressed. I don't see myself selling them. I might put them away at times, store them, but I think I'd always come back to them eventually.

 

I have definitely slowed down my collecting, but I do not know if I can ever give it up completely. I find myself more into other areas, like making clothes, than collecting more dolls. I have sold a few of the ones I no longer have time for, but I could never be completely 'free' and stop this hobby. I think the ebb and flow of any hobby is normal and the amount of time you can devote to it varies.

 

When I first started college back in 2008, I still had time for my dolls though I couldn't bring all of them with me because I've moved overseas for school. Then came my junior year and my work and study load intensified. I had to study, do research and still go to work at the end of the day so, naturally, I didn't have any time left for dolls. I thought about selling them because they were just sitting in their boxes and not getting any attention but I didn't even have the time to put them on sale. After I graduated and started working, I slowly started getting back in the hobby. When I look back, it feels like taking a break was actually a good thing. I used to pretty much buy any doll that caught my attention but now I actually plan ahead and think carefully before buying. I've started selling some of my dolls because I felt like I just had too many of them... And the rest, I'm glad I didn't have time to sell because I would've felt pretty bad for letting them go later on. Overall, I think it's normal to take a break from a hobby, especially an expensive and time consuming one like BJDs.

 

I definitely toyed with the idea of selling them and even posted a sale on my personal fb to see if any of my local friends were interested... in the end I couldn't actually bring myself to sell them.
They sat in their boxes tucked away during my poorer years (I think it's because I don't feel deserving of luxury when I am poor)
I am glad I didn't sell them I love my dolls!

 

Even if you do sell off most of the collection, I'd suggest keeping your favorite. You never know. A few more years from now, when your munchkin's older, you might find yourself with a little more time for hobbies and an interest in dolls again. If you still have that favorite, tucked away in her box, you'll be glad you kept one.

 

I go through periods where I'm more busy with other things and I don't do anything with the dolls, but I always like having them around.
If you don't badly need the money, I'd suggest waiting until you have some more free time you COULD spend on dolls to see if you've really lost interest.

 

I really never 'grow out of' hobbies, as you call them. For me they are interests. Some stuff I simply can't do anymore - case in point - in college & in the Navy both I had access to clay craft rooms where one could pour molds and use a potter's wheel, glaze then fire pottery, for a minimal fee. I did a lot of that, but then, once out of the active military, there simply were no such places so I HAD to give up that hobby, not wanting to invest in kilns & wheels, or molds, of my own. However, still have several of the pieces I made, & wish I could find a place to do it again. I also recently sold a BUNCH of my costumes - cause I'm not getting any younger, or smaller LOL so they don't fit or don't suit me. However, I still cosplay! Now the dolls do it more than I do. I'm still interested in most of the same things I loved in my 20s, in fact. So no, I really can't imagine 'giving up' these dolls - although when my kids put me in that nursing home I'll have to let the youngest sell most of them - space reasons LOL