What do you say when someone asks you to explain BJD?

I usually say "They're called Asian Ball jointed dolls" (explain the name if need be) and if they seem interested still I carry on...

 

I usually say that 'these are dolls made of resin, which is a plastic that looks a bit like porcelain. They have ball-and socket joints that make the very poseable and people usually customize them, by changing wigs, eyes, clothes and the painting on the face to make it a true one-of-a-kind item to have'.

But to be honest, I've had this conversation quite a few times now, so I'm prepared!

 

-- Dolls that are Ball-Jointed, strung together with elastic and very good at posing.
-- Made of Resin, so you can mod them--sand, paint, add to them.
-- Can change wigs and eyes and clothes and parts--to make them look different, however you wish.
-- The ability to buy things and alter things make these dolls different from anything out there--you can create almost anything you can think of... You can buy or make things... You can sell things... It is like a cottage industry you can participate in... Perfect for creative people.

 

My standard line: "They're Asian Ball Jointed dolls, a type of art doll that you can pose and customise."

Then answer any follow up questions they have, which usually involve "Did you make it?" "Did you paint it yourself?" "What is it made of?" "Where did you get it?"

 

I would just say they are dolls that I collect and leave it at that. If the person has more questions, I'll answer them, but at this point, I've found that most people don't want a ton of detail and usually that is enough to satisfy their curiosity.

 

Same as Kim.

 

I usually just say they're art dolls that are jointed for posing. Most times people are satisfied with that answer. If they seem interested I might expand from there, explaining what they're made of, where they're from, how I can customize them, that sort of thing.

 

I usually start off saying "some people collect figures.. I collect resin ball jointed dolls!! They can pose really well.. and you want to know something awesome???????!!! They have bits like humans!!" XD I could probably put that more professionally and delicately but its just not my style. Loll jk.. by that point most peolple are interested enough for me to babble on!

 

I keep it simple. I just say that I'm a doll collector - because I am a doll collector. If they want more info, then I go into detail slowly but only at their prompting.
It usually goes like this:

Them: Ohh, what's that?
Me: Dolls that I collect.
Them: Oh really, where do you get them?
Me: The ones I collect are from Asia, Korea, Japan, China...
Them: Really? How much are they?
Me: Their cost ranges but they are expensive. They're all hand sculpted by artists.
Them: Really, like $100.00?
Me: Yes some of them cost around $100 but can range into the thousands.
Them: OMG. Really...How much are the ones you have?
Me: I could pay my rent with them.
Them: Wow, So what do you do with them?
Me: Add long winded personal explanation here…….

 

I've been asked before as well, my reply went something like this:

"They're ball-jointed dolls, they come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Really, I have a purple doll that's 60cm tall! They're dolls for adults, you know, like Familly Guy is a cartoon for adults? Yeah, like that. They can get rather pricey so I only have a few, but since you can customize them so much you can basically have multiple dolls all-in-one!"

 

I like to add a different perspective. While do explain the basics... I like to add that they remind me of very antique dolls that dressmakers as far back (as I know of) 500 years. The materials they are made of have changed but the concept is mostly the same. Extremely beautiful, highly articulated dolls that are works of art in themselves. In the past only the very rich could obtain them (other than crafts ppl getting them made to show of mini replica's of the latest fashions. No detail too small... just like these modern ones ^^. This is as close as I can get to having something that Queens of old would be gifted with by hopeful seamstresses. They also remind me a bit of some of the mechanical dolls that emulate piano playing, drawing and writing. I also have a thing for "articulated' dolls period lol.

 

I usually tell them that it's dolls that have joints so you can move them and pose them and that they are very customizable. I also often tell people that they are an outlet for creativity, that people spend a lot of time photographing them and giving them face-ups or modding them. For some reason I always feel a little emberrassed when I explain it to someone, because I'm a little scared that people might criticize me for it. Even though I'm really proud of collecting dolls. So it's a little difficult for me. Another thing that sometimes makes it difficult for me to explain is the fact that I'm Dutch and every website I'm on that has something to do with dolls is English. So I know all the English words, but not always the Dutch words xD.

 

I have had to have this conversation several times! I'm generally upfront, just explain the dolls as they are... I usually say they're called ball jointed dolls and they're produced in Asia and made of resin... If more detail is appropriate I might talk about how they're fully customizable and many people give them characters and spend time customizing, posing, and taking pictures of them, and it's a good way to practice sewing and crafting.

Simple as that. With that kind of explanation most people understand that they're not just barbie dolls and have more value and use... Although sometimes I do understand the need to make them sound more acceptable or justify them, since you do run into people who will treat you funny if you just leave it at "they're asian dolls that i collect"... I once had a relative ask me when I was going to "outgrow my dolly phase" in a condescending way and that earned him an, admittedly rather pretentious, explanation of how they're valuable, fragile, pieces of art that can be used for art, because it sorta offended me that he considered them childish toys and was being rude about it.

But for the most part I'm more than happy to tell people I play with dolls because usually with a little context people are able come to the conclusion on their own that they're different from kids toys.