What if you lost interest in your dolls or the hobby???

I had this happen too. For about 1.5 years I was moving and starting a new job/new life etc... I kept all my dolls but they were mostly boxed. I wasn't as into them and I spent more time on other hobbies.

I just recently got back into the hobby again in a big way. I think these things ebb and flow.

 

I lost interest around the start of college, so maybe 5 years ago? I don't participate a lot. I find that, personally, money is the biggest motivator to getting back into the hobby. When I don't have money and there is no prospect of making money, I almost never bother. I recently (in the last year) spent around $200 in faceup supplies and made $20 back, but it was still enough to motivate me to actually DO something with my dolls. I repainted three of them and washed two, but the motovation ran out midway through repainting the fourth doll and restringing the two I washed. And still I can't bear to part with them. Ah, greed.

 

I'm sorry if advice isn't what you're looking for. ; u ;

It just caught my attention at the end that you said you're scared that you'd miss them if you sold them.
In my opinion, I wouldn't sell anything that I might miss. Because you can never have them back, you know?

Also, I just got into the hobby but I have a hard time getting rid of any of my non-resin dolls (even the ones that I purchased from Toys'R'Us.)
But that just might be me and my attachment to material objects.

 

I mostly lost interest for the community and the drama surrounding it, less the actual hobby itself.
I still love my dolls, even though I barely have time for them, but I sometimes just want to turn away from the community, be it online or in real. After so many years of being pretty active in all areas of the hobby I now start to feel tired and exhausted about a few things.
This whole recasts drama and the confession blogs and the general change of attitude and mood in the people I have around me or know online doesn't make it easier. Seems like a lot of people get tired

 

I haven't actually lost interest, but a lack of income has put a real damper on my enthusiasm. I don't participate as much as I used to, mostly to keep myself from wanting any new dolls -ignorance IS bliss. Plus, the dolls I do have aren't 'popular' so their discussion thread is sooo sooloww. I'm not giving up the hobby as I really enjoy it, but I am changing the way I spend time in it. I have decided to make all the necessary clothing items myself. This is keeping me so busy, I am focusing more on what I have and less time in the community. I still keep up on what is happening with bjds, just pulling back on participation -I'm not into drama either.

 

Sometimes I just get more focused on my other hobbies, so BJDs get put on the back burner, but I've never sold any when I was in a lull. Sometimes I won't touch my dolls for a couple months, but I know I will always come back to the hobby. I would have such a difficult time selling one because I do care about them even when I'm not playing with them and I'm afraid I won't be able to replace them.

 

I've never completely lost interest in the hobby, but I have found it difficult to maintain interest in the past few years. I used to be really active in the community, one of my best friends was also a collector, and we had a great network of local collectors who regularly attended meets. But life happened to all of them, and for whatever reason, most of them have disappeared. My friend also lost interest in the hobby, and without him, I've honestly struggled to motivate myself to stay active in the community. I went from having someone to talk to about doll things to having no one. It's been a difficult transition for me.

So I've kind of drifted in and out of the community and the hobby since. I try to be active, but I've definitely lost a lot of the passion I once had for the hobby. Part of it, too, is that I have very little confidence in my photography and face-up skills. It's frustrating to keep trying only to be unhappy with the results 90% of the time. I've considered selling all my dolls, but I can quite never bring myself to do it. I really do still love them. I just don't know how to... use?... them to their full potential.

 

Inspiration is what keeps up the interest for me. I sold two of my dolls and have another up for sale as they do not inspire me. All three though are dolls I got early on without thinking it through or getting them for a planned character. The others that are important characters (both OCs and other) are always playing out scenarios in my head and this inspires me. Some of my OCs have been with me so long I know I will never tire of them.
I also agree with what some others have said about having the funds to get things (clothing , props etc....) and how that can effect the enjoyment of the hobby. When you get something new it is fun and can help inspire you.

 

As for me I think I can't loose interest in this hobby. If I had to sell all my dolls I will keep watching pictures,waiting bjd-news, etc. I can get bored with how my dolls look like, then I just make a new wig or clothes, may be redo the face up. I set my dolls in realistic pose in some cozy place where I can see them. I change their poses like they were caught in the action. It changes angle of sight and refreshes my feelings.

 

I think you should sell some. Or sell just their bodies of some and get new body types and hybrid. OR (scary idea) wipe all of them, sell all their wigs, eyes and clothes and start fresh. I've done this before when I thought about quitting the hobby. I realized that I need to just not get static. Sometimes that means selling dolls, or changing them. Sometimes it means going to a meet you normally wouldn't go to, like one that's really far away.

 

I wouldn't say I lose interest, really, but I go through times when I'll buy a couple in a few month span and then buy none for years. It comes down to how much I think about them, I think - out of sight, out of mind. . but right in the open? I need to buy them all.

 

I've drifted away a couple of times then drifted back again; I've been in the hobby since 2004 and collecting dolls since March 2005, but my interest waxes and wanes depending on what else has been going on in my life. Most recently I walked away mainly from the community for similar reasons to those Ana cites - community drama, confession blogs etc, what would be termed "fandom wank" in any other community really - but also due to a lot of life stuff going on and a complete lack of money to indulge in the hobby really. I've started coming back to it recently after seeing a tutorial for hard cap wigs and figuring that might be how I could finally have the perfect wigs for a couple of my dolls - which led on to getting out the sewing machine again, which in turn has resulted in the dolls getting more attention until I felt interested enough to come back and poke around various threads here again.

Still can't afford any new dolls, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the ones I already have.

 

Its normal to lose interest in something for a while, I did with my doll and thought of selling him countless times before due to financial and my crippling mental health problems, but the doll hobby helped me in so many ways and I couldn't sell him. I really love my doll and now I'm back in the hobby. Even though I can't buy him wigs and clothes that much, I'm just glad that I still have him.

 

I haven't been in this hobby for a long time so I have not lose interest. I know people might sell their dolls when losing interest but I find them come back every time after that time period

 

I'll 3rd the "not in the hobby but the community".

I just think people become so jaded and overly opinionated after a time that is becomes...well...obnoxious.

I'd never sell my dolls but I have stop coming here. There are so many more outlets and it's much easier to buy dolls and all the goodies now than it was 7 years ago.

 

I go through phases of being totally into doll stuff and then not doing much with them at all. I think it's normal! Sometimes other things take priority in life.

 

I think that's pretty normal. I have two hobbies that I go back and forth between. I don't actually like spending time on both at the same time so when one feels like it needs a break, I go to the other one and vice versa.

 

I've been about 5 years for doing research about BJD and gotten my very first doll last year. I wish and hope that I won't lose interest in this hobby in the future because I've spent so much time and invest much money on it. Anyway because of BJD hobby I meet many people from community and have joyful time, find out other sub-hobbies such as sewing and taking photo which I love so much, etc. I wish that I can be in this hobby for long time, although it may turn out a bit less active in the future because of "real life" but I won't really lose interest.

 

I haven't lost interest in all my dolls, but I'm struggling to keep interest in my dollfie dreams. They were my first girls, but now that I have my resin babies that can pose so much better and have such beautiful faces, I really don't have as much interest in them. I almost sold them, but when I remembered setting them up and painting them, I just couldn't do it. I generally try to re-bond with my dolls before considering a sale now. If it's a personal face-up, I'll wipe it, give them a new face, change their eyes and hair, update their character... It just depends on the doll. I may end up selling at least parts of them in the future, though. I doubt I'll ever lose interest in the whole hobby, but I may eventually trim-down my collection.

 

I actually did lose interest in my dolls for about a year. Once I opened my first doll I got so disappointed in what I received that I remember the smile on my face quickly turned to a frown the moment I saw my doll's face. The doll was not what I expected at all and it just broke my heart. Even when my second doll arrived whenever I looked at him I kept getting reminded of the amount of money I wasted on my first doll. So I just didn't want to deal with any of my dolls at all
I just put them away for a year and didn't look at any bjd related stuff. until about 2 months ago I missed my Spiritdoll Celtis so much I took him out of the box and decided to finally make him a wig and some clothes. I made a backstory for him and completely fell in love with him again

I still can't look at my first doll though. It just makes me mad thinking about my mistake.