What is the worst part about being a BJD collector/owner?

Cost. Also, that feeling mentioned of never being done. I always look for other dolls and think about how I could improve the one I have, so jumping from doll to doll is expensive.
I think I have actually settled on the doll I have, any other dolls that come along wont kick what I have out. The dolls I might get might not stick around. Its that constant buying and selling that gets on my nerves.

 

Definitely cost. I feel that the dolls I have can never have enough clothes, wigs, whatever. It's never-ending!
It's also my most (*cough* only) expensive hobby so when I'm in dire financial straits then I usually have to turn to my dolls to make money which is always in the back of my mind when purchasing dolls. That generally puts a damper on my enjoyment. :/

 

My biggest issues...
~Cost!! I have my doll and I love her to bits, but I want her to have another face up and doing it myself would be horribly expensive and would turn out terrible and paying someone else would be horribly expensive too! (That and I have a fear they'll not understand my "vision" )
~Not being able to 100% know if something will fit my doll.
Even with knowing sizes, things still get confusing for me. What will fit one doll that claims to be the same size won't fit at all! Or the Wig on the site will say one thing, I'll buy one from someone and it won't be the right size! TT_TT
~Ordering everything Online
I've never been comfortable with it. This goes back to the not knowing if things will fit. I'm waiting until my fall convention to see if they will have things to buy for my doll since they were the ones who introduced me to her brand. I feel better being able to hold something in my hands and look it over before buying.

 

This for sure.

When I realized I created a wishlist of 30 because I kept adding new dolls, I started panicking. Right now, I'm sort of in a gray area. I'm not sure about the vision I have for my dolls anymore. I want to set an end goal or make my requirements for purchasing a doll so high, I only get a few a year if that.

I wish I had more money too. When I get to the point of wrapping my mind around the cost of the doll, all the other stuff drives me back into uncertain territory. Eyes, wigs, clothes, shoes, accessories, and furniture.

I've sold more dolls than I kept. I'd have saved myself some of that sadness of having to part with them had I been able to see them in person.

 

the worst part is the cost. to buy clothing for your doll,its the same price it would be to buy for yourself and you pay shipping overseas. I want shoes for my doll but I also want shoes formyself so why are they $30 for doll shoes? I dont like spending more than $20 for my own shoes. why are their clothes more expensive than ours? its using less fabric and take less time to make it. I like making my own doll clothes but sometimes its nice to have something professional or the right size patterns. its hard to find patterns that are small enough for a doll.

 

The cost is probably the worst part for me, being younger and not having a job yet (hopefully looking to get one, but we'll see.) Aside from simply saving for a doll, there's money I spend on things like going out with friends, birthday presents...etc., usually I have to make some sort of compromise to balance that out. Even so, saving up for dolls takes a while anyway, and on top of that there's overseas shipping in most cases, and then wait times. Overseas shipping is a huge annoyance for me also, unavoidable mostly, especially if you're ordering the doll itself from the company, but I hate buying an item of clothing and paying equal to the price of the shirt or coat in shipping fees.

There's also the Pringles aspect of dolls, you can't (CAN'T) seem to have just one, even without concrete plans for a second, you find yourself thinking about other sculpts. And with the diversity of sculpts between companies I find my tastes changing often. I used to like fantasy dolls a lot more than I do now, I'm still not sure what size I prefer, or if size preference changes over time also (so far I've found 70cm too big, 26cm too small, 60cm seems okay but I've never handled a 45cm so..who knows?) And with the cost of dolls revamping a collection isn't as easy.

There's always the judgement from others, a lot of my friends think they're creepy, a few think they're beautiful, but they don't really judge me for it. And I usually don't mention them around people I'm not close to, just because it never comes up in everyday conversation.

That being said, I love the hobby nevertheless. A lot of the people in it (granted, mostly online) are amazing, the few that I've met in person were all really nice and individualistic, I think the community is built of some of the most open minded people I know, willing to embrace so many different types of creativity. So is it all worth it? Simply yes. Except for overseas shipping, maybe. That's never going to not frustrate me /double negative! |D

 

Definitely the cost! In a way I was happier about the hobby when I had very limited disposable income; there was no way I could afford to buy a new doll so there was no agonising about it. (Not that I'm unhappy with my newer dolls, of course.)

I also feel a bit like there's never any 'being done' - there'll always be something new that's so fitting for one of my characters or existing dolls.

 

For me worst it is that some/alot of family, friends and other people do not understand the point of them and why i like this dolls and what i do whit the them. ^^'

 

The cost can be frustrating, but the feeling of never being done is even more maddening to me. With so many diverse sculpts and sizes, it gets hard to keep the itching for just "one more" at bay.

 

For me it's not being able to find what you want. Also missing out on items you want or things being out of your price range
Ex. (Una, sei rei tenshis, val zeitler collections, sold out and discontinuned clothes wigs eyes and dolls)

 

For me it's mostly the public opinion that sucks. I hate constantly having to defend my hobby to people when it's none of their business. I also find it frustrating that almost everything has to be ordered away for on the internet. I like to be able to see things in person before I buy them and handle them as much as possible to see if I really like it, but since I don't know anyone who owns any in real life all I have to go off of is pictures and comments online. Couple that with the wait after you purchase for your doll/items to get to you. >.< It drives me nuts sometimes. The fact that I can't afford most of my dream dolls is a bummer, but that's nothing new for me.

 

I don't mind the cost as I feel it's proportional to what you're receiving. A lot of beautiful, artist made BJD dolls can costs several thousands and even some custom blythes can cost more than most BJDs. I also happen to think there's a cute doll for almost everyone's budget out there. They're not all super expensive. xD

I don't mind waiting for things to come in the mail as I prefer that then having to drive across country to go to VolksUSA or abroad. It's a luxury imo that companies will actually ship overseas. There are so many foreign companies that won't and I end up scouring the second hand or paying deputy fees. There's also not too bad of a language barrier or at least I've never had problems with that. ^^

The only aspect I really dislike is the large number of scammers and con artists that seem to crop up every now and again. It's not just individuals but whole companies that are guilty of this. It's a lot scarier for me to be scammed by a company than an individual because it's on a much grander scale. Where as I usually buy domestic with individuals so I feel the police could do a lot more for me.

I've never been in a hobby before where large scale thefts were committed. For exmaple, the events of Dollfair/Bimong, nDoll or Mio. Where several thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars have been stolen, never to be heard of again. Most hobbies I'm in, the worst that can happen is undisclosed damage or instances where a refund through paypal is needed.

I think the accepted long wait times and our unyielding faith in these companies, even individuals, is a contributing factor to getting scammed.

I don't mind anything else about the hobby (the expense, snarkiness, a niche hobby without that many members, etc...) except for the scamming. I feel very lucky to have come this far and to have never been a victim. :3

 

The only thing i dont like about this hobby is the cost, but if it wasnt exspensive it wouldnt be as fun and unquie xD
I also dont like when i come across majorly stuck up BJD owners...

 

The worst for me is all the other owners live so far away...and all the pretty places to take pics are far away too.

 

The fact that one or ten or twenty (now over thirty and counting) is never enough. I keep saying that "this doll" will be the last one I buy, and then I see someone else I "must" have.

 

FACEUPS.
I'm always worrying about those and nothing else. OTL
Drives me crazy when i want to change it every day.

Also all the stuck up/rude BJD owners. They're everywhere these days. :\
So freaking rude and loud mouthed. Ugh.

 

-Money, that's for sure.
-One doll leads to another and so on...
-Customs... they are in my worst nightmares

 

I know that I have to see in real life the doll I loved as it is always different then at foto.

 

- the extra costs of shipping and customs. Right now ive found the PERFECT shirt for one of my dolls
for only 7 USD. They do ask 28 USD for shipping though.
- buying outfits that should fit, judging by the measurements provided on the site, but simply dont.
Sometimes even from the company where i got the doll in the first place.

And most, my two chibi UNOA's that got lost in the mail, only to be never found again.
Now, i did get all money back from insurance, and alchemic labo let me make a new order outside the perorderperiod because they felt it was sad too, but i cant help hating the fact that they got lost.

 

Wait times I suppose. I don't mind (HAH!) the cost so much, it is what it is, but something about waiting for ages just irritates me. This with my longest wait time being 2-3 months as opposed to the year plus that others bear.