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

Not being able to go to a shop and physically handle the dolls before I hand the dosh over. I have sold way more dolls than I've kept because when they arrived they weren't what I had been expecting. Some dolls look and feel really different in person to how they look on the website, but how can I actually know this until I've bought it and I'm holding it in my hands? I've lost a lot of money and time buying and selling dolls and it does get frustrating after a while. Even with all the reviews and owner pictures out there... it's still a massive gamble.

Another issue is not knowing anyone in real life who shares the hobby. I would love love love a dolly friend, but alas I have never met anyone who even knows what BJDs are.

I see a lot of you think the cost is the worst part, and I can understand why, but I actually think the cost of them is a good thing. I wouldn’t love my dolls half so much if I hadn’t spent so long saving up for them. The wait and cost, while painful at the time, makes me appreciate and love my dolls so much more. I think I would’ve lost interest in this hobby long ago if it weren’t for the challenge of saving up and waiting for a new doll

 

Oh. The wait. That is the worst part ever. The wait and all of its horrible stages and mental side effects. Please just ship my doll!

 

That's my main issue. I know some other collectors, but they are not anymore near me, because I moved to another city. My hubby is really critical abut my hobby and probably I'll never get any help from him for things like taking photos of my dolls in public places or searching thrift stores for BJD dress supplies, so not having dolly friends is really annoying...

BJD costs doesn't bother me too much: as said, saving for them make them more special for me, if possible. And saves me from buying lots of dolls just to give them a face-up and losing interest in them right after they had a face and an outfit, like I did with my customized fashion dolls and action figures...

But I hate the dresses and shoes costs! Lots of shoes costs more than the ones I buy for me (40$ for simple pumps? Seriously?) and it's the same for dresses... well, that's a good incentive to make me developing sewing skills but it's so time consuming...

 

The worst part for me at this time is the wait. I've just ordered my first doll just over a month ago and I'm waiting for her to be shipped. I have never seen a BJD in real life before and I'm getting more and more anxious as its my first and I just want to get her home. I'm used to ordering things that can take up to a couple of weeks for me to get, so this is a new thing for me. The day she is shipped ill be so happy!

 

The worst part for me would also be the waiting and then the cost if I see another I completely fall in love with (which I hope doesn't happen any time soon x.x so many bills!). I love LOVE getting stuff in the mail so I'm always ordering wigs and accessories for my doll even before I get her so that also digs a hole in my pocket so I suppose the worst for me is COST! :P But it's worth it

 

The worst part for me are those times when I feel disenchanted or don't have energy to participate, but new inspiration always comes along.

And maybe the scammers. It breaks my heart hearing about scammers.

 

bagofspiders, If I may ask, how do you overcome that? I have that problem with nearly all my hobbies, so I usually end up cycling through them and adding new ones occasionally. It's maddening!


P.S., I love your username

 

I love getting mail too! It's so much fun looking at dollie photos and stuff but I struggle with doll size! For my story I want all my characters in proportion with one another but when I'm searching for a sculpt to shell a certain character I seem to end up falling for one that's the wrong size!

 

Ooh, I have another one- falling in love with a sculpt, but it's not the size you collect.

I have this so bad, I love so many SD me, but alas, I already know SDs are way too big for me.


Edit: woops, I should have finished reading your post, illegallyginger!

 

Not being able to afford things I'd like to be able to buy for my dolls and certain dolls I like. I get jealous when see certain dolls that I want badly and that other people have. I'd like to be able to spend more on this hobby but I just can't so that's that.

 

I am new to bjds but already know that wait times r killers!! The other thing is of course, cost and really the worst for me is not being able to see/touch the doll before I buy. I want to know that I will bond with a doll...and I cannot know with a one dimensional picture.

 

I would say the cost followed closely by the lack of nearby resources. It is always a treat to be able to find something you like that's in an online store in your country...which is kind of saying something since I live near a large city and we have NO doll stores period. In fact I have to drive half an hour to a tourist town to find a dollhouse store. XP It would also be nice to be able to see dolls and doll goods in person once before buying.

 

Living in a country that has a weak currency against the other major currencies, and has no local BJD-related sellers (for stuff like ACTUAL BJD's and parts) fits the bill here , I think. I mean, at least in the States you have MoC and DDE. We have Indollgence and... that's about it.

It's like "Oh, you're selling this 3mm string for MSD's for $1.50USD? Excuse me while I send over $15USD (or like my lunch budget for two days) for that plus shipping to the downunderverse! Awesome."

This alone is a reason why I want to become an Australian agent, but I don't have the financial backing. Bleh.

 

The price of international shipping! $30 is ok, but $50 is a lot. I also don't like how hard it is to find glass eyes in smaller sizes. So annoying to go "oh, that's perfect!" and see the smallest they go is 12mm. 8mm isn't that small is it? Same problem with wigs, many companies don't go smaller than 5/6.

 

That you have less, like, A LOT less money than you could for spending on other cool stuff in life other than dolls.
Also, wanting a doll you just can't have. Like old LEs etc.
Also, when your dolls don't have something they need yet, but you don't have any money atm. Seriously... This sucks.
Also, when the body doesn't fit the head... That hybridisation doesn't work every time. So many great heads and bodies, but you can't put them together.
Also, the distance between where you live and where your doll comes from. This includes the wait. And not being able to see them with your own eyes or even handle before purchasing, this is one of the worst. 'Cause simply how it feel is important.

But any of this doesn't stop us from being bjd-owners :3 So no point of focusing on bad things really.

 

Not having enough money to buy every doll I like. The clothes and wigs are so pricey. Never seeming to find the right look for a doll. The wait times. As far as buying every doll I like I couldn't really do that anyway. Too many dolls would overwhelm me and I'd probably get bored anyway knowing I could have whatever I wanted.

 

For me it's the amount of trust you must place in strangers online. In order to participate in the market, swaps, or getting some of the best face ups, you are constantly entrusting people whom you've never met personally with large amounts of money/expensive items. As much good feedback as some members have, there are so many horror stories of people going AWOL. Of course the positives of trading with eachother tend to outweigh the negatives. But it gets me a little on edge.

 

The shoes.

BJD shoes cost as much as, and sometimes more than, my own shoes. Idgi

 

The never ending list of dolls to buy next xD