What originally got you into BJDs? - Pt.2

I can’t remember exactly how I found them but I stumbled onto Dream of Doll’s site and fell in love with them. I didn’t understand how to order them and couldn’t figure out how to get the dolls with face ups, wigs, and clothes. It was intimidating and so was the price since I was just a high schooler. I went looking for other dolls but at the time it wasn’t a savvy international online shopper so I just gave up ever hoping to own one. It’s funny how easy it was to figure out now.

 

I think for me it's the same as for many others: The Internet got me into BJDs first. Some other situations worked together and made me decide then.

When I was a kid, I used to sew outfits for my Bratz-Dolls because the sold outfits in store were too expensive for me - so I already liked getting creative in that way.
Then back in 2011 I watched a person on deviantART who did face-ups for these plasic dolls from Monster High and other Mattel-Toys. I thouhgt it's interesting to draw something on them instead of keeping the often times rather simple and a Little "cheap"-looking company-dollfaces.
Later when I started looking into the topic I got "related" stuff recommended and saw beautiful BJDs on deviantART and other Websites, too. The photos always were so artistic and like "real" model-shootings.

Then over the last year lots of things came together. I made a new friend and she has a huge BJD and showed me that she made her face-up and Tattoos on her own. And when I saw Smartdolls (I know they're not BJDs by now) at a huge Anime/Mangaconvention I got even more fascinated by the possibilities of outfits and stuff because I realized that it's not just "Buying a Doll and stuff for it and put it on a shelf".
I usually spend my time drawing on paper, not dolls, but when I found out about face-ups and body-blushing and, sewing own clothes and all the other creative aspects of BJDs I thought it might be something I might think about investing some money into... somewhen.

But I wasn't actually "into" the hobby because I always considered BJDs to be too expensive... even though I know that there's lot of time and effort put into the parts by the BJD-creators I didn't plan to actually spend my money on them - also because I was way too insecure to order something from an online-store for THAT amount of money. I just don't trust online-shopping enough...
So it was still nothing I actually wanted to buy... until an online-friend decided to sell some to get new ones and my birthday was coming up so I decided to get one of hers as a present for myself - with the help of my Fiancé who didn't need to worry about getting a gift then xD

 

I ran into Volks dolls on e-bay while looking for more traditional-style japanese items. I was never really a doll person, but when I realized they could be customized, my interest was piqued. So I looked into them and ended up with a handful of the regular 1/6 Dollfie and Obitsu dolls first. But I kept thinking a larger doll would be more interesting to have, and finally decided I could spend the money to get my first resin, a Dollzone Yuu. I thought I'd have two, maybe three at most back then. I had no idea how they would end up multiplying.

 

I got into BJDs through the girlfriend of a friend After I saw her little girl and was instantly smitten she helped me buy one

 

A friend of mine at the time started talking about them and I got sucked in so fast haha

 

I used to see people carrying their dolls at anime conventions and really wanted one, but I had no money because I was a teenager. Now I'm an adult and can finally make my dreams a reality.

 

I was aware of BJDs back in the aughts but they didn't appeal to me. I think it would've just been Volks, Luts, and a few other companies like DOD then. But a couple years ago I started watching doll custom videos on youtube. Hextian's Beyonce repaint specifically, and I loved how fabulous she looked, but what really hooked me was Dollightful's dragon series and Moonlight Jewel's 3d printed BJDs. I did make a MH custom, but I was also frustrated at the lack of options for boy dolls and more mature women. I also really liked more fantasy aesthetics, and while you can do that in a playline doll, you are definitely more limited.

So I got into BJDs wanting to make a more beautiful version of my Warrior of Light from FFXIV... but then it grew into loving the vast range of customization and fantasy sculpts lol! And also the potential for shelling more of my OCs and turning dolls into OCs.

 

The thing that originally got me into BJDs? Going through hell on earth. I was physically and financially secure, but mentally in shambles and going through various crises in career and life. I was looking for an outlet/escape where I could numb the pain by spending money. BJDs (and another hobby) were it. I'd already known about BJDs for a while, but was never interested until that point in time.

My life and mental health are doing a LOT better these days -- it was a twisty journey to get here and involved me stepping away from the BJD hobby for about 10 years to recover, sort my life out and do other things. I've since cashed out of that other hobby, but I managed to come back to this one (never expected to, honestly). So I have to thank the worst period of my life for getting me into BJDs.

 

Originally I was googling something related to gothic lolita fashion and I saw photos of DoD Homme Ducan popping up in the search. I thought he was so beautiful I had to do research on these dolls. I love sewing and telling stories, so eventually I got a doll for myself. I think it was around 2009 when I was still in high school. After senior high school I moved countries two times and life was pretty hectic, so unfortunately I didn't have time or space for BJDs. I got back in the hobby around 2019. I was living in Korea and getting dolls was easy + I did have to pay any customs. I wanted to have a creative outlet to balance my academic life and stress. I started being more active around 2020 when certain pandemic hit and everything was closed. I am super happy I got back into the hobby after many years of hiatus.

 

I was really into silly flash games, particularly preteen and teen-oriented flash dating sims, back in the late aughts/early 2010s. I followed one particular DeviantArt user for her flash dating sims and her little point-and-click adventure games about her original characters, but she also posted the occasional photostory involving her collection of figmas. I read them out of curiosity and, at the end of one, was the most beautiful doll I had ever laid eyes on. I had to know more!

That doll was a Dollfie Dream Sasara. Digging into Dollfie Dreams eventually led me down the bunny trail to ball jointed dolls and I've been hooked ever since.

 

I actually remember exactly how it happened, even though it was almost two decades ago! I was HUGE into collecting anime plushies and had made some friends on the then-highly-active GaiaOnline forums, where we squee'd about new acquisitions and new releases and also custom plush artists that we liked (I used to make my own and also commission other dream artists). At some point in time, someone pointed me to a blog by one of the artists, where said artist posted a photo of a Lati White in a kimono and said she really wanted one... Well, I thought I really wanted one too, so I looked up Latidolls website, gasped at how much they were, closed the tab, but couldn't stop thinking...

... Eventually I saved up enough allowance to buy myself a Lati Blue Rei, one of the only non-childlike male BJDs on the market. Long since discontinued - guess they were a bit ahead of their time! My parents could see my credit card statements (they made me a credit card so I would stop pestering them to buy things for me) so explaining to them what I spent $500 (Canadian dollar was really weak that spring and of course I bought wigs and outfits too) on was uh... An adventure. I lied and said both me and my friend (who didn't have a credit card) bought two dolls together. They weren't happy about the "$250 doll"!