What to answer when people ask about the cost of your doll...?

Quite frankly I think it is incredibly rude for someone to outright ask what you paid for something (didn't these people have parents?) but if someone asked in a polite round about way I would answer in like manner. For instance, "If you don't mind my asking, are these dolls quite costly?" I would say, "Yes, comparatively they are, they can run into the hundreds of dolls depending on different factors".
Art is usually expensive. Trash is cheap.
Sometimes it's the opposite, however I don't have much use for trash.

 

It might make you more comfortable to give a price range such as "these dolls range from $80-$3,000 depending on rarity, etc..."

Another thing that will ususally shut down that line of question instantly, if they ask "why spend so much on a doll?" Just say "it's a collector's item" and people will understand.

 

That would make me want to scream. Or say something like "Why don't you mind your own darn business" in a much more impolite way.
I think your response is very appropriate though, you spend money if you have it on the luxury items that make you happy. Like me, I don't buy what I used to throw money at, which was tons of new fancy expensive clothes and shoes. For myself that is. Now the dolls get clothes and shoes lol.
It's actually made me a lot less frivolous. Now I don't just run out every season and buy a bunch of crap I don't really need. Now I buy my dolls a bunch of...hey wait a minute! lol. It's all perspective.

 

My advice is to never talk prices at all. If it's a close friend you might consider disclosing the price, but I would advice to never mention prices to anyone else.

When people ask if the dolls are expensive, I say "Yes, they can be rather expensive. But worth it, I think!" or something of the sort. I do understand that people are interested, everyone cares about money after all...

When people ask me how much a certain doll was, I say "These are expensive dolls, but I can't discuss individual doll prices". If someone askes me which doll in a display was most expensive, I answer very firmly "I'm afraid I can't discuss that". (Um, let me think - of course I want you to know which doll would be most worth stealing....! )

 

I usually don't mention prices, but there were one or two occasions where - on a doll convention - people asked about my dolls, where to buy them and how much they cost. I was honest, but also explained why they are so expensive and that there are cheaper varieties and more expensive ones depending on level of detail, production cost, availability etc.

These people were really interested in them, though and seemed to know more.

 

I'm usually honest and tell people what they cost...This is going to sound horrible, but the people who ask me are sometimes those who IMO shouldn't be buying them. Like the woman with the rampaging and screaming 5yr old who literally grabbed the doll in my arms while I was out in the public. She kept asking me questions about them and getting really close in my personal space (and when I say close I mean she was up in my face). I could tell from her conversation that she was thinking she would get one for her kid so she'd be the "first" to have one. So I told her the price. She looked absolutely horrified and left me alone after that. Sometimes price is a great way to deter unwanted attention.

 

I tend to agree that discussing the cost of our hobby is uncomfortable with anyone other than fellow doll collectors. I have to be selective about to whom and how I speak about dolls. My concerns range from getting the incredulous looks to appearing childish, spoiled, or profligate. (I suspect my mom-in-law thinks I'm all three.) One of my husband's coworkers buys American Girl dolls for his daughter and the two of them joke/commiserate about the outrageous cost, however I'm strictly forbidden to mention I collect even more expensive dolls. I sometimes wonder if my collection would be more socially acceptable if it were made up of those Victorian porcelain dolls. It's a mystery.

 

I rarely show my dolls to anybody who isn't a doll person, so I've only gotten the question once. That was a group of Japanese people, and when I simply answered, "expensive," they just laughed and backed off. I'm not comfortable telling people yet, and I agree that it isn't polite to go around asking people how much they paid for something if you don't even know them. If it were in a more specialized situation like a doll convention, then I think I would mention prices. At that point it's probably useful information to the other person. Otherwise, it's nobody else's business.

 

Thankfully it doesn't come up too often, but at first I just say "a lot" and try to leave it at that. I think it is terribly rude to ask people how much stuff costs--that goes for cars, tattoos, guitars, anything--and since I don't ask about the expense of their hobbies, they usually don't ask about mine. I will say it is an investment like any other hobby if it comes up, but I hate talking numbers.

 

Oh the dreaded question... XD To be honest, I usually try to avoid it when I at all can. Usually the reactions aren't as bad as I expect them to be--but usually the people who ask are ones who know and/or understand me. Even so, when people ask, I usually just respond: "Quite a lot. >////<" My immediate family is pretty understanding though, because my dad is sort of a compulsive buyer and my mom is just really nice. XD For the less understanding members of my family (I think my grandma would probably have a heart attack), we just try not to bring it up. XD

I was actually really surprised, though... I was talking with a couple of the women at work recently about a doll I plan on ordering, and one of them asked how much it was--I had already discussed how I intended to pay for it, so I was honest and told her the price (and that it was on sale XD)... She didn't have anything negative to say, though~ It was really nice.

 

I usually don't divulge the price of my doll unless I'm in relatively trusted company. I'm afraid some idiot will think "OOOooo I can sell it on eBay!" and steal my doll. Otherwise, I justify it to the other people ("Well, you spent $200 on a gym membership you rarely use, not to mention some of your gym equipment in your garage..."). Most people are pretty understanding that hobbies can be pricey (they have their own too).

 

Let's be honest sometimes even I am even shocked about how much people spend on these dolls, but they are amazing. I love my girls who cost $600 total and people look at me appalled. I just tell them "It is, what it is. I love my dolls"

 

I've gotten the question alot. I always answer it, but I answer it with 'The dolls usually average at $500'. Gives them idea of what range they are looking at, I don't have to say how much my doll was either. Because usually they are interested because they want to get one similuar. The price statement stops most from futher questions. Those still interested I explain they do range alot, and go from there about the dolls. I've never gotten a comment about why spend so much on a doll, etc... And even if I did, the answer would be, 'because I want to'. Or to be more polite, 'It's a hobby'.

 

The first thing that gets my friends is the cost, so I usually prefer not to mention prices and just say that they're "expensive" without going into any details. But then sometimes I wonder if it's better just to tell them upfront because then they tend to find out on their own, and then they make a big deal about it, behind your back. -_-" With parents, I usually give them a rough estimate, < $500.

 

really depends on my mood, if i'm not in a talkative mood, i would just say, "it was fairly expensive, but i think it's cute and worth it, what can ya do?" ~ usually they stop asking after, if they push on, that's just weird, that stranger is odd and i would give them a weird eye

sometimes you just don't have to list out prices for things right ? ~ "ohh it's expensive" -- that's fine (notice you won't be lying either), if you dont' wanna say , people aren't going to slaughter you (now if they were friends, that's a different case, then they would probably push further, and then i'd probalby explain the whole story to them)

but nonetheless, doll collecting is a niche hobby, so i would auto assume listing out a high price for typical people would stir some sort of "what on earth?" look unfortunately =x

 

I've only taken my dolls out in public once. Thankfully, no one asked how much they cost. (Although someone did say something like, "I take it they're more expensive than Barbies!" to which we replied "Ha, yeah" and I was thinking "If only you knew!" haha)
Honestly, if some stranger came up to me and was like "How much did that cost you then?", I'd be like o.O because it's pretty rude!
I'd probably say "I can't remember" or something and tell them to Google "ball joint dolls" to find out for themselves when I wasn't around. XP

 

I've only been asked how much my dolls were once by a stranger, when I was selling art at a local anime convention where I had my dolls with me since I was going to a meet while I was there. And I was only asked because the girl wanted to buy her. Boy was she surprised when I told her my girl's price! I told her the actual price because she was quite insisting about convincing me to sell her the doll and I wanted her to back off. In any other circumstances I would have just said "expensive", and left it at that. I don't see why random strangers need to know my finances.

 

I know this isn't true of everyone but I personally find it rude to ask about prices. I was raised being told that I should never ask how much something costs so I always feel very uncomfortable when people ask me questions like that, even when they are close friends of mine (in fact it makes me even more uncomfortable when close friends ask about the price of things). I realize that most people were not raised this way so I do not find it strange that other people do ask it just makes me very uncomfortable.
I do try to be nice when someone does ask. I say something along the lines of 'More than I should have spent' or 'He wasn't cheap' but I never give an actual price.

 

I don't take my dolls out in public, so when people ask me how much my dolls cost, it's usually my friends, who I am honest with.

The conversation usually goes somewhere along the lines of: "How much did this one cost then?" "Oh, $xxx." "...You are crazy." "...hey, you spend that much on a single pair of shoes!"

I don't understand the obsession with shoes, she doesn't understand the obsession with dolls. It works.

 

I just say they are expensive, much like most people's hobbies.