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

I mostly answer, "I don't remember the price, it's been so long since I bought this doll."
But usually they will answer themselves, "It must be an expensive doll & hobby."
So practically, I don't really have to answer that question... LOL

 

"Expensive." And leave it at that.

 

I've been given a great answer by several friends: "Enough". I personally hated to admit the actual price, even when I get them at good deals because I always get people who look at me like I'm crazy. I justify the price by saving and planning--a lot. (Oh, and hunting the second hand market. So what if it isn't new--it's still lovely and deserves a good home. )

 

I usually just smile when they answer their own question with "They (the dolls) must be expensive...". Lol.

As for the "how can you spend so much on that one doll/thing" look, I can understand if strangers who don't know of the bjd hobby give me the look, but there was once I brought one of my dolls, who has jointed hands out for a comic/anime convention and an group of owners (all carrying their dolls in their arms) asked me about the cost of his jointed hands. I figured since they're in the hobby they won't be too surprised by the price so I told them, and received the "how can you spend so much on that" look from most of them. That, I don't understand that much...

 

I think it depends on who is asking. If it is a fellow collector, they probably have an idea anyway so I do not hesitate. However, if it is someone who does not collect and is just curious, I am very cautious. We all know how it feels to be judged by others because of our hobby. I prefer not to have people say OMG how could u pay That much for a Doll!! So I will usually just say it was expensive to me or not very expensive to me depending on the circumstances. That way I hedge and avoid lying or the backlash. Unless the person is very rude ( and I have encountered those ), they do not press me after I give this answer. A sticky situation for sure!!

 

I normally never tell the real price of my bjd to people that random ask me ,beauce they just don´t understand.if it someone that is close to me and respect my hooobie,i just tell the real price.

 

I told my grandma how much my girl cost, and she looked at me and said: Why did you not spend those money on yourself. I just laugh it away and we did not talk about it anymore. So now when people ask me how much they cost I answer, maybe rudley ''That she costs money''. Because I feel very sad when they look at her as a waist of money.

 

I tend to say two things, "Money" and "An amount" but that's usually said to strangers or just people I know. For friends and probably family, I might tell them the price that it's for or what I'm getting it for. Depends on the situation and who's asking.

 

It depends on people who ask about this, I think.
But I usually try not to discuss prices, I answer something like 'uhh, it's a gift' or 'I don't really remember the price'

 

When strangers ask me outside (i.e. when I'm taking pictures outside and people can see me) I usually pretend that they are self-made.
Don't want to risk that someone thinks he can make a quick buck and runs away with the doll.

If I'm asked at home or by people who only got to see them on pictures/got told about them by my friends I usually am pretty honest, but I prefer to say something along of "Pretty expensive, but it varies and there are also cheap ones available".
I gladly never had one going "OMG are you crazy", either because these people had a hobby that was pretty expensive too or because I told them that all hobbies are pretty expensive and that there is for example no difference between constantly buying new games, smartphones, clothes, drugs (incl. alcohol or cigarettes) and me buying new doll stuff.

 

I answer the truth and they think I am crazy to spend so much for a doll, but I don't care

 

I actually had a sort of funny thing to say about that. I told someone I was going to buy a doll and went on to tell them all the cool stuff that goes with them because they were interested (they're a seamstress) and eventually came down to
"Oh, so where are you getting the money from?"
"Oh just about all my Christmas money"
"That's like over 300 dollars!"
I just paused and let them figure it out until they nodded and moved on. Done.

 

I'm just starting out in the hobby and my first doll was second hand from a garage sale site, he was just over $100 and I got weird looks for a doll that cost that much. I just don't even tell people how expensive my new one is I just go with, 'Oh, too much' and leave it at that

 

I usually smile and tell them that it's a bit expensive. If people would still press into it, I usually change the topic ( it works most of the time )

 

Haha, me and my friends were walking around a hobby store with some SD's when we ran into a professor at our school. He said "Wow, those are neat. How much are they 30-40 dollars?" It was really awkward telling him it was more like 300 dollars or more.

 

I try to be honest since i know a lot of people who collect their own things that get pricey as well. Some understand some dont lol

 

I usually answer, "Very expensive." If they continue prodding, I follow up with "You don't want to know," and a laugh.

I recognize that to most people, it's pretty ridiculous to spend $500++ on a doll. I find that if you acknowledge that and don't get defensive about it, that usually heads off most of the mocking and judgment on their parts. Nearly everyone has hobbies that just "aren't worth it" to other people, whether it be the investment of time, effort, or money. I don't understand, for example, people who spend hundreds of dollars on vintage comic books that they will never read or touch, nor do I really get the girls who throw away hundreds of dollars and countless days following boy bands around on tour - and I don't expect them to understand me.

 

If a complete stranger were to ask me how much the doll is I would say the truth, but with people I know I just say "a lot" and they know to stop asking because they don't want to hear it anymore! Lol

 

If someone asks...I say a 'lot' and if they want more specific I give them a range, which has so far been enough to satisfy anyone curious enough to ask

 

I tend to compare them to porcelain dolls or those collectible holiday Barbies when they ask about the price. People outside of the BJD world seem to understand it a bit more when you put it in that perspective or associate it with a collectible, because then they see the investment aspect of it? If that doesn't work, I explain the process of how they're made and their materials too (sometimes I exaggerate and say that each one is hand sculpted so you're also paying for the art as well).