What would make you quit this hobby?

Being active in this hobby isn't just about acquiring new resin. It's about interest, creativity, and happiness in enjoying ones dolls. It's quite natural to go through a period of burnout from time to time, and in fact I just did something rather similar to that...months of intense and continuous sewing for swaps, challenges and projects (on top of getting very ill with a particularly nasty virus) left my creativity a bit numb. But I still kept up with DoA mainly by lurking, and just walked past my dolls every day and smiled at my accomplishments in this hobby. After 6 weeks of slowing down (and getting well again) I've bounced right back stronger than ever. My dolls are a part of me, they tell my story, so there's an extremely strong connection there. I certainly never intended to be purchasing new resin for the rest of my life anyway...I'm much happier with a smaller collection. That was never what this was all about. It's about creativity; a love of beautiful, well-made and collectible dolls; the opportunity to expand my mind's horizons by looking at the wonderfully artistic dolls of others; the chance to share thoughts and hopes and ideals for my collection with other members here on DoA. Yep! It's all about the inspiration and creativity of this hobby for me. So no, I won't ever be giving that up.

 

I'm sure I will quit when I die

 

I saw one BJD owner had a house fire. She lost a lot of things, but was able to restore one of her resin babies. It was a heart wrenching post, but so amazing to see her pull through with that one doll.

The only way I would leave the hobby, is if I died. I do not put any substance to external influences about how and what I should do with my life. I am reclusive for the most part, and very introverted. It won't hurt me at all if there was clannish natures in the hobby, fighting and drama. I find that sort of behavior very immature and unbecoming.

I'm in this hobby for myself, not anyone else. It may wax and wane with the seasons, but it is still my hobby, and it is very much a part of who I am.

 

Probably just boredom in general. I haven't exactly quit the hobby, but my interest in my dolls has declined severely over the past year, mostly as I've dedicated more of my time into my other hobbies (Lolita, TMNT and MLP mostly). They've grown almost frustrating for me as my dolls represent my own original characters that are very dear to me, but the time and money required to build my dolls to be accurate in their likeness is starting to become too much for me to handle, especially as I have other things I'd like to spend those things on and my resources aren't endless. So I as delve deeper into these other fandoms and hobbies, my interest in my dolls (not their characters), have begun to dwindle.

I still don't think I'll ever sell them, they're still too precious for that. But it's been months since I've bought anything new for them and for the most part they sit on their shelf looking pretty. That's okay, I like having multiple interests to divide my attention between. I'm sure my passion for my dolls will revive itself eventually as there are still a couple of dolls I'd like to bring home and despite my frustration, I would still like to complete my current dolls as well. But with a lack of a local doll community or any close dolls friends, it's easy to push them to the back of my mind for awhile and I wouldn't be surprised if that's how I just inevitably end up leaving the hobby altogether.

 

When you say quit, do you mean like sell/get rid of my entire collection and never look back? Or just keep what I have but never buy anything again, stop going on here and to meets?

If the former applies, my dolls would have to like all be destroyed and replacing them isn't an option. Like losing them in a house fire and I'm perpetually homeless. Otherwise, nothing really, I'm enjoying my new boy quite a bit, and there's nothing I can think of that would compel me to give him up!

As far as the latter goes, it's people, in which case, I quit all the time XD. Most of the people in my local group and bjd vendors get on my nerves and I'll go long periods without talking to anyone or buying anything.

 

I'm not sure I could ever really quit the hobby.

First, the dolls themselves are so closely tied in with my art that I don't consider it a separate hobby anymore. It's just another part of everything I do. I don't tend to get "burnout" with things I really love - which includes art and writing and comics which in turn includes the dolls - so I'm not worried about that. I don't let myself get dragged into or burdened with the drama that can go on in any hobby community, so I really don't see that turning me off. Some of the people I met irl through dolls are now some of my best friends in the world, and I couldn't give that up. Not that they would care if I did, we're friends without dolls as well as with

The only thing I can think of that would do it was a separate thread from this one...If all my dolls were destroyed in some horrible disaster I'd have to quit. It would take too much to rebuild and it would be too hard (even still I might have to try first).

...

I really hope that never happens.

 

Only two things. One - if I started feeling overwhelmed by it and that would make me lose interest. Two - if my health improved and I was able to simplify my life and move to a place where there are needs for more preachers.

 

I'd leave if I lost interest in dolls or if something destroyed them/took them away so I had to start all over again. Because then I'd fail to get them as they were.

 

To quit altogether? Um... cremation?

That aside, I don't see myself ever entirely quitting the hobby. I have a lot of dolls, and I RP every one of their characters with my bff. Now... say she quit, or stopped RPing them with me or whatnot... I would very likely lose interest in a great deal of them and write those characters out of the main story or make them fringe/NPC/etc. But, I have a little cache of about 8-10 of them who just... no, they aren't going anywhere. I'd figure something out for them, they'd survive, and their story would carry on somehow. Because they're way too dear to me, both doll and character. I'd feel empty without them in my head.

 

For me, it would have to be burnout. I've had depression for quite some time, and it makes me lose interest in things I use to love or be obsessed with. So far it hasn't hit with this hobby yet, and I hope it doesn't. But it's a possibility that it might sometime in the future.

 

I wouldn't quit this hobby unless my interest in dolls, and my love for any dolls I own is no longer there. The hobby community is a different story, but I can enjoy the hobby all by myself in my room with the lights off if I wanted to, so nothing short of no longer being interested in the dolls themselves would make me quit the hobby.

However, I have many hobbies, all of which I have not officially quit. I am just less active. I am fairly certain that BJDs will be the same, and even if I don't buy new ones, paint them, dress them, buy stuff for them, I will still like them and want to keep them.

 

I really really can't imagine that happening. They are a personal thing to me, I don't get involved in what anyone else thinks, says, or does. I'm pretty content when I love something, I stick to it. For like, years

My dolls are a huge part of me, to quit them would be like stopping a part of myself. :/ It's kind of impossible, we're intertwined.

 

Well... I am kinda hitting that point now.. Not so much leaving the hobby altogether, but pretty much not being active any longer. I have certain dolls that will remain with me and those that do not get as much attention (and I can bare to part with) will probably find new homes. I've been devoting all of my free time to honing my painting skills and my daughter. Both are rather time consuming and seem to be drawing me in more than my dollies had.

 

I have many hobbies. I can't give up a hobbie once i was set on fire with it. I can live without irish dancing. Yes i can. 3 months (summer holidays). without drawing - 2 months. without bow shooting - 6 months. But i always return.
At the moment i don't have any bjd, but i love my Barbie and porcelain doll Rebekka and waiting for Saint pationately. I think financial difficulties can make me sell a doll, but it can't stop me from adoring bjds. And all troubles come to their ends one day.