When do you have "too many" dolls?

I really worry this is going to happen to me.

I have a number of collections, some extremely expensive.

A few fall into the don't know how many and have no space category.

The difference with my BJDs is I interact with them and am desperately trying not to buy another. I only have two as opposed to the hundreds I have in some collections.
I am in the fortunate situation that at the moment money is not an obstacle, so I have to rely on self control, which is proving difficult.

 

I think it´s real worry to wonder if would become too eager doll collector; so many people have such a big collection and have started thinking that they´d buy only one or two... There are so many different models of dolls, so many of them adorable and irresistable, and all the time several doll factories publish more of them, with better options and new cute faces. You really need hard will not letting it go and buying more and more, if you are able to afford it.

I had no plan to become like a "crazy" collector in people´s eyes, and don´t think I´m there quite yet, but my dolls are increasing by number of them and even they all are so very lovely, I hope there will not become too many temptations. I plan to keep the number of whole dolls below ten and if there is new doll I feel needing to get, I must think if I want to give some other of my dolls away to make "room" for it. Luckily, ten tinies don´t feel as "huge" collection, or should I say, dominating thing in decoration to people´s eyes than ten big dolls.

And I like really much the idea that changeable faceplates exist, which you can use to make the same doll to several characters. That helps a lot not to make it feel like there´s doll in every corner of the house, and you still can enjoy owning many characters.

 

Ok I admit it, I am in the crazy doll owner category and have what most people consider WAY too many dolls. i also have no plans to stop getting them any times soon, though I may start to limit myself a little bit.....

This is a very subjective thing, I planned only one but once I had him I KNEW that was not right, and I knew what characters were needed to fill the gap, however I made a conscious choice to not stic just to that but expand and populate their world, and for me that was the right choice. Honestly most people who are familiar with my dolls know one or two, I have nearly 30 and for me this is still not too many.

When is it too much? For me I have not hit that point yet, but it becomes too much in my mind when you have them but don't love them, if I had dolls that had no personalities, but were just pretty for ME they would be too much (for some people this is precisely WHY they have them and that is fine too). I suspect in the next year I will complete my basic collection, then take my time getting a few peripherals. The thing is once the collection is complete, well after that point I will do more upgrading. Over the past few months I have not gotten new characters, but have replaced old dolls with new shells, reshelling my existing characters. I suspect that once I have my collection I will be even more obsessed with perfecting it. Watch, in 10 years I may resort to making them just to get MY collection perfect, let alone marketing and selling them.

When do you have to stop yourself? Pretty limiteds sometimes make my fingers itch, euclase and sphaler from soom and Luna from Iplehouse did, and I have a problem with wanting to adopt dolls from the marketplace, not saying anything bad, just saying it is like a puppy at a pet-shop, I want to give them ALL a good home, so god help me if it is a good price. That is when I have to remind myself of my doll priorities.

Is there a way to stop yourself, or have you already become a "crazy doll person" when you buy your first one? (No offense). Nope (and no offence taken) it is a personal thing, some people were meant to have one, some two or three (three seems a good number for most, gives enough room for interraction, fills a shelf, is manageable...) some were...meant...to...uh...*looks at shelf* god help me I am an addict

 

When it's hard to remember what the heck you named them.

 

When you look at them because you want to do something with them, then get really tired trying to figure out what and who to pay attention to.

 

I don't think I could get to many dolls, because all of them are in stories of mine, and most of the time if they don't interest me anymore, they have to go..
and also if they don't last in stories or in the rp they're never gonna get her..
But sometimes I think that as long that there are many people that have more dolls than me it's not so bad..

 

I think too many is when you're sleeping on the street cause the dolls have taken over your house =D but otherwise as long as it makes you happy and you aren't putting yourself into debt, you should have as many as you want. And 3 dosen't seem all that many to me

 

I sew, so I need a variety of body sculpts for models. I'm still missing a mature male, an SD13 girl and an MSD boy plus various others ... But I want to refine as I go. Do NOT care for my AA San. Not a fan of the Anime look unless I can find a she that looks good with him. Whenever I buy in a hurry, I'm sorry later. Had a couple Goodreaus (sorry) and don't care for them so one got the boot asap and another will go when I find a BJD her size. So for me, I need at least a dozen or so as models. If I go beyond that, I hope I love them all!

 

Hm. I would be classed as crazy then. I have MANY dolls, we are talking from Apple Dolls to Pullips too. BJDS I have 30+. I don't really see it as a problem, I have a roof over my head, I have food, I have a job. As for not paying attention to all of them, fundamentally, they are dolls and don't necessarily need attention. My cat will always get more :3. But, I do make sure that they do get looked after, I do sit random picks on my lap etc or when I'm feeling down I pick a doll who is cuddly or something. At a meet I try to take different ones all the time so they all get some exposure. I use them to test out photography. I use them to do face-ups and try to get artistic.

My deal is, I see people selling them and I feel sorry for the doll and want to look after them all x3.

Some of my dolls are unfinished, but as someone mentioned before sometimes if a deal comes up and its something you're after such as; I started a short layaway on a Unidoll Jace head as I know I will not be able to get him when I can afford him, as they are being discontinued.

Edit for more like 60+ dolls >____>

 

er ... i've had that happen. but in my defense, it only happens to the new ones!! I guess i have a god-awful amount of dolls (36 in all), but a lot of them are small and i have room for them all and outfits/shoes/wigs/eyes for them all so i guess i haven't hit the magic "too many" number yet. From past experience i think 13+ SDs is too many for me just in terms of finding space for them all - and by space i mean space where they will be safe, comfortable and nicely displayed where i can see them and enjoy them

 

There IS no 'too many'!

Well, as long as you have the money to justify filling your home with collectables, and your family is perfectly willing to accept it when your hobby encroaches on their personal space. I'm very much a proponant of 'if it harm none, do as thou wilt'. When it starts to interrupt your relationships, your ability to survive, and takes away focus from what REALLY matters in life, it's not just too many, its a serious problem. BJD are ridiculously easy to get addicted to. I dont use that word lightly... for some, it IS a real addiction, connected to the thrill of possession.

I have been a major collector (maybe even out of control sometimes) at many points of my life but I have always been able to reach a place where I felt that it was fine to move on from one hobby to another. You sell your previous collection and focus on your new passion. Thats how I can keep it under control. Not to mention, I kind of prefer having a very expensive hobby. It causes me to be much less compulsive. So for someone with moderate means like myself, you can pick and choose a hobby that helps you NOT get 'too many'.

 

Hah! I'll have too many when I can't remember all their names. XD

EDIT: Okay, to actually flesh out an answer,

I think there is such a thing as 'too many' but it's definitely within the range of the individual- no one can or should tell YOU when YOU have too many, but it is something you may want to recognize for yourself. I get a tad overwhelmed just making wish lists! But I find that making the lists are the best ways to figure out what I want, what I have, and how it's all going to work within my story. I've recently decided that I don't want more than 30- mostly because that includes all the full dolls and floating heads I've got right now, and everything from my (most current) wish list. The thought of having 50 or more dolls scares me a little- I don't want people coming into my room or house and going "AAAAAAAARGH!!! DOLLY 'SPLOSION!!!!" So I think 30 I could probably manage- and that's an optimistic number.

Realistically, my tastes (and what I can afford) changes everyday. There are dolls that I thought I'd die if I didn't have in the past, that I'm now content to sit and admire in the galleries. There are also dolls that I KNOW I don't really want in necessarily the same way I want others- they're just on the list to even out the numbers- and it's those dolls that I get rid of. Making the lists really helps me because that's where I pick my next purchase from. If I get to a doll on the list and can't convince myself to buy it when I've actually got the money, then I know it's not truly one for me. that helps a lot so I don't end up losing money trying resell dolls I can't bond with- and even that still happens occasionally. In the end, you have to know and accept what's right for you, and rather than looking to impose limits, just figure out the truth about what you really want, and what you want just because it looks good.

 

When you feel like selling them.

 

I think 'too many' is when you can't fully 'take care of' the dolls you already have. For some people two is too many, because they dress their first doll in a sock dress and buy another doll.
I believe it's better to have quality not quantity. I'd much rather have a doll with beautiful clothes and hair, than two dolls with cheap clothes and wigs.

 

I have to agree with the people who say 'too many' dolls is prtty much a personal thing. I don't really have a clear view on how many dolls I want to have, nor how many will be too many. I, however, am not really worried about having tons of dolls. as long as I have the space for them and I'm not going about financing them in particularlly unhealthy ways (someone else mentioned they were paying off their credit card debt before getting their doll- that's what I'm doing too.) It's just going to be a sort of measured wait. It's been a little over a year since I got my first doll, and I'm ordering my second soon. I hope to have at least two small ones (an msd and a tiny) by the end of the year, and possibly a third big guy. I love large SDs

 

I waited to order my first doll till I'd paid off my student loan and my overdraft, had a good paying job and had about £400 in savings. It was a really long wait

 

I think this all depends on the individual, for one person 2 might be too many, for another there could be no such thing as too many. My personal opinion has changed. When I ordered my first doll I never wanted more then 3, but now I have almost three (waiting on a body) I realize I am addicted. But now I'm going to take a break from buying dolls and focus on buying more clothes/wigs/shoes and saving for a camera.
Now for me personally to buy another doll they would have to meet some requirements. No buying just cos it's pretty, has to fit a character. Once I decide on a doll to buy, wait a while to make sure I still want it (unless it's a limited). That being said I can now see myself ending up with ten dolls, any more then that I wouldn't have room for.
Oh well, there is much worse things to get addicted too or fill your house with.

 

I think this mostly depends on the person. I know collectors of dolls who might have a 100 of a doll plus props to display them, (of just one type of doll) and another collector who might have three or four and that is just enough for them. I have a variety of dolls, plus dollhouses, and other props for the different dolls I collect- I only have one bjd. Since coming to the hobby, I have focused my doll collection more and carefully decide which size I would like next- like a PukiPuki or a Lati, or a Littlefee.

Also, I'd like to get more accustomed to my current doll before getting another- bjd's seem to have their own distinct personalities, unlike my collection of fashionistas - (Silkstone Barbie, Fashion Royalty) My MSD is the perfect size to carry along with me everywhere, and already has several outfits, shoes, teddy bears, toys, etc... Now I am thinking of looking for a proper bed for her, buthaven't found one yet.

 

Again, echoing the crowd-- too many is always going to be subjective. I own three, and love each one as they are special to me. Now I'm sure no one is going to chime in and say three is too many, but if I get up to say-- six or seven? Who knows! For me, I will probably never have any more than ten. I think ten or over, for me, would be too many and too much.

Anne Rice used to have a doll collection that spanned an entire house-- so much so that she opened up her own doll museum, I believe. I think she's since auctioned them or donated them or something to that effect. So I'll go out on a limb and say if you have enough dolls to span two houses worth-- it might be time to open up the first BJD museum.

 

Personally, I have 7 and one on the way (5 SDs and 3 Yos total), and it's starting to feel like my collection is complete. I sit here and say to myself "8 is a good number".

I know that I may have to buy one more someday as I want an MSD but truthfully the idea of having to buy a whole 'nother size of clothing really doesn't appeal to me. At least now when I get an SD I have *something* here that will fit while I shop for 'the perfect outfits', and that in itself is deterring me from getting any more.

I've also completely revamped one of my dolls, since my intended character for the mold simply was not working, and I couldn't bond with him to save my life. But instead of selling him he's getting a total makeover, and it's going a lot better. The truth is, I don't believe in selling my dolls at all, and that in itself has kept my numbers down. (The exception being selling off bits that I never intended to keep, ex: Beyla's hooves.) And revamping him has made me feel like I've gotten a whole new doll when the truth really is I've had him for a good half a year. Point being: Same 'new doll feeling', less cost/no change in numbers.

Like you, my dolls are my RP characters, and truthfully I'm running out of characters that really deserve to be fleshed. If you want my advice, buy your third, complete your set, and see how you feel about it after that. A crazy doll lady is what you make it, and in the end it's not about numbers, it's about how much love you have to give.