When people tell you your dolls are a waste of money...

Personally (although I don't have any dolls), I'd say that this is more than just a collector's hobby for a lot of people... It's interactive; a creative outlet, if you will. So, yes, the doll may be $300, but the skills people use in interacting with those dolls is priceless (if you want to be sappy about it )

People paint facups and bodies, use tools, make (and design!) furniture, make (and design!) clothing... this hobby even leaks into some "more well-respected" hobbies, like photography. I know I've done some digging into macro photography. And there's also aspects of photography that many people delve into, such as lighting and composition.

So, there you have it: art, crafting, handiwork, sewing, fashion, photography... If anyone suggests my hobby is a waste of money, I can just ask, "Which one?" :P

And even if someone isn't the type to do those things, the happiness they get from their hobbies makes the expense worth it! Hopefully, people can accept that.

 

I feel like I've spent a lot more money on dolls than I should. I haven't missed any bills, and my rent is always paid. I love my dolls, and wouldn't trade them for the money back.. But thinking of the total that I've spent.. It scares me a bit to think of what else I could have done with the money. ((But I drink a lot, so I could have used that money better too lol)) I think, that when thinking about the money you've spent on dolls and other things.. In the end its only money.. Hopefully you can have something your proud of for the money instead of only thinking of what else you could have done with it.

 

Sure it's a waste of money. So are most hobbies. It's fun! There's nothing wrong with goofing off a bit.

 

Perhaps I'm lucky but the people I know or have casually met & know about my hobby have never told me to my face that my hobby is a waste of money. I'd sort of like to meet someone who did tell me their opinion and if they thought it was a waste of money. I would truly like to hear from their perspective, what I should spend my money on instead.

When I think of wasting money - it's more like; spending $50.00 on groceries and then letting the food rot. So not only a waste of money but wasting food. But if I have $50.00 and spent it on shoes for one of my SD boys; it's not a waste - because they are useful and bring me joy to have.

 

Someone who told me that I'm wasting money on dolls would likely not get a response. I simply wouldn't know how to react, too stunned to do more than blink in confusion. Later, when I'd had more time to mull it over, I'd likely get angry. I pay my bills on time, I save money, and I spend what extra I can afford on my various hobbies. So there's no reason to say that, unless they're deliberately trying to be hurtful.

Afterwards, I would avoid the person. When avoidance was impossible (for example, with a coworker), I'd either be completely silent, or conversation would be polite, but kept to a minimum and casual only. Because I'd never trust such a person again with anything meaningful. If that's how they react to dolls, how would they react to other things in my life?

That said, it's not something my friends or family would ever say. I could see them becoming concerned over the amount of money spent on BJDs, and I could see them being creeped out, but that's completely different from just... bluntly telling me this hobby is a waste of money. That shows a complete lack of tact, understanding, or respect.

 

To me, of course its worth to do so. But to my mum, its just a ridiculus thing. So once i take out my doll, she would comment this as a waste of money and time. So its really frustrating thing. I think that the way to manage my salary and time is my freedom, right? Anyway, i will avoid playing with my doll when my mum was here.

 

I honestly just ignore it when people tell that to me. I mean, it's my hobby not theirs. XD
Also, people have varied perceptions as to what's 'important' and what's a 'waste of money'. I mean, BJD collecting and owning may be a worthwhile hobby for me, but to others, it may not. Collecting Nike shoes may be a worthwhile hobby for others, but to me, it may not. It's just a manner of respecting each other's hobby and refraining from saying things that may offend the other party.

 

I love this hobby and I'm happy to have dolls. Although, I feel incredibly guilty about spending my money on them, even though it's my own money that I've earned. From this thread everyone seems to be happy and doesn't find them a waste of money; but I have this terrible inner conflict about how I should be doing something better with my money even though I want dolls all the time.
I've never really been one to spend a lot of money on myself and I always save my money, so I guess I'm just getting used to being in the hobby and spending larger amounts of money in one go than usual. x)

 

It's pretty easy for me to get my mom on board cause I'm mentally ill and dolls are a really good for me in more ways than one. I feel motivated to go to work fulltime (well, an hour under full time) and interact with people because obv this is a very expensive hobby, and it gives me a... not easy outlet for my artwork, but it's really hard to make a well sculpted doll look bad, yknow? So my mother definitely sees the benefit first hand, since getting into dolls nearly a year ago now there's been vast improvement

 

I think I'm probably lucky in that my family isn't telling me it's a waste of money, because they all have hobbies that they spend their money on. The bottom line for me is that I've earned my money and it's my right to decide how I want to spend that money. I think once your expenses are taken care of, it's okay to spoil yourself, or have a more expensive hobby than some people think is normal. My father collects old electric fans from the 30's, 40's and 50's, and I've watched him drop hundreds of dollars on a fan that doesn't even work before (Usually he fixes it up later, though). Honestly, so long as your hobby makes you happy and you don't have any problems paying your bills before you drop money on your hobby (whatever that hobby is), I don't see the problem. I don't see it as a waste of money.

 

I would look them in the eyes with a smirk and tell them ''Mind your own buisness cause we all spend money and waste money where we want to. You spend money on billions on clothes, makeup, hair, shoes and clubs and i spend money on my hobby'' and then throw glitter at him and walk away

 

My mother isn't totally against me buying dolls, she just thinks there is more I could be spending it on (she's not that strict about it really). I showed her my second doll and she said "No more dolls ok? I think you have spent enough."

I didn't tell her I had two more on the way lmao.

 

Just laughed so hard at this. Oh man

 

My grandmother is always telling me my dolls are a waste of money, but aren't all hobbies technically a waste of money? I mean, she goes to casinos all the time, at least I get something long-lasting and physical with how I spend my money!
My mother does keep telling me I need to save my money though, she did say after I finish paying off my layaways, that I have to put off buying any more dolls until the ones I have are 'finished'

 

I have just started in this hobby and I can relate to this. I have already started to spend excessive amounts on clothes, wigs, eyes... and already started talking to a face-up artist! I want to do my own face ups but I want my first doll to be who I envision so I am willing to spend a little more on him!

 

I explain the it's an hobby and hobbies keep people sane
More, doll usually get value in time, 'cause they become rare or ancient

 

This is exactly what I keep telling myself haha.

 

It's true u_u

 

There are lots of things people spend money on that they don't absolutely need to survive. You don't need Starbucks--or ANY coffee, actually. You don't need nice clothes. You don't need a nice car or nice house. Any shelter is good enough to live. You don't need pets. You don't need tvs or computers or phones. You actually don't need kids to survive, either!

Life is better with all those things, though! Basically, if you have priorities that need taking care of--things more important than dolls--then those should be paid for first. But if dolls are a priority with YOU, and you're not being crazy about it (that means, dolls before rent or bills or paying for college or food, etc.), then spending your fun money (money that would be used for going out to movies or having a Starbucks, or going out to dinner), should be up to you!

If a parent is concerned, make sure you aren't ignoring anything important and point that out, and say that if the money is earned by you or is a gift, then you are just buying what you really want with it. That should be reasonable enough, unless the money is given to you for a set purpose and you are ignoring that.

Basically, what is important to one person might not be important to another. If you are being sensible about your finances, and have money to spend on what you want, then it shouldn't matter what it is, since it's FOR WHAT YOU WANT.

Of course, other people will always have different ideas... but they are not you, and your money is yours to do what you want with it...

 

It's unfortunate how this hobby is looked at to be juvenile and a waste of money just because they are dolls and tend to be associated with barbie dolls and the like. I think it's incredible what you can do with these dolls, it branches out to so many different hobbies that "normal" people do and do not get judged for it such as sewing, painting, writing, and photography. I'm 24 years old, and I have wanted a BJD since I was about 14 or 15, but it was just too out of reach for me at the time. I finally bought one 10 years later and I'm absolutely ecstatic to begin creating my dream character and explore any skills I may have in the different things I can do with my doll. My fiance hasn't been supportive of it whatsoever, he's been rather insensitive about it and has hurt my feelings when I told him about it. It makes me happy, be happy for me when it is not your money I am spending to get this, so don't worry about what I do with my own. I won't listen to anything he says, but it bothers me he doesn't see how happy it makes me, and all the potential things I can get into like sewing and painting (faceups) And you know what's annoying? He kept telling me to get a hobby get a hobby, and here I found one and he judges me for it because of how expensive it can be. Well like the beginning of this post says, all hobbies can be expensive! It's all the same. At least I'm here with fellow BJD lovers who understand each others frustrations