where do you see BJDs in 50 years?

I'm certain they'd still hold value, especially to those who were into this hobby 50 years back. Also, with projects like Robofie and Aibo already being developed today, there are so many possibilities for the dolls of the future... sensing, talking, reasoning, or even feeling, sentient dolls. Sounds familiar?

 

Depends on how worn out and yellow they all are from playing.

But, in my opinion, everything has the opportunity to gain value over that amount of time. People will even buy a 50 year old cereal box that hasn't been opened.

 

Antiques. If the resin lasts that long.

They'll have long been replaced by newer, more interesting things as far as "fandom" items or customizable, jointed dolls go, I'm sure.

 

ANGELIC LAYER.

That is all. XD

 

Crowding my bedroom to bursting...?

 

I don't want to think that far into the future. I'm sad that my little ones may not be able to last. HOWEVER, perhaps they will be made with a new material that doesn't age and lasts forever! That would be nice.

 

Regarding dolls that move and have AI:

...

If I wanted a doll that talked back I'd have kids!!!

I'll tell you what I think will happen... I've seen resin figures that are quite old and the resin is still quite sturdy. I think discoloration is going to be our biggest problem. So, what are people going to do with their darlings who are now hopelessly discolored and made by companies that are no longer in business, much less producing the dolls they used to?... I think there's gonna be a quiet business in 're-casting' our dolls. That is, making a one-off mold and re-casting the doll in newer (hopefully more UV resistant) resin.

H

Edit: Important note!! I am not advocating in any way pirating or mis-using a company's work. I just know that personally if a doll I love was hopelessly discolored and no longer being produced, I might start thinking of desperate measures. I would NEVER advocate re-selling such dolls, this would only be for an individual to re-create their favorite treasure for their personal use. I know it's still illegal, but like I said... many years in the future we might find ourselves desperate.

 

hmmm, antiques certainly, something our grandchildren cherish? or maybe left on the scrap heap by uncaring relatives?

I would be 82 in 50 years time, I hope to sill be able to enjoy crocheting dolls clothes with my knobbly, twisted old hands! that's if I am still alive! (I hope so!)

 

If the resin doesn't deteriorate they'll probably be desirable as vintage dolls. They'll certainly have a page in the history of dolls as they're a phenomenon unto themselves & a different type of creation. Researchers will be writing articles about the "golden age" of BJDs & studying records of various companies for edition numbers, different molds, construction techniques, original clothing & the like just as doll writers are doing today for vintage dolls.

 

hmmm...probably BJDs are going to peak, if they haven't already, sometime soon...

so I agree w/ brightfires. ^^ something more interesting will spark the eyes of doll collectors

 

I bet the resin will last, but they'll be so discolored by then that they won't be worth much. Seriously, if some dolls are noticeably more yellow after only 2 or 3 years? They're going to be very VERY yellow after 50 XD; And I think that even if they didn't yellow, most molds would not be worth thousands of dollars. Mainly because there are so many of them (the more limited the more valuable, after all!).

 

I think the resin- which is a plastic- will last forever. How many times have we been told that disposable diapers last "forever". I forsee vast dumps filled with bjds that are all yellow. But maybe they will have found some treatment for the yellowing by then.
But I think they will be replaced at some point by new and even more customizable dolls. Some will walk and talk, but many people are horrified by such a thought, so there will still be dolls a lot like ours.

 

Regarding the possible yellowing, a lot of people don't care so much about signs of age on an old item. In fact some of us in an odd way prefer that because it shows some "history".
Obviously a 50-year-old mint doll may well be worth more money, but a 50-year-old yellowed doll with an interesting history, or gotten up in an interesting way, is likely to command a good deal of collector interest also.

I actually have a slight preference for non-mint dolls when I buy on the secondary market because with a mint one, assuming it can be taken out of the box at all without destroying value, I'm too fearful of damaging it or changing its minty condition to really interact with it, change things about it and use it. A "gently used" item has a LOT more possibilities as well as being more interesting because it has some history.

 

Haha, I'll be 93. I hope I'll be able to find good homes for all my dolls and bears before I die

 

Who says the companies will be out of business? ^^ I think they will be having quite a handfull: seeing this community grow makes me think BJD's will be even more popular in the future. Maybe the designs will be different, and ofcourse there will be new companies, but I don't see the old one disappear.

What I do think will happen is that the really big companies, like Luts and Volks, will lose popularity, and the US will take over this market. BJD's in general will become cheaper, and one day regular art-shops will offer them too. BJD's will lose their magic and exclusiveness, but it will be easier to find more people interested in them. I also think in the future it's all about who's got the best, most, rarest and most expensive dolls, rather then having the coollest mods or personalities...

But oh well, thinking about the future always makes me sad I just turned sixteen today and I already feel so ooolllddd... >.>

 

I think two things could happen, which are two totally different things!

1. The dolls are extremely populair and there are more shops than ever before.
2. They'll all be replaced by robot dolls. Or something like that. Something with computers and digital things anyway.