Who inspired you to collect?

My mom inspired me to get my own, but my first one was a birthday gift from my mom. I now have four, with another on the way. Her dolls have continued to inspire me to make stuff for mine.

 

I was exposed to the doll hobby either without knowing the full range of sculpts, or before many realistic sculpts were common (I have no idea, I was a fifth grader). I liked the look of DOD Dreaming Shall, but today, I would think she's too stylized of a sculpt.

Tanya Style's Narin and Narae (I can't remember their names now) were really instrumental in encouraging me to seek out more realistic sculpts. The photo series she would do with them (especially the one with her Narae lying across the Narin and looking very entranced) were adorable.

Doll a Day (closed now) was a really influential site as well (I remember, in particular, an Alice and the Labyrinth doll named Bronte who was haunting). The site posted the first pictures of Twigling's female body (before she marketed them to other owners, which is probably the reason I became familiar with mobility mods to BJD bodies.

Candygears was my first exposure to more macabre doll styling, which is probably why I like some of the creepier dolls.

 

When i see the pictures i fall in love this doll

 

Through my friend's big sister. I fell in love with the look of them almost instantly when I saw her dolls for the first time, and that was in about 2010 if I remember correctly? I will never forget that moment. Dolls went to the back of my mind for a few years until in 2014 my friend got her first doll. After that I've been searching and saving for my own doll, and I finally ordered her a few days a go. I'm so excited to finally get started!

 

Geekisthecolor definitely inspired me. They were my first glimpse into what bjds even were way back when I was a baby sophomore. I lost track of them until recently but they've always been an inspiration on why I wanted to get into the hobby and the level on what I wish to strive for photography wise

 

A friend of mine and one of my partners inspired me to get into the hobby. I was first exposed to bjds through my friend who had a Doll Chateau spider and I fell in love with the sculpt. Then I found out that said partner had a Volks sculpt and I asked him more about the hobby and here I am now with two dolls on the way and four more planned for this year.

 

Collecting figures was what originally introduced me to BJDs! I can credit this for my interest in vinyl dolls (Dollfie Dreams and Smart Doll, mostly). In the case of resin dolls, it was actually a combination of finding Andreja's YouTube channel and watching this video, as well as finding Studio Darjeeling's faceups on tumblr.

Resin dolls initially seemed a little too "fancy" for me (when I applied to DoA most of my application was based around vinyl dolls!), but seeing those faceups made me seriously consider getting a resin doll of my own. Seeing Sio2's male deer sculpt and Fairyland's Lucywen pretty much sealed the deal!

 

I first became interested in dolls when I lived in Japan during high school~ Unfortunately to lack of funds I couldn't start collecting. Then a few years ago I stumbled across Andreja on youtube, then followed her on Patreon and DA and fell head over heels for the hobby~

 

I found out about BJDs while I was randomly surfing around the net many years ago. I found the dolls really beautiful but wasn't tempted to start since the sculpts I saw look too young to me. Then in recent years I saw lots of pretty dolls on instagram and it made me wanna start this hobby for real once I find a sculpt I love.

 

YOU LIVED IN JAPAN?? LUCKY!! >w<
Are you Japanese or was it for an another reason? *u*

 

Its a long story because I grew up in 2 cities but 1 more than the other. That one had many people who didnt like them just because they "looked scary". To me though-in my heart-I felt that those people were wrong about them. I thought they looked VERY cute! (Better than those typical old string haired dolls lol...(like...Raggy Ann I think they are called?) but...got to respect the work though! ^^)

I eventually-and finally-gave up caring about what people say about them and me.
Now, I plan to collect them instead of just liking them without having at least one...X3

 

My Mom was an avid collector of beautiful things. I'm sure I caught the collecting bug from her.

 

I saw them first at Fanime sometimes but I think those were Blythes...I wasn't interested in them that much though...

Funny story actually, I first found out what they were called in one submission to weebstories (as the name suggests, it's a collection of weeb horror stories) when a weeb touched OP's BJDs without permission and I think stole one? The details are fuzzy. Anyway, I was wondering what they were, googled them, and then the rest is history. I couldn't afford a doll until very recently, but that's my story!

 

I want to do the same! I have been studying myself for a while with the help of my friends in Japan I met in school and camp. ^^ I want to study more socially I guess? So, I want to study Japanese at a college or something...rather than just studying myself without anyone to speak through voices instead of just text. >w<

 

My grandmother also collected porcelain dolls and I admired them so much. The older I got the most I loved dolls and I felt like I was too old for them because that was what people told me, but once I got older I stop caring about what others thought. I have dolls and dollhouses and I love them. People think that I purchase dolls for my niece, but they're for me. I have multiple youtubers to thank for inspiring me to just do it.

 

Yup, when I was in high school. My dad's job originally moved my family over there for work, I lived there for 3 years. I went back to the states for college, but have always regretted it ^^'

You should! Going to Tokyo is probably best to help cub the culture shock for your first visit, but I will ALWAYS recommend trying to get out to more of the countryside! Not that Tokyo isn't amazing, but it's very busy, and can be a little overwhelming sometimes~ If you can do a big city and small it's a really cool contrast! If you ever have any questions about traveling there, culture, or communication feel free to message me! I'm not fluent, but I will try my best to help! My experience there was mostly traveling around for fun and checking out different parts of the culture

 

Thats awesome! ^^
Wait...regret? Regretting going to the states? O.O
I want to go there too! (To Japan) I've been getting SO MANY dreams of going there too! Its getting really crazy...I REALLY want to go! ;u;
Is it possible to live there forever? (I plan to visit it first maybe or for studies...)

 

@Genbento I'm from the USA, but I feel more at home in Japan. So I'm sad I ever left ^^'

I'm planning on going back permanently next year finally. There are a TON of jobs for English teachers, even if you don't have a teaching degree. I know lots of people who have gone to do that for work and have lived there for 20+ :3

 

I can understand! XD I have friends from there (I met personally in High School and online, they were all so very kind!!) and I've been doing lots of research and studying the language enough to actually feel I've been there before! >w< (Which is why my dreams about is so real feeling probably lol)
...when you go permanently, take me with you!! I'll be a teacher too! Or help you! Haha!