why are doll collectors so "creepy"

Maybe I just LIKE creeping out the normals because god knows we take enough flack from just about everyone else out there, be it the "dolls as replacement children" camp, the "dolls are for children" lot, the "you spent HOW MUCH?!" brigade or just the tools that find anything out of the ordinary worth picking on.

People will define creepy based on their own experiences and that varies vastly, if I happen to play on that somewhat when faced with painfully narrow minded people who's first instinct is to mock that which they don't understand, oh well, some sport for me, they get their eyes opened and as someone else already said, I really don't have to justify my hobbies to anyone but me.

 

Agreed. Funnily enough, this reminds me of a conversation I had with my sister a couple of years ago when I was playing D&D- she kept calling it "weird," which started to get on my nerves, so I finally just said "You say it's weird because you don't understand it." There comes a time for most of us that we find a doll that we love, and then it becomes more understandable to us how others can treat their dolls in certain ways. I will say that I still maintain the stance that my dolls are inanimate objects, but they do hold some sentimental value to me.

 

For real! And has the OP really never spent any time around Model-Train People? or Coin People? or Ferret People? or Coke-Bottle People? or Ketchup-Related-Memorabilia People? If you talk to any hobbyist long enough, you'll hear them assign some kind of anthropomorphic quality to the object or animal, like naming it, speaking in its voice, or extrapolating what it thinks/feels. Every hobby has its freakdom. And there are some truly great freaks out there. Some of whom make Doll People seem positively ordinary.

If you're genuinely afraid of seeming creepy or being associated with creepy people, buy a doll but don't be seen socializing with any fellow collectors, either IRL or online, and never invite anybody to look at your collection. Or, trade up for a boyfriend who likes you no matter what you're into. Or, just wait until you don't give a crap about what people think of you.

 

I think I posted in this topic...(there are a few "creepy doll/doll owners" threads...so I forget...xD)

I was creepy long before I joined this hobby. Infact, the doll hobby for me is quite normal and on lookers can understand doll collecting. (which is big out here, with porcelain dolls. I didn't know that)

It's probably the only thing I have in common with other people out here. xD



The only time I take offense, is when someone is deliberately rude. But that is a whole different matter, and rarely ever happens. Everyone has their quirks and their hobbies. Live and let live.

 

You know, my brother has done more anthropomorphising of my characters than I have. Back when I only had 1 doll, my brother decided he spoke with a Brittish accent and called me "mummy" and would always say "how is Vancey-pants doing." He's not the type to make fun of people so I don't know why he was doing it. I was like "stop being weird >.< "

 

I only noticed that the way I refer to my boys is abnormal when I try to talk about them with my parents lol, and again just now. Otherwise I call them "my boys" or even by pet names I have for them. I'm not really sure why I do that though, it's just something I've done since I got my first doll 3 years ago. I even feel a bit guilty when, in front of non-doll people or family, I call them 'it' or 'the doll'. Somehow that seems creepier than calling them by their names and gender.

 

Oh, certainly, I didn't mean to imply that there weren't any people who really do think that way. I just think that if one is going to make judgements on the community based on what people are saying, it's best to really look at what's being said and make sure it's not being misunderstood.

I have run across some very extreme viewpoints and statements that boggled my mind a bit, but I have to say that the vast majority have been on various off-site confession blogs or LJ communities rather than here on DoA. But perhaps I'm just not looking at the "right" places here?

 

I call my dolls by "he" or "she" because they have obvious genders, however I don't view them as children or anything. They are merely luxury items that I enjoy. I don't consider myself creepy or weird at all, just an average college student My boyfriend didn't know what to think about them at first either, but as time went on he liked the dolls I was buying and now gives me advice on which ones I should get. He'll probably warm up to them. Even I found BJDs kind of creepy before I saw the beauty, which seems to be a fairly common trend among BJD collectors.

 

I'm probably beating a dead horse with a dead horse at this point, but I don't think there's anything really weird about giving your dolls personalities and treating them as if they're real. Like many have said, most of us don't actually believe that the dolls are real beings with souls in them, but it's easy to sort of put them in that role when they're more than likely based on a character you have created. The customization of the dolls more than likely adds to the "they're my babies" thing because you're the one creating them.

I don't actually treat my doll like he's my child, but I guess I've been around enough dog toting old ladies at the fabric store to see that it's not an uncommon thing, especially if you don't have any children of your own. I don't find it creepy, but what's really creepy anyways?

 

Heeeyyy... I'm not creepy... ::sniffle:: /forever alone lol j/k

I tend to use the saying "I dont have children, so I have a kitten and a doll to spoil." When I pick my 60cm boy up like say off the couch at my friends house (who also has 60cm dolls) it's usually while saying something like come a-hither-child or hang on let me grab my kid. I call him that because at one point he was taller than my baby niece, I don't actually consider him like a child or anything, it's just kind of amusing because he's rather large for a "doll". And oddly some of the dressing techniques for babies apply to kicky dolls.

 

After reading all the previous messages, I guess I will now share my opinions too I am actually surprised when I first find people referring to their bjds as their "children" because I don't, but it isn't mean it is "creepy" in anyway. And although I don't refer to them as my children, it doesn't mean I treat them as an "object". They are dolls that are so human and life like, and because of their sizes, it is just hard to ignore them, I guess? You will like to play wiv them, photograph them and even making stories about their relationships and what they think. It all in your mind.

I believe imagination is one of the greatest thing we all have. It is just how far would you let it go, sometimes it is hard to live all too sensible? A bit crazy is needed sometimes~
In the living we often uses our left brain, which logic rules, just like how we are into this discussion, while on the other hand, all the imaginative play, appreciation n our own way into customizing our bjds are all based of our right brain, which is all the feeling n creativity comes!! It is just that the contemporary world views this as "off the place" n we should all be sensible. What often makes people feel happy is to engage to activities that uses their right brain functions according to researches.

I don't want to deny my dolls n my imagination towards them, that can make me feel so happy and alive, why should we? Attachment can comes from all sorts of form, I would say even if u really like a certain celebrities, n you start watching their films, buying their cds, some even follow their idols in tours in the world, and even they might not know them personally, but why such a feeling existed? A large part of it is about imagination and fantasies.

Talking about Barbie and Ken, don't you think they both have a personality of themselves as presented by Mattel and fans in the world? Remember that they break up in 2004 n get back together last year? People do feel something about this!! Whether they like it or not, or even discusses n telling them to get back together etc. See? If you let your imaginations fly, everything is possible

Sometimes is good to loosen up yourself into imagination I think.

 

That's the truly mystifying thing.

There's something about them being *dolls* that brings out the disapproval in a lot of non-collectors in a way that they wouldn't be with, say, stamps or baseball cards or even static-posed figurines. I've been trying for years and am not able to quite wrap my brain around it.

Sometimes I get so annoyed by the constant second- third- and fourth-guessing of our personal enjoyment of the collecting and the play and the art and the dress-up (tell me these aren't fashion dolls? but that's another semantic tangent ) that I just want to scream "GIVE IT A REST, ALREADY, and just ENJOY YOUR DOLLS!"

The problem with that, though, is that it's a really interesting question, and one that sits out there and nags at all of us. It probably could land someone a doctorate if they could figure out a good way to study it and get a handle on what about dolls makes people antsy.

It won't be me, as my research training is good enough to spot a bad design or faulty logic when I see it, but not good enough to invent a great methodology for such a question.

So in the meantime, maybe we should give it a rest and enjoy our dolls?


ETA: Or there's this:

"Maybe I just LIKE creeping out the normals because god knows we take enough flack from just about everyone else out there," -- Yay Lulu!
I can always count on whatever you post being something that makes my creepy little heart happy. (So good to see you're still around!)

 

Baakay still here (just), still grumpy, still, apparently creepy too! *high fives my creepy brethren* Isn't it amazing that despite all the time that's passed and everything that's changed in this hobby in the time we've been in it, the outside worlds opinion of us all will NEVER be altered to the point that six years on, we're still getting the same questions? It'd be a fascinating social experiment to work on, as you say, but it ain't gonna be you n me doing it, I fear we've seen altogether too much over the years *snort*

 

I have never given it much thought really, I loaded up my car last weekend for my first doll meet, threw my girl in the passenger seat next to me, and as i adjusted my mirrors and clicked my belt, i turned to her, grinned, and said "Well it looks like you'll be my date today" and I had to run into a store to pick up food for the meet and I again talked to her and said "I'll be right back."

I KNOW she is a doll, can't hear, feel, etc, but it's just... part of the hobby to me XD

I call them "my girls" just like i call my cats "my girls". But I do NOT think she is my child I just find it cute to refer to her as such.

I just got a new doll 2 days ago and made a post (or 2) explaining that my older doll "Was happy to have a new little sister" Even though I KNOW dolls can neither have families nor have emotions, happiness, etc... to me it's perfectly normal to talk about them this way ESPECIALLY here or with other doll owners. It just feels right / makes sense.

I would ONLY do things like this when I am by myself or with other doll owners though I'm not crazy. Though I HAVE taken my dolls out in public around non doll owners. (for example) The meetup last week was at a state park. In the past I took one to a bar at a halloween party awhile back, took several out hiking with me, etc. I mostly just pose them around, snap a few pics, and move on

I also notice the OP is from Norway. I don't imagine the hobby being very common there (though truthfully I've no clue!!) I think it is far more common in Asian cultures and more common in North America than throughout Europe. (may be wrong). But that could have something to do with why the OP struggles to understand why we refer to our dolls as living creatures as opposed to personal belongings.

 

Creep Powah.
Needs more high-fives for the creeps of this world. Creepy is as creepy does. The Normals were put here on earth just so we can creep them out. Some of my best friends are creeps, and if I had a daughter I would INSIST that she marry one.

The Normals will never think Doll People are normal, and that's that. You'll always be creepy. So the choices are either quit the dolls, go into the closet, or get on with it & be at peace. After all these years, hearing this same question from batch after batch of newcomers, all we can do is hope that the kids eventually settle down & fly their own Creep flags more proudly, so we can all just get on with playing with dolls.

 

Since when are you required to change your way of thinking in order to collect pretty dolls? I have to talk to my dolls, pretend they're alive, cart them around with me everywhere and talk about them as if they're people or GTFO? No thanks, I find those things to be silly and yes creepy and have never had the desire to do them and after 8 years in this hobby I doubt that will change.

 

I say "my girl" or "my boy" when i refer to my dolls. I don't feel it's creepy. If an owner starts treating them like actual children, then okay I can see how it would be creepy. I guess it just comes down to "to each their own." if it's not your thing, then that's cool.

 

I don't think anyone's saying that, I think it's more a given fact that if you collect dolls on any scale and you happen to be an adult, you will get looked at funny by non-doll collectors. That's just...the way it is. I choose to deal with that by...yes ok, SLIGHTLY playing up to it in order to deliberately creep people out, other people may choose to deal with it however they so desire, but the judgement from those outside the hobby will always remain, regardless of what we do.

 

I have not gotten any flak from non doll people for collecting dolls.

 

i'm not found creepy because i sometimes refer to the dolls as he or she (they are clearly sculpted as such) but the fact I am a man who has dolls, a straight man
anything else is really overlooked because of that fact
but there are no doll people in this small city so I don't have to go threw the fear and worry again (the people where I used to live were accepting, very much so, though its, usually no matter what you are doing, hard to be the only guy in a group like that. gender alone usually makes your idea's quite different from theirs, and the fact I am...well nuts, makes my idea's even more random and strange)