why are doll collectors so "creepy"

I refer to my dolls as He and She, but I think this mostly happens because my language has given genders for all objects/substantives. For example, car is a male substantive so we refer to it in my language as a 'he', referring to a car as 'it' is grammatically incorrect, because a car is a male objects..... I know it doesn't make much sense for English speakers, but that's how things work in here xD

But that's it, I don't see them as mini people or as if they were alive.

 

i refer to mine like they're actual living people cause in my opinion, you spend so much time and money in them, who knows if they don't have feelings back to you too or not...

 

I usually refer to mine as "the boys" or if I'm talking about a specific one, use their names. I don't think it's creepy or weird. Not any creepier or weirder than people naming their car Walter or their computer Mizuki or something. (Yes, they ARE out there.) Also, saying "Luken wants new clothes" is much shorter than "I just saw those clothes on the net and OMG, they'd look AWESOME on Luken, so I'll get them for him".

Uhm, I recommend that you never EVER watch "The Doll Master". Ever. It's not that bad a movie but it might seriously creep you out. I see my "boys" as dolls and nothing more - and it still had me look at them and go "right, don't you get any ideas, guys" ...

 

I reffer to my dolls as people but that's only because I feel close to the respective characters they represent. I don't think my dolls are alive or anything similar. Whatever 'talks' I have with them are the typical 'arrgh, won't you stand straight' and things of the sort. As for my 'kids' 'wanting' more of anything is usually my want to get them something because they might not have enough clothes or I want to change their eyes and wigs. They don't really 'demand' anything, there just comes a time I decide it's time for a change.

 

I thought the "my kids" thing was a bit too much.. then Gegaish arrived. He um... looks like me. I didn't realize it. My aunt pointed out his little baby hands look just like my 'little baby hands' -_-''' and the eyes I've had in him for a while, same color brown. My aunt and my partner kind of pointed out "he's um... your kid." n_n' my little ones are so cute. How can you not be proud of especially YOSD's like they're your children?

 

I enjoy being the little creep I am. I just wouldn't be me otherwise. I am, however, a very nice creepy.

 

the best view of life to have!!! ^_^ live it up. I'm sure all of us here are in the same boat

 

I refer to my doll as she, her, my baby and the like. But I am very clear that she is a doll and I do not have the same feelings for her as I do for my animals, husband or children.

I think it comes from the fact that she is very important to me. One of my biggest hobbies and she is a she-doll. So instead of always saying my doll and so on, I just say she. =)

 

some collectors prefer their dolls than their human families, I know someone play and talk to her dolls and not give her husband a second look, the only time she's aware of her husband's existence is when she brings him to doll meet ups and needs her husband help with carring her dolls

 

It's a hobby forum, and all hobbies have those who are considered "overly enthusiastic." I don't think it's isolated to BJDs. I think it might come off as creepy more often to some since BJDs are somewhat realistic looking and nearly anatomically correct. No one thinks it's too weird when you anthropomorise a cat or dog, talk to or treat them like a person (unless they take it too far, in which case yeah, creepy), but I think people freak out about it because the dolls are already very human like. I personally don't think I will treat my dolls like they have a personality, but I can understand why others do.

 

I've called one 'my baby' before. But in the way of referring to something as treasured or appreciated for putting so much time and money into it. Even props and stuff I have made I call my babies for the amount of time put into it. However, I don't look at them like children or pets since they aren't real. I may refer to them as a character if I have a very specific personality set for them.

 

My dolls mostly just sit on the shelf being pretty. They're not much different from my figures or ponies or anything, so unless someone is just creeped out by large dolls I don't see why anyone should think I'm creepy for having them. ^.^; I hope not anyway...

 

I refer to my dolls as my boys, but never as my children, i have no children, but i don't think its creepy when people do!
I also refer to my guitar as he and my piano as she, my female cats as my girls, my male cat as my boy, my car is a he and has a name...i could go on..but wont
I see nothing wrong in referring to things i interact with as he and she, girls and boys, i don't think i'm creepy and i don't care if someone else thinks i am!!

Each to their own!

 

I'm not really seeing how it can be noted as "creepy" that we assign genders to dolls that have genders assigned to them. They are humanoid and I have seen some dolls deep in Uncanny Valley territory that I could look at and entertain the possibility that they could be real on some level. But, I mean, it's no different than if I were talking about Barbie or Monster High or even My Little Pony and noting the gender of who I'm talking about. It's exhausting to use their name every time you reference them and I won't call them 'it' if they have an assigned gender already.

I'll even refer to figma/Nendoroids by gender. They are based off of a character, who has a gender. Basically, noting dolls by gender is no different than noting any fictional character by gender. If it's creepy for me to call my doll "she", then it's just as creepy to refer to Harry Potter as "he". They're characters and they have genders, despite the fact that they're not "real".

As for people treating their dolls like they're alive, who cares? Sure, it's not for me, just like doll collecting isn't for my sister. I don't care that someone treats their doll like a living being just like my sister doesn't care that I'm a doll collector. They're not hurting anyone by doing what they want to, so I say, "Stay the course!" To be honest, I much prefer people who treat dolls like children than people who treat animals like children.

 

I can only imagine the weirdness that goes on behind closed doors, but I personally never came across any creepy owners. I do refer to my dolls as "my girls" or whatnot from time to time, but I don't feel like they are my children. I feel that they are just dolls. This is an interesting topic.

 

Ditto to Wormwoods comment on this. The only creepy thing about dolls to me is people who have no sense of appreciation of the art whatsoever. The dolly people I have come to know are the salt of the earth type people. Anyone who has a hobby is a very focused person perhaps those that dont should try it some time and find something to be interested in.

 

I refer to my dolls as 'my girls' and use the 'she' pronoun, but that doesn't mean I'm creepy or that I honestly think of them as my children or something. In my opinion, this way of referring to them is most appropriate, because dolls are representations of people. To call a doll 'it' instead of 'she/he' or saying 'my doll' rather than 'my girl/boy' seems rather impersonal and just...sounds weird to me. They are not my children, and they are not real people, but they are still my girls and they deserve personal pronouns. Additionally, most people have characters for their dolls, and more importantly names. Some characters are more detailed than others, but I think once you name a doll, you are personifying it. I have a small collection of stuffed animals, but none of them have names. They are just cute objects, so I can refer to them as 'it' and 'the carrot plushie'. Dolls are very different from most other hobbies because we are collecting our own personal miniature people. More often than not, they are extensions of ourselves, so to call them 'it' and treat them impersonally is kind of wrong.

Are you French? While I was reading through this thread, I thought of the french language and how everything in feminine or masculine, and how that might personify things in translation.

 

In terms of them being 'creepy' Some people just don't like dolls staring at them, or toys in general. Which is quite funny to me, they aren't real! Do these people also freak out if their toothbrush is facing them? "Argh my toothbrush is looking at meeee!!!!
I think it's stranger than having dolls.

 

I think nothing is bad , to say he,she,my girls,my boys but sure ill feel a little weird but i wont judge when i hear: ''my babies''
I dont know why but i can say my babies too in general even for my art paintings but i know that they arent alive , they have personnalities but yeah...i know im weird... i assume it but i think people say it in general because its more easier. For me too its easier to name my dolls by their names or saying only: my girls

 

I suppose I know what you mean. I've met a few that refer to their dolls as their 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend'. I find that a little odd. It's normal to become attached to them and refer to them as your babies in a rhetorical sense, but I find it odd for people to say "I wish I had a husband like my doll." or, "I wish I had a chick like my doll, She is totally hot." It kinda... creeps me out. I can't think of them as sexual items or as 'sexy' but I can definitely think of them as beautiful and cute. It's kind of like otakus falling in love with an anime character. I find the attachment a bit odd. But it doesn't really bother me, It's their life, their money, and they can do with it what they want. If that makes them happy, than I am happy for them.