Why are you into BJDs?

Aww, I'm so sorry to hear that - hugs to you, sweetie.

I have an unhappy history too of having family members joining a weird cult when I was 11, and I was banned from playing with dolls. I could keep them in a cupboard but not take them out and play with them. Basically the same as you, having to grow up too fast, too young.

So for me my dolls are my second childhood, or more accurately the fulfilment of my first childhood. I love making them the sort of pretty dresses and things I would have made my dolls if I'd been allowed to. It's the old saying, "better late than never."

 

For me, I really like the fact that you can customize them. I collect a lot of anime figures (almost 30 so far) and those never change (except for Nendoroids which I can swap face plates etc.). For me, anime has always been a big part of my life and it will continue to be a part of it because my husband also really likes it. I really love that I can collect anime-esque dolls and customize their clothing, wigs, etc. I am also looking into doing doll photography in the future as photography is something that my husband and I are both into, and I would love to use my dolls for that purpose.

 

Nothing specifically why, just because it was cute and able to customize how the faceup looks like and dressing them, taking pictures, making friends with same hobby online. It was just fun.

 

I really liked that I could customize them so that they're uniquely my own. I also like sewing, photographing, doing faceups. I've always been a creative person so I love having a hobby that allows me to use my other hobbies toward a project. It's nice too to have something to look forward to; it gives me goals to set for myself and accomplish.

 

I've just always really wanted one and they're really really cute. They're pretty good inspirations for creating OCs and stuff like that, and I really enjoy having them around me.

 

I like having tiny humans to customize.

 

I have a lot of different reasons but ones I can think of off the top of my head right now is: I always had a love of dolls when I was younger. I liked the way they looked and how cool it is that they all look so different from one to another just from changing small things like eyes, hair, heck even the face up itself. I liked how they made different sizes, so depending if you liked larger or smaller dolls, you don't have to worry because they have practically any size. How artistically inspiring and creative they are. They cater to a broad range of different arts: sewing and clothes,photography, character creation and writing stories, painting and detailing, making wigs and styling them, crafting and molding things such as eyes, wings, horns, different ears you name it. There's a lot of creativity going on there and its amazing. The pride of owning some dolls of my own finally after 9 long years when I didn't think that would happen what so ever and coming home from a rough/stressful day at work to be able to walk into my room to see them and just smile. Planning one day to bring one of my joys with me to the convention I go to every year and feel happy that I can look at the other doll owners now and feel 'man this is great, I'm gonna ask them where they got their doll's shirt from or if they made it, its really cute', instead of 'awww wow they're so pretty, I wish I could own one of those :c' . They are amazing, sometimes through very rough times, they kept me going, as cheesy as that might sound. Going through some really bad days of 'man, I'm not sure if this is gonna get better.', to looking at them and thinking, 'no, at least finish that skirt you were making'. To try the finished piece on one of the dolls and seeing it fit perfectly is a little spirit lifter, a small victory.

 

Honestly, I'm not sure. I was never really into dolls growing up but for some reason BJDs sparked my interest. I think it might be because of all the creative things you can do with them (make characters, clothes, faceups, ect.) And also the community of people making things for these dolls is amazing!

 

As many others have said, the ability to customize them. That, and tiny clothes. I freaking love miniatures.

 

I used to play with dolls when I was younger - bratz, barbies, random figures - and thought it was just really... fun to customize them and it helped engage my imagination so much. I could come up with little stories and fantasies featuring them for hours (usually it was lesbian vampire themed hahaha). I thought it was super engaging and enjoyable to pose them, interact, and just look at them.

BJD just seems like the natural creative step from that for adults. I see them as very special art objects as well. They're beautifully crafted and special - and now you can customize them even better than the dolls one had as a kid. I don't even have my first yet but I'm getting her super soon. The fact that I can make different eyes for her, buy clothes and make cute outfits, take awesome photos, to just pose and lightly "play" with her gives me a certain sense of joy. I wasn't always in this hobby - I'm actually pretty new and joined this year in a more active way. But I'm excited! As an artist it seems like there are endless creative possibilities in this hobby. I also have many artistic hobbies but this one will probably be the most relaxed for me (hopefully) and not super engrained with my other stuff etc.

 

I'm in to BJDs cause they look cool.

 

I like to use them as photography models and turn them into characters I design for stories

 

i'm being poisoned hard be my friend lol

 

It's creating the character. Or more like looking at the doll and seeing the character it can be. First time I saw the Resinsoul Mei, I knew the white one, the lilac one, and the gray one would be triplets. White would be the punk elf I've been wanting, gray is more into soft, romantic shades, and lilac will be into bohemian/grunge wear.

 

I'm not really sure. I guess it's because I've always liked dolls, and I collected them since I was a small child. Though when I was a child I had barbies/my scene, brats, porcelain dolls, liv dolls, and even monster high, but I've never had a bjd before I got Aida. Or maybe it's because I found the Volks bjd website when I was 10 and saw the Dollfie Dream Hatsune Miku, but like I said, I'm not really sure.

 

Why I like BJD/Dolls in general:

1) Dress-up. I love making outfits and looks for dolls.
2) Restringing. There is something very relaxing about restringing, it helps me stay grounded and focus on the task at hand. It's a fun little challenge.
3) BJD specific, I love that I can swap my eyes and wigs at anytime.
4) I get to meet people.
5) They look pretty

 

I have always collected different dolls and figurines, so I naturally gravitated towards bjds. From most regular dolls, bjds are more detailed, customizable, and often bigger in size. Ball jointed dolls comprise my largest collection at the moment.

 

I've always enjoyed collecting things in general and also have been really into Anime and art/crafts in general. Most recently I'm into customizing Monster High dolls and this seemed like the natural progression? I already have a lot of ideas on "who" my dolls are and the things I can make for them... All that is really exciting to me! ^^

 

For me, its the customization. Barbies bored me so much when I was a kid because they couldnt pose, and the clothes were so limited. I found BJDs back in november, and fell pretty fast. There are so many options for all aspects of the dolls, most of which you can make yourself. Im waiting on my first doll, but I already have a ton of ideas for her.

 

I personally like the designing of dolls the most and the excitemnt of making personalities for them. Sometimes I will see a doll I think is beautiful and I will just imagine the kind of story they could have. Naming is also my favorite, apart from deciding what kind of faceup they should have too. I love the freedom of design and how unique the same sculpts can look from the type of faceup they have.