1. It has come to the attention of forum staff that Dollshe Craft has ceased communications with dealers and customers, has failed to provide promised refunds for the excessive waits, and now has wait times surpassing 5 years in some cases. Forum staff are also concerned as there are claims being put forth that Dollshe plans to close down their doll making company. Due to the instability of the company, the lack of communication, the lack of promised refunds, and the wait times now surpassing 5 years, we strongly urge members to research the current state of this company very carefully and thoroughly before deciding to place an order. For more information please see the Dollshe waiting room. Do not assume this cannot happen to you or that your order will be different.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Dollshe Craft and all dolls created by Dollshe, including any dolls created under his new or future companies, including Club Coco BJD are now banned from Den of Angels. Dollshe and the sculptor may not advertise his products on this forum. Sales may not be discussed, no news threads may be posted regarding new releases. This ban does not impact any dolls by Dollshe ordered by November 8, 2023. Any dolls ordered after November 8, 2023, regardless of the date the sculpt was released, are banned from this forum as are any dolls released under his new or future companies including but not limited to Club Coco BJD. This ban does not apply to other company dolls cast by Dollshe as part of a casting agreement between him and the actual sculpt or company and those dolls may still be discussed on the forum. Please come to Ask the Moderators if you have any questions.
    Dismiss Notice

Why do some collectors choose to not go to meetups?

Jul 10, 2009

    1. 1) No, I think it would be okay.
      2) Neither, my sewing skills are quite okay and my girls do have many outfits.
      3) No it's not like this. I'm friendly and everything and I don't care at all what they could think.
      4) Yes actually, I'm afraid, I prefer not to take risk and I don't like people to touch my dolls.
      5) According to confession blogs, many, but my first and only meetup was pretty cool and nobody told me anything bad about our local community.
      6) I have dolls, but as I don't wanna take them along I would come without any doll.
      7) My wishlist is already so big I don't really care.
      8) Would laugh at it actually. And take my doll back. And run.

      I'm just too lazy, I think and I don't feel like I really need to be a part of a community. I'd go more often if I lived in the south because some of the dolly people that I like the most live there and I'd like to meet them one day. Because I like what they do. But I would love to go to the LDOLL festival or any other dolly convention.
       
    2. I don't think there are any meet ups anywhere near me XD It's hard to find anyone else in Wales who would even know what a BJD is if I'm honest! Even then, I don't really have the time as I've got two kids, so unless I could trust them to resist grabbing every doll in sight (my daughter's a bit of a crazy doll fan, she is however only 2...), then I doubt I could go anyway ^^
       
    3. Do you feel you're too old or too young?
      Nah. No matter how old I get, I'll always be a child at heart. A well-behaved child, of course.

      Do you think you or your doll won't be liked?
      I never worried about that stuff too much. I think my doll is a little less popular at conventions because he's not really anime-esque, but different strokes for different folks, as they say. As for liking me well, who could dislike me? U:

      Do you think your outfits aren't worthy of showing off?
      Haha well they're mostly store bought, so I don't think that's an issue.

      Do you think you're not worthy of showing off, or afraid of what others will think of you personally?
      Psch. I'm fabulous. But no really, I've got so many people supporting me because they appreciate the person I am. One or two disapproving individuals won't really affect my decisions.

      Are you afraid to bring your doll out, for fear of damage or theft?
      This'd be a more likely cause. Damage more than theft, really. It's hard to predict other people and how careless they could potentially be sometimes.

      Did you or someone else have a bad experience?
      Yes kinda? I don't know how much my acquaintance might've been fabricating, but I heard about an incident involving a mom with dolls who brought a kid with grabby hands. Sort of turned me off from local meets.

      Are you nervous it would make you want to purchase new dolls?
      YES. Especially seeing limited dolls. Oh man. It doesn't take much to get those gears a turnin'.

      Are you expecting, with all the youth on DoA, a group of immature, loud, sex-crazed teenagers who'll grab your doll without asking and strip it naked? (Heh.)
      U: Teenagers? You mean my college educated friends with full time jobs? I'm used to that.
       
    4. I attended some meetups but I prefer to not attend.

      There are no meetups in my area, I have to drive 3-4 hours to find a meetup with people I like. The next meetups are about 2 hours away and I don't like the people there + it's hard to get there by car. I would have to spent a lot of money on train tickets or even have to book a hotel room.

      I tried to organize a meetup at a convention once and everyone who wanted to attend it didn't go to the planned place but to another one instead where some different owners sat, who didn't want to attend the meet. I stand there for hours and waited with some dear (non-doll) friends just to find out that everyone went somewhere else.. it was really disappointing.

      Another reason is, I don't feel very well with too many people around I don't know, I like a small group of people I know, but I can't deal with a group of 20+ owners at once while only knowing 3 of them and those are interacting with everyone but me.

      My last meet was last year in September, only 5 (including me) people where attenting it at a convention but it was very awkward. If I had the choice again I would decide to not to attend it again and joining my best friend while watching some shows :|
       
    5. I love going to meets, but I get a little frenzied in tight spaces and it is tough to find big enough places for a meet. A lot of my trouble though is dependent upon travle... I have trouble with my schedule.
       
    6. I used to go to meetups when I hadn't been in the hobby very long, but I don't think I've been to one in 7 or 8 years. I've actually been feeling like attending meetups again lately, but all the BJD owners I know of in my area are immature weirdos I don't want to associate with (of the type that, yes, would probably strip my doll naked, though they're not teenagers). I don't worry much about theft, because I'm paranoid and wouldn't let my dolls out of my sight. They're also not much more likely to be damaged at a meetup than they are in my home, again because I'm paranoid. But I'm not particularly social, and what little time I do spend with people, I want it to be spent with people I actually want to be around. So no meetups for me, at least until I move somewhere else.
       
    7. I would love to go to at least one meetup, unfortunately the doll scene around me is a bit of a desert. The one collector I knew who lived close has since moved and other meetups I've come across have been 3+hours away. Between my job & other responsibilities that's really not feasible to make a roundtrip of 6 hours minimum in a car for two or three hours of doll time. I do enjoy checking out the meetups in the gallery tho, it's lovely to see everyone having fun with their dolls!
       
    8. I live in a coastal town that is not on the way to anything but the Atlantic Ocean. Lots of people have SEEN parts of my town as many many movies and tv shows are made here all the time (Revolution, Under the Dome, Sleepy Hollow currently...Iron Man 3, We Are The Millers, Blue Velvet and many others at the Screen Gems Studios) but we are still WELL off the beaten path. I don't know a single other person who has a bjd in Wilmington. There may be some but I have never come across any. The nearest doll meet-ups are 120 miles west in Raleigh and often do not meet my work schedule. So I WOULD LOVE to go if I could but I have no one to meet-up with unless I drive that 120 miles.

      LostKitten

      Another thing occurred to me....sort of meet-up related. Though I don't attend the meet ups, I have met some of the people who have bjds in NC at a Con held each year. I try to make sure I attend the bjd panel when I go and take one or more of my dolls along. But a couple of times I have noticed a disturbing phenom among the folks who are there. That is they seem very very heavily predisposed to accept only Asian Bjds and only certain styles. There are a lot of the lolita dressed dolls, frilly and fluffy or little boys or older males in stylish clothes. My dolls are more unconventional in that most are anthros or odd ones like the Doll Chateau dolls so I generally sit quietly, hold my doll in my lap, and don't ask questions. I buy what I like factory done, or from individuals who have faced up or dressed them already. I don't really care to give them stories or change how they came to me. I like what I like and that is usually the default from the manufacturers.

      When I was very new to collecting and attended these panels I noticed a bit of haughty disregard towards people with non-Asian bjds, those who still had the factory default faceup and clothes, and those with the lesser expensive dolls such as the Resin Souls. My first one was a Resin Soul and I was so proud of her but it was pretty obvious when I brought her in that she was not in the same league as the Volks and others on the podium for viewing. I felt oddly diminished and it made me feel like hiding my doll away. I have learned a lot since then but have often wondered if a meet-up would be like that.
       
    9. I know how you feel, i live just outside Cardiff and all of the meets are too far away for me to get to on my own TT^TT

      But thats one of the main reasons, simply because i can't get there. I'd love to go to a meet though, sure i would be nervous because everyone would probably know one another and i'd kinda be alone and stuff like that i suppose... However, that wouldnt stop me from going. I mean there's the chance of meeting others that love what i love and maybe even buying small goodies. Plus if someone didnt like my girl, if i took her, then thats just their opinion and i love her no matter what because she's the embodiment of my characters and i've styled her exactly how i want her to be ^-^
      Everyone has their own thoughts on these things after all c:
       
    10. Wow...I was thinking of going to a meet, possibly..if I could get up the nerve. I have social anxiety along with other anxiety disorders. But read this thread and it seems like they aren't what I thought they'd be. I think I'll just stick to my GF. This school yard stuff doesn't sound like something I could handle well. Low self esteem and rude remarks don't go well >< I take things hard. Thank you for a look into typical meets. You saved me pain :) Sorry if this is off topic, somehow. I just wanted to say this.
       
    11. The main reasons why I haven't been to a bjd meetup yet are because I'm really new to the hobby so I'm just learning about meetups and things like that, and the closest one I can find coming up soon is 6 hours away from where I live. I'm married with two small children, so it makes it hard to go on a long trip like that. If there were one a bit closer, I would be interested in going. :)
       
    12. I don't have one yet and I was afraid of even entering the room when there was a meet-up for the local con. But I get nervous around people anyway. It's hard though, because it's like, I don't want to go in because I don't gave a doll, but I don't want to get a doll if I don't get more info so going and seeing other people's BJDs in person would probably help. Maybe also doesn't help that I'm a guy but that doesn't usually bother me where other interests and hobbies are concerned, to be honest. Probably more the previous points.