Will owning a BJD be considered 'normal' in the future?

In my experience, people are either collectors (of something) or not. People who collect things in general understand doll collectors, even if bjd's are not their focus. People who don't collect things will never understand why someone would pay so much money for an item that seems to have no purpose. I don't discuss my dolls with anyone except other doll people. I think it's perfectly normal to collect dolls. I know people who collect guns (that they never shoot), and stamps (that will never be attached to an envelope), and lots of other useless things.

 

I don't see things in the future being any different than they are now. People who are outside of a given hobby often don't understand said hobby or care to know more -- that's just the way people are. It's not that big a deal, really. I'm kind of at the point in my life where I don't care all that much whether or not people think I'm weird -- rather than being too old for things I figure I'm an adult and therefore can collect what I want, wear what I want, do what I want (as long as it's not illegal, mind you), and it's nobody else's business. And keep in mind that for all the bad experiences dealing with bjds and the general public, people also have positive interactions too.

 

I highly doubt that owning BJDs will become 'normal' in the future. I don't think much will change in terms of how non-collectors view collectors. There will always be a certain segment of the population who views adult collectors of anything, whether it be dolls, model cars, stamps, coins, antiques or whatever, as people who waste time and money on unnecessary things. There will be yet another segment of the population who doesn't care what people do or what they spend their money on, as long as no one is getting hurt. I think people who aren't collectors of something or who aren't in a hobby often don't understand why anyone would want to be in said hobby. To me, it really doesn't matter whether or not BJD become 'mainstream' or 'normal'. I know what I like, and I'm secure enough to admit to being a collector without caring what anyone else may think of me for it. My dolls aren't a secret. People who come into my home see them all over the place and know that I'm very proud of them. Yes, there probably are people who think it's weird, but I'm okay with that. Those people are just as entitled to their thoughts and opinions as I am to my own.

In terms of good/bad experiences, I've noticed that if a person acts ashamed or embarrassed about something, they're more likely to have a bad experience connected to it. Like, if a person's BJD collection is a 'dirty little secret' that somebody else discovers, there's more likely to be a negative reaction by both parties. If, on the other hand, a person is open about their collection and proud to share it without shame or embarrassment, the reaction of others is more likely to be positive too. This is something I've noticed personally. I've happily talked to complete strangers about my dolls, and have gotten pretty good responses. I don't expect that to be different in the future, either. Human nature doesn't really change that much.

 

^ this, 100000x over. I don't go around shoving my hobby in everyone's faces, I don't bring my dolls to work to show off and all of that, but I don't hide the fact that I have them either. It's just a part of me and who I am, the same as my love of videogames, reading, collecting owl things and running (among many others).

I don't know that it'll ever be considered normal, and I'm ok with that. But really what is normal anyway? For me it's perfectly normal to collect dolls, or to collect something. I've always had at least one hobby that I've focused all my passion towards. What I find abnormal is people who have no hobby to get passionate about. How boring is that?

It's possible that BJDs will become a lot more widely known and accepted which does seem to have happened even in the last 5 years or so. And I can't help but wonder what the advances in things like 3D printer technology will do for our hobby in the future. Will we see an influx of quickly manufactured "cheap" 3D printed BJDs? Something like that, which would make the hobby potentially more affordable to the masses could make it more "normal" (although would we see a division between the pure collectors, those with hand crafted dolls vs 3D manufactured ones?). But it still comes down to personality and people's tendencies. Either they're the type to collect or not, as others have said

To me it doesn't matter as long as I can still get my pretty dolls and enjoy my hobby my own way!

 

People who usually judge collectors usually does not have a real hobby, therefore they can't really understand what kind of good things come along with it. I have a friend who is not a collector, but is into "exploring the nature with a jeep/bike/whatever vehicle is cool and extreme" and, though his hobby does not involve stay at home taking care of a bunch of stuffy on a wall, he has never said anything against my dolls and has always encouraged me to go on with it. People who know what a hobby can do for you usually don't judge you for it because they know whats great feelings it can bring, even if they have no particular interest on that kind of thing specifically. I don't think dolls will be a "normal" thing in the future, but that doesn't bother me either.

I totally agree with it. The way you act may (and certainly will) contribute to the answer you'll get, and that is applicable to the hobby too. If you feel embarrased about what you do, other people will feel this disconfort to and might use it to attack. I have never had a bad experience with my dolls, but I never felt like a weirdo for owning them, therefore never behaved like it was wrong or ugly and never gave people a reason to treat me so.

 

As others have said, any collecting hobby is often viewed as odd by those who don't collect. And those who don't understand will often complain it's a waste of money (while hanging out at bars buying round after round, buying their umpteenth pair of shoes for the month, spending hundreds on a single handbag, eating out at expensive restaurants, or updating their gaming system every few months with the latest and greatest.) People are going to spend money on what makes them happy no matter what that may be, so live and let live, I say. Doll collectors of every type bemoan that their particular collectible is misunderstood and under-appreciated whether it be Barbies, Monster High, antique, reborns or BJDs. So I really don't think that BJDs becoming more easily attainable would ever change the perception of their collection being "normal" (it hasn't worked for poor Barbie over all her years either, and hey...she's always been a pretty cheap and easily attainable gal.) Back in 2006 when I first started in this hobby, for instance, the Dollfie & BJDs section on eBay had roughly 1100 items listed which I thought was pretty good. I just looked today and its up over 18,000! Yet BJDs aren't anymore acceptable to the mainstream today than they were back then.

 

A good question to ask is whether or not you WANT it to be considered a normal thing. For me I think it'd be cool to walk to school and see someone's bjd doll sticking out of their backpack or if you have a question you can just ask someone on the street but on the other hand, it's also great to know that you are a part of something that the whole world is yet to discover

 

I don't think it will be considered normal by anyone other than another collector.

 

Well considering the severe social stigma's placed on other doll collectors that have been around since before ABJDs have been in existence I have a feeling it will continue to be seen as deviant behavior in "normal" society. At least here in America that is. In Asia and other countries maybe it won't be as much of an issue, but here in the united states usually once a girl reaches middle school she is socially told to stop "playing with dolls" and obsess over teen heart throbs, and other such non-sense that the media crams down our throats as to what is deemed "socially acceptable".

 

I don't see this as a collecting hobby though. I think really if you say you're a 'doll collector', that is something 'outsiders' CAN understand and relate to - it makes the doll mania (which is all I have LOL) acceptable, because as a 'collector' you are making 'an investment' buying 'collectibles' - the majority of non-doll people can understand that if they watch antiques shows on TV at all.

For me, dolls are my family - they are my children. THAT is considered very 'weird' by non-doll people! So I don't say it of course - I just say what a sensible investment they are etc. etc. However it is a fact that dolls make great substitute children, especially in an overcrowded World where we're all too busy to look after pets (the traditional child-substitute) To my mind, dolls are the same as pets, but less troublesome. As such I think they WILL become more popular, as more people see them online and see their potential. Really with BJD you create something uniquely yours, so it is a bit like having a child in that sense.

The only thing putting a damper on their popularity is the genuine FEAR which a lot of non-doll people feel towards dolls! Many people are very scared of dolls. When I started collecting vintage dolls a few years ago even I was scared of dolls - I kept them in a locked room so they couldn't murder me in my sleep LOL - I think it will be hard to get past that barrier of fear for most people. I only got past it by taking the dolls to bits, cleaning them, mending them etc. They didn't freak me out so much after I'd done all that, but I do still have vintage dolls which make me nervous, totally irrational though it is. With BJD being so incredibly lifelike, I would guess a lot of people find them scary too.

 

I can see our hobby growing and gaining more interest in the future, but I can't see it becoming a normal or common hobby. I feel that doll collecting in general is judged, that we must be immature, lonely, sad, antisocial, or just plain weird to collect dolls. A lot of people are creeped out by dolls, too. I thought BJDs were creepy before I fell in love with them, so I can't really blame non-collectors for feeling that way. On top of that, we are questioned on why our dolls cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for something that doesn't do anything. These are the basic reasons why I think BJD ownership will not be common in the near future. I would love for BJD collecting to gain popularity, but I don't mind it staying as a niche hobby either.