Will you sell your doll to me?

Yes! Again I understand. It can be nerve racking to have your doll out in public! I understand the jewellery reference too. I don’t have nice jewellery but the few things I have from my grandma I FEAR to wear in public! I am so afraid I will do something stupid like drop it!

Honestly I think it is exactly what you just said above that sometimes leads to weird encounters with people! Who would image that anyone could be brave enough to carry a 600+ dollar doll around in their arms in public I believe that this is why people are like?????????!!!!!! When we tell them the price. If people walk away grumbling about the cost I image it is mostly just shock you know. Not a slight to our dolls or anything. Well, unless they say something rude!

I have taken my dolls out in public and typically I brace myself for what is to come. The staring is the main thing. I something cannot stuff my doll into a bag for a meet-up (another doll is in there) and I put it on my lap. I make a point to stare out the window so people can stare in peace *snicker*. I know they want to look at my doll but they are struggling to be discreet. So I do them a favour and act like I don’t see them and just listen to my music. I find it super funny. Once in a while someone is brave enough to inch close to me and ask about my doll. The last Metro ride resulted in a lady literally swooning over my doll. She was trying to talk to me but all she could be was repeat “beautiful” over and over again in French with her eyes full Masha. It cracked me up because I felt the same way the first time I saw one of these doll on a web site. I was like !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!for 4 hours with no potty break.

 

When I got my lilac bobobie march, everyone wanted to take her from me (since she's so cute in her little princess dress and feather wig) and I had several offers to trade her (but no way, I like her)

I get weird looks carting my obitsu around, since he has a long blue wig. People tell me 'what a pretty girl' And now I'm making him a black wig!

 

10 bucks to shoot your doll with a GUN! How bout the cost of the doll and you get to shoot him in the head with with the gun. GOD I hate dumb rednecks

 

Awww that's so sweet! I like all kinds of dolls too, not just the pricey kind, so I can relate to the old guy!

 

I was so shocked at the question that I didn't answer him. Just scooped Eisen up in my arms and ran back to the house...

 

I am gothy... and a gamer (Typically with a lucky D20 hanging about my neck) ...I often wear a long pink tail and cat ears out... sometimes horns (even to the grocery store) ...I would be surprised if anyone could shock me with a reaction to me having my doll with me... I plan to take him pretty much everywhere... me and my daughter have been out with her doll a LOT and so far people have all loved her!! Of course we don't get many rednecks in Boulder.

I will never forget that. It was a really beautiful moment and reminded me of why I think dolls have some kind of weird *magic* something about them!

I know what you mean. My beautiful, expensive boy will be hanging out with his "Brother" a $30 build a bear cow that's 8 years+ old. Pretty he isn't... but he is absolutely beloved! Magic indeed.

 

yeah I work at a PetSmart and I get stuff like that every now and then...with live animals. I had told this customer about the care of the rat and that it was really hot so she can't leave it in the car or it would die after she told me that she planned to do some more shopping. I offered to hold it for her until she was done and she could come pick it up later. She refused and told me she would take it home right away. One day later:
Customer: My rat died. I want a refund.
Me: I'm sorry! Let's try to figure out what happened. You just bought it yesterday so did she react strangely when you first set her in the habitat?
Customer: I didn't put her in the cage. I just went to do some shopping for a couple hours so I left her in the box.
Me: ....did you leave the animal in the car?
Customer: Yeah.
*Note*: This is in Texas in the middle of August...and was the second time she returned and animal 24hrs later. It only came out the second time what she was actually doing.

I was so angry and I told her she would not be allowed to purchase a live animal from us again.

There are people that think it's absolutely okay to damage something and respond with a shrug of the shoulders and no regret. They tend to find it okay because they don't own the object (or animal) and therefor it is not their problem if it's damaged. It's YOURS. Because of this I can understand the fear of grabby hands in public places but please keep in mind that you choose to take that risk when you bring your dolls out in public. You can't expect everyone to be raised like you to have good manners and you can't expect people to understand they are flinging around an expensive chunk of resin. They also don't understand the "bond" that some BJD owners have with their dolls and tend to think of them like barbies that kids can trade back and forth. If you are so afraid of the grabby hands don't take your doll out in public. Otherwise, expect it to happen every now and then. I do not condone the rude "Money can buy anything" behavior that some people do exhibit but I do not find it rude to inquire about the sale or price of the doll whether it be from another BJD collector or nondoll person. It is after you tell them 'no' when you are justified to feel bothered and violated if they persist.

 

That's animal abuse!!! What the heck?!?!?!?? Did she honestly expect to get a refund after killing it? Geez, I don't know what's wrong with people nowadays. People mistreating dolls I can sort of understand since it is a very niche hobby but animals? They're living and breathing creatures too! How would she like it if someone left her in the car during a Texas summer (I know Texas summers; my parents used to live there)...

 

I recommend investing in a good pair of steel-toed boots. People who don't take "no" for an answer will often take a hard boot to a soft squishy part as an answer. I have no problem with looking or staring or asking or whatever, even rude asking or insults doesn't bother me - but i don't expect to tell someone something twice about TOUCHING. Yes taking a doll out is a risk of course and you have to accept that but personally i'm not going to keep my dolls in the house because other people can't behave themselves. Just because their momma didn't teach them doesn't mean they can't LEARN. possiby at the end of my boot

 

AMEN to that
I do have a dollhouse that kids can play with if they are gentle... but I wouldn't let anyone "play" with my doll. I think people should think twice about touching anything a complete stranger is walking around with... especially if she is a girl... wouldn't want to be mistaken for a thief or perve

 

Was in tesco two weeks ago. The cashier turns and says "Oh! Whats that?" So my husband and I show our dolls to him and he rudely replies. "Oh. How much?" Very offended we replied "Not for sale!!" he just grinned and remarked "Oh. My daughter would have loved it!"

óAó So rude! If i'm not ADVERTISING a sale don't assume i'll just give my possessions up for you! DX it's just plain rude and annoying!

 

I've never had anyone ask if they could BUY mine, but I have been asked once if I made them. I've had a few people come up to me and ask me simple questions like "what is she?" and "how much did she cost?" I give a little more information to the people who are really interested.

 

i've never really met with such people yet, since i rarely bring my doll out. but i think the way people ask if you will sell your doll to them is just...rude. i mean, you don't see people having, say, an iphone or something and walking up to them and ask if they will sell you their phone right?

 

Hokay.

I belong to another, very selective doll collecting niche.

This one, however, is much, much more lax about price. (They're only Cabbages afterall)
In that particular group, giving a doll up isn't that hard, unless it's connected in sentiment.

I once had a porcelian doll that I had gotten from my great grandmother. (Who suffered a horrible fate in a house fire)
It was hers growing up. This doll was at least 80 years old. She went with me everywhere. I couldn't think of leaving her at home. Recently someone did that very thing on the bus. (About a year ago) Snatched the doll right out of my arms.
Well, I snatched back. With anger. "I'm sorry, but this is my property. You don't rip it out of someone's arms." This woman was obviously mentally unstable. Not because she took the doll. There were many factors. "I want pretty doll!" she exclaimed, trying to take it back.

I'm not normally a violent person, but I shielded her with my body, growled (actually growled) at the woman, rose out of my seat, and snapped "If you ever get near me, or my doll again, I will hurt you."

Since my Moon hasn't arrived yet, I haven't been able to take him out, but since this was a related experience, I hope it's ok.

 

Haha, this is an awesome counterpoint and alternate point of view, and also very cogent & true. Especially this last line!

I don't have a doll yet, so I haven't experienced this, but it sounds like I should be prepared to firmly tell people that I'm flattered, but my doll is not for sale, and advise where they can find their own.

If you have pics on Flickr, they offer "moo cards" free of charge, that (if I understand correctly) feature one of your pics--of your choosing--on one side, and a small line of info on the other side. These would be great to have on-hand w/the website where one can buy the doll in the pic as the "info" line.

 

He might have been trying to ask if it would be an appropriate gift to give someone, gauging whether it was a good idea for him to buy one to give to someone he knows? It's also possible he was just a weirdo, I dunno, but I remember from my days of working retail that most people really just aren't that good at expressing what they really want to say; a lot of people don't know how to appropriately request the info they really want.

 

OMG that is SUCH a sweet story!!!! It's so cute that he was trying to have a "dolly meetup" with you there in the street! Gah! I'm dying from the cute!

 

... Thinking about that happening gave me chills!! D: What did you say to her?! I think I would have just cried on the spot!

I've not had anyone ask me about the price of my dolls, ever. Not friends nor family, nor non-doll-people (can we abbreviate this to NDP? ) I do think it's rather rude to ask about the price of something. Just seems like basic bad manners to me, regardless of whether it's asking about a doll or about anything else. I don't think I'd give an 18th Century flounce and walk off huffing, exactly, but it would still seem like poor manners to me.

I don't take my dolls out often... if I do it's to a place where I know I'll feel comfortable having them out, like an indoor meet, or a café where I can keep a strict eye on them and have other friends with me too. It's just not worth missing the extra heartbeats for me to take them anyplace else... and stories of dolls being grabbed really, really make me shudder! ;.;

 

I've had people come up to me in public and stare at my dolls, but they it usually hasn't gotten far past that. I've had more people online ask to buy parts of my doll or do trades...-_0

I'm going to my first convention this weekend and I'm taking my dia boy, Caleb, with me. And maybe his wife whose a Volks Ruby. As much as I love my dolls, if some offered to give me $5000 for each doll I'd have them paypal me the money right then and there transfer it to my bank account and give them the dolls.

 

To this point, I haven't had non-dolly people ask me to buy my dolls...I've had PMs on places like flickr from other doll-folk, but never from random strangers. While people have expressed interest in the rare event I've taken them out, no one has taken them from me or offered to buy them. Thank goodness!