Your true reason for having a doll?

I started getting into dolls a little while after my daughter died. I felt like something was missing from my life and.. this is where I landed. They make me smile, I can dress them up and take care of them and.. yeah. well that's a lot of the reason I think.

 

As much as I've always loved looking at pretty dolls (even if I didn't want to play with all of them), I think my obsession with them lately may be a case of "feathering the nest;" Hubby and I both want kids eventually, but we haven't started trying yet. And every time I look at small children and babies, my ovaries scream "I WANT ONE TOO!!"

This is probably also why I've recently begun focusing on child dolls--that, and the fact that they're smaller and more compact, so you can display more of them at once!

 

Because I am a sucker for beauty.

 

I'm extremely depressed and suffering from an eating disorder. My doll helps comfort and distract me from reality. I also like the many projects I can do with him.

 

I was first attracted to BJDs because, obviously, they are incredibly gorgeous, but more than that, I totally fell in love with the customization aspect! Two dolls of the same sculpt can look completely different, and it's a testament to the creativity of their owners how unique dolls can look. I'm a writer, and I love creating characters, so I was drawn to BJDs with the intention of dolling the characters I write about. It's so fun and rewarding.

 

My dolls are my characters from RP, and each character I RP is a part of me. It reminds me of the all adventures I've had without ever having to go too far from home and how beautiful and unique they are. They also remind me that no matter how much they've struggled, they've endured--and that ultimately it's because of me and who I am. And in my hard times, I remember that if I can play a part, I have the courage and strength that that particular character has--and it's helped /me/ to endure some very difficult situations. So... I guess it's because they're like action figures I can customize--but it's also about remembering how far I've come as an individual. Some characters have really helped me learn things about who I am and grow stronger (like an actor playing a part). I also see in my dolls how much I've sacrificed and saved for them, since I haven't had a decent paying job in a while now. Each doll is months of saving little bits here and there--and I love them all the more for it.

 

I always wanted a way to express my characters I had floating around in my head! I was never good at art, or writing, or even sculpting. It was so hard for me to express myself, but now with dolls its easier and its just fun overall!

 

I have two different categories of doll.

The first are the dolls I have purely for customization. They're beginning to make their own little tiny army (as in there are so many, and they're all tinies!). These are the dolls I get to play with my Dremel and paint with, and make up into whatever I feel like doing with them.

The other dolls are my characters. I'm a writer, and it appeals to me to have physical representations of some of the characters from my novels. I have an SD couple who are the main characters of a book I'm working on currently, and I just got an MSD boy (and plan on getting a girl and another boy as well) who are all characters from my first novel. Then there's my grail doll, who's going to be the biggest and most spoilt of my dolls when I do finally get him, and he is not only a recurring character in several of my novels but also my muse.

 

I read somewhere that the best way to health was to have 3 different hobbies: 1 to keep you physically fit, 1 to keep you learning, and 1 to keep you creative. I found bjds appealing because they are beautiful and customizable. I was always a kid who made up stories with characters and suddenly I could hold these characters in my hand. I was amazed. I love the creative aspect the diversity in the hobby. I am planning to learn to sew, practicing photography, and have finally found my creative medium. Taking care of one of the three necessary hobbies.

 

I play D&D, RPG's and MMORPG's and I have one character that I play on all of them. He's a Drow/Dark Elf Warlock (or Wizard depending on what I'm playing) and the only way to bring him to life was buying a BJD. I don't have him yet, still waiting and I have a ways to go until he arrives.

 

I would like my doll for my drawings and for taking pictures to help improve my artist side and get in touch with myself.

 

I've been into dolls since I was a child so it was natural that I'd get into BJDs. I wanted one for artistic purposes, mostly for sewing. I love to sew doll clothes, styling and then taking photos.

 

I Think they are very cute and I like sewing and make jewellery and stuff like that. But I don't have so many friends either so this doll will be like a friend o me guess. My first doll arrives next week ^^

 

Because I love toys and dolls are like the most beautiful toys and more. And because it inspires me to learn photography and painting

 

I liked the customization and art aspect (drawing/photography/writing) but I ended up just liking having them around.

 

I like the customization aspect and I also really love taking pictures of her/them.
But mainly I just love seeing her little face after a long day at work!

 

Two reasons. XD

(1. I LOVE TOYS. Especially high quality ones. Model cars and BJDs are the worst for me. >>; (2. CUSTOMIZATION. Oh man, I love being able to switch things out and make a doll look exactly the way I want it, especially like one of my characters. It's the most satisfying thing to see your work complete.

 

I know I collect dolls for their beauty and as a creative outlet. I've never felt or developed the bonds most other people seem to gain from their dolls (i.e. referring to them as their "children", hugging and kissing them, treating them like they are real entities), so I struggled for a while thinking that maybe I just didn't care enough. Now I know better. I from sewing and doing face-ups, to character creation and fleshing out, BJD's give me a creative outlet unlike any other to create stories in beautiful vivid detail, while giving me the opportunity to create wonderful fashion and create my own ideal of beauty.

 

I have always loved dolls. I love dressing them beautifully, and crafting pretty rooms for them to inhabit.

 

I think my reason for getting into this hobby/purchasing my first doll is different than why I collect them now.
I think I collect them because they offer me different points of view. They're shells for my characters, and they're their own "person" in a sense. But that person lives in my imagination. I think for them, I create for them, I write for them, I shop for them. It gives me the opportunity to see things through another's point of view in a safe, secure way.
When we're children, we play with dolls and feel attached to certain toys because we form a bond with them; we feel that they take care of us, and we take care of them in return. I'm sure that influences how I collect today as a grown woman.