Your true reason for having a doll?

They are cute and lovely. I love them.

 

Well, I don't have any dolls yet, but after thinking about it, these are the reasons I want some:

1) I get really attached to inanimate objects. Like, almost in an unhealthy sort of way. An example story: A few years ago my mum and dad bought new furniture, and as a result we had to get rid of our old couches. Now, these are couches that I had known since I was a little girl, and had climbed all over and drawn pictures on and watched tv on and played "the floor is made of lava on", but, you know, they're still just couches, right? Wrong. It literally cried my eyes out when we got rid of them. That's just to show how much I get attached to things that aren't alive/don't have feelings/can't think/ etc. And I always talk, talk, TALK to things. Stuffed animals, erasers, mirrors, books, whatever. I talk to inanimate things more than I talk to people. So, you know, having an inanimate object that looks like a person has got to be the way to go. So I don't feel like such a freak. Not to mention I can keep them forever. (And yes, I know what you're thinking now, "freeeeeeeak")

2) They're pretty. I love pretty things.

3) I really like art. I'm a fairly talented artist, but I won't be able to go into art as a profession, because my dad won't pay for me to go to a good college unless I go into science/ something not "fluffy". And don't get me wrong, I love science, and I'm probably better at math and physics than drawing and painting, but I'm going to need a creative outlet for the whole rest of my life, and what's wrong with dolls?

Wow, so, there's my rambly, personal reason for wanting a doll family.

 

An interesting question, as I had never given this much thought before beyond the obvious "THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL AND I WANT THEM" reasoning. I think that in the very beginning -- though it didn't occur to me at the time -- I wanted one or two for company after going away to college. I've always been extremely close with my family, and although at college I'm often in class or out and about with friends, there are still stretches of time when my roommate is out, exam pressure is building up, excessively talkative friends become an annoyance, and I just need someone silently understanding who can be there for me. Before, this role was fulfilled by my parents, my younger sister, and even my dog. But when I'm away from home, Vyvyan and Allysdeir come with me, and fiddling with them or simply gazing at their lovely faces helps to channel away my worries and stress.

It helps that there is something I am very particular about: I love being huggy and kissy with my family, but I typically dislike touchy-feeliness with anyone else, even my closest friends. My dolls bridge the gap between the two extremes; while I don't feel the urge to randomly glomp them like I do with, say, my mom or my sister, I do feel very comfortable with having Vyvyan snuggled against my side or giving Allysdeir an occasional affectionate kiss on top of his pretty little head.

That was the original reason. Of course, now that they're here with me, there are a million other reasons why they've stayed and are loved. XD They're the ideal artistic muses, simple as that. They revived a love for drawing that had been pushed aside for a long while thanks to studying for getting into med school. I learned to use a sewing machine for their sakes. They inspired me to build characters around them, despite the fact that unlike many others, I am not a writer of stories and had not planned anything for my dolls beyond their names. And of course, they brought me into DoA and thus introduced me to a whole new community of intellectual and enthusiastically creative minds.

 

Never really liked humans as companions, actually. They betray you and hurt you, and you can't really count on them. At least I always know where Megan is and that she'll listen and not push her opinions or judgements on me. Human friends are never reliable or trustworthy. But my dolls will always be there.

And they can also keep secrets.

 

I don't think you're a freak . I know how you feel. When I was in high school, I was waiting for the bus in the pouring rain, and when I got home I realized that my calculator had short circuited because of it. And then I felt really, really sad for it .

But back to dolls, what initially attracted me to ABJDs is how gentle and beautiful they look. After that, it was how customizable they are. I consider myself a creative person and so I love anything that I can customize and make my own.

The main reason that I have my dolls is that my dolls are more than just dolls to me. They are Madelene and Lysette, two elegant schoolgirls in love ! I guess you could say then that I'm living through them . But the point is, they've become the characters that I've created for them, and, naturally, I'm really attached to the characters I create. I think of them as an extension of myself. That's what makes them so meaningful to me.

 

Though I don't have one.....I have 2 reasons

1.) First, this reason is pretty awkward... cause' i'm slightly Pediophobic [fear of dolls] especially mannequins and porcelain dolls...one time at a party I saw a doll that i knew i've seen before and to my surprise, I'm not scared of them...it's a pretty lame excuse for having one but I grew more and more passionate about having one..

2.) i want a friend to escape reality with..and is a good creative outlet for me...since i love photography.

 

I originally got mine as something I'd enjoy photographing, but when I got him in, I realized I enjoy dolls just because of what they are: dolls. I can play with them, I can customize them, I can draw them, I can photograph them, I can sew for them... They're a great creative outlet, and just something nice to have. When I feel down, sometimes I just sit around and play with my dolls. For some reason, they calm me down.

 

I wanna make a 3D model of my character - Daimon. In addition, these dolls are models for many things.

 

I've always been fascinated with the form and construction of 'toys' - ever since I was a kid: I didn't 'play' with my toys properly, a lot of the time I just looked at them, utterly intrigued how they worked and their appearance, trying to figure out how on earth they could possibly have been made.
(uh, yeah - a wee bit autistic; thank goodness, high-functioning enuff to get along)

When I chanced across the Pipos Baha, image-surfing, I was floored by this 'perfect storm' of the qualities that attracted me to mass-produced playthings, and handmade fine art. When I discovered they were produced and marketed to adults, and intended to be customized, an exquisite collaboration between creator and audience?
hell, yeah, I was in: no turning back.

What's kind of gratifying -as an adult, having figured out (kind of) what socialization is about- I can now 'play', in my own fashion. And as others have mentioned, it is incredibly soothing when I am feeling distressed or unhappy, a little safe harbour of innocent joy when the oceans of rl become turbulent and fraught with hazard - or, as a reward for goals met and celebration of happy events.

 

Although I have no dolls right now, my reasons for buying them are to give physical form to concepts and characters.

 

Since starting college, things have been a mess for me and through a series of very stressful events I stopped doing a lot of the things I used to really love doing.

I tried to get back into various creative hobbies, but it just wasn't working until I found out about BJDs. Not sure what it is exactly, but I just feel more inspired to do things with them. I guess I just needed a different hobby that was still creative: doing face-ups and photography is certainly not something I've done too much of before. Who knows, it might just be that I'm still new to this and it's more exciting as a result.

 

I've always had a lot of dolls in my life, from infancy through school (play dolls, plush, display, collectables, etc).

So... BJDs are just like a grown-up version of that, for me.
And, I like to make things, so that also integrates

 

I've always enjoyed dolls and action figures so it wasn't a hard jump from action figures/barbie to blythe than to BJDs. I get companionship from my friends/family/pets but one of the main reasons I bought my dolls is simply that I do love to look at them. My Hound in particurlar...I love to just look at him and it makes me smile to see him sitting there..

 

So I don't lose my imagination.

 

I needed something to focus on. I'm going through a lot of mental health related crap right now, and I needed something to take the stress away. I found that in these dolls. It really helps to keep my mind on trying to make clothes for them, getting better at painting their faces, taking care of them, and maybe making my own doll soon.

 

I wanted a character of mine to actually have a face that wasn't drawn. When I first saw my future BJD, I decided that he was perfect for my character and had to have him. And thus began the rather tedious task of saving for him. D:

 

Cause they are easier to get along with than real people. I think that may be the main reason for my attraction to them honestly. I love their appearance, I love the customization, but I really love that they are whatever I want them to be. I am bi-polar and have social anxiety disorder, I'm not so keen on real people, dolls are easier. I'm also a writer and the dolls represent my characters for me which I love and find particularly helpful.

 

for me its an another artist outlet. i don't really have enough room to proprely draw and paint (haven't been in the mood either). then discovered i was enjoyed making face ups when i messed around with my girlfriend's pratice head. then i want to learn how to make outfits and stuff like that for it.

it was something my girlfriend really loved and i wanted to share her interests even though i didn't understand it at first. i used to be really creeped out by dolls but bjds didn't really bother me because they looked all anime and stuff....

 

I love beautiful people, but it's really awkward to stare at beautiful strangers on the train all day and touch their hair and clothes.

So I like them because I can just stare at them as long as I want. Pretty superficial, I know, but I'm obsessed with beauty. ^^;

 

hmmm, their beauty and graceful forms just brings me so much joy I love having them around or even know I own something thats its so unique - like a precious piece of art. Its not a comfort or anything just a really deep sense of pleasure and satisfaction that they are mine and no-one elses and I helped create their look and helped to form the feeling they create in a room....

On the deeper psychological side of it - I'm the eldest of four kids with a BIG gap between me and the second child, I grew up way too-fast by anyones measure and being an adult with dolls which are symbolic of a childs plaything is almost akin to me accepting that whilst I may grow old - I'll always be young at heart and will never lose my childlike joys....