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When leaving the Hobby, Do you feel it's a relief?

May 31, 2010

    1. Don't get me wrong, I love BJDs as next as much as the next person, but once in a while, it's gets overwhelming, I guess.

      So for those who left or are about to leave the hobby, how do you feel when you sell you're dolls/doll stuff?

      Is it remorseful, or a relief?
       
    2. I always feel a bit sad when I sell a doll, for whatever reason, because I'm pretty much a hoarder and rarely get rid of anything. The feeling of "I'll never have the exact same thing again" is very present.
      But sometimes I take a step back from the community. There tends to be quite a bit of drama sometimes, and so I lurk the forums instead of actively posting and that does feel good.
      I haven't left the hobby, but I have put it on a low. I said to myself, this is my last doll. But a few days ago a new dolly came out and I fell in love. So I caved, but other than that I have no desire for brand new dolls. I'd like to upgrade my current ones with new bodies and things, but otherwise I;m kindof done with it. And that also feels really good. This hobby can be stressful, when it comes to money and people, and so feeling 'done' with it kindof feels like 'leaving' I suppose.
      I do think that if I'd had to sell my dolls for whatever reason, I would be deeply sad, because I am so attatched to them and they are a big part of my life. On my list of things that mean alot to me, they come right after my cats.
      The nice thing about this hobby is that you don't have to sell off your dolls in order to leave the hobby. You can just leave the community and not be bothered with people anymore.
       
    3. My thoughts exactly. I know when and if I leave the hobby, I'll give my dolls to my kids/little sister.
       
    4. Until now I've already quit a few hobbies and to be honest it always felt like a relief for me. After all there have always been a couple of good reasons why I quit them. So yes, I guess that it will feel the same if I one day decide to quit this hobby, too.

      Selling the dolls now is a completely different point for me, because even if I decide to leave this hobby, I don't think that I'm going to sell my dolls. Or at least not all of them ;).
       
    5. I teeter on the brink of wanting to leave the hobby.
      I go through phases of doing massive sell-offs of my dolls, to massive ordering of new dolls.

      When money gets really tight I get IRRITATED at my dolls. LoL how silly is that?
       
    6. Hmmm. I went on a major hiatus for a number of years, then came back to the hobby in the middle of last year. I don't know if it was relief that I felt though--I knew I was leaving the hobby, but I never knew how long it would be for. I had to focus on getting my degree done and I found that I was focusing too much on my hobbies. Admittedly, I am usually more of a lurker by nature though, but in the last year I've been a lot more involved in the doll community. It's an interesting turn of events. I suppose down the line I might scale down my community time, but I'll always be involved in the hobby in some way.
       
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    7. I've been tempted a few times. Often hobbies get very dramatic. Ignorance, stupidity, and judgemental nature ensues, and changes people's hearts and minds. BJD'S are no exception. I don't do a lot with my dolls outside of meet ups, and the occasional photo sessio. But I think if I were fed up with the hobby, and I were going to leave it, id walk away relieved.
       
    8. I am just getting into this wonderful rabbit hole, and this thread is really helping me. I'm kinda nervous about jumping into a hobby as expensive and time draining as this one, but I'm also excited because it all seems like a lot of fun!

      So, yea, thanks for the thread.
       
    9. I think most people leave the hobby cause they lose interest, and then of course it'll be a relief, cause they aren't interested anymore anyway...

      then there's the people who leave cause of financial reasons.. though.. i dont see how that alone constitutes leaving. Even if you have to sell all your dolls, being part of this community is free, and there are plenty people on the forums who don't have any dolls.

      I don't know if I've ever left a hobby really... I might lose interest, but never usually 100%. Most things I still have a lingering love for and don't mind talking about with fans. I'm a lot less into anime than I once was, but I still love a good one when it comes around. I used to buy lots of anime stuff but now, not really, and I gave a bunch away before I moved for college...

      I imagine it could be relief for this hobby though just cause, despite all the fun things, there are plenty of things that kind of make it not fun at the same time, like the heavy pressure on consumerism, the expense, the self consciousness of sharing something personal, or feeling inadequate cause your dolls arent as nice or finished as soandso's..

      I'm sure there will be a time where I leave DoA but I don't see how that has any particular relation to my enjoyment of my doll hobby. I sometimes think I'd have more fun if I wasn't on DoA because then most of the above factors wouldn't even be a part of it.
       
    10. i kinda want to leave the hobby, cause the priceses keep going up! and i can't seem to sell muh doll....
       
    11. Heh! Don't we all wish the mad crazy wildly in-love stage could last forever in any given situation to which it applies. But unfortunately human nature doesn't work like that. For me it's been time to move on for awhile. I've fought it as long as I could.... I'll always admire bjd, be grateful to Volks who created the genre, and have fond memories of my time here. That's what counts. :-)

      Raven
       
    12. Though having hobbies can be very rewarding, there comes a point where the cons outweigh the pros. I've given up countless hobbies over the years due to financial burden, lack of interest, or, in some cases, OVER-interest to the point where the hobby was something like an addiction, and at one point almost as dangerous. With every one I left, I felt a weight come off my shoulders and I still pride myself with being able to walk past certain sections of the craft store or game store without a glance that I would not have been able to pass up before. When I leave the doll hobby, I imagine it will be a similar feeling. I won't sell my favorite dolls when I leave, but I will leave the community and I won't buy them anymore. I kind of got this feeling not long ago when I sold all but my two favorite characters to feel out if I was ready to leave or not, but I found myself wanting another, and so I've concluded that at least for now it is too early to leave. I want to make sure that when I do leave, I don't ever think of coming back.
       
    13. Since I only have two dolls and am toying with the idea of selling one of them I've never really felt like I was totally in the hobby. It would be easy for me to leave since I have no interest in buying new dolls and am looking forward to having one very spoiled only boy. I do enjoy coming here and seeing new dolls and browsing the gallery as well as checking the marketplace for things for my two. Now my other off topic doll hobby, blythes....that community and that hobby stress me a lot more. There are times I think of selling all 12 of the ones I have.

      I really love that I'm not as 'involved' here on DOA as it makes it a treat to come and be able to look at things objectively in a way I can't over at the blythe forums.
       
    14. I think when you've lost interest or the drama of the communities you would like to be involved in becomes too much - it can be a huge relief. I plan on staying somewhat active on DoA and such as I go, it's a wonderful resource with some great people - but I find lately that I need to not get overly involved. It's just like any other fandom, if I get caught up in the hype for something it tends to set up expectations that arent met, or just ruin the experience in general for me. As well, I see alot of the "More is More" kind of mentality that I've shed this past year and I don't want to feel pressured to that again. Find a balance and when you're done with it, you're done. Move on and be happy. :) That's how I feel with hobbies.