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Is it too expensive?

Mar 15, 2011

    1. So when I browse DoA I sometimes come across members who have given the hobby up and sold everything. Sometimes the reasoning is "it's just too expensive". Or sometimes I get told in real life this hobby is just too expensive.

      And I have no problem with people leaving because of that...It's their choice. I also respect if there are members who believe this is just too costly.

      Maybe it's just me but I don't see how it is so expensive. It's not like you have to keep putting payments down on your dolls or that the dolls are like kids and literally tell you to go buy clothes, wigs, eyes...etc.

      In my opinion, it's only as expensive as you make it. There are lots of dolls that cost less and I see owners love them just as much as someone loves a doll that costs thousands of dollars. I've needed funds for other things so I haven't been paying much attention to my dolls lately. But they are dolls, not humans so they can wait. There are dolls that can cost a lot of money but that is what saving your spare change is for!~;)

      So I guess my question is:
      Is this hobby expensive, or is it as expensive as you make it?

      Any opinions and/or point of views are much appreciated. :truffle:chocoberry

      {I'm so sorry if a topic exists! Please delete/merge if so.}
       
    2. Can I walk the line and say it's both?

      I've found that base prices for dolls and their accessories are much higher then individual items in other toy hobbies. So I'm going to say that this hobby does require a good chunk of cash just have one doll with nothing at all.

      However, I think you are completely right about this hobby being expensive if you want it to be. If you decide not to make clothing, wigs, and accessories, you're paying 20$-30$+ for every accoutrement your resin companion will need. And that adds up fast.

      However again, some people cannot be satisfied with a less expensive doll. A lot of people in this community are on the hunt for a mold that they absolutely love, and sometimes that means having to lay down a lot more cash for an investment that is just perfect for them. In that case.. the cost can't be helped.

      So to sum up... I agree that you can put as much or little into this hobby as you truely desire.. but no matter what.. even to just get started... it's quite costly!

      fun topic, thanks for sharing :)
       
    3. I'm going to agree with Glowbee and say "both". No, you don't need to lay down thousands of dollars for a doll/accessories. But even the cheapest of dolls can be over $100. Not everybody can afford that much for a hobby. And "saving your spare change" might not be an option when your spare change goes towards the mortgage or groceries. Even if you make all their stuff from scratch you're still out the cost of materials.
       
    4. Have to agree with Glowbee on this one.

      How I see it, is that most hobbies involve a "main piece" that has the greatest cost as a one-time investment. With fishing, it would be the pole. With video games, it would be the console. With dolls, it's the dolls themselves. From there, you have accessories that range from super cheap to super expensive but usually not as expensive as the main piece - unless it is a super limited edition rarity. Back to the analogies, for fishing it would be the tackle, bait, reels, etc. For video games, it would be controllers, the games, etc. For dolls, it would be eyes, wigs, clothes, accessories, etc.

      As far as dolls being "too expensive", aside from the initial body, which still have a wide range of costs, the cost is all what we make it. Because... unlike children, at least the dolls don't outgrow their entire wardrobe after every season.
       
    5. This hobby is definitely expensive- it's not just paying for the doll itself but it's the hidden costs such as shipping or, if you're buying a limited doll like a Soom MD, for example, it's the extras you may or may not have to pay for, depending on,if you want to get a company face up or those gorgeous wings that drew you to the doll in the first place. But, as both Skyza and Glowbee said, it's as expensive as you want it to be.

      Just yesterday I was looking at a company that sold beautiful SD dolls for a hundred-and-something dollars, and they were just as beautiful as that Soom MD or Souldoll. But that still comes down to choice. If you're in love with a particular sculpt, then you're going to pay for it if it's what you really want, and if you don't have the money for it straight away, save up for it. In my own experience, saving up a couple hundred dollars doesn't take that long if you behave yourself and don't spend that money on other things.
       
    6. I also find that this hobby expensive. It is mostly my fault. I am just not satisfied with what I have, and I find that I want the next new doll, or that outfit, or more wigs. I think that if you can limit yourself, or in my case have more self control, yes that hobby can be expensive or as reasonable as you need it to be.
       
    7. For me, personally, it is quite expensive. The dolls themselves cost a chunk of change; and then I want to have a variety of wigs and eyes for them, and I want them to have good clothes and shoes. But if it was too expensive, I wouldn't be here at all.;)
       
    8. Hmmm... I think it is both, but leaning towards "it's as expensive as you want it to be". An SD will, in it's 'cheapest' form, still be around $250 so this hobby is expensive and yet... no one forces you to buy it. You could buy it in pieces. You could decide to make your own doll, or decide to only go for tinies.

      Looking at myself, I tend to like the more expensive dolls and yet I haven't bought anything doll-related in over a year and a half, because I've recently moved and that has seriously hurt my savings account. Like you said Skyza, dolls can wait. I'd rather make sure my savings are back to where they used to be, before I make another large purchase.

      And that is exactly why I can imagine some people quiting. If a random emergency occured and you need cash you don't have, I can get why you sell everything and leave the hobby. Having to start all over again, well that could be quite daunting. Or what if you feel guilty, every time you spend so much on a piece of plastic? Or if the temptation of all those new dolls is just too big? (we've all been there) I don't think I'd ever make that choice, but I can understand why some would.

      Call me an idiot, but isn't spare change the money left AFTER you bought your groceries and payed your mortgage and bills? 'Cause it isn't really 'spare change' if you still have bills screaming at you, right?
       
    9. Of course it is both since all hobbies are expensive. Even my other forms of leisure activities such as movies, manga can all be expensive.

      Just like everything else it can be as expensive or as economically as you want to make it to be. Go to movies, I can choose to buy all the pop corns, nachos and drinks or nothing. When I buy the manga I can choose to wait for the boat shipment or have Amazon Japan to send to me FedEx the day it is released in Japan.

      So one can always exercise self control - one can also choose to have one doll or a million of them.
       
    10. I think the perception of expense is relative to your personal circumstances.

      If you have a reasonable income, live with a partner or parent who helps pay the bills and/or no dependants, your perception of "too expensive" is going to be different than a person who is single, underemployed and supporting small children and an elderly parent. And since life circumstances can change (you lose your job, your partner/parent dies, you have a kid, whatever) I can easily see a situation where one might go from easily spending $1000/month without blinking to not wanting to spend more than $10.
       
    11. I think it's only as expensive as you make it. Really, if what you want is a doll to dress up and customize, you can start with a $6 Barbie. While they're not designed for customization in the way a basic BJD is, they can be repainted/re-haired/dressed/etc. If you're not satisfied with that - and there's nothing at all wrong with either choice - you're going to spend quite a bit more for a naked, bald resin doll. What makes the BJD hobby expensive is it's picky hobbyists (I mean that fondly, after all, I'm one of 'em). The expense of any hobby depends on what you want to get out of it. The sanity of being involved in a hobby depends on how honest you are with yourself about your financial requirements. I agree that mortgage, food, etc don't count as "spare change" expenses! If you're spending on any hobby wildly enough to be starving or homeless, that's a problem.
       
    12. I agree with Hervoyel
      I can to this hobby after a decade of collecting anime animation cels which cost anything from USD10.00 to USD3,000.00 apiece. After sploshing the equivalent of a small house on that hobby, the prices of Dollfies and other BJDs hasnt seemed too steep to me - although the aftermarket cost of some of the LEs has made me wince a little.
      The key limiter in my case is the actual physical space that these BJDs take up - they dont fit into nice little folders that sit neatly on shelves like anime cels! ;)
      And so I have tempered my buying enthusiasm purely due to space constraints and wanting to ensure each one of my "daughters" has an appropriate display niche.
      Then again I am single with a relatively well paid job - although there is that nasty mortgage to pay down.....
      If someone is a struggling student or just making ends meet I agree this can seem like a relatively expensive hobby.
       
    13. This is very true. And Life is very unexpected. You could need extra money in a blink of an eye & have to sell dolls, which Silk mentioned. But to some people any hobby might not be expensive. And if some people find this hobby way too expensive, it might not be for them. (But there is a topic on that subject already.)

      It definitely can be expensive, I'm not going to deny it or anything. But it depends on what you want for your dolls, what dolls you want, where you get them from...Many factors. But if you want something you have to save up, right? And if you need money for necessities, you need it. So self control and having your priorities straight is important, for sure. ^^
       
    14. There is no set parameter for what 'expensive' is. While some might balk at spending $500 on one fullset doll, others might not bat an eyelash at spending that much for a blank head. It's very dependent on the individual, the hobby can be as inexpensive or as expensive as you'd like to make it.
       
    15. If it's a resin BJD, making your own is more expensive than buying one.
       
    16. In the end, no one forces you to buy a doll and accessories, but it's unrealistic to say that all cost-saving measures are at your disposal. Not everyone has face-up, sewing, and wig making skills, and I've yet to see anyone that makes their own shoes (excluding sandals) and eyes. Even if you do make your own things, there's cost of materials. You can learn if you don't know, but that obviously takes up large chunks of time and energy.

      I think it's safe to say that half of the fun of this hobby is customization, and it's largely unsatisfying if you have a doll with the same eyes, same wig, and same simple outfit. It really boils down to a struggle between time, money, and the aesthetic you want. For some, the add-ons needed to maintain their enjoyment of the hobby is not worth the time and money spent, so I think it varies based on individual skills, taste, and budget.
       
    17. Oh, this is definitely an expensive hobby. But, tons of people have "expensive hobbies" that they don't even realize is a hobby. Like my boyfriend for example: He's obsessed with cars. He bought a car for drifting/rally racing and he's constantly putting money into it. Where a lot of people would think its normal to pour money and savings into a car for 'fun' they seem to not look at that or something similar as being in the same area as spending money on a doll. So yes, its an expensive hobby, but its all in how you look at it I guess.
       
    18. I definitely think it's as inexpensive or as expensive as you personally want it to be - after the initial doll, that is. Regardless, to get your first doll you'll have to spend $100-*insert a triple digit amount here*. After that, though, is your decision; eyes, wigs, clothes, etc. are up to your tastes and how much you're willing to spend for any of it. But, I can see coming into this hobby and getting a few items and thinking "perfect! They're done!" But, then tastes change a bit or you want more for them and maybe you're just not satisfied and suddenly you find yourself surrounded by incomplete/not what you want dolls and feeling overwhelmed. People sell their dolls all the time because the sculpt's not to their taste anymore or they didn't bond with them. In all honesty, I could see how someone may have bonded with their doll but want more or different for them, can't afford it, and just decided it was best overall to see the doll gone. They may not outgrow their things like children can but, if people can be unsatisfied with a sculpt not completing their vision, I'm sure people can be unsatisfied not having the money to COMPLETE their vision. So, I get it.
       
    19. I Would agree with the people saying both. If you dont have much income and are already having problems managing money, it could be quite difficult to get a doll. If you well off and have money to burn of course the doll hobby is going to be alot easier for you. For me I guess I could call it expensive, but its more I dont care if its expensive as long as I get what I desire and that makes me a happier person.
       
    20. I've had so much fun reading all the replies to this :)
      I agree from both sides. It is an expensive hobby - but we decide to pay it! :P
      ~Sarah V