Is BJD really just for adults? And adults, what do you think of kids who like them?

I know where you're coming from... I'm ostensibly grown-up now, but I well remember being 12 and getting the "you're HOW old?" treatment on hobby and anime boards. Truly small children, the ones that traditionally play with dolls, seem to have no interest in BJD. (At least not the ones I've met.) To be honest, if you're capable of holding a mature conversation with adults, and of taking the time/energy/patience/money to learn a craft, you're very precocious and that should be respected, not feared. (I well remember being feared, too. -_-) So I welcome all the young'uns, even if now my knee-jerk reaction to kids is to correct their grammar and make them sit up straight.

 

Isnt it the stereotype that kids collect and play with dolls?

But it does make sense that adults are mainly the ones who can afford BJDs. And its not surprising that you collect BJDs and do other hobbies that relate to them, especially since you're a female. I think it is more rare for males to be interested in BJDs.

 

yes, I think it's the cost that keeps the norm of the people adults...but of course it's not uncommon for 'kids' to be interested ^^ And I kinda disagree that it's rarer for males to be interested in dolls...Perhaps there's more resistance to owning one with the dolls=girls stereotype, but when you love bjds, it's hardly a question of gender, I think anyway.

 

I started my interest in BJD as a 15-year-old, but that's not exactly close.

I don't think it's that it's an "Adult" hobby, It's just more that adults are attracted to it, and can afford it (usually). The dolls are anatomically correct, which would often make parents shy away from getting them, and the idea of handing a child(you all aren't children or kids in my opinion ) a $300+ doll is enough to make most adults shriek. And furthermore... Most 'kids' I've met...don't want to play with something that's expensive and they have to be super-careful with. Most kids would much rather have a barbie doll that they can drag around through the mud or cut her hair or uh, be creative with the sharpies all over her face and their mom WON'T have an aneurism. XD

However, I've met plenty of kids who are responsible and would like a BJD, and take good care of them, so it's not impossible.

 

same this year XD

 

I feel that people think it's an adult hobby because how many kids can honestly save up money for a 300+ doll? Very few.

I don't think it's EXCLUSIVELY an adult hobby; after all there are mature children, and children who can be trusted to make capable decisions with help from their parents.

 

Heh.. I don't think it is... it's just that more adults have bjds because they can afford them! I was 15 when I got Hakuji, and well... lets just say I wasn't planning on actually getting one! (I was shocked!) But I feel like the little kid (or used to!) of the group because everyons is like 20 and older. xx' And I just turned 17. lol but hey... expensive hobbies I guess are just for adults? Or rather people who can affored 'em? eh... I confuzzled myself. xx'

~suppi

 

omg, you're 13?
I just assume everyone on this forum is 18 and older XD
Besides me, anyway (15). But I've seen a few people younger than me on here now.

I think that when they're younger, it's so much more rewarding to get a doll. Because at these ages, you don't exactly have a job, so you have to venture all around to find some way to pay for your doll, and you have to basically stop going out for a while x__x

I cheated though, since my parents gave me $270 for my birthday >.< My next one will require much more work.

 

Meh, I'm 17 now, you guys are making me feel like a fogey. XD;

And I forgot to mention; Not only would the kids A) Have to SAVE the money, but B) they'd have to get mom or Dad to go online and buy it for them; Unless the parents were BJD owners, it's not likely they'd even be interested.

However, that said, DOA's own lovely Ms. Ashbet's daughter is a BJD owner, too!

 

I just thought of something! The other reason I think younger people dun have bjds are because of their attention spans. And fads... usually their into something then bam it's something else. I mean I know when I was younger it was all about my little pony, grand champions, and pokemon. So maybe that's another reason...but I'll go scuttle under my rock again. ><

~suppi

 

I dunno. It seemed like a good majority of the forum was younger than me. (only 20)
It's definitely a more "mature" hobby, because it requires you to save large amounts of money, and that's often much harder for younger people to do, but that certainly doesn't exclude young people from owning BJDs.

 

Heh, my buddy usedrainbows on this forum is around your age (I think she recently turned 14), so younger BJD owners do of course exist! I agree with the others though that the majority of us on DoA are older teenagers/adults for most of the reasons already mentioned.

 

I think it is great if younger people are interested, I wish thes dolls had been available when I was a kid, but besides this I do worry about faddism, and I also worry about responsibility, I mean there are a lot of children and teens I would trust but some I would be horrified by the thought of them anywhere near one of these dolls. It comes down to personality not age for me

 

I think it's great that people of all ages are interested in it.
I think also that part of it being more an "older person" thing is because of cost. I mean, I've been interested in BJDs since I was 13/14, but didn't get one until this year (I'm 18, going on 19) because of the expense. I just was saving all my money from work for uni (been working a part-time job since I was 14), and now I think I have a decent enough amount to spoil myself, which I did. ^_^

My little sister is 13 though and desperately wants one. I'm being such a bad influence... I'm pitching in with my parents and we're getting her a Mythdoll Little Leroi for her combination birthday/Christmas present. Ha, I love spoiling her she's such a sweetheart, then our dolls can be siblings too!

 

Well Volks recommends that SD owners be 15 or older, it says so right on their SD boxes, also says that they won't even sell to people under 15. I would say the cost is the biggest factor, most younger people don't normally have extensive 60cm doll collections and generally (yes I know there are exceptions) seem to stick to minis/tinies or companies that have relatively cheap standards.

 

I'm not sure where I fall in the age category. (18 ) Am I old or young? I don't mind seeing younger people with these dolls because the majority of them seem very responsible in caring for their resin companions. I knew a girl of about 13 years (not from this forum but a relative of a friend of mine) who was throwing fits because her parents wouldn't flat out buy a BJD for her. THAT kind of annoys me. I don't think age is what matters, it's the dedication you put into saving for and loving your doll.

 

I'm 30, and my daughter (Kiraboo on here) is 13 -- we each have our own dolls (she has a pair of Unoa Lights, Artemis and Akiva), and she enjoys playing with mine and photographing them just as much as I do :>

I think I'm more into the social aspect of BJDs than she is (she loves meeting new people, but tends to wander off and read if a dollymeet gets too long for her -- not so much if it's one-on-one, but big groups), but she very much enjoys her dolls and I certainly think she's mature enough to handle them properly and take good care of them.

Sometimes I'm a little embarrassed at how filthy-minded some of us (*cough* including me) can be, but she's very good at ignoring such things

I'm glad you enjoy BJD collecting, and I hope that you have many years of fun with your dolls -- and I've met some wonderful friends through doll collecting, too . . . have fun with it!!

-- Andi

Edit:

Eeeeeheeehee!! I just saw this after I posted! *glee*