Are dolls like family or like toys?

My dolls are a bit of both. I love them, and think of them as 'family' in a lot of ways, just like my pets are. Just like I wouldn't sell a pet worth money because we needed it for something, I wouldn't sell my dolls. Dolls move out of my house when they no longer fit here, or a sculpt that works better for a character I already have comes out.

But in an emergency, like a fire, severe flood, or earthquake, where I can only protect or save so much and have to let whatever happens happen to the rest, they're on the bottom of the list. Last week I had a (thankfully small) house fire. My first thought was to get my kids out. They're 4 and 2, and don't understand the danger and need to get out of the house. My second thought was for out 2 cats and dog. I got 1 cat out, and the dog. The other cat ran back IN the house and hid. She does NOT like outside. At all. My dolls didn't even enter my thought processes in getting the living members of the family out of the house, or getting the fire put out. Once everything was done, I thought about them. I was as happy that they were OK as I was that the kitty who hid was OK. So in that instance, they went from members of the family, to toys, objects, like the rest of the 'stuff'. They didn't matter in the moment of only being able to grab so much, and get out quickly. Thankfully the only things damaged were the stove and my nerves for the night. But if I HAD lost my dolls, I realized I could live with that so long as my boys and my pets were OK...and I realized I could live with losing 1 or more of the pets, just so long as my boys were OK. Had I lost any of the animals, I would have mourned. Had I lost any of my dolls, I would have mourned them, too, until I could replace them.

So in general, my dolls are like family to me in almost the same way my pets are. But unlike my pets, or children, my dolls are replaceable. So in that respect, they are just toys.

 

I currently no longer own any LE dolls (I had one, but he didn't really work for me like I had wanted) and only really have 1 that I hope to eventually get...that I'm also hoping will be re-released instead of staying an LE, since the original sale on the site that sold her didn't say ANYTHING about her being LE. But if I DID have an LE doll and lost it, I'd do what I could to find it again second hand, or else find a different sculpt to be the character. Losing an LE would be like losing one of the dolls I have that my grandmother made. Something that I can't replace, and really really hope to never lose, but is still less important than the living members of the family.

As to the second half of your original question, my mother-in-law hates that I collect these dolls. She tried to talk my husband into making me get rid of/sell them, and has banned them from her home. So far as how I handle it, I only take my dolls to her place if we're house sitting and I'm either working on them, or plan a photoshoot with them in her yard, so she's not there to get upset over them, and I don't bring them up to her, or have her in my home. The second half will probably change, but if she says anything about my dolls to me OR my husband that is non-approving once I have my full display set up for them, and the dolls that belonged to my grandmother that have come to me since she passed, well...we'll be back to her not being welcome in my home.

 

My dolls are nothing like my family or pets, which are living, sentient beings. I treat them like toys, and since I don't act like they're anything more than that, no one gives me a hard time about them.

 

They are a family of toys.

No my friends and family like my dolls, I'm not sure they understand them, but they aren't for them to understand. My dolls are for me. If someone didn't like my dolls I'd tell them not to look at them then.
I think I'd have a problem with a person who didn't accept my dolls, they are a part of me. To mock them is to mock a part of me. I think it says a lot about how much friends and family care about who you are when they don't mind you sitting watching tv with a doll right by them

 

My dolls are more representations of characters than anything else. I am reluctant to call them toys, but for me that's a more apt description than family. I have a deeper connection to my dolls than my other figures or my soft toys, but the depth of the connection still doesn't come anywhere near as close as the one I have for my mother, brother, father... even my dog!

It's sad to hear that your mother wants you to sell the dolls to pay for your college - but have you considered coming to a compromise with her, something like "if I get a part-time job to help pay for my college, I won't have to sell the dolls." Or, even, "For every dollar I spend on dolls, I have to put a dollar into my college fund"? I find parents and family are much more agreeable towards eccentricies (which is what doll collecting is viewed as by non doll collectors) if they can see that you are also supporting yourself as well as your hoby.

ayas-shadow: Glad to hear that everyone was alright after the scare you had. I hope your stove doesn't put you too much out of pocket when you're replacing it.

 

As I fully believe my dolls have souls, they are definitely a part of my family. More than just toys, though I would still put them on the bottom of the list after pets, etc.

 

To me, they're more like toys, as you can't get rid of family Besides, you can't choose your family, and your family always have certain things that drive you up the wall. You can avoid all three with dolls!

I don't need dolls. I want them, and I got them, but I don't need the companionship of dolls like I do with living sentient beings. I need my family and friends for emotional connections, and I like to think they need me for that as well.

 

I always believes there are souls / energy within my dolls so they're never just toys. And yet, I won't deny the fact that they're not alive (Can't move or talk) so I won't put it as family.

In short, they're somewhere in the middle, very sentimental, important and close to me, but not to the extend of having me treating them as a living thing.

 

My dolls are more like tools than toys. In photography, are and animation they certainly do their job. I can't help but feel I know them on a deeper level as I create their personalities and bring them to life on the screen but i can't say they are family so much as they are co-workers you know very well

 

They're dolls.
They're my favorite toys, and I like dressing them up and posing them. But in the end, they are not alive and are therefore not family. They're still my favorite toys.

 

They're my characters. My bond with them can't really be compared to other things. Were the dolls destroyed, the characters would stay, but I would be sad for the beautiful dolls being destroyed.
But I created the characters based on the sculpts, so I would want to buy new ones of the same molds. I make my story based on the dolls after all.

 

They are more than "toys" to me but I would never ever say I considere them like "family"! They have a special shelf where I display them in my closet room, they have my attention and all but they are just very special dolls to me and everyone who comes visiting say they are beautiful, even my parents and husband and my 6yrs old daughter like them!

 

Honestly, my dolls are much more like toys than family. My dolls make me happy, and I would hate to ever part with them, but in the end, I'd much rather have my friends/family/pets than my dolls. My friends/family/pets have distinct personalities that are wholly unique to them, and they can't ever be replaced. My dolls are wholly replaceable. They are simply polyurethane resin in pleasing shapes that can be customized and made to look however I want. Their "self" is contained in my head, and not likely to leave it anytime soon.

 

I think they are a bit of both. As anbaachan commented earlier, dolls are not living sentient beings in the way that pets, family and friends are, but I do think of them as part of my family in a way.

 

Its hard to say. More than a toy. But not real. Some thing i would miss if they were not there.

 

My dolls are simply a collection. A fun hobby that if I couldn't afford I wouldn't be stressing over not having them. They are a want not a need.
Though it is my decision to buy them and nobody else's opinion will make me stop buying the dolls on my wish list Or sell them!

 

My dolls are not universally loved by everyone in my family. My husband likes them a lot, as do my two children. Practically every other relative I have thinks they are strange, creepy or weird, etc. I do not disclose the price of the dolls and their wigs, clothes, accessories because I know they would all be horrified at the amount of money I spend on my expensive hobby.

As to how I personally feel about the dolls--while I know they aren't living and not much more than pricey toys, they are still very precious to me and yes, in the event of disaster or theft, they could be replaced (unless it's a sold-out sculpt/model). But somehow it wouldn't be the same. That's how I am though, I tend to get crazy attached to my possessions. It's nuts, and I know it's not true, but I like to think that the dolls hold some kind of chi in them because of all the energy & effort I've poured into them or maybe house some kind of spirit that looks out for me because I choose to take care of the dolls.

I think I am coming to an end in terms of spending money on the dolls (I've just about gotten all the clothes, wigs face-ups and dolls I want) and am feeling quite satisfied with it all. So my friends and family who aren't exactly thrilled with my doll-hobby can rest assured that they don't have to listen to me talk about new dolls much longer.

 

Mine fit in that weird gray area between toy and family... they are not like my pets, since my pets ARE my family. I would never, ever give up a pet because it became and inconvenience (hence our being stuck in a slightly crappy neighborhood because of our cats). I was raised that your dog is like your brother. You treat it like a sibling, and it will take care of you, etc. Family always comes first and if there must be a distinction, then pets, then extras. Even my photo albums get priority over dolls.

But in one sense, my dolls are not just toys. They have little personalities all their own (most of my inanimate objects do though, take my car named Cthulhu and my computer named Glad0s...) and I get a sort of comforting feeling being around them. They are not a replacement for human contact.

In regards to the college situation, I have little sympathy. I too am a college student. I support myself, and I have to pay for college myself. However, extenuating circumstances and a complete lack of parental support (for college tuition I mean), I have had to take out student loans. Both my fiance and I work. Fun money we have left over after monthly bills goes towards our hobbies: my dolls, his designer board games. I wonder how anyone can NOT work and attend college. It just seems impossible to me. I would love to not work for a semester, yet I still manage straight A's. To the OP: your mother is probably concerned that you are showing fiscal irresponsibility. I second the idea that you get a part time job and start saving, and perhaps put your dolly buying on hold until you have established savings and possibly moved out on your own.

 

kind of both. I handle them and forget them in a box from time to time (an re-sell them ¬.¬;; ) like simple toys.
but if there was an emergy I could NEVER leave them behind and if my house burned down while I wasn't there I think I'd cry for my dolls (and for my cats of course!!! D':< )

 

Any item if given enough love, energy, can become a talisman, a symbol, and may lift above other "Items". Some people may elevate their dolls to family status, others may only see them as mere toys, I think for most of us, they will be somewhere in between. I know mine is more than just a doll, she's not even mine yet, and yet I've got so much personal meaning invested in her.... but in an emergency situation, I'm afraid she may not be forefront in my mind....

 

Possessions can't come close to family for me. No matter how nice, well loved and enjoyed, it's just still something I've bought at the end of the day. Having them in my life doesn't impact me in such a strong way that if something horrible were to happen, I couldn't part with them. Family is just something so much more...

 

I totally agree with Maridah.

I was having a conversation with my bf and I asked him "why am I having such a hard time selling this doll? I don't want her anymore, but I don't want to sell her." He brought up the point that society today is so driven by material possessions that our stuff has attained a higher value than it should have.

When it comes right down to it, dolls are (expensive) chunks of resin. I've had to sell dolls in the past just to pay my bills. Yeah it was hard, but rent and food was more important. I think this hobby is a lot easier if you look at the doll as a thing, not a tiny person.

As far as family; my ex thought they were creepy, but humored me and let me have them. My dad thinks it's silly but really doesn't say much. My mom thinks I'm crazy because I sew for them and she doesn't see how I can sew "all that small stuff." My bf think's they're awesome and wants one of his own!

 

I think that they are like somewhere between pets and familyBut ofcourse i would put my familly and pets before my dolls if there was a emergancy i would save my familly than my pets than my dolls

 

I bought my mother and father, brothers and sisters online. They were uber expensive, as well you might imagine, and I had to wait for what felt like an eternity before they arrived in the mail. Then came the bonding. I had to shell my mother four times before I was able to properly bond with her.

My dolls, on the other hand, are just dolls.

 

I totally agree with Maridah- well put!

My dolls are just toys to me- just very expensive and much loved toys. My family comes first- always and forever, and nothing could replace them for me, especially not a piece of resin. However, when it's just me taking pleasure in a hobby that I enjoy, my dolls are top of the list. It's alright if you feel that your dolls are like your family though, everyone is different, and people bond to things for all sorts of different reasons.

 

My dolls are my toys and I am extremely fond of them. They are definitely more relaxing than some people in my human family.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. My mum sometimes makes fun of my dolls, and I feel little pains in my heart every time she does it. I don't think she understands what dolls mean to me, nor do I expect her to, but it's just one of those things, you know? x:

 

LOL...mine are both!
I use my bjds for modeling. I sew and sell clothes for them. So they are spoiled and they know it!!!
But they are played with often as well, helps keep me sane sometimes!

Its all in how you see it! Enjoy them!!!

 

I agree with the above person.

 

Toys. But I do talk to them and like to think they have feelings... But I do so with pretty much any object that has a bit of character (like, you often hear me yelling at my computer or saying "don't you look shiny" to a car). I also do feel sorry for them when I forgot to cover them up and it got cold in the living room overnight... But then again I also feel sorry for snails that might get stepped on because they're in the middle of the road, or for flowers that will probably drown because of all the rain... Basically I am just over-sensitive xD

 

Well... "toys" only if you call your electronics and cars and artwork and your expensive objects "toys."

They are definitely not like a simple plaything!

Of course, they aren't the same as your human family... but I'd think some people could treat them all the same to some extent without being too strange. I mean, they love and care for their dolls and maybe go out with them and talk with them... and they may do that to their relatives and pets, too. They can sell pets. They can maybe not treat their family so nicely (and visa versa). The obvious differences are obvious... but how we generally treat things can apply to both, I think.

I don't think of my dolls as human or that they have souls or anything. I don't kiss them good night and put them to sleep. I think they are inanimate objects that I own. But I do try to treat them well. And I'd definitely try to get them safe away from any disasters, since they are among my more expensive possessions.

So I guess I'd say, I treat them more like toys IF that means they are just objects. More like family IF you mean that I'm careful of them and treat them well and wish to buy lots of things for them!

I'm lucky that I'm older and don't worry about what other people think about them. I like them and that's what matters to me. My family can try to tell me what to do, but I don't have to listen to them if I don't want to. They DON'T try to tell me how to live my life, thankfully! ... And what they think of my dolls doesn't matter at all to me.

 

I think I'd have a problem with a person who didn't accept my dolls, they are a part of me.

 

Hm, I thought about this a while ago, and if there was a fire in this house as long as I knew all of my housemates and my boyfriend were out I'd make sure I had my doll, and my bear. Ein and my bear Spot I think are equal, I've had that bear since I was a kid, and sleep with him every night, and take him with me if I'm staying the night. Ein stays at home, but I love him just as much (and honestly he sleeps beside me most nights, too).

You wouldn't think I was 24 XD But I am still childish in some respects. My boyfriend sleeps with a bear too, though : )

I'd say Ein is like a part of the family but not part of the family, I don't consider him a toy though. A doll, yes, but not a toy.

As for family, my stepdad used to get angry when I carried Ein around the house with me. Till I moved out ;D (kicked out aha...) My mum thinks it's alright but she's not happy about the amount of money I spent on Ein, and plan to spend on my next doll. My boyfriend Alex is really happy that I'm excited about the new doll, he thinks Ein is creepy but he doesn't mind him XD Ein hasn't met many of the rest of my family, honestly. He doesn't like to travel? XD I don't have a car so I go everywhere on the train, and I am forgetful. I don't know what I'd do if I ever forgot him anywhere ^^ And besides, I don't think it's important for any of my family to meet him, in the same way that I've only told my parents I'm bi, you know? It's not important : )

 

Mine are like family and they are like toys. If something happen my family and animals come 1st ( i don't have kids and will be living on my own in a few week so mostly its just my cat). I would grab my dolls if I could. There are two my shiwoo and el that would be the ones I would try and save if I could.

 

Mine are like Family but not like my real family, i mean the real ones are number one. But i do know when i come home after work and i have had a bad day i feel better looking at all their smiling faces. Its strange but even in college before i had dollfies i brought my fav dolls there after letting my roommates know i was a collector, it just was a bit of home i needed to sleep well. They have always been my silent friends who i have always felt were there for me no matter what. maybe it was being native American and Latin and knowing about the Kachina dolls, or the Japanese and their respect for dolls, or just reading the story of creation and man being made of clay like a doll that really made me like them as a lil boy.

 

Disclaimer: If my parents ever said "sell your dolls for college/newcar/whatever" I would tell them that it's my money, I'll do what I want with it. I'll save up for college/newcar/whatever the same way I saved up for my dolls. (Which, actually, I'm currently in the process for saving up for beauty school. BJD Hobby + saving up for beauty school = low funds, but we work with what we have. Don't get me wrong. I love my parents. They just forget that I work hard for my own money.)

ANYWAY,

Truth be told, when I first got into this hobby, my dolls were more like my family. Now, however...I wouldnt call them toys, I'd call them a piece of artwork AND family. They're both. I use them for photoshoots, I make clothes, I bring them to movies, and meet ups, I love them so much. I could never sell them. However, if the time came that I really HAD to, I would be able to.

I love my dolls. A lot. They make me feel better, and I feel so much more comfortable when I'm around them. But sometimes, life happens, and there's nothing I'd really be able to do about that. =\

 

My dolls are more like room decorations than toys (or family). My parents are really supportive of my buying dolls, and they get a bit sad when I sell one or mention that I'm considering sell one. I do think if there was a fire, my dolls would be the third thing I'd try to rescue, after my dog and computer.

 

To me, they're kind of more like pets than toys or family. I am not so attached to them I view them as family (if I needed to I could sell them, something I could never do with family), but I'm not so unattached that they're on a level field with my other owned possessions either. I spend far too much time 'pampering' and 'fussing' with them for them to be just toys to me. Goodness knows there are days I've spent an hour brushing out a wig; longer than it takes to brush both of my dogs from top to bottom.

 

Mine are more like pieces of art than anything else. I put a lot of time and effort into designing how they look and doing their face-ups. They do have names and personalities, and i play with them sometimes, but mostly i just have them to enjoy looking at.

They're a little bit more than that, they mean a lot to me, but i wouldn't call them family.

 

I dont have any yet (i am waiting for two) but i feel like they would be more of family then anything. My boyfriend however insists that if i name and take care of them and take them everywhere with me that it means im a crazy lady and needs to be put on that show "My strange addiction".
Oh well haha.

 

My thoughts and feelings are similar to this answer. My dolls represent characters I created. Good or bad, all of my dolls but one (which I am not that attached to and plan to redo) have been customized with at least a faceup by me. I spend a great deal of time planning them and making them look just the way I want them to look. Because of these things, they are special to me and are more than toys. However, also partly because of these things, I would never call them family. They are not alive, and I do not believe they have souls. It's nice to have non-living things I can own and do whatever I want with, but they don't offer the companionship or mental stimulation something with its own mind can offer.

As for how my family and friends react, most of them like the dolls or don't care either way. I guess, as much as I like my dolls, I do not enjoy talking about them all the time or carrying them around to non-BJD events, so the people who would dislike them know I have dolls, but they have not been around or heard about them enough to make a fuss over it.

 

My dolls are...well, they're definitely not like family, but they're more than just the other dolls and plush toys that I collect. I think I agree that I see them as representations of characters. Though the dolls I have right now are dolls that I bought on impulse, the other dolls I have planned are based upon characters in different stories that I have written in the past 10 years.

How do my family react? My father's amused by it. My mother, who was never one for dolls, has started collecting them as well because of my dolls. My best friend collects as well. My aunt and grandparents don't understand but outside of telling them I got them when I get the money as a present it doesn't affect them and they don't need to know if they don't want to know.

 

My dolls are special toys, I'm attached to them as I would be to a pet or even a family member, but when it comes down to it, they're techinally replacable and I care much more about what happens to the living bits of my family then the resin ones. They are pretty much third on my list though, after my family and my cats.

My friend sees her dolls are pretty important, maybe not as important as I do, but she adores hers. Most of my family doesn't really care, my sister thinks they're creepy, but my mom regonizes them as the boys and puts up with my occasional ramblings on them. I think she's just super pumped that I'm actually intrested and involved in something. My friends have mixed opinions concerning them and I respect their opinions and don't push it if they don't like them.

 

my dolls are like family i was in tears when i thought i might have to sell them.my brothers the onley one who dislikes the he says there to expensive but i remind him of the three game systems he has and all the games and extras that go with everyone has somthing of there own they spend mony on shoes,purses,clothes,cars,games we just choose to spend our money on dolls next time they rag on you remind them of the money they spend on the thing they love it your life do what you love

 

Not gonna lie, my dolls are like my friends rather than anything else; whereas my puppy is my family, but all the same, I don't know what I would do without my dolls or my dog. I carry my pup's old dog tag around with me at all times so I can think about him, and if I go on vacation I have to take a doll with me or I'm not comfortable. Of course my dolls are replaceable, but I'm horrendously sentimental.

 

My dolls are toys, not family. Well loved and pampered toys. I do develop an emotional attachment to them but not so much that I can't put the needs of my family first. We recently bought a new house and, even though my husband told me that I didn't have to, I sold a few dolls and accessories to help pay for some of the expenses. My husband completely supports my hobby because it makes me happy.
As far as the OP- If I understand correctly her parents are paying her college expenses and asking her to contribute? She doesn't have money for college because her money has been spent on dolls? If that is the case then I agree with her parents that she needs to sell some dolls or find some money somewhere for college expenses and not expect them to foot the entire bill while she is spending on hobbies.

 

From my collections, some are more like playthings... I can drag them around everywhere.

Some are more precious so I do not drag them everywhere and they are well taken care of. They are more like non-replaceable art pieces.

There is none that are like "family" since they are not real but I do have attachment to them as they are not replaceable.

 

Hm... I would save my family and pet before them, but I would mourn if they did get destroyed. I guess that the bond are like your first stuffed toy as a child. Not just a toy.
There is one doll that is his own personality instead of one of my characters. I would mourn more over him, I think, because he would die, so to say, not just lose his body.

 

For me , they like toy

 

In my opinion, dolls are not family. They cannot return your love or care for you. They are not living beings and shouldn't be treated as such, as doing that can easily become mentally unhealthy. That's not to say I don't value them above most all my other possesions or play with them, but I know where to draw the line between sentimental toys and beings.

 

I call them as if they were part of the family, but I consider them two very special toys.

 

My dolls are very fancy playthings. I like dressing them, building personalities and taking photos of them. They are in no way family. I would be very sad if I lost them but I know I could re-create them eventually.

 

I love my dolls very much and they're very special for me, but they're only toys.

 

Even saying that they're "like toys" seems a little off to me - they aren't like toys, they are toys!

 

For me, my BJDs are very special posessions. In my view, they are not easily replaced (possibly because I happen to fall for LEs). But even if I lost a non-LE and replaced it, I know that I couldn't replace it perfectly and in the end it would be a different doll.

I am in college as well and I don't tell my parents how much my dolls cost. It's my business, and I'm on my own now. I work hard and save carefully to obtain my dolls. For example, even if I'm not scheduled to work, I'll go in and pick up a shift and dedicate it to my doll fund. Doing this just a couple times here and there really adds up a lot. I hope your parents will understand how important they are to you. Good luck

 

They are lifelike, beautiful toys. I'm materialist.

 

Karma is like my family. I adore her. She never talks back and never judges me.

 

I'm not sure what to really call my little one, never had a pet so it's hard to compare but a toy? That she is not. Maybe not exactly family member but she's every thing but a toy