Are dolls like family or like toys?

For me they are more on the "toy" side, collectible objects or pieces of art. They are not alive, so I cannot really see them as my family. However, the dolls are precious to me and rather expensive luxury items, so I treat them with certain "respect" and affection.

 

My dolls are definitely leaning more towards family, but if I don't enjoy a doll anymore it'll get sold, if I lose interest in a sculpt it's quite easy for me to part with it.
My first ever (attempted) BJD purchase was a pukifee Ante which I was getting in memory of my nan, I do finally have my tribute doll on the way (just a few years late) so they definitely have a little sentimental feeling for me.
I'm not about to take my dolls for a swing up the park or anything, but there's a 98% chance I'm going to make a 'back to school' post with them next year with little gingham dresses just to wind up my sisters when they post my nieces and nephews back to school photos
They just have an eerie life behind their eyes if placed in the eye sockets juuust right and I love that they can tell you their personalities from the stories that grow just from looking at them. It's like they're telling you their story through some weird dolly telepathy.
So yeah, they do lean on the family side because they can breathe so much life in certain photos, but I'm glad they're not real because I have dropped those poor dolls an unhealthy amount.

 

I only have a few dolls but my favourite ones are definitely becoming part of my family lol they travel with me and I find myself photographing them more than my family lol

 

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have four dozen dolls. And they are all girls)) I do not know if they are family? or not. But they are all beautiful and they are friends))

 

If I truly bond with a doll they become family. If I can't imagine myself every selling/getting rid of that doll, that's when I know they count as family. I only have one doll I truly consider family, my Resinsoul Mei named Jane. If worst comes to worst, (financial crisis, needing money as soon as possible situation), I could see everyone going towards the cause but not her. Of course I would be heart broken to have to sell dolls I love, but I would get over it.

I don't see them as toys but rather art/characters. Calling BJDS Toys is to basic of a word (a bit of an insult to me), to call my dolls that. I consider a barbie (Which I also collect), a toy, but never a BJD. Thankfully I have no one in my life that looks down on my for collecting dolls. The people who do are often strangers who don't understand who I am. I can't imagine what its like to have family members not support you in a hobby you enjoy/love. I wish you the best of luck in your college life!

 

Toys. I like my dolls & do care about them and the characters they represent but no way are they on the same level as my family!

I do form strong attachments to toys, like a little kid, but it’s not the same as a real person.

 

The dolls are pieces of myself, and they are very important to me. I guess one could truly state that I treat them like family. I am very very very much a “doll person” and they don’t even seem like anything more than something I love dearly, that’s all I see them as ( as in not like a collectible or something with numerical value)

 

Somewhere inbetween, let's say like a pet? I mean, rationally I know I'm talking to an inanimate hunk of resin that can't understand me, but mentally it feels like dealing with a sentient creature because hey, they're a very anthropomorphic hunk of resin :P So I tend to sort of talk 'at' them, like you'd do to a pet fish or budgie.
(I also own a life-size mannequin, and this effect is even stronger there.)

 

I think the answer would change depending on which of my dolls you asked about? Ones that are just pretty and don't really have a fleshed out character? More on the toy/collectible side. Ones that are shells of my long time cherished OCs? More on the family side. Of course at the end of the day they're just dolls and they're just resin and elastics, but there are a few that are shells of character I've had since I was 14 and having a physical iteration of these characters means the world to me and holds a ton of sentimental value. I don't think family is quite the right word, but they're extremely special and important to me.

 

My creative outlet?

 

Definitely more close to dolls than family. I would never think of them as I think of my cat for example, they are not living beings.
That being said, I'm the kind of owner who talks to her dolls like they were going to answer back so... I'm weird xD

 

First of all, I’m really sorry your family has such a rotten attitude toward your dolls. I tend to think of my dolls more as pets than anything, since I do feel like they each have a distinct personality and I know them as people—but it’s obviously a one-sided thing. I have very few family members, none of whom are terribly opposed to the dolls so much as the prices. My sister even got into the hobby herself. My dad was resistant to me spending money on these things, but he does seem to like them (probably because he hasn’t paid for them, lol). Every so often he’ll wander up to my collection and ask a question about them, which is nice.

I can understand why your family wouldn’t get your reason for having dolls and how it feels to have someone so adamantly against something you love... but if it’s not their money, it’s not their business, you feel? When I bought my first Ringdoll my dad asked in a bit of an unpleasant way, “How much did THAT cost?” I told him it cost as much as I felt it was worth, and that was the end. Of course, I do have my own personal space to store things, so it might be easier to keep my stuff to myself than it may be for you. If you are so fortunate as to be able to store them out of your family’s sight, I’d recommend it. But I’d also suggest you talk to them about how it makes you feel when they talk down on your hobby. I’m willing to bet your dolls do more good than harm, and you can always make more money. I hope they won’t sour this fun, creative thing for you.

 

My dolls are my daughters. I would never give them up. My flesh and blood daughter (grown up) hates my dolls. When I told her how much my collection was worth, she changed her mind (chuckle).

 

In fact 6 years ago I treated my dolls as my children, but when I grew up, I tend to think them as toys. I still love them, but I think they are different. Maybe because I have two cats now? Because now I think my cats are my children XD

 

I feel they are of a deeper meaning that mere toys. But, family? Hmm, maybe not. Friends? More likely. Companions? Definitely. I don't play with them as I would have conventional toy-store dolls in my childhood. There are one or two that I probably cherish like siblings, more so than children, but most are companions on tough days. Distractions on good days. Procrastination on others.

 

To me, dolls are just very expensive representations of my characters. So while I love and cherish the characters, if something happened to the dolls I'd be more aghast at how much money went down the toilet. I wouldn't mourn them like pets or people, the characters are still alive and well, I would just have to reshell them. So I guess that's a long way of saying they're just toys to me. Not to sell toys short, they do have value and they do bring comfort, but that's not the same as being a living breathing creature.

 

I am similar to previous post. My dolls are mostly representations of characters, part of my imagination. Definitely not a family but more than just toys.

 

To me, dolls are a luxury item and a creative outlet. I used them to shell characters, but at the end of the day, they are just very expensive toys that bring me a lot of joy.

 

I love all mine dearly, and because they’re constantly on display in my home like 3-dimensional art, and constantly on view, I always say, “they’re just part of the family.” But in reality, I see them more as friends and constant companions. They’re very dear to me...so very dear friends.

 

Probably closer to family than toys, just because of the amount of personality I've attributed to them. But at the same time, I know that those characters have "lives" of their own apart from the dolls and the dolls are just physical representations, making them toys... It's a complicated feeling.

 

My dolls are just a "toy" . I have to keep the right detachment between me and objects... they are something creative, an hobby, I don't want they became too much important or too dear to me. I want to be served by these for my entertain and to give me more breaks in my everyday routines, to give me some fun and with the utility that after using them, I can return to my duties. They are a soothing thing that help me to return to my everyday life more relaxed.

 

My mother likes my dolls, she even sew new clothes for her which makes me happy actually. And I see my dolls like my kids, I mention her like she is my daughther when I am talking to someone about my dolls

 

I've always had a quite strong affinity for my original characters in my writing so to me, having a doll is like having a physical extension of those characters, a shell for them to live in. Definitely for me a BJD is not 'just a toy', but is a physical body for an intangible idea.

 

My dolls definitely aren't toys to me like Barbie dolls were back im my childhood. I don't play with them the way a child plays with dolls.
As I am their creator and they are all created with much devotion, I think a part of me has become what they are. I believe that everything done with love is no longer soulless.
Of course this means that they are very highly ranked.
If a human destroyed one of them forcefully in an arguement this person would be literally dead for me.

I wouldn't call them family, because the word family has a bit of a negative connotation for me. In contrast to a family I can choose the company I want, dolls love is unconditionally. Friends are unreliable, dolls are always there.
Of course a real partner and a real good friend can't be replaced. But in all phases of life where there is no such person, dolls won't leave.

 

Definitely family. With the amount I spend on them and all, it goes definitely a step further than just 'toys'. Naturally they aren't real people, but every single one of the dolls I have or plan to buy is my oc, all with a 200+ page written story about them and the world they live in. Long story short, to me they aren't real in my world but real in theirs just as much as any game character or so. Not to mention that they bring me more comfort and calmness lately than the actual people around me.

 

Dolls are my therapy

 

While I adore my dolls, to me, they will always be objects or ‘toys’. I guess for me, it has to be a living thing to be considered ‘family’ like a pet. But by that thinking my plant on my desk would be considered family. So who knows. All I know is that my dolls are a very important part of my life, but in the end they still are objects and expensive toys.

 

Toys that rarely get handled anymore due to RL.

 

I see my dolls (I have other types, not just BJDs) as collectables. They are not toys and although I love having them, they are not the most important things in my life. Having said that, I've never sold a doll. I think most people who know I have dolls think it's weird, but that doesn't matter to me, I like having them regardless of what others think. They are beautiful pieces of art.

 

A bit of both and also neither, but also, as dds27 above me said, therapy. Each of my dolls are well-thought decisions, and some have been in my life even longer than my platonic soulmate has--some characters have been occupying my daydreams since even longer. There are names and stories to each of them, and they provide me wonderful company when I'm lonely. They're just objects, but still very important to me. If I were to lose them, they could be replaced, but I'm sentimental enough it wouldn't be the same.

Edit: Friends! That's the word that exists haha. They're my inanimate companions.

 

I definitely see them as family, but I also see them each as a unique piece of art and an outlet for creativity. There is so much time and energy that goes into building up your doll to being exactly who you want them to be, and I feel like a lot of people outside the hobby have a hard time understanding that because they just see the price tag and a doll that doesn’t really have that connection to them like it does to yourself. I was in the same boat recently with having to sell a few of my dolls for financial reasons, so I get where you’re coming from with not wanting to because of how you connect with them. I was fortunate enough to have some dolls I was willing to part ways with due to random aesthetic reasons, but I can imagine how hard it would be if you didn’t have that going on. I hope you’re able to keep your resin family together during these tough times! Maybe you could try to explaining how you feel to your parents so that they’re more understanding. It’s a somewhat hard topic to navigate to someone who doesn’t quite understand, but passion for something usually ends up translating well if you’re able to explain it with the right enthusiasm and joy. Good luck!

 

Not family and not toys. Would say they are more like art for me. A very pricy piece of art I like admiring and posing.
I like to think they are the fantastic creatures that inhabit my house.
I don’t have pets atm, but I would love the pet more for sure, and think of the pet more as family.
I live by myself so nobody really says anything about my dolls. Hardly anybody comes here. My parents know I collect them and also know the price, but support my nonetheless coz they know I love them. Also it’s my money I’m using to buy them anyway.

 

Echoing @Lillyevergold my roommates definitely see my dolls are art pieces and for some of them I agree. They’re beautiful works of art. But as someone who cannot have children but LOVE them, a few of them definitely feel like family—like little resin kids to me. Idunn and Malice definitely feel like young family to me and I love them very much. It depends on the doll what my bond is with them!

 

@Kurr
I know a lot of people who think of their dolls as their kids. Even a friend who recently go into the hobby by my influence.
Nothing wrong with that, if that makes you happy.
I think the reason I don’t think like that myself if tha fact I don’t want to have kids. They being real kids or dolls. I just don’t see myself as a mother. Love all my dolls, very very much even than.

 

To me they are my family, my everything

 

To me they are a mix of both, they are not toys because they make me feel something more special than that.
Yet, I do not dare say they are family because for me my family is my family (including my dog), so they’re not important like my family.
However, if I had to choose something, they are in the middle of that spectrum so they fall into more of a friend role.

 

It's kinda hard to think about lol. They are toys in the sense that they are objects, and also an amazing creative outlet and hobby. That's why for me I'm not 100% sure that toy is the right term, I'd say their more a hobby and comfort objects. That leads me to the "family" portion. Yes I do know that they are just objects, and even when I call them "comfort objects" I still use the word "objects", but the comfort they give me is insane. I get very attached to meaningless objects and have ever since I was little, and I am very aware that it could become an issue if I don't keep it in check. But I have never felt so strongly towards objects as I have with my dolls. I hold them, hug them, cry to them, cry because of them and what they mean to me, talk to them, etc.... They really do have a huge part of my heart and are all my mini friends haha

That being said, I do agree with most of the other responses that in an emergency, they are just objects. So if there was a safety thing, living beings (family and pets) come first. However if there was a situation where I could save one kind of "object" and my family would also be safe, yeah my dolls would 100% be the first "objects" that I grab over anything else in my house.

 

To me, my dolls are my own little family. They'll always be there for me They're all little pieces of myself and I love being around them.

 

I'd say they're more like pets. Substantially less bitey and scratchy (as I detach my cat from my arm) and substantially more needy in terms of clothes and the like, but it's a similar emotional space.

 

Neither. Dolls are a canvas to project things onto, to change and shape in 3D instead of 2D, like one may do with drawing, or writing. It's quite possibly the most expensive canvas in the universe.

 

I think they’re more like art pieces that I keep on display. Not so much like toys that I play with. I don’t think of them as family or sentient things by any means - they’re just really beautifully made objects that give me joy, and that’s enough for me.

 

Hmm, I guess I'm in the "My dolls are my art" camp. I do call them 'my babies' or 'my plastic children' because of all the work and care I put into them, but I definitely do not think of them as a substitute for a real child or human company. They're also too fancy to be mere toys though I do acknowledging that is what they technical are?

 

Hard to explain…but to me they’re not only a toy but like my child and friend ~~

 

Definitely like family... more so than my actual family (except for my partner). Her mom and sister know about them and are just fine with them. As for my "family", the only one who's opinion ever really mattered was my mom, and she's passed now.

 

Both toy and family. They are too priceless and special to just be a toy but I do like interacting with them and playing with them.

 

They’re toys to me. I’ve never really had feelings for an inanimate object that would equate to how I feel for my family. Or even any acquaintance, for that matters. They’re just things that can be replaced, if need be.

 

Though I may not consider my doll family in the normal sense, I do feel a bond between me and her. It's more of a friendship kind of thing. Like someone who is there for you, but as a friend and not necessarily someone who is related. Nothing like a child or a sibling or anything for me.

 

I believe their more than just normal toys but also not family.

 

I view mine as articulated toys that are meant to be art pieces. Though if you were to ask me if my SD boy is more like family, I'd say maybe. I feel a huge connection because I put so much of myself in him, so the idea of being forced to sell him really hurts. :'( I think I could live with selling all of the others except for him.

 

they're art pieces but also special to me so more than toys but not quite family...something in between perhaps.

 

For me my dolls are collectibles. I love them and don't feel bad for having them but if I had to sell I would.

 

If I have to choose between toy or family, mine are toys. Very, very precious and sentimental toys since mine have characters and background stories that represent people in real life.

 

Little inanimate friends, but I feel the same way about pretty much anything with a face. Toy Story brainwashed me as a child. D:

 

That is similar to what they are to me. But also they provide me with some therapy for my depression and anxiety order. They are still inanimate objects, however, and therefore have no souls. To me, saying a doll has a soul, is like saying my toothbrush has a soul. They are not spiritual beings or beings of any kind. They are inanimate objects.

 

magical art dolls maybe? I do look for a bit of life in them.

 

I would say precious toys to me or art pieces I cherish

 

Same for art pieces I care deeply about. I do call them my children and selling any of them would be heartbreaking. But I couldn't see any doll I own to be completely honest, all are important to me in some shape or form. BJDs especially with how much time and effort they take

 

I see my dolls as family, but also as art pieces. My sister views my dolls as expensive art pieces. If my relatives and parents knew about my collection I'm sure they will strongly disapprove. I wouldn't be surprised if my aunt or mom threw them out or donated them. They have done this in the past with my stuff. My sister doesn't even have anything left from childhood because my mom sent everything to a different country that my mom thought she would move to, but another aunt residing there threw our stuff out. I'm not sure what my step-dad would do to my stuff. I know though he would insult me about it. My older brother donated my doll house I had. If my mom thinks buying eyeglasses for my sister and me in the past is a waste of money I think she would be way more angrier about the bjds I have which I don't understand because she has many pairs of brand name eyeglasses and luxury purses.

 

I don't consider my dolls toys. I am more careful with my dolls than I would be with a toy. My dolls are more expensive and more fragile. Also, I get emotionally attached to them but, they are not family. In an emergency, such as a fire, I would make sure my husband, children, and pets are safe before saving anything else. That being said; I would cry if anything bad to happen to them.

 

I would not call my dolls toys nor family Because I don't think I relate to those words in the conventional way.

First off, I don't have a single family member I like. Family to me equates to constant psychological suffering and resentment (to put it lightly even) and while there is some suffering and resentment in my doll practices it's overshadowed by positive emotions.
I know the intention though is to ask if I view them as people I love, and I do. Currently they are really the only people safe to love, and I am well aware how many people seem to look down their noses at that sort of emotional thing. I don't really care, it's just the reality in which I can function.
But if we don't use the word "toy" in a negative, patronizing way, they are certainly toys as well. Toys and imaginative play are a huge part of healthy psychological development in children and they help me to soothe and express myself as well as think about and understand myself and the world around me.
When it comes to the level of importance of my dolls, yes, intellectually I know they are not living people, but I mean... Barely the feelings are very strong and they are the only thing that has helped me in my many years of chronic loneliness. In a catastrophe would I jeopardize the life of my pet or any living loved one to save a doll instead? No, absolutely not. Would I risk my own life? Eh, probably. Would I feel a horrible horrible emotional wreck if I had to lose them in some unfortunate way? Yes. I've had to sell dolls for financial reasons and its not a great feeling, and it requires mental hoop jumping to cope. I feel like I see a lot of petty judgement around the internet about what people are willing to sacrifice to survive and be worthy of this or that and I think it's a bunch of garbage. There are consequences for every type of decision in those matters, but I think it's wrong to pressure anyone to sell off or otherwise give up the things that are meaningful to them in their life when it's harmful for them to do so.
People say dolls are replaceable, but to me they are not. Yes a doll is a doll, but a doll I have made all these memories with is something else. It's a product of my circumstances and it is what it is I realize I'm in a minority with my level of attachment but I wouldn't be interested in this hobby for any other reason.