Are you a collector or a hobbyist?

My dolls are canvases! I love sewing clothes, knitting, making eyes, making wigs and doing their faceups! They inspire me to create

 

I'm a collector and they are my eye candy, my drive to try learning crafting skills comes from my desire to make them prettier to look at

 

I don't have a collector personality, I'm pretty happy to own just a few of something. Adding a new doll to my crew actually costs me mental energy, so I don't think I'll ever go the other way and turn into a true collector. I think I'm more of a curator -- I buy dolls that I like, of course, but they need to fit in to the existing collection, become part of my storytelling.

And that's basically my reason for being in the hobby: to tell stories with my BJDs. I wouldn't be here if I couldn't play with my dolls, take photos, craft, and ultimately tell stories with them. I've no interest in buying a doll whose whole reason for existence is just to sit on a shelf and look pretty, I already barely notice that I have figurines and plushies on that shelf already. (In fact, I have a tiny BJD that's turned into shelf candy, and I think it's just a matter of time before I sell it... whenever I remember that I actually have it.)

 

I'm a 80% hobbyist 20% collector maybe. Collecting is kind of fun and satisfying but it's not my focus, and in lean times I prune what feels like excess collection and stay in the creative roots of my hobby with the dolls.

 

Yeah I collect resin boyfriends. I'm already at 5 and the ideal is 7. It's getting really close... I don't want to pass 7 resin boyfriends.

 

I am both in many other genres of toy collecting, but when it comes to BJD, I consider myself a full-blown hobbyist. I've only kept my first two BJD head sculpts with their factory custom face ups, and my one and only tiny anthro fully painted by SoulDoll. The rest I've customized in some way, all of them have had their body blushed by me, and all most if not all have had at least some amount of facial modifications at this point.

I do consider myself a doll/toy collector, because that's what I've been since birth; I collect Barbie (as well as other mass-produced fashion dolls) and I do keep them MISB, only a rare few are unboxed to display or customize a tiny bit but they are multiples and not the one and single copy I own. I also partially do so with other types of toys, such as 1:6 action figures, some I keep MISB, others I customize in some way, and rarely anime prize figures as well. For the most part, I am a collector in other toy genres, but feel like I am more of a hobbyist when it comes to BJD. I don't keep most of them default, and I don't mind modifying the living daylights out of most of them. Although, the hoarder in me does regret not having multiples of some of the ones I've heavily modified -- not regretting the mod, just regretting not owning a pristine condition one as well. (:

 

I'm a hobbyist - I like crafting stuff for dolls and taking photos but I don't want to buy stuff just to own it. I don't think they're canvases nor art pieces, they're just... dolls? Objects to interact with? I don't display them unless I'm doing something with them and don't think there's ever a goal to getting a certain type or number. I'm more of a customiser is anything.

 

I'm definitely a hobbyist--I don't buy dolls to "collect" them, I buy them to flesh out characters, do faceups on, sew clothes for, and photograph. While I do have a bit of a collection now (11 resin and 1 vinyl doll, plus another dozen blind box BJD's), I find that even when I'm drawn to purchasing a doll, it's because I like it aesthetically and would love to sew/create/photograph it, not just have it sit on a shelf and look pretty.

 

At the start of the hobby I would have said 100% hobbyist, but nowadays I'm about a 40-60 split. Part of that is because nowadays I buy almost exclusively Chinese artist dolls, which means that they are limited, affordable and oftentimes extremely unique. So sometimes I'll buy something that I have no plans for just because I like the sculpting, want to support the artist, and suspect that I might have trouble finding anything quite like it again.

But even then, all the dolls I have are meant to be customized eventually. Doing faceups is still the primary draw of the hobby for me, but I definitely understand the appeal of collecting a little more now.

 

Yes.

Yes

Yes

It's a toy. I play with them more than anything else.

I don't collect them as in acquiring-the-whole-set, I collect them by buying the individual dolls that appeal to me and will (hopefully) fit into my doll-family setup.

Unfortunately I tend to end up keeping dolls that don't fit in for far too long as, once added to the "family" it feels like a betrayal to get rid of them(AND I'm terrible about getting around to doing things like figuring out shipping costs and putting together sales listings).

Teddy

 

Collector definitely I like to have pretty things displayed in my room !!! Cuteness overload!!!!

 

I definitely agree with the "curator" mindset; collecting for the sake of ownership doesn't appeal to me at all and I couldn't enjoy splitting my mental energies across a large collection. I'd always feel like I'm neglecting something and I'd hate the thought of selling something off because of that.

 

I am mostly a collector. I do sew and take pictures of my dolls, but I do not like physically modifying them. I usually prefer default faceups as well but have a few without.
As someone else mentioned, I see dolls in general as toys and the point of toys is play, so I play with my dolls a lot. So I guess I collect in order to play.

 

I consider myself a collector, and I do see my BJDs as artworks! I think they're beautiful! I love admiring their sculpting, their painting, the craftsmanship of their clothes and wigs and eyes, etc. It's why I'm particular about the aesthetics of their body sculpting even though I only see them when I change their clothes and why I like to take a few moments to admire their faceups whenever I remove their wigs. They're gorgeous pieces of art that I enjoy collecting!

 

I'm both. I usually buy a doll because it appeals to me, it doesn't matter if it's because of its aesthetics, I admire the work of a particular artist or simply because it inspires me in some way. My doll collection encompasses a wide range of dolls and I enjoy seeing them in my doll room.

I also enjoy the creative hobbyist side too...sewing/knitting, photographing, building dioramas and writing stories about them.

 

Both?

I do collect dolls for the sake of just collecting them. I have quite a few BJD's that I don't do anything with, mostly my MSD's and smaller dolls. I just enjoy seeing them on a shelf. It makes me smile to be surrounded by my dolls. A have sewn a lot of clothes for them in the past, but mostly have them just on display in my room.

I do a lot of stuff with my SD and larger dolls. They are my main focus. I use them for my photo comic, I write the stories about them. I've done modifications on some of them. They have a fairly extended wardrobe that I have made for them. They have a mountain of props and furniture. I even have a studio set up for them. I invest a lot of time, money, and effort into them. They are the dolls that get me into the hobby part of it all.

I think I always intended to make doll stories with them. It just took me awhile to collect the right dolls for the stories and start writing the story. Now it's like a rabbit hole. I need more characters for my story, that means I need more dolls, so I can write more stories, which will probably lead to more characters and needing more dolls!

 

Hobbyist, who enjoys them as canvas. I always wanted them as another form of bringing my OCs to life/a way of making OCs.
That means that if a doll is "just" pretty, I won't buy it. It needs to fulfill a purpose within my group.

I also do not have the desire to own a great amount, or one of every kind from a specific line or whatever (which would more align with being a collector). If a doll comes around that fits better for my OC, I also have no qualms selling the old one and reshelling the character.

 

I fall more into the hobbyist/curator side of things. My dolls all tell a story, and each one was carefully chosen for their place in that story. It’s a fairytale take on all my life experiences and emotions…a life journal expressed through BJDs. Each doll represents a definitive character that expresses something important to me. I do most of my own faceups, design and make their wardrobes according to whatever fashion style I want to explore, and do my own mods to make them exactly what I need them to be. Then I place them in groupings around my home as artwork in special vignettes that express a part of my personal story in a fantasy way. It’s all a way of spurring my imagination and creativity, giving me a chance to play and work through all the experiences of a long and eventful life. No one is ever collected to just be lined up on a shelf…they all have to “say” something within my rather story-like Bohemian decor.

 

Both - the hobbyist in me loves painting and creating dolls to my likes and specifications - I feel like many of my dolls are mini canvases. However, the collector in me loves acquiring certain fullsets, resin colors, sculpt variations etc. to complete my personal curated collection.

 

I'm a mixture of both.
Definitely a collector since i like to have nice unique things displayed
But also create stuff for my dolls to look pretty and unique

 

Do you consider yourself more of a BJD collector or a BJD hobbyist?
I consider myself more a hobbyist than a collector. My background as a writer is what brought me into dolls, so from the start I jumped in the customization aspect (hybrids, custom face-ups and wigs, dyeing... I've also been doing my own wigs and sewing for a while) so my dolls could look like the characters I had in my mind.
It brings me huge joy just owning them, but I enjoy much more doing things for (I'm working on a MSD-sized diorama right now) and with them (for example, having them with me while I'm window-shipping for them or writing about them).
So, I don't consider my dolls anything but a vessel for my characters (a shell or a canvas if you will), so I can express in them everything that particular character is at least physically.

 

Personally, I think I am in the hobbyist category. I buy a doll for to create a character, play, sew, craft and take pictures, I don't really like only display my dolls most of the time and I also have a limited nimber (I think I would feel overwhelmed with too many dolls )

 

For the most part I consider myself a hobbyist, especially with my current collection. I like getting dolls when I have a fairly specific idea for how I want to customize them, and I really enjoy building props for them as well to create a whole setting. All of my dolls have at least a little modding done, or a lot of modding, or have said mods in the plans for them. I really love the idea of customizing dolls into everything you want them to be, they make amazing canvases for characters, and it's cool to be able to have a 3D/tangible representation of a character you have created!

That being said, I think in the future I will also be on the collector side, too! There's a lot of fullsets that I've come across that I would love to someday own just to keep them in their as-bought condition and display them. That will probably only become a reality when my doll budget is much larger, since fullsets tend to cost much more than the secondhand or blank dolls I'm used to getting, but I really hope someday to also have a few pretty fullsets I fall in love with!

 

Collector, not a hobbyist. When I first got into the hobby I thought I would do lots of faceups, or learn to sew or knit...but I'm slowly coming to accept that I really prefer a doll that's a fully realized artistic vision, and it doesn't have to be my own. I do like to give my dolls characters, but I like to mold the character after what the doll is, instead of having the character first...it helps me bond when I can see what the doll could be.

I'm hoping this will ironically keep me from "buying them all" if I try to focus on fullset or at least dolls with faceups...we'll see!

 

More a collector - I bought fabric to make outfits but I have yet to do so. I pay for wigs and faceups and anything I can't make.

Yeah, I collect them for the joy of looking at them and holding them. I need to get back to doing more photos. I've been really lazy about it.

I've never wanted to collect them all, I'm pretty picky with sculpts. However, I do want to try to downsize.

 

I prefer "enthusiast". But I would say hobbyist rather than collector.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

Little of both. I have some I buy full set cause I like the look and aesthetic and have no plans to alter them. Others I buy knowing full and well I’m going to switch things up, add to and change this and that. Some hit me as ‘perfect as is’, others hit me with inspiration to get crafty and style them completely differently. Just depends on the doll.

 

Hobbyist. Before BJDs, most of my fashion dolls got deboxed and redressed, and I mainly bought what I liked, and not every doll in a series pleased me.

When I started collecting BJDs, I wasn't particularly character-driven, but that became my preferred approach. I like having different companies represented, but only if the doll fits in somewhere in my crew. I'd rather not have a doll just for looks' sake; they have to have a name that sticks, and a group to hang with.

 

Hm, I'd say a little mix of both, but leaning more towards the collector label? I do like creating clothing for my BJDs, but for my general sizing it can be easier to source from other places for their wardrobes. Some dolls are bought for a specific look, some I like to play around with.

 

Generally, I think I'm a little of A and a little of B, though I've slowly transitioned to more B and less A as of late. I got to the point in 2021 where I realized that my collecting had landed me with a bunch of half-complete FOMO purchases that didn't really bring me joy. Once I saw it, I couldn't un-see it. I sold off basically all of my collection in a fit and restarted from the ground up.

Now, I focus on projects I really love and am inspired by. New additions have to really eat at me for a while before I commit to buying them. Dolls I have are worked on to completion and enjoyed both as a process and as a final product rather than as something I'm just happy to own that sits in a box somewhere.

 

I'm a hobbyist!

I play with them, change their clothes, do their faceups, sew for them, take pics, write out full characters and backstories, then roleplay them with others. I have....quite a few....right now, but I don't consider myself a collector because I tend to rotate dolls in and out of my crew. I'd say on average, a doll stays with me maybe 1-2 years (though some leave within a week of arriving and my first is still here 16 years later--there's no telling when they get here how long they'll stay). Then I sell or trade it for something else. I love the dolls and the hobby, but I tend to be impulsive and also get bored of the same thing for too long, so I'm constantly refreshing my crew.

 

I’m a collector, I don’t have any skills to customize or make anything myself besides maybe simple jewelry or accessories. I can style them, pose them for display, and photograph them so it feels a little like a curator more than collector. Collecting is a hobby though so I don’t really know what I am, lol!

 

I guess I'm more of a collector? I don't physically customize them myself; I have that done for me because I either don't have the skills or the materials to do it myself. I like the indirect creative aspect of it, I guess. I used to take photos of my dolls more but haven't done so in a very long time.

 

I am a collector of dolls in general - but I am trying to get into dolls as a hobby too. Mostly painting and customizing though, I don't think I have the patience for sewing.

 

Hobbyist here. I can't really afford a full decked out doll so when I started with a naked eyeless boy with only a face up to his name it became this fun quest to find who he was. Styling his wig lead to buying a completely blank doll and trying to do a faceup as well as making a wig from scratch. I've fallen in love with slowly creating these characters and improving my skills. Eventually I want to learn how to make my own eyes next!

 

I’m a hobbyist ^.^ I like trying new craft projects and really love making wigs and doing faceups. I’d love to try every aspect of styling a doll myself at least once! (Making eyes, sewing an outfit, etc)

 

More of a collector, although I do like to rescue older dolls and restore them.

 

I'm a hobbyist! I don't collect dolls, I collect characters~

That being said... most of my dolls have faceups by me, bar some of my custom dollfie dreams, and I make wigs, eyes, sew, take photos, draw them, and write stories about them! Buying things for them is always fun too, of course, but my most favourite thing of all is "experiencing them", really. Being able to have them with me, keeping me company, play with them, throw them little parties on their "birthdays" and so on...

 

I am a hobbyist desperately fighting against the desire to be a collector.

Having had dozens upon dozens of dolls pass through my hands, I can't keep everything I think is beautiful because of space concerns and also because I end up in emotional anguish for some reason if I have 10 or more dolls (the feeling of having "too much" hits me).

That doesn't mean I don't want to keep everything. I do to some extent. But that isn't practical or healthy for me.

 

A little bit of both I suppose. I have some fullset dolls I won't ever alter, and a couple that I'm customizing that once they're done, will also very likely just be pretty guys to keep in my cabinet. I have a couple other character I'm trying to shell into dolls, and I'm already thinking of different outfits I could try to give them, which honestly is an interesting feeling for me, because even my fashion dolls I don't really play with or change their clothes.
And mostly the hobbyist part comes from a) having very specific ideas for characters in mind that I can't find already made and b) the "I could do that" devil that whispers in my ears when I see a crafty thing xD I will have to admit to myself that I will likely NOT be making wigs though. I hate wig making. I will spend the money to get one if it means i don't have to attempt making wigcaps again.

 

I'm a collector, but part of me would love to be a hobbyist because it looks like so much fun. I gave it a try, but sadly it's not for me. ^^"

So maybe I'm more of an admirer of other people's creativity? Secret fourth option: the BJD admirer. Heh.

 

My dolls are both pieces of art that I can use to express myself and create, and also a thing I enjoy collecting, showing off, and learning more about. There isn't one specific thing about them that drew me in, but the sheer variety and the amount of possibilities out there. Bottom line though I do consider myself a collector who enjoys creating for their dolls as a hobby

 

I consider myself more of a hobbyist; although, I find myself wanting to collect one of each body type from Pasha Pasha. I have a Simply Beautiful and an Original. Just need to add a mini!

I love sewing, knitting, and crocheting them clothes! I also learned how to do faceups which are pretty fun too.

 

Hobbyist for sure! The biggest reason I was so drawn into BJDs was because of how customizable they are! I have other figures that I collect, but for BJDs I want to do more than just have them sitting on my shelves.

 

I'm definitely more of a hobbyist, but I wouldn't *not* call myself a collector in some ways. But a lot of the fun in the hobby for me comes from doing faceups, making clothing to dress them up, taking photos of them. I don't really know how to go about transitioning from collector to doing stuff since that's not what I did myself, but for anyone wanting to do that I'd just recommend finding another part of the hobby that you enjoy and focusing on it for awhile.

 

Definitely a hobbyist. I guess I could say I do collect specific sculpts that I like and so not just any sculpt will do, but overall I like canvases I can work on as a project. Customising everything in the way I like, create personalities, stories, backgrounds, as well as taking photos. So I collect the sculpts I like to then be a hobbyist with them.
I guess because when I started I was already into things like photography, writing, sewing, crafting in general, bjds just fit perfectly into the mix to continue doing stuff I like in a different way. It felt like a very natural progression for me.

 

I like to collect things, but in this I'm a hobbyist. I don't feel comfortable just displaying the dolls, because of the price and because of people's perceptions of them. Doing things with them and making them more into art dolls helps with both of those things.

 

Collector. I enjoy making things for them but not altering the doll itself, me and paints don’t get along very well

 

My dolls are canvases. I'm a storyteller and the birther of their souls.

 

Hmmm.. i'd say i'm a little bit of both. I like doing things for them like sewing, crocheting and knitting for them, and create their own world where they have their own life and interests, and take photos of them. But sometimes i get lazy and i just like to look a them, dreaming of all the things i will do with them... later

 

Hmm I think I am more of a Hobbyist? I only have the one Little Snow and two offtopic Smart Dolls, but I love posing them, taking photos of them, and telling their stories together with my wife. At the moment it just delights me to have them near me as I play games, draw, watch TV or change their clothes and see them smile. I would love to take up sewing and wig-making one day, and am dipping my toes into 3D printing props for Yukiko, but at the moment just doting on them is enough for me
I do love seeing the different styles of Doll Collectors though, there is so much creativity and expression found here, it's inspiring!

 

I think I’m more of a collector, although I enjoy customizing at times but not all dolls necessarily have to tinkered with, maybe just some tlc

 

Out of the two options, I’d say that I’m more of a collector. I like growing my doll collection and admiring my dolls’ existence

The curator title that was brought up earlier in this thread fits me too, since I love creating personalities and backgrounds for dolls. Taking photos of them is nice too!

Doing faceups and making clothes and other items for dolls interests me, but I don’t know if I’d be any good at it. I’ll definitely give it a try sometime though!

 

A collector with an embarrassing amount of blank dolls (because I want to do their face ups myself and get good at it). I have zero interest in fullsets, though I don’t sew so do buy all my doll’s clothes.

But one with aspirations to be a hobbyist and artist myself! I have a background in sculpting and love all things miniature. Hopefully when my kids are older, I’ll have more time.

I’m now not allowing myself to buy more blank dolls until I ‘finish’ those I have on a basic level - eyes, wig, faceup, outfit. Some have been waiting 3-4 years now.

 

I’m definitely a collector and have always been into collecting and gathering, as a child i was more into stuffed animals than dolls (This was long before i knew what a bjd was) and would get my hands on crane machine plushies every time i got the chance, now i collect mostly dolls and my pace of collecting really depends on price and how much i want the item. (& the availability) My dollfie dreams and such have often been hunted down for days which consists of me trying to find a head i really want for a body that i’ve chosen after a lot of pondering, Since they take up a lot of space i don’t have many dolls in my family yet but i really hope to grow my collection in the future, (i only have one doll i consider a bjd) I absolutely see bjds as art (which i do with any dolls) but i specifically admire bjd because of their craftmanship and quality, i want to customise dolls in the future but i don’t really have the space or proper supplies yet

 

100% hobbyist. I buy specific BJD sculpts that fit my characters and customize as how I envision them.