Do you hide your hobby from certain people?

Not actively hide, but I don't talk about it with people who aren't my absolute closest friends at this point. I feel really silly about it, but I'm a transgender man and I get afraid that people will tell me I'm actually a woman if they know I like dolls.

 

i tend to hide most my hobbies like i collect anime figure,cosplay and of course bjd but i dont really share it with what my friends call "normies" i know kinda stupid, but in my experience people who arent into collecting/nerd culture esc things dont tend to be as kind about things as compared to someone who has a collecting hobby with high value items

 

I don't hide it from people but I definitely don't show everyone. I find it is an acquired taste so I tend to ask lots of questions to see if its something that interests them. The only rude comments I've received are that its 'creepy' or childish.

 

i'm in the same boat as you, also a trans man and always worried about dealing with the dang gender expectations involved with dolls :-/

although it doesn't help that i'm also in my mid twenties and my interest in dolls always seems to come hand in hand with folks assuming its a sexual thing or something skeevy cause i'm a grown man collecting dolls

i don't generally talk about them with my irl friends anymore just cause of mixed responses that left me feeling upset, easier to just avoid the topic altogether than to deal with the poking fun at my expense lol, but in online spaces i'm a lot more open about being into BJDs and most of my online friends are either into them or at least appreciate them

 

I do not hide it but I am not telling everyone.
Sometimes when someone ask how much I had spent for a doll or clothes I did not tell the truth...

 

somewhat. I am probably too self conscious about it, most of the folks I've told about the hobby think it's neat - even if it isn't for them. I definitely have to work up a little extra courage to talk about how much it costs, haha.

 

I do because in the first few years in the hobby, i was bullied by family about how much i was spending on them. It's still unclear what they felt i should be spending it on, but eventually I stopped telling them.

 

I really only tell my SO about my dolls and friends in the hobby. I showed my boss and she was cool about it. Other than that its a huge secret to my family.

 

I don't really hide it to anyone and i'm comfortable showing my doll to my other social media accounts. Everyone around me knows i'm so much into dolls, some are creeped out but it doesn't annoy or scare me off.

 

No, I don't hide. Several times even brought my BJD to the office)

 

Really some people are scary of dolls (thanks to movies). Sometimes my husband says: "She is creepy, because she looks at me." But even thus, he supports me in my hobby

 

Not really hide the dolls, but there is no way I'd tell my parents how much I spent on them. Even though I'm a grown adult and don't need their approval, I know they would not approve of the cost.

 

I don't share my hobby with new people, I put the dolls in their boxes and everything when new people come over. My family and close friends know about my hobby and the dolls but only the friends I have that collect them know what I paid for them. I found most people are fine with it until they know what you paid and then they look at you like your crazy.

 

I do not really hide my hobby (e.g. if I invate somebody over I do not tend to hide the dolls), but not telling about it to new people either. My family and closer friends know about it. Some people in the past made some negative commets, so I do not feel like telling about it to new people. I moved abroad about year ago and none of my new friends really know about my hobby.

 

I’m not actively hiding my doll but I’m really dreading when my family comes across him or when they ask me about all the packages I receive. I don’t think they’d really accept the hobby and they’d been appalled at how much money the dolls cost. I’m a really private person because I’m so afraid of being judged.

 

When I started this hobby, I was in high school. I was super embarrassed, and kept it a secret from almost everyone, minus my parents and a few fellow nerdy friends I went to anime conventions with (who were very nice and supportive!) Now in my mid-twenties, I've come back to the hobby, and I've been thinking about this and how these conversations might go. I actually told someone the other day, for the first time since getting back into BJD - she had specifically asked me if I had any "nerdy hobbies", and we were in a comic shop, so I felt pretty safe, haha. Otherwise, I'm planning on leaving my dolls displayed in my bedroom, so I supposed I will have those conversations, if/when they comes up.

The only point I might withhold is how much they cost - if the person is a collector, they'll know the expenses that come with that; if they're not, I don't think they need to know, haha. I'm looking forward to seeing what others in this thread have to say!

 

At fist yes. But then I realized that it’s my personal life, my choice what to do with my time and my money and nobody can tell me otherwise! I even got my sister in this hobby but she already kinda likes toys and stuffed animal etc. But I know so many brave people who do what they like in their life and I wanna be like them! Don’t you ever let anyone tell you how to live your life or that your hobby is crazy or weird. Not everyone likes to do the same stuff and that’s the best part of being a person. Being you!

 

I don't hide, but also don't advertise, .Some people are careless about other people's property, because "this is just a doll" and I would like to avoid it.

 

Hm, I don't hide it but I don't mention it to people who I don't think will be at all interested. I'm not really embarrassed per se, but I don't want to annoy people who don't care. My friends are sweet but I'd feel bad putting them in a position where they might feel they'd have to feign interest to be polite.

 

Honestly, I tell just about anyone I'm acquainted with about my dolls - especially my coworkers. Some of them really like seeing my dolls, which I think is cool. But I always try to downplay it with the post-office people. I remember selling a minifee head to someone overseas, and the post office people (a girl around high school age) asked me to declare what it was. I told her it was a doll head and it was super awkward. She just looked at me like "Sorry what - just the head???" It didn't help that there was a line of people and the room was quiet. XD

 

I don’t hide my hobbies, so a lot of people know I have dolls, sew and do other crafty stuff. People are generally accepting, but I’ve always been a bit weird. I think people are more concerned that I’m not trying to make money from my hobbies.

 

Oh, definitely. I used to a lot more, but now I don't hide it, I just don't actively talk about it. I'm a non-binary trans man, and before I knew I was non-binary, I had really (sometimes toxic, I'll admit) fragile masculinity, and I felt like I had something to "uphold." It didn't help that some of my friends called my pictures of them creepy, but to be fair, a picture with the phone flash on of an eyeless, half done face in a dim room? Yeah, it was a little creepy. Now most of my friends casually joke when I bring it up, but most of them keep their mouths shut instead of being negative. I think the whole friend group has grown up a little bit, because we've, well, literally grown up over the past few years.

 

My family and close friends know and are supportive even though they themselves wouldn’t get them. In the past, I’ve had things I like that others have found as odd, which makes me hesitant to share my hobbies. I really enjoy them and that’s what matters most to me, so I don’t feel like I need to tell others.

 

I've never really tried to hide my doll hobby from anyone. Then again, I don't try to hide much of anything. I am definitely a "this is who I am/what I do" kind of woman. Some people think I'm weird. Hell, I am weird. But my friends love me for it anyway.

My doll is such a huge part of my life that trying to keep her a secret would be like trying to keep my dress size hidden. Ain't gonna happen, cap'n.

 

I don't think I really hide my hobby from anyone, but it's not something I really ever think to bring up in conversation that often. I brought up my hobby to my mom and friends when I commissioned an artist to do face ups for two of my dolls, and they reacted pretty positively. I mean, they weren't like super excited or anything. More of just mild interest, which I'll take.

 

For me I rarely tell anyone about the hobby. For some reason in my life its easier to tell someone I collect Barbies (Which I do as well as BJDs), then tell someone I collect BJDs. I have found that people glance over or otherwise don't care about the Barbies (which I have a lot of), but for some reason dolls on a bigger, (and more expensive), scale freak people out and cause them to say negative things. My doll collector brain doesn't understand why people think and say the things they do.

 

I am older. My children were exposed to movies that made out that dolls were evil (was one "Chuckie" ? - but there were others) and this seems to have ruined an entire generation about the care and nurturing that dolls establish in young and old. Well - whatever. I have NOT mentioned this new hobby to my kids - I know what their reactions would be!

 

I get a lot of grief about how much money goes into the hobby and how much I make Also, some people look at me like I'm a nutcase and it really bothers me.

 

Yeeaaaah that guy didn't last much longer on that forum. My co-mods agreed with me when the guy eventually threatened to break into my house and destroy my dolls "as a favor" my co-mod gave him a "discussion" in the DM's about not acting like a jerk because of someone's hobby. Made it clear if he didn't like my hobby he didn't have to comment on it since I went out of my way to keep it from being easily viewed. I even used spoiler tags for doll pics and put plenty of warning up.

 

Good that that's solved, at least. I will never understand people like that --sure, you might think someone's interests are the polar opposite of yours, but where do people even find the energy to actively deride someone for liking something?
Lukcily you have a whole forum here with people that will only understand and encourage this hobby

Personally I don't really hide my doll, but it depends on the person whether I will talk about it openly. I spam my two best friends (both completely uninterested in dolls as a whole and not crafty types either) with pictures, and they humour me and give me compliments and serious feedback.
But my significant other, with whom I'm currently in a long-distance relationship (academia, y'all ._.), will just have to find out about the resin addition to the household when he gets back. I won't put the doll away, but I won't send him pictures or blabber about it either. Our shared world is one rooted in our field of work and in 'high culture'; it doesn't really include crafting. I'm sure he'll be ok with it, but it probably won't lead to any shared enthusiasm so I don't bother.
(I won't tell my mother either, but she and I hsve very different ideas about what one should spend money on. None of my hobbies seem to make the mark.)

 

I have been thinking about this topic ever since I first saw the thread a few days ago. Tbh I've had some hardships in this hobby but I really enjoy it and I love participating but for some reason when it comes time to show my dolls/talk about them I get so bottles up and anxious. It's one of the reasons why I never made an Doll account to post photos. I'm proud of my dolls but I think I'm just fearful for what people will say about them LOL so my friends don't know, only my mother and me really!

I hope one day I can change that though!

 

No, because pretty much everyone who knows me knows that I'm pretty unconventional, and this applies to my hobbies as well. I actually tell most people, especially when I get excited about something, just because I can't keep thoughts to myself. Most people are creeped out and fascinated all at once. I've never been negatively judged except by people who are generally deemed unpleasant by most other people.

One thing that I have been frequently asked by my mom, who is primarily the one I talk to about this even though she knows nothing about the hobby, is if I tell people how much these dolls cost and I have to tell her I absolutely do NOT tell anyone what they cost. Beyond it being nobody's business, it's just kinda tacky to announce how much money you have to throw around.

 

No, everybody knows about my hobby
My family are really supportive of it and always take an interest

I've had the occasional "HOW MUCH?! " comments though haha
My mother and mother in law always ask about my next dolly project and will pick me little bits and pieces up from places that they think I could use for doll crafting (Diorama making etc)
My Husband likes to collect figurines / statues and I collect bjds now.

I did recently have a guy in to work on some electrics in my house who asked if my bedroom belonged to one of my children though (because of all the figures / doll and diorama) I told him that it was my room and he gave me a weird look and a 'righttttt' LOL

 

I just started with BJDs (my first will be here tomorrow ), but back when I collected Blythe I didn't broadcast it, but I would talk about them if collecting or dolls came up. I also posted photos occasionally on social media. I never really got any negative comments from anyone, outside of comments that Blythe is creepy looking. But I've always been weird and have other "creepy" stuff at home so it wasn't anything I hadn't dealt with before.

I'm very open at home, they were all over. My husband has a much larger "toy" collection than I do so he really can't say anything about any part of this hobby, even the cost.

 

I hide my hobby from anyone outside of my household, friends online, and work, oddly enough.
My household doesn't mind my hobby, they think it's cute (or creepy, since I show them creepy dolls)
My coworkers think it's weird but they listen to me when I fawn over it
And of course my online friends are either into it, or they think it's cute/cool as heck.

 

I get a lot of mixed reactions, so I don't really tell many people about my hobby. A couple coworkers know, a few friends know, and a couple family members know. That's enough for me

 

I don't actively try to hide it, but I won't bring it up if given the chance. Only my girlfriend and best friend know about my doll. They're both cool with it, but I don't want to feel like I have to justify my hobby, especially since it's so expensive. I'm happy just keeping it to myself. ‍

 

I feel like I have to hide it until I've sussed out what the other person's reaction will be. For example, I wouldn't tell my mother or sisters because they'd be disgusted by it, but if I knew that a friend collected similar things themselves I wouldn't hesitate to bring it up and maybe show a picture or two.

But that's not the only reason! It's also nice to keep my hobbies close to my chest, because they're just for me and no one else can take them away from me. Not that I feel like I have to guard them or anything... it's just nice to be alone with myself and my preoccupations sometimes.

 

I used to try to hide my hobby a bit because I wasn’t very confident about a lot of things. But later I stopped caring about what people think of it. A lot of people I know are supportive of it and I think it’s easier for me to talk about it because I am an artist and I make work which is quite unconventional so people very often see my dolls as an extension of my art. My parents are very very supportive of my dolls and love how happy they make me.

 

I'm highly selective about who I share this hobby of mine with. My parents know, though one sees no value because it can be quite expensive. My boyfriend is only just now starting to think my dolls are not ~creepy~ after all. I have a couple of childhood friends who got into this hobby with me that know the extent of everything.
But that's about it.
I only really consider sharing with people if they show an interest in anime or things of that nature. I can frame the dolls as sort of like display figures from an anime, and people are more receptive. I come from a very small town with very closed-minded people. I'm only just starting to move past the point of caring what everyone thinks of me, but I'm not quite there yet.

 

I understand where you are coming from. I only tell people who seem interested. But, most people don't think about dolls like I do, they think I'm talking about those cheap porcelain dolls.

 

I do hide my hobby from other people. my main hobby is doll house miniatures and I have had people think that was strange and childish. But i have dealt with it and got used to the reactions as i show them collector/heirloom style houses that they did not know existed. My parents accept my miniature hobby and help me with things but my mum said "there won't be dolls in it? I hate dolls." They think they are for kids so i won't be telling them and hiding my doll from them.
I have told one of my friends as they were discussing their lego and funko pop collection and they were supportive. If anyone showed interest in dolls or mentioned an interest or it was their hobby i would tell them. But otherwise i am happy keeping it a secret.

 

So I’m not ashamed of getting into the BJD community, I just know some people won’t understand. It’s like the pot calling the kettle black for me lol. I never understood how people could collect Pokémon cards. Or action figures. I never called them weird or judged them. I just didn’t understand. I realize people in my life will have the SAME reaction. My boyfriend for example won’t judge me. But he won’t understand it. And I keep this hidden from him because I know when we argue he will be petty and use it as ammunition and attack me like the hobby is wrong. My mother too. Her one sided blind outlook would be “you're collecting dolls? You play with dolls at your age?” People just don’t understand unless it’s something they like. So I’m not ashamed of the hobby just don’t want to be judged

 

Dolls were actually a compromise with my partners (yes, plural, I'm polyamorous) since they didn't want furbies in the house--so I got into dolls instead and then BJDs. One of my partners asked me to not have a huge pile of dolls like I do my plushies (my "plush children" as my partners call them), and I told him that the current plan wasn't to have that many, but no promises.

When I was visiting my mother and randomly commented to her about my BJDs, she complained she had just threw out something doll-related and "why couldn't you have told me earlier!?" Which is no surprise, as she collects Kewpie dolls. My brothers are just kind of confused by my hobbies in general, not just my dolly hobbies, so no surprise there either.

Otherwise, I haven't really kept it a secret, but I have made sure to keep my spam of dolly photos and chatter to an "opt-in" since I have several friends who have phobias of mannequins and porcelain dolls--which are close enough that I don't want to accidentally trigger them, if I can avoid it.

So far I haven't run into anyone saying negative things, but with the pandemic I also haven't been dealing with coworkers or other people I can't just boot out of my life if they're going to be an ass about things that make me happy.

 

I wouldn't say I "hide" it per se, but I don't go out of my way to show my crew off to people I know wouldn't really understand the whole doll thing. I know that not everyone is keen on these little guys. haha

 

I don’t tell everyone. I pick and choose who to tell that I personally feel wouldn’t judge or make fun of me for being in the hobby.

 

I generally only tell someone about my hobby if I feel like they will potentially understand me. They're usually people who are close to me personally or those whom I know to have interests that are somehow close to bjd hobby (i.e. art, crafts, anime, japanese street fashion, etc.).
Random people don't need to know, although in certain circumstances I could share this information with them. But in this case I'm definitely not going to tell about the prices. People around me already have enough reasons to call me crazy : D

 

Only a close friend of me knows about the hobby I like. I prefer to hide it from most people because a bunch* of reasons. (Most people find weird adults collecting dolls, specially if the items are expensive.)

 

My family and my husband all know about my dolls. My mom was very supportive of my interest from the beginning, way back when I was still in high school. She’s an artist like me, and she collects paintings, prints, pottery, etc, so she’s very understanding of the high price tag associated with artist-made goods. Other artists gotta eat too! She’s the one who actually bought me my first doll as a Christmas present in college.

My sisters teased me a bit in the beginning, but they don’t care anymore.

I’ll admit, I hid my BJD hobby from my husband until last year (when we got married). I was so worried that he’d think I was weird (like an ex once did), but he was just glad that I had a hobby that made me happy. This past year, he’s helped me a lot with my miniature and dollhouse building projects for my tinies.

I’m fortunate that being an artist, this hobby isn’t really that weird amongst the artist community. I know tons of other artists who collect kitschy vintage memorabilia, Barbies, action figures, etc. So BJDs aren’t that out of place. I don’t go around telling everyone about my dolls, but if it came up organically in conversation with another artist, I’d mention it.

 

I'm selective about who knows about my hobbies in general since people can be judgey. My parents know about my dolls since I had them in their house while I was living there, but they have no idea how much they cost. If they did, I’d never hear the end of it.

 

Honestly, I don't actively hide my hobby from anyone. If someone is my friend, then they know. I don't really get into all the details unless someone really wants to know, but I basically convey it's an arts/crafts hobby for me. Most people I know couldn't care less about me being a doll collector and usually seem curious about why I collect.

If someone is enough of a turd to pass judgement, then I don't pay them any mind. I'm a grown ass woman who really doesn't have have the time or energy to waste on negative people. I don't let them ruin my hobby for me. :P Been there, done that and in the end those types of people are probably judging you for 100 other things that don't really matter.

I'm lucky my family, friends and boyfriend all have been supremely cool about it. I know it's not the same for everyone, but I find the less that I "care" about someone's unwarranted opinion, they become less inclined to give it once they realize it has no effect.

 

I used to only post pictures of my dolls somewhere only a selected few friends in real life (and friends in this hobby) can see. But recently after I've taken some really nice pictures I just post them for everyone to see, including my coworkers and people I went to college with.

I don't bother hiding my proud pictures and dolls for most of the time now. There are people making somewhat rude or ignorant comments, but most people just think my babies are 'really well-made barbies'. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I guess I don't care that much at my age (I'm in my late twenties). They can have their opinions and I can post my pictures.

 

I'm semi-selective about who gets to know about my dolls, just like I'm semi-selective about who gets to know pretty much anything else substantial about my life. My parents know, of course, as I started collecting under their roof, and all of my close friends have known of the hobby for years (one is even an active participant herself!). My now-husband has been aware that I collect dolls from the earliest days of us dating, though it took quite a bit of time before I let him in on the exact price points we play with here. Casual acquaintances and such are typically none-the-wiser, but I'm fairly private about a lot of my life anyway.

It's not that I make a concerted effort to hide it from people, but more that it rarely comes up and I'm acutely aware that they're off-putting for some, so I'd rather not invite the criticism by flaunting it all over the place. I make it easy so that anyone who is interested can find and learn more about my dolls, but anyone who would rather not is free to act like they don't exist. I haven't received any negative comments in years (about the dolls, at least, but my Furbys are a different story...).

 

I don't share this hobby with many either. Even my future partner things bjd's are creepy. However I proudly display my dolls right on my desk. (at least the ones that are finished) I hope I can find some friends here! Since the irl people in my life are less into dolls than i am. I'm sorry your friend looked at you strange I hope it gets better.

 

I don't think I'll tell my dad about getting back into the hobby, as he's kind of the one who pressured me out of it initially. Not directly, but he finds (well, found as it happened when I was back in college) them to be too expensive for a hobby when I have more important things to be spending my money on, like student loans. But I'm moving into my fiance's house and he's super supportive of them, as are all of my friends and the rest of my family. And as a plus, whenever my fiance is feeling weird about something he enjoys but the pressure from something (even himself just feeling society's judgement) I remind him that I play with dolls and we're both weird.

 

I definitely feel reluctant to talk about the hobby with people who aren't into it. While you never know how someone will react, I don't want to put myself in a position where I would ever have to defend myself. I definitely would because I enjoy it and am proud of it, but there aren't many people who are open to things they aren't familiar with, sadly. If you're lucky enough to know/meet someone you feel comfortable with and who is open and accepting to different kinds of things, then cheers to you! I did mention it with one friend before and they gave me a sort of "Ohhh" reaction which wasn't terrible, but didn't feel great. They express interest in it from time to time and ask me about it, but I still feel awkward after that initial reaction.

 

I am very fortunate to have a supportive boyfriend who finds my dolls cute and even helps me make props for them. Other than him, I don't mention/discuss the hobby with anyone else. I had tried to bring it up to a friend awhile ago, and I could tell she thought it was weird. I don't mind keeping the hobby 'private' though - using these forums and talking to people in the community is more fun imo! ^^

 

I've only recently gotten into a position where I can buy dolls, so before that I never talked about it to anyone. My fiance now knows, but he knows all about collecting things so I don't think it was too big a stretch for him. It doesn't hurt that he really enjoys brushing doll hair

I dont know that I would necessarily share it with anyone else, definitely not coworkers I don't know. But if it came up somehow in conversation and I felt comfortable I wouldn't lie about it (I've lived enough of my life in a closet lol).

The pandemic has also kept people from coming over, so I haven't really thought about the dolls I have out as far as how to explain them or whatever. I'd probably lump them in with other collectibles and honestly the person's response would determine how much I'd value the friendship going forward.

Nobody that is in your life should use this hobby as ammunition against you in any type of argument, tho, unless maybe you're being financially irresponsible or its preventing you from living a full life in some way. That type of pettiness really speaks to different issues and I hope if anyone has people like that in their life that they can find the strength to move on to a happier situation, whatever and however that looks for them.

 

Not anymore. I have a glass display cabinet in my loungeroom and tend to share it on my socials. I make no effort to hide what I like when asked honestly but do tend to not broach the conversation with people not very close to me.

I like to think I am too old and too cranky to give a damn. I am okay with this.

 

Yes, from my family mostly - especially when I first started. Last year was the first year that I openly allowed my family to talk about them, although they probably are aware of them since I've always had them out on display but I just refused to talk about them. I was surprised to find out that one of my family members actually has a friend who is super active on Insta regarding their balljointed doll. Since they found out, they've actually been surprisingly supportive and non-judgmental about the price of the dolls, and are even encouraging me to do faceups and sewing.

I do have a couple of people who are just creeped out by the dolls, including my favorite niece. It's a bit sad for me, but I try not to make it too big a deal. Although I've been trying to get her to stop saying they're 'creepy' cuz it's started to make me feel uncomfortable.