Does becoming a "crazy doll lady/person" concern you?

I'm not certain that "crazy doll lady" would be the appropriate term. Pretty sure my dolls won't eat me after I'm dead. :P

Jokes aside...meh? A sizeable portion of adults today either watch cartoons/anime, read comics/manga, play video games, or collect figures/figurines. Collecting dolls isn't exactly going be the first thing on people's make-fun-of-for-"not-growing-up" agenda, nor is it out of the norm for how people spend their leisure (i.e. doing what they did as a kid, but with adult insight in mind). In any case, being stereotyped as a crazy woman in a rocking chair with her dolls is preferable to me than being stereotyped as a fat manchild with a Cheeto-puff-stained T-shirt that owns hundreds of body pillows. lol

 

That boat has already sailed before I even left my teens. I’ve always had dolls and I can’t see myself ever not having them. Since I treat bjd as another artistic hobby and I’m writing their story, and getting ready to assume the Comparison Heaven website, my creative friends just take it in stride as a thing I do and I don’t really care what the general public thinks. I’m not really much of a geek/nerd, those were labels I kind of worked at to escape back when they were not cool, lol...and I’m not into fandoms so I’m often pushed a little forward as the more normie among my doll bunch here and I hosted the bjd meets at the library with a friend for quite a while, quite official, or so it seemed, heh. Sometimes making it a Society or a Club lends the gravitas needed to not get the weird looks and questions, it worked for us anyway. But yes, behind the scenes, crazy doll chick 4lyfe.

 

collecting is a natural habit for most humans. We place value on items that have special meaning or make us feel a certain way.
Out group just happens to be attracted to dollies.. being labelled 'crazy' is just a way to make you feel bad for what is natural.

 

I am pretty sure that I will be - or maybe already am? - that ‚crazy doll person‘, and I am not ashamed of being in love with dolls, and basically toys of all kinds. My doll collection has a worthy rival in my LEGO collection... Then there my anime figurines... the Skylanders... and the MLP toys... and finally all my LARP, tabletop and RPG stuff... My house is basically an adult child‘s paradize.

 

I hit 'crazy doll lady' status some time ago, so... no use worrying about what's already occurred!

 

I am 24 in a months time and my entire home is filled with all kinds of collectable toys.. so my dolls just feel right at home here... I move them around the house and I’m really not concerned about them becoming a larger part of my collection anyone who comes into my home knows who I am and I’m definitely not one to hide my hobbies or interests.. personally, I hope my dolls multiply to the point of creeping people out, because for some reason that makes me really happy

 

I am pretty new to the hobby and apart from my MH-doll-collection I have only a few BJD's... obviously that is enough for my friends, because to them I already are the "crazy-doll-person"
Personally, I don't care. I have always been considered weird and my closest friends are used to it. I am what I am

 

Not really. You only turn to the crazy doll lady if you accept that you might've become crazy doll lady.

 

I have no issues with being a crazy dog lady, I also have no issues with being a crazy doll lady. :P

 

I'm already a "Crazy cat Lady" so ... whatever

 

I am already a crazy doll lady and I totally don't mind.

 

I definitely feel like I have too many BJDs. In a very short span of time I accumulated a large number of dolls, cause getting them kind of became like an addiction. o.o But many of them don't even have clothes or shoes or wigs so there's no point in displaying them! Plus, I don't have room for them all.

 

I got to thinking about this more after re-reading the OP and some of these concerns are so relevant, I have a little more to say...

This fits so many people in hobbies...I really dislike the mainstream media for ridiculing hobby or even lifestyle-based things by focusing on some sensational views-grabbing cases that do not represent anyone but the few most outre examples in any given lifestyle or hobby. Anime? Sure, interview the pillow-toting so-called western ‘otaku’! Lolita fashion? Find the living dolls! Online gamers? Find the most basement dwelling Cheeto-encrusted awkward ones. Females into manga or fanfic? Focus on fujoshi! Goths? Find a Satan worshiper or cutter if you can.
BAH!! No wonder so many people are hesitant to be forthcoming with their hobbies even when most of us are none of the above, most doll collectors will NOT become ‘crazy doll ladies, creepy doll guys, insert some other negative doll person stereotype here’ But good luck trying to successfully put this across in general when so many peoples first impression is a negative one.

On the other hand, maybe it’s time for some of us who do not care what people think (and who have the luxury of not having to care about it!) to start that blog or YouTube channel.

 

Tbh I wouldn't care about the label that much I've always had labels attached to me "crazy teddy girl" "weeb" "Ladyman" stupid stuff and tbh that's all it is just a label that means nothing, don't let it ruin what you enjoy

 

I've already got tons of crazy labels attached to me "crazy doll person" is just one more *shrug*

 

I do not care how people see me and my dolls. I love them. I have spent a lot of time and money on them.

 

Not really. The "crazy doll lady", like the stereotypical "crazy cat lady", is an invention created by a society that can't stand single women who are independent and don't need a man to give their life meaning. So instead of saying oh, she takes such good care of her cats, or oh, her doll collection is awesome, they say we're hoarding and crazy. I do not care what society thinks. I like both cats and dolls.

 

Honestly most of my coworkers would probably be confused if they learned I found joy in BJDs because of an incident several of us had in getting creeped out by a doll who used to be in my workplace. Some past employee or volunteer had made a child-sized cloth doll that used to sit out on display. While close up it didn't look particularly realistic, its size made it easily mistaken for a child at a distance, scaring anyone who came upon it unexpectedly (especially if the lighting was dim). Finally, to the relief of all, someone took it out of the building and gave it to their very young granddaughter, who reportedly loved it. What startled me was not it being a "creepy doll" but coming up on something unexpectedly and having it be something other than what I thought it was. I don't have to worry about that with my MSDs - they're stylized, miniaturized versions of my characters and couldn't be mistaken for children in the dark. xD

That said, everyone is creeped out by something, and it is hard to refrain from judgment when someone you know loves something that you find unsettling. Someone who's afraid of spiders or snakes would have a hard time visiting someone who had pet tarantulas or boa constrictors, for example...so I'm sure someone who's afraid of dolls would be unsettled if they visited me and saw my dolls. I'm self-conscious and have a hard time explaining what I enjoy/why I choose to live my life the way I do in general, so I usually keep my doll collecting to myself, though I don't actively hide it (I just don't really have visitors over to my apartment - not much space for social gatherings, and I'm not inclined toward social activities anyway). I know that part of of the negative perception of doll owners is a lack of understanding of the hobby, while part of it's a difference in lifestyle and in priorities. I find many pastimes and passions difficult to comprehend, but that doesn't make them any less valid or important to the hobbyists who find value and meaning and joy in them...something I try to remember when I worry that others might judge me (or when I start to judge others).

Even within the hobby, I'm sure there's judgment - people who have cheap dolls vs. expensive dolls, one doll vs. one hundred, those who buy secondhand or those who buy new, those who own rare dolls and those who only get the most popular. "Crazy" means something different to everyone. As long as you know your limits and are happy with your hobby...well, it's likely impossible to never care what others think, for humans are social creatures, but hopefully your enjoyment can outweigh the judgment of others as well as make you more tolerant of the "crazy" collections of your coworkers, friends, and relatives.

 

Self control is definitely important. I feel like it is cool to express your love for doll but it’s not okay to to shove it in others’ faces and force them to understand. It just takes a while to adjust but at the end of the day everyone has a hobby and as long as it’s healthy it’s fine.

 

I don't see any conflict between being a mature, elegant person & loving dolls. Dolls are not a substitute for children for me as I never had/wanted any. They are beautiful examples of art & are definitely more elegant than many socially accepted collectibles. I'm in my 60s now & have been involved with dolls for over 30 years. (Having never liked them as a child this became quite the surprise to me.) I often refer to myself as a crazy old doll & cat lady but in a joking way. I don't consider having dolls as being anymore out of the mainstream as those who collect stamps or coins. In fact, dolls are the #2 collectible behind stamps & coins which are lumped together for some reason. If they were split, dolls would win hands down as the most collected item.

I collect dolls & currently mainly BJDs which I see as the ultimate fulfillment of the type of doll I really want.

 

This has been a fascinating thread to read! As far as being known as the local Crazy Doll Lady, I'm afraid that ship has sailed, as far as my family and my job are concerned. I don't talk about the dolls much -- the BJD or the rest of them -- but apparently it doesn't take much for people to label you. Since I also used to be very self-conscious about it, like the OP, this was sort of painful, but then I got older and realized that I didn't/don't care. In fact, I'm actually proud of it now, because a lot of the people who want to poke at me for it are people who I know well enough to say that they have no 'inner lives' of their own -- no interests beyond conformity to their image of what society expects of them. And no interest in questioning this expectation, either. So I feel sorry for them, instead of upset by them, now.

But that took a while to get to.

The only thing left that annoys me, about being thought of as the (Crazy) Doll Lady, is that my family and coworkers have the mistaken impression that I'm interested in all dolls, at all times. No, I'm really interested in my dolls, and in the dolls of the people on this board. But I'm not interested in adopting your teenage daughter's well-loved playline knockoff Barbie collection, thanks, coworker. And I'm not interested in the bog-standard baby dolls that you bought at the church's garage sale for me, either, MIL. It's taken a little while to get these people to understand that there really is a difference between a collector, and a hoarder. I'm the former, and they want to see me turn into the latter. I'm sure it's easier for them to pigeonhole me (and all others like me!) that way. But I keep resisting.

 

it doesnt bother me at all, all my friends and family knows my hobby and i like myself for being me.

 

When I was younger, I did worry about it. I had some dolls from my childhood that I felt I had to get rid of because 'I'm grown up now', and I regret that I sold them. Luckily, I didn't get rid of them all, and I still couldn't resist buying a new one now and then. When I started buying bjd's a few years ago, I jumped right in and started shelling all of my favorite original characters.

Counting off-topic dolls and bjd's, there are well over 100 dolls in my home, and the great part is, I'm old enough that I don't care what people think anymore. Most of them are kept in either the bedroom or my workroom/office, and I can easily close doors when people are over. I may not care, but my teenage sons don't want their friends seeing them.

 

I honestly understand this.
I just ordered my first couple of dolls, which in and of itself is me going further than I ever thought I would. I told my roommate I was only getting one, and here I am about to order both my 3rd and 4th dolls with plans to buy even more of them in the future. I want to go out and take pictures of them, but the fear of being judged is there too. Having anxiety doesn't help.
But what I keep trying to tell myself and something I've seen other people say as well is, these dolls are here for you. Not anyone else. For you.
If you enjoy them, go for it!

If you really feel like you're afraid of turning into a crazy doll lady/person, then try thinking of the dolls as investments instead. They're something you love in the now, and if you ever realize you have too many of them or the hobby is getting to be too much, you can sell some of them. It's like having a fun thing that also works as a saving's plan. If that makes sense.
In a weird sort of way, that makes things less scary.
And when you're less scared, you can actually open up and enjoy them even more.

 

My dolls continue to keep me interested and involved in all the things I love to do, like painting, sewing, designing all kinds of things and of course, photography. I am amazed at the artwork and beautiful dolls of others. It's so exciting and fun to share doll images, ideas, etc., too.

 

I guess sometimes I worry because I stepped into the hobby once again but this time with full force which means two dolls already and one on layaway. I feel sill telling people that I have another doll however because I feel they think I'm going overboard. However, now just doing my own faceups I have so much fun, I never felt this happy in hobby until now and I don't think I should be ashamed of that. (I mayyyyy have a spending problem however which I am not happy with myself over)
It also makes me super happy that I found so many like minded people since I don't know anyone in my town who collects!

 

A couple of friends I have talked to about it showed surprise and said they didn’t think I was “the type”. looking through this forum or even just this thread, there is obviously much more than one “type” of crazy doll lady lol!

 

Dolls make me happy,I've loved them all my life. This hobby gives me too much to joy to care if I seem like a crazy doll lady. I've always been weird anyway,and I'm learning it's ok to be different.

 

I actually enjoy the process of slowly becoming a crazy doll lady. I am embracing every bit of it.

 

Honestly I'm not too concerned about becoming a "crazy doll" person, because I don't think its necessarily a bad thing. However, I do worry a bit about pouring too much money into my collection. I'm not sure how the value of dolls changes over time, so it'd be a bit of a bummer if I eventually lose interest and go to sell some of my collection, then find out that my dolls have depreciated over time.

 

Exactly what I think. I'm more worried that I have too many hobbies!

 

I can’t wait to have enough dolls to be considered a crazy doll lady lol!

In all seriousness I’ve been self conscious about owning dolls since I asked for my first one for Christmas years and years ago. I honestly was more worried about what my family would think over what strangers would say. Some people in my family like to tease and can be relentless about it. But my love of dolls is a lot stronger than my fear of being teased by my family. To be honest my friends and other people are easier to deal with. I describe my dolls as customizable art pieces and honestly I’m pretty proud of them.

We’re in a day and age where loads of people embrace and elevate childhood interests. Look at people who are hardcore Star Wars fans or comic book collectors. I think it’s becoming more normalized. I don’t think you have anything to be ashamed of. I believe to be mature, elegant, responsible etc you have to behave maturely/elegantly/responsibly. It really has nothing to do with your hobbies.

The child stand in thing is sort of amusing. Again I think it has to do with how you treat your dolls. If they’re not stand ins then people probably won’t jump to that conclusion. There will always be initial assumptions but those can be dispersed based on what kind of person you actually are. I guess bottom line is you’ll know who you are and you can’t get bogged down in what other people think. In the long run it’s irrelevant anyway.

 

I suspect these will be my grandchildren some day,
Dish Anywhere App TV Commercial, 'Dolls'

 

I'm the old crazy doll lady who my friends ask if they can bring their grandchildren to see my dolls and doll dioramas.
*sweet*
I guess I'll have to get the guys to clean up after themselves.

 

I am ready to become the crazy doll person.
To be honest, as someone who wears lolita fashion on a daily basis, I've needed to become comfortable with being at the fringes of normalcy, and BJDs can hardly make a dent in people's perception of me at this point anyway. If any other people feel deterred by the things I like, it's probably not a bad thing that they're staying away, haha.

 

I'm committed to the role of spinster collector-of-things, and so I just assume that whatever people think of me is probably worse than the reality. Most of my home is full of stuff that would seem weird to anyone on the outside of that particular hobby or interest. But I'd rather be the odd kooky lady with the looms, cats, antique clothing, and yes, dolls, than go without the enjoyment those things bring to me.

Plus, you actually have to have a social life to elicit other people's opinions on your home decor, so I'm probably pretty safe.

 

Becoming a "crazy doll lady", along with "the crazy cat lady", does not scare me. I don't care what strangers say. What really scares me is a reaction of my family. It's been less than a month after they found out about my hobby, and they already say: "You should give a birth and take care of your child, not of your dolls!". I don't want to have children, sadly. I should've been continue hide my hobby from them.

 

I'm already the crazy doll/dog/cat lady. I wouldn't have it any other way. plus its inherited. My mother and aunt collect dolls and my dad collects cars, real and die cast.

 

Life is too short to worry for something like that, I only worry for my next meal, my loved one and stability .What others say of me or what I become regarding this hobby doesn't matter to me. Crazy doll lady, who cares.

 

Nope considering i collect all sorts of dolls im kinda already s crazy doll lady

 

Nope.

My collection has grown rapidly over the last year, and next year looks on course to bring in more resin [finances permitting, of course]. I just think about how there are worse things to be spending money on, and how they are subtly allowing me to express my creativity [most of my dolls shell characters I created]. They are a way for me to bring my characters to life, in a sense.

Although, I do have my self-imposed limits. I'm only really focusing on one story, because the main characters within are so eclectic and are some of my favourites. That way, I don't overwhelm myself with dolls. I'll end up with 7 in total, so not the largest collection by a long shot - but it will be extensive in my mum's opinion. Especially when taking into consideration that 6 of the 7 will be SD+. So, not small dolls, either.

But, they make me happy, they allow me to express myself in another form, and they are preventing me from spending my money on worse things or just throwing it down the drain.

 

Honestly? The idea doesn't bother me at all. Life is too short to let other people make you feel ashamed of the things you like, and there's so much thought and creativity that goes into this hobby! Try not to take other people's unasked for thoughts to heart and just enjoy yourself.

 

I don't worry about this. I am a doll collector in general but new to BJDs. I belong to several doll clubs and have friends who have huge collections with rooms housing cases of dolls. There is no way I could compete with them so I am "safe" (chuckle).

 

Nah I am crazy odd and old anyways so crazy odd old lady is not far better than crazy odd old doll lady in fact the latter is more funny !!

 

When I was in my early-mid twenties (I'm 30 now) I felt very similarly. To the point that I had sort of 'hidden' away my doll collection (at the time American Girl and Monster High) and felt super embarrassed any time anyone found out about my hobby. At this point, I'm married (no kids and noooo plans for them ever), in a much better financial situation and work in a creative field with a bunch of other weirdo's who have all sorts of hobbies and collections, and can't really be bothered to hide away the parts of myself that bring me the most joy anymore. But it did take time to get to that point. I think for me as long as my husband and cat are taken care of, the bills are paid, and I'm still prioritizing having a healthy lifestyle I'm not really worried about becoming a 'crazy doll lady' at all, lol. We all have our own limits and I think you just have to gauge for yourself what that line is for you.

If you're worried about people giving you a hard time, just remember that others' judgements are typically more of a reflection of their own insecurities rather than having anything to do with you at all!

 

No, not at all. I’ve been artistic and creative all my life, and a collector at heart on top of it all. I’ve dabbled in so many unusual things in my life, and trust me when I say that for every person who ever thought I was perhaps a bit odd, there were far more people who were fascinated by what I was up to and wanted to know more. Now in my senior years, still creatively engaged and enjoying my artistic pursuits, I can honestly say my life has been a fascinating experience that any nay-sayers would have been lucky to live. That’s life for you…some people are going to complain about you if you don’t fit into their own narrow view of things. And some are going to wish they could be like you. Just follow your own bliss because all the rest is just noise and doesn’t matter.

 

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My mom buys me weird dolls, and she is the only opinion that might matter.

 

I've always been into niche hobbies, so at this point my friends and close family are pretty much used to everything lmao I can understand not wanting to appear weird, but I think when you reach a certain age you start caring less.

 

I'm definitely self-conscious about the hobby. I have a hard time taking my dolls out in public these days, or talking about them at work. As I've been on DOA the last few months, I feel that I'm regaining some of my old confidence in the hobby, and I would really like to take my bjds outside more for photos. But as for being a crazy doll lady -- if that's what I am, I'm happy to be one.

 

I am definitely a crazy doll girl. Did you want to see my dolls?? I have a bunch of photos of them on my phone!! You want to look right?

 

This is hardly my first hobby that would be considered weird so nope.

 

Definitely not! I probably already am according to some of my family, my in-laws, and friends that see the doll room but I don’t care honestly. I have actually helped a couple of them realize that dolls are a legit hobby/art.

 

At the beginning of my doll journey, I did think so. I had so many plans and ideas for standalone characters and other for huge groups of characters and didn't really know where I was heading, so when I pictured my future I was worried I would end up having 50 or more dolls and having them displayed everywhere in my house. Turned out 6 was my limit and I keep them to myself mostly (my bedroom), so I don't think I could be considered a crazy doll person in any case.

 

Honestly, now I am 50+ I am less preoccupied with how others perceive me - not 100% - but I am getting there! I have come to realise that I am never going to ‘fit’, I have felt like an outsider pretty much all my life. Fortunately, I was able to marry someone whose ideal job would probably be a lighthouse keeper, and I have two adult kids who have both been diagnosed with autism, so we’re supportive of each other. I have accepted that my dolls are sort of substitute friends, I still get lonely, but they make me happy, and it’s kind of comforting to know that there are other people out there who feel the same about their dolls. I don’t think there’s really a right or wrong way to ‘adult’, it’s harder when you’re young to be at ease with yourself, I think it gets easier as you get older. Enjoy your dolls, it’s fun to have a hobby, you don’t need to share it with the wider world if you’re not comfortable doing so. That’s one of the good things about the online world, it connects us with people with the same interests and hobbies.

 

Nah, lol. I'm already known as a crazy cat lady. I only have one, but she is my precious. The dolls are here too.

 

Hm. Maybe a little, but I think that's tied more into my general anxiety than anything else.

I am - fondly - the doll person among my friend group though, and that's quite nice.

 

I'm an Old Chick. Collecting dolls is on the short list of "socially-approved hobbies" that older women are allowed to have by the standards of Traditional Society. Granted, that usually assumes a room full of frufru lace-bomb Madame Alexanders or antiques of some sort rather than BJDs, but still... Even the most conservative mavens of propriety usually won't raise an eyebrow when a grey-haired lady says they collect dolls. I guess that's an advantage that comes with age?

That said, even when I was younger, I didn't really worry about it. I don't tend to go on about my hobbies unless asked, so it rarely comes up, and I pretty much never felt any anxiety about the crew when it did. I often describe them as my photography models and dressing dummies, since they're less expensive to sew for than I am myself (and they can get away with wearing things I never could-) while also being a heck of a lot more cooperative about long photo-sessions than my nieces and nephews.

People seem to "get" the doll thing a little more when I describe them like that.

 

I’ve always been a ‘crazy something lady’………’crazy arty lady’, ’crazy reptile lady’, ‘crazy bug lady’, ‘crazy fish lady’, currently ‘crazy bird lady’ so it’s just another title to add to the pile. The only thing I do find a bit awkward about it, as I mentioned in another thread, is the use of the word ‘doll’ with strangers as I feel a tinge of embarrassment about that.

 

It depends! I don't carry my dolls around because I feel like I'd be careless and I don't like the idea of being focused on dolls when I'm with other people. If I know someone isn't interested in dolls, I don't bring the subject up other than say its my hobby. If someone thinks I'm crazy for that... well, I have a feeling they're just looking for faults in people and not people I want to impress. They can say what they want. I'm going to spend my time somewhere else.