How is the hobby affecting you financially? [Poll]

I don't make a lot and support myself entirely, but I also don't have any who depend on me financially (no spouse, kids, pets). I've probably spent too much on dolls in proportion to my income (usually a grouping of purchases followed by longer periods of no spending), but I've never gone into debt and have only bought dolls/accessories that I could pay off straight away. I've also only ever bought secondhand/in-stock and admittedly tend toward the "cheaper" end. I do have a bit of a problem with impulse buying but have been working on it; it helps that I am learning what I want to own versus what I just enjoy looking at in others' collections.

Edit: In conclusion, I would like to think I'd have more money in the bank if I hadn't gotten into BJDs, but knowing me I'd have found some other hobby to spend it on.

 

Things have changed over my nearly 13 years in the hobby. When I was new to the hobby, I wasn't making any extra "fun money", and I funded my first doll by selling off Barbies, fashion dolls, action figures and anything else of value until I could afford him, a wig, eyes and boots. I made his clothes from scrap fabric.

After a couple of years, a promotion at work and a more permanent home, I had extra money to enjoy things and frequently bought dolls and accessories. About 5 years into the hobby, I had a job change and I often had 2-4 dolls either paid off and waiting or on layaway, just because the wait didn't seem so bad as I was slowly paying them off.

Now, in the past year, things have changed drastically for the worse and money is very tight again. I'm still enjoying the hobby, but there is no extra money from our income, and I've sold off a lot of dolls this year. I've used some of that money towards our savings, but a little of it to buy new doll stuff. Since money coming in from selling stuff is so sporadic and inconsistent, I wouldn't dare put a doll on layaway without knowing 100% that I'll be able to pay it off. I have never used a credit card to buy dolls and never will. We never use credit for any luxury items. If we can't afford it by saving, we don't need it. Bills, groceries, dog food/vet and other necessities always come first.

 

Thankfully I have a decent paying job now and I could probably spend more on dolls than I currently do, but after years of paying off student loans and finally getting my financial life in order, I promised myself I’d never rack up any consumer debt. I budget for hobbies and make sure I have enough money to pay upfront from my hobby budget before purchasing anything. That being said... I’ve cut down on other non-essential expenses (eating takeout, new running clothes, etc.) in order to free up money for BJDs

 

My jobs are all temporary, but I have no dependents, so while I'm working, I can usually buy what I like. I like to budget enough to buy dolls outright, and even when I buy on layaway, I always have some emergency money if things go south. The tightest times are months after one job have ended and before the paycheck for the next one. I try to have my savings in order, but I sometimes wonder at the amount I spend on hobbies proportionate to my income.

 

Overall, I make it a point to not allow the hobby to impact my financial situation. It's very important to me to keep it in proportion, especially since my finances are not separate from my spouse's. It wouldn't be right for me to allow a hobby of mine to start cutting into the household budget to a degree that impacted my family negatively, and since we don't have a large household income by any means, it wouldn't take much doll spending to get to that point of negative impact on others.

I save up a little at a time, and I sell things I no longer want to make extra money for hobby stuff. I don't buy dolls unless I actually have the money for them-- no buying on credit. And I don't buy dolls incredibly frequently. I tend to buy secondhand wherever possible. I also use inexpensive bodies to make hybrids in order to make my dolls affordable. At this point, more of my dolls are hybrids/secondhand purchases than not.

However, I never buy a doll I don't really like just because it's cheap. I pretty much planned out my doll collection when I started, and I save and wait and watch the second hand market and avoid buying anything that's not actually on my wish list. No wasting money on "consolation prize" dolls for me.

Fortunately, being extremely frugal with my doll buying hasn't diminished my experience of the hobby at all, since the crafting and sewing aspects of it are my favorite parts and can easily be enjoyed without constantly buying new resin.

 

I'm a college student and have a small job on the side to pay for food, but aside from BJD my hobbies include collecting various vintage and antique collectibles and clothing, and my collection of Gunne Sax brand dresses tripled in value since I originally purchased them, so I sold a lot of the ones I didn't wear anymore so that I could spend that money on BJDs instead.

 

When I first started the hobby I was 17 years old, so I didn't fund anything of my own. Thankfully my parents made decent money and my Mom also collected dolls (reborns), so she enjoyed buying my dolls clothing, wigs, accessories and such too.

Now my income is somewhat sporadic, my husband and I make less money now than we did a couple years ago because we wanted weekends to be spent with our kids. Both of our kid's birthdays are also at the end of the year (what were we thinking?!) so October and December we are BROKE! Everything will be fine again at the beginning of the next year and once the warmer months hit, but it's rough right now.

Oh! Plus I just started Nursing school...so...

 

Over my twelve years in the hobby my situation has changed greatly.

I was still in school when I started, so I had to wash a lot of cars (my dad sold second-hand cars) to scratch together money to buy anything doll-related. I would get what I can on birthdays/Christmas as well. In fact, my first doll was a combined gift for, and I quote my dad, "everything you would have gotten a gift for this year"

When I moved in with my back then girlfriend, things got trickier because I now had to pay rent and feed myself. I had some jobs that often didn't pay on time, sometimes months later. Gaming industry does that to ya. I always had to be really, really sure I could afford something now, because in a couple weeks I might not get paid and then don't know how to feed myself. That was the time I heavily relied on commissions too, both for day to day expenses and anything hobby related. I only could buy something, when I could pay for it with my commissions.

I then took on an apprenticeship and things got REALLY tough then. Burned out from commissions and I earned way, way less than before. Hobby pretty much came to a halt during that time. If I wanted something, I really had to scratch it together. Usually again with commissions, which I actually didn't want to take anymore. But it was that or no hobby stuff.
And, as sad as it is, being in this hobby while not buying stuff? Basically makes you not exist. Especially when you can't work on your own dolls.

Nowadays I live alone and have higher expenses because of that, but I earn very comfortably. Nothing crazy, but enough to pay my bills and still be able to splurge a bit every month. I technically have the time and energy now to make even more money with commissions, but I am just so tired of them. So I just live with my regular job money.
I can, more or less, buy what I desire whenever I want. I don't have to think twice whether I can buy an outfit or not. However, I still don't buy extremely much and I still have some limits how high I am willing to go for certain things. There is not a lot of things that interest me, I am not really looking to expand my current collection anymore, and I enjoy being able to put aside money as well.
I also like to buy art commissions nowadays too, so that eats up some of my "fun money" as well.

No matter what though, I still bought what I liked, I was never one to settle for less. During some parts of my life it just meant having to save for a while. Anything else felt like a waste of money to me.
I also never put myself into debt, and I most of the time avoided layaways too. If it was paid, it was safe, and I didn't have to worry about missing a payment.

 

I answered 'buy what I want but live on ramen and water' but it's not exactly to that degree. I buy what I want, but hold off on things like clothes and shoes. I live comfortably, but all my extra money goes into the hobby.

 

When I started the hobby, I already was in a very steady job and had been for the last 20 years with no kids as well as getting a decently sized inheritance from my dad a few years ago. But even with that, if you're not watching, your paycheck and your savings can be easily be blown...I've bought most of my first dolls on impulse and that was bad and it was on top of other merchandise I was buying along side. So, none of that now..hopefully I can see my bank account slowly grow again instead of shrink lol.

 

I'm a scrimp-and-saver. I'm a teacher in the lowest paying state in the US. I support my family--which is now down to just two old empty nesters. Outside of dolls, I don't have a lot of expensive tastes--my car is paid for, my fixer-upper house will be paid off in the next 5 years, I don't buy a lot of clothes (for myself), my phone and computer are old, etc.

I do not go into debt for dolls, including layaway. When I got addicted to Minifees, I sold a bunch of my un-played-with SD dolls, and was able to assemble quite a nice 1:4 scale family. Normally, though, I buy about 1 doll a year.

My only other expensive hobby is travel. With the @#$!!! pandemic, the trip that I had paid for over the last 3 years was canceled. My consolation is that the travel refunds were enough to buy a Feeple60 and an Ipplehouse JID, both of which would've been out of my price range (together, at least).

Twice, I bought a "cheap" (heh, as if $140 was nothing!) doll instead of the one I really wanted. Both times, I regretted it. So now, I don't settle.

 

I used to have some money I would set aside monthly to put towards hobbies. But at this stage in the hobby I fund one doll by selling another doll or combination of clothes/accessories. I also trade quite often. My dolls are almost entirely self-sustaining at this point and I've gotten lucky with some good deals I got on dolls as well. My tastes seem to always be changing so with this setup it works for me.

 

I buy on layaway which had been fine up until my partner broke things off and left me with all of the shared housing bills. Now, I’m “drowning” and am pretty terrified of losing my half-paid layaways (I have two remaining).

Im trying to sell my minifee as that will cover about 40% remaining on my larger layaway and give me a month of breathing room to try and get back on top of things.

before this, I was fine with layaways and never missed a payment. It’s the best way to get new things if you can’t find what you’d like secondhand!

 

I don't like layaways at all, so I prefer to buy only things I can afford paying in full.
That's a reason why I settle with more affordable dolls, or just wait for sales so I can afford my wanted lovely doll.
I was lucky this year and, it's my first into dolls and since I didn't spend a cent on what I usually did (staying coped up in the house if not for work didn't really let me spend on trips or other stuff) I saved quite a bit and could buy with no issues what I wanted.
But this hobby is absolutely expensive, and I don't plan to hoard dolls I can't play with or that are way over my budget: in the next years I will buy accordingly to my financial disponibility, I don't wanna go broke. I already bought too much this year (3 dolls), but I give myself that this virus madness got me depressed and waiting for dolls and playing with em really helped me not going into full despair.

 

I have a decent job, but because dolls are so expensive and I have more expensive hobbies, I save up to purchase one doll a year. Sometimes my funds would allow more, but I honestly am proud of my discipline.

 

I'm only buying a new doll when I can afford to pay the full amount at once, so I always set aside some money in case I see a doll that I'd like to purchase right away. And if the doll is currently out of my self-set price range - I don't buy it, simple as that.
For a while now I've been working for a debt collecting company and I know from this work how long and tedious it can be to get out of debt, so I can 100% say that I'd never go into debt for dolls - it's just not worth it.

 

I started saving obsessively after high school, and I accumulated a lot of cash by not buying anything frivolous for years. I had never had an expensive hobby before collecting dolls (and to be frank I was very depressed and overworked, so I hardly had time for fun things), so outside of necessary payments I just squirreled every single paycheck away.

So I guess I just saved, but not specifically for the purpose of buying dolls. When I finally discovered dolls I just... already had a pretty big nest egg waiting there for me. I don't use my savings much, but it gives me the financial confidence to be able to invest in such an expensive hobby.

That history of stinginess has also led me to just being extremely frugal in my doll buying habits. I don't settle for inexpensive dolls, but I refuse to buy a doll over my (arbitrary) budget and I buy dolls and accessories mainly from taobao where they're much cheaper. I set pretty strict limits on myself.

I also have the privilege of living a very simple life, so I don't have a ton of extra expenses to worry about currently. My job pays pretty well. I don't have a car to pay for (I use public transit and my job is even close enough to walk to), rent is low. I don't think it will be like this forever, but for now it makes things easier.

 

I'm okay. I'm an impulse purchaser but have been very strict with myself. To date as I wait for my first doll I have only just now bought them some clothes and a pair of eyes. The doll was not a grail (both limited sculpts) but along the lines of the elf boy I wanted and on sale.

I do window shop a bunch and don't want to do things on a layaway in the future so the plan is to squirrel money here and there if I want to continue colkecting.

 

I usually do layaway, so I can space out the payments at a reasonable amount each month. My doll purchases are under $300, so not a large amount. Plus I have savings, so if my income wasn’t sufficient, I could still pay off the doll. Selling dolls to buy new dolls has been helpful too. I’m hoping to get well enough to get a regular job and have lots of savings and spending money!

 

I'm fortunate that the hobby is pretty low impact despite me being a stay-at-home-mum with basically no personal income. The cushion of the few thousand dollars I sank into the hobby over preceding years, occasional sales and a preference for a small collection almost sustains my doll habit on its own. I’m an extremely frugal person, and my husband appreciates the things I do to stretch his paycheque and make his life easier, so he does not begrudge me the occasional frivolitry using general household funds. My collection is at a stage where I don’t really buy new dolls, though—I mostly reshell, paint, sew for and tweak the existing ones—so most expenses pertain to crafting supplies... and being as motherhood has left me with less time to devote to the hobby as a whole, total outgoing costs represent a fairly negligible blip on the scale every few months when inspiration and time magically intersect.

I also don’t really do layaway. I’ve done it twice, I think, when I didn’t have the money yet absolutely knew it was coming, but I really disliked the feeling of it. Transferring money every month felt far more expensive than just dumping the lump sum and forgetting about it until the doll’s arrival. ... And in the back of my head I was always imagining outlandish scenarios (think natural disaster, coma, etc ... ) that might prevent me from meeting the commitment.

We have a friend who was both earning well and spending well but went through a sudden hospitalization a few years back, and the family who came to care for him in his disabled state had no idea about the things he was paying off. He ended up getting some things repo'd even when technically he could easily afford them. His credit was so bad for a while he couldn't even get a cell phone in his own name. You just never know...

 

When I discovered the hobby about 13-14 years ago, I had just graduated from college and had two jobs at the time that paid my cellphone bill, my student loan payments, helping support my parents and brother, and not much else. I got my boyfriend/now husband into the hobby around the same time, but he was still in college and only had enough for paying for school, the room he rented, his own bills, and food. So I guess we went into the hobby practical by making sure we had enough to pay for our personal expenses and then saved up before making any financial decisions as dolls were a lower priority than other things which is reflected in my doll family history.

Also reflected in my doll family history was when we both started working better jobs (yay above minimum wage with hopefully one of us having health insurance!). We still were practical but had more money to spare which went into our savings and/or "fun money" expenses which included eating out or better quality groceries, clothing, gifts for ourselves/family/friends, and other things. Some years were better than other years. Sometimes both of us were working and other times it was maybe one of us barely making anything. Right now, I'm disabled and unemployed while my husband is the only one working so depending on things we save up enough to pay for high priority expenses if something happens to him or other emergencies and then we prioritize downward until there is enough fun money again for dolls.

I like to browse and dream during the times where I know I shouldn't buy a doll or when I know we definitely cannot afford to buy a doll. And yes, when the times were good it was great when we could afford to and actually bought a doll or two. I think going into this hobby with a healthy understanding of your own personal spending habits, that you can show restraint if you need to, and have some financial sense (if income is enough to pay for monthly expenses, if one has enough savings for emergencies, etc) then this hobby can be doable. It takes time though, and patience, and not everyone can do that healthily with any expensive hobby.

 

When I first started, I scrimped and saved for everything, although fabric for clothes was never an issue because mom is a quilter and has accumulated a dragon's trove. At this point though, between the fact that I've managed to advance far enough ahead in my career that I have ready money to spend even while saving up for a house, and the fact that during my scrimping and saving years I was able to buy most of the dolls I wanted, I am at a point where expense doesn't mean much to me.

Finding things I want has become harder (I bought a minifee a few months ago and I still haven't found a wig that suits her! I feel so awful because I wanted to make her clothes and show her previous owner but I can't find a wig that looks right. And shoes, ahhhh, the outfit I want to make her absolutely requires shoes but I can't find good shoes) than actually coming up with the money to pay for them. It helps that the companies I fell in love with when I started have either shifted away from the aesthetic I like, or have seriously reduced the frequencies of their releases, and there isn't really anything that has taken their place, so the chances of me seeing something I desperately need have gone down.

 

As much as I love dolls I've always maintained that other interests of mine will not suffer because of my need to own them, lol.

I only make few bucks above minimum wage and had experiences growing up where my mom had serious debt and bankruptcy issues. Needless to say that has translated into me having a thing about potentially being in severe debt: it terrifies me and my goal is to avoid it at all costs! I'm a big fan of bank account cushions, and only ever buy dolls if my cushions are at a specific level and I can afford the whole doll, exchange rate and all.

I also only buy my dolls if I know it's financially feasible/responsible at the time. There have been many years I haven't bought any dolls because the money above my cushion was earmarked for other things, like eyeglasses, moving expenses or having to buy a new dryer. I've wanted dozens of dolls since joining this forum in 2009, but I've only bought 5, so I like to think I've been doing a pretty good job of not letting this hobby completely consume my finances!

 

.

 

I know for me, if there's a doll I'm saving up for, I put a little bit of my income away as "doll fund." It's usually slow going, as most of my money comes from art commissions. But it is nice to sometimes see a doll I want, check the doll fund, and be able to click that purchase button!

 

I have a decent salary and not many bills to pay and am independent. I can definitely afford some doll at a certain budget, but definitely not at the level where I can buy multiple dolls in one year. It's just not wise financially. Always invest in yourself first and then you can invest in many dolls as you want.

 

I just bought my first BJD, and I will admit that I had total sticker shock. Collecting other dolls was a gateway - it wasn't long before i saw the most GORGEOUS BJDs posted on social media doll collecting groups and websites. And then, I found a BJD that I loved and thought "Wow - I'll bet she's like $600!" (I was thinking $600 for EVERYTHING.) Isn't that just precious? $600 for everything, lol...she was over $1000 for everything. She is the full set Angell Studios White Doe.

My first thought was "That's insane!! $1000+!!!" But then, I kept going back to the page to visit her. I kept zooming in on all of the details of her dress and face up. I showed her to my mom and SO who also died at the price but encouraged me "well, if you love her THAT much, save up!." It sounds silly, but every day I would visit her page. I googled to try to find reviews and videos of her. I did not find any reviews, but I did find an unboxing video - not of the girl I loved but of a doll from the same company. And, seeing the quality and beauty in the video made me take the plunge. I started saving for months. I had no clue about layaway at this point; I thought you had to pay every cent up front. In the meantime, I bought some white porcelain deer to display with her which are waiting in their storage box.

So, finally a couple of weeks ago, I had the money! I checked my cart 100 times because I had anxiety from making an online purchase this large. I made my purchase for the full set, paid in full, and the doll company wrote me and said "we are so sorry; we are out of the clothing for this doll." OMG - months of saving and visiting the virtual version of this doll. I was super bummed out. But, a few days later, they let me know they contacted the warehouse, and they have the dress in stock, and now she is being made for me!!!!!! Phew! From now on, I will do layaway - so much easier than trying to save these large amounts and then purchasing something that may or may not be in stock. The blunders of a novice....

 

Thank you so much!!! I do feel like I won the lottery with that lucky save (even though I paid over $1000 for my ticket - lol)!

 

Financially, my husband and I are rather fortunate, but we're aggressively saving up for a down-payment for a new house, so the vast majority of any extra money at the end of the month goes straight into our savings. However, we give ourselves a generous fun money allowance each month. I'm pretty picky about what I buy though, so I don't have very many dolls (just received my 4th after 8 years in the hobby). A lot of that fun money allowance has gone to other hobbies and wants, like dollhouse kits or a new camera.

 

I haven't spent much yet, but I'm only planning on two dolls. I have quite a bit saved up and an expenditure of $200 here and there isn't a big issue.

 

I think I’m one of the lucky few that my budgeting and financial skills has gotten better because of the hobby

I have been a layaway person for the most part having a steady income with limited bills, but am planning on going back to school this spring so am going back to the save and scrimp style. But in making sure I budgeted correctly to be able to afford my dolls and doll things I’ve managed to build a savings account and gotten my actual credit score improved by keeping better track of my bills. In short being able to afford doll stuff has been the motivation I needed to get my finances to a place they don’t stress me out even when emergencies crop up

 

BJDs are how I got into the habit of frugality. I'm uncomfortable spending money I don't already have set aside.

 

I am new to this hobby but I treat it similarly to my passion for lolita clothing (which is only a little less expensive than MSDs).

Admittedly my financial situation has changed a lot in the last few years as I'm finally standing on my own financially. Because of mental health issues my studies took forever and I had a lot of trouble finding a job while studying. I cut a lot of expenses by not having a phone plane (prepaid phone), by not buying new (normal) clothes and by not eating out so I was able to afford some lolita dresses with the little money I made from tutoring.
Also when money was really tight I made weekly grocery shopping lists (+ menu plans) and strictly kept to them. I found this to be extremely efficient in keeping a very(!) frugal lifestyle. Of course during these times I could not afford to buy anything for a hobby. But I dumped this habit again when it wasn't a necessity anymore.

I found rigorous budgeting to be very helpful. Like in general not only for my hobbies.

Luckily I did manage to get a decent paying job after my studies. It even allows me the luxury of working part time. Sure I earn less than I would working full time but I value the free time for hobbies more.

Still I have some spending rules I adhere to:

• No debts! (so no layaways for me)
• No impulse buys over 100 USD
• If it costs more than 100 USD I will wait at least 3 days. Up to two weeks if the price is higher.

Also I do live in a expensive country with high wages. So before having a job I was just facing my country's super high costs of living. But now that I earn a standard Swiss salary this has been partially balanced out.

 

I honestly buy dolls even though I cant afford them its honestly pretty bad....

 

When I got started, I wasn't making very good money, so I was very much in the scrimp-and-save camp, purchasing only inexpensive dolls ($200 was a FORTUNE to me! I would NEVER spend more than that!). (To be clear, I didn't buy cheap dolls instead of expensive ones I liked more, I bought inexpensive dolls that I also liked enough to justify getting the money together for them.) The funds were mainly coming from my annual tax return, as well as a side gig I started up not long after getting into the hobby.

Since then, I've gotten a job that pays quite well, and while I can't necessarily afford to just go drop cash on whatever I want, whenever I want, I set aside a pretty substantial amount of money every month into a savings account that's designated for fun stuff. I still do some layaways, too, but most of my funds come back out of that account (or the side gig that, in normal years at least, I started doing again--largely because it's actually really fun!).

 

My job pays pretty well, but I like to buy on short (1 month) layaways to break up payments across 4 paychecks. That way it isn't a large amount all at once and that helps me sleep better at night.

 

When I started the hobby back in 2009, I was only 14, so income was essentially non-existent for me. Over the years, I learned how to buy and sell things online, got a few jobs here and there, and learned the hard way about financial (ir)responsibility.

Now that I'm an adult I have a well-paying job and have learned a lot about debt over the years. 95% of the time, I prefer to only buy a doll in full and out of pocket, without using layaway or credit cards. I definitely went a little overboard this year, so I know that if it weren't for this hobby I would have more savings.

However, I've also had some serious illnesses despite my young age, so I prefer to live in the moment and in my joy rather than to save every penny. As long as my bills are paid and I have some funds squared away, I intend to live my life to my pleasure, and right now that includes surrounding myself with dolls!

 

I do layaway as well. I’m a teacher in NYC so my money is okay....I did do a lot of tutoring for extra cash. Because of the pandemic, tutoring has slowed down. Need to watch my money now. I am fascinated by the young collectors who have expensive dolls. My parents definitely would not have gone for that when I was in high school or fresh out of high school LOL they think it’s a waste of money—-*sigh* they’ll never understand haha.

 

I haven't read past the first post, so if I repeat what others have said, that is why.

I put dolls on layaway, either through a dealer, or through the secondhand market. Its easier on my very limited budget. I've been lucky so far that the individuals I've bought dolls from have been very understanding to someone on a fixed budget.

Back when I was still working, I would save and buy dolls, or simply buy them outright. I miss those days, but it still hasn't stopped me from buying the dolls I fall in love with.

Ryu

 

i have to confess that this hobby needs a lot of discipline! i bought on layaway plan, so i can stan the long waiting time, because i feel that if i pay the doll in one payment i should get my doll right away, i have no patience... so in a laway plan, i do not feel this anxious

 

I Never buy anything unless I have at LEAST double its price in my checking account, though more often than not it’s don’t buy unless 1000 + price to ensure a little cushioning...
I think that’s my best course of action especially as I have a couple of expensive(ish) hobbies but no income

 

Every time I have managed to save up for one so far, I have had an unexpected expense that took all the money. So I am still saving up for my first doll, but I will not give up!

 

I'm both a saver and fortunate enough to be pretty stable/well-established economically at this point. I have a "fun money" account that I put spare money into as I can, and that gets used for all of my hobby stuff.. dolls, sewing, camera gear, gaming stuff, or what-have-you. Generally, I don't buy if I don't have the funds in that account to cover something.

 

I'm lucky enough to have a well paying job that is flexible for a work from home situation. I think I could be better with my money, the only major bill I have is paying student loans, but whenever I need extra money, I open up commissions and get in a decent amount c: especially around the holidays even so, I prefer to use the layaway plan for reasons a lot have already specified c: its easier for me to manage my monthly payments when a layaway plan is available so that I'm not spending so much at one time c:

 

I will be switching my job soon and I will earn considerably more than I do now but I also feel like my dolls keep getting more expensive . (Hello, Charlotte and Lucia preorder .)

But I do feel weirdly ashamed of how many dolls I am able to afford just from my monthly income without touching my savings account at all. That has actually blocked from really posting my dolls on my IG account (only here on DoA). I do not wish to be seen as a rich pampered snob . On the other hand I would love to share my joy. It just feels weird when I know so many of my friends struggle financially. I mean I am aware that I am lucky to be in this situation and I worked hard to get there but I'm still blocked.
Does anyone else have this feeling sometimes?

 

Honestly this hobby is great motivation to increase my salary... I've got savings, no debt, and all the basics covered, but more disposable income is quite fun.

 

I have a very small income, but it's reliable and predictable so it's easy to plan around. I also have quite low living expenses and no children or expensive pets.
I never had any problems with money. I just make sure to spend less than I get and save the rest, it just comes naturally. This way there usually is money allready saved up when I need (or, you know "need") to make a bigger purchase.

I do have rule for buying only one doll per year, but it's not a strict rule. More of a rule of thumb, something to check against to see if I'm on the right track. This rule is not only for economical reasons, though. I want to get to know my new doll and I make a lot of their clothes and other things myself and that takes time. I also need time to work on the dolls I allready have. I think that if i bought too many dolls in a short time I would not be able to enjoy every one of them as much.

My main excuse to spend so much on a doll, despite having a very small income, is that if you divide the cost with the number of hours of entertainment I get out of a doll (this includes time spent on face up, clothing and props as well as general play) then suddenly mostly any doll is a great investment.

 

My finances affect my hobby . If I don't have any, I don't buy any.

But despite me having a tiny income, it's not the money that is the issue: It's time.I've got so little energy that even a face-up, or sewing a simple dress becomes a long-term project for me. Hence the fact that my precious dolls are mostly still sitting next to me in all of their naked glory .

 

No, not even when I was able to work did I have that feeling. Like you said, you "worked hard to get there."

Some people spend their money on going out, designer clothes, or pimping out their cars. You spend yours on dolls. As long as you are able to pay your bills and necessities, and you have a good income, you have no reason to feel guilty.

Putting a doll on layaway, or buying one outright while still able to eat, pay rent/mortgage and bills is something that we all should feel lucky to be able to do. Being able to do so doesn't mean you are a "rich, pampered snob," it means you are making decent money, or are able to save, or good with budgeting, or whatever reason that makes it so you can get the dolls you want.

You managed to be able to do so, so congrats!

(Like I said in my previous post, I've been lucky enough to find sellers willing to work with me. Maybe if your IG doll friends looked for people like that, or put new dolls on layaway with the companies that have that option, they could get more dolls. I'm just sayin'....)

Ryu

 

I've got a steady job (thankfully), and no dependents, so while I technically could splurge and buy a reasonably priced doll in one go, I don't like doing that (its very uncomfortable), so I tend to do layaways. Every three months or so, I like to do no-buys (everything but the bills and food), which help space out my purchases (and staves off those consumerist habits).

 

None of these fully apply to me. In the past I will admit I used credit and went into debt. Now it is different, I sold all my dolls and had none for a while. I built up a small cushion of savings and started with a few dolls. I sold those dolls to buy new dolls, and that cycle kind of continued as I added more to my cushion. Then I dipped into that cushion and bought a few more dolls, and sold some off to buy new ones. I feel like nothing stays with me long term, that I enjoy the ones I have for a time, then I want something else and usually have to part with one or more to get another.
If I had unlimited funds I would have a ton of dolls, but like having all different ones, and lack of space and unlimited funds means in order to have a new one I usually have to part with an old one. It bothered me for a while, but I have come to terms with it. I accept that this is how it is with me and that is ok.
I don't get attached to my dolls, I don't have back stories for them or spend a lot of time playing with them. I mostly redress and look at them. So after a while I am ok parting with them for new ones. I have often wondered why I can't just be happy looking at photos, and haven't figured that one out yet.

 

I’m on Team “Only buy when I have the money saved.” I have a job that pays decent money, but I have things that I need to prioritize before spending money for hobbies (stuff for my house, dog meds, tires for the car etc. ) . I’m also into another expensive hobby (lolita) so I have to weigh which one I want to spend my fun money on.

 

I also only buy dolls (and doll accessories) if and when I have the money to do so. I've only once bought on lay-away, and I hated the feeling of owing somebody money, so I never did it again.

 

I scrimp and save my birthday and Christmas money from relatives until I have enough saved up to comfortably afford the purchase I want to make, typically, as I haven't been able to find a job since the pandemic started. However, on occasion, my husband will purchase me a doll-related item or two as gifts, and we have an agreement that any money I bring in by selling stuff within the hobby is strictly mine to funnel back into the hobby as I please. My latest purchasing spree is entirely funded by sales of other hobby stuff! My parents and grandma have also purchased a few dolls for a different, non-BJD collection of mine in the past.

I'm very fortunate in that my husband and I can comfortably live off of his income alone, so once I start working, we'll likely use my income solely to pay off our debt quicker (student loans!! shakes fist), bulk up our savings, and pad out our "fun" funds, which will include my hobby fund! The hobby isn't the only reason I'm looking forward to working again, as I'm someone who thrives off of the structure of employment or rigorous academia, but it is one of the reasons.

Regardless, I won't do layaways. I'm super paranoid about committing to a long-term agreement like that and then having to flake because a surprise emergency expense came up, as they are wont to do the moment I even think about trying to stretch my dollars.