How open are you with your BJD as a hobby?

I don't run around screaming "I collect BJDs!" at the top of my lungs but I'm also not in the closet about it. If you walk into my house chances are you'll see a doll either in the curio cabinet or on the sewing table (you can see the craft room from the main door). If someone were to ask about it I wouldn't hesitate to talk about the hobby. Then again I'm willing to bet that not even some of my close family know I collect dolls...solely because I'm a very introverted person, I very rarely strike up my own conversation.

 

I wouldn't introduce myself as a BJD hobbyist, even if I were asked about my hobbies. None of my friends know about my doll, only my boyfriend and my family members. (Well, one of my international pen pals knows. I couldn't contain my excitement when my first doll was arriving.)

But I'm very new to the hobby, so that probably makes it a bit different for me.

 

I am very secret. The only people that know are other hobbyists. But then, I am a secretive person in general.

 

Personal/private hobby. Most people I know just wouldn't get it, so I keep it in the realm of those who share the hobby. I am happy with this.

 

Im really open abut it. If it comes up in conversations, I'll talk about it and I sometimes post about it on social media. My reasoning is that if someone is going to unfriend because of something I love, then I don't want that person as a friend anyways.

One of my best friends made me cry (happy tears) when he told me: "Anna, your doll hobby is f****** weird, but the fact that you remain your authentic self and have never changed it for anyone is one of the things I respect most about you."

 

I am more open about it! When I ordered my newest dolls I showed my colleagues at work the pictures and they were all interested! My boss even got inspired to have a new hair cut like my Hollys old wig O.o I mean whut?
Some of my students now as well, though for the younger kids I am the teacher that likes Pokemon.

I think because everyone knows that I am little bit...odd...they accept it all very easily.

When asked what my Hobby is I usually answer Cosplay, crafts and lately dolls. That is a wonderful conversation starter. Most Japanese people know what cosplay is, but nearly nobody knows about dolls :3

I am very sure they think I have a screw loose! So much fun!

 

I wouldn't call myself very secretive, and I'm open about the fact that all my interests are weird/obscure things, so talking about dolls isn't about to scare away anyone who already knows me lol. (some my other obsessions are speech synthesis and games with absurdly dense stories, so sometimes it's easier to talk about dolls than those!)

if I'm talking to someone i've never met before and i want to bring it up, I tend to fudge it a little and say I create "art dolls" and paint collectibles and stuff like that.. nobody has questioned it once I show them what i mean! (though sometimes i get a weird look up front...)

 

I'm very closed/secretive about it. It's not so much to do with judgment from others; the only thing I worry about with others judging me is that I might say something overly unpleasant in the heat of the moment if people made uninvited comments (because I dislike people who care that much about random strangers'/acquaintances' hobbies).

The reason I keep it so hidden, though, is because it means a lot to me. In my experience, if people (other than those you have come to trust) know something that means a lot to you, they can use the information for their own gain. It's simply too sad to see something that brought you great joy be turned into a tool of manipulation or what have you. It can take away your enjoyment of that thing, and even though when you are in a better place you can start to enjoy it again, this takes a long time.
Also some people, even if they'd never use someone's interests against them, might like to talk about people so much that they tell someone who is more manipulative.

So my close family members and close friends know, but I'd never tell others who asked about my hobbies until I could feel they were really trustworthy.

Edit: I also don't care much if some person I'll likely never encounter again sees me photographing a doll etc.; as long as I'm just a random stranger to them it doesn't matter to me.

 

I'm pretty secretive about it. My husband and a few of my close friends know and I've just started going to a local meet up group but I don't post about the hobby on social media and don't discuss it with anyone else. I just know that a lot of people think dolls are weird or creepy and it's not that I care so much what other people have to say but I don't really care to listen to someone be nasty about something I work hard at. I let my roommate see one of my dolls while I was sewing and he's been making fun of it every chance he gets. I don't care what he has to say so I don't justify it with any attention but it's just obnoxious and gets on my nerves when people act like that about anyone's hobbies. It just confirms my reasons for being secretive. Long story short, people being obnoxious really get on my nerves so I'm secretive about my dolls lol.

 

I'm also quite secretive about this hobby. Most of my older friends/acquaintances know, since they saw me joining this hobby and I excitedly told them about dolls and showed them my small collection back then.
But some of their reactions hurt me badly so now I know better than mention it if I don't have to.

It also helps that I nearly never have non-BJD people over, but I guess if new peeps came into my life and my home I'd just mention the dolls nonchalantly once they spot them.

Not making a big deal about it and such, even though it is...

 

my close friends all know i collect bjds, so i guess i'm relatively open with this hobby. but i'm not sharing it with my workmates

 

I'm so sad to hear people being bullied for their hobby but it doesn't surprise me. People are assholes. Dolls are perfect (and often preferable to assholes).

But I'm not particularly secretive about my dolls. I already look a little offbeat (weird haircut, tattoo and piercings, rockabilly clothing) and I have weirder hobbies (I have two, formerly THREE pet tarantulas) so of the two, I tend to deflect with the spiders: Oh you thought my doll was creepy? Well say hello to my little arachnid friend!
I post my spiders and my tattoos and my rockabilly costume contests on social media, why wouldn't I share my dolls? If I still collected action figures, I'd be posting them. People make fun of all the things I do, but I've just learned not to let assholes run my life or ruin my hobbies.

 

Though I'm still very new, I'm quite open about if people ask me what my hobbies are! It's just another outlet for creativity after all!

 

I have no issues claiming to be a doll collector. I have for years even as a high schooler and in college. Do I hide it? It's not the first interesting fact I reveal about myself. I usually start with my crafty pursuits and then end with my doll collecting. I don't post on FB, but only to my sub-groups mostly. I have brought dolls to work occasionally and I used to have items shipped here all the time.

Physically, well, I have always had a designated room for my collectibles to reduce light exposure, minimize dust, reduce accidents with touchy kids so whenever you walked into my home, you'd never know. About 2 years ago, my in-laws retired and I inherited a gorgeous glass curio cabinet but was forced to place it in the foyer area because of its weight and size. So I filled it with dolls - my less expensive American fashion dolls. My BJDs are still under lock and key in my hobby room. I figure if those were stolen, it'd be less devastating to me than my BJDs. So now as guests comes to my house, they see a modest collection, not my crazy hoard! LOL!

 

I'm an introvert, so unless someone asks me the right question, and I'm comfortable enough around them already, I don't discuss my hobbies. I might mention in general that I collect dolls and knit, but typcially someone else takes over the conversation by that point, so normally I don't have to worry about follow up questions. In social settings, the friends we have tend to be extroverts, and love to talk about themselves, and I hang back and listen with a mental bowl of popcorn.

I'm in the camp of if someone doesn't ask, I'm not going to volunteer it. Unless they are in the hobby already, it invites judgement more than interest, in my experience. Especially if it happens to be family. (I'm not close with my family at all, for various reasons, including too much judgement when I didn't fit the mold they had ready for me. So even if I ever see any of them again, the last thing I would share with them would be my great loves of doll collecting, and knitting!)

Otherwise, my hubby and close friends I am very comfortable sharing my hobby with. They're also supportive of it, and don't give me any judgement about how much I spend on it. I might get a little gentle ribbing about being willing to spend money on a pair of shoes for my dolls, but I balk at buying a pair for myself. But they know doll collecting (and knitting) brings me joy, and that's more that good enough for them to enjoy it with me.

 

My boyfriend knows, my mom knows and two of my weird friends know. It's just not worth it to argue with people, what else more important I could buy with the money I spend on dolls.

 

I love dolls in general so my friends find that out about me eventually. I don't often talk about BJD in particular as I consider it kind of long-winded for people who are only mildly interested in my hobbies. Kind of like how I only talk about my pets if I find out that they have pets too.

 

Quite open. I tell anyone who asks about my hobbies that I collect and customize large resin balljointed dolls, and anyone who walks into my home will see them on display. When I used social media I would occasionally post a photo of a current project, so even extended family and acquaintances were aware of it.

I see no reason to conceal anything that is so important to you. For me, it would feel like false advertising--if someone would like to be my friend it's just easier all around if they know what they're in for.

 

Anyone who comes to my house has seen my antique and Himstedt dolls. I have them in unlighted cases. I usually only have one bjd out on display though. Most are in my wooden armoire just to keep them from light. The one on display is in a shadow space in my case. I have had all the rude comments on occasion from people, like a niece and her mother. But I really don't care what they think. It's my house, my favorite form of art.

 

I'm very open about it. My sister is also a collector as are several of my friends. Other friends are into gaming, figures and art so even outside the BJD hobby, they understand geeky and artistic things. It's not a secret at all. They don't have to be a fan, but I don't have time for people who can't respect that the hobby makes me happy.

 

I can't really think of dolls in terms of being in or out of the closet but...
I often have one doll out where it can be seen because I working on it and tell people what it is if they ask. If someone asks about my interests/hobbies I'll mention BJDs along with other things. I don't share doll talk all over the place because most people don't care and have nothing interesting to say about a hobby they don't take part in.

I understand some people have rude family or friends who will say negative things about their interests and may be afraid to share. I had a friend whose boyfriend was mean about her interest in dolls. However, I won't tolerate that and would stop hanging out with someone like that for being a jerk. Fortunately my family doesn't hassle me about dolls.

 

I don't make a big deal about any of my hobbies... but I don't bother to hide my interests, either. Pretty much anyone who's ever been in my house has seen at least the "downstairs" set of display cabinets. They're in a recessed passageway/landing space between my living room and kitchen/dining area, so in fairly obvious view.

Most of the time the dolls don't attract any more notice or comment than any of the other decorative objects in the house. If someone does ask about them, I'll explain what kind of dolls they are. If they want a closer look, I'll even pull somebody out and let them tinker a bit. (Visiting kids are most prone to that, but I have had a few adults who were curious about them, too. XD)

'Thing is, I'm not the least bit ashamed of the gang, or of being a "doll lady", and I think that comes through when I'm talking about the collection. People take cues from each other. We're social animals. So, if I'm obviously comfortable with it, they're more apt to be as well. Plus, I'm an older chick, so doll collecting is pretty much on the list of 'socially acceptable' hobbies for me to have, anyway. Even the most stogy, Propriety-Is-Everything types can't really argue with that. But honestly? No one has ever seemed to find it any stranger than my gardening or my collection of antique cookbooks.

 

I'm quite open about it. I take my crafting projects everywhere with me, and people like to ask what I'm making. Since I usually craft for dolls, that's how I answer. Sometimes I bring my dolls with me. People tend to be more interested in my creations than the fact I'm an adult who likes dolls.

 

No reason for me to hide this or any other hobby. If hobbies come up in conversation then I tell people. I broadly collect toys, so in general I always just reference my toy collection and then will dive into details if people ask.

 

If you ever stopped for a visit to my place you'd see my dolls in the office on a cabinet & on my desk. They aren't hidden at all. I always have to tell people if they hear I have dolls they are like OOAK art pieces.

 

Yes, this was exactly the point I was trying to get across! If you approach it with a lot of confidence, then people are more apt to accept it.

 

Personally, I'm open about BJD as my hobby. If I had to hide, it would be new dolls and I had to hide it away from my wife, in case she asked me how much did I spend again.

There are people who gave weird looks and that's ok for me. If I see another grown man carrying dolls, I _might_ gave him the same kind of look too.

 

I'm open but some of my friends find the dolls scary because they are so lifelike. I always have the mint in box mentality from collecting Barbies previously so it is very different with BJDs for me to be so hands on, so to say, with my dolls

 

LOL - I'm open about being Pagan - I told the guys on my Zeppelin list I was deep into KPop. So telling people I collect BJDs? LOL LOL LOL hardly a big deal for me

 

I collect plenty of dolls and I guess it depends on the person. There are some people (... majority) who think it's a little odd so I tend to keep quiet about it to avoid getting your so 'weird' and 'creepy' comments. However what I love about the doll community is that you get people who appreciate them and here is where I love to exchange collection photography and talk about the latest releases

 

My Bobobie Elfkin is on the display shelf in my living room but she's not very noticeable. I did post on Facebook when I got my dolls but these days I don't mention them much. My Souldoll Tae is kept in the spare room. I think I don't mention them much because they seem like such a luxury item that people can get tetchy when they find out how much they cost.

 

I'm super open and pumped about sharing the hobby! I walk around in public with them, and I get a good mix of freaked out looks and happy laughing looks. I honestly don't care. I enjoy talking to people about them and recently convinced a girl to buy her first! I feel very proud haha.

 

I only really tell people who are also in the hobby or I know can appreciate. Most people I have told either a) think the dolls are creepy or b) don't understand why I'd pay so much for them. And I don't want to be bothered to explain it again and again so and I am a pretty private person in general so it's no surprise.

 

Well, I certainly don't hide my dolls. If you come to my house, it's pretty obvious they're there. I live with my parents still, and they usually sit in the furnished basement. HOWEVER, for parties I will normally put them in my room for a safety reason, not really an embarrased reason.
I post them on my FB,
When people ask what I like, I mention them.
They're a part of me,and I'm not going to hide it. People like football, I like dolls. They might think dolls are stupid, I think football is stupid.
SO to me, sharing this piece of me isn't a big deal. If someone gives me poop about my hobby, I'll give them poop about theirs. Lol! I am someone who tries not to take things too literally or to heart so... I live my life happily and openly.
I will take them for pics, etc.
However, I don't bring them on daily tasks. (Work, shopping, etc. There's a separation there. Lol)

 

I don't go out of my way to tell anyone, but I don't hide it either. I don't really see a reason to hide any of my hobbies. If people don't like that I have dolls or play video games or whatever else, that's their own problem.

 

I'm not very open about it out of fear that people will think its childish or weird (especially since enough people have thought that about me throughout my life). But I recently told a very close friend and he was very supportive and even told me he found them beautiful! It's not so much out of shame, but out of fear and I'm a generally private person who doesn't share a lot of my interests so I don't think theres much of a surprise that I don't talk about them with most people.

 

I'm very open about it. In my view, there's no reason not to be. I don't go around telling every person I meet that I'm into dolls, of course, but I will make reference to the hobby to co-workers and friends and I'm not worried about being seen in public with my resin folks. There will always be people who will find it creepy, weird, extravagant, or a waste of time and money, but there are people out there who will think that about many different hobbies and pastimes, too. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and everyone is entitled to their own hobbies and pastimes. Also, I'm an adult with a job and money, so I'm not too worried about other people's judgements about what I spend my money on.

That having been said, I think there's a relationship between how open a person is about the hobby (or any hobby/pastime, really) and how others respond to it. If a person tries to hide it and acts as if it's something to be ashamed or embarrassed about and that it should be hidden, others who find out about it are more likely to respond negatively to it. In my experience, being open and communicative and not embarrassed about it tends to elicit more positive and respectful responses.

 

I tell some members of my family and some friends but some of my friends find it creepy irl because of Anabelle and all those scary doll movies.

 

I'm VERY open about my involvement with the hobby. I carry my dolls everywhere, post tons of pictures on Facebook, and talk about my dolls with anyone who wants to chat about hobbies. To me it's not any fun if I don't share it with the world!

 

I'm very open about it to some of my friends and will talk about them freely, but in general don't really talk about my hobby (or hobbies overall) to everyone. However, I've never hidden the fact I have dolls either just will not talk about them until asked and I'm more than happy to talk!
I'm not embarrassed nor ashamed to have them and I've taken my dolls to events and out in public multiple times, its just a case
that some of my friends/colleagues really do not care at all about the hobby or are even scared of dolls so I don't feel the need to bore by talking about them constantly! hehe

 

Well, I don't tell that much about BJD's to other people. I'm not embarrassed but most people just are not interested in them so why bother? I don't talk about my horses to people who are not interested in them, or talk about metal music to somebody who doesn't like that kind of music.

 

Family and a few friends know. I don't mention it at work: I say I collect figures or toys. I doubt my colleagues know about BJDs, and I just don't want they 'ugh, that's creepy!' reaction I've had in the past.

 

For me it is also a difficult question: " is it hobby?"
For sure I know, that I am not a collector, because I'm not keeping my dolls in mint condition, of cours I like first to give them a life, but then, I really play with them, they are on my desk, when I'm working, or they are waiting for a new dress, they are in my bed , when I'm looking a movies, in my bag, when I travel... It is part of my life..
Can you say about 4 years girl, that she is in a hobby of Teddybears....
Maybe, would be wright to give a names like: BJD art creator, or BJD player, or BJD hugger and kisser and clothes buyer...

 

I've only told a few people. Just my partner, my parents, and close friends. They're all pretty accepting, they realize it's my thing and that I enjoy it. I recently decided to tell my favorite aunt, and she actually told me it was impractical So for now I'll keep it between those closest to me, and all of you fine folks.

 

I'm only open to people who I trust. I don't share my hobby to those I'm not very familiar with, or are known to have judgemental traits.

 

I'm reasonably open. I don't bring it up without asking, and I no longer take my larger dolls out in public regularly, but I do post pictures on my main Facebook feed instead of just in BJD groups. I don't show off my dolls, but I don't hide them either.

 

I don't always talk about my bjd hobby to people, but I'm not in the closet. I don't talk about my bjd hobby to people I barely know. Most of my friends and my family know that I have a bjd. I don't tell them how much I spend on my doll. They do know that I post pictures of the doll online and they are cool with it.

 

Pretty much I only tell people who would be seeing them when they visit anyway, so close friends and family. They understand it's something exciting for me like any other hobby, even it's not personally something they are into or know anything about, so that's good enough for me!

 

I am very open about the hobby. Why bother being in closet? If someone is going to judge you and ridicule you based on your hobbies are they really someone that you want in your life anyways?

 

Depends on the person. I’ve shown off pics of my girl to some women I know and they both thought she was gorgeous. I think if one of them was younger she might’ve gotten into the hobby because it’s cheaper to make a Civil War dress for a doll, rather than herself (she’s a re-enactor, talk about expensive! One of her dresses can cost as much or more than a doll depending on how specifically and authentically you want it done).

On the other hand I work mostly with guys whose big spending is on fishing and hunting gear. Or working on cars/motorcycles. I’m pretty sure they’d be baffled by the idea of bjds as a hobby. I doubt they’d be hostile or anything, but if I gushed over it I might get mocked, but then fairs fair, I’ve teased them when they start going into detail about their hunting camp plans.

 

I learned the hard way.... told a colleague (who seemed very open and supportive) about my hobby, who then asked to see my instagram of doll pictures... she showed it to my other colleagues behind my back and they all made fun of me and called me creepy. This is a group of adults in their 30's and 40's who should have known better.

I don't work there anymore.

Only family and a few close friends know about my hobby. I'd rather connect with collectors on my (new; deleted the old one) instagram.

 

I'm semi opened about it because some remarks are pretty insulting.

 

Not very open about much of my life these days, but I don't purposely keep my dolls a secret from anyone which has resulted in some good natured teasing which I don't really mind and occasionally being treated rudely for it (which really bothers me) but I'm done trying to fit in the mold of 'normal' so love me, love my dolls or at least be understanding of their worth to me.

 

I have a few friends says that my dolls give them nitemares! So i dont post them on my facebook, i only post in private doll group and instagram so they can unfollow me if they are uncomfortable.

 

The only people that know about my bjds are parents and siblings. But they don't really know about them, you know? They just think they're dolls I do things with... they don't know about their characters, why I collect them, what I do with them, or what they are But then again, I don't talk to them about it.
I would classify myself to be deep in the closet of this hobby. I don't have any real life friends so who would I even tell anyways? But I would choose to have my siblings not know that I collect dolls because I see it as my 'thing', my safe place to be.

 

I'm always eager to talk about them, so I generally don't hide it.

 

I don't hide it. I'm not a very talkative person but I tell everyone, who asks me, about my hobby. My partner collects them and all my other friends too. So I have nothing to hide and I don't know why I should.

 

The subject usually doesn't come up. I don't keep my dolls out on display due to our cats. My family knows I collect dolls but are not interested in them. I talk with my husband about them. It was amusing to find out that I actually had a few friends from another hobby that also owned BJDs--I think I posted a picture of one of mine and they were all "!!! We didn't know you liked BJD's!!"

 

I talk easily about my hobby to people.
My familly and friends know about it (I had a cousin who used to collect doll) and a talk about it to my cowokers if I feel it.