what makes people leave doll/anime hobby??

On 8/24/2020 at 7:55 PM, Adele said:

... My favorite manga ever is Azumanga Daioh from way back so if anyone has suggestions like that I’m all ears! ...

Very slightly off-topic but you might take a look at Rifle Is Beautiful, aka Chidori RSC. The anime series is based on a 4-panel-manga and it is very cute and funny even if you´re not into beam rifle shooting. I feel it has a similar sense of humor. 

On 10/9/2020 at 8:28 AM, ArcticKitsune said:

... and now seeing those in the Anime/Dollfie hobby are heavy in politics ruining the whole fun factor. ... though what killed it for me was how politics has to be in everything ...

This, so much.

This is actually one example I had in mind when I mentioned "changes in a community that make you feel no longer comfortable" as a reason for leaving a hobby/community. I´ve seen it happen several times before (in different hobby communities, at different times ...), but in recent years, it has flared up very strongly, to the point that it has become very difficult in some hobbies to find a community able to leave politics aside to a degree that enables people of different backgrounds and opinions to simply enjoy the hobby they have in common (and thus, find a common ground after all).

 

 

 

Since I suspect I'm one of those "bringing politics into the hobby," I'll drop in my thoughts here.

I *start* hobbies because I enjoy the activity, but I *stay* in hobbies because of the friends I make. So many of my deepest and closest friends I met through various hobbies. They have supported me through so much -- beyond just the typical trials and tribulations of hobbydom.

That said, a common interest in a show, doll or craft isn't enough for a solid, long-lasting friendship (at least, it isn't for me personally, ymmv). That's firmly in the "acquaintance" territory. For me, friendship involves a deeper level of mutual trust, which can only be built when you share key foundational beliefs and views (again, for me personally, ymmv). If you have a cute doll but are OK with policies that violate basic human rights, or value economic growth more than human lives? We're never going to be friends.

So I'm fine with politics being in hobbies. I prefer it if people tell me right up from who they *really* are.

And I'm 100% fine with people judging me for my politics, because I'm proud of what I believe in. If you're sitting here thinking "ugh, Cauldy is such a mean socialist jerkface, I never want to do anything with her" -- you know what, I support your right to make that decision. I'll even stand up for you if someone else is goes after you for making that decision. The only thing I'm really not OK with is this idea that you shouldn't be allowed to judge people based on their politics.

That said, I don't think I've ever really "left" a hobby. I view my hobby as "collecting" -- it's only the "what" I'm collecting that's changed over the years. But the activity -- hunting down the exact model you want, acquiring it, maybe making a few tweaks to customize it, and photographing it to share with others -- that's been pretty much unchanged for the last 20+ years in my life. And all my other hobbies (currently: beading) are usually simply extensions of that collecting hobby, rather than a separate hobby in and of themselves.

25 minutes ago, Cauldroness said:

I *start* hobbies because I enjoy the activity, but I *stay* in hobbies because of the friends I make. So many of my deepest and closest friends I met through various hobbies. They have supported me through so much -- beyond just the typical trials and tribulations of hobbydom.

That seems to me like a very good approach to life. 
 

25 minutes ago, Cauldroness said:

If you have a cute doll but are OK with policies that violate basic human rights, or value economic growth more than human lives? We're never going to be friends.

 

I’ve experienced something like that within the hobby. Someone in the hobby who I though of as a friend, but who ended up making some statements that revealed racial prejudice. Much like shutting off a tap of water, it pretty much terminated any interest in having anything to do with them on the spot.

I can tolerate differences of opinion regarding most matters of politics, but adherence to or support of any sort of hateful ideology is untenable to me.  

 

 

I am a 40-something guy. I still watch anime but not as I used. You know, life gets in the way. One day you get a family, a job in which you are good at... That leaves you exhausted and with little time for hobbies. So, I grew picky when it comes to what anime watch or manga read. Not only because my shorter time slots, but also I developed a second hobby in my adulthood. I write fantasy/Steampunk in spanish and many parts of my stories contain menctions and scarce references to anime and manga.  

I liked dolls since I knew of them. But my collection has sufered over the years. Some came and left... AKA were bougth and sold a time later. Others remain because we have a strong bond. Today, five girls live with me. Two Takara dolls, an EAH, a Moxie Girlz and Yuki Nagato, an 1/6 Obitsu... which is currently injured and has to spend all her time sitting because she got her hip joint broke. I am considering getting her a new body if I cannot find the joint pieces in the marketplace.

 

My heyday of anime was the late 80s through the mid to late 90s.  Anime and I have changed since then.  I can scroll through long lists of modern anime on streaming services and not see a single thing that looks the slightest bit interesting.  And that's fine.  It's just not for me anymore.

As for DDs, it has always been a purely collecting hobby for me.  I dipped my toe into other doll collecting areas, and really didn't enjoy anything other than the 1/3 vinyl doll experience.  On top of that, I was only interested in Volks dolls.  But after over 5 years, it just isn't exciting to me any longer.  Plus, there have been some instances of compulsive shopping rather than actual interest.  It's time to move on.

I currently consider my Dollfie collection to be closed.  I don't currently have any plans to add anything to it.  I think I've done fairly well, though.  I consider my collection a win.  Subconsciously, that may be why I eventually decided on Victoria as the name of my 15th and last girl.  (I'm sure someone here also suggested that as an option, so take a No-Prize if you did.)

For those who worry about such things, rest assured my girls are still loved.  I'm not giving up on them, just the collecting pursuit.  

I realize that now I have absolutely guaranteed that Ranko Kanzaki v2 will be available this holiday, and Saber Lily will get a v2 re-release sometime next year.  For the others who were also interested in such things, I say good luck on any potential lotteries and enjoy!  Post pics, and I'll enjoy vicariously.
 

I've been pondering should I contribute here or not, due to reasons ... but decided to give it a bash.

In terms of Anime its a bit weird, since I've managed to keep my enthusiasm throughout the decades, but I will admit to western live action TV making leaps and bounds progression from the stereotypical sitcom days of the 90's, and taking up some space in my viewing space. Sure there are pretty crappy anime series out there, but those have always been around, the thing is that more is now available for viewing than ever ... which makes finding gems like Iron Blood Orphans - Something that almost reinvented the Gundams so much more enjoyable

But something that hit a snag in that field was at one point trying to go against an age old wisdom of "Do not make a job out of your hobby".

Due to some forum review writing of stuff, I got the peculiar chance of participating in a traditional media project of sorts, during a time when such things should have been deemed unprofitable. Trouble was that I was a bit of a back country yokel in the midst of academics (the stereotypical academic anime fan was perhaps a bit more pronounced here at that time, due to universities being the main low cost internet source for "grey market stuff") -- selected specifically so the writer lineup wouldnt be all academic ... so all is well for about a year and a half. But being the slightly over-achieving impostor-syndrome suffering thing that I am, I had developed a bit of a game with proofreading ... up to the point where I was making text revisions to the ftp server for only moving comma's around -- yes, this was a bit much, but as a result the yokel was the one getting the least complaints from the proofreader.

So, one day I was checking the ftp site for our little project, and saw that there had been another revision posted of one of my texts right before the cut-off date for proofing -- took a peek, and found out it was ... altered in a rather colorful way as if someone had typed it in a heavy state of inebriation.

Now I wasnt totally without a sense of humor about this, if it had stayed at just posting something on the server for funzies -- but this reworked piece wound up going to proofing, and ultimately in the publication -- and sabotage is something I take a bit more seriously -- quit the project, and my view of the academic part of the community overall taking a bit of a dent as a result.

I did get another chance at this a few years later when the production team changed fully ... only to end up grinding to a halt due to lack of time as I was working two jobs and this writing thing at the same time.

Writing about stuff also became a bit of a peculiar sensation as the scene seemed to start applauding articles that psychoanalyzed every single little detail about a series .. which is good in a way I guess, but in my mind left little incentive for anybody to actually go watch the stuff since everything had already been explained to such thorough measures.

Also the great and mighty google decided my stuff wasnt worth listing in searches, and so motivation for writing about japanese rpg's and anime went the way of the dodo.

---

As far as doll go ... I do need to take occasional breaks even from this forum due to the green hobgoblin of envy raising its head on occasion. Though this is usually only acompanied by stuff happening in my personal life sphere at the same time

 

Edited November 5, 2020 by finnleo

For me the oversexualization of minors is really off-putting. I noticed it less when I was a kid myself, but I also get the feeling it has gotten worse over the years (correct me if I'm wrong). It feels like everything that's released nowadays needs 3 beach-episodes and other random moments that completely detract from the plot. This is especially annoying when the show presents itself as serious/deep, but constantly breaks your immersion. As you can tell I'm still in this hobby, but I'm just way more critical of and selective with what I watch.

19 hours ago, Miruna said:

(correct me if I'm wrong)

I'll just leave this here:

(some graphic violence warning and potential spoilers, combined with an amusing music combination - but the only one not paired with angst rock, or had a move on -- the seven nation army thing fits somewath)

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/iJFqHUuIBik

 

Then again, Saga of Tanya the evil is almost a parody of the trope.

But... eh ... the biggest thing will be finding any japanese animation where the lead heroine isnt under the age of 18 ... like World end was over all a pretty solid series, but that caused some people to twitch with the stress relief scene with Chtolly.

 

Edited November 24, 2020 by finnleo

I guess what really cooled the hobby down for me was a combination of things that all happened on a short time frame.  First was getting cheated out of a lot of money when I was unemployed.  I had agreed to a split on a preorder doll and then when things came due I had no job but a family to still feed.  But wanting to be a man of my word I paid what I owed.  The other party just took the money and ghosted me as soon as the window of time closed to contest the charge on PayPal.  As far as I can tell they never even ordered the doll to begin with.  Then the primary lens I used to photograph my girls broke, my home computer really got to old and slow to use anymore, local doll meets dried up as others were busy with life, and I was still job hunting, so I just left my girls on the shelf and have hardly done anything with them since.  I do have a job now, and have bought some new outfits, and once in a long while change them, but they mostly are cute dust magnates.

I want to do more with them, but it really seems like I can ether sleep or play with my dolls, and sleep wins.

On 11/29/2020 at 6:58 PM, sinclair said:

I want to do more with them, but it really seems like I can ether sleep or play with my dolls, and sleep wins.

It sounds like you haven’t lost interest but that list of things that went south on you would wear anyone down. 
 

You’re always welcome here regardless of how much time you can invest in the hobby. 

On 11/30/2020 at 1:58 PM, sinclair said:

 The other party just took the money and ghosted me as soon as the window of time closed to contest the charge on PayPal.  As far as I can tell they never even ordered the doll to begin with.

 

Assuming that nothing happened to this person that prevented them from being able to contact you, this is actually horrifying to me. Was this a transaction that took place on this forum? Is there any way to leave negative feedback or warn others if so?

On 11/30/2020 at 4:58 AM, sinclair said:

but it really seems like I can ether sleep or play with my dolls, and sleep wins.

If you were stressed out and recovering, sleep is the better option. I dont like to parrot too much, since these points have been made in the fatigue treads before, but dust can be brushed away, fatigue not so much... (personally took me about 6 months of pretty much sitting around after quitting my daytime job that was all stress and no practical rewards for it before I even considered taking on my own home projects)

I used to enjoy the hobby the first couple of years, but then people started acting weird and selfish devaluating the sculpts and the brands that our group loved the most and we decided to step aside. Then, when we went to a DollCon for getting a One Off, things went wrong and I had to leave the hobby (kepping my dolls and having fun only for personal purpose)... It's so hard when you feel that you don't fit in the community you loved the most.

Anime was my fav thing to watch when I was young, I'm still doing it sometimes but not as much as then ♥

On 12/1/2020 at 3:30 PM, Monty said:

Assuming that nothing happened to this person that prevented them from being able to contact you, this is actually horrifying to me. Was this a transaction that took place on this forum? Is there any way to leave negative feedback or warn others if so?

It all happened over the course of the forum moving, so things got lost on the site.  And it's not that they could contact me, they've been on the site since, and even read my messages to them, just haven't replied.  It'd be nice to have my money back, I just don't know what I can do about it now.  But at least I have a clear conscience as I kept my part of the deal.

I was actually afraid of entering the doll hobby because I had heard of the several horror stories originating from places like DoA.  I felt it was a little it too elitist and my poor ass would have  been ostracized for not having the right doll, as opposed to having the right doll for me. 

 

I was a brony.  I left the hobby because I found it really specifically homophobic and transphobic.  They pretty much doxxed a 17-year old child and distributed nudes of her, then ridiculed her for coming out as gay/a furry because she had different opinions, to name at least one thing.  They chased out a lot of women and transfolk  (could have lumped it with women, but I've had transmen and transwomen have really bad experiences).  When I say "weirdly homophobic", they ostracized pretty much any sexuality that wouldn't fuck them.  I didn't so much mind the "neck beards", but holy hell, it was the ones that bled into "nice guy" territory that became a problem.  The fandom was all around toxic, and for a while I was oblivious to it because I was just happy to be welcomed into a community.  I started seeing the seams, though, with a lot of incidents.  Including being stalked at a con, being told I wasn't "allowed" to cosplay the same pony/character as "waifu" cosplayers in the community, and finally (and put under spoiler tags for potentially being triggering) 

Spoiler

I was sexually assaulted by someone "horse famous".  It honestly not only made me leave the fandom, but it made me severely depressed.  I felt like I couldn't say anything because they were well-liked/popular and I would be labelled as a "SJW".  The only time he approached me about it/made an attempt to apologize was when my roommate at the time was kind of ostracized from the community that had, by the way, fostered his then underaged drinking and enabled him, because it was posted publicly and while I wasn't named specifically, he didn't want me adding fuel to the fire by confirming the speculations, especially when people in our local brony group and a lot of people associated with /mlp/ started asking.

 

Edited December 6, 2020 by Meowjima

On 11/23/2020 at 3:00 PM, Miruna said:

For me the oversexualization of minors is really off-putting. I noticed it less when I was a kid myself, but I also get the feeling it has gotten worse over the years (correct me if I'm wrong). It feels like everything that's released nowadays needs 3 beach-episodes and other random moments that completely detract from the plot. This is especially annoying when the show presents itself as serious/deep, but constantly breaks your immersion. As you can tell I'm still in this hobby, but I'm just way more critical of and selective with what I watch.

Definitely agree with this. Just browsing on instagram 'MDD', it bothered me seeing young dolls dressed like strippers and or in sexual, provocative poses. There are a few accounts I've blocked.

Doll hobby is the one I've kept the longest: my sister got me into resin BJDs, cosplay, and anime via attending conventions in the early 2000s.

I left figure collecting when Busou Shinki were discontinued and my main fandom (Fate, but before Grand Order came out) kept showing prototypes I wanted and then churning out bishoujo figures instead. Plus I started getting arthritis in my hands, which made playing with my small poseables like Figma and Revoltech *stressful*.

I lost interest in cosplay around the time US cosplayers began to make monetization and popularity-among-non-cosplayers a metric of success. It seemed like I was in it for the "wrong reasons" to most people--I don't have the "right face" for it and don't care, it's just my preferred fan-art medium, and I liked the making far more than the playing--so even after 10+ years and some major awards I didn't have any strong ties.

Anime fandom became kind of less fun as a social activity after I majored in Japanese studies, because there was suddenly this... weird gap in awareness between me and the friends I wanted to watch and talk about anime with??? That makes me sounds pretentious, idk how to put it. The thing that made me stop going to US anime conventions was having weebs treat my (deeply nerdy) Japanese husband as either ~so exotic~ or some kind of memey object of contempt instead of a fellow fan.

Doll hobby seems the most stable for me because it's the least vulnerable to feelings of alienation. The customization aspect makes it unlikely that I'll ever be pushed out by the dominance of trends I don't like. The fact that it's not a self-definition instrument or popularity contest like cosplay means that doll people are much friendlier and less defensive when you want to talk shop. I think a lot of what comes across as "elitism" in doll hobby (on DoA in particular) is that it doesn't play according to the Geek Social Fallacies we're used to functioning by, not that it's an inherently hostile place.

I have watched anime and collected dolls/figures most of my life, but my activity in the hobbies ebbs and flows over the years. School, work, family, life expenses just end up taking priority or my other hobbies take center stage for awhile. I find as I get older I am able to find more of a healthy balance between my interest and life priorities and that I don’t go all out into any one hobby, but instead enjoy things in moderation and I find that to be much more enjoyable. 

Having been out of the doll hobby for about 7 years and just now coming back to it, I can tell you what happened with me.  I was VERY into it back around 2009-2013, like every dime I had that didn't go to bills and food (and sometimes even food money) went to dolls or stuff for dolls.  It started as just "oh, these are cool!", but through a forum I was on, I met a lady who I became very close friends with, and over a short span of time we built our own little world of RP and the dolls we had were our characters, etc.  We RP'd sometimes in the day, but literally 7 nights a week from the moment I got home from work until the wee hours of the morning.

Then, in March of 2013, I ended up in hospital for a serious illness.  I was in hospital until February of 2014.  We talked a bit while I was in, but I was so heavily medicated that I couldn't really hold a conversation much less RP.  When I returned home from all of this, still sick but semi-functional and basically a shell of myself, I tried talking to her... only to basically be told that because I hadn't RP'd with her in the past year, she'd lost all connection to those dolls/characters and had just moved on.  Now, ok, I can understand that - but she basically made it out to be like I had just refused to RP and it was all MY fault that she lost connection to her dolls/characters.  Yeah, because I really had chosen to fight for my life and experience multiple surgeries for a year, ya know? *shrug*  Anyway, she didn't want to RP anymore, or even talk to me.

Because of that, having nothing now to "do" with the dolls and still having to deal with things like relearning how to walk and such, I lost all interest in both the dolls I had and the hobby itself.  So, they all ended up just chilling out on a bookshelf or packed up in a trunk for several years.

It's only been recently that I took notice of them again.  I'm working on my jewelry line to start my shop, and in so doing, I've ended up beginning to create my own little world and storyline - the jewelry will be based around the characters in the story I'm creating.  While this was happening (the world forming, characters developing, etc), it struck me that - "Hey! I should make the dolls into my characters!"  So, that's how and why I got out of the hobby, and am getting back into it.

 

This is an interesting topic to me at this time as I’m on the verge of leaving the hobby due to feeling like I don’t quite fit in. I’ve been into bjds for 12 years and am seriously thinking I should just go my own way and quit the social side. Not that I’ve had much of a social side as I don’t really know anyone in the hobby. I prefer anime style sculpts, so this is a wonderful forum. Wish I had discovered it sooner. I joined as a last attempt to find a place where I might possibly fit in, and still keep in touch with the social aspect. I guess I don’t know how to say how I really feel as I don’t want to attract any negative attention. I’ve never spoken out before how I feel I’ve been treated at another forum. It might just be all in my mind, but the feeling has been growing and I am seriously considering taking a long hobby break.

4 hours ago, takatsuki said:

I joined as a last attempt to find a place where I might possibly fit in, and still keep in touch with the social aspect. I guess I don’t know how to say how I really feel as I don’t want to attract any negative attention. I’ve never spoken out before how I feel I’ve been treated at another forum. It might just be all in my mind, but the feeling has been growing and I am seriously considering taking a long hobby break.

The best thing to do here is pick a topic that interests you, or which you feel you have something to add to, and start posting. Some topics are more active and conversational than others though.

The only doll forums I've been on are this one and DoA. I find DoA is a harder place to socialize, not because the people there aren't ok, but because they are mostly talking about resins with a lot of emphasis on the boy dolls. It was just harder for me to fit in there, since I mostly have DDs and the three resins I have are female.

I'm still here in doll hell for the long haul, but from what I've observed, a lot of people leave their hobbies -- whichever hobbies they may be -- simply because surviving in this life takes too much energy to support anything more.

Wake up after too-little sleep, eat whatever you can scarf down in three minutes while throwing something on and heading out to scramble to a terrible place you don't want to be, doing thankless work you hate, in exchange for maybe enough to scrape by on as long as nothing goes wrong (it always goes wrong,) only to stumble home dead on your feet in time to (maybe) shower before falling into bed before you have to do it all over again in a few hours for your second twelve hour shift. By the time you get a day 'off' it's more a day to do all the additional full-time work of cleaning your living space and yourself, maybe getting groceries if you can afford it or going to the doctor (you guys have healthcare??) or the mechanic or, more likely, finding something to do locally for change so that you can finally get your laundry done at the stupid laundromat that still only takes coins in the midst of a coin shortage in the middle of a year-long pandemic that has razed any sense of routine or 'normalcy' out of the collective experience of the people in your country and left in its wake more death and misfortune and poverty and general suffering that you know what to do with (because it's not like there's anything you can do to affect change in the oligarchic hellhole,) and there's still more to do even after you finish up the work of surviving because maybe you have to attend classes or maybe you have to attend to the rest of your family or maybe you have pets or loved ones who need things and maybe it's just you, all on your own, but without a support network you still wind up drained by a system that takes, and takes, and takes, and gives nothing in return because it was designed to use up human lives as so many batteries to keep itself running, discarded at the end of their ability to produce like so many dry, empty cicada husks.

Or, 

People leave hobbies when their lives do not allow them the freedom of time, energy, and emotional wherewithal to do anything more than survive. 

I miss reading books and watching anime and playing games that have plot and basically having a life outside of my role as caregiver, but due to life circumstances that simply isn't feasible at the current time. My loved ones, precious friends, are having an even worse time than I am. We all help and support each other as best we can, but the collective drain is very real, and making time to do more than the bare minimum to keep going is... difficult. I had a doll sit next to me on the bed recently for damn near a month before I found the ability to put her in her new outfit... it is hard, incredibly so, to be a Person right now, to be a whole human with thoughts, wants, ideas, and things outside of the primary role that we play -- caregiver, employee, parent, teacher, doctor, whatever that may be -- especially with things how they are right now.

It shouldn't be this way, but it is for so many. 

Under the burden of the weight of being human, please be kind to yourselves. I'm just a lurker for the most part, both here and in life as a whole, but I see a lot of folx here struggling with the weight of trying to carry enthusiasm when life doesn't permit them the room to manage. You can't get blood from a stone in the same way you can't spark enthusiasm for something when you're the human equivalent of an empty Zippo lighter. It's not a personal fault; give it time. Trying to make space for yourself in the chaos of surviving life is a chore all on its own! But pursuing whatever does spark interest or joy is worth the payoff, even if you worry that others might judge you for those interests -- but then, we're all doll collectors here, so I think you all know what I mean. Even the smallest things are worthwhile if they give you some measure of enjoyment; those small things build up over time to something more. Be like a caddisfly and wrap yourself up in all those small things that matter to you and, and before you know it you'll have constructed a beautiful shell for your soul to rest and recover from the struggles of life, each one unique and lovely in its own special way.

And if you can't do something right now, that's alright. It doesn't mean you have to cut it out of your life. Give it some time, and maybe down the road, you'll find yourself picking your dolls (or your controller, or that half-read book on the side table) again of your own volition. Try something new and above all else, be kind to the you who gives so much. Especially on the days where it feels like just getting out of the bed feels like the hardest thing you have to face. (And if it feels like there's nothing left in this world that gives you any amount of joy -- or even if it feels like there's only a few things -- maybe look externally for help, and see if your problems may in fact be, either wholly or in part, a form of mental illness. Lord knows that's a part of my problems, and treating them is an invaluable part of my own caddisfly cocoon.) 

For all the pessimism I may have espoused here, I know in my heart it won't be this way forever. I don't recognize who I was from years ago, in the throes of a Bad Mental Health Situation, where I felt I didn't 'deserve' to do things I enjoyed; getting into the doll hobby has honestly been one of the better things to have happened to me! So even if sometimes I just... can't bother with them, it doesn't last forever. I think most hobbies are like that, in the end, and it's okay to come and go. Our hobbies will be there when, or if, we choose to come back to them.

These are strange times, friends. Be kind to yourselves, wherever life leads you.
(And I'll work on taking my own damn advice in the meantime.)

There are many people that leave a hobby because of bullying. I love all the hobbies that I am interested in like Anime, Gaming, Dollfies, and Models.

But unfortunately there are very horrible nasty people in every hobby that try to make it hell for others. They sit behind their keyboards gain a cult following,  bully and victimize who ever they feel like. These types of people are very sad and pathetic.

Never leave a hobby you love and enjoy.

For me its number 1 and 2 on the list.
But most of all its thr loneliness in it for me. Let me explain.

Think DD collecting is an expensive hobby? Try it in a third world country where the almighty US dollar dictates the economy and  for example a limited DD is worth two, three or more months worth of salary even if youre lucky enough to have a reliable above average-paying job. Heck even the initial cost of adopting a regular DD price is worth way more than your average anime/figure collector is able to handle, let alone dive fully into the hobby. Its just crazy expensive.

Then there's the fact that DDs are just unknown of by anime figure and doll owners alike. Teeny tiny bjd market is almost fully comprised of recasts and small 1/6 like scale.

So for the last 10 years I've been all alone down here. If it weren't for you guys i wouldn't have a single soul to share my Dd thoughts and adventures with.
And I really mean it, i have searched for "our kind" for several years to no avail, never ever have met another owner in person or saw somebody elses doll anywhere.

I've only known a handfull people who own at least one but out of those maybe only one has ever taken some pictures or posed them. Let alone playing with them or doing regular hobby activities like playing with them, buying and changing clothes, wigs, eyes, taking pictures, buying props, accessorize them, getting together to share with others. You know everything everyone does to one extent or another? None, zero, non existant.

So when the interest starts to meander its up to only myself to keep interested/invested by posing them, playing with their looks, looking at other owners' pictures, reading about the hobby, looking for new releases, taking pictures and all that.

If all that fails to ignite the flame for me, then I'll put them away for weeks at a time and come back later to their beautiful looks

Edited April 20, 2021 by puxlavoix

This thread was an interesting read. For me, leaving the hobby the first time was due to finances and no longer having any friends with similar interests.

I started collecting Pullip, MH, and BJD in college (2012-ish). When I moved out in to my own place I had to stop all that. I lost my job at one point and had to sell off the majority of my doll collection to pay the bills. Then my husband and I moved to a new city, and the small group of IRL doll friends I had made all lost touch with each other. I tried going to a DoA meet-up after moving but, I am going to be honest here, I felt ignored because I didn't have a Minifee (my girl was from Bobobie). That experience and the overall recast drama/bullying in the hobby really left a sour taste in my mouth. I sold my last doll shortly after that since I had no one to talk with or do doll things with and I was just bored and sad and a little bit frustrated with the hobby overall.

I'm an essential worker so I was stuck working out in public during the lock downs which made me hate leaving my house or even talking to people. I found myself revisiting a lot of my old hobbies last year like video games that I could enjoy on my own. I needed the self indulgence. Eventually I started looking at dolls again. Then I bought a Pullip. And a friend for the Pullip. And then I fell down the anime doll rabbit hole and wound up on Parabox's website. The aesthetics tick every box for me in terms of what I want from a doll; poseability, cuteness, a reasonable price point, and lots of adorable clothes to wear. Safe to say I'm 'in' the hobby again. I don't have any IRL doll friends though, that part hasn't changed.