what makes people leave doll/anime hobby??

42 minutes ago, SleepingElf said:

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.

 

I have yet to leave the hobby but I totally understand what it’s like not having IRL doll friends. Honestly, it’s super hard not being able to chat with a friend over something that brings you joy and I’ve been struggling with that too. I don’t really have the energy to become more active on social media  so I feel a bit like I’m in a hobby of one unless I engage more in the forms. I’m glad you were able to get back in the hobby and find some great dolls though!

21 hours ago, Orenjiina said:

I have yet to leave the hobby but I totally understand what it’s like not having IRL doll friends. Honestly, it’s super hard not being able to chat with a friend over something that brings you joy and I’ve been struggling with that too. I don’t really have the energy to become more active on social media  so I feel a bit like I’m in a hobby of one unless I engage more in the forms. I’m glad you were able to get back in the hobby and find some great dolls though!

I feel the same about social media. Too much energy and effort to keep up. Not to mention Facebook does a UI change every time I figure it out. Instagram won't stop sending notifications to my phone despite turning off all the settings. And somehow all my old classmates keep finding me! Bah. Just too much of a pain. It does feel like a one-person hobby sometimes. Thankfully there are still forums! Discord is nice too.

The community feels all over the place now, but maybe it was always like that and I never noticed outside my bubble.

I have not fully left the doll collecting hobby, which I’ve been in since the mid-1990s. I have drifted in and out, due to my career, health, focused on other non-work interests, including various arts and crafts. I’ve given up most of my crafts, for health reasons, but I always come back to dolls. I think it was mentioned it earlier: folks join the hobby that inspired them as kids. My mom hated Barbie and forbade it in the house. Naturally, that increased my interest in dolls. 😁

I have just joined the doll hobby, so we'll see how that goes.

But for the anime hobby: I no longer see it as a hobby. I still watch some anime shows and have my crunchy roll subscription. But to me those are simply another series that I watch, same as anything mainstream on Netflix. 

A big part of it is being picky. I can no longer tolerate some of the more well known tropes. I quit a lot of romance shows because the relationships are toxic. I no longer tolerate gracious boobs or butt shots in a lot of shone anime. And don't get me started on 'accidental' groping tropes. I literally quit both Fairytail and Seven Sins after a few episodes because of the way they depicted and sexualised their main female characters. 

Another big factor is time. I work full time now, and have about an hour commute. I leave the house at 7am and come back around 7pm. That doesn't leave me with a whole lot of free time and I've decided to spend that time on my other hobbies like Dolls, sewing, and gaming.

I tend to fall in and out of doll collecting, which is probably for the best as it’s an expensive hobby. No real reason, I just get really into it and then just as suddenly lose interest. I figure it’ll always be a part of my life in some way since my mom and grandma both collected dolls, so it would be weird not to have a doll somewhere in the house, even if it was packed away.

I fell out of doll collecting for a while. I had one period in my 20s where I was into them for a couple of years. It helped having an irl friend who was into dolls. I don't know why I fell out of it though. I think I just lost momentum and there weren't as many options for dolls back then. I had another brief flurry of doll purchases when Doll Factory closed their English site, and I wanted to make sure I got as many of the sculpts as I could (especially the more unusual ones, which are long gone). Then a couple of years ago, coincidentally a new line from one of my favourite companies, plus discovering another irl friend into dolls, got me started again. He actually introduced me to Smart Dolls, so no regrets! 😄

It feels like a lot of people I know keep their doll stuff secret XD like suddenly we found out that each of us has been into dolls all this time and not said anything. So silly!

With anime, and games and manga too tbh, I know exactly why I had blips in those hobbies. I felt with each that I got to a point where I felt bored. With games this happened when the PS2 launched and there wasn't much interesting to play. With each I found I needed to "level up", and actually get more into the interest to find the kinda odd/fun/interesting stuff I like. I've seen others reach that point of boredom and just quit. I'm kinda glad I carried on, especially now when the cool stuff is a lot easier to find! (The amount of old games I had to import from the US... you have no idea haha)

I think my interest in dolls has deepened in a similar way this time, because 3D printing is now so accessible. I can dream of making accessories and dolls 😄 until I can afford me a printer or two. It's really inspiring seeing what others produce, I really want to try it out myself!

Like a lot of other’s my roots in the BJD hobby started with anime and figures. My taste has changed over the years and I personally like figures and dolls where I can ad some DIY projects to it. 
I made diorama’s (mainly walls and floors) in 1/12 scale but was missing something. Couldn’t found the inspiration for building the furniture. Ended up selling my biggest diorama.

At that point I lost the inspiration to build a new project. The local store who bought my diorama set it up as a castle chamber (I build it as an outside patio) and never thought of that. Building something with an idea in mind blinds you for the possibilities. It was confronting and nice to see the diorama was used to it’s full potential. 

The doll hobby is for me a good change because the 1/3 scale is interesting for smaller and bigger selfmade projects. And exactly that was something I missed with figures. 1/12 is in my opinion too small, Nendoroid is not scaled which makes it difficult to build at the correct scale and 1/7 or 1/8 are simply dramatic sizes. 

In the years my interest in anime cooled down and I decided to put my main focus in one serie (Yu-Gi-Oh!).

Interests simply changes over time. The trick is to keep yourself interested and motivated. That is only possible if the hobby develops with your interest. If you can acquire that, than you found a nice enjoyable hobby for a long time. 

I never really wanted to leave my hobbies.

But for a reason you may want to leave that sort of thing, for me to leave at least.

Personally for me, it has to be if the people are being total jerks to people. There are some people that are... well. Challenging.

Sometimes older people given power may feel like the kings of the court. They completely act like they're better and you're just the loser there. I have left many communities because of this. Or you feel like "I'm the oddball in the room and should go."

 

I think I would leave if I lost complete interest and my dollies were just collecting dust cause personally I only have stuff in my house I "use" or that have a purpose

Unfortunately for me, it's because I can't afford it. I live on very limited income ($600 a month). I've been trying for years to set aside money for a Dream Choice girl, but every time I wind up needing that money to cover my living expenses. It hurts a hell of a lot, but I entered this hobby in 2015, and outside of two impulse purchases that need to go, I am still doll-less. I feel empty and defeated.

I think it's time for me to accept that this hobby is out of my reach, sell all of my doll things, and move on.

22 hours ago, Selenae said:

I think it's time for me to accept that this hobby is out of my reach, sell all of my doll things, and move on.

Unless you are after a boy doll, you could always go the blank head route and buy the doll piece by piece as money allows. You can do some amazing things with a blank head, there is a large variety, and I’ve seen face-ups on them that are nicer than anything you get stock. it might not be Dream Choice, but it seems better than leaving a hobby you seem to care about. 

Once you have the doll there are a lot of things you can do to enjoy it that don’t take money, and Etsy has a lot of items like Jewelry that can be gotten pretty cheap. Like this jewelry merchant whose stuff is mostly around $10. https://www.etsy.com/shop/Sackielc?ref=yr_purchases

There is only one hobby that i've been into since i was a child, and it is playing video games. i dont even like using the names like "gaming" or "gamer". I dont like the community, i dont really take part on any social aspect of the hobby. I simply get a game, play, have fun with it and enjoy. i know a lot since i've been playing for 26 years, no signal of losing interest.

I've given up manga, anime, music and programing.

im still into taking photos, not really photography but taking photos. It makes my world shine as much as when i play a good game.

but then i set my sights on dolls, and i really really know when something hits me to stay. 

 

the reasons i give up a hobby is usually the community or simply loss of interest. i tend to like things i can interact to. probably the reason i feel in love with the idea of having a doll... i'm just scared of the maintenance, it will become part of the fun afterwards im sure.

@BeyondTime Yeah, I know. But I've been head-over-heels for a DCH-20 in tan, so going the piece-by-piece route wouldn't be an option there, unless Volks magically decides to make tan parts freely available.

45 minutes ago, Selenae said:

@BeyondTime Yeah, I know. But I've been head-over-heels for a DCH-20 in tan, so going the piece-by-piece route wouldn't be an option there, unless Volks magically decides to make tan parts freely available.

I can kind of understand not wanting to settle given the expense either way. 

I was going to suggest 1/6 dolls as a way to scratch that itch at a substantially lower cost, but seeing you mention a specific Dream Choice like that, it sounds like you know what you want and wouldn't want anything else.

I've never really left any hobby, more like leaving communities and enjoying things by myself. When I find toxicity brewing, I just steer clear of drama and don't engage anymore. I find it exhausting. It takes the fun out of the hobby, so before I think of quitting, I just rethink what makes it sad and avoid it.

I had a couple of resin bjds and sold them, but ended up getting another one (Puyoodoll - they're just too cute!). I think I grew more interest with anime-styled dolls and that's how I became more fond of DDs/Smart Doll. And I think I'm better with handling these vinyl dolls' mechanism compared to dismantling the bjds...I never got better with stringing/destringing and only damaged them.

Other than what I mentioned, storage is also another thing. I usually end up selling some to make room for a new one. I can only accommodate so much of these dolls to fill my space. Usually, I fall out of love for a doll and like something else. I'm also the same with other collections that I have such as stuffed toys and nendoroids. When they don't interest me anymore, I sell them, and end up getting other things.

I drift in and out of the hobby, I used to be actively involved in the community but priorities change and your style also evolves. I don't have as much hobby time as I used to and I think that sometimes affects my creativity. But once I have inspiration, I always jump back in - the dolls are always waiting for me 🤣 

I have never left the hobby, but the time I am able to devote to it fluctuates. This past year I had a child, and she takes up most of my time so I have less time. I lost some hobby friends as a result of having my child as well; so I wasn't doing much with my dolls for awhile. Now that the kiddo is older I am able to do more and it is nice.

I think health contributes a lot and sort of other factors for me. I got very sick a few years back during a move. Because I was so sick I didn't have energy to take my dolls out. Then there came the major factor of my family commenting things about my dolls and my boyfriend (now ex) saying it was creepy I felt so much hobby shame I just stopped. I tried to never look at pages. However I began to get better mentally lately and i've begun to enjoy the hobby now more with less care what my grandparents think (and I broke up with the now ex boyfriend so no worries on that front now either). Mental health can play a real big aspect in our hobbies. I'm happy now I have a friend I can share things with who even introduced me to dollfies more after I showed her bjds. 
For anime though my interest is big dipping just because theres so little new stuff I like. I've read so much manga I struggle to find anything new. JRPGs with anime graphics though are still a big passion

For me I don’t truly want to leave the hobby, but lately I have felt uninspired after a friend in the hobby became toxic. I have tried to not let it get to me, but I’m a softie and non-confrontational. I just want to curl up in a corner with my dolls and keep them to myself. Makes me sad, because I used to enjoy sharing photos of them. I hope that things will get better, but for now I am riding out these feelings. 

I've never fully left the doll hobby, but I do drift in and out with how involved I am. I kind of peaced out from 2017-2021 (with the exception of ordering 2B and visiting doll stores while in Japan) and didn't keep up with clothing releases, stopped hanging out with my dolls, taking pictures, etc. because I was busy with real life stuff and depressed from an awful job. I left the job in 2019 and got back to my dolls when I started feel more like myself again. I got a second cat in 2020 and he's obsessed with my dolls, so he was kind of my push back into the hobby. I used to have my dolls in the open, but I needed a new display solution with doors to keep him out. I had a lot of fun planning the new display, and I revamped my clothing/wig storage at the same time so it's a lot more fun to dress them now that I'm not digging through huge clothing bins. I moved during that time and had enough space for a craft room at the new house, so now I'm also able to sew for them more. I think I've made more doll clothing since 2021 than I did from 2013-2020. 😂 The nice thing about dolls is that they will wait until you're ready to come back to them.

I stopped watching most anime. I think it's a combination of not being into a lot of the isekai tropes (I prefer scifi/mecha anime and those are a lot less common now) + I just don't watch much of anything in general now. I rarely watch TV, movies, youtube, etc. I mostly read for fun. I read some manga, but usually end up forgetting about ongoing series so now I just wait until they're completed so I can read them all at once. I got into visual novels as reading practice for Japanese, so I play/read those sometimes. The manga & VNs that I like tend to get crappy low-budget 1-cour anime adaptations that barely cover the first plot arc, so they're usually not worth watching. 🙃  I might go back to watching more anime after the isekai trend settles down a bit. 

I'd like to make IRL doll friends if possible, but most of the local meets are convention-centered and I haven't been able to go for the past 4-5 years. I'm hoping I can go in 2023. 

Doll-obsessed cat tax:

Here's my little gremlin hanging out with his BFFs before I cruelly locked them away in the new display case, ft. my scratched-out reflection behind them. He never intentionally harmed them, but he did get fur all over them + sometimes accidentally knocked them over. 

He still likes to sleep near his sisters, even though they're trapped.

Bonus photo of him jealously watching me dress up his favourite.

On 1/17/2022 at 6:32 AM, chef_mai said:

I was going to suggest 1/6 dolls as a way to scratch that itch at a substantially lower cost, but seeing you mention a specific Dream Choice like that, it sounds like you know what you want and wouldn't want anything else.

I really like my Pureneemos, but they're just dolls really.

My Dollfie Dream girls seem much more real, with personalities, likes and dislikes and relationships with other dolls.

As for my hobbies, like many (most?) who are on the spectrum I have a lifelong history of obsessive hobbies. They do come and go but I expect the dolls thing will be around for the long haul.

I guess next year I'll continue to acquire dolls and maybe more Lego too. In periods of high inflation having physical objects is reassuring.

Towa also reignited my long interest in photography, and now I'm branching into movie making too. They're just soooo photogenic!