Ahhhh, I didnāt want to make a post like this since so many others are popping up lately, but I actually ventured into the real world a couple weekends ago (gasp) and spent a good deal of time chatting with would-be BJD collectors and I just feel this need now to clarify some stuff. So here goes for you lovelies who are looking to break into the hobby.
Generally, having a less expensive doll wonāt earn you any backlash, so donāt despair about having to pay $300, $400, $500 or more on your first doll in order to be taken seriously. If you have a nice attitude about the hobby, youāll do fine. Buy a legit doll within your budget and jump right in, have a blast!! If you donāt bond with it, you can always pop it on Ebay or another secondhand market so you can expand on your tastes.
Recast dolls are not discount dolls. Itās not the same as a knockoff product. The supplier doesnāt get a cheaper rate for buying in bulk like WalMart or Samās Club. These dolls are crafted by a studio, over a span of weeks or months, by a talented artist who just wants to make a living from their passion. Because theyāre so popular, recasters buy a doll and make copies of it to sell for their own profit. This is so bad because doll companies seem to charge a lot, but they mainly just cover their costs with a little extra for their time. A hand crafted doll takes time to perfect, even a 3D sculpted model takes a lot of time. When you factor in mold preparation and resin mixing and then curing the plastic, it starts to make sense why they charge so much. A lot of people say recasts are stolen art, but really itās a stolen livelihood. Itās basically the same as someone undercutting your salary at your job (whatever you do for a living) and using sub-par workmanship while applying for your position with YOUR resume and getting away with it and having a laugh behind your back. If you love this hobby and love the dolls and the community, please consider legit dolls even if they are very expensive. You are supporting someone who has the blessing of following their talents and passions whether itās a small company or a large one. Buying recasts only supports knee-kickers and pocket-pickers.
If you DO have a recast doll, for ANY reason, itās okay!!!!! Please donāt believe that youāll be harassed and bullied just for having it. If youāre a serial recast buyer, maybe youāll get some heat, but most of us will ignore it as long as you decide to go legit. Buying dolls from the actual companies and from legit secondhand owners enriches the hobby so much! Youāre supporting studios to make new sculpts and encouraging a secondhand marketplace with reasonable prices. Just please TAG your recast dolls so that others can avoid them if they like. Is your recast a gift or maybe just an impulse buy? Was it your first one? You can keep it and love it because itās special to you as long as you let others know that itās not legit and keep it areas where it will be accepted.
Yes, yes, yes! You have the right to choose how to spend your money. I can appreciate being broke and wanting something to take my mind off the monotony of waking up and going to work, but these lovely pieces of plastic are a luxury. I want to encourage everyone to buy legit, but I know itās hard. Iāve always bought legit even though it was very tempting to consider recasts and Iām on a very tight budget. Do you sew? Draw? Write? Maybe compose a little music? Whatever your creative passion is, you can use it to barter for secondhand dolls. Get some good feedback established between friends or small groups/forums and then put out some polite offers for anything in your trade price range. Even if itās a doll you donāt love, you can always clean it up and resell or trade it off for better, right?
HAVE FUN! Whether your doll is a pastel prince or a mori motherlover, do it up to the top! Donāt let anyone tell you that youāre cliche or overdone. Share that baby on every media platform. Show me your creativity and tell me your stories. Donāt be scared of a few people who might try to bring you down. This is a hobby for you to escape your reality and no matter how much you worry about how your doll will be received in the sea of social media, youāre going to find at least a few amazing new friends who are genuinely interested in what youāre bringing to the party. Positivity is extremely attractive.
Donāt focus on fame!!! Ugh! No! Just keep posting photos, stories, and works in progress until people start catching on. Trust me, itās like building a wall bit by bit. If youāre here just for loads of followers and compliments, you just have to do the work by making an unavoidable presence. But also make an effort to give back what youāre looking for and comment/like/reblog on the work of others.
But, one last thing, youāre going to find assholes no matter where you go. Some people are just going to be jerks no matter how hard you try to please them. Thatās just life. Focus on the jellybeans and cinnamon buns and nothing will ever reach you.
tl;dr???? Be who you are, but also respect others. Recasts rob artists of the fruits of their labor, but if you own one and decide to go legit from now on youāll be fine. People donāt really care if you have a cheaper doll; be creative and brave enough to try bartering for dolls if youāre on a budget; if youāre looking for fame, be a fan to someone else; above all, have a great attitude and be ready to chat and make great friends (but some people are just jerks and you canāt change that). <3
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