Anyone else like this?

[Ulti]

So I've been thinking, I really want to get a doll but I also have a mild fear of dolls. I've been thinking about it and I think as long as I don't have the doll in the same room as me when I'm sleeping I'll be fine. But I can't be the only one who both likes and fears dolls, can I?

[yarwel]

I'm afraid of baby dolls and dolls with "sleep eyes," so, yes, you are not alone. I'm especially terrified by the old-style plastic fashion dolls which have a babydoll like face with sleep eyes on an adult-like body. It's even worse if they are in bad condition or dirty.

[WhiteDove01s]

I have one little oddity like that. I can have dolls in my room, but I have to be careful how I position them, because sometimes it will creep me out if they're looking right at me. This isn't that hard because I'm usually sitting at my desk, so I just make sure none of them are looking exactly at that spot. I've had that problem since I was a kid, and until I figured out positioning I went through a phase where I couldn't have my dolls in my room because 'they were staring at me'. This, sadly, lead to the theft of a pair of cabbage patch kids with a lot of sentimental value to me, and I regret not keeping them safely behind a locked bedroom door. (I have, in the years since, tracked down duplicates of them.)

But, yes, it's not unusual to be a little creeped out by some dolls. Look up the Uncanny Valley effect sometime for a good explanation why.

[Ulti]

I have one little oddity like that. I can have dolls in my room, but I have to be careful how I position them, because sometimes it will creep me out if they're looking right at me. This isn't that hard because I'm usually sitting at my desk, so I just make sure none of them are looking exactly at that spot. I've had that problem since I was a kid, and until I figured out positioning I went through a phase where I couldn't have my dolls in my room because 'they were staring at me'. This, sadly, lead to the theft of a pair of cabbage patch kids with a lot of sentimental value to me, and I regret not keeping them safely behind a locked bedroom door. (I have, in the years since, tracked down duplicates of them.)

But, yes, it's not unusual to be a little creeped out by some dolls. Look up the Uncanny Valley effect sometime for a good explanation why.

Ah yes, the uncanny valley is probably part of it. I feel that even the anime-styled dolls would kind of have that effect on me sometimes.

[Jezrah]

My fancy porcelain dolls staring at me bugged me as a child. But now, meh, nothing super bothers me now as long as it doesn't have a creepy or derpy stare. My DDs sit/stand in my living room, and I've purposely turned a few of them to look at me while I'm on the couch so I can see their cute faces better.

There's also a faceless mannequin at work near my station at the service desk, advertising for the pharmacy. A lot of people think it's creepy, and several people hate it because they think it's a customer standing there, but I can ignore it completely.

[DollyKim]

Maybe start with a teeny tiny doll that will fit in the palm of your hand? Or an animal like doll? Any size doll you can put back in it's box when not in use and they won't have problems. Any doll that's filled up with love won't have room for anything else. I have to stay in the same room with all my dolls to keep pets and uncaring people from them.

On occasion someone will fall off a shelf or jump out of the dollhouse when I'm not looking, I take it as a sign they want a moment of special attention or they want me to think about their character, I write, so it's all good. If you get a chance see The Christmas Toy and you'll see what they're up to when we aren't around.

[Iwa_Hoshi]

I own action figures but am afraid of baby dolls and young child dolls, I have friends who own them but I won't own them. I used to be afraid and fascinated by bjds (no thanks to Domuya for shocking me with their Dollmaster based display)

But some folks here own 1/3 Obitsu and those are larger versions of my 1/6er, it helps to lessen the fear since said dolls are mostly friendly (unless its Omi). And then seeing and being able to hold 1/3 Dollfie Dreams kinda push me into getting a 50cm Obitsu. It also helps that my first gigantic hunk of 70cm resin bjd has a resemblance to some some well loved video game characters.

My two youngest(1/6 playline abd 1/3 respectively) claims that they are actually very short 16 year old girls to fit the age that I'm comfortable with, while two of my largest bjds sits by my bed. I used to sleep with action figures and plushies on my bed when I was younger.

I'm still not keen on baby or childlike dolls (sprites and anthros are the exception). It might have been something to do with the eternal child thing or that I don't have characters that young to identify and work with(both scale of dolls are all familiar, well loved characters that existed as plushies, action figures of game characters, except Kula who demanded to exist and worked for the right to remain), or that I expect my dolls to be an age where they can take care of themselves.

[Shyla]

Same here, I'm kinda scared of dolls.

I'm creeped out by certain doll eyes... Like stuffed animal eyes, googly eyes, or the very plain glass or acrylic eyes. Certain painted eyes give me the chills too. I can't stand having them looking at me. I'm fine with embroidered, or fabric eyes, but not button eyes...(Coraline = super creepy)

My life long compromise has always been to not let them look at me while I sleep. Put them in a closet, tuck them into their own beds, or even just turn them around so they aren't facing me. (I have nothing on the walls in my bedroom with eyes XD) But it's ok for them to watch me when I'm not sleeping. *shrugs*

[MitisFeles]

I don't know I'd do the same if my dolls where in my bedroom and not in the study, but like other people in this thread, I have all my BJD (and fashion dolls and action figures) positioned in the right way to look at me when I'm sitting at my desk.
I'm particularly happy when I raise my glance and I meet Caspar's one. Caspar is my Dollzone Freddy and my saddest looking doll, but also the one with the best face-up and looking at him makes me really satisfied ^^'

Personally, I can't stand porcelain dolls, Reborn babies and some Living Dead dolls. And generally derpy posed eyes.
I find Kim's advice about trying first with small dolls really good. When I started collecting dolls I used to find bigger dolls (like 17'' porcelain dolls opposed to smaller ones) less nice and more uncanny.

[Tasuke]

surely a good character doll, such as my 1/6 Mikuru Asahina by MegaHouse, would provide the OP one of the most adorably benign little doll faces to be found just about anywhere?