So... What have your doll meet experiences been like?

[Evelien]

I've only been to Dolliverse in June 2011, a BJD/Pullip/doll convention in the Netherlands, once. I didn't have any BJDs yet and I did bring my Little Pullip hybrid Johanna, but was too chicken to take her out of my bag haha.

Other than that I'll be going to a tiny little sock-sweater-making-workshop-meet and I met one other girl in my hometown who taught me how to restring before I got Ellie. That's all the meeting experience I have...

[DollyKim]

Nothing like the "that's a Dollzone?" reaction to make you feel great. I whole heartedly second the motion that some people have never seen a good example. My dolls meet plenty of people who have only seen magazine pictures of lolita dressed glazed eyed dolls and don't even know they come in boys.

[Iwa_Hoshi]

The folks I hang out with started off as 1/6 people (neemos and etc), somewhere along the line it evolves into a mainly Dollfie Dream centric bunch (with some of the owners having smaller 1/6 dolls, a few obitsu and being a resin owner before getting vinyl.) Partly due to this I haven't got around to hanging with the Bylthe/Pullip people or the BJD people.

Granted i've been asked when I'm gonna get me a DD but I don't buy dolls for the sake of some anime that I'm not overly familair with or sculpts that don't fit my characters. I like looking at other people's dolls to see where they take them conceptwise.

Sure there will always be opinion difference but don't let that deter you from getting what dolls you like. The more meetups you attend the more you find out who you have more in common with.

Just keep an eye on your dolls when you go to meets/cons or make sure there's a designated doll sitter, non doll people can get overly excited and touchyfeely with dolls and forget everything else.

[OkamiKodomo]

I run the local UCF meet here in Orland, and -gasp- MIGHT be running the meet at Metrocon this year, with my friend Sammy (chiennejin on DoA) if no-one has posted a thread for it by mid-Feb. I got the "*gasp* that's a ResinSoul!" reaction to both Seona my RS Jun water dragon, and Vespera, my RS Ai. Even my girl RS Wu got a few "wow she's pretty for a ResinSoul" which got a giggle and an eyeroll from me. Rune, my other RS Jun with modified ears, got some compliments on his last face-up, because it was a bit over the top, but I wiped it and gave him a more toned-down one, because it fit his character a bit better. At the UCF meet, the vast majority of the dolls are ResinSoul/Bobobie. It could have something to do with the fact that they're more accessible to struggling college students, without having to spend their tuition money or selling their souls. And you know what? Every single one of those dolls is well-loved. And because they're less expensive, you can afford to spoil them a bit more! My most expensive doll is actually my Dollzone Annie.

I did get one somewhat negative experience, but it wasn't even that major, and it was one person at the Oveido meet-up, but she didn't even actually say anything to me, just looked at my dolls and went to sit back down at her table. For all I know, she wasn't snubbing my collection of ResinSouls at all, just too shy to ask questions, because she didn't really talk to anyone until a friend of hers showed up. But most times, the reaction is positive overall. More often than not, it's shock that I made their clothes myself, especially Rune and Vespera, because their clothes are the fanciest.

As has already been said, the most important thing is that you love and enjoy your doll. After all, your money bought him, your heart and imagination brought him to "life" as it were, gave him a name and personality, and a home, and it's your hands that care for him.

-flails- If you ever find yourself in Orlando for any reason, be sure to look up the UCF group. We'll make your boy feel welcome and loved! ^_^ We <3 ResinSoul

[Kirahfaye]

-flails- If you ever find yourself in Orlando for any reason, be sure to look up the UCF group. We'll make your boy feel welcome and loved! ^_^ We <3 ResinSoul

Had I know that when we were there for my daughter's 16th in October I'd have found time to see y'all! I brought my MNF ShuShu elf with me for photo ops at the Magic Kingdom.

[OkamiKodomo]

-flails- If you ever find yourself in Orlando for any reason, be sure to look up the UCF group. We'll make your boy feel welcome and loved! ^_^ We <3 ResinSoul

Had I know that when we were there for my daughter's 16th in October I'd have found time to see y'all! I brought my MNF ShuShu elf with me for photo ops at the Magic Kingdom.

D'oh! XD It's ok, I only just started running the UCF meets in November. Kiki-chan78 was just here on vacation, and we had lots of dollieh fun.

[magkelly]

You know I don't get the whole idea of people being embarrassed by their dolls. I like every doll I own, or I wouldn't own them. Plastic, vinyl, whatever, doesn't matter all that much to me actually so long as the doll looks nice. Even if a doll is cosmetically challenged actually I may still like it. My old Malibu Barbie has green spots growing on her face and her hair could definitely be better. Makes me sad, but she's really too fragile now to mess with much and I wouldn't not show her off if someone came over anyway. She's one of the two oldest Barbies I own and still a favorite despite that.

I'm seriously thinking of grabbing a couple of Obitsu bodies in future to use for a couple of my better Barbies and Kens and I want to make an Obitsu doll couple with Obitsu heads at some point just to have a set. But honestly that's as close to owning a full on BJD as I will ever get. So what if they are plastic? I can't afford resin actually. A $500 doll just isn't in my budget. I envy some of you those dolls, really, but I also know I'll have to be content to admire not to own when it comes to BJD's.

I have 2 Tonner Narnia "Peter" boys that are about as big as some BJD's are and basically they are my substitute for that I guess. I also have a couple of slender type 18" girls, a BFC Ink, a Teen Trends, and a Babysitter's Club doll that pretty much fill the same function that a BJD would and that's also why I have 6 Moxie Teenz. Because for me having them is a lot like what I would imagine having BJD's to be. But that's about as close as I am likely to ever get to the real deal and you bet I'd walk into a doll meet up with them, have in fact once. I was proud to do it too.

I love my MT's. I think they're awesome dolls. The Tristen she actually reminds me a lot of Tonner's Evangeline Ghastly a doll I've always liked but just can't afford. So does the boy doll. He's very much comparable to Evangeline's guy. As close as a plastic playline doll can get anyway.

I can't stand doll snobbery actually. That's a good part of the reason that club here just doesn't do it for me. If it's not a vintage Barbie in 100% pristine condition in a genuine vintage Barbie outfit that you're showing off they can't be bothered with you. I never rated at all with them, barely even got invited until I finally got my hands on a 1966 Color Magic Barbie one day. I showed her off to one of the ladies on the their e-list because I knew she was a Color Magic fan and the next thing there was this flood of approval and several invites to lunch. I've been on that list for 3 years and I've never been invited to lunch.

I declined as gracefully as I could manage but it just totally made me laugh. Apparently my poor Malibu just wasn't up to their standards and the Color Magic apparently is? Actually she's a Color Magic Redhead, kind of hard to come by, and in nice shape, a lovely old doll, and a major love with me, but still. Malibu is almost as old and she's just as lovable!!!!

But I do think all my dolls are lovable, even my scary vampire Antoinette is adorable even if I do fear for my other doll's necks sometimes...

[embyquinn]

I've never been to a formal doll meet with Cherry (the one I did attend I took Megumi, this was before Cherry came home), but I've been to two conventions with her, and she always got rave reviews from doll people and non-doll people alike, both for her handmade wardrobe and exquisite face. And she's a Moxie Teenz head on a Liv body. So there.

[arrowchild]

I go to a few meets a year and they're usually a blast Granted, I'm naturally pretty comfortable in social situations and don't have any qualms talking with people I don't know, but everyone is generally very friendly and I've met some amazing people who I've become good friends with over the years at meets

I've only encountered snobbery one time and that was when a handful of BJD owners, including myself, went to a small local doll show which featured primarily Tonner, Barbie and antique porcelain dolls. With the exception of one extremely nice vender, (a VERY sweet older lady-I gave her a hug before we left lol), we were treated horribly-from eyerolls to vendors ignoring our questions to countless dirty looks by the other people in attendance.

I have not once been to a BJD meet-up where I've seen any kind of doll snobbery, and I've taken just about all of my dolls to meets, from my limited edition Soom boys to my 1/6 obitsus . I HAVE been to large BJD meet-ups where there have been issues with people handling other people's dolls roughly and that scares me. I actually avoid certain local meetups now if I know some people will be in attendance because of it.

[Glace Leau]

For what it's worth, I go to Sakura-Con and while I've never stayed at the BJD meetups, they've always seemed plenty friendly. My friend always goes with her Dollmores, Dollzones and Dolfie Dreams. C= Sometimes I'd like to stay, but I usually go in a group, plus I don't really like the idea of bringing my big dolls over, and I think that my 1/6s are too far removed from the whole anime scene.

PS: If you're in the area, I don't know if you've heard, but there's going to be a BJD expo in May over in Poulsbo. It's the Pacific NorthWest BJD Expo.