for those who have meetups...

[Napoleonchan]

really theres all kinds of things I would like to ask about owners in other states and their meeting (or maybe not meeting?) other owners in their area in addition to the question that inspired posting.
what state are you from first off, and...
have you met with other owners?
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?
are your meetups big or small? where do you meet?
are there alot of owners in your state?
did you develop your own forum just for your state?
have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?

and heres the thing that inspired me to post this, for those of you who became more like friends, what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings?

[Kyrie Arashi]

I am in NC and have met lots of owners from here, SC, and VA. There were some owners that I ended up befriending rather quickly and others who I still consider fellow collectors. Our organized meets generally range from 10 to 20 people, usually about 13. There are far more owners than that in the state, though.

Those of us in the tight knit group have a way to chat other than on public forums. I've also discovered a lot of dolls in person that I never would have looked at before. Some of which, I ended up buying and others I plan on buying.

The nice thing about those I became friends with is that I can be in the area they live and just send a text and meet for dinner at the drop of a hat. I've never had friends like that before, so it is really refreshing. *looking at you, Mssrs Moony and Snuffles* XP

[Taco]

I'm in Northern KY and have been to meets in KY, OH, and IN (I'm pretty centrally located). Most of the people I've met at doll meets have been very nice--meetups are a good way to meet people, since you automatically have something in common with everyone there. It's also neat to see different dolls in person instead of just going by company pics.

Size depends on the meetup. I've been to some fairly large ones and some that were just a few people. There have been meetups at parks, restaurants, anime conventions, and people's houses.

There seem to be a fairly large number of people within reasonable driving distance. I don't know if there's one for KY or not. I know the IN people have one.

I made several good friends at doll meetups. My roommate and I offered to take some people along with us to a meet in OH. We ended up driving to other people (we had never met them before). One girl we never saw or heard from after that, but the other we became good friends with. Another friend of ours we met when we went to a meetup that she hosted.

[V chan]

I've hosted one or two meetups and it's just like hanging out with friends. The atmosphere is really laid back and friendly. We all have a good time and since there are a good number of collectors in FL we have a large turn out most of the time. It's cool, we become fast friends most of the time when we do meet new people. OR at least I do anyway since I'm such a chatterbox.

[Brightfires]

really theres all kinds of things I would like to ask about owners in other states and their meeting (or maybe not meeting?) other owners in their area in addition to the question that inspired posting.
what state are you from first off, and...
have you met with other owners?
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?
are your meetups big or small? where do you meet?
are there alot of owners in your state?
did you develop your own forum just for your state?
have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?

and heres the thing that inspired me to post this, for those of you who became more like friends, what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings?


Seattle, Washington...

The local group has big meets about once a month. A lot of us are friends with other owners, so we also get together on our own, too. The big meets are more like a collector's group in some ways. Getting together with friends is exactly that... 'Like hanging out with your friends... only with dolls along.

Most often the big group meets happen at Dolls & Friends, the local doll shop in Bellevue. We've also had meets at the local botanical garden, at a tea shop in the International district and at the Bellevue Doll Museum.

There are a *lot* of BJD owners in the area, especially if you expand the definition of "local" to include Olympia, Portland and Vancouver as well as Seattle and the East-side.

As for learning things about my dolls via interacting with other owners... Well, Turtle House started out as a self-contained little story set in a pseudo-historical setting of its own. Thanks to Tien Jen taking a fancy to Nezumitoo's Fuan, they've evolved into something completely different, and become part of a Gothic reflection of the modern world. :D

[crazybatt]

I'm also in with the NC crowd (we're like a gang.. we need a hand sign). My first meet up was a DOA meet, which was awesome. There were a couple of people I was INSTA-friends with (you whores know who you are ;D), and others that I've gotten friendlier with over time. I would say that there's not actually anyone in the group that I'm not on friendly terms with. I have heard a lot of horror stories though, and I don't think there are many groups that are as close as all of us are (read: I LOVE ALL MY NC BITCHES).

As for the rest, I'd say the average meet about 12 to 15 people. We generally try to meet group friendly places. Outside, personal houses, doll stores ;D, etc. Our meets generally last ages. I showed up for the last at about 11am (to help set up) and left around 12am that night. =O

Amusing things? Um.. ok. The two that I got super friendly with.. they're like BRAIN TWINS with me and my best friend. It's creepy/cool. 8D I need to start visiting them more. *_*

[astrosnik]

what state are you from first off - not a state, Canada! Ontario
have you met with other owners? - twice so far
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? - er, friend...ly? Obviously some people have more in common with specific people.
are your meetups big or small? where do you meet? - there is a main meet held downtown Toronto each month, as well as various smaller (sometimes themed) meets in To or surrounding areas so everyone doesn't have to travel as far
are there alot of owners in your state?- in the province, yes
did you develop your own forum just for your state? - we have TDAF for the Toronto-area owners
have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? - I haven't learned anything new about my own dolls, but I've gotten the opportunity to see dolls I don't or wouldn't have wanted to own otherwise. I think we inspire each other to create more (especially sew) for our dolls, to develop characters and overall be more interactive.

[Napoleonchan]

lol Crazybatt, it sounds alot like our group in Wisconsin. Everyone in the group are friends with each other, we can easily get together for non-doll activities - and frequently do, but the dolls tag along for the fun of it. I love the comment about the hand sign, because I could so see it, Wisconsin dolly peeps have alot of pride in our group!
The meets that last forever bit reminded me, do any other groups do dolly slumber parties? or is that just a weirdos in WI thing? lol at our september meet we had somewhere around 15+ people and almost everyone stayed the night.

[crazybatt]

lol Crazybatt, it sounds alot like our group in Wisconsin. Everyone in the group are friends with each other, we can easily get together for non-doll activities - and frequently do, but the dolls tag along for the fun of it. I love the comment about the hand sign, because I could so see it, Wisconsin dolly peeps have alot of pride in our group!
The meets that last forever bit reminded me, do any other groups do dolly slumber parties? or is that just a weirdos in WI thing? lol at our september meet we had somewhere around 15+ people and almost everyone stayed the night.

We actually did form a joke hand sign that has a totally NSFW explanation. Anyway, we haven't had a slumber party so far, but it does sound fun. I don't know if any of us have a house big enough to host one. In that vein, we are doing a xmas thing where I think a bunch of us are going to pile into a hotel for (so we don't have to drive back late at night).

I think it'd be fun to have interstate meets.. I think there was talk of an NC/SC meet, but I don't know if anything ever came of it or not. =o

[april]

what state are you from first off--
California (Southern), Los Angeles Area

have you met with other owners?
Yes, every month or two over the past 4 years...!

were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?
Well, a number of them were people I knew before, so our friendships were strengthened a bit by having more in common. Other people I kept meeting and liking a lot. I'm not super good at being very close friends with most people, but I'd happily spend time with most of them if it came up. Mostly we are people who just have dolls in common and it's something we can talk about and be friendly about, but won't necessarily become bffs or whatever. It's more like a group of friendly collectors having fun together.

are your meetups big or small? where do you meet?
I'm fortunate to be in a very active part of the country. There are a huge number of BJDs in the Los Angeles area alone, and more in Orange County and San Diego and the Inland Empire... There are so many people that there are often separate groups organizing different sizes and kinds of meetups. The groups of people will over-lap a lot but many people can choose the kinds of meetups they prefer.

There are small groups meeting at houses or for tea or for bobba or going off to Disneyland or a museum or a park for a picnic. There are larger groups (usually around 30) reserving rooms in restaurants and organizing guests and sales. There are people who hold potlucks at their houses for large groups and for sales. There are groups organizing photoshoots at various locations. There are themed parties. There are meetups at conventions like AnimeExpo, San Diego Comicon, PMX, etc. There are meetups at the Volks and Elfdoll stores. There are the organized parties at the Volks Mansion (now gone), and now there's the big Volks Dolpa coming up this month... There's pretty much something for everyone!

are there alot of owners in your state?-
Yes. Tons in Southern California. More up in the North, but that's a bit far for us to get to easily (maybe 7 hours drive or so). We can easily get groups of 30 or more.

did you develop your own forum just for your state?
I didn't (I don't organize anything at all, really). But there are various Yahoo Groups and other things... but because the people here are so many and so diverse, it's not easy to organize them... Everyone's busy and off doing their own thing--or doing things with their own group.

have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?
Hmmm... I don't know... Mostly that I think BJD owners are fascinating people and usually very talented and interesting. It's nice to get some face-to-face feedback, even if it's only "nice outfit" or "where did you get that wig?" Mostly I'm just learning little things that add a bit to the enjoyment of my dolls... :)

[purplewiz]

I live in Colorado, and we have more or less monthly meetups here, arranged through a separate forum. The group can get quite large at times, so it's not a surprise that some people were almost instant friends, and some are really more fellow collectors. Everyone has been very polite and friendly, it's just that you can't have everything in common with everybody!

Meet ups tend to be at people's homes and rotate depending on who volunteers. (And yes, one of these days I'll volunteer when I have time and living space that isn't full of other things!) I am not sure if there's been a slumber party, but I've reached an age where I no longer voluntarily sleep on the floor.

I'm not sure I've learned a lot about my own dolls, but I've sure had unbelievable opportunities to see an incredibly wide range of dolls in person - and that right there is a learning experience. So many beautiful dolls, so little time, space, and funds!

Marcia.

[Raouken]

Netherlands, here..we meet up fairly often(as in, whenever we can find an excuse XD), we have our own forum and the group is fairly large-though I don't know how big 'big' is compared to meet-ups in the states, I think the most we've had is like 25 owners so far. The forum has about 120 members,most of which own one of more dolls. I've been to meet-ups ever since I got into the hobby-our first meet was with 6 people XD but the hobby has gotten a lot bigger since then.

Most of the time, we just pick something to do, like go to a parc or the zoo or to a doll event or have a picnic etc. I'm not instant friends with everyone, but I know most people-expecially those who have been in the hobby longer,I can't really keep up with all the new people-and it clicks really well with them ^_^ I did make some great friends through this hobby. I love seeing everyone's dolls, expecially multiple of the same doll to see how versatile said doll is, and seeing dolls I was considering for myself(seeing Crystal and Syo irl did not help resisting them +_+) So all in all, I love meet-ups :3

Is it stupid that I'm always really happy with my own dolls after a meet-up? XD Not that the others aren't pretty, but I dress my guys all up for a meet and then I see all those other dolls and I go home with my two boys and it's like 'I definetly made a good decision with you two'. It's a nice side effect XD

[Karhys]

what state are you from first off
I'm in Sydney, Australia. So the state is NSW, but most people live in/near Sydney. :p

have you met with other owners?
I've met a lot of owners over the years and done everything from one-on-one meets in cafes/food courts/etc (yes, with dolls) to big group meets at my house to big group meets in public to even hosting BJD tables at cons. :) For me, interacting with other owners is a big part of the hobby and something that I really enjoy. Pretty much all of my experiences have been really positive, and I've made some great friends along the way whom I really treasure. The Sydney crowd is a pretty close-knit group and we have a lot of fun.

were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?
I find (for me anyway) that it's very easy to start talking to other doll people even when you first meet them. I guess there's that automatic interest that you share, as well as that rapport of instant understanding of a hobby that most other people don't get. (Also I'm just naturally a very chatty, friendly person. :))

Of course there are some people you naturally 'click' with more than others. So there are some people that I'll make an effort to really see on a regular basis, and they're friends as well as fellow doll lovers; we don't need the dolls involved to get together. Whereas other people, while I like them very much, I generally only see them at meets. But I still really enjoy talking to them and find that we're all very relaxed, friendly and comfortable at meets.

Also I met one of my closest and dearest friends through the dolls and I'm very grateful to know her. We see each other at least once or twice a month and chat on MSN/phone/email all the time. So I bless the dolls for her! :)

are your meetups big or small? where do you meet?
As I said before, we have a variety of meetups.. I tend to be the organiser in the local area, though I'm not the only one who hosts meets. But we often have meets at my house (or sometimes other people's houses) which can have anywhere from five to fifteen people attend. Also I've occasionally organised outing meets, where we've gone to scenic locations (such as the Sydney Botanical Gardens or Chinese Gardens) to take pics, and again, you get the same number of people attending. Though usually less dolls as carrying is involved. ;) Both type of events are a lot of fun! The meets in homes are usually more casual and involve a lot of passing dolls around, swapping of clothes/wigs/body parts etc, and a lot of fun chatter and laughter. (and pizza!) The outing meets are more focused on getting pretty pictures of the dolls in pretty locations. (Though there's still lots of chatter. :))

are there alot of owners in your state?
When I first got into the hobby (2001) there were only 2 other people in the entire country. :p It slowly, very slowly grew over time, so that we'd get another in our local area, and then another.. and then in the last two years or so it's really taken off and gone crazy.

did you develop your own forum just for your state?
In 2003 or 2004 I created a Yahoo! ML for all Australians (because I figured we needed the solidarity!) and for the longest time we had maybe twenty to thirty members. Then it started to grow, and again in the last year or two has taken off and now we have over 200 members.

have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?
It depends how you mean I guess. Not so much the doll aspect of it, though I've learnt a lot about other types of dolls from seeing them in person, and have figured out what I do and don't like about resin types, sculpt types, posability, etc, etc.
For my own dolls, what I've learnt is usually character based stuff. Like when they seem to 'react' in certain ways to other dolls. Like I've found certain other dolls that my dolls' characters just don't like -- or do like. And found out for example that one of my boys really doesn't like even being near women. Things like that. Also I've found lots of friends for them, some of whom get tied up in their storyline. :)

for those of you who became more like friends, what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings?
Hmm, hard to know what to say, really. A lot of amusing things come out of our meetings, heh. They're usually porn-tastically related though. :p Like when everyone's posing the dolls and it just starts to go a bit where it shouldn't. Heh.
Or like when we had a pirate-themed meet, which also happened to be the first time I took my Reisner to a meet. I was requested to strip him to show off his joints.. and then he ended up lying around naked with a bottle of (pirate) beer and having a lot of questionable photos taken while everyone sang "what shall we do with the drunken sailor". :lol
I think when everyone gets carried away with the posing you can end up doing a lot of silly things at meets -- we certainly always have a lot of fun! -- but a lot of it tends to be "you had to be there" things, if that makes sense.
(Really inappropriate head swaps/wig swaps/clothing swaps are also great fun. Like putting really masculine boys in frilly dresses and long curly wigs... or putting really girlish heads on big buff boy bodies. :D)

Sorry that was so long.. :oops But I figured to answer all your questions properly!

[blackbox]

I'm from Michigan.

I would say we all are like instant friends as we met online before meeting on person.

Our meet ups seem to stay under 20 people. It is just REALLY hard for us all together together as many of us are traveling several hours to attend a meet. We have has guests from out of state in attendance at our meet ups before.

We do a have a WONDERFUL forum just for our state. It was started because out thread on DoA just got to large and the mods didn't like it.

We have had SEVERAL meet ups in the last three years. Our group has had the largest turn out of dolls at a single event Last month for the Dolloween party we had over 165 dolls with only 17 people in attendance! It was SO amazing to see that many dolls in one space.

We are very lively group and always have a great time when we are together. Our favorite thing to do....? Enable each other of course!

We always have swap and sales at our meets. It's great to be able to try on the eyes, wigs and clothes before buying them

[LindsaysCorner]

what state are you from first off, and... Pennsylvania
have you met with other owners? Yes
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? Yes and no. I hit it off pretty quick with 2 or 3 of the people and hang out with them doing other non-doll activities. This is mostly because we all enjoy anime/manga/etc. Haha :D I really do enjoy most of the others company too...I just don't hang out with them outside the doll meets. Some are much older or much younger than me...or some just live too far for regular stuff. There are also people I don't enjoy...but I just ignore them. ;)
are your meetups big or small? where do you meet? Pretty big for the most part. We have a regular meet at Borders and we fill a good bit of the cafe area...like a dozen people or so. I do see my closer friends dolls all the time though.
are there alot of owners in your state? I think so.....but there's western, mid and eastern PA....all totally different worlds!
did you develop your own forum just for your state? No way
have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? Yes. I mostly love meeting with other "crafty" owners so we can swap tips and tricks...and show off our latest creations. I also learned about the quick change system on my own doll's hands/feet when another owner showed me! I never even noticed. :sweat
what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings? Lots of silly pictures! :clap We've also gone to anime conventions and had "anime/doll/pizza/sewing" nights. I just love this hobby!

[marsh]

Like Blackbox, I'm part of the Michigan contingent. The Dolloween party, our third annual such event, was at my home, co-hosted by Blackbox and Takira.

Not all of our meetups are at one of our homes. Sometimes we meet at the zoo, a park or an area restaurant or store. It's usually so much fun that the meet goes on much longer than we originally planned.

It's kind of interesting how this hobby brings together all kinds of different types of people. While not everyone is an instant BFF, most of us get along wonderfully and anxiously await the next meet.

Often we have meetups dedicated to learning a new skill set, such as sewing, restringing, hot-glue sueding, etc. But usually it's just about getting together with people in the same hobby, enjoying the company, good food and a whole lot of dolls.

[Tro-chan]

I'm in the California Bay Area, south bay. Ah, dear San Jose, 10th largest US city that no one's heard of...
We do have meets down here, but I seem to be out of the loop and only know about the ones up on DOA. There does seem to be a central group that meets otherwise, but *shrugs* There's also a SF group that seems to meet a lot, and it's always great fun to be up there, but the logistics of travel make those meets a rare treat.
South Bay meets tend to be small, and more the sort that people show up for, than anything as extremely planned as some of what I've heard of.
I do think I get along fairly well with other doll owners, but then I'm shy, so I haven't become BFF joined at the hip with most.
Would plan more meets myself, but the two I did... Didn't work... And I think I may have temporarily killed the SJ meets thread on the other forum...:|
Don't know that there's a specific CA Forum, but there are certainly enough of us here to start one.
I have learned quite a lot from seeing all these amazing dolls in person, most recently that MNF Chiwoo is way cuter in person than in the Luts pics, and I am sadly doomed ;)

[ready2rokk]

I'm from Northern California (Sacramento area) and I have met other doll owners in my area through meet-ups. I wouldn't say I was instant friends with people, more like a group of collectors, but as I went to more meet-ups and got to know people better, I have made some friends.

Our meet-ups are normally pretty big, about 15-20 (sometimes more) people and tons of dolls. Our meet-up locations vary, we've met up at people's houses, parks, and restaurants.

There are A LOT of BJD owners in California. I don't know if there is a forum just for people in California, but one of the members in our local Sacramento community has created a forum that most of our area people use.

I have learned a lot of stuff about different types of dolls and have developed my own doll preferences from seeing other people's dolls in person. It's really helpful to see dolls that you may be thinking of buying in person, so doll meet-ups help with that.

[DestroymyRemains]

what state are you from first off, - I am from Illinois
have you met with other owners? No.
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? I have met people at previous anime-conventions and I have to say we became friends rather quickly, though we don't keep in touch would this be considered collectors?
are your meetups big or small? where do you meet?- I have heard Illinois meet up are decent size ^^
are there alot of owners in your state? Unsure
did you develop your own forum just for your state?
have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? No I havent really learned anything from meeting people, I learn about my dolls from research on the internet and my own experience with them. <3 sorry this isn't to useful now that I look at it. LOL.

[Merle]

what state are you from first off - Maryland
have you met with other owners? Yes
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? too much age difference at the BJD meets to become friends so much but really nice young people who share the same hobby
are your meetups big or small? where do you meet? Not very big and we meet at different locations we all decide upon
are there alot of owners in your state? I don't know
did you develop your own forum just for your state? No
have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? Some--I do enjoy seeing new dolls in person that I have never seen before.

[Myriai]

What state are you from?

Arizona.

Have you met with other owners?

Practically once a month since January of 2006. Though the meets have tapered off a little due to lots of other things going on.


Were you instant friends or more like a group of collectors?

A little from Column A and a little from Column B. I've met some of my best friends (including my roommate) through the doll hobby ^_^ But I've also become acquainted with some really interesting ladies who are more fellow collectors, but still really cool and fun to talk to ^_^

Are your meetups big or small? Where do you meet?

Meet-ups vary on time of month and place. We have a rather strong group of eight or so that tend to make every meet-up (that number could be inaccurate). We've met in houses, at parks, the Matsuri Festival, and once at Ro-Ho-En, the Japanese Friendship Garden in Phoenix (won't do that again with a big group, somehow felt like I was intruding even though no one else was there at the time ^^; ). Usually we have 10-14 owners and probably double or triple that in dolls because even those of us with large crews pack 'em all up to bring to a meet sometimes.


Are there a lot of owners in your state?

There are a lot more owners than I originally thought around Arizona and the number seems to grow every few months, it's pretty cool ^_^

Did you develop your own forum just for your state?

Not a forum, but we do have our own LJ community and the AZ Doll Owner's thread at DoA used to be pretty busy--not so much anymore.

Have you learned a lot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?

I have fallen in and out of love with doll moulds through seeing them at meet-ups if that's what you mean. As for discovering things about the dolls themselves not quite as much, but it's still a lot of fun seeing people and the different interpretations they get of my characters.

For those of you who became more like friends, what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings?

We don't really do a whole lot of crazy stuff with the dolls at meet-ups to be truthful, though we do have fun swapping clothes or wigs and stuff like that. Our meet-ups have a rather large age range from 18-58 so there are certain proprieties that need to be observed, but when I get together with friends we spend more time talking than playing with dolls ^_^

[GothicKDM]

what state? Im also part of the Michigan group
have you met with other owners? Outside of meetups yes, I usually visit marsh often and make pretties while she makes her hot pants of doom!
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? I think it depends on the persons personality...i remember going to the first meetup...Dollaween...and i was very nervous because i didnt know anyone and all....turned out i knew someone and her hubby..they were my friends for like...ever...and we do tend to all just get along with each other..
did you develop your own forum just for your state? yah we have Disjointed Images (http://disjointedimages.com/forum/index.php)
have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? I would say yes...i'm not always so well informed on things...and i like to ask questions...I also like to help out others when i can...i really like our group...we get together and have a good time...:blush

[Tuvie]

Often we have meetups dedicated to learning a new skill set, such as sewing, restringing, hot-glue sueding, etc.
That is a really cool idea, I'd love to go to a meet where we'd be doing something like that!


What state? North Carolina
have you met with other owners? Yep, a ton of them @_@ Though I rarely go to meet-ups.
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? I have a really hard time befriending anyone, mostly because I'm so shy and I've found I don't share many other interests with the doll collectors in my area. They're all super-nice though, and I'd definitely say the NC crowd is more like a group of friends. Most of the people seem to be pretty good buddies, though I've only personally gotten to know one or two of them.
are your meetups big or small? where do you meet? I guess the other NC'ers have covered this, but before the current NC gang really formed, I had met up with just two people. We met in a beautiful little garden where I really enjoyed taking pictures.
are there alot of owners in your state? Yes, surprisingly. I never expected there would be so many when I got into this hobby.
have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? Not about my own dolls, but I've seen so many dolls at meet-ups that I never would have thought twice about after seeing online. Some dolls are just so much better in person! Most recently, I totally fell in love with Souldoll Metel, whom I never ever would have thought would be so beautiful.

[Napoleonchan]

I should have been more specific, when I asked, did you learn anything unexpected about your dolls, I meant about their character lol
I found out my zombie has a soft spot for My Little Pony thanks to the wonderful Emily at our last impromptu sleep over. He now owns his own little green fakey pony.
I found out Atsutane really wants children and he's planning to propose to my friend's doll Eleanor as soon as I buy him a ring.
I also found out through my doll group and my boyfriend that Tetsuya is going to have a crazy imaginary friend everyone can see, who collects eyeglasses and fake mustaches. -.-'''
others have found out far more interesting things about their dollies though.

since I didnt answer all my own questions, Wisconsin has our own forum, wibjd.net, we meet as often as possible, and I think our forum is up to 51. Average meetup is about 15+ people, typically at someone's house, we have a few annual big meetups with about 30ish human attendants.
I really wanted to know about everyone else since it seemed like everyone here had so much in common the majority of the group just clicked almost instantly. its cool to hear what it's like for everone else :)
thought of another one, does anyone else send their dolls home with their dolly friends for over nighter? (or longer, I think I had Henry for a month ^^''' )

[LIBRA]

Pinellas County, Florida
Many of the local owners and I pretty much either went to school together for many years. There are quite a few others in the area that I have made very good friends with and I dont dislike anyone Ive met in the area so far.
When we get together, we mostly sit around and chat with eachother and hang out, sometimes forgetting the dolls entirely. Sometimes the meetups are pretty small and sometimes they get huge. We all are pretty much in the same age range, so that helps us all get along pretty well...

[ArcaneMuse]

Like April, I'm also from the Los Angeles area and she's not kidding when she says that there is a huge amount of collectors in this area Then when you add in Orange County and the other surrounding areas, well, let's just say, I never fail to meet someone new at dollmeets, including the one I had at my own house!

As for becoming fast friends, there have been a couple of people here and there, but we have a tendancy to talk just about the dolls at meetups so it does take more effort to really figure people out enough to find other common ground. But also, like April mentioned, LA is a huge city and it takes awhile to get around anywhere with the constant traffic on the freeways and with so many other things going on people are usually very busy.

I must say I was disappointed with the first couple of meets I went to because I was so excited about seeing dolls in person. However, there seemed to be so many of the same molds. Now, that there are so many more companies and more people in the hobby I get excited about meeting because I know people have much more varied tastes because of what is now available and I've been able to really decide if I want a certain doll before laying down the money.

[hoshinokachi264]

i have met a lot of owners in the MD area just after two, maybe three meets? i actually hosted my first meetup today.

at first i was really nervous that the people who came would be really quiet and hard to talk to. but i was surprised at how talkative these girls were!

when i went to my first meet it was at otakon. it was weird cause i was a N00B. lets be honest, so no one really had anything to say to me.

when i went to my second meetup, most of the people there were much older, so in that sense it was deffinitly more of a collectors thing.

todays meetup was more like sitting with friends. i was older then the two girls that were there, and i couldn't really compare with a lot that they were all going through because i am not really self conscious, and i don't have issues with people anymore. but when you are 15 and 16 that is a big deal. either way that was more like meeting with friends.

[digikym]

What state are you from first off? Well, originally I'm from Virginia, but I moved to Vancouver, WA (just north of Portland, OR) where I lived there for four years. Now I'm back in Virginia. Yuck.

Have you met with other owners? In Portland, yes. We would have large meetups once a month, and then between my friend Brandy (Sodapop) and myself, we'd host several slumber parties throughout the months. Here in Virginia, I haven't met any doll people. I just don't think I'm ready to, honestly. The Portland folks are my friends, very near and dear to me. Trying to meet with other doll people would feel like "cheating", and I'm just a loyal dumb-ass.

Were you like instant friends? ...or more like a group of collectors? I really enjoyed meeting everyone. Of course, we had our own little "clique", but I think that's because we all had similar interests outside of dolls. I instantly fell into friend-love with my girls (and boys)... MysteryAya, Sodapop, Glyndon, brent, TOMATO, NekoYasha, Christy... They're all so amazing and the bonds we've formed through our dolls will hopefully last a lifetime.

Are your meetups big or small? Where do you meet? We've had some pretty bitchin' meetups! I think the largest had to be at my place back in Vancouver. There were at least 50 people there and nearly over 500 dolls. It was explosive! That's when I put a cap on how many people could come to each meetup I hosted. That was just insane. (Yukinojos in the hallway, Elf Lishe's lined up against the curved wall, and Christy's Dollshe Brigade bringing up the rear!)

Did you develop your own forum just for your state? Well, my friends in Sacremento kind of did. They just adopted me as I am obviously in need of love. X3

Have you learned a lot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? Hmm... my own dolls? Not really. Other people's dolls? Oh man, yes. Not to mention all the differing personalities of the folks involved in the hobby... It was so great meeting all the various walks of life. Young kids, mothers and grown daughters, husbands and wives (Frank, I'm looking at you, baby)... our group had it all. Even a pair of identical transgender twin boys. :D

What sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings? Oh lord. So many inside jokes, it's pathetic. How could I ever explain to someone what "NO ELBOWS, JUST HOT-DOGS!" means? I suppose I can't.

[Bobster]

what state are you from first off

Well, I hail from Texas. Its not really a state of the union. We kind of pretend to be Americans, but we are as John Wayne would put it “Texicans”.

have you met with other owners

(Puts on best west Texas accent.) Why Sure partner.

were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?

I have not been since buying my first girl. I was more of an observer and fellow photo taker. I suspect at the next one we will be more like instant friends now that we have the girls in tow. :)

are your meetups big or small? where do you meet?

The publicized ones were big. Around 30 to over 50 people. We did go to a few small ones at the same events were there were 3 to 5 people. The big ones are at local CONs. There are 2 big CONs per year in North Texas. The small ones were at unused areas of the CON hotel. The last big ones outside of a CON was at a large public flower garden type thing. I did not get to go due to work.

are there alot of owners in your state?

Must be. There is one big store in Dallas that has stuff and one big store in Austin that carries SDs some times. At the CONs I have been to there were 25 or so people who I would say were local. A few came from LA and up from Austin to the last one.

did you develop your own forum just for your state?

Not me. I have noticed the North Texas area represented well on DoA.

have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?

and heres the thing that inspired me to post this, for those of you who became more like friends, what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings?

I don’t have much for the last 2. I suspect the next CONs and scheduled meet ups will change that. :)

Bobby

[FunnyLori]

What state are you from first off? Portland Oregon originally, but then I followed love and college to Corvallis. Yucky.

Have you met with other owners? Yes

Were you like instant friends? ...or more like a group of collectors? I'm too shy to make a lot of friends at once. I was scared to death to go to my first meetup. I'm so shy...:sweat

Are your meetups big or small? Where do you meet? Both. People's houses, restaurants, apartments, apartment club houses...

Did you develop your own forum just for your state? no

Have you learned a lot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? Other people's dolls, totally. My own? Not really. Well, one did unexpectedly develop a hot relationship with a friend's doll...

What sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings? My fiance being dogpiled by lots and lots of dolls. His new nickname... Overall embarrass my fiance fests. He's so sweet, and he loves the dolls. :):kisses

[junoboy]

what state are you from first off,

NEW JERSEY- near New York City

have you met with other owners?

All the time
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?

Some people you tend to bond immediately, others not as much, but still fun to share the hobby

are your meetups big or small? where do you meet?

we have some private meets we call Mini Meet ups, which are invitation only, and then others that are open to our local board. These tend to be in members homes, and we all bring a dish kinda pot luck.. totally fun time.. there is also a more informal open meet up that are in one specific public location in New York City.. totally fun too, but a different experience

are there alot of owners in your state?
Since we are in a meto area, there are alot of collectors.. Plus we have a local Yahoo group as well.

did you develop your own forum just for your state?
Yes, about 3 years ago. At that time there were about 20 of us, now it is closer to 100

have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?

Totally- one of the best things about a group meet up, is you can see different dolls before you purchase.. then decide if you want that doll.. Also, so many people have different ideas about how to customize and combine heads and bodies from different companies


Of course the best thing about meets, is the people who share the passion and excitement you have for the hobby!

[MieAga]

Like April and ArcaneMuse I live in Southern Cali. Yup there are a lot of us and you never get to meet all the collectors. There always seems to be a new face no matter how often we get together!

have you met with other owners? That's half the fun! The other half is meeting their dolls! :)
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? It's always friendly but SoCal is different than most cities in that people are pretty slow to warming up to each other. Conversations do tend to stay 'doll themed' until you start seeing the same people over and over. Then, you begin to build friendships.

are your meet ups big or small? where do you meet? Big for the most part. We meet in public areas more often than not. Parks and eateries are favorite venues. Houses are usually more private meet ups where you have to know someone there to get the invite.

are there a lot of owners in your state? Yes
did you develop your own forum just for your state? Actually Yes there are e-groups specifically for SoCal.

have you learned a lot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? Of course! We exchange a lot of info down here.

[Dandansama]

What state are you from?
I'm from Sao Paulo - Brazil ^^

Have you met with other owners?
Yes we usualy do montly meetups here in my state ^__^

were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?
The first met I went I didn't know any person that was in there irl. Just trough our brazilian BJD forum. So, the first ones were more like "group collectors".
Nowdays I just met with my friends in this hobby.

are your meetups big or small?
Small. About 8 people or so...

where do you meet?
Anywere is confortable for everybody! Sometimes in someone's house, other times in some shopping or museum ^^

are there alot of owners in your state?
We have about 20 collectors or so here in my state.

did you develop your own forum just for your state?
No ^^'

have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?
Hmm I think so. Things like poseability, healdmolds, wigs, stores and that kind of subject.

For those of you who became more like friends, what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings?
Well, on the small close friends meetings we talk and laugh a lot!
Sometimes we do silly videos to post on our forum xDDD
It's wonderful to do friendships on this hobby ^^

[sister cuervo]

Atlanta, GA
We have regular monthly meet-ups
It was a bit awkward at first, meeting so many new people, but soon enough became quite comfortable. Everyone is just so friendly and helpful.
meetups vary from just a very few people for an informal get-together to the regular meetings which are generally attended by up to a dozen or more people.
We were meeting in a lovely chocolate shop, but currently having meetings in member's homes. I prefer home-based meetings, as you can really spread out and be silly if you want.
We get lots of members from the surrounding states (Alabama, S. Carolina) and some from southern Georgia (Savannah, Augusta, Macon)
There is a North Georgia BJD Forum
http://ngabjd.17.forumer.com/index.php
I've learned a tremendous amount about different dolls, re-stringing, and found some wonderful artists in the nearby area. I would never have bought a Unoa unless I'd seen a "live" one.

[kawaii_mon]

What state are you from?
Melbourne, Australia. The state is Victoria. :)

Have you met with other owners?
Yes, quite a few! We have got into the habit of having big monthly meets, but then I also catch up with a lot of my "doll friends" a few times a month.

were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?
With some people it was instant friends, others it was just collectors. Everyone is always lovely though, and easy and fun to get along with. I have made some very good friends from doll meets.
One of my closest friends I met at a meet which was both our first. She had driven four hours interstate just to meet fellow doll people! Now she's an honourary member of the Melbourne doll crew, and visits me once every few months. :)

are your meetups big or small?
Varies. Usually big. We can have anywhere from 5-30 people showing up, but on average 10-20 people would attend.

where do you meet?
Usually somewhere central to all of us. When the weather is good we tend to go to gardens and parks. If it's colder we'll go to food courts, cafes, restaurants, etc. Sometimes we go to people's houses (if they can fit us all!). I tend to have small meets with close friends at my house.

are there alot of owners in your state?
Its really increased in the last year alone. I would say that there could be around 40 owners or more. Every meet new people show up, some who have been collecting for awhile, others who are completely new to the hobby.

did you develop your own forum just for your state?
There is an lj community which we tend to use mostly just to organise meets. Otherwise we tend to hang out on other forums and mailing lists.

have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?
Character wise, I have found my dolls fall in love with other people's dolls easily ^^;;
I've had a chance to see dolls I may not have seen otherwise. I've come to learn which scuplts I like and don't like, poseability, etc. We all like to share what we have learnt.
I think most of us have learnt that our doll list seems to temporarily increase after a doll meet! XD

For those of you who became more like friends, what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings?
They tend to be really random things. Posing dolls in a silly way, dressing them up in something that doesn't suit them, etc. Lots of fun and laughter.

[onegreyelephant]

what state are you from first off South Australia
have you met with other owners? Yup.
were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? um-- pretty friendly I reckon.
are your meetups big or small? where do you meet? The size of meets depend on whether people can make it or not. I 've met at peoples homes, the museum. botanical gardens, coffee shops.
are there alot of owners in your state?at my first doll meet- there were four people. The number of doll owners has hugely increased since then tho.
did you develop your own forum just for your state?[/B] nope, but there's one for the country.
have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? Yeah- it's always good to compare dolls in real life.

[Kearsy]

What state are you from? NJ

Have you met with other owners? Yep. Lots of them.

Were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? A bit of both, but I have met a lot of great people that I really enjoy hanging out with.

Are your meetups big or small? where do you meet? I have been to both big meets and small ones, and its not the ammount of people there that matters, its always a good time.

Are there alot of owners in your state? There seem to be plenty, I have even wandered out with one of my resin kiddos and had other collectors come up to me.

Did you develop your own forum just for your state? I know there is one, but I am not on it much.

Have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? I have gotten a lot of help with playing with new looks for my dolls it really helps when you are unsure.

[EilonwyG]

What state are you from? New Jersey

Have you met with other owners? Yeah. I never knew how many there were in the area until I started going to meets! Really, at first I thought it was me, Kearsy, and maybe a couple others. Goes to show how little I knew back in the day.

Were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? Some of them I clicked with immediately. Some took a while. I've met people I like to hang out with outside of meets now, so that's pretty cool.

Are your meetups big or small? where do you meet? We have both. During the nice, summer days our NYC meet has quite a few people, but I've been to meets where there have been all of four or five people. I've never been to a meet I've regretted going to.

Are there alot of owners in your state? Apparently! I suppose it shouldn't surprise me, we are the most densely populated state. There were bound to be others. I just never imagined so many.

Did you develop your own forum just for your state? There is one, it's like, Tri-state or something. I suppose it's technically for the tri-state area, not NJ specifically, but close enough.

Have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? Don't give the babies beer. And two of my kids will hit on practically anything. Oh, and that the little ones like taking down the 70cms. (It's out of love. :p)

[Jme]

what state are you from first off?
Am in Australia, so state being VIC!

have you met with other owners?
Most definitely! It's one of the main things I love about this hobby, actually. I've also travelled interstate and overseas for meets - that's how much I love 'em dolly people! :D

were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?
Hrm. It depends. Pretty much everyone I've met through meetups are every bit the awesome, and so lovely, but naturally there are a few that I can click with easier than others. I've made a few really good friends through the hobby in real life, where we can relate to one another outside of the doll hobby, and I think it's like an added bonus, really! One of my good real life friends I actually met online through a doll forum for Blythe dolls, and I got her into ABJDs soon after. She now works a few days at the same office I am (haha, we once joked about how I recommended her for the post so that we can have dolly days at work!), and it's just awesome.

are your meetups big or small? where do you meet?
It varies? I've done one on one meets through to meetups with a bigger crowd of 15+ people; I like smaller groups because meets can be more intimate and personal, but bigger groups mean more resin eye candy! :D Previous meetup spots have ranged from my home, other collectors' homes, cafes, public gardens, etc.

are there alot of owners in your state?
I'd say there's a very decent number, and the number's steadily growing! Yay!

did you develop your own forum just for your state?
I didn't, but there is a LJ community just for Melbourne/Victorian abjd enthusiasts.

have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?
Unexpected things.....not so with my own dolls, except maybe how they they would probably suit certain wig/eye colour I wouldn't dream of getting them previously. Doll meets are great for 'try before you buy' excercises! In the general sense, I've also learnt more about different head and body sculpts and resin tones, by seeing the many different variety of dolls at meets.

and heres the thing that inspired me to post this, for those of you who became more like friends, what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings?
Hrm, amusing things? Lol - not sure what is considered amusing, but I have come to realise that a lot of doll collectors, especially during meets have high ecchi/pervy levels when it comes to our dolls! :D Dolly pron alert! Heheheh.

[Laylian]

What state are you from first off? Arizona

Have you met with other owners? Yes! Since getting my first doll, we've had meets every month or so. I've been going since February of 2007.

Were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors? It's hard for me to make friends, so I guess more like collectors, but everyone is super nice! I'm holding myself back, I think lol.

Are your meetups big or small? where do you meet? They vary. Sometimes they are big, somtimes small. It just depends on who doesn't have work and whatnot. Or who doesn't get lost trying to find the place XD We've met all over the state! There are a lot of places.

Are there alot of owners in your state? Well, I think we have around 20 or so, maybe more.

Did you develop your own forum just for your state? Nope, but we have a LJ and a thread on DoA.

Have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby? When I first went to a meet-up, I was terrified about restringing my doll (or even touching him. Thought I might end up breaking him). An awesome person showed me how to do it and even tightened Issachar so that he could stand on his own! That was the coolest thing anyone had ever done for me XD It really cemented me into the hobby. Then I've learned other little things about dolls too, off and on.

For those of you who became more like friends, what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings? Hmm.. I haven't really made any solid friends. I don't have an answer for this one XD Oh! I learned that cupcakes are wonderful things.. O.o; And that chickens like cheetos.

[Aquido]

my first meet-up STUNK :( hardly anyone showed up. However, after a while of hosting them, and not giving up, we started getting hefty groups :)

[Indigo]

What state are you from: Colorado
Have you met with other owners?: Yes I have. I met some at Denver Doll Emporium and then at a meet.
Were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?: Everyone was super friendly. They were really nice to me and even hugged me when I was leaving. I made some new friends at the meet.
Are your meetups big or small?: This was the first meetup I had ever been to and there were lots of people. But I was told that they can get even larger.
Where do you meet?: At people's homes and sometimes public places. The one I attended was at someone's house.
Are there alot of owners in your state?: I am not sure what 'alot' would entitle, but I believe that there is quite a nice following.
Did you develop your own forum just for your state?: I didn't create it, but yes, there is a forum for our state.
:)

[Hunajasieni]

I am in Finland and I have meet many other owners. I have some doll friends who were friends before dollies and I have got many good friends trough dolly meets. Sometimes I made friends easily but in meetups I mostly feel like collector, when there is 10 or more ppl. If less and I am friends with all it's more like friends meeting. :D

I think meetup is big when there is around 10ppl since then you propably don't get time to hang out with everyone. Around 5-6 persons meetings I like best. We have been in cafes, restaurants, outside (picnic) and in someone's home. So this shows you know ppl better when you can meet in someones home in my opinion. We meet about once in a month in my city.

In Finland there is pretty many other collectors, my town is only 6th big and there is many.

[Ren]

What state are you from first off, and have you met with other owners?

I'm from the Philippines, actually. ^^; (Am I still qualified to answer?) And yes, I've met up with the other owners in the area.

Were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?

It's not as impersonal as say, people gathering for a convention (AKA people with the same hobby but is not really close to/not necessary to communicate with other people) but, for the first time, it wasn't also like we're suddenly best friends. Although, as time passed by and as we met up more and more, I became good friends with several people. :D It's the same when a newbie comes to a meet-up too.

Are your meetups big or small? Where do you meet?

My first time, there were only 4 people who had dolls + the significant other of one + one of my bestfriends so only 6 people were there. (Doll count was 6 too: a Volks Tsukasa, a Volks Jun, 2 Luts Lishe, a Luts El, and my DOC U.) We met at a restaurant with a nice ambience and garden.

Now, the "small" amount of human attendees in a meet is around 12-15 and dolls number around 15-20. Haha...

Are there a lot of owners in your state?

I don't think we have states in my country, but we have a lot of owners in my city. :D

Did you develop your own forum just for your state?

We did have a forum before but I guess it just wasn't really that appropriate for us so we now have a Livejournal community instead. :P

Have you learned a lot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?

Yes! I have learned a lot of things from meeting with my fellow owners here. ;_; If not for them, I would've probably melted (eek) my first doll's head now...

For those of you who became more like friends, what sort of really amusing things came out of your meetings?

HAHAHA... Jokes, anecdotes, photostories... A lot of memorable moments happen during meets, actually. :D

[DEZwithaBAT]

what state are you from first off...

My name is DEZ and I'm in Florida!

have you met with other owners?

Yup! Lots!

were you like instant friends? or more like a group of collectors?

I do have one friend who I found at a Barnes and Noble and now she's one of my best friends. :) I also have good friends from setting up meets and going to conventions.

are your meetups big or small? where do you meet?

I've had huuuge meet-ups (especially my first one!) And then I've had small, intimate meets. So far, I set my meeting at a Japanese Gardens called Morikami. My next meet is going to be a Mad Tea Party at my home.

are there alot of owners in your state?

There are a surprising number that is growing. I think that this is thanks in part to having a Florida Based BJD maker named Lady Saiyuki, who introduced myself and many others to the hobby.

did you develop your own forum just for your state?

I haven't, but there may be one somewhere.

have you learned alot of unexpected things about your own dolls through meeting other people in the hobby?

My dolls have made lots of other doll friends thanks to meets. I think it also helps me develope their personalities by seeing them around other dolls.



Meets are so fun! I hope I can make meets that attract people from other states one day! Its good to have friends in faraway places!