To Buy or Not to Buy? Expensive Hobbies I Have in Addition to Lolita
Lolita fashion is something I am extremely passionate about. I knew I had to be an active participant in the fashion. I love to learn about new products. My style evolves and I like to try new things. New styles develop and I like to devour shop updates and coordinate photos. As much as lolita fashion is a huge piece of my life and identity there are more hobbies that I also enjoy. The fact that my other hobbies are also rather expensive makes the choice of where my hobby funds are sent difficult.
Ball-Jointed Dolls
I adore ball-jointed dolls. These beautiful sculpted scaled beauties are completely irresistible! The decision to buy my first doll Hitomi is one of the greatest I have made. The problem is that these dolls are not inexpensive. Hitomi, while modest considering her resin counterparts, was still over $300 to complete. Of course, she needs everything a doll does. These include shoes, furniture, and plenty of outfits. Since she is a Lolita herself, there are extra purchases of accessories and wigs. More dolls will mean more items, clothes and accessories. It is a fun, but astonishing, a black hole for funds.
Magical Girls
I love anime. After I watched my first episode of Sailor Moon, I was completely hooked. To this day I am still extremely fond of anime and manga. I have a particular fondness for magical girl series. Some of my favorite series include Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Madoka Magica, and Revolutionary Girl Utena. I express my love for these series though Blu-Ray box sets, figures and most importantly, magical girl weaponry. With each anime Blu-Ray box set starting at around $60, and each magical girl accessory or weapon starting at $65, it is easy to see how the little funds I do possess, evaporate quickly.
Crafts
I am addicted to crafts. I love hands on projects and participate in everything from illustrations to sewing. My possibilities are completely endless! My love of art quickly expanded into new art and craft mediums. While I am able to pursue a hands-on touch to many of my various hobbies, such as accessories for lolita and clothes for my dolls, this only fuels the expenses I incur when it comes to crafts. Charms, fixings, Sculpey, and fabric slowly add up. Project prices range from $5 up to $50 depending on the required materials and invested time. Coupled with the need to purchase storage, this hobby is a treasured, but expensive, pastime.
Videogames
While I was a late bloomer to the video game craze, I have since made up for my lack of years. Kingdom Hearts for the PlayStation 2 was my first game. Kingdom Hearts is still my favorite game series of all time. Of course, I have branched out into additional genres and series. I often can be found immersed in a good simulation or RPG. For the Kingdom Hearts series alone, I have purchased four gaming systems in order to play the series. With each game starting at $50 and a game platform over $100, the Kingdom Hearts series has been quite an expensive adventure. Each new release of my favorites means a very skimpy wallet.
Cosplay
I have grown up with my mom sewing our childhood play and Halloween costumes. My parents are Trekkies, so of course my parents created and dressed as members of the star ship Enterprise for Halloween. I am grateful that I was under their guidance when I went to my first anime convention. That year I was dressed as Shuichi Shindo from Gravitation. As of now, each year I have attended an anime convention I have done so in cosplay. My cosplay experience has been a positive one. I have gone from casual cosplay to the creation of my own costumes. All the props, wigs, shoes, fabric, and clothes add up. My most modest cosplay costume required approximately $70.00. It is a wonderful, but expensive, pastime.
Website Updates
I spend a great amount time on my website and content. I want to make sure a click to my website is a positive experience for the people who visit. I love the ability to update my website about my interests. To host my domain and website editor cost $126.00 a year. Additionally, I have purchased software and tools. These include a new digital camera, to provide higher quality photos and information. Is it worth it? Of course! I am proud to have an interactive database of my interests, updates, and oddities. It is incredible how much I have grown over such a vast amount of time. My website allows me to connect with people with similar interests, which is an awesome perk!
What expensive hobbies do you have in addition to lolita fashion? Post your comments below!