Weird question, doll feelings

[PrincessGlitterBloom]

Sometimes when I unbox my loopsy ponies, or the occasional other doll they have that plastic wire around their neck.

I know it's weird and I know they're just dolls but I always feel bad like their being choked when I remove it. It's probably my overwhelming empathy acting up on things that I can recognise resembling living things.
But anyone else ever get the feel? Like just that little quiver on your neck or in the back of your brain.
I don't hold dolls by their heads either.

[AnnetheCatDetective]

I had a moment of feeling that last time I unboxed a really difficult doll. It was so hard to get that little twisty wire off and I didn't want to strangle her!

[TwistedRiver]

I have that problem a lot, and the loopsy ponies are some of the worst out there for looking like their being strangled. Things like this is probably a big part of why I can't leave stuff MIB I just have to rescue them so that they can breathe/be free. I'm terrible with stuffed animals too, I've actually caught myself apologizing to them if I have to rip out the plastic their tags are on.

[Buzzingbumblebee]

I know how you feel . I always unbox because I think all dollies and ponies should be free. If I have a doll or pony I simply don't feel a need to unbox then I sell them as I don't love them enough to release them from their gruesome prison . G1 ponies excluded as I don't buy vintage stuff boxed ever. Anyway, my first Pullip was the sold out Steampunk Eos. She was rater expensive and my then partner said I shouldn't debox. Well I had to get up in the middle of the night to debox her as I was thinking she was screaming "heeelp meee". The Pullips all have a wire around their necks as well, poor things.

[beajjai033]

Like Bumblebee said..
I was really trying hard to keep my Pullip Papin NRFB, oh, but the poor thing! Her hair is too messed up in the box, sticking to the plastic like it's pulling her hair off, with wire on her neck. So I think I did the right thing. 

[Sprinklecupcake]

I always feel the SAME way! I feel like I pretend my dolls have feelings, even though I clearly know they are aboitic. I dont know why I feel that way having such a scientific approach on everything else in life but I just do. Its such a strange psychological thing I have but I love it :p I think growing up watching Toy Story over and over was an influence as I was a toddler when it came out- which at that age is the one of the most important stage of learning for the human brain. I try to treat all my toys so well (even though my ponies are all crowded).

I also understand the whole choking thing, thats why my some of my dolls are free! Hasbro loves to make the EQG dolls look like bondage victims with all that string its almost huminiating for them to be in the box! I have a Mattel Elsa doll with her bang piece stabing her in the eye so I did barely open her and move it aside. I have opened a few dolls to fix their hair then sealed the box back up.
 

[papier]

Not a remotely unusual reaction! I watched a psychology video about empathy, and when the lecturer made to stab a teddy bear with scissors, everyone in the room winced. People have varying degrees of empathy, but empathising with something inanimate is completely normal.

[PrincessGlitterBloom]

Wow guys thanks for making me feel normal!! 
I know my girls aren't real, but where's the fun of styling the mane of something on par with a rock on "life" levels 
I catch myself saying funny things in the toy aisle too, I have a doll friend and when we're done looking at her MHs we stand by the ponies and during the debate of what I should get, I do things like, tidy up the displays. Saying silly things like "What's Rarity doing down here let's put her back up here with her friends"
Or even when I arrange my girls, I may mumble sarcasms, "And the Princesses go up here to watch over the peasants"

Though I recognize I no longer play with toys, sometimes it borders on that. Especially when I'm bored: see sitting at McDonalds with a new pony while waiting on a friend to finish eating.
Empathy is strong with me, especially when it comes to necks, such a sensitive area. I felt kind of bad the other night choking a pony with a rubber band while I used water to change their hair, I didn't want to get water in the crevice but I felt kind of bad.

Separation empathy too, if someone falls off the shelf and I wait too long to put them back up I feel kind of bad they were so "lonely" on the floor for awhile.
And though we convince ourselves we don't pick up dolls by their heads because it'd mess up their hair. I'm sure it stems from the same reason you don't pick up a dog by they're head either.

And again, none of these are unbearable or real emotions, just that tiny sting of empathy in the back of your brain that mimics how you'd treat alive things. Which makes sense, they mimic animals, most of them have whether it be made up, or canonical personalities or feelings, and we've been raised since children to practice care on toys.

All the more reason to lift dolls by their waist and not their tails/heads.

[Phynix]

Your not the only one the first thing I do is get the neck free, and with BJD's I have to get the bubble wrap away from there faces so they can "breath!" Glad I am not the only one like this.

[PrincessGlitterBloom]

I don't like leaving things boxed too long for similar reasons.
Must release my babies from their prisons!

[Phynix]

Kinda odd, we all know they have no feelings, they can't breath yet we treat them like they can.  Silly humans.

[ZennaBug]

I have a hard time rehoming dolls, ponies, or stuffed animals. They just look so sad, like they want to ask "why don't you love me anymore?!" And I rarely get boxed toys because I can't play with them then! The point if a doll (for me) is to be able to play with her, dress her up, and take pictures. Not nearly as fun to photograph a box.

[brightberry]

I have a hard time rehoming dolls, ponies, or stuffed animals. They just look so sad, like they want to ask "why don't you love me anymore?!" And I rarely get boxed toys because I can't play with them then! The point if a doll (for me) is to be able to play with her, dress her up, and take pictures. Not nearly as fun to photograph a box.

It's so hard when they look at us like that! 

[Phynix]

Some dolls I can keep in box but most often I end up cracking and taking them out of the box. Or will buy another to play with. I don't think I ever grew up. lol

[Loona]

I also can't keep dolls (or anything else) in their boxes, I don't enjoy just looking at them in their boxes, I have to touch them, play with them and be able to take photos of them.

just today this thread came to my mind. I was  in a toy shop, and while I was looking at monster high dolls, a little girl at the next shelf was trying to convince her mother to buy her a doll, and she was about to open a packaged doll. her mother told her not to, but the little girl said "but she can't breathe in the plastic bag. Look, she's crying!"

d'aww and D: at the same time.
if I was her mother she could totally get me into buying her the doll with mentioning that she can't breathe and isn't feeling too good about it. yes, I'm also one who secretly believes they do have emotions.