Adopting a reborn doll: the good, the bad and the ugly!

So you are thinking of buying one of these amazing dolls?

The purchase of a reborn doll is based more on emotion than on meaning: the heart rules the head. All props and settings used in the photos are designed to take you in this direction. The baby powder, plush toys, lace and fur are all intended to make the doll look (whether sleeping soundly or beckoning you wide-eyed) so irresistible that you want to pick her up and never put her down.

When you see a reborn doll that you love, you will feel that you really need to have it. Your advertising image at its best. Just as ‘coke’ equals youth and fun, effective reborn baby photos evoke the same sentiments as Johnson’s best baby powder ads: the promise of unconditional love and warm hugs.

Some people have said they were so upset when they lost a reborn baby on eBay that their hearts were set, they cried for days.

But just warning you, if the baby arrives and it’s not what you expected, this is also very disappointing and your wallet will be lighter. So it is advisable to use your head a bit before buying.

Revenants are everywhere and there are plenty of them on eBay (a real mixed bag, some are really quite scary). There are many doll forums and one in particular has a section called “Does she sell this?” which celebrates some of the poor reborn doll work on the market.

Should price be the best indicator? What about guild membership and prizes? How can you know? So what are you looking for and what differentiates a good doll from a bad one?

Price

Price is not the best indicator: high prices do not guarantee quality and there are some excellent ones that are reasonably priced. The big prices (several thousand dollars) are handled by a handful of born-again artists.

awards

Beware of guilds and memberships: most do not require proof of talent or customer service to be authorized for use. Watch out for the prizes, sometimes they are the only ones in the competition.

inspect the product

I believe that there is nothing better than seeing a doll before buying it, but this is not usually an option, since it is a truly electronic and international (borderless) industry.

If you can’t see the real thing, photos are the next best thing. But beware of photos, there are all kinds of electronic filters and artificial lighting that can make them look better than they are. You should be delighted when your reborn arrives and think that the photos did not do them justice at all. Ask an artist about the enhancements and lighting used in photos of her.

Then look at the artist’s reputation (and remember that talent as an artist, honesty, and customer service can be mutually exclusive). Satisfaction guarantees, damage repair policies must be understood and are indicators of good customer service. eBay feedback is indicative of honesty and customer service. The talent is up to you as a judge.

My strong suggestion would be to search the internet or join a forum or two and find an artist there. Beware of reborn nursery listings on the site; They are not a guarantee of quality or honesty. Most artists will show their work and have it in their signatures on the forums.

Here are some recommendations on what to look for when looking at dolls in person or photos:

1. Judge how much the doll really looks like a baby. A good reborn should be confused with a baby.

My daughter has taken her reborns shopping with us and of course she (she’s 6) gets tired of carrying them so I end up having to carry them. I am stuck in a difficult position. Do I breastfeed this baby like she’s real and people will think I’m a doll-nursing freak OR do I just carry her like she’s my daughter’s doll that I now have to carry?

Well, for a good reborn you have no choice but the first option. Once I had to endure the stars of many people in a major shopping mall who looked at me like I was a neglectful parent. I found out that it is not publicly acceptable to pop a baby (and thus a reborn doll) in the bottom of a shopping cart. It is also not acceptable to hold a baby casually between the elbow and the hand with the limbs hanging down, even if the hand supports the head well. Also, in general, people are quite critical of you (and give you bad stars) if they think that the baby should be a little warmer.

2. Take a look at the details: hands and feet (take a look at the nail details), ears (how real they look – can sometimes be limited by the detail of the sculpt – more expensive sculpts have more details), eyebrows (they should look real) and creases and creases should not look like cuts.

3. Artists work hard to get realistic skin tones and this should make the baby look subtly mottled (look for this, it’s a sign of quality).

4. The rooting of mohair. The hair should be shiny, smooth and rooted so that it is not “clumpy” at all. The rooting should be directional, that is, at a different angle so that it fits well on the whole head. Some artists do an amazing job with their directional rooting with crown/crowns, parts, etc. Look for this, it is a sign of quality.

personal preference

Some people like their dolls to look very real with milk stains, rashes, and scratches. If you don’t like these, please don’t buy a reborn baby with them. Your personal taste. I personally don’t like these. I know they’re realistic, but when my real babies got rashes, I couldn’t wait for them to go away. So I am of the opinion that I would not want them on a doll permanently.

Some people like sculptures with funny, wrinkled faces. Well, I say good for them, each on their own. I love pretty babies (although I see beauty in the somewhat funny faces newborns make) and I try to achieve this mixed with realism in my sculpting and painting choices.

Best of luck finding a doll you love.