From the humble raggedy Ann doll to porcelain dolls, there are probably over a million different types of dolls available today. There are dolls that open and close their eyes, dolls that say ‘mama’ and then dolls that look so much like new born babies that you may be fooled into believing that they are living beings. These handcrafted dolls are known as reborn dolls.
It was in the late 1900s that the art of creating these dolls began gaining popularity. In the beginning, these dolls were given life-like qualities by sanding off the original paint and repainting them in more natural tones with details like intricate veins, while also adding new hair. Thus, the way they were originally made, gave them the name by which they have been known ever since. Today, these dolls can be crafted from an existing vinyl doll or created from scratch with doll kits. In case of the latter, the process may be known as newborning. The size of these reborn baby dolls for sale can range from a few inches to life size.
The easiest place to find reborn baby dolls for sale is online. They can be purchased through e-commerce sites, an artist’s online store or through conventions and fairs. In addition to buying ready-to-play-with dolls, you can also get yourself crafting kits to create your own reborn doll. Many people who buy these dolls collect them as a hobby and invest some serious money into them.
The price of these dolls depends on a number of factors including the sculpt used to create the doll, the artist’s name and experience and the quality of the doll. A doll that retains its original parts may also expect a higher price as it was made to specifically fit that doll and hence matches the proportions perfectly. It may also bear the original artist’s signature. If any of the original parts have been substituted for newer parts, they must be made with material that matches the original parts and be appropriately proportioned.
Pay special attention to size, fittings, alignments, type of paint used and coloring while buying one such doll. Excessive use of dye or the use of colored sand to add weight can make the paint seep into the vinyl and make the baby look too dark. A shiny finish on the doll could indicate the use of acetone to wash the doll’s surface before it was painted. This is not desirable as acetone can keep the paint from adhering to the doll’s surface. Also pay attention to the type of hair used and the technique it is applied with to determine the quality of your doll.