What Are Reborns and How Are They Different From Regular Dolls?

If you have a small girl or you love collecting dolls, you’ve probably heard of reborn babies. These are special items that are hard to find, are highly collectible and usually cost a lot. In fact, if a doll enthusiast talks about dolls, he or she is most likely referring to reborns. 

Nevertheless, given that most people don’t even know what reborns are, let alone know difference between them and regular dolls, I’ve decided to write this article in order to shed some light on the topic. Read on! 

So What Are Reborn Dolls?

For most people, this would sound as a brand new product that was invented in the last few years. However, it cannot be farther from the truth.  

These dolls have quite a long history. First ones were created during 20th century (1930s to be precise) and at first, they were more of an underground item. Reborns were initially created by proficient doll makers who wanted to add more realism to existing dolls. In a way, they wanted to improve products that were present at that time.  

Unfortunately, there wasn’t too much demand for these dolls. Most people would simply shun them and turn to regular, mass-produced dolls. In fact, some of the attempts to introduce them to department stores went horribly: people were complaining that they are too scary and too realistic. As a result, they were removed from the shelves and would never again appear in regular toy stores. 

Even though this was a great blow for the product and it especially affected reborn artists; these products continued existing. They were mostly sold directly, to people who knew where to look for. They were also common during doll conventions and other events. 

Internet completely changed the game. While the dolls are still regarded as uncommon and a bit “underground”, they can be easily found online through stores such as Amazon, Etsy, eBay, etc. Popularity of these dolls increased exponentially and nowadays, they are extremely popular in countries such as USA, Brazil, China, Russia and so on. 

The Creation Process

The process of creating reborn dolls is also known as reborning.  

Have in mind that initially, these dolls were made by taking common, mass-produced dolls and altering their appearance. Nowadays, doll companies started producing doll kits which give you all the parts, tools and instruction for making these babies. So there is no longer need to buy finished products and change them as you can get much cheaper reborn kits. 

Usually, you will get items such as legs, arms and head within the package as the main parts. They are made from either silicone or vinyl or mixture of two. Sometimes, you can also get a body made from these materials. More commonly, body will be made from cloth and stuffed with cotton. Some other materials will also be used for stuffing such as sand or glass pellets. Eyelashes, hair, eyes are all made from different materials and in most cases, high quality products will be used. 

Another reason why these dolls are expensive is because all these materials are of high-quality. Like other dolls, reborns are made to last. It is not uncommon for a doll to be transferred to a child and then grandchild. However, there are certain things you need to have in mind:  

• Sunlight can pose a problem for paint 
• Water can affect baby doll’s body 
• Sharp objects can also be hazardous 
• Lastly, it’s important to keep a doll away from small kids and pets   

Most collectors will have specialized rooms called nurseries where they will keep all their dolls. Keep in mind that this is an ideal case scenario; unless you’re highly dedicated, you probably won’t care as much.

Giving Reborns as Gifts

Even though these are special items and not everyone will consider buying a realistic silicone baby, there are lots of upsides to these dolls.  

 They are a great gift for kids and a good way to teach them some responsibility. Dolls require proper maintenance and need to be moved from harm’s way. If you were looking to buy something special for your significant other, this can be a perfect present!  

 

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