Reborn dolls (also known as "fake babies"); What are they and how do I get one? First of all, a reborn doll is just a doll that has been either repainted to look realistic or it has been created from a bare sculpt with the help of a (hopefully) talented artist. These dolls have been selling on ebay for about 5 years or so and are increasing in popularity. The average reborn doll 5 years ago sold for around $200 if it was of good quality. Now you're lucky if you can buy a decent reborn doll for under $500. The community of talented reborn artists grows by leaps and bounds, yet something still remains the same; if you don't research your purchase, you will eventually end up paying way too much, or buying from a dealer that isn't honest. Believe it or not, many reborn artists use friends and family members to push up the price of their babies on ebay. This leads to exorbitant prices on these dolls. Buyer beware. If you see a new listing for a reborn doll and within one day, the price already exceeds $1,000...chances are it's being "bid up". And even if it's not, there's no reason to spend that much money on a quality reborn doll. Don't take the bait. Look for another reborn to purchase. There are dozens of quality reborners out there that don't charge a fortune for their babies and would love to have you purchase one. Here are a few things to look for if you're in the market for a quality reborn doll. First of all, do some research on what sculpts are available. You can do a search for "reborn doll sculpts" with Google and find a sculpt you like. Then do an ebay search under "Dolls and bears" for the name of that particular sculpt. Usually the reborn artist will list that sculpt name in the heading of the listing. Next, if you locate a doll that you're interested in, "watch" that item and continue searching for more of that same sculpt. When you have several of them in your watched list, you need to research the sellers a bit. Check out their feedback scores; actually READ what buyers have written about their dolls. Look at both sides of the coin; research what sellers have written about them too. You can find out a lot about a person's character through good buying and selling practices. If the person is just starting out, steer clear until they have a few sales under their belt. There are too many scams these days to warrant you losing your hard earned money over a doll. Next you need to read their listings thoroughly and make sure you understand ALL of their terms. Look at the pictures carefully. If a seller doesn't take quality photos, chances are you'll miss important details that will haunt you later. Large, clear photos are a must. Make sure you can see every aspect of the doll from hair to toes. Often times you will like the face on a particular sculpt, but not the limbs. Ugly feet on a baby is not something I would want in my collection. Check to make sure the baby is painted with quality paints like "Genesis heat set paints". Does the reborner use an extra small rooting tool, like a 42 or 43 gauge needle? The hair is very important. If it's not rooted properly, it looks bad. There are several types of bodies out there, and the doe suede is probably the best. It's both soft and durable with extra stitching on the seams. Make sure the weighting material used is the highest quality. Find out if the baby is fully jointed for easy movement and posing capabilities. Baby fat pellets are preferred, but there are several other materials that will do fine. You can get fine glass beads, silicone pellets, or even baby fat "tummy/tushy" inserts. It's all about preference. Don't be afraid to ask the seller any questions you may have previous to bidding. Find out if they offer a payment plan and how much your shipping will be. If you need extra photos, ask. If the seller is late or rude in telling you what you need to know, avoid doing business with them. Always give them a full two days to respond to your questions and never assume that they got your message. If you still haven't received an answer within that time frame, ask your question again. Once you've decided upon a specific doll, determine what your highest bid will be and stick to it. Always wait for the last few moments to place your bid so you can be assured that it won't be pushed up unnecessarily. Another method is to place your highest bid and then just walk away until it's over. If you win it, YAY! If not, there will be another darling baby just around the corner. Don't kid yourself into believing you'll never find another one that you really like. It may take a little time, but you WILL find another perfect baby to bid on. Treat it like an adoption; you don't always get a baby on the first try. ;-) The most important thing I'm trying to impart on your memory is to do all of your research BEFORE you place your first bid. You won't be sorry, and you'll learn a lot about this art form. Do yourself a favor and "watch" several babies; not just the ones your interested in. It will give you an idea of just how fickle this particular form of collecting can be. Check the "highest priced" babies as well as the "newly listed". I have researched reborns for over a year now and have personally bought 4 of them. I have beautiful babies, made by quality reborn artists and the highest price I paid was $500. Last, but not least; if you find a reborn doll you really love, but you lose the bid, consider asking the artist to make you a custom baby. Many of them will, and some also offer payment plans and lay away. Make sure you find out everything about a seller before you make that arrangement, as some of them aren't as honest as you would like. I have personal friends who have waited for extended periods of time for a baby they already paid for; and that's not the worst thing that has happened. I've heard of scams where people have bought a custom baby and never received it. Meanwhile, the supposed "reborn artist" has dropped their ebay name and moved on to another unsuspecting victim. DO YOUR RESEARCH! If you get scammed by an ebay seller, report them to ebay right away.Good luck shopping and as always, have FUN!P.S. There seems to be a lot of people reading my guide; could you please vote when you do? That would be great! Thanks!
Orignal From: Tips on buying a reborn doll
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