Baby not taken care of

How do yall feel about putting all of your time into painting a baby that you know will not be taken care of? I have a friend wanting one for her little girl which I am fine with that because I make them for Lyla. She is taught to be gentle and very careful with her babies, pretty much to treat them as you would a real baby. I want her to treasure her dolls and enjoy them at the same time. This lady says she knows her little girl will absolutely love it but she has 2 very little boys and she is sure within 6 months or so it will be messed up or destroyed. It makes me sad to know the little girl will possibly have her baby messed up and probably not even be taught how to properly care for it herself. I just keep thinking which baby could I paint knowing it will not be taken care of. She is letting me choose the kit but I just don’t know if I can.

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Nope!

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For me, I could because once the customer buys it…it’s theirs. They can do whatever they please with it, where they care very good care of it or mark it up and burn it in a campfire. I do however understand your point about working hard on it and knowing it possibly may be destroyed…it makes you not want to try so much. Usually as artists, we feel a sense of pride in our art and expect and hope it would be cherished. I would go with a kit that is very very cheap (BB discounted) and one I’m not fond of, also I wouldn’t include any glass beads as they are expensive and could be a choking hazard and I would just stuff the doll with polyfil and I would advise the mother to maybe only let the little girl play with her reborn when she is being supervised by mature and attentive adults.

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I don’t think I could. We already don’t get reimbursed for all the time we spend on these babies, as it is, and to spend time on a doll that someone says their children will destroy within a short time, it’s just a waste of time. Why can’t they just go to Walmart and get a Berenguer for now? When the kids are older, then maybe get a reborn. I just wouldn’t do it. Time is valuable.

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I am just sort of torn on what to do. I don’t really paint to sell. I just really enjoy reborning and the babies. I started out wanting to make my granddaughter a baby and enjoyed it so that I want to continue painting them and try to improve. I have realized recently that there is no way I can keep all of the ones I paint so in order to continue painting I have to get rid of some. I have started making some for friends but don’t really feel confident about trying to sell them when people ask about them. I have bought several sale kits recently that aren’t my favorites in hopes of making it easier to get rid of them. I know if I sell it and it gets destroyed I still have the money but I think it is just knowing before hand that it will happen is whats making it hard for me. If I do make her one I will pick a cute kit but just not one of my favorites, do my best and hope it works out.

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I know the feeling. You hate to see something so precious be destroyed. I have been through that also.

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Exactly!

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I told you @Phassell I’ll make it for you :wink:

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I don’t understand why they don’t either buy a cheaper doll that can handle more rough play, or teach their kids to be gentle with their toys.

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No way would I do it. I would just explain how many hours these dolls take to make and that you dont want to spend that time when she says herself her sons will just destroy it!

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Just make a low end play doll. No rooted hair or beads. Just a little color for the paint.

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If you decide to do it, just be sure you charge enough. Don’t feel pressured to undercharge because it’s going to a child that will destroy it. Maybe just only do a few layers and make it a baldly, then you can do it quickly and with fewer supplies used (wasted?) on it.

I think your dolls are gorgeous, and if you wanted to you could sell them on eBay or Reborns.com. People would buy them from you. I love your colors and style.

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I gave my cousin a pre painted kit a couple of yrs ago ( she was around 6y/o). I still had to put work into it. I stressed how delicate the doll was. Went to visit and it was thrown on the floor with marker on it. I should of known better. Well, deep down I knew it would happen but it still ticked me off. It was my own fault for trying. I’m just so glad I didn’t paint a full kit. No doubt I would of taken it back. If the kids aren’t taught to respect things-they won’t, no matter how special it is. If the mother said that, I wouldn’t do it. You will only get aggravated. I got my hands on a discontinued painted kit -Blaze I think. That would be the way to go if you could find one.

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It is an object. Once I sell it, it belongs to someone else.

I personally don’t like kids playing with reborn because they are made with a lot of chemicals, they are not tested for safety for littles, and they could choke on parts, that I would feel horrible about forever.

As far as “toys” go there is nothing I hate more than a Childs toy that is in perfect condition. I love a missing eye, cut off hair, scribbles, dirty, naked, and well loved and played with. I made my daughter a beautiful teddy bear (Ok it wasn’t beautiful but I put a lot of love into it imaging her playing with it) when I was pregnant.

She is 34 and still sleeps with that bear. He has one eye, he is flat as a pancake, worn through in some places, just a hot mess but when I see him (Dodo) I want to cry, it is the most beautiful things to me.

I read the velveteen rabbit when I was four and it never left me.

(Yes I was reading at four, taught myself, I would like to say I learned physics at seven and went to university at 12 and now I do brain surgery but nope… I am an artists and I spell horribly because I learned to read early phonetically.)

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I won’t sell a doll to anyone, for a child, ever. In USA, toys must pass regulations, and my concern is a kid somehow opens a doll and chokes on a glass bead and they come back to me as a lawsuit… once a buyer buys from me, they can do whatever they want to the doll or doll supply or what ever I am selling, of course. BUT will not selling knowingly as a toy

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She buys it it belongs to her and it’s her problem. Don’t get attached to my dolls so if this happens it doesn’t really bother me. I love my keepers but the rest are not my problem. I would be more afraid she would want me to fix it constantly. Set up rules before you agree to make it.

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