How did you first start collecting and/or painting?
If you sell, did you set out to paint to sell or did it progress that way?
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I discovered reborns while searching for a model for my crocheted items. I fall in love ! I figured I can make myself one and fall in love even more with the process than the doll.
I wasnāt planning on selling them at first but as I painted more and more I had no choice !
I donāt crochet a lot anymoreā¦
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Iād seen shows about it but never gave it a second thought. One day I decide I wanted a baby girl as I had a Berjusa baby boy that I got as a gift from a Day Care Center I worked at. My daughter and I started looking and one day in a Magazine I say AD Katie and wanted her. Once I saw the price I was discouraged but some how Reborns started popping up on my computer so I decided to check them out and thought I can paint my own. I got a doll at GW and painted on it a little and the rest is history. Little did I know that it would cost a lot more than just getting Katie, lol. I recently did finally buy Katie. Eventually I started collecting and still do, lol. I donāt sell but I give them as gifts. Sometimes I charge for the cost of the kit as they are mostly for Family.
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I bought a reborn on Ebay for $150 in 2002. When it arrived, I realized that people can take great pictures and send out a doll that looked like itād been badly abused. I am sad to say that I was new to Ebay so it never occurred to me to send him back for a refund.
Took him apart, decided I could do better, and started my very long journey down the reborning path.
I belonged to a porcelain doll collectorās forum so whenever I finished a doll, Iād show it in the off topic section, and people wanted to buy them. Sold them for $150, then $200, then $250, etc.
We had no doll kits back then, just Berenguers from Kmart or Walmart. No Genesis paints. No tutorials. Things are so much easier now!
I belonged to a reborn forum that was run by Dawn and her husband Richard ~ she is Delta Dawn mohair now but was a reborner back then. We all tried things and learned from each other. Sheās the first one that I knew of to try rooted hairā¦using felting needlesā¦must have looked awful but gosh, we were all sooooo impressed at the realism!!! 
Bought my 1st kit from BBā¦it was Avery, I think, and if I remember correctly, it was around 2008, and thatās when we started using Genesis.
Hope some of the other old timers will come along and talk about the good ol days!
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Three years ago my daughter, who was 7 at the time, discovered silicone babies through YouTube and asked for one for Christmas. I thought āsure, how expensive could a doll be?ā and I began to research them. When I found out the price, I was shocked to say the least, but I kept seeing ads for vinyl reborns. After getting somewhat scammed with my first purchase (an unweighted, unpainted, bald Berenguer that was listed as a reborn that I bought for $120 on eBay) I found her a nice first reborn for just a little more. During all that research, I fell in love with them myself, and came across BB, their starter kits, and this forum. I love to craft and paint, so I thought it looked like a fun little hobby. My family got me a kit, a starter oven, and a few paints for Christmas that year, and my addiction began! I never intended to collect, and I gifted the first 10 or so I made, but then I ran out of people to give them to! I sell them now, only to support the addiction, and have a hoard of 60 or so kits Iām working through.
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Last year, I bought a discounted reborn for my daughter (she is only 4 but she was to be supervised at all times) and I loved her (she was the Dominic sculpt) but she actually ended up being the first baby the artist had ever painted! She had some flaws and I decided that I would like to learn more about the what goes into making them when I discovered the dollās arm was totally empty. I bought my first kit (Summer Rain) and all the supplies, and researched hard on what to do and how to be the best I could be. I later discovered the original doll I bought did not have plugs in her limbs. 
I spruced her up a bit. I have since made (19?) babies.
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It was 2012, I believe and I was searching on eBay for Annette Himstedt dolls when I saw a ārebornā. I began looking at them and purchased one. It was partially my fault because The pictures were bad but the seller also posted crappy pics. Once I got it I decided I could do better. I looked online at all kinds of reborns and the painting styles, etc. I found bb and bought a starter kit and a Seacrist kit at Hobby Lobby. It was at that point by the end of the year that I felt confident enough that I would be able to do this at least better than the one I bought. By March 2013 he was complete and I sold him to an acquaintance for 145.00. I had since discovered many other kits and didnāt feel an attachment to him, so I didnāt really intend to keep him. Looking back maybe I should have. I have gone through some mishaps since I began painting and have often not felt the desire to paint but I always come back. I only get to paint occasionally and probably would do it more often if I had more time to paint. Iāve only made 43 babies. Up until this year they sold well. Now, not so much.
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I first saw a reborn on the Dr. Phil show. As he was saying ātheyāre kind of creepyā I was thinking āI want one of thoseā. I went to the website of the woman who was on the show. I was online for 3 days looking at reborns. I ordered my first kit, (discontinued BB Jaden), and some LDC air dry paints. She was the first craft project Iāve ever done that I was intimidated by. I spent weeks on her. When she was done, I was hooked and Snugglebuns Nursery was born. I continue to use air dry paints.
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I truly donāt remember āthe how I got started thingā. I suppose like everyone else I came across them (reborns) online or something. I do remember seeing these āamazingā dolls by a lady named āEva Hellandā (who has since passed away) that just blew my mind. Thatās when the āok, lets start looking for these thingsā began. And the rest is History!! I started my doll career way back when I was young making cloth dolls (sold lots of those), moved into porcelain and then to vinyl reborns. Since ābaby dollsā had always been my first love, I fell in love with the reborn babies and it has never waned.
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I got my first doll for my 20th birthday from a family member who creates them out of state. I found out about dolls in 2013 and fell in love. So in July of 2014 I got my first reborn baby. Then Dec 2015 I got a surprise baby for late Christmas present with my real red hair as I donated my hair to her as a thank you.
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Iāve always loved baby dolls but one Christmas I begged my aunt for an Ashton drake and she got me one. Her name was lemon blossom and I loved her so much. She was different from all the other babies I had ever had cause I was use to lee Middleton dolls. My aunt would get so mad cause I would change her all the time and her hair was a little all over the place but what do you expect from a child. Iāve held onto her and promised to save her for my future children when I I came across YouTube videos of people making them. I thought wow Iām really good at painting and love to do it so why not. I bought the beginner kit from BB and went from there.
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I just started last October wanting to make my granddaughters reborns. And I have been Obsessed from then on. If Iām not working on one Iām wanting to.
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I got started by ordering Ashton Drake Dolls for my granddaughter. I happened to see reborns in the process, watched Denieseās tutorial and made one. I have that first one still but have-sold the rest.
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I saw a little girl about 12 carrying a doll that looked so real it was unbelievable. I tried to order from the women that made it but she was behind on her orders and never got back to me. My daughter told me my granddaughters wanted dolls for Christmas. I loved baby dolls my whole life so I set out to help her look. Dolls are ugly after youāve seen a reborn. I started looking online. Got to looking at making one and thought I can do that and did. After making one and buying a few more for granddaughters it then became a hobby. Iāve made many for benefits or to benefit others with raising money. One for raising money for a couple to adopt a baby. Now every picture I see of that baby I know I helped bring so much joy to a very loved young couple. Itās such a blessing to help raise money for benefits to. I get joy in making a doll by it helping relieve stress after a long day at work and driving in traffic. Maybe one day after I retire Iāll get to the kits in the closet (doll hoarder closet) maybe make a little spending money. Just love to create a work of art after my whole life feeling like I didnt have aa artistic bone in my body. Being called and feeling like an artist is an honor.
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Back in 2005 I ran into a reborn on eBay. My mom collects dolls so I bought her one for Christmas. I paid $400 for the doll. My parents ran a ceramic shop with classes. I started painting when I was 5. I thought I could do that. It took me until 2007 to actually start selling. I still make my mom one for Christmas each year.
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I was looking for a lifelike doll that I could use as therapy to ease my pain. I purchased Zuri from reborns.com and became addicted. I then wanted to try a new art to keep my stress levels down. I decided I wanted to try painting. I canāt paint a picture but I love babies and decided to try this as a hobby. I am addicted now.
I purchased Everly the other day for myself.
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I discovered reborns when I was in the 5th grade. I was looking through a Paradise Galleries magazine when I saw some dolls sculpted by Laura Lee Eagles. I googled her name and found her website and that was how I first discovered them. Then when I was a Freshman in High School my parents agreed to get me a reborn for my birthday. Iāve been collecting ever since. I havenāt started to paint yet but I plan to in the future.
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I was searching eBay for a book that had the word ārebornā in the title. Canāt remember what the book was now, but up on eBay came a bunch of pretty dolls that were painted to look real. Being a lover of babies and an artist, I became curious about them. A year later, they featured a woman who makes reborns on the Today Show, and I decided to try it. Searched the internet for a year, researching and finding all the info I could. Then I began to tinker with Berenguers and acrylic paints. Then took an online tutorial at REAL Reborn and began to understand how to make them look right. Almost 7 years later Iām still enjoying it.
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Ive always love baby dolls and had a huge collection which was unfortunately stolen from me when I was a preteen.
When my adult son died in 2011 I came across reborns on ebay and I ended up buying two for myself but was more excited to buy them for other peopleā¦I should have realized then that I didnt want to own them but to make them. I didnt think that I could until after several years of research and the fact that I was given medical intervention and tools to improve my illnesses that I decided to give it a go. Now a couple years after that first baby I have a full on assembly line and a serious addiction 
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