Scrolling Facebook and

Looking at so many dolls for sale at marked down prices. Lots of people marking down full body silicone babies lower trying to sell them. It seems things are just not doing as well across the board. I have some silicones that I question if I will even be able to break even on much less make a profit. It makes me wonder if this is the last days of our art? I myself have a nice stash of personal kits, a few kits to make up to sell, a pre-order for Jezebel and some silicones to work on. I plan to work with what I have for now and get ready for the DOTW Expo in June. Beyond that I am not sureā€¦I will have to see if that is my swan song or not. One thing is for sure, I DO NOT need to be buying any more kits stock.

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I feel the same, Angie, weā€™ve been around long enough to know that sales always ebb and flow but like I said the other day, this year feels very different. I thought after the summer slump people would be snapping up babies for Christmas and some are ~ but not in a buying frenzy like years past. This year people want a $600 baby for $300 or less, or at least thatā€™s the vibe Iā€™m getting. I keep saying Iā€™ve had a great run and never expected to be here this long, so Iā€™m not complaining but I am starting to wonder. I feel like I HAVE to keep reborning, itā€™s like air to me; I canā€™t imagine giving it up but on the other hand, Iā€™m not willing to do $600 work and sell it for $300, either, so thereā€™s that :thinking:

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Same here. I have people writing me about my $495 dolls wanting to know if they are full body silicone. WOW! So much I could say about that mind set but will just leave it right there.

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sameā€¦ and the people who are looking they want the most perfect baby with best rooted hair under $200 shipped. Come on ā€¦shipping is expensive especially for a baby like Maddie

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This year is very different for the entire country, not just our beloved doll world. Weā€™re still dealing with Covid, the economyā€™s very bad and people are struggling to put food on the table. Reborns are luxury items, not necessities. I donā€™t think reborning is dying art. I think itā€™s stalled for an indeterminate amount of time. Iā€™m not giving up. Things will improve, but maybe not as fast as weā€™d like. I will not be reducing my prices. Theyā€™re not selling anyway, so they might as well not sell at what theyā€™re worth. All these discounts are making it even harder for us to sell our dolls at their true value.

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Itā€™s the same world wide I think, sales of dolls are very slow in the UK too, my last couple I reduced a bit just to shift them but realistically I canā€™t afford to do that because the cost of supplies has increased, I actually had one up for Ā£600 ($712) and someone messaged me begging me to sell it to her for Ā£100, the kit alone cost more than that, I have stopped buying so many kits and if need be I will do cheaper box openings but Iā€™m not going to give up, I enjoy it too much and I would rather give my dolls away to family and friends as gifts than sell them for pennies.

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You are rightā€¦even tho the MSM says differentā€¦people are having to tighten their belts and economize in some pretty big ways.

We have been blessed that Chuck had a good job and gets a decent retirementā€¦but we have had to cut back on quite a few thingsā€¦including how much we driveā€¦we consolidate tripsā€¦i think hard before I buy frivolous stuff i.e. Bath & Bodyā€¦Hobby Lobby goodiesā€¦clothingā€¦etc.

We are also cutting back on Christmas spending this year.

I truly hope things turn around and get back to normalā€¦but I have a feeling its going to take a long time to undo whats been done.

Our church makes thanksgiving food baskets for people who fall through the cracksā€¦familes who workā€¦and sometimes work 2 jobs to make ends meetā€¦not quite enoughā€¦but yet too much to qualify for government helpā€¦this year they have more families than ever who need helpā€¦I think its close to 300ā€¦we will make it somehow!!!

ā€¦

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I donā€™t want to give up and thankfully I have enough of my own personal stashed kits to make up to keep me at it for a year but that is keeping and not selling. As for giving to family, I donā€™t have anyone in mine who wants them. My mom has 2 of mine and that is realistically all she would want I think. No one else really cares about them other than me. I too canā€™t afford to keep selling lower unless I just decided I wanted to do it for fun and absorb the cost myself. In these times that is not very practical.

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I havent been around nearly as long as you have, Iā€™m going on 3 year i think, and Iā€™m sure feeling the sales slowing down and everyone wanting more for less. Iā€™ve seen messages on face book where people want high end reborn, with rooted hair and shipped for $200, Iā€™m like REALLY?? Its really sad. I love reborning but having to practically give them away is just not right. Iā€™m torn on what to do if things dont turn around.

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Exactly!!! Lol

Speaking as a reborn veteran. (Ive been reborning for about 20 years. Back before kits. Back before genesis. Lol

The economy is hitting hard. My husband just got a new job AGAIN in less than 2 months because the price of gas to get back and forth to work was taking a huge chunk of his check. So he found something that pays more and is closer to home.

The China fakes are hurting us. But. If you truly love it i believe things will even out. Ive seen many bumps in the road of reborning. The real artists will remain and those in it for easy money will drop off.

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I donā€™t have enough family and friends for all the kits I have in my stash. :rofl:

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Sure they do. I want that, too. Will I get it? NOT!

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And AMAZINGLY there are multiple people that will post babies available for that price rangeā€¦

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I didnā€™t realize you have been reborning that long. I always feel like I am so old around here as so many seem much younger than me. I started this in 2004 with Berenguers. I am 57 now. There was a time when my husband bought me a whole case of Berenguers for Christmas and that was a huge deal for me! Things have sure changed a lot along the way.

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Lol. Im 42.
Although im consistently told i must be younger.
Ive been reborning since the days of berengeurs and stencil paint and a website called Prilly Charmin

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Oh yes! Same here! I purchased my first reborn doll body pattern from Prillycharmin and some other supplies along the way. Dolls By Sandie was my go to back then as well then eventually Bountiful Baby. I remember when Denise introduced Avery. I used stencil creams, oil paints, oil pastels and even some cream makeup back when I first started. Boy have we come a long ways!

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Yes. And orange vinyl was justā€¦normal. lol.

We have come a loooong way.

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wowā€¦ Iā€™ve been reborning since 2003ā€¦ I call it ā€œThe Berenguer daysā€. I would take special edition dolls and switch limbs with 1/4 limbs to make them cuddly.

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I wasnā€™t an artist back then, I was a kid in fourth gradešŸ˜„ but I remember when I first started seeing those dolls around ā€˜03 ā€˜04, they were so rare and I was in love with them and always wanted one and couldnā€™t figure out where to get them! There was a really cool store about 20 minutes from where I lived called Toland Dolls I think. they eventually had a couple in there but went out of business before I could get one. Years later I figured out how they are made. I wonā€™t quit painting as long as I can afford it. If my babies sat for barely a week it felt like foreverā€¦now they are sitting for weeksšŸ˜” so sad because itā€™s an addictive hobby. When I started I used craft paints from Walmart and I tried painting a berenguer doll that I got when I was a kid. I can definitely see the evolution of reborning!

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