I acquired my first non BB kit recently and it was interesting to compare the differences in style, size, quality. I have a reborn kit (shyann) and realborn kit (june) and recently purchased a LE kit by Corina Zaremba-Wagner (jonathan)
I love the BB kits soft vinyl and delicate creases in both reborn and realborn. The Jonathan kit has carved creases and the vinyl is harder and darker. I haven’t started painting him yet. I’m not at that level and don’t want to ruin him LOL so I don’t know if the thicker vinyl is better et.
what has been your experience? Do you stick to one kit manufacturer or another? I think this experience has made me more of a fan of BB as a beginner. Plus they are so much cheaper! Holy cow a BB kit at full price is still cheaper than a sale kit from MacP’s
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There really isn’t any difference in quality, generally. I’ve always had more issues with BB kits than expensive kits but most people find it the opposite. The vinyl can be darker and harder or it can be the same as BB or even softer, depends on the sculptor and manufacturer. I only buy kits from Macpherson’s. It’s cheaper for me than BB kits are since I live in Canada. I find the expensive kits are generally more detailed unless you get an old sculpt or one by a new sculptor that hasn’t gotten the hang of it quite yet.
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Overall I’ve had more problems with more expensive kits. Things like little bubbles or pinpricks in the vinyl. Mostly older kits and some of the German kits have that problem for me. Though I’ve had two Bonnie Brown kits (Levi and Twin A) and they were both awesome.
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I buy kits from all over the place. Sometimes German vinyl is hard to deal with, the limbs are soft and the head is hard as a rock but painting them is no different…its just rooting hair that can sometimes be difficult on that type of vinyl.
I actually prefer the more expensive kits because they are not the stark white vinyl but that does not stop me from painting BB kits, I love them as well…I just change up my first couple steps when painting…I typically do blue first but with the BB kits I sometimes do a red wash first, then blue.
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@RebornsbyZebra April, are you using primary method? I didn’t know that.
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No, not really I just do my blue undertones first, always, unless its a BB kit, then I do a red wash first to make the underlying vinyl more pinky 
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