Thanks dear, means alot to me. xo
I had no idea he was threatened with lawsuits in the past. I guess I can understand all the tip toeing around in that light.
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I hear you.
We are a culture who wants things cheap, fast, and what we consider disposable. There are lots of things to be said for a global market, it evens out the playing field for a lot of people who would not have access and be able to start a business, but sadly the competition is fierce.
We have been using companies in places like China to manufacture, it is hard work, and their is child labor issues, pollutionā¦ we donāt (refuse to) see it so we donāt care, we just keep ordering up the cheapest thing we can find on Amazon.
All those people who caught on early and hit Alibaba type sites and did the little upscale on Amazon made their moneyā¦
It is a different world.
I keep thinking about the Industrial Revolution, how excited people were to have ready made things available in stores every season. How you had your choice of colors and styles, everything came in a box from a warehouse, and it was (at the time) instant gratification.
Same thingā¦ mass manufacturing done by the impoverished, children, terrible conditions, and at that time what they considered poor quality. Kinda sad, things back then were still made with glass, wood, metal, and did last. Now it is all plastic, resin, and glue.
People (artists) started a movement, they were sickened by it. It started small, in Europe, decorative, wallpaper, textiles, ceramic, jewlelryā¦ and it grew, people wanted unique things made by people not factories.
Our hipsters did that for us, they brought back handmade kitchen knives, glass blown platters, knitted sweaters, handmade paper, hand sewn leather bags. Etsy use to be part of the new way to buy hand made (damn them for selling out).
We canāt keep making, buying and selling like we do. It isnāt sustainable. I feel guilty making these Babies sometimes but I have soothed myself by thinking that these are precious and special and will not end up at the bottom of toy box, in a thrift store, and in a landfill in three months, they will be loved for years and years, maybe donated to a nursing home where they will still be loved. Not sure how delusional I am, but I so love making them.
The folks in China have a very different culture in regards to money, politics, love, children, survival. We canāt understand it. No one is better or worse. In this country we have great privilege, no one else lives like we do here. Even our poverty doesnāt look like anywhere else.
This is hitting home for us in this little community because we see how fast all that hard work and little bit of money can be taken away.
It doesnāt make it right, and it sucks but there are worse things I think.
If we love this, we just keep doing it, and maybe it stays a hobby. Maybe it never should have become a ābusinessā. I donāt know. I know for a lot of creative people who needed to work from home and depended on this, it felt too good to be true, and for some it isnāt a way to make a little extra anymore.
The thing that brought us a lot of ābuyersā like social media, You Tubeā¦may be our undoing.
I am not trying to be doom and gloom. Things go in cycles. Maybe it will get quiet and then pick up again when new people find out about this art form. It is a great big world.
As for the knock offs. Dave will do his best to keep them off the site, He has been keeping the companies that sell the finished dolls off and that was a lot of work and big step forward. It will all work out.
Keep doing what you love, donāt let this steal your sunshine.
It is an expensive hobby, but damn it is cheaper than therapy. Itās good therapy.
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I stay in it for the fellowship with friends that I have met in person and many only online. I have over 40 kits in my stash and I usually manage to paint about 16 in a year and I keep ordering new ones as they come out. I am 77 years old and have been painting for 12 yearsā¦ā¦started selling for $200 and now I am selling for $700 to $950.00.
In 2012, I ordered a DK12 on eBay and painted it. Later someone said it was a copy of Luca by Ella Knoops. Not sure she was, but I never ordered anything else from eBay sellers that I didnāt knowā¦
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Thanks, you make me feel alot better! x
Well Pia I think we should just take you out back and have at you! lolz Nah, youāre too sweet! Cute lil baby tho but yeah sad about eBay. I donāt buy from sellers I donāt know there either, and definitely not kits! And dang you making some good money girl, your babes are precious! xo
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My 2 cents on the fakes: The artists using copied kits are the ones who will go out of business first because the cheap dolls from China are SO cheap and honestly theyāre getting decent looking (like customers will leave good reviews about the doll they actually received). BUT those who CARE about reborns will likely also care about supporting sculptors and about an artists reputation. I think the strength of the supportive community will win out in the long run.
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Fakes and China gripe my butt.
This is slightly off topicā¦and NOT an endorsement to buy anything except a legit sculptā¦
But Iāll tell you whatā¦I get tired of quality control on sculptorās kits.
I check my kits when first received for flawsā¦yet these imbedded black spots that magically appear after a couple bakesā¦like the heat lifts them to the top of the vinyl or something.
Quinbeeā¦my first kit back after a year awayā¦ 2 bakes inā¦ has one right beside her left eye on her cheekā¦
edited to correct kit nameā¦itās QuinBEEā¦not Quinlynn 
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Boy do I hear you there! Nothing more frustrating. Some dealers have gotten around it by putting up a disclaimer that you use heat set at your own risk to make it our problem. 
Those painting the fakes argue the fakes paint up just like authentic kits do, I wonder if they run in to this too and how bad it does that on fakes. Hopefully more! 
Did you get the kit from Macs? I have never tried, I just deal with them but Laura is pretty awesome and might make it right for you. I am sorry that happened. Buzz kill to deal w/ that on your first kit back.
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I usually buy from MacPāsā¦but I got Q straight from Lauraās site.
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I to usually order from Macs but I went straight to Laura for Lottie and Quin for this very reason, hoping they might be a little better coming from her. Not sure why I think that but was hoping and yet my Quin had black dots appear a few bakes in too. I was so peeved! My Lottie was perfect tho.
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Thatās so frustrating! Is any particular company better or worse for this? Have you told them about this issue? Iāve never had that happen before.
Distributors have nothing to do with it. It is the factory. All kits of a sculpt are produced at the same factory. Variation happen due to batch differences. Maybe the vinyl was mixed a tint darker, harder, etc.
Once a sculpt is molded and poured the factory ships the kits to the Distributors.
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I just thought they might send the good ones to the sculptor. Just my wishful way of thinking ! guess, lol.
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I know I donāt get any of that w/ the German Vinyl kits.
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So my question is, where did she say she didnāt care, that she knew she was posting counterfeit dolls and other people are just anal?
In an emailā¦ She said she doesnt care about COAs and that if she likes a face she buys it. She looks for cheaper kits.
She has also refused to show the flange when asked.
As an artist I would provide what ever proof needed to prove I do not support/paint fakes.
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People like this are really making the reborn world stink. No repsect for those who work hard to create a one of a kind sculpt for others to paint and enjoy. Itās all about them and what they want. Just not nice.
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