I am in a bad mood. Kind of depressed to be honest.
I need feedback from someone, from the outside.
I am reborning since 5 years now, but I feel I am stuck. I need critics of my painting, my photography, my price.
I struggle to sell and I don’t know if it’s me or the current times.
I want to improve my skills but I am not sure how. What can I do better ?
If someone can be kind enough to look at my listings ShieldSquare Captcha and gives me any imput, you have no idea how much it would be appreciated. Be brutally honest please, I need it.
I just looked. Your dolls are lovely and prices are really good. So is your photography. Your painted hair is really good.
If it makes you feel any better, my dolls are slow to sell too right now. They used to sell within days, within minutes sometimes. Now they sit for longer. Perhaps your dolls are just buried in a million others, just not getting seen.
I’m kind of where you are at these days as far as improving skills. I’ve been painting for about the same length of time and want to improve, just don’t know how.
I took a look. Zendric and Delilah are very realistic. I can see why these sold for $850.
For the top row above them not yet sold (Ever, Nikolas, Ana, even Kiara) these appear more ‘painted’ to me and less lifelike. I think it’s maybe the kits. It’s hard to paint a kit that isn’t as beautiful and lifelike as Zendric and Delilah. I think the painted hair is just not as nice as your rooted hair, so maybe that’s part of it, too. Overall, I think these dolls are priced correctly. I think Kiara’s photographs are a little grainy, need maybe better closeups of the doll to sell at that price point.
I also think the reborn market is taking a hit from slower sales and fakes from China. I’m hoping it picks up for everyone for Christmas.
Your babies are great. I think it’s just the times. Mine used to sell within hours or days. Now I’ve had several sitting…some for more than 2 months. Hopefully things will pick up soon.
@jlesser she want to return her just because she don’t like her. That’s ok with me, I mean sometimes in real life it’s different than on a monitor. It just sucks because I don’t sell a lot.
I agree with everyone above that it’s probably just the times. Your Nico is amazing. I agree with @Rachel_Rose about the top row, they don’t look very lifelike, but I also think it’s the sculpts. I think your prices are very reasonable to low, so I don’t think it’s a price issue. Three only feedback that I did notice is that most of your reborns look very shiny, I don’t know if it’s just flash or lighting or if they aren’t matted, but that’s the only consistent thing that stands out to me. You’re painted hair is really good, but again very glossy looking. I think it takes away from the realism of it a bit. You’re photography is very good, as are your poses and backgrounds and everything. Personally, I would just try to take in there, there has been a selling lull for almost all of us lately
Forgot to add, do you typically do returns? If you haven’t already committed to allowing a return I personally would only offer an exchange. Especially a buyer’s remorse return, I don’t know if any artists that accept them, but could be wrong. And I do understand wanting to keep customers happy, especially with slow sales.
I am stuck with the Etsy policy for accepting returns, so if the customer find my Etsy store, it’s hard to get a different policy. Anyway, they can open a PayPal case or do a chardeback, so it’s less complicated to get it return and refund. It’s the 1st time in 5 years that happens to me so it’s not too bad !
What Etsy policy is that? I only sell on Etsy and do not accept returns, reborns falls under the handmade category which you just check the box in your store policies that handmade or custom made items are not eligible for returns. My store settings does allow exchanges though. Unless there is something I’m missing? That makes it even worse, the first return request, ugh! Or do you mean reborns.com? It just sucks, I hope you don’t get too discouraged, it’s the beginning of November, fingers crossed this holiday season will be the same as the ones in the past and we will all do amazing sales
A few years back you have a template for policies. You can not accepting returns but they advised you not because of the UE regulations. I sell internationally so I don’t have a choice.
I would rether issue a refund myself than having a case opened against me and be forced to refund anyway.
And no it’s not for handmade but only customs items that you are ok with not accepting returns.
I had no idea about the UE regulations. I sell internationally also, is this something your required to do if you ship internationally? I’ve never had it come up, but wouldn’t want to be screwed if I did! Sorry, I know it’s a little off topic.
Go to your shop policies and click on the pen to modify it. It shows in red “Selling to Europe ?” . Click on Learn more.
There is probably a better way to find infos but that’s how I have learned them.
I’m no expert by any means but had a few suggestions that I thought could help. I think you should reorder the dolls so that all the available ones including customs are at the top, and all adopted are after that. I think buyers will want to easily be able to see what’s available and not scroll through the adopted ones. Also photography suggestion would be to make sure all positions are realistic for a newborn without neck control. Some poses have the dolls with their head straight when a newborn head will always tilt down or sideways bc they don’t have that neck control. The painting is wonderful.
I peeked at your Zendric last night too since I was surprised to hear someone wanted to return her. She’s beautiful and I really like the pictures too. I think the color palette you chose really compliments her skin tone.
I do agree about the black background used in some of your listings. It seems to wash the colors out a bit. I think if you took new pics of Ethon using the same backgrounds you used with Zendric and simplify his wardrobe he will sell quickly and probably for more than 600.
The dolls in the first row are very nice but I don’t think they are very popular sculpts. I like to see and paint different faces too but if the sculpt isn’t an in demand face they just seem to sit forever
I am no help, I love all of them Ethon being my favorite. I do agree that it is the Photographer or Camera not the babies. I too struggle with taking pics. My dolls always look very different in person.
I think your painting and your hair look nice. Your prices are reasonable, for sure not too high. I think you could try to taper the ends of your lashes more. Your babies might be a bit shinier than customers might like. Also if you arrange your nursery so all available items show before any adopted ones then they will be easier to see when someone is looking at your nursery. Once they start seeing adopted ones they might not scroll any farther.
