People hold them, kiss them, cuddle them. Some people sleep with them. I hear nightmare stories they smell like dirty laundry, have had bugs, or smoke or cooking/house odors. Its just a giant no for me. Everyone says they were "never handled, only displayed, only changed once, when we all know this is not true.
I know they are not for everyone and I have the choice not to purchase one but I feel bad for unknowing customers looking to save a few dollars on a baby. Buyer beware should be a disclaimer on the pre loved site on reborns dot com
2 Likes
This is so interesting because I’ve bought probably twenty secondhand dolls. Out of these, one smelled like smoke, one smelled musty(I was able to easily fix), and one had a hole in the body(that the seller reimbursed me for- So I guess I’ve just had good luck
I think it may be like the news, of course you see all the bad things because people usually don’t see a reason to point out good things
2 Likes
In my nearly 20 years of making reborns I have purchased 3 preloved ones. One I got the fist one to repaint because I got him so cheap from another reborner who decided not to tackle the repaint job. The 2nd one I still have in my collection and all that was wrong with it was he was not weighted enough. When I opened him up to reweight I discovered baby fat pellets loosely put inside his head were starting to leave indentions in the head. I took them out, wiped his vinyl out well and reweighted him with glass. That was many years ago and I still have him. The last one was a Ramsey biracial I got. He was nicely painted but a bit yellow and shiney. I touched up his paint job and rematted him then sold him at DOTW. None of these babies came to me stinky or infested with anything and all were clean. But as a general rule I do not buy used dolls.
1 Like
I agree. But I also hate yard sales, thift shops etc.
Not saying I have never needed to use items others have donated, etc. I just prefer not to.
As for dolls, no thanks.
I see people laying them on gross floors, outside, in trees, etc.
I have also seen a visibly sweaty individual packing their beloved doll in their armpit region.
And a select few “breastfeed” them…
I am 99% sure I seen a lady breastfeeding a silicone while shopping in Walmart 2 days ago… it was not my normal Walmart location and I was a but shocked.
8 Likes
Ok I think I just about barfed on the armpit scenario!
The rest of it is no better. UGH!
3 Likes
However all that can be done by the artist also (floor, mess in the house, sweaty armpits, smoke, stink). Some new dolls gross me out also when I see certain listings.
8 Likes
100% agreed.
I always make certain there is a blanket, tote with lid, closed box, etc.
My wips are also covered when not actively working on them.
1 Like
Lordy I hope not. I have a separate room for making babies, my dog is NEVER allowed in there, I don’t eat in there, I rarely hold the babies I make, if I do it is quickly to see if they feel well weighted. I have taken babies out in the wild to show them off…
I did buy a couple sculpts that smelled like a fish and chip, never could get that smell out. The person I bought them from was so nice, I didn’t say anything.
I don’t do refunds because these babies feel personal to me, like buying a bathing suit or underwear.
I will resell a baby used as a prop for a play or short film, they are stored safely.
4 Likes
I have to agree that buying from the artist is essentially the same risk. We use our best judgement on who we can trust. That being said, I have bought blank kits from people and received them smelling like smoke or kitty litter, and a few with noticeable hair and dirt. 
I try to only buy from friends/people who have good reviews. Pre-loved dolls are a gamble along with any other handmade/made at home item. This applies to items sold from home too! I am a thrifter so I don’t mind giving a little tlc now and then but I don’t want anything I’m selling to have these problems.
4 Likes
Usually the artist does not cuddle them, love on them, have them up against their body for long, extended times.
I just think of all the greasy,sweaty people with their coughing family members around the baby because its not real
Most artists have brand new clothes and the baby has new stuffing, new cloth body. Its hardly touched after assembling and then wrapped and placed in a protected area.
The general public wants to show off their baby and love them, cuddle them, etc
I am not a germaphobe but when you buy secondhand items you can usually sanitize them but dolls or stuffies cannot usually be cleaned very much.
Its like purchasing a used pillow
3 Likes
Same. I have seen collectors on utube breast feed, bathe and take the cloth body dolls to the pool, brush the hair with mascara and all kinds of stuff, cut the hair, toss the doll around, cough, sneeze, eat, smoke while holding it. Dogs licking them and small children playing with them. On the flip side I see artists who take pics on cluttered counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom or on dirty floors and have their small children help them stuff, dress or pack the doll up. Put used and stained clothing on the doll, use used pacifiers with teeth marks from a teething child on it or used dirty toys as props in their pics. Work on the doll while sitting in bed rooting or putting it together. No thanks! It makes me nervous to think what a buyer might get and think of me buying a doll of mine second hand if the previous collector was reckless with it.
I have two rooms in my home dedicated for reborning. One is my painting and rooting room and the other is where I put them together, photograph and do my box packings. I do a deep clean of each room every two weeks. Baby is kept up in a sealed storage box until sold. I am a smoke free, adult environment and I always state that in my listing. I hope that and my good review history is enough to reassure buyers.
I have not and never will buy used. When I do buy new, I make sure I look the artist up on utube, FB and anywhere else to see if they have anything I would consider disturbing.
3 Likes
I just died laughing at this 
that is disturbing
2 Likes
These things are all very valid and gross points! I am just glad for the sake of when I want to sell something from my collection that people see me all over FB and Youtube in live videos and should be reassured I am not a nasty person! I am also thankful that the 3 used babies I did get seemingly came in ok and I have the added reassurance that I took each one apart and restuffed, reweighted and wiped down and repainted or touch up painted 2 of them. The one baby who was made by the Polish artist is the only one I still own and I have had him so many years now if there was any germs on him when I got him they are long gone.
I too have seen videos of other artists’ working, handling dolls etc. and been grossed out by their appearance, room appearance, how they handled the baby etc. One of the other things I hate is the photos of the significant others with the babies laying on their bare chests. No thank you! I also did recently see a listing with a lady holding the baby up on her chest with a very low/open neckline like she was imitating skin to skin contact for the listing. I though that was icky too! These are dolls for crying out loud!
4 Likes
Exactly my thoughts- you are trusting that the artist is washing their hands after going to the bathroom, not spit shining their doll while painting, and not carrying doll parts around with sweaty arms etc.
2 Likes
Most artists, yes, we hope they are clean. But judging from the amount of collectors that become artists, they could also be doing these things with “new dolls.” (Edited: not meant as a knock on collectors- just saying collector/artists prob cuddle dolls they make too. I don’t consider myself a collector but a definitely hold my dolls a few times before I ship them 
) It’s an intimate art form for sure. And hopefully we all have a sense of who we can trust to be clean.
3 Likes
I am so concerned about people not washing their hands after going to the restroom….in public, I see SO many people come out of a stall and just walk out 
So I imagine people doing this and handling their dolls 
I took my keeper baby, Penny Blick with me to a game night party at church, and small children with pizza fingers started to touch her. I almost had a heart attack lol
2 Likes