Some of them even skip the paint…
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It’s been invaded with a lack of understanding of what art is and what reborns are and are not. The point of reborns is “realistic, lifelike baby dolls.” Too many people with not artistic talent think they can join in by slapping paint on a doll and selling it. I see them all over eBay, too. They have no eye for art or what looks right, and I think many don’t care. But people get what they pay for, as with just about anything in life.
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But what I don’t understand is, why don’t customers purchase an Ashton Drake or Paradise Galleries doll instead? They are much nicer painted. Even some of the ones at Walmart or a La Newborn Berenguer is even better looking than the sloppy painting of these cheaper, ugly dolls. If I was a customer I’d do that instead. The junk reborns don’t look real and the paint job is so obvious. And pluggy hair? Ugh.
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When I first became interested in being a reborn artist, I studied it for a year, looking at babies painted by talented artists. Then I took several reborn courses through REAL Reborn, and that really helped me know how to properly start working on reborns. Then as I went along I began to learn from other artists who shared, and am greatly. But there are people whose work shows they have no idea what they are supposed to be doing. Lashes rooted through the eye lid, pluggy hair, barely painted limbs, unpainted creases, no shading, no depth, no mottling, no care taken. They seem to believe they can just make some money off what they’re doing, but really, it’s all so poorly done that there is no real value. The kit looked better before they worked on it.
Example of what is out there (a contrast):
Example of knowing what one is doing and with care and dedicated work:
Realistic reborns done right take time and patience. It’s not about rushing to make a buck. I wish people who do that would just stop.
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Oh I agree!! There cheap and look like a doll! I think $100 is “ very expensive” for a cheap china doll!! That’s a big ripe off!!
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Yes!! I’ve seen that. I was like “omg there asking how much”, when the doll looks like Mattel made it. By no means am I an expert artist, but I even feel some just aren’t price right for there quality. There’s done many wonderful artists here that if I could, I’d definitely grab some babies. And wouldn’t even think twice of the price considering the quality of work !! I’m mean really, it looks identical to real babies in there photos!!
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I’m not knocking anyone that can sell a poorly made doll for $275+ because they are doing some amazing marketing and they have figured out how to attract their targeted audience.
Many of them aren’t selling directly from Reborns.com (verified orders). I assume this…because if a customer sees a nicely painted baby and a poorly painted baby side-by-side within the same price, I find it hard to believe that they will chose the poorly painted one.
Some babies just don’t sale fast…but we have to MARKET. MARKET. MARKET!!
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It makes me wonder if they price their horrible dolls like they do because they know some people are desperate for a reborn and will pay $300 for a schlocky job because they can’t afford $500 plus.
Yep, and in the reborn world that is what it’s supposed to be all about. Those who don’t understand that or care about it, their work shows. If a person has 30 dolls listed that look horrid, it’s a pretty good indication they don’t have the talent or haven’t bothered to learn the proper way to reborn.
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Exactly!! 
I think they don’t just buy AD or PG dolls because they see having a real reborn as a status symbol, no matter how poorly made.
It’s bothersome because when pricing a doll, I try to remain humble. I take into account the amount of time I’ve been at the art, the number of dolls I have made, the mistakes I make, and many other things when pricing a doll to sell. At about $300 a doll, I hate having to compete.
I also hate having kit issues that pop up in the reborning process which force me to sell at booboo prices. It’s crazy to see dolls selling that are 95% (or more) booboo, selling for as much as they do. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I felt I was ripping people off like that.
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I totally agree. I would go for an Ashton Drake or Paradise Galleries doll than buy something that was sloppily done and hideous. Hopefully.
But you assume that people are doing their homework and bothering to learn and shop before making a decision.
But for most people making an entry level purchase, they don’t know their stuff, they think if they’re spending hundreds for a doll that was handpainted it must be better than one that’s mass produced.
I reborn shop all the time. Yes, there’s alot of bad out there. I’ve been doing this almost daily for months and still learning. Most people certainly aren’t putting that kind of effort into it.
What looks obviously bad from an artist’s point of view, could be the very same thing that an uneducated buyer sees a pic of and thinks is pretty.
It’s only the hard core doll people who go to the larger shows and actually see comparisons in person. Even I went to several small doll shows (not Rose) and didn’t come across reborns.
And this isn’t even mentioning that scam sites make it look like you could pay under $100. For something that looks like a real child(because the pictures actually are).
It’s really easy to not know what you’re doing here. Esp if you aren’t learning to paint reborns.
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A lot of it comes down to all the free tutorials. People see them and they think it must be easy. Now I’m not knocking tutorials. They can be helpful.
But. A person still has to be able to correctly apply those ideas from the screen to the doll. Often people think they don’t have to invest in the better mohair. Better eyes. Artist grade paint.
But reborning is an investment. I spent 500$ this past week on needles. Mohair, Sculpts. And photo props.
Im not saying you have to dump all your money into it but lets be honest. People who don’t actually want to learn how to properly reborn are just gonna grab the cheap stuff.
Heck. We have people who want sculpts cheaper than BB sells them. And that’s laughable.
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This exactly.
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I have only been doing this for a few months but already I have seen some atrocities for sale and wonder how on earth they are selling, I recently sold two of mine but had to reduce the price drastically, I never came into this thinking I would earn a living off it or that it was easy, I knew it was going to be hard work and would take me years of learning, I started reborning because I needed a hobby, something to take me away from the stresses of life (which it has), I try to sell them because it’s the only way I can continue to do it because my wages just about cover our living expenses, I would love to earn a living from it but I’m ok if I don’t.
I get so annoyed when I see posts asking for a reborn and they have a budget of £100, they of course get flooded with offers of dreadful looking dolls some barely painted that must have taken a couple days to reborn, sadly because of that these buyers think we all put in the same amount of work and expenses to make our dolls, I spend more on outfits and box accessories than they sell for!! I saw one doll painted with household emulsion paint and recently saw someone ask how they could root a head without mohair and needles 
Having said that I have seen people buy these cheap dolls on Facebook then a couple weeks later they resell them saying they just can’t bond with them, I’m guessing they are jus disappointed at the quality and want something better, hopefully that will teach them to spend more if they want better quality and realism.
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I was big time insulted over my price of
My reborns which I don’t even advertise. A lady on a group called my price outrageous behind my back with a wow Emoji! People that want a play doll for who knows what price!I only sell some so I can keep making them because it’s in my blood. Some people are selling for 150! And I agree with you all they are just awful! I will not! Mine will stay with me! It takes me a good three weeks or actually longer with the micro and mono rooting I do. My art is worth way more than some who do not know the art of a reborn is worth.And that lady can go buy one of those because she will never own one of mine!!
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Me to! I know I’m not like the Prototypes but I put love and care and every Baby that I create. And truly hate to part with them.
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I spend a small fortune on supplies. I’m always running out of stuff or looking for the perfect mohair.
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I saw this too. Wasn’t sure if I must laugh or cry…
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I had visions of them shaving their dog and using a kitchen fork to root it 
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Now that’s an image that I won’t be able to get out of my head. 
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