I need some help on this, I posted a few babies on reborns.com, and a lady emailed me asking me to come down from 125.00 to $75.00 on my Scarlett. She said she’s not well and only draws a little over $300 on her ss check, and it goes to medicines, and then she ask me if I could take all her glass beads out and leave stuffing only. I feel bad for her, but I’m trying to make a little money. I’m not sure exactly what to tell her, any suggestions?
That’s not even enough to cover your costs. It all amounts to whether you want to basically give your doll away or not. I personally am offended when people write me their hard luck stories trying to manipulate me into feeling guilty about selling a doll. I have bills to pay, am on medications, 2 kids in college, and have some health issues myself. So really it bites! I often ignore these requests or just say I am sorry but my price is as low as I can go and leave it at that.
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Well I agree with you, I just didn’t want to sound mean. Thanks 
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Thanks a bunch , now I won’t feel so bad, it does irritate me.
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Tell her to use her sob story at the pharmacy to get her meds half price and then she can afford the doll. Oh, that’s right, it doesn’t work that way! (sarcasm). I know we all have times in our lives when things were really bad, but that doesn’t give you the right to ask for luxury items for free.
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I feel like most times the sob stories are made up and if they are not well then what little money they do have should not be spent on reborns. Also, people who give you a sob story and ask for a lower price or for some sort of layaway generally turn out to be difficult customers.
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the blonde one is the one she’s asking about
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these are a few of my babies , I started making them around summer of 2013
I have had many people tell me my dolls were too expensive and that I should sell for way less. They always have a sob story . Reborns are a luxury item and if they are having trouble financially a reborn is the last thing they should be buying. Also if money is tight and they do find a way to buy your doll chances are they will ask for a refund later on down the road. They need the money for car repair, they lost their job, etc. I know this because I learned the hard way. Ebay has a new 180 day return policy. The buyer only has to ask for their money back and they will get it. Don’t feel bad about not lowering your prices.
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I always explain that just the materials cost me $X, and I spend 20 - 40 hours to make the doll and I will not sell her for any less than I have her advertised.
I once got somebody asking me if they can have a doll listed for $400 for FREE!!! LOL
Alot of the sob stories are just someone wanting something for nothing. I don’t believe in giving these dolls away. To much time, money and talent in these babies. The way I see it is if ya can’t aford it and have to beg for it, ya don’t need it to start with. Just sayin~
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I agree with the other ladies. If you has to give you a sob story to get a reborn then she really can’t offord it in the first place. There is something called saving for something before you buy. I once had a lady call me stingy for not sending her a reborn before she even paid for it. I since have just not responded to any pleas for a reduced price of a free doll. I think these people troll the reborns trying to get someone to give them something for free. Our time is money too.
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Your dollies look like your price might go up, not down. It’s nice to give a doll away now and then to people you know and trust, but it should be your choice to do so, not because someone manipulated you by guilt. Reborn dolls are not something this woman needs, just something she wants. She will survive just fine if you tell her no. I think the reason we are attracted to reborns in the first place is because we are nurturing, motherly types who want everyone to be happy, but this is a case where you would just be encouraging her to buy something she really can’t afford.
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Thank you all so much for the advice.
Get used to it- they are everywhere- stick to your guns.
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I believe this goes for relatives also. I am a stay at home grandmother, not by choice, but by necessity. My daughter is a single working mom with two children, one of whom is on the autistic scale and someone needs to be available at all times in cause of an emergency situation with him. Also, my husbands parents are both in their 80’s with health issues. We recently remodeled a portion of their house and moved in with them to maintain the home and be their caregivers when that time comes. Reborning will hopefully help me add to the bank account/monthly bills and give me pleasure/stress relief at the same time. Recently I had a single mom relative with three children and living on disability income ask me to make reborns for two of her children and she was willing to pay me. This is a person whose car needs replaced, relies on her parents to cover necessities for her children and general lives beyond her means at all times. I explained to her the costs of supplies alone and the time involved in making a reborn and at this time, my time is very limited and we could revisit this discussion at a later date. I would only have felt comfortable of charging her for supplies. That would mean at least half a month would have gone by without product to sell. All people, relatives included, need to consider the time that goes into making these wonderful creations and not to think that our effort is not worth compensating.
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I do feel bad for people who really want a treasure like this and cant afford one. (don’t yall feel bad for me because I want a Huti and cant afford one? ) But seriously, people who really are in that situation aren’t concerned so much with non-necessities. They are concerned with survival! I would simply and kindly let her know that you can not lower your price.
You put way to much work into these little ones to come down on your price. There are plenty of other dolls on sale maybe not as beautiful as yours but I would think if strapped that much for funds either look for something you can afford or not buy at all. Hang in there someone will pay your price and love it. Good luck.
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There were a lot of reasons given for you to say “no”. Her sad story doesn’t matter…it’s probably not true anyway.
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I agree that lots of people are just asking for free stuff just to see if it will work. I have heard that some panhandlers make more than $50,000 a year just begging. Not sure how true that is, but when there are services to assist them, there is no reason for begging.
Which brings me to my next thought. I wonder if some of these people are so used to getting hand outs, they forget that the rest of us live in the real world and work hard for our money.
This woman references $300 in Social Security that goes to medicine. What does she live on? How does she pay rent, utilities and put food on the table? By the way, how does she have internet access? Does she get all that for free through government services?
I suspect we have all paid enough in taxes to cover her basic living expenses that we don’t need to chip in a free doll, too.
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