Is it just me, or is the kit market super flooded right now? Same with the reborn market too, but I feel like the number of kits being produced vs. the number of reborns being produced is super unbalanced. I wonder if people are going to eventually stop buying kits because they either have too many kits or not enough people are buying their reborns? Not to mention the economy. If that ever does happen, I’m worried reborns will eventually die out, like the porcelain dolls did. You already see tons of posts with people cleaning out their kit stash to make room for new ones. Anyways, just a random thought I had.
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I think you might be on to something izzy. I 15 years ago I was into the porcelain dolls. I bought a lot of Donna Rupert’s molds,slip and a kiln I had a lot of fun doing it but, at the same time DR was selling her dolls on HSN. The market did get flooded with the dolls. There is a big difference between the vinyl babies and porcelain dolls. Porcelain dolls look like dolls most of the vinyl kits can look just like real babies. I think that’s the saving grace.
Pat (Taz)
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I agree @izzy. I had one artist to apologize to me for a late delivery because the kit makers were so backed up. Doesn’t anyone remember what they were taught about supply and demand? Pretty soon we will stop demanding.
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I was just thinking about this because I’m considering getting my sculpt made into a vinyl kit, which would be more feasible to me than a silicone edition, but the kit market is so flooded, I’m wondering if there will be any consequences.
Definitely right Izzy, I think that be a small market for reborns will continue for a little while longer though…but it will be avid collectors with money who will continue to buy them in the ultimate end and they will be looking for the new kits from well known artist…I also think there will be a market for the cheaper dolls for a little while longer but it will be limited and hit or miss…I have always watched markets as I was a district manager for quite a few years and I have been watching reborn sales declining over the last year and a half - 2 years…(technically it started back in 2012 but was not really noticeable because of the ebb and flow of the economy and the economic forecast…I believe we are in the final year of real reborn sales (may be into 2016 but not much further than that and even then we will see it get worse unfortunately)…I am not meaning to sound negative but I am a realist and I do watch and study markets…You will find that ‘luxury item’ sales will decline too over the next year or two as people start tightening their belts…so you are a very perceptive young lady, Izzy…I am impressed!!
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I agree with pretty much everything you said. Pretty unfortunate though. Perhaps I should get my sculpt made into silicone to appeal to the higher end collectors…but then again if I were to get my sculpt made into a vinyl kit, I would just sell my sculpt outright and have someone else produce it and handle sales, which is less risk on my part. Hmm…decisions, decisions.
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Your baby is definitely adorable and would be awesome as a silicone…I think whoever is willing to market your work should use the fact that you are so young as a selling point…If I were someone who poured kits or silicone, I would love to help you get started with your first doll. There is a lady here in Oz that use to do that…I am not sure how she operates as far as the profit goes but I know she helped a few ladies get their first kits out…I think she got an exclusive option on sales here in Oz or something like that and the ladies were able to sell their own kits as well as have them marketed by other suppliers overseas…I don’t know if she still does it or not though…I do hope you are able to get your little fella done one way or the other…He is too cute and you have done some excellent work with the limbs so far too…can’t wait to see him finished!!!
Thanks Starr. I’m finishing up the legs today and then I’m going to get started on the arms. I hope I can get my name out there, because I’m pretty sure that in the end, only the well known popular sculptors will be able to be successful marketing kits.
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You’ll be one of them…You have made a beautiful start…I am still amazed when I look at your work and to think you are 14!!! that is AMAZING!!! 
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That’s why I like Limited Editions. True, it sucks when I miss out on a kit, but I think that’s one of the reasons the reborn market has survived so far. Something new all the time, and kits come and go. Imagine the already flooded kit market if every kit was an open edition…
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All righty, then. I guess I better hurry up and finish the 53+ kits I have in the closet!
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I really hope all these dire predictions are not true. This has been my favorite hobby out of many I have done in my many years of art and crafting. If the market for reborns disappears, I will be very, very sad. In fact, I am feeling sad just thinking about it.
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Me too Helen. I am going to use positive thinking to rectify this. I believe that the true reborn artist will prevail! The less dedicated will fall off. The collectors and buyers will start realizing true reborn artistry and spend what our babies are truely worth. My mouth to gods ears!!!
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@honojane and @Nikkiroc, I hope so too. I was making an observation about what I’ve seen lately and the signs aren’t great…but one can hope I suppose! 
Maybe interest is going down because the market is just flooded with reborns. Everyone who used to just buy them decided they wanted to make them for therselves. Then----they discovered they could sell them and make a buck and that was all she wrote !! Everyone wants to make money so they have killed the market and unfortunately there are a lot of reborns out there that shouldn’t be!!! JMO
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I agree with that, but I also think the kit market is flooded as well…maybe even more than the reborn market! While a large selection is great, too much of anything is never a good thing. I do like the timed preorders because then everyone who wants one gets one, and that is more of a supply and demand thing, although I would say only a fraction of kits ordered actually become reborns and the rest sit in a stash somewhere for a long while. 
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Not to worry Helen…I think there will always be some reborn market…as long as there are women in the world…we love them too much to let them ‘go away’…I just think that sales are going to be tougher and maybe further apart in the future but I don’t think it will ever die off
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heehee…that sounds so funny…not that she only reached $30 cause that is just not very nice at all but the way you worded it *dizzy heights of $30"…just made me chuckle…Still smiling…
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I hope it goes much higher than that! You would be losing so much money at only $30! 
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Oh ps…your baby is definitely worth more than $30 and like Izzy, I hope she goes much higher too…she is a cutie…
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