Whether you fall in love with reborn babies or you choose to let others participate in collecting these highly collectable dolls and you are just interested in learning more about them, this post will act as a basic introduction. Reborn babies are a form of art that has only grown in popularity since the first reborn artists started creating these dolls for a wider public in the early 90’s. So what are reborn babies? They are silicone baby dolls or vinyl dolls that are designed to realistically portray newborns and young toddlers.
A short history of reborn babies
Berusaa Spanish company was the first one to start manufacturing reborn babies back in the 1980’s. They made dolls with lifelike skin tones and added tiny blue veins to make them more lifelike in appearance. From these humble beginnings, reborn babies have advanced into vinyl molds and silicone sculpting that have the weight and feel of a newborn baby, and other features like mohair implanted hair, eyelashes, beautiful glassware eyes, and even features such as mechanized breathing and an audible heartbeat. Some estimates place the number of reborn babies at twenty thousand in the world, and these dolls are now produced by artists based worldwide, and each reborn artist has his or her own process.
The majority of reborn baby dolls are handmade, though you can purchase DIY kits and premade molds that you can construct yourself, and—of course—you can buy reborn dolls that are 100% finished and ready for adoption.
There are African American reborn babies and Caucasian reborns, Asian reborn babies and dolls of all ethnicities and races. Each of these dolls resemble their living counterparts so much that there are even stories (legends perhaps) of concerned passerbys breaking into locked cars to save these realistic silicon dolls, the confused good Samaritans only then surprised and perhaps a bit shocked to discover that the baby is not alive, but only lifelike.
Reborn babies can also be molded to resemble actual babies, and some choose to send photographs of lost children or famous babies to use as a guide for the reborn artists. Reborn babies can be a source of joy for childless couples or women who are unable to conceive. Serious collectors are also willing to pay quite a price for unique reborn dolls. Prince George’s reborn doll was sold for over sixteen hundred pounds.
There are also a few niche reborn markets, including supernatural reborn dolls and animal reborn dolls, though the IRDA – International Reborn Doll Artists – a body that monitors the reborn doll making industry and standards – keeps a close eye on any new demand or creations. Creating reborn babies is a laboring process and the most basic model of a reborn doll involves beginning with a vinyl doll mold, and then adding several layers of paint and molding other features.
Whether you pay a reborn artist to create your doll, or your purchase a newborn kit sold in a specialized shop that allows you to create your own doll, the process of “birthing” a reborn is known as reborning. A creator is responsible for the appearance of the doll, and vinyl is the most popular material used in creating reborn dolls.
However, more recently, silicon reborn dolls have become extremely popular. It could be because they are soft and cuddlier. The reborn dolls mimic the softness of a real child. Their arms, hands, fingers, and legs all bend like real limbs. Besides that, the reborns are also furnished with hand-applied paint, eyes with long lashes, and a head full of gorgeous hair.
One of the only aspects of reborn dolls that can concern doll collectors is the risk that doll paint can come off if it isn’t quality paint or vinyl. That’s why it’s important that you order your reborn dolls from somewhere reliable. The products used to create silicon dolls are specialized and can’t be bought from any hardware shop. German glass eyes are used in most of the silicon dolls, and the dolls are also filled with pellets that weigh them as a newborn.
And as we mentioned previously, you can also customize your reborn baby doll. Some collectors and buyers add on aspects that make their dolls appear more lifelike, for example a magnet may be attached to the mouth of the reborn baby to allow it to hold a pacifier. Or an electronic device can be installed to control the rise and fall of their chest, to imitate a real baby and its breathing.