Reborn Dolls Increase in Popularity

What are Reborn Baby Dolls?

Reborn baby dolls are handcrafted dolls created from vinyl doll pieces. Doll artists then carefully reassemble, paint and pose the vinyl doll pieces to resemble living babies. These reborn babies, sometimes called unliving babies, are often weighted and have floppy heads to more closely feel like actual newborn infants.

The reborn dolls can be special ordered to replicate an actual baby. Recently technology has been included in some dolls that make the babies feel warm to the touch, or give them a realistic sounding heartbeat. Reborn baby creators charge hundreds of dollars per doll because of the unique, handcrafted nature of the collectibles. Just sewing the hair in, strand by strand, can take 20 to 30 hours.

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Who Collects Reborn Dolls?

When reborn babies first became available, only a few doll collectors purchased them as additions to their doll collections. The realistic babies were considered a step above the handpainted porcelain dolls with which most collectors adorn their shelves and living rooms.

More recently, however, the desire for reborn babies has become a bit of a craze as the niche has expanded to include several other markets.

A reborn designer, featured on a Channel 4 documentary, was shown presenting a replicated doll to a woman who was grieving the loss of her grandson due to his recent move. A clip of the "My Fake Baby" documentary on YouTube shows her heart-wrenching reaction to seeing the special-made doll for the first time. She cuddles the baby and strokes his hair as she stated, "Nobody will be able to take him away this time, will they?".

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Some women who purchase these reborns are childless women who want what one called, "the perfect baby". The joy of motherhood without the work? No diapers to change, childish demands or spit-up messes to clean. One woman admitted that with older children, "you don't get the attention anymore." and that, "being a new mom all the time is great!". The fun of a newborn who never grows up?

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Why People Collect Reborn Dolls?

There are some concerns that people collecting these lifelike dolls might be displaying unhealthy behavior. In an interview on Richard and Judy, Professor Raj Persuad, consulting psychiatrist, speaks about why some women seem to have such a strong reaction to the reborns.

Professor Persuad says, "A mother, holding a newborn baby, has a hormone release called oxytocin." He explains that this strong hormone causes "overwhelming feelings of positivity" and wonders whether some of these women are recreating the positive experiences with these substitute babies.
Regardless of ones opinion on the reason, or health, of collecting these fake baby reborn dolls, the craftsmanship and artistry is undeniable.

Read more at Suite101: Reborn Baby Dolls Increase in Popularity: Are Unliving (Fake) Babies Collectibles or More? <a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/reborn-baby-dolls-increase-in-popularity-a71461#ixzz11anBz6aS">http://www.suite101.com/content/reborn-baby-dolls-increase-in-popularity-a71461#ixzz11anBz6aS</a>