What compelled me to get into Reborns

Baby Talk
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Continuing the discussion from I think I need to:

Here goes…

What compelled me to get into Reborns

I love babies! A few years back, I’m not sure how long ago, I read
about the life-like babies Hollywood was using and I thought they were
incredible! It didn’t occur to me that they were made by individual
artists so I never pursued the idea. Last summer, I watched an episode
of Perception where two women were fighting over a Reborn doll. It was a
very interesting show and piqued my interest.

That night, I googled “Reborn dolls” and quickly fell in love. I read
articles, I looked at pictures and I searched on ebay. I absolutely HAD
to have one! For a few days, I searched eBay and discovered the ones
that truly looked real were $700 or more. I knew my hubby would divorce
me over that!

Then, I ran across baby Faith. She was an adorable 16inch preemie! (I
later discovered she is the sweet Megan Moulton kit.) She was smaller
than what I wanted but, oh, she was so sweet…and affordable! She had a
Buy-it-Now price of $250! What a deal! I started to panic that someone
else was going to buy her so, a few hours after I discovered her….I hit
the button and bought her! I was truly bitten by the bug! I looked at
her pictures several times throughout each day I waited for her arrival.
I bought clothes, a bottle, pacifier and a bassinet.

I told my hubby I was going to start making Reborns so I needed to
purchase one to go through the process. I also told him the bassinet was
for a photo prop. What I didn’t tell him was that I was literally in
love with the “baby” I had not yet received! I mean, CRAZY in love! I
thought about her all the time and searched baby names to find the
perfect one for her. (I decided on Holly.) I bought her a stroller/car
seat combo disguised as a marketing tool.

Baby Holly was late in getting to me. By then, I had run across
several articles about fraudulent sellers on ebay. I began to panic! I
had to have my Holly! How could I tell my hubby that I’d lost $250? I
had a pit in my stomach. I sent a gentle message to the seller about
being really excited and she did respond so I felt a bit better. But, I
NEEDED to have my new baby in my arms!

Baby Holly finally came and she was perfect! I held her all the time.
She smelled so good! I shopped for more clothes and, when my hubby
wasn’t home, I’d try the new clothes on her. I took pictures of her in
every outfit.

I received Holly in August 2014 and started making my first reborn
the following month. I’m finishing up baby #7 and I’m in love all over
again! I fall in love with each one! I’ve sold two, given two as gifts
and have three sweet babies here still. I’m totally hooked!

Here’s some pics of the baby that stole my heart (I named her Holly):

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Maybe some of you will share how you got into reborning!

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I have always loved dolls and babies. Dr. Phil was doing a show on people with obsessions (now I’m one of them lol). The woman on the show had a 9 month size doll with her. As Dr. Phil was saying ‘They’re kind of creepy’ I was thinking ‘I’ve got to have one of those!’. They gave the website of the woman at the end of the show. I spent 3 days online looking at and being amazed by these dolls. I ordered my first kit (Jaden by Aleina Peterson). By the time I was done, I was hooked and have been reborning ever since. It’s truly my passion.

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I used to make porcelains and in looking into what was going on in the doll world I came across reborns and knew I had to have one, but I have a quirk in my personality that makes me want to make my own rather than enjoy someone elses. I’m not a collector. Within a week of having discovered reborns, I was making one. I chose “Heather” and made her a red-head like one of my little girls. Her hair was so pluggy ! But I loved her so much and I still do. If I’m feeling a little low, it’s Serenity June I hold. (That’s what I named my Heather.) Someday she will belong to my daughter, but for now, nothing could part me from her. Who cares that she’s not pretty. She’s my “Velveteen Rabbit” and I’ve loved her shiny.

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Oh, Amy, what a precious baby and your story is WONDERFUL! Congrats again on your win! Little Holly is soooooo, so sweet and just perfect! That is one well-loved baby, for sure! :heart:

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Great stories!!!
I will tell mine, a short version.
My husband got transferred to a little town called Brownsville in the south most part if texas. We are originally from Michigan. I was so sad to leave my family and life long friends. We opened his office and I became obsessed with work. I needed something to fill my void and sadness of having no one I loved( besides hubby, of course). Most locals here speak Spanish, and I do not. I am most definetly a minority. My husband worked a lot, and I was bored… And lonely. I was used to quite and active social life. We have been trying to have a baby, but instead miscarriages so far. I want a baby. We are still trying. Well, there is more than one way to skin a cat! I’ll make a baby one way or another. :smile: at the time I had never heard of reborning, or seen one. I because pretty obsessed with shopping on line as a hobby. Hubby decided I needed another hobby;-) okok… I randomly searched the Internet until I found something that held my interest for about a week. Making felt animals. I needed a muse, so I bought a hundred dollar maltese felt made animal. But next to the listing was OOAK. Huh? I googled OOAK, and what did I find??? Babies! Tons of them! So, I bought one! And loved him so much I wanted MORE. Now… I know hubby and I know the answer to what he already thought was creepy and biazzare. I knew away around his objections. MONEY. I knew I could sell him on the fact that if I invested in a kit with all the supplies, I could make dolls and make money. Of course, hiding my true intention.:smiley: it worked! I bought a kit containing all I needed to make a baby Kailyn. I loved every second of every bit of it!!! That was almost a year ago, this love of reborning dolls has helped me through my loneliness. And boredom! As a matter of fact, it keeps me to busy! Not really;-) that’s my story!

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Such great stories, @jeanhai, @honojane, & @Nikkiroc! Thank you for sharing! I don’t feel so “alone” now. @kareninflorida, thank you and, yes, that little one is soooo loved. :heart_eyes:

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Great stories…

Well here is mine…I have always been an avid doll collector…have loved them all my life…and real babies too…I had seen reborn dolls in the early 2000’s but never got around to buying one as I was was a single grandmother (bad marriage) with a very busy life. I have 3 sons and my youngest one and his wife lived with me. When she gave birth to my grandson, I use to tease her and tell her that she had him for me. (He and I were together so much, people thought he was my son instead of my grandson). They were both young so they were content to have me watch him all the time. I quit my job as a district manager and stayed home with him for 8 months. (he calls me maws…heehee). Let me back up a bit here. I lived in Australia from age 7 - 17 and had met my current hubby then. He had a crush on me but I was as bit of a tomboy and was not really interested in boys in a serious way. I returned to the USA with my parents at age 17 and married the wrong man at age 18…I have 3 beautiful sons though which was the saving grace of that bad situation. I vowed never to marry again but in 2004 this man from my past pops in again. He had remained friends with my bro and parents all those years and had never married…Long story short, he came across for a visit and swept me of my feet. When he asked me to marry him I said yes. Now the sad part…to marry him meant leaving my grandson…it was the most heart wrenching thing I have ever done…He clung to me and cried when I left him and I still cry when I think of it though it has been 8 years now…After I was gone, my son told me that he would sit with him out on the swing and because they had told him that I had gone far away on a plane and pointed to the planes in the sky that every time he saw one he would reach up with both arms and say 'come back maws, come back"…well you can imagine what that did to me…anyway back to the story, I was browsing dolls one day and came across a pic of one that reminded me of my grandson…my heart almost stopped beating…he was $880 and I knew that the price as just too much but I had to have him…I could not think of anything else…finally I went to my ‘recently acquired hubby’ (probably the reason I got a positive response…heehee) and told him I needed to ask him for something but that it was a request that would require me to get down on my knees first to make it…(he thought I was kidding but iI wasn’t) so I got down on my knees beside him and after a futile attempt to make me get up he asked what it was I wanted…I simply said without thinking - “I want a baby”…well his eyes got kinda round and he sort of stammered “I thought you had things taken care of so that wouldn’t happen but I guess it can be reversed.” Well it was my turn ot stare round eyed and jaw hanging open…After I got over the shock and he got over the shock…I told him what I meant and showed him the bubs…He is a wonderful man! He told me to get it…It was my first reborn and I was so nervous waiting for him to arrive…I felt like everyone between the artist house and mine knew what was in the box and were going to take him…lol I was more anxious waiting for him than I was my own children. When he arrived, I could not put him down… I would not even leave him at home for months cause I felt ‘guilty’ or that someone might break in and steal him…lol… (no i am not nuts and I knew he was not real but he filled a very empty hole in my life at that time.) here is his pic…I love him as much today as when I bought him…will never part with him ever…
Bought several hundred reborn babies after that and one day it occurred to me that I could make them myself (I was a commercial artist and mural painter so why not reborns) I started very ‘timidly’ in 2009 and fell in love with the art immediately. It is the most rewarding art I have ever experienced.
As a P.S - I did do a very naughty thing when I got my baby…I sent photos to my sons in the USA and told them they had a ‘new little brother’…My youngest son sort of freaked out till I told him it was a doll and he went back and looked a little closer…hahahaha! So that is my story…

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I loved it❤️

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Wow! That’s all I can say, Starr. :smile:

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Oh Starr, you had me in real tears. How happy you found your lifemate. How sad you had to leave your grandson. Life has such twists and turns. Hug that reborn for me, would ya? I need a cuddle after your story! By the way, he is so cute!

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Loving the stories. Keep them coming, please. Here’s mine:

I became interested in reborning after suffering through 4 miscarriages. We did manage to have one son who is the light of our lives and we are very grateful to have him, but my husband and I were very disappointed and sad when we were unable to have more children due to my health issues. When I discovered reborning and people spoke of how it made them feel better to cuddle a reborn, how they were used to calm elderly patients suffering of dementia or Alzheimers (I have family members afflicted with dementia) and especially when women who had not been able to have children or had miscarried and used reborns as a way to remember their lost babies or as a comfort through the pain, I thought that I had found what I wanted to do besides being a full time mom: bring comfort and joy to others through reborning. So I bought my first kit and I was on my way…

Don’t get me wrong, reborning doesn’t stop me from thinking about my angel babies every single day, but it does give me a place to express my love for them.

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Very sweet story bebe. I’m sorry for your losses. Having had one miscarriage myself, I know you never forget that you have another baby in heaven. It is so nice that you want to help others through those hard losses and to bring them comfort.

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I’m sorry for your loss, too. You never do forget.
The pain is so bad sometimes I wish I could, but then I don’t really because I don’t want to forget them. Weird, I know. :disappointed:

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No, Bebe, not wierd. Honest and loving. I feel the same.

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@honojane
Thanks, Helen. Big hug to you…

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Here’s my story. I collect nesting dolls or used to. Last year I was looking through eBay just to see what nesting dolls were out there. A picture came up of a reborn and spiked my interest. I was fascinated by them. I always wanted a 3rd child but my ex never did, so that nagged at me. I probably won’t have grandchildren because I lost one of my son’s when he was 20 and my other son is gay and is not very maternal. I wanted to see and hold one of these babies. I ordered a used one and liked it but it wasn’t perfect. I loved holding it though. I had a few customs made but they weren’t real high end and I kept saying to myself, I could do better than this…I think…lol. So I researched all about them and started ordering supplies. As you all know, it’s harder than it looks. I have an artistic eye though and this also presented a challenge to me to try to make them better and better. I enjoy it and find pleasure in someone loving the doll I made. I don’t really have a keeper yet. I’ve given or sold them all except my 1st two because they weren’t good enough to let any one else have them. I have more kits now than I could ever finish in the next 3 years. Oh boy! This was the very first reborn I ever held.

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Ahhh so sorry to hear about the losses Nikki and Bebe…(hope you do have one of your own one day Nikki…they are pretty special) I had a miscarriage as well between my 2nd and 3rd son - I always tell myself that it was my little girl - and you never forget and I know I have a little precious waiting for me up in heaven …they were a part of you no matter what and will always be so I don’t think it is weird at all…
Lovely stories coming through…

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Awww, Thanks Helen…I am very blessed with a beautiful husband and though they are far away a most wonderful family…I get to talk to my grandson on skype and he is so cute…He is now 10 and told me the other day…and i quote “Maws, when I get older, if you are not dead, I am going to come to Australia and live with you forever”…It made my day! They say the funniest things…lol

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I’m loving the stories! It’s a reminder that everyone has pain in their life but also joy. Amazingly, making and cuddling reborn babies helps us all; they have such healing power.

Keep the stories coming!

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That’s funny! :laughing:

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