WHAT ARE REBORN BABY DOLLS AND HOW DID THEY BECOME SO POPULAR?
Interesting thing about reborn
baby dolls or reborns is that most people don’t know them by their name. Most
of you will refer to them as “creepy doll” or something even worse. However, no
matter how we perceive them it’s hard to deny that these items are small pieces
of art.
Reborn baby dolls are lifelike products that in many ways resemble
real kids. This is actually what scares us the most: the very thought that
someone can create such a realistic item is downright unnerving. In fact, it is
not uncommon for people to mistake them for real kids in public. Just imagine
approaching a baby trying to cuddle with it only to realize that a person is
actually holding a doll (yes, this happens). Situations such as this are really
common as reborn enthusiasts tend to take these silicone babies
everywhere.
In order to better understand these products and how they became so
popular, make sure to read the article!
History of reborns
Let’s start from
the top.
As most of you know, dolls are nothing new. These items are as old
as human civilization. They were present in primitive societies and managed to
persist up to this day.
It is hard to say why but there was always a need to create small
objects resembling real beings. Furthermore, these lifelike silicone dolls were
used by both children (as toys) and adults (for various rituals and as a
superstition). Even though their role changed a bit over time one thing
persisted: people always wanted to create more realistic dolls.
During 20th century (1930s) first reborns were created.
Already at this point, doll making became a recognized profession and dolls
were quite intricate. However, there was still a desire to make them more
lifelike. First reborn babies were created by using existing products and
adding more details to them.
At first, it was really hard to sell them. They were usually handed
down from a person to person and you had to be a real enthusiast to be aware of
all these stores where they could be purchased. In fact, several attempts to
introduce them to department stores failed miserably as they were deemed
“scary” by regular customers.
Only in the last decade or so did they see increase in popularity.
This is basically due to internet and globalization. More people are aware of
them and it has become easy to purchase them online. The previous blocks no
longer exist and you can buy them with a click of a button.
Uniqueness and pricing
There are several reasons why
these items are so popular.
First and foremost, people
simply love dolls. Interestingly enough the most common customers are adult
women who buy them for themselves. In that regard, it is hard to say that these
are the same as regular toys. Instead they are more of a role-play items and
women usually do all sorts of things with them: brush their hair, take them for
a walk, feed them etc. They are also very popular among women who suffered a
child loss.
Another reason why they became
so popular is their uniqueness. These items are handmade and even if two
products were made to look similar, they are rarely so. Greatest artists will
only make one piece of a doll and sell it for a high price. The most famous
pieces can be sold for more
than $10, 000. Average price of a doll is around 100 to 200 dollars
which makes it a very lucrative profession.
There are also bragging rights
when you purchase a famous item; unlike some other hobbies and collectibles
where there hundreds and thousands of items, once you buy a reborn you can rest
assured that no one else has the exact same doll. In that sense, it resembles
art and art pieces (thus the high price).
Have in mind that these items can be bought as a gift. However, you
need to consider their price when purchasing them. They aren’t optimal for kids
younger than 3 years as they tend to pick apart dolls. Still, if your child is
old enough, this can be a perfect present!
