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Reborn Dolls hit the market back in the early 90’s. These realistic looking dolls are more often used as collectible items rather than as toys. If you are looking to collect, there are a few different ways you can get your Reborn Doll. You can either create your own by reusing a silicone doll, purchase a kit to create your own Reborn Doll, or purchase a doll that has already been made. Whichever option you choose, one thing is for sure, your realistic Reborn Doll will need clothes, but are they included in your original purchase? Most Reborn Dolls sold will include at least one set of clothes but sometimes they will come with multiple sets or none at all. This will vary depending on where you are purchasing your Reborn from. If you are purchasing a kit to create your own, check what the kit includes to see if clothes are included. If you choose to purchase an already-created Reborn Doll, chances are the doll may come with at least a set of clothes, but again this depends solely on the seller. If you choose to create your own, then the clothes that will fit the Reborn Doll would be the doll clothes worn by the doll originally. When purchasing clothes for your Reborn Doll, make sure they are not too tight as it may reshape the soft skin. Also, be sure to purchase clothes that don’t let the dye bleed through onto your Reborn staining their vinyl/silicone. It’s best to wash the clothes before placing them onto the doll as well. How Much Does A Reborn Doll Cost? It’s no surprise that these realistic dolls may come at a pretty steep price. How much a Reborn Doll costs will depend on the seller and how custom the doll is. You can find some less expensive Reborn Dolls for under $100 and also get custom made dolls that will cost multiple hundreds of dollars. Just remember the cheaper the doll is the lower the quality and customization options will be. Typically the price range for a doll can run anywhere between $150-$300. Some Reborn dolls can be purchased on places like Amazon for even under $50 but these will be mass produced and will lack a lot of the lifelike features that the more expensive and custom Reborn Dolls will have. If you are trying to save money then these are good options but if you want as lifelike as possible or want custom hair, eyes, skin, etc. then you would need to be ready to spend a good bit more. How Do You Make A Reborn Doll? You have done careful consideration and decided that creating/making a Reborn Doll is something you would like to do. It can save you some money in the long run but also be a difficult process to start. Here are the steps needed to create your own Reborn Doll. Strip and prepare your doll You will need to find a vinyl doll and remove all the limbs and head from the doll and soak them in warm water. This will help prepare them to be painted. This is the easiest step throughout the process, but is a necessary step to making the perfect Reborn Doll. Apply a base coat The preferred basecoat for most Reborners is a heat-set paint. The reason this type of paint is preferred is that you may end up spending hours covering your doll in base paint. The heat-set paint won’t dry out if you need to have it open for hours. It is also easy to apply and looks natural. Whichever type of paint you choose, the principle is still the same: make sure you apply an even coat when doing the base coat; otherwise, it may throw off your next steps. Apply more paint This step is important as you make sure that your doll is thoroughly covered and you have reached the desired color or color variations on the dolls “skin”. Add blush This step is just an addition to the painting; however, this step is what is vital to adding life-likeness to your doll. It’s recommended that you have all the blush painting supplies out around the time of applying the final coat of paint. Replace the eyes You will want to replace the original factory doll’s eyes with a higher-quality and more life-like set of eyes. While this process is not difficult, it may be tricky to make sure the eyes are set just right. Hair Rooting You can add hair to your doll a few different ways: you can either use a drill and create tiny holes to weave the hair through, or you can use a needle and thread the hair into the doll’s scalp. Weighing down and stuffing Many Reborners add weight to make the doll feel more realistic. They will also add extra weight in just the head so the Reborn Doll’s head needs support just like a baby’s. You can use different materials for the weight such as glass micro beads, poly pellets, or steel bb’s. Do not use sand, rice, or anything else that is perishable and will attract bugs or moisture. These things can cause damage to the Reborn Doll you just spent all this time making. Poly-fil is suggested for the stuffing portion of the Reborn just for the fact of avoiding bugs. Using cotton may attract bugs and other creatures inside your Reborn. Add your unique touches You get to design your doll however you like. You can either add a matte finish, open up the nostrils for a more realistic look, install a magnet in the mouth so your doll can hold a pacifier/bottle, apply eyelashes, or pierce ears; the options are endless. How Do You Care For A Reborn Doll? Taking one of these Reborn Dolls home with you should not be a light-hearted decision. Only take a Reborn Doll home once you have done some careful consideration as it isn’t a cheap doll and requires a significant investment up front. If you are new to Reborn Doll collecting or just want a Reborn Doll in general, remember that these dolls are very different from your typical everyday doll. Having this mentality that it’s just another doll may result in your Reborn Doll being damaged or even destroyed. If you did decide to care for a Reborn Doll, what exactly does that entail? To properly care for your Reborn Doll you will need to protect it from damage (by pets or children), keep it out of direct sunlight, store in a cool dry place (no excessive heat or moisture), and carefully clean it as needed.You need to make sure your home is set up to handle a Reborn Doll as well by considering where you will store it at. One of the most common hazards for Reborn Dolls are pets. Does this mean that if you have a pet that you should not adopt a Reborn? Absolutely not. You will just need to make sure that your Reborn is stored away from your pets. A scratch from their claws can damage the paint and the vinyl of your Reborn. Depending on the depth and type of scratch, it may be impossible to repair your Reborn. Other hazardous things to consider when bringing home your Reborn Doll include humidity and exposure to light. You will want to make sure that they are stored somewhere the sunlight won’t damage their vinyl and fade their paint. In addition, the humidity can cause the Reborn to swell and paint to crack resulting in a damaged and almost irreparable Reborn. Conclusion If you are joining the Reborn Doll collecting community, make sure that you have enough saved not only for the doll but to care for the doll as well. While some sellers include clothing, you may need to purchase your own to ensure that your Reborn Doll looks exactly the way that you like. Having multiple sets of clothes for your doll will also allow you to change it whenever you like based on your mood.

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