As a reborn baby doll company, Rebornarts.com can answer that question. A realistic reborn doll is a doll that has been created by an artist to look and feel as real as possible. We start with a play silicone baby or vinyl kit, and we paint, weight, style and put it together to look as much like a real baby as possible. In the beginning, in the early 90s and late 80s, reborns began with the use of Berenguer-type mass dolls, which were taken apart, portrayed and reborn. Later, kits appeared in the market, created by artists using clay and which were one-of-a-kind kits. Today, artists can use these lifelike kits instead of play dolls, although reborn play babies can still be used. They just won't look as realistic as if you were using a kit. Kits can range in size from a mere 7 inches to an impressive 30 inches. The kits and materials used to create them are very expensive and the end result can take days and weeks to create.
The kit is washed, then painted using many coats of translucent paint, either air dry paint or Genesis thermoset paint. The paint is left to dry between coats if air dry or heated with an oven or heat gun if painted with thermosetting paints. Babies can be painted in the various colors of flesh, but also in fancy colors. The head is then fitted with eyes, if it is an open-eyed baby, using acrylic, polycrylic or glass eyes.
They are also given hair, if not made bald by the use of paints, and/or mohair or human hair or synthetic human hair. Both human and synthetic hair are preferably used for older reborn babies who are expected to look like toddlers. They are rooted by only allowing one or two hairs at a time with a micro-rooted silicone baby that takes several days to achieve the final result. You need to root them directionally with a very long needle and strands of hair.
Reborn babies also have magnets stuck inside for pacifiers and/or hair bows unless otherwise specified. The kits are then assembled using articulated or non-articulated fabric bodies and/or vinyl torsos, which can be anatomically correct. The limbs, body and head of reborn dolls are weighted with various materials. It is usually a combination of Polyfil, poly or glass beads or grits, or steel shot. Poly pellets or glass beads are poured into each limb, then the remaining space is filled with Polyfil. The belly will hold pockets of contained weighting material and then polyfil around it. The head will be filled like the belly with a contained pouch that allows the head to float like a newborn's head. Each part is then attached to the body using cords or ties. Some babies can be further customized with heartbeat boxes, breathing machines, belly or butt plates for photo taking, or even cry boxes.
The silicone reborn baby is then weighed on a scale and the date, time, weight and length are recorded on a birth certificate. The reborn dolls are then packed with diapers, clothes, bottles, pacifiers, blankets, toys and all sorts of things, depending on what the artist and client have agreed to send home with the baby. I always send mine home with a onesie, diaper, birth certificate and care sheet. Some have much more than that. They must be packaged very carefully, be fully insured and the buyer must be informed of the date of shipment. Some artists only deliver in their country, others worldwide. Rebornarts.com can ship worldwide.
Some reborn dolls are custom made, that is, the buyer chooses everything or almost everything they want, from kit to skin color, gender, eye color and hair. Some dolls are ready for adoption, which means the artist has created a baby without already having a buyer in mind and put it up for sale on the market. A sale is called an adoption in this hobby/business. You can purchase these high quality realistic baby dolls from Rebornarts.com.
These reborn babies are not created for children. Thisare heirlooms for adults, and they are meant for adults. I always tell my customers that they should not be intended for people 12 and under unless they are created to be safe for children. Small parts, glass, fine hair and fine paint are not meant to be roughed up.
The reborners are the artists, and the reborn moms and dads or reborn collectors are the ones who collect. Many people make and/or collect for many reasons. Some people use silicone reborn babies to fill their homes with their cute faces because they like dolls or the look of babies. Others collect to fill a void in their lives due to infertility, the loss of a child or baby, or empty nest syndrome. I started getting interested in this art because of my own infertility. Reborns were a way of coping with the lack of a real living baby. Although they are not a substitute for a real baby, they can be therapeutic. England has a long history of showing its newborn babies in public without it being as ridiculous and dismissive as the rest of the world. I take mine with me when I go shopping, or with my mother. Many dislike silicone babies because they are so realistic, while others love these precious works of art because they are so lifelike. You will find a good mix of reactions.
If you have any further questions or would like to order a reborn baby, please feel free to contact Rebornarts.com.