There is no doubt that reborn dolls have become extremely popular in the past few years. Simply make a search for it in Google and you will be given thousands of different websites where you can buy finished reborn dolls as well as supplies for reborn doll making.
When the art of reborn doll making was just picking up, doll enthusiasts were only limited to the use of factory-made dolls which they take apart and remove all of the factory paint and other parts as their starting point. This is where the term "reborning" came about. Although many professional reborn doll artists continue using this method in creating their realistic-looking reborn dolls, there are now a number of reborn doll kits that can be purchased online to help doll collectors and enthusiasts get started on reborn doll making.
What are Reborn Doll Kits?
As the term implies, reborn doll kits are those that contain the things that a doll artist will need to make a reborn doll. There are many kinds of reborn doll kits available online. The most popular of these are the Berenguer reborn doll kits. Apart from containing high quality vinyl doll parts, these reborn doll kits have deeply expressive faces that makes them look more realistic—the result of the company behind these reborn doll kits having more than 50 years of experience in creating and producing high quality dolls and other unique collectibles.
Advantages of Reborn Doll Kits
Reborn doll kits offer a lot of benefits for reborn doll artists, whether they are just starting out or have some experience. For starters, the different parts of the doll come already bare and disassembled. This not only minimizes the time that would have been otherwise allotted in taking apart and readying a factory-made doll for reborning. It also eliminates the possibility of damaging a really good doll full of potential to look extremely lifelike.
Another benefit of using a reborn doll kit is many of them contain everything that one will need to get started. While most of the reborn doll kits sold online only contain the basics—the limbs, head and torso—there are complete starter reborn doll kits that also come with the basic supplies that a beginning reborn doll artist will need to get started like brushes, heat set paints, and stuffing. Some even contain a DVD that contains tutorials on how to reborn a doll.
Disadvantages of Reborn Doll Kits
While there are advantages of using reborn doll kits, there are a number of disadvantages as well. One disadvantage seen particularly by many reborn doll making purists is that these kits do not give its users the opportunity to learn how to dismantle a factory-made doll, defeating the entire concept of reborning and also limit their creativity skills to make a one of a kind reborn doll.
Another disadvantage is that many of the kits do not come in cheap. Some of the reborn doll kits that are sold in different websites can go up to hundreds of dollars. Not only can this be beyond the budget of many starting reborn doll artists. The high price of the kits can make it harder to sell the finished reborn doll to fellow doll enthusiasts because the artist will be forced to bring up the price to cover the expenses incurred.
Then there is the quantity of the supplies provided by complete reborn doll kits. It is expected that those starting out in the art of reborning will be making quite a lot of mistakes as they master the craft. That means that they may need slightly more supplies like heat set paints and hairs for rooting than the more experienced ones. Since the amount provided in these kits tend to be just enough to complete one doll with very minimal errors, it can eventually cause the novice reborn doll artist to spend more for additional supplies to finish their reborn doll.
Conclusion
Using a reborn doll kit can go either way. On one hand, reborn kits are ideal for those starting out in reborning since everything is already laid out and ready for the reborning process. All it needs is the reborn artist to follow the instructions and tutorials provided.
On the other hand, reborn doll kits may limit the learning process of a reborn doll artist who has already got some experience creating lifelike and realistic looking reborn dolls. Those that are really serious about this hobby and those that want to earn money by selling reborn dolls would need to take it to the next level of learning how to take a factory-made doll apart and remove all of the factory marking. After all, this is part of the entire reborning process.
In conclusion, reborn dolls are an excellent way to get onto the bandwagon and become part of the growing number of reborn doll enthusiasts and collectors all over the world. It gives a beginning reborn doll artist the ability to learn and master the different techniques and methods required to make a reborn doll look very lifelike and resemble a real, living baby.