Bebés renacidos: Satisfaciendo un desorden mental
By: Keith
Algunas personas no están satisfechas con muñecas normales. Algunas personas quieren que sus muñecas sean tan parecidas a la realidad como sea posible sin ser bebés verdaderos. Para ser más precisos, ellas preferirían un bebé de verdad pero se conforman con una muñeca que sean tan realista como un bebé de verdad. Las muñecas en cuestión se llaman bebés renacidos (reborn baby dolls), y las personas que las producen son verdaderos artistas. Una persona que hace juguetes también es un artista, pero les llamamos jugueteros. De la misma manera, una persona que hace muñecas es un tipo específico de juguetero y, por consiguiente, un artista. Pero, las personas que hacen los bebés renacidos no son jugueteros. Ellos son, simplemente, artistas. Ellos no hacen juguetes y no hacen muñecas de juguete. Ellos crean obras de arte y las venden a personas, personas quienes parecen atesorarles más allá de la felicidad que un juguete normal brinda a una persona.
La BBC realizó un reportaje sobre estas muñecas y las personas que las adquieren. Las muñecas mismas son interesantes, pero las personas que les compran, aunque ellas lo nieguen, tienen problemas emocionales. Ellas se llevan sus muñecas a pasear en carriola y les abrazan como si fueran bebés de verdad. Algunas personas hasta tienen cuartos y cunas dedicadas especialmente para sus muñecas. Les checan durante la noche, y programan un tiempo específico para estar con ellas. En breve, su devoción es completamente anormal. Puede que suene como si yo estuviera mofando a estas personas, pero no lo estoy haciendo. Cualquier cosa que les haya pasado a estas personas en su pasado, para hacerles aferrarse tan fuertemente a un objeto inanimado, debe haber sido algo bastante serio. Pero, cualquiera que sea lo que ellas quieran creer, este comportamiento no es saludable.
Checa este video para que veas de lo que estoy hablando:
Los artistas:
No voy a negar que las personas que descubren cepas más fascinantes de mariguana no sean magníficos botánicos. Pero, no importa que tan grande sea su habilidad, tengo que disentir con su decisión de malversar su talento que de otra manera pudo haberse puesto en buen uso. Si, si, la mariguana es medicina. Aún así, con todos los otros remedios basados en hierbas y plantas que necesitan investigación, la cultivación de mariguana parece un tanto egoísta. Sobre los artistas de los bebés renacidos: ¿Talentosos? Sí. ¿Explotando un mercado? ¡Absolutamente! Ellos saben que existe un mercado para estas muñecas de la misma manera que los cultivadores de mariguana saben que nunca van a ser puestos fuera de negocio por las masas consumidoras (aunque la DEA sea un caso diferente). Para ser completamente honesto, yo no culpo a los cultivadores de mariguana y no culpo a los creadores de las muñecas. Son las personas que utilizan el producto quienes determinan la dirección del libre mercado. Aún así, y aún cuando yo creo que estoy en mi derecho, yo no plantaría mariguana, y yo no crearía bebés renacidos, y es solo por una razón por la que yo me abstendría; yo no quiero ser el facilitador de un comportamiento destructivo. Esa es una libertaria y personal decisión mía. La responsabilidad por un comportamiento enfermizo ultimadamente recae directamente en los hombros de las personas comprando las muñecas, y las drogas. El drogadicto necesita de una intervención, y las mujeres que necesitan las muñecas necesitan una intervención.
¿Tú qué piensas?
¿Son los bebés renacidos un escape enfermizo de la realidad de la misma manera que la mariguana temporalmente causa que las personas olviden sus problemas? O, ¿es la mariguana una medicina legítima de la misma manera que estas muñecas legítimamente ayudan a sus dueñas a hacer frente a un profundo estrés mental? O, ¿estas dos cosas no son comparables? Se ha establecido que ciertas enfermedades mentales son tan reales como cualquier dolor físico. La mariguana no cura enfermedades; simplemente alivia el dolor. Los bebés renacidos no sanan heridas mentales; simplemente alivian el dolor. ¿Es esa una buena razón para que las personas necesitadas dependan en ellas? ¿O es el escape más dañino que la enfermedad?
No related posts.
Keith, I appreciate that you get it. I think you have been kinder to us on this blog than that BBC video was to the general population of doll collectors in the world, which is a huge number. You are absolutely right, it is a small percentage that may have a problem. I also get it, that as a man you would have little knowledge about this hobby and how google could take you right to that awful video which would not start you thinking in a most positive way about our hobby.
I also get it, that being in a bookstore, I can see you noticing a doll magazine with a picture on the front that has a real looking baby on it, and being curious.
Totally understandable.
I agree any obcesssion is harmful if it is hurting someone. I don’t care if it is alcohol, drugs, gambling, or collecting rocks. Some go into debt to satisy an urge to spend on unnecessary things. Yes, that is harmful, in my opinon. There are different degrees of harmful of course. As someone else said, some have obcessions with jewelery, clothing, shoes, pocketbooks, the list is endless. To be totally honest here, I have thought about my own passion for collecting dolls and questioned myself, as to whether I was going too far, collecting too many? I did put the brakes on when I started to run out of space to display them. Sold some off and found out, sometimes less is more. They look better when not all crowded and sitting on top of one another.
As a senior citizen now, I do have fun dressing up my doll collection for seasonal outfits and especially at Christmas time, it makes a great decor for the Holidays. I sew and knit, so I make very beautiful outfits to display my dolls in. I am sure there are those that may say my money could be put to better use, and perhaps they are right, but it is my money and I did work all my life, so I have no guilt for doing what I am enjoying. Perhaps I could leave my money in a savings account for someone else to enjoy after I am gone, or give it all to charity, but I choose to enjoy life to the fullest while I can. Thing is, I don’t get much social security to start out with so the bundle wouldn’t be that big anyhow. And the biggest point I want to make, is that I do not care what someone else thinks as long as I know what I am doing is hurting noone else.
Like wkdwtch, I too loved dolls before I could walk or talk. Every single picture of me as a child has a doll in it, under my arm or close by. I put the dolls away before my teenage years and never could get back to them while as a young adult and beyond, I had a family to raise, and work to do. There just wasn’t extra money for expensive collector dolls and the playdolls in the stores didn’t interest me, well, except for the Cabbage Patch. I did join that craze and had a lot of fun.
Just wanted to say that I am pleased that you did accept the good side of doll collecting and even said the problem was a small minority. Thank you.
Hi, Im going to be brave here so bear with me…. I came across your blog whilst lurking somewhere else lol… I am new to the reborn world, and yes there is a reason a very sad reason. I lost my little boy in May when he was 8 days old suddenly and unexpectantly. He was my sixth so i am a very busy mum, but there was (still is) a huge void, an emptiness so to speak. In my grief i looked on the intenet for loads of different things and i came across reborns, and yes i have brought some. For me they have extremely theraputic, espically with the empty arms syndrome, and to cuddle when i want to cry. In my defence they don’t take over my life, my children come first aswell as housework etc, but they have helped me in my time of need. I have probably got a mental issue, yes bereavement i lost my special little boy and nothing can replace that, but they do make me smile, I do plan to go on and try for another little one when the time is right, but i will still keep my reborns. They have now found a special place in my heart and my home. I just thought i would add the perspective of someone who is experiencing reborns in a different ways to the collectors. I was told the police lady who was there at the time we lost our son, and she gave me some advice which sticks with me now, “In these situations, there is no right or wrong way of dealing with grief, just your way”.
Emma: That’s a really sad story. I’m sorry for your loss. That police woman is probably right. Any way you can constructively find to deal with your pain is nobody’s business but your own. I’ve been fortunate to never have had to go through anything like that so while I can empathize generally, I can’t really feel your pain. Now, at the expense of sounding rude but without trying to, let me just ask this question: As time goes by, and your life starts to move away from the event, do you anticipate always having the need for these dolls to help with ongoing grief? I know you aren’t going to forget and you’ll always have pain, naturally — but do you think these dolls will someday become more of a fun hobby than a therapeutic device? Do you anticipate that change?
Sorry in delay in replying ive been doing the school run. In regards to your question will collecting reborns turn into a hobby at a later stage? At this moment i would say yes….. I would love to be able to create a reborn, the painting, the hair rooting, and bring a creation to life (so to speak). But at the moment, i have a young quite large family so do have time constraints.
Just from reading some of these comments i think this is a very heated debate, now seeing life in a new light, i think everyone has a story to tell, a reason for doing things in their life. After all we are only human, no more no less
Emma: I have to admit, and I didn’t expect for this to happen, but I’ve learned a lot more about dolls in the last couple of days than I ever would have expected to in a lifetime.
My article was just a tongue in cheek thing that I just wrote to start conversation. It was me thinking out loud (so to speak). You’re right, this is a crazy conversation we’ve been having here. But, as heated as it has been, I think with most of these folks I have come to an understanding. I think I’ve explained myself, and I think I’ve listened. I genuinely believe that, while some might still not like me very much, we have at least started to understand each other. That’s good. I only have a few (Like miss picky down there) who fall into the all too typical unruly internet persona. I’m happy with this conversation. By internet standards it’s been really civil.
I think if you want to create a reborn — go for it! When you get the time, want to start a new craft — yeah, awesome.
Keith first I must say I am sorry for being so harsh the first time I replied a few days ago. Please understand we doll ladies have been judged harshly for some time and we do get very defensive. My reason that I got so defensive was because of comments like Emma’s above who has seeked a doll in memory of a child. You see I started to reborn for this purpose, to make my angel babies for moms that couldn’t afford the real expensive ones, I only ask for cost and my time is free. I don’t want these ladies seeing blogs like this and making them feel like they are crazy. I too lost a son 17 years ago, born still, the only memories of have of how he looked was a few polariod pictures that were not so clear. So when I discovered the doll world I found a way to remember him through a special doll. YOu asked if Emma would still need her doll down the road, think of it this way, to us that doll is like a picture, not a replacement but a memory of a special angel that can never be forgotten. Its has also been a way for others to understand my loss, my husband and son were not with me when I lost Josh, its hard to imagine how tiny he was by pictures, its also hard to look at his pictures, but my memorial doll show’s an imagine of peace and happiness.
Now on the other hand I do also collect numerous dolls, not because I have some type of emptiness, but because I find them just adorable. Honestly I don’t even change them much, but just like my memorial doll, I love glancing in on them, it brings a smile to my face. Babies are so pure and innocent, and seeing these little doll faces makes you feel that, makes your remember those days of when you children were small. I love my son as a teenager, growing into a man, but of course all moms miss there little needy babies, so the dolls brings back those memories.
Thanks for listening to all of us, sorry if we got a bit harsh, but we have all been judged so poorly by the media that we do get upset.
Tracy: It’s okay. I know how the internet goes. There are so many people with so many opinions and random voices bouncing around that it’s easy to find some that really tick you off.
The first few comments here took me by surprise, but as I heard from more and more of you all, I figured out that most are just reacting to a series of negative press statements and articles about your hobby. And news, unfortunately, is a snowball effect. Bloggers like me write opinions based on the news we read. So, while the initial impression is that doll people are a little nutty, it might just be a few who are nutty and the rest are regular Joes (or Janes) like any other collector out there. But, now you people have gotten me curious. Because if my perception, and the public percept, is wrong — that doll people aren’t like crazy cat ladies or twitchy eyed basement nerds, well now I want to know who you really are. These comments have been enlightening (although a few have reinforced my initial opinion), If I write a follow up I will definitely pick out some of the positive statements and emotions expressed (like Emma there), so as to not make it seem like every doll person is a lunatic. Thanks for coming back, Tracy. I swear I’m not as bad as I may initially seem 
Boy… Did you open a can of worms… We collectors/reborn ARTISTS get rather defensive, don’t we? There is someone in every bunch who carry a love that they have a little bit too far… But I will tell you… I love to take a baby out with me every once in awhile. People are really suprised at how real they look and I love telling people about them. I DON’T think I’m taking advantage of people by selling them. If you don’t want one… you don’t have to buy one. If you are wanting someone taking advantage of us… try the government!
You don’t have to post this on your blog, but if you would like to know more about us or atleast me, take a peek at my website http://www.heavenstinyangels.com . I write a little in my blog there plus have pictures of me and my guys on there. I think if you see my pictures you’ll see I’m not crazy.LOL
Keith,
Wow, after reading all of this I certainly see you have stirred up a lot of people in the reborn community. I am also a reborn artist and have been making reborns for three years now. I came accross the art form by accident while searching the internet for life like dolls to purchase for the alzheimer unit where I work as a registered nurse. Many of the women who have alzheimers or another form of dementia have dolls. They are very comforting to them. Recently I had one lady become combative and out of controll. Normally we would have had to treat her with psychotic drugs of some kind to calm her. I ran to my locker a pulled out my bag that I carry some of my earlier reborns in. I quickly ran back to the unit and was able to convince her to take the “baby doll” and rock it. Within seconds; and I mean seconds, she calmed down. She rocked and played with that reborn for the rest of the time that I was there. This is called “doll therapy”. I am the only nurse who uses this form of therapy to calm my patients. It works and sure beats giving them a chemical to calm them when something as simple as a reborn doll that looks real will do the job. I now create and sell my work. I also continue to take my reborns to work with me. Many of the older women and men who do not have dementia enjoy my work and it brightens their day when I bring one of my newer pieces in to show them. They are my best critics and it truly brightens their day to see and hold my work. Living at a long term care facility can be very lonely and mundane but when I bring a doll that I have just finished and have not put on the market yet those people love it. Thier smiles and sense of awe in my work makes my day and I know that I have made their day special also. So……the art may seem strange to some but it is enjoyed by many, many people. Susan
Okay so I have been reading everything you had to say and all of the responses. I am a Professional Reborn Doll Artists. Yes, there are some collectors that do take Reborns to far if we are all honest we will agree with you on that point. Whether or not they have a mental defect is yet to be determined but I have questioned a few myself. Unfortunately, it is a few people that do happen to collect and take it to the extremes that always seem to get the attention. I know I know, if it was not weird or shocking who would want to watch a tv show about it or read anything about it. The truth of the matter is the majority of men and women that make or collect these babies are normal people. We don’t make the news because we are normal. So the general population is left thinking that the few not so normal ones that make the news stand for all of us. That is the shame. Do I take a baby out with me. Well yes I do. It is great free advertisement and it is also a lot of fun. The reactions I mean are a lot of fun. I have reborned dolls for Schools, hospitals, tv commercials, haunted houses and collectors. I enjoy doing it and my clients enjoy them. I have learned NOT to ask what they will be doing with the baby once they receive him or her because frankly yes I have encountered some strange answers. Now for some facts. There are literaly thousands and thousands of Reborn Artists and even more collectors. It is an expensive hobby to do and even a more expensive hobby to collect. My average baby goes for $499.99 usd and as high as 1300.00 usd. I make a good living making these babies but not good enough that I can not work outside of the home also. (maybe someday lol) . We come from all walks of life and span the globe. I have clients world wide that have “adopted” one of my creations. Now I realize that you are a writer but… have you ever seen a Reborn in person? Photos and videos are one thing but until you see one in person hold your judgement on them. You may just find out you are amazed and like them too!
Debra: You’re absolutely right. The few odd-jobs have managed to paint a picture of your business/hobby which does a disservice to the rest of you. The more I read some of the exasperated comments of other collectors and artists who have rightfully pointed out that I’ve focused on just one aspect of the craft, I realize I should have qualified more of my statements so as not to make it seem like every single reborn artist and collector are mentally flaccid. When I’m wrong I can admit it. I would still like to know what makes a person collect specifically reborn dolls and not, say, some other sort of high quality individually crafted doll. Why the realism? It’s that twist that originally sparked my assumptions that reborn folks are a little wacky. Perhaps it’s because I couldn’t imagine why someone would want a realistic looking baby doll, and I thought (and still sorta do) it’s creepy. But, like you say, I haven’t ever seen one in person, and from what I hear from the comments here — most of you are normal folks. This contradiction (in my own head) is something I’m very curious about. As someone who spends a lot of time trying to figure out popular culture and baby related things, even if I totally disagree, I should take more time to find out the other side of the story. You’re right.
I think blogging might be a sign of a mental disorder. I am fairly certain reading blogs could be as well. I would guess that it is probably more likely that someone has some sort of mental disorder than to not have one. It is probably why despite the world being a very dangerous and oftentimes uncaring place that people can still manage to find the motivation to blog.
As to the dolls.. whatever gets someone through. Seriously. Whatever keeps someone sane enough to not feel the need to hurt others or themselves…more power to them.
Hi Keith — You can go to my web site to get a better feel of the artistic talent that exists around the world to give you an even more indepth look at this form of art. I believe I read a long time ago that doll collecting was the No. 2 hobby in the world. Oprah Winfrey, Demi Moore, and Barbara Streisand are just the first few celebrities who come to mind that are doll collectors. Demi has a house filled with just her beautiful collection of dolls. Go to http://www.childrenoftheheart.net to browse through some of the most famous doll artists today.
I’m still amazed by these dolls. I can’t believe that these are dolls, they really look like real babies.
Ok so I dont understand how the heck these dolls and marijuana could ever be compared but I think it is completly healthy.
Many people think of it too complicatedly.
Just think of this. There is a woman who had a dog. Her dog got in an accident and died. She loved that dog. One day she finds a stuffed animal just like her dog. What would a NORMAL person do? They would feel the connection and will want to see it or purhaps buy it. No normal or loving person would just walk pass by without making a connection and just ignoring the thing.
Same for the dolls. There are actually many people that cant have a real baby.
I know some people can think this is unhealthy but I dont understand how.
What is wrong with dressing up the baby in real clothes and treating it like a real baby? Does it kill anyone? Does it hurt others?
People are using these dolls for comfort.
If they feel good and comfortable around them and if they can memorize their real live baby and capture the moments with the fake one, then they should be able to have them.
I mean there are worse things that humans are doing and they are allowing it. I dont mean to bring up a bigger issue but…. gays for example. they like the same gender and some may think it is unhealthy but as long as they love what they are doing people are accepting it.
Let alone these are just dolls!
Giving care for a doll would provide comfort for the person and not anything else!
wow, tese dolls are very realistic, they look like real babies.
I think the reborn baby fills an emptyness and that is of lonliness inside the people who attach themselves to these works of art(most people attach themselves to cars the same way,clothing,jewelry,etc)Anything that helps another get over lonliness is a good thing,better than these people turning that lonilness into a destructive force…problem with society today is that everybody wants to tell everyone else how they should live,how they should think…that’s like being a dictator and it is very very very bad.
I agree to what tiny breamers said, these dolls are actually comforting their owners.
It is of prime importance that you do not treat your Reborn doll as toy and ‘just another doll’. There are endless reasons for this but the most important is quite simply because it isn’t one. The hours of care that went into creating the reborn should be reflected in how you treat it at home.
i think reborn babies are a crazy.i got for my little cousin who is six she treats
it like a baby doll not a real baby that’s the way it’s supposed to be not some weird
crazy way.besides they may look real but don’t do anything that can portray a real
baby like the ones you can buy from a local store that poo/pee or talk anyways what i m saying is that buying and spending your time and money on cribs and rooms
etc.is a little crazy-j
okay sorry for that last comment i read and seen that they comfort their owners
so good for them i guess it’s okay to do that just dont blow it out of proportion.
sorry again if i offended someone=)
p.s.it was not my intention to hurt feelings if i did!<3 me!
p.s.s.okay bye!:^)
How very ignorant and misinformed you are….I am a reborn artist and yes, to me painted these dolls is an expression of artwork. But I also collect dolls….just like some people collect toy cars, aeroplanes…..train sets….and other imitations of real life….All types of people collect reborn dolls for all types of reasons….sadly, you need do more investigations before you ASSUME the buyers are mentally ill……
“Reborn baby dolls do not heal mental wounds; they just relieve pain. Is that a good enough reason for needy people to lean on them? Or is the escape more damaging than the ailment? ”
LOL it’s just a doll, if it makes a person feel happy why not? Imagine if it were a real child would it be fair for a needy person to lean on a real child? I’d rather they have a doll than a real baby.
Reborn baby dolls are not plastic they are smooth vinyl.and i have reborn baby doll that’s why i know that reborns are smooth vinyl.
some people like them. my granddaughter loves those dolls those dolls i might just get her one
It’s interesting to see what everyone has to say here. I have a reborn named Jacob. I do suffer from PTSD, chronic depression and an anxiety disorder. Holding and rocking my baby does make me feel calmer and helps my all around mood. But my meds do that too. I don’t see anything wrong with having my reborn baby and he doesn’t consume all my time as I have 2 children. But I like being able to cradle my reborn and have that confort rather than have my boys see my depression and worry about me. They think my doll is kinda weird but they don’t say much about him. I for one am glad I bought him because it really does help my mental illnesses and their effects on me. So if someone else thinks it’s wrong, too bad. Who are they to say how I’m to deal with my own problems and what I can or can’t do to find comfort in a turbulent existense.
To add to my post, holding and rocking my children was one of the best and most calming things I’ve done in my life. My boys are way too big for that now and being able to hold and rock my reborn has that same caliming effect. So this is a great gift for someone with an anxiety diorder. No, I’m not saying I’m trying to use this as a crutch or cure. I take all my meds and sometimes just need that little extra time to calm down and feel close to something. I think it’s better to have the reborn than expose my real children to too much of my mood disorders. Don’t get me wrong, I love them more than anything but feel like they should be protected from certain aspects of my mental health. I like all my time with them to be as positive as possible. Than when I feel like I’m getting a little out of control and need a break I can retire to my room and hold and rock my reborn and calm down and get a better grip on being mindful of the present time. It really does help. I think more people with anxiety and depression should try them.
I totley agree wiv you lm geting my 1st reborn n yes lm having her for the same resons you have.your lil one don’t be afread of what ppl say our
I think it’s silly to think reborns are hurting anyone. I do agree however, some people who oewn them do have mental issues. It IS weird for them to treat them like real babies and take them for walks, etc.
But it is not hurting anyone. You avoid weirdos in the streets, so if people dont like what these people do, ignore them.
I have a family member with issues, and she collects these dolls but there is no reason to hate because of it. Its weird and I dont like it, but its not affecting me so why should I care?
Helena: You misunderstand. I don’t hate anybody. Where did you see that I said that? I’m simply making an observation about the mental state of some people. Nowhere did I say it alters my life in any way or that I particularly care about it.
Ha! Ha! Ha! I found your commentary funny. I became interested in these dolls for the lack of having newborn “models” for photography on a moments notice, but then found out how much they cost and figured it cheaper to offer free photo shoots to parents of newborns to build my portfolio. Someday maybe I will acquire one of these beautifully life-like dolls to use as a model when I just want to play with poses, props and backdrops. But for now, this budding photographer’s budget is just not up to supporting it…:o)
I find your reasoning flawed in the extreme. You make the mistake that most people with strong opinions make; you take a handful of extremists, extreme collectors we’ll say, and represent them as being the majority of the market that these artests work for. When you do that, you both stereotype and marginalize more moderate collectors, and in doing so, you successfully offend collectors who might otherwise agree with you about the extremists among them. And your Marajuana argument does nothing to support your opinions.
i love reborn babies, infact i have 3 at the moment 3 gilrs, im making one amost finshed him, and im getting a boy for xmas i got them made by this woman who made them for excellent prices, i love each of them and they are the most realistic dolls i have ever seen , whenever i go out people will look in the pram and cant help but say how cute he/she is and never suspect a thing
.
I just whant to say you ppl will never no why weman have these dolls l have one n yes l have a meantal illness but that has nothing to do wich the fact l have a reborn l lost my children 10 years ago n l can not have enymore l have my doll to comfort me lm 29 years old l dnt have a child hood l dnt tack my reborn out l ant that crazzy but fair play to them that do a woman never lose that felling to holding a baby n when u have lost ur child our can’t have enymore it never gose away you all may think thay have an illness but it dose not mean that’s the resons why ppl have them its the same wiv ppl who are gay n transexual dose that all so mean thay are mentaly ill our who are crazzy dose it .don’t juge a book buy its titel be for you have even opend the book just rember there are resons why weman have thise dolls thay ant harming no one lm married n my hubby undestands my resons for haveing a reborn give it some deep thinking
Beckd: Having thought deeply for just a moment, I think I can categorically accept that you have these dolls for the reasons you state. However, the knowledge that you have reasons for owning these dolls does not diminish my suspicion that they appeal to a certain type of person who lies outside what most people would consider normal. Of course that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily wrong, just that it seems obvious that those who make these dolls know perfectly well who is buying them.
Hi I make reborn baby dolls, and I have one I keep to show people what they are, and explain the process. Also I love when people get all creeped out when i tell them its a doll. its fun because then i feel that i did well in creating a life like doll. i see what he’s saying- hes not saying everyone is creepy who collect/makes reborns, he’s just saying that some people are. he was basically stating 2 opinions, and i dont think he was rude or unfair in the least. everyone is entitled to their opinion, and he gave two sides to the story as well. the comments were the best part of the article!
Oh and on another note- i dont make these to sell (well, what i mean is, i am not in the business, like, i am making them to make a buck) i make them and then sell them because i am a stay at home mom and my husband is the only working adult so if i want to make more than i must sell the one i made last! So yeah to Keith when you say the people who make them know the people who buy them have mental problems, not really! my mother owns a few, they sit in a doll chair and she is just so proud of my work. she doesnt pick them up even! so i mean, i have considered donating to a old folks home for the mentally disabled because it does in fact help some people. so would that be bad for a person to do something to help someone in psychiatric distress? is that not a good thing? something to consider.
I don’t believe it is an unhealthy habit at all. Clearly they are trying to fill some void in their life (not being able to have kids of their own, past miscarriages, wanting a child but not all the expenses that they come with, etc.) It can be anything. Sure some of them take it to the extreme, but I don’t think it is unhealthy or abnormal.
Hi l have read all of ppls coments l have a babby reborn n l have my resons but l don’t feel that l need to explan my self to no one .right so what if ppl have a meantai illness l have a meantal illness but that dose not make me crazzy l don’t tack my reborn out not that l care what ppl think l dress her every moring n cudel her n put her bk in her pram n ay nite l get her dressed for bed and l do put her on my bed n go to sleep wiv her there are outher resons ppl have Thise babbys don’t huge a book buye its cover stop n think b4 you go off saying ppl have a illness to tack there baby reborn out our to have one l just don’t see why ppl have a probblem with Thise there’s ppl out there who cross dress n are transexual n men who like to be treated like babies l ant a shamed of haveing a babby reborn
I know this is blog is old news and nobody probably comments on this anymore, but I just wanted to drop you a line. I must say I take my hat off to you, Keith. The decent way you handled some of the nonsense and insults slung at you…. boy. It’s tough being a blogger eh!
I was just cruzing through the net reading up on the reborn dolls and I am thinking of getting one. Purely for decorative purposes, as I have an old pram to showcase so I figured one of those dolls would look pretty in it. But that is it. No dressing and “bottle feeding” and such goings on. It is so that some will take it too far, as with alot of things in life!
I get your point of view, and maybe the way you’ve put things got the “Doll community’s” hackles up. I think quite a few ladies brought valid points accross, and some got a little too hot to handle. Eitherway, it got us all thinking and debating which is what a good blog should be about. So well done. You’re right on it – gripping stuff! Thank you
Hi Marlene! I don’t know if you’ll actually see this or not but here goes. I have a couple of these dolls and bought them through ebay. There are some very talented people out there who make them! Take your time (if you haven’t purchased already) to find one that really appeals to you and who you really like the looks of.
Keith,
While I don’t agree with your correlation between marijuana and reborns or growers and the artist who make these dolls, I can still see why you would think these dolls are for a bunch of nutty ladies. Like everything else, what is seen on t.v. is done for ratings and sensationalism. Not because it is an actual reflection of the people who would purchase such a doll. I’ll admit that I didn’t read every response you received. (Yes, I suffered from the TL;DR problem that plagues the net.) However, a someone who has more than one reborn and who knows others who have them I’d like to let you know that we’re not all a bag of nuts. I have three young kids and spend most of my time dong the regular mom things with them so I’m not looking to fill any kind of void. I found these dolls so compelling and beautiful when I first found out about them that I wanted one just because I admire the art (and time) that went into them.
I also just want to add that I have immense respect for the artists who create these dolls. They have a wonderful talent and I think it is a respectable art form!
Then to the collectors of these dolls, which collects for emotional reasons, I can understand that too because they are trying to come to terms with some kind of loss. I sincerely hope that they find consolation in time with professional help, we don’t judge… Life is tougher for some and we must help and try to understand and be kind. Not critisizing so much.
Each to their own, and in pursuit of happiness as that one guy said!
emotional issues my arse id say ur the one with issues so reborns aint for you so be it what a fooking muppet u r
Kelly, using punctuation and real words would help me to take you seriously. We all have some emotional issues. What are yours?
I am a collector of these dolls and I can see how somepeople take them as weird. I do infact take mine out but it makes me feel good. it makes me feel not alone. I would rather stay at home on the computer then hang out with friends. Im really shy and this hobby has helped me connect with people that like the same thing. my mom has just told me to stop this hobby as it is unhealthy. my thing with collecting them is that I feel that I wont have kids and my dream will fail. its filling the void that I cant have kids right now. I’m glad I dont have kids right now. I love them and want one but its not the right time. when I take them out sometimes i dont even touch them. its just having them there that makes me feel good. I sometimes will bring like a diaper bag with a few things in it. im not trying to pretend its real. i dont have a rutine or anything I just dont wanna bring a baby out with no things for it and look like neglect or something. now I might pretend to feed it but its like once. just because I want to because I can. I dont see anything about my hobby that hurts other people. yeah it may freak them out or fool with their minds but I could care less. its my hobby.
Ruth: That is fair. I can’t say I will ever fully understand the motivation, but you are right that it doesn’t hurt anybody. As it goes, it’s hard to complain about an activity that doesn’t hurt anybody. Sure, it might be strange to me, but I’m sure I do some pretty strange stuff, too. I get it.
When I first started making reborns I heard it all but since then people are becoming more interested in them for ALL reasons.
I myself find it no more odd than a man and his blessed Harley that he shines, chromes and seems to feel more like a man if it says Harley, or people who collect boyd bears as a collectors item. Reborn dolls are collector, heirloom baby dolls. Also some artists do make them. It has become an art form of not just buying a doll and redoing it but actually buying scuilpted doll parts and painting about 10 layers of paint to achieve the skin tones and details to rooting the hair 1 or 2 pieces at a time with a needle.I am also into photography and love taking pictures of places I have been that warm my heart and remind me of the time later on and reborns do the same for some people as you can’t go back to that place when your child was little as you can to a vacation place etc. This is just a tangible reminder. I had an old man hold one and tell me how he thought it was great. He said when I was little they taught me to play with trucks and tools, when I got older I had real ones, I still can have my trucks and tools, my wife was taught to play with dolls and be a Mom, when she was older she had had real babies now she can’t but just like me her desire to do what was taught is still there.
I have taken them to nursing homes and actually had them trigger memory in dementia patients and for a before time they were holding their baby and remembering life is that so weird or strange? This life is hard enough and anything that brings us joy in our brief moment of time and happiness shouldn’t be labeled or put down. I find a lot of people would want one but are afraid of what others would say. I have men say all the time get one I wouldn’t mind walking in a room and seeing it, it kind of makes my day. Doctors are now saying they have therapeutic purposes as the brain don’t know but goes by your response to the reborn and releases natural chemicals that make you feel good. So is that strange or are you speaking more out of being uninformed of the actual experience of seeing and holding one, it may not be as bad as you think. I have had people think them odd until they held one and found themselves swaying with the reborn or patting it’s bottom unconsciously while talking and then realizing it is quite natural a feeling.
I also have an adult daughter with Muscular Dystrophy that when she lays down to go to sleep her muscles tighten up and she can’t sleep well but when she lays with a reborn and cuddles it she finds she is more relaxed and can fall asleep.
So yes you have a right to your experience but should actually think of who you might be hurting before you say mean or degrading things about those you don’t even know and things you just don’t have an attraction to. I’m sure we could find something in your life that we find odd or demented such as picking on people for a love of a personal art form that touches their heart and might even heal their soul somewhat.
God Bless
Judymae a happy reborn artist or as you might put it another demented doll lover.
Judymae: I’m sure I have some mental disorder, too. But, the difference between me and a lot of people is that I am actually willing to admit that I might actually have a mental hurdle to get over. I don’t know what it is, but then again I am hardly the right person to diagnose myself. I leave that up to others — say what they may.
Got bored reading all the argumentative comments lol.
I am an artist. I make reborns. Some of them fetch me quite a packet of money.
The first time I saw a reborn, I was totally fascinated – simple because it looked so real.
So, I bought one. I cuddled it and rocked it and showed it off.
Then, when the novelty wore off, I sold it, and got more money for it than I paid for it.
I then started to make them. It has been the most fullfilling hobby I have ever had. I love every reborn baby I create. Better still, the feeling one gets when they purchase one from me. It is a very addictive hobby I find. I just love it.
I dont however feel myself pandering to a mental disorder. I am not covering up my guilt from any lost baby or abortion. I have three successful grown children. So…. Im not sure.
Maybe it was that pot I smoked.
LOL
i know this is old. but i got interested in the reborn doll thing recently (as of last year). You see, I was forced into getting sterilized when i was 19 y/o (i’m 22 now) and as a result, I now suffer from depression and am currently seeing a counselor once a week.
Even though I’ve looked at ebay and craigslist for a reborn doll, the ones there are very spendy and i’m on a budget. I have this monkey doll that is dressed up like a baby that I keep in my closet most of the time (mainly out of shame b/c my dad has contributed to my low self esteem, he also pressured me into getting sterilized)
when i was in high school, i did this baby think it over test project (it was a test subject thing that lasted 2 weeks) whenever i had to take care of it at home, i kept the door to my room closed b/c nobody liked this thing. but even at 17/18, i treated it with care (yes there were times when i just wanted to fall into bed and sleep or continue showering or proceed on whatever schoolwork i had in class but because i had this thing for a certain amount of time, speaking in simulated terms, i was supposed to be there for the “baby”, i still remember one time when my family wanted me to get out of the house to go to dinner with them while i was still doing this project, oh the guilt i felt! Because it brought me back to a time in my childhood when my mother left me and my siblings to go see a man was dating at the time and even though this wasn’t a real infant and a simulator (i got the boy), I felt guilty because I left him alone and that has always been a fear of mine.)
Another reason my family seem to have for forcing sterilization on me is that I can’t take care of a child. They’re wrong! I went through the baby think it over project in high school, I busted my butt working in many daycare centers taking care of OTHER people’s kids before one of my supervisors decided to discriminate against me costing me my job.
However, My mom’s side of the family (my mom has gotten help since the leaving incident ten/eleven years ago) believes in me and thinks I’m better than what my dad and stepmom make me out to be. I no longer live under his roof nor am i going to stand for his judgement of me.
Excuse the rant. I have a lot of family issues and a desire to just start over anew (clean slate, new life…you know what i mean?)
I began reborning as a hobby. I was in bad health and wanted something productive to do. My first doll cost around two hundred to make and I sold her for 400. I was thrilled to find that there was something I was good at. It helped me get past depression issues, without meds that left me like a zombie. Some people may treat these dolls like an obsession but for me reborning saved me. I now have lost weight and gotten in better health, knowing that I am not useless. I am a very good artist who has made several works of art that people enjoy. Besides, normal is overrated.