Very recently, police officials smashed a car window when they saw a little baby with her eyes closed lying lifeless in the car seat. Little did they know that the baby was not a real infant but a baby doll that looks real. It so happened that the owners had left the car in the parking lot in order to run some errands.
It is said that man’s pursuit for excellence leads him to the stars
Quite similarly, very few must have predicted that the Art of making Reborn Dolls, that started with a single doll in 1944, would have reached this far. The founder of this Art form, Jose Berenguer, was extremely passionate and dedicated to achieving excellence and was committed to changing the way the world looked at baby dolls.
These dolls were first introduced in the local market in Spain. People had never seen such realistic looking dolls in their life, so the combination of shock and amazement led to a lot of Reborn Doll sales. The vinyl Reborn dolls were like a breath of fresh air in a market populated with regular looking porcelain dolls.
Targeting a broader market segment:
Over the years, Jose Berenguer not only became more adept in the art of Reborn Doll making but also improved his business acumen and foresight. At that point, the main users of these dolls were young girls. In order to target another market segment, namely adults, he started making special dolls with intricately designed limbs and facial features and meticulously planted hair. As expected, news of these doting dolls spread throughout the country and the demand exceeded the supply. The most interesting part was that the number of Reborn Doll fans increased drastically with younger mothers, parents and doll collectors being added to the list.
Advanced techniques and equipment:
Over the years, the increase in demand and competition has resulted in the advancement in the equipment used and techniques employed. The artist’s oil that was once used is now replaced by the more advanced Heat set genesis paint. In addition, hand rooting was a method employed in the early days for the doll hair; however the main drawback was that this method left a larger rooting hole or “follicle” reducing the realism of the doll. These days, however, micro rooting and ultra micro rooting have ensured that you will not be able to spot the difference between a real infant and a reborn doll from a distance!
Surge of the Art form with the power of the Internet:
People love the internet and People love Reborn Dolls. When you mix two of these strong factors, what you get is a Global marketplace where artists can thrive and work on exceeding customer expectations, irrespective of where they are located. As a result, many independent artists these days have ridden on this wave to create quite a reputation for themselves and generate a loyal fan following across the globe. Customers appreciate the uniqueness and customization that each artist is able to deliver and are willing to pay the price for the quality obtained. In addition, Reborn dolls are also retailed on popular shopping portals such as Amazon and eBay.