by Kimberly Roos

Created on: May 22, 2009

Reborn or fake babies, sometimes even referred to as real or not fake, seem to be the new hot thing. These beautiful little dolls sell for $100 to $4000 and even more! They look so realistic and you can even special order a baby to have all the features you want. These babies have been talked about, and used on tv by numerous shows, ranging from The View and Dr. Phil to Law and Order.

The art behind these babies is amazing, but in reality not all that new. People used to make porcelain dolls to look as real as possible. Reborn babies now are just using newest material available to make the babies not only look, but feel real too. These babies are hand painted, with everything from veins, to eyebrows and some even have mottled skin! After the artist is finished painting the baby, he or she then has to add hair. Although some artists use wigs, and some paint, most root the hair, or use a combination of painting and rooting. This is a very time consuming process, as the artist has to use a rooting needle to add each hair one to two strands at a time. These babies can also be fitted with pacifiers, heart boxes, breathing mechanisms, and many other extras. It is amazing how realistic these babies can be made to look and feel.

Some people find these babies "creepy". They believe that the people that buy them are crazy, but in reality, most of the buyers for these beautiful little babies are just collectors who find the art behind it beautiful. It is no different than any other collectible. People often times collect trains, coins, or stamps, and find these things beautiful. Some people do collect these dolls as there own personal "therapy". Some have lost children and find these babies help them move forward with their lives. There are other collectors who enjoy these babies because they are now empty nesters and want something to cuddle. Instead of getting a dog or cat, they get these beautiful little babies to cuddle. These babies are even often times given as gifts to grandmothers. They are made to look like their grandkids, and grandma can be with them year round.

There are many wonderful reborn artist and websites. Most do custom orders and are located all over the world. Some of the best are in Australia, the UK, and even in the US. For example, http://www.angelstownnursery.com/ , or http://www.freewebs.com/twinklestarnursery/ ,or even http://www.kangaroosnursery.com/ . Many of these artists work full time, raise their own families, and make these dolls as their artistic outlet.

These little works of art are often times inspired by real babies and are meant to look and feel as close to the real thing as possible. The people who collect them should be judged no more than the man next door who collects stamps. They are all unique works of art and deserve to be treated as such.

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