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These are questions that are frequently asked by visitors to my website.
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Shipping Costs?
Memorial Dolls
Portrait Dolls
The Cost of Reborns
Q: Shipping Costs?
Why does it cost so much for shipping?
A:
Shipping costs in Canada are higher than in other parts of the world. However, there are benefits to the higher Canadian shipping costs. When I ship a doll to the USA, it is shipped with insurance and tracking and it arrives in just a few business days. Customers never have to worry about long waiting times or lost packages.
A doll shipped overseas will usually arrive in under a week and also is sent with insurance and tracking, and since my dolls are weighted with glass, you don't have to worry about the weighting materials being a problem in customs.
If you live overseas, be sure to check for any additional customs fees, duty or taxes added on by your Government. I do not know the customs obligations in each country and these fees are the responsibility of the buyer.
Q: Memorial Dolls
My child was born prematurely and did not survive. Can you make a doll that looks like him/her?
My child passed away. Can you make a doll to look like him/her?
A:
As a Mother of four, I deeply sympathize with these parents and understand their desire to have a remembrance of their children. However, I have mixed feelings about doing memorial dolls.
In most cases, I choose not to make memorial dolls because I would not want to make a doll that did not meet the expectations of the customers, and I believe the expectations are much higher for memorial dolls, due to the significance and importance of them.
I do not make micro-preemie or medically fragile looking reborn dolls because they represent something personal to me and I am not comfortable making them. There are many talented artists who will make these dolls and I am happy to refer you to them.
If you are looking for an artist to make a memorial doll for you, please feel free to contact me about it and I can pass your request on to other artists or refer some artists to you.
Q: Portrait Dolls
Can you make a doll that looks like my son/daughter?
A:
This type of doll is called a portrait doll, and yes, I can make portrait dolls. These particular dolls often take a little more time and effort than the average custom order, so they are a little more expensive (see "Custom Dolls" for pricing).
The first step in making a portrait doll is to choose a kit. The buyer must decide if they want the doll to resemble a child who is sleeping or awake. The expression of the doll is also a consideration. Buyers often send pictures of happy babies with their mouths wide open with laughter. While it is not impossible to find kits like this, it is more difficult and leaves fewer kits to choose from. Once the buyer has decided on these things, he/she will send some pictures of the child to me. It is best to send pictures of the child that are as close to the "look" that you want in the doll.
I will look at the pictures and then go in search of a kit that resembles the pictures. Often I will find kits that will have several of the same physical traits as the child, but not necessarily all of those traits. It is important to remember that the skin tone, hair colour and eye colour can really contribute to the resemblance and a kit that carries only some of the same physical traits of the child, can still look very much like the photo in the end. I will compile a picture and price list for the kits I find, and send them to the customer to look over and choose.
Once a kit has been chosen, the total cost can be calculated and the customer will pay the deposit so that I can begin to create the portrait doll.
Q: The Cost of Reborns
Why are reborn dolls so expensive?
A:
The cost of a reborn doll can vary tremendously depending on what the buyer is looking for. While everyone would like to get a nice doll for a cheap price, it is not possible to make a good quality reborn doll without spending money. Below I have outlined the prices for the tools and supplies needed to make a reborn doll.
Doll Kit: $50-$200. It is possible to use a play doll to make a reborn, but most play dolls do not have the realistic looking qualities that most reborn artists and collectors are looking for. There are virtually hundreds of doll kits available to choose from, and the costs vary depending on many things, including the size of the kit, the popularity of the artists, if the kit is a limited edition or an open edition, the type of vinyl used, what it costs to ship the kit to the artist and if the kit is considered "sold out" or not.
Body: $15-$40. A nice quality doe suede body that is custom made for your kit is going to be more money than a cotton body or one that is generic for dolls of a specific size. Some sculptors sell bodies with their doll kits, while others leave it to the artist to use their own resources to find a doll body. I prefer to have mine custom made by Kim Heath of Cloud 9 Creations.
Mohair: $10-$100. The cost of mohair varies due to quality of the mohair, how well the mohair is cleaned and combed, the length of the mohair, the colours that are used to dye the mohair, and the type of dye used. Some mohair is more expensive based on reputation and can run high in prices due to bidding wars on auction sites like eBay. Typically, I pay $25-$40 for a nice quality mohair.
Weighting Materials:
Glass Bead: $10. I only use tiny glass beads to weight my dolls. Some artists use poly pellets which are even more expensive than glass, but don't weigh as much so more are required. I do not recommend purchasing dolls weighted with sand.
Polyfil: $5-$10. Used to stuff the doll and make it cuddly.
Eyes: $20-$50. Eyes come in plastic, glass and other materials. They can be very realistic or very "dolly like". I like to use paper weight glass eyes that are generally around $25-$30.
Rooting Needles and Tools: A package of rooting needles is about $15 and a rooting tool is about the same. While these are not purchased for each doll, the needles are purchased for every 5-10 dolls.
Paints, brushes, sponges, blue, felt, etc.: Again, these are infrequent purchases, but expensive ones. One tub of Genesis heat set paints can be as much as $30, and many colours are needed for creating realistic dolls. I use high quality brushes and sponges.
Eyelashes: $7. I prefer to root my lashes, but sometimes that just doesn't work. In these cases, I purchase them.
Clothing: $25-Unlimited: Many buyers want name brand or designer baby clothes and several outfits for their reborns. Diapers, socks, shoes, bonnets, undershirts and blankets are generally added to the layette as well. For custom dolls, I only include one outfit and one blanket to ensure that your money is going towards your doll rather than his/her clothing.
My time: $250+. I charge a minimum of $250 for my time. A reborn doll takes me a minimum of 24 hours to make (not in one sitting, lol) and I do need to be compensated for my time. Additional fees are added for portrait dolls due to the extra time and effort they require. While I love making dolls, I have four children who I love much more, and I need to be paid for my time in order to care for them.
I hope this helps you understand the high cost of reborn dolls.
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| Chenille Rag Quilt |
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| Portrait Doll |
| $400.00 |
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