Why does a nice reborn doll cost so much?

 I often get messages through Ebay or my website from people wanting to know if I can make them a reborn for less than my usual pricing.  Considering that I price my reborns in a very modest range compared to many reborns of the same quality on the market, I find these type questions irritating.

While there are always those who upon seeing a reborn doll for the first time will say they find them "creepy" or "strange", there are just as many more who appreciate their beauty and the creativity that goes into them.  However, when informed about prices some people do get a bit taken aback.

Why does a nice reborn doll cost so much?  This seems to be the proverbial question in the minds of buyers these days.  Yes, we are in a struggling economy and we all like a bargain.  However, we all can't expect others to give stuff away because of a bad economy. 

Reborn dolls are a wonderful luxury that many people would like to own but the reality is not everyone can afford them.  Just like other things in life that we value, sometimes one has to save up to buy that coveted luxury item.  If you wanted a diamond ring you wouldn't go to a jeweler and expect them to sell you a top quality ring for $50.  If you wanted to buy a priceless antique you wouldn't get it for a mere few dollars.  If you were a coin collector you would know that you have to pay the market value for that next desired coin.  Well reborn doll collecting is no different nor should it be.

Reborn dolls do seem like a lot of money if you are comparing them to the typical nice dolly sold at the local doll shop but then we are not talking about a mass produced product.  When I make a doll I can have at least $100- $200 just into materials to make her. It takes me 2-4 weeks to make one, often working 4-6 hours at the time on any given day during those 2-4 weeks.  That can be a lot of hours per doll. This is not adding in the many hours spent taking photos, uploading photos, and compiling and editing an auction/for sale template then listing the lovely baby for sale.  

Let's also mention Ebay fees.  Even with Ebay's promotions listing fees can run at minimum $2.00 and as high as $10.  On the happy day that baby  sells Ebay gets 12 percent of what the doll sold for.  Now that Ebay will only allow sellers to offer Paypal we must hand over another 3 percent of the overall sale to Paypal.  The buyer actually can pay via money order but we can't offer  them that.  They have to ask to pay via money order before we can accept that method of payment.   The total of Ebay fees and Paypal fees can really add up fast and before you know it one owes $50, $60, $75 or even $100+ depending on how much baby sold for.  Add this to the $100-200 in the cost of supplies for the doll and WOW!  That leaves very little profit for many hours of work that is more often than not below minimum wage.  I have sold a few dolls through Etsy and privately and while Etsy does have lower fees than Ebay there are still fees to pay as well as Payapal fees.  I often have Paypal fees for private sales as well since many people use Paypal to pay and I often sell dolls for slightly less via Etsy or Privately to pass the savings on to the buyer.  Therefore, I am still not really making more money on sales outside Ebay.

So there you go!  A quality reborn is not a cheap item.  Here at Lil Dumplins Nursery, we strive for top quality and that is exactly what you get and nothing less.