Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
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SHOPPING
Where are you located?
Dolls so Real is an e-commerce store. We do not have a brick and mortar location. Our online presence started in 1999.
Website Security?
Our e-commerce hosting platform, Shopify, provides a safe and secure shopping experience. The shopify secure logo is featured on our home page. This ensures a safe and secure shopping experience. Our privacy policy guarantees your private information remains private. We do not share any your information within anyone else.
Payment Methods Accepted?
We accept all major credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Venmo. (Zelle upon request, USA only). We do not accept checks, money orders or wire transfers. All payment methods available are listed at the bottom this page.
SHIPPING
How much is shipping in the USA?
Note: Free shipping in the USA on purchases over $100.00* will end on August 15, 2023.
We ship via the United States Post Office (USPS) and United Parcel Service (UPS). Prices vary depending on shipping method chosen.
*Doll kits are excluded from free shipping
We ship via the United States Post Office (USPS) and United Parcel Service (UPS). Prices vary depending on shipping method chosen.
*Doll kits are excluded from free shipping
Do you ship/dispatch internationally?
I still ship worldwide via the US Postal Service (USPS) Priority Mail.
I ship to Canada via the US Postal Service (USPS) First Class or Priority Mail.
I ship to Canada via the US Postal Service (USPS) First Class or Priority Mail.
Can I read Dolls so Real's policies?
The shipping, privacy and returns policy are all available at the bottom of this page.
RETURNS
What is your return policy?
MISCELLANEOUS
Do you buy vintage or collectible dolls? What is it worth?
We do not buy or dolls from individuals and do not appraise dolls. Search for information on the doll(s) in question. Here are some search tips:
- If little information is known about the doll, look for markings on the back of the head/neck or back/hips. Most manufacturers put a stamp on the back. Reborn doll should also have an identifying stamp (by the artist) on the back of the neck.
- Use that information to do a search. Include any original features, clothing, size, etc to help narrow your search.
- Ebay is a great place to see if a doll is common place or rare and to see comparitive pricing.
HOW-to-MEASURE for...
How do I measure for a doll wig?
Determine the doll head circumference to determine the size you need. This is a classic how-to-measure image. Click to enlarge.
How do I measure for doll shoes?
Please use a metric ruler to determine the length and width of your doll's foot. Classic chart used for decades. Add at least 5mm to the doll foot length and width to determine the size needed.
Example: Doll foot is 79mm long. The foot width is 40mm. The size would be 84mm x 45mm. Since doll shoes do not come in that size, order the next size up.
Example: Doll foot is 79mm long. The foot width is 40mm. The size would be 84mm x 45mm. Since doll shoes do not come in that size, order the next size up.
How do I measure for doll eyes?
Please use the chart to measure for the eye size. Classic image used for decades. Click to enlarge
What size of doll body do I need?
Luckily, body slips are made to coincide with the size of the doll kit (inches). A 22" doll kit needs a 22" doll body/slip. The limbs determine the style of doll body needed. Most of today's doll kits are full limbs but older doll kits accept a wide variety of body styles including 1/4, 1/4-3/4, 3/4, 3/4-full, full-3/4. (photo coming soon)
REBORNING
How do I reborn (make) a doll kit?
A doll kit can be assembled and "reborned" with only the imagination as a limit. Since, we do not have reborn artist on staff, we no longer offer reborning advice. We can offer suggestions for you to begin.
- Research first! Use your favorite search* engine to start. Remember, the first articles/information to pop up is not always the best. Many websites that are sitting at the top after a search pay for that position. It does not mean it is reputible. Scam websites are clever and park themselves near reputible websites to confuse potential victims. Choose what kind of reborn doll kit to complete. There are traditional baby/toddler style, wildlife kits or fantasy/creature kits. (*Beware of scam reborn doll kits and reborn dolls. They are made and sold cheaply using unfair practices. It is a critical problem in the doll scuplting artist community)
- YouTube - YouTube has been the main platform for "reborning" after the idea took hold 20 years ago. YouTube has hundreds of reborning videos on basic reborning to finite detailing. i.e. lanugo, spider veins, lips, nail beds. Most are free to watch. Choose BASIC or BEGINNER videos with good ratings and a high watch rate.
- Fun Fact: The term "reborning" was adopted within the doll community in the mid 2000's. The term was not without controversy. "Newborning" or "re-creation" were tossed around, but those names did not stick. "Reborning" was adopted by the doll world for anyone re-making a doll into a more realistic version of a baby or child. The 20" Berenguer La Baby became THE doll to reborn. It was affordable, NB size, life like facial expressions but more than anything else, the vinyl was soft! Its debatable who started reborning but one thing is certain, it changed the doll world forever.
- Painting - This is the most important process in reborning a doll kit is painting. High quality, reborn tested, paint can make or break the experience. Most tutorials include lists of materials needed. Each video creator will have a paint preference. Use their experience when determining the best paint to use. *Our long time paint vendor, Genesis Artist Color Heat Set Paints. closed in 2022 due to pandemic related sourcing that could not be overcome. We have not chosen a replacement paint as of this date. Applying the paint properly is what makes the vinyl come alive with real skin tones, layers and details. Layers of paint create a depth to the coloring. Techniques vary by artist.
- Doll Eyes and Lashes - Open eye doll kit sculpts are molded specifically for a certain size doll eye. Read the doll kit description carefully to determine what size you need. Doll eyes are made of glass or poly-acrylic. Glass eyes are the most expensive and many believe, the most realistic. Glass eyes are available in flat back (half round) or full round (hollow). Poly-acrylic eyes are 1/2 round hollow back. Doll eyelashes are sold on a small plastic tray or in a threaded strip. Trayed doll eyelashes are harder to find since the 2 largest US doll supply vendors closed their doors permanently in 2020 due to the pandemic.
- Hair - Choosing hair for your project involves some choices. Rooting is the most popular hair choice but it is very time consuming and the most challenging part of reborning. It takes hours of work which easily add up to weeks to complete rooting a doll head. Doll hair rooting has become an artform unto itself. Hair painting is now widely used and some prefer it. See YouTube for tutorials. You combine painting with rooting to get a beautiful head of hair with color and depth for a fraction of the time required with whole head rooting.
- Doll Body Assembly - The last step in the reborning process is to assemble all of the completed parts with a doll body/doll slip. Doll kits require specific style and size of doll body so read the doll kit description carefully before ordering one. Many doll kits include doll bodies. Filling/stuffing the doll body is important to get the correct weight and feel desired. All parts of the doll kit can be weighted. Head, limbs and the doll body are filled with fiber fill along with weighting medium. What you use to weight your doll with gives it the real feel of a baby or the snuggly feel of a teddy bear depending what is used.
Do you make custom reborn dolls?
We do not make or sell reborn dolls at this time. Find a reborn doll artist or a doll sculptor for custom doll questions. *Beware of fake/scam reborn doll kits and reborn dolls. They are made and sold cheaply using unfair practices. It is a critical problem in the doll scuplting artist community.
Why are reborn dolls so expensive?
Reborning is not a cheap endeavor. True, legitimate, artist sculpted and approved doll kits, average from $50 to over $150 depending on the doll kit and artist. Reborn dolls offered on the internet for $80-120 are 99% certain to be a scam. These scam websites use real reborn artist promotional photos and rename the doll. What you see is not what you get. Thousands of unsuspecting doll collectors have been victims of these companies. Photos of one transaction posting soon.
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