“Iamfascinatedbythisfictionandthecommunitythatexiststosupportit,”Diamondsays.Atfirst,shehadtroublegainingthetrustofmembersofthesubculture,despitetheirlargeonlinecommunities.TobetterunderstandReborndoll-mothers,DiamondbecameaprofessionalRebornerherself.“Overatwo-yearperiod,ItraveledacrossthecountrylearningtheartofReborningfromthemovement’sleadingpractitioners,”shesa...

OneparticularlyfanaticalReborndollcollectorinBritain,KerrieWilliams,madeheadlinesafterspending£20,000(roughly$30,246)onsevensuchartificialbabies,andthenpamperingthemwithclothesandtoysanda$1,500stroller，It’snotcheapatall. She’sbiologicalmothertotwolivinghumansaswell,whoarereportedlyjealousoftheattentionshelavishesonhervinylbabies. Butlikemanycollectors,herinterestinth...

Peopleoftenhaveanegativereactionwhentheyhearabouttheselifelikebabies,sometimescalled“reborn”babiesor“memory”babies.It’stypicaltothinksomethingisweirdorcreepywhenit’sunknown,farfromthenorm,orcommononlytoadifferentculture.Buttherearecaseswhenitisquiteunderstandableforsomeonestrugglingwithfeelingsofloss—possiblyanempty-nester,achildlesswoman,orsomeonewhoha...

cananinanimatedoll—onesorealisticastolookalive—reallyreplacealivingbeing? Inmanyways,suchanotionfeelslikeapagefromtheStepfordWivesorInvasionoftheBodySnatchers. It’sadisturbingthoughttohavesomethingun-alivetaketheplaceofarealhuman—whichiswhysuchaconceitisoftenthebasisforfantasyorhorrortales.Thereality,however,isthatpeopleoftenfacesorrowfulissuesintheirlives.&nbs...

Andsomeareunfortunateenoughtohavelostachild—oneofthemostdevastatingthingsthatcanhappeninanylife.Whatdoestheminddowhenfacedwithalossandavoidsoenormous?Denialisoneofthemostprominentdefensemechanisms. It’snotthatthesedoll-ownersthinkthedollisarealbaby,butitaffordsthemmomentswhentheyarecomfortedandcanpretendtheyhavearealbabyandcurethosewhosufferfrommentalillness,tothemselvesandtoth...

The“reborn”movementstartedasanichecommunityinthe1990sandhasnowexpandedintoaglobalnetworkofartistsandenthusiasts.These‘reborners,’mostlywomen,createhyper-realisticbabydolls,finessedwithlayersofpainttoachievethemottledskinofanewbornandhairinsertedfolliclebyfollicle. Thepainstakingprocesscantakeseveraldays,withthefinalproductfetchinguptoseveralthousanddollars....

Forpassionatedollmakers,rebornisaformofart,saysBizet. Thebuyersrangefromcollectors,thelonelyordepressed,couplescopingwiththelossofachild,andevenahospitalthatusesthedollstocalmPeoplewithmentalillness. “Theyaresohappytoseebabies,”saysBizet. “It’slikesunshineduringtheday.” Thejoyisfleeting,asPeoplewithmentalillnesseventuallybegintodoubttheauthentic...

Fellowcollector,Karen,whohasbuiltanurseryforher28dolls,sayscaringforthemfillsadeepneed.“Youknowthatthey’renotreal,buttheylookrealandafteryourrealchildrengrowupyouknowthatyoucanhavesomethingtoholdandcuddleandlovewhenyouwantto,”shesays.Bothwomenagreethatholdingababy,evenifthey’renotreal,istherapeutic....

Thestay-at-homemother,25,thenputsinmohair,strandbystrandontothereborndoll’shead. Thistakesanothertwotothreeweeks.InaninterviewwithTheNewPaperonSunday,MadamHosaysshedecidedtomakeherownbecauseshecouldnotgetreborn dollsinSingapore.LIFELIKE:SingaporeanartistLindaHotakessixweekstomakeareborndoll. Togetthatrealisticlook,shepaintsonlyinnaturallight.Herattemptsatbuyingthese re...

Although they participated in the playoffs for the second time in three years, in EA Sports' upcoming Madden NFL 22 video game, the Bears' ratings are not high. EA Sports recently released their team ratings and player ratings for the game. The game will be released on August 20 and is suitable for next-generation and current consoles. The Bears found themselves in the second half of the league...