'I've spent over £16,000 on my 18 reborn dolls – it's creepy but I don't care'

18 February 2024 , 20:30

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Reborn dolls are handmade art dolls made to resemble a human infant as much as possible (Image: Jam Press/@kamsrebornfam)

A woman says she has spent more than £16,000 on 'reborn' dolls even though her friends find her obsession ‘creepy.'

Office manager Kam, who shared only her first name, began growing her collection in December 2020 after her daughters asked Santa Claus for dolls. The mum had no idea reborn dolls existed until she began googling dolls in the hopes to find her daughters Christmas presents. Kam was immediately drawn to them for their uniqueness and realism.

Reborn dolls are handmade art dolls created to resemble a human infant as much as possible. The process of making one is known as 'reborning', while the doll artists are referred to as 'reborners'. Collectors of reborn dolls have been known to speak of the therapeutic benefits they bring, helping manage mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

Since 2020, Kam's obsession has grown to an impressive 18 dolls, costing her £16,177 ($20,000) over the course of three years. The mum, from Florida, said: “I became so enthralled with them, from start to finish, each reborn is truly a work of art. They are a form of art that brings me pleasure, just as artwork does for a lot of people. Collecting high-end art dolls is not different than collecting paintings or sculptures to display in the home."

“While I don't display my dolls in this way, I do get great enjoyment from posing them and taking pictures of them. “Another reason I enjoy them so much is because I am able to share this hobby with my daughters. They love the dolls as I do, and my youngest, who is three, likes me to take pictures of her holding them. It's another way for us all to bond together.

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"I enjoy this hobby because I have met some of the best people in my almost three years of collecting. These are people who mostly I haven't met in person yet, but who have proved to be such genuinely amazing, thoughtful, caring, and selfless people", she added.

The dolls are known to help with depression and anxiety (Jam Press/@kamsrebornfam)

Reborn dolls can cost thousands of pounds (Jam Press/@kamsrebornfam)

Kam says sees her reborn dolls as a collection rather than a family, making sure to be careful with them day to day. She said: “I do not cuddle my dolls. I do dress them in different outfits and pose them to look like a real baby, but I don't treat them as real babies. But, all in all, they are part of an art collection. I enjoy them and I do have an attachment to them, but I don't believe I have an emotional connection with them most times."

She buys most of her babies from an artist from Brazil called Rosana Ritacco, helping her grow a collection of 18. Kam said: “These dolls are really, really expensive, if you want the ones that look the most realistic. Full-body silicone dolls are even more expensive. I don't have any of those, mine are all vinyl. I have 18 with two on the way, but I’ve had as many as 30 dolls at one time.

But, not all of her friends and family are supportive of the hobby, with some feeling 'completely creeped out' by the dolls. The mum added: “I get different reactions from everyone. My daughters, of course, love my dolls and my husband, lovingly, thinks I'm a nerd. My mum thinks the dolls are amazing for the artistry. My dad doesn't really care one way or the other. My one sister thinks it's a big waste of money while another says, "to each their own". Some of my friends are completely creeped out by dolls, in general. I think most people do not understand, but they also respect me so they don't give me a hard time about it.”

Kam says other people's opinions hasn't disrupted her plans to keep growing her collection. She said: “There are so many wonderful people I have met over the course of these last three years. However, there are a lot of people who are super negative, overly judgemental, and downright mean. They thrive on this negativity and are so entitled they truly believe they can do whatever they want - those people make this hobby, toxic. I try to stay away from drama as much as possible, my self-worth is not dependent on this hobby."

While there have been some negative reactions, Kam also receives positive comments when out with the dolls in public. She said: “I have only taken my dolls out in public twice. Everyone was so amazed at how realistic the doll was! Most thought it was a real baby at first. That was fun. The other time was when I met a doll friend at a small cafe. There weren't many people there. I don't believe we got any weird looks!"

Encouraging others to join in on the niche hobby, Kam says prior research is key. She added: “Know that these dolls are expensive and the more realistic, the more it costs. Know that it's a very addictive hobby. It's very easy to get one doll thinking that's all you'll ever have and then up with 50. Sounds exaggerated but it happens all the time!"

Zahra Khaliq