Lifelike Bay Doll “Hailey” from Linda Webb Saves Real Baby Lives!

Doll collectors worldwide wait anxiously as doll manufacturers race to release new lines. Using patent-pending, skin-like vinyl materials, sophisticated doll artists are now crafting entire new generations of startlingly lifelike baby dolls. In a fascinating twist, one of the premiere collectible companies in the industry has pioneered an effort to transform collecting these realistic newborn baby dolls into support for real-life newborns in crisis! Through a unique partnership with a compassionate, acclaimed artist and an innovative charity, popular internet retailer Collectibles Today is pleased to announce the arrival of artist Linda Webb’s So Truly Real “Baby Hailey,” the first 100% silicone lifelike baby doll whose every sale supports Newborns in Need, Inc.

In keeping with a corporate philosophy of social responsibility, Collectibles Today is offering this amazingly realistic collectible baby doll in a strictly limited-edition of only 1,000 dolls worldwide, with $15.00 from the sale of each collectible baby doll donated directly to the Newborns in Need charity. Given the immense popularity of original Linda Webb doll designs and the tremendous collector response to the So Truly Real line of lifelike baby dolls, Newborns in Need will potentially receive as much as $15,000. Artist Linda Webb appeals to collectors, “All babies are special to me, but most of all those in need. I again have been given through my work the ability to contribute to this worthwhile cause. I hope you will share this unique opportunity with me.” Newborns in Need donates approximately 35,000 items a month to sick and needy babies and their families.

Collectibles Today has demonstrated a strong commitment to Newborns in Need with similar, successful donation programs in the past, and has embraced the opportunity to present yet another high-quality, uniquely lifelike baby doll in support of this worthy cause. Doll collectors and those interested in assisting needy newborns are encouraged to see the striking realism of So Truly Real “Hailey” for themselves. She is featured exclusively at www.collectiblestoday.com, along with details of the Newborns in Need charity donation program.

Collectibles Today is the premier Internet shopping site for unique, quality collectibles and giftware from the finest companies worldwide, offering Collecting Expertise, Excellence and Excitement for collectors as they pursue their passion for collecting. Collectibles Today is the online retail channel of The Bradford Exchange and its affiliated companies, the leading international provider of fine limited-edition collectibles.

For more details visit this page: Lifelike Bay Doll “Hailey”

Lifelike Baby Doll Adoption Experience from Lee Middleton Doll

From Denise Van Patten, Your Guide to Doll Collecting. FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Little girls across the country will soon experience the magic of baby doll adoption. Lee Middleton Original Dolls Inc., maker of vinyl collectible baby dolls, and toy store FAO Schwarz, are expanding their partnership to open six new Newborn Nursery Adoption Centers within FAO Schwarz toy stores later this month.

The Newborn Nursery Adoption Center is a simulated hospital nursery designed to give girls the memorable experience of adopting a lifelike baby doll in a realistic setting. FAO Schwarz’s reputation for creating an unforgettable, and sometimes over-the-top, shopping experience will mesh well with Lee Middleton Original Dolls Inc.’s commitment to quality dolls and innovation. The new Newborn Nursery Adoption Centers will appear in FAO Schwarz stores in Boston, Seattle, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Los Angeles. FAO Schwarz owned Zany Brainy in Northbrook, Illinois will also open a Newborn Nursery.

“We are very pleased with our new partnership with FAO Schwarz that will now allow many more girls to experience the loving bond created through a Nursery baby adoption,” said Iain Macfarlane, CEO of Lee Middleton Original Dolls Inc. “Unlike other dolls, the Nursery dolls and the baby adoption experience are designed to help young girls develop their nurturing skills while having fun. It’s a great family experience not only for children, but also for their parents and grandparents.”

How the Adoption Works

The Newborn Nursery Adoption Center provides a fun outing. As the customer enters the area, they hear sounds of happy baby noises cooing from the nursery viewing area. When they peek through the glass, they see a variety of baby dolls with all different complexions and hair and eye colors. The child (or the adult collector!) then decides which baby to take home. Once the selection is made, a sales associate dressed like a real nurse helps the customer put on a hospital gown. Adoption papers are then completed with the baby’s name, address, and birth date. The “nurse” will carry the baby out of her crib and will place her on a changing table. She’ll conduct a full health examination of the baby and then she’ll teach the new mother how to powder her diaper and hold her. At the end of the adoption, the new “mommy” can buy accessories for the new arrival.

History of the Newborn Nursery Adoption Center

Lee Middleton Original Dolls Inc. is an Ohio-based company that has been creating award-winning, lifelike baby dolls for 25 years. During those years, the company has been predominantly recognized for its collectible vinyl baby dolls. But in recent years, the company has expanded its line to include dolls that are made of the same quality materials as the collectible dolls, but can withstand more “love” from little children. One of the most recognizable features of the Newborn Nursery doll is the weight distribution. Each doll is 4 pounds and is designed to look and feel like a real baby. With so many people who enjoy the lifelike qualities, Lee Middleton Original Dolls Inc. felt a nursery setting would provide a stronger experience for both children and their parents. In 1994, the first Newborn Nursery Adoption Center opened at the company’s Belpre, Ohio Factory Store, and the concept has been popular ever since.

The first, and up until this month, the only FAO Schwarz Newborn Nursery Adoption Center location was at the flagship store in New York City. With November being “National Adoption Month,” it seems like the perfect time for the opening of the six additional Newborn Nursery Adoption Centers.

Sugar, Snails and Silicone: Today's Doll Materials

Sugar, Snails and Silicone: Today´s Doll Materials

Sugar, Snails and Silicone: Today´s Doll Materials

By Alison Marek
September 2005

What are little girls and boys made of? These days, if they’re collectible replicas, a soft vinyl and silicone mix. From sculpting to manufacture, new materials are revolutionizing the look and feel of baby dolls.

Three years ago, doll maker Sheila Michael switched over from the polymer clays such as Cernit, Sculpey and Super Sculpey to a polymer resin called Pro-Sculpt for her one-of-a-kind dolls. She still uses traditional polymers for her manufactured work.

To create the New Baby Skin for their Breath of Life babies, Lee Middleton Original Dolls created a vinyl mix that was “softer and more cuddly,” said Mark Putinski, vice president of marketing. They opted not to add silicone, which is often used by one-of-a-kind doll artists to get a super-realistic look.

“We chose an all-vinyl mixture because of its long-term stability,” Putinski told TDmonthly Magazine. “Nobody knows how silicone will hold up.”

After six months of experimenting with silicone and vinyl mixes, Shirley Blackall, founder of Blackall Associates Inc., believes she’s found one that adds realism while remaining stable over time. There’s just a small amount of silicone in the mix, said Blackall, but it’s enough to lend a realistically soft and “squishy” feel to the babies’ arms and legs.

“For the face, we put a layer of silicone-vinyl over a hard vinyl head, so it has a soft feel to it,” Blackall continued. A silicone-vinyl “tummy plate” is available in some models, and is sewn directly onto the baby’s fiber-filled cloth body.

The Secrist Doll Company designs and manufactures its dolls in its own Midland, Mich. factory, utilizing a team of 12 cross-trained, synergistic workers. They even produce their own optical-quality acrylic doll’s eyes.

“The vinyl that we use is chosen carefully by us to be so safe that a baby can chew on it without any concern,” founder Pat Secrist told TDmonthly Magazine.

Secrist started making realistic baby dolls and kits in response to requests from reborners – craftspeople who buy realistic baby dolls, then take them apart and refurbish them, painting in such details as the tiny blue veins that pulse underneath babies’ temples. The reborned babies may sell for as much as 10 times the cost of the original doll. Secrist make a "blank canvas" kit that allows crafters to "newborn" their babies without renovating previously made dolls.

Secrist uses a semi-translucent vinyl mix and places the pigment underneath the “skin,” giving it a more realistic appearance. The heads are 1/8” thick and are soft enough for reborners to hand-root hair through the scalp without preheating in an oven.

Most of the lifelike baby dolls have cloth bodies, which give a “cuddly” feel to the dolls. Manufacturers and reborners often add plastic pellets to the babies’ bottoms to weigh them down and add to the realism.

The following are a few products that reflect the realistic baby doll trend.

Little Teddy by SECRIST DOLL COMPANY

Secrist is the first doll company to provide "newborning" kits to reborners so they can bypass the tedium of renovating ready-made dolls. The vinyl forms are completely blank — like an unfinished canvas. Little Teddy, pictured here after being newborned, is approximately 16" long. 8/31/2005 (Price: $69)

Jamie for Reborn Artists by SECRIST DOLL COMPANY

This newly born preemie is ready to be “newborned” by an adventurous crafts person. She comes unassembled with vinyl arms, legs, cloth body, joints and tywraps. She needs to be painted and have eyelashes added. The photo depicts a finished “Jamie. 7/11/2005 (Price: $85)

Baby Sophie by LEE MIDDLETON ORIGINAL DOLLS INC.

A limited edition preemie, this Breath of Life Baby was designed by Jane Pinkstaff, one of Middleton’s guest artists. She comes with blond hand-rooted hair and New Baby Skin. 7/11/2005 (Price: $149)

Jun Li by BLACKALL ASSOCIATES INC.

Sculpted by Laura Tuzio-Ross for Masterpiece Dolls, this 20” baby has lifelike silicone/vinyl limbs and head attached to a cloth body. A human hair wig and a red satin outfit designed by the artist’s mother marks this doll as a true collectible. 7/11/2005 (Price: $139)

Writer’s Bio: ALISON MAREK is a writer and independent filmmaker whose work has won or been nominated for numerous awards and grants. She recently received her MFA in film directing from New York University. She´s also the author/illustrator of the old PIRANHA PRESS (DC COMICS) graphic novels "Desert Streams" and "Sparrow." She still has her first MADAME ALEXANDER doll.