In the “there’s a market for everything” category, I present the “reborn doll.” Apparently, the insanely lifelike “fill a spot in the heart” of women who are desperate for the company of a newborn child. Fake hair, lifelike skin, accurate newborn weight…and they cost a cool $4K each, on average.
The vinyl dolls don’t just look exactly like real babies — they also feel real. Their bodies are stuffed and weighted to have the same heft and a similar feel to a live baby. Mohair is normally used for the hair and is rooted in the head strand by strand, a process that can take 30 hours. A magnet may be placed inside the mouth to hold a magnetic pacifier.
To add realism, some purchasers opt for a heartbeat and a device that makes the chest rise and fall to simulate breathing.
Man, I saw the BBC doc and those things totally freak me out. But what oogied me out even more were the self-titled “mothers” of said dolls. Those are some wacked-out women.
Realdolls are creepy. This is just sad. It reminds me of parents who have photos taken with their miscarried children; I’d imagine that’s a huge market for the manufacturers of these, which basically makes me want to punch them in the balls til they piss blood.
Re: Joe’s comment, I think someone came across the many websites devoted to stillborn/miscarried children (THOSE are disturbing!) and saw a market. God bless the free market.