Plain-language explanations of common reborn terms. When a word affects your buying decision, ask the seller what it means for the particular doll rather than relying on the label alone.
A–C
Air-dry paint — Paint that dries without heat curing. Follow the paint maker’s instructions during making and the artist’s instructions for the finished doll.
Artist reborn — A doll individually painted and finished by a reborn artist.
Blank kit — Unpainted doll parts used as the starting point for a finished reborn. Check which parts and body are included.
Blushing — Painted warmth on areas such as cheeks, hands, knees and feet.
Box opening — Unpacking a new doll and its included items, sometimes photographed or filmed by the collector.
Cable ties — Ties used to attach the head or limbs on some cloth-bodied dolls. The correct attachment depends on the construction.
COA — Certificate of authenticity. Ask who issued it and which kit or edition it relates to. It is one part of provenance, not a guarantee of the finished doll’s condition.
Combination hair — Painted hair with rooted fibres added. Both parts need appropriate care.
Cuddle baby — A doll with a sculpted head and a cloth body and cloth limbs. Check the listing for the exact construction and weight.
Custom order — A doll made to an agreed specification. Clarify what choices are included, the price and the sale terms before paying.
D–H
Doe suede body — A cloth body made from a soft, suede-like fabric. The term describes the body fabric rather than the doll’s painted parts.
Dummy or pacifier — An accessory used with a reborn. Magnetic versions need a compatible magnet in the doll and have specific safety warnings.
Edition — The production arrangement for a kit. A limited edition has a stated limit; an open edition is not sold on that same numbered-limit basis.
Eyes — Open-eyed dolls may have fitted eyes made from materials such as glass, acrylic or resin. Check the listing rather than assuming a material.
Filling and weighting — Materials inside the doll that provide softness and weight. Ask what is used and the finished weight.
Glass beads — Small glass beads used for weighting. They belong securely inside the doll’s construction.
Gloss — A shiny finish used on selected details, such as lips or nails.
Heat-set paint — Paint that requires heat curing as part of the making process. This is not permission to heat a finished doll during care.
K–M
Kit — The parts from which a reborn is made, often a head and limbs. Contents vary.
Knockoff or counterfeit kit — An unauthorised copy of another maker’s design. This is different from a factory-made doll that is accurately described.
Lanugo — Fine hair-like detail used to suggest newborn hair on the face or body.
Limb length — Full, three-quarter or other limb descriptions indicate how much of the limb is sculpted material and how it joins the body. Check photographs to see where cloth will show.
Magnet — A magnet fitted for an accessory such as a dummy. Not every doll has one, and compatibility must be checked.
Matte finish — A finish with little shine. It does not make painted surfaces immune to rubbing or damage.
Mohair — Hair from Angora goats, used as a fibre for rooting. Other rooted hair materials also exist.
Mottling — Layered variation in painted skin colour.
N–R
Nursery — A name sometimes used for an artist’s business or a collector’s doll space.
OOAK — One of a kind. Ask whether a listing means an original sculpt or an individually finished doll made from an existing kit.
Painted hair — Hair detail painted on the scalp rather than made from fibres. It needs dry dusting, not hair products.
Preemie — A term for a doll representing a premature baby. Use the actual measurements for clothing rather than relying on the label.
Prototype — An example finished to show a kit, often before its release. A prototype photograph may not show the doll being offered by another seller.
Provenance — The information about where a doll and its kit came from, including the maker, artist, ownership and paperwork.
Realborn® — Bountiful Baby’s range developed from scans of real babies. See Bountiful Baby’s explanation.
Reborn — A realistic art doll created through painting and finishing. The term in an advert does not itself verify materials or provenance.
Reweighting — Changing the doll’s internal weighting or its distribution. Ask about any reweighting when buying pre-owned.
Rooting — Inserting hair fibres into the scalp. Rooted hair needs different care from painted hair.
S–W
Sculptor — The maker of the original sculpted form used for a doll or kit. The reborn artist may be a different person.
Sealed display bottle — A bottle containing display liquid with a sealed closure. It is a prop, not a drinking bottle or toy.
Silicone — A material used for some dolls. It is different from vinyl and needs its maker’s specific care instructions.
SOLE — Sold out limited edition. It describes the kit’s edition status, not a guarantee of resale value.
Tummy or belly plate — A separate sculpted torso piece used with some dolls. It does not necessarily mean the doll has a full vinyl body.
Varnish — A finishing layer that can affect surface sheen and texture. Follow the artist’s care instructions.
Vinyl — A material used for many reborn heads and limbs, often with a separate cloth body.
WIP — Work in progress, usually photographs or notes showing an unfinished doll.
For buying checks, use the listing checklist. For care instructions rather than definitions, start with the reborn care overview.
