A woman who has spent thousands on her reborn doll collection has revealed how she takes them for walks and on holiday – but says there’s a “dark side” people aren’t aware of.
Zoe Miller longed for a way to fill the void after becoming an empty nester.
The mum-of-six, from Suffolk, then received a gift from her partner, Anna, 50, that would change her life forever.
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It was a reborn doll who the 48-year-old called Sunny.
After rediscovering her purpose in life and the joy she felt, it gave her an idea – to start a not-for-profit charity gifting reborn dolls to those who need them.
Sadly, though, her act of kindness has entered the “dark side” as fraudsters have latched onto her idea and are scamming people out of thousands across the globe.
“Fraudsters use my content to sell reborns to people and they’re taking the money and running,” Zoe told What’s The Jam.
“I’ve had messages from vulnerable people tricked into parting with thousands of pounds by con-artists.
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“One woman, who thought she was buying a reborn from me, paid £2,000 to a scammer who was using a fake account with my pictures.
“It’s shocking that they’re targeting vulnerable people – I don’t know how they can sleep at night.
“I’ve managed to get a couple of the accounts closed own.
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“And it’s not limited to just me; it’s other reborn artists, too.”
Not only that, there’s also an active counterfeit market churning out cheap and basic reborns – often using toxic materials – marketed with pictures of expensive models.
Zoe, whose kids are aged between 17 and 33, has 10 of her most treasured dolls on display, with 14 stored in a cupboard at home.
She films herself taking them for walks, changing their nappies and even taking them on holiday, which she shares with her 42,000 followers.
While people are generally quite accepting, there are harsh trolls who call Zoe “crazy”.
She said: “People tell me to get help and call me mentally unwell.
“Some people don’t understand, but I don’t want to give the negativity airtime.
“But the way I see it; some people collect stamps – I collect reborn dolls.”
Now, she’s taught herself how to paint the lifelike dolls and is building her own at-home studio in order to ramp up orders.
Using the money earned, she’ll create reborn dolls solely for gifting.
The process can take up to three weeks, with a head of hair completed in around 36 hours.
Zoe purchases reborn dolls kits directly from sculptors, including arms, legs, the head and body, which are completely blank.
Her artistic skill, from there, is what makes them “real”.
Due to her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, the mum often “forgets” the process and has to relearn this from scratch.
Zoe, who is sculpting her first doll, said: “The reborn therapy community is growing as more and more people are realising it’s helpful for mental and physical health, anxiety and loneliness.
“If people can’t leave the house, or have dementia or Alzheimer’s, it can really help them, too.
“As I am ill-retired and have multiple sclerosis, I use their pram as a walking aid.
“But none of this would be possible without the help and support of my partner, Anna.
“I’ve gifted dolls to all sorts of people.
“I sent one from my personal collection to a woman with terminal cancer.
“She said that every evening she holds and changes the baby to soothe her.
“I’m in no way embarrassed.
“It might not work for everything, but for a lot of us, it offers a form of therapy.
“And more people are opening up to the idea each day.”
The mum, who also has seven grandchildren, is urging people to be vigilant when shopping for reborn dolls to avoid going over into the “dark side”.
She added: “Please be careful who you buy a reborn doll from.
“Check sellers are legitimate and go to reborn doll shows if you can to make sure you’re buying from proper artists.”
