Lifelike newborn dolls prove popular

"We were initially sceptical about stocking them but our chief toy buyer Vee Kistensamy saw potential in this product which has proved popular with our female clientele, mothers and daughters alike," said Toys R Us South Africa and Reggie's director, Issy Zimmerman.

The handcrafted dolls, which are exclusive to Toys R Us and Reggie's, are created through a special process called reborning which involves hours of carefully hand painting and applying a warm lifelike complexion and skin tone to the dolls to include delicate features like veins, eyebrows and eyelashes. Reborning also involves a unique technique of rooting in the hair to appear natural. So real do the dolls appear that a Cape Town man once broke into a parked car, believing the mother had left her sleeping baby locked inside.

Owner Rina Muller is bowled over by the success of her dolls, which she started making as a hobby in 2006. She makes dolls of any colour and does both girls and boys.

"We have grown really fast from the initial order to orders in excess of 1600 per month at present and we are grateful to toy group for believing in us," said Muller, adding that they intended to keep expanding their range.

Resembling real babies from birth (even premature) to six months and weighing the same, each baby has a name and an age and comes with a dummy, blanket and birth certificate. Muller said she also makes babies to order, as some clients want dolls that look like their own children to keep as lasting memories for when their children grow up.

She said there was great scope for her business to grow. Some of the dolls are being purchased to help get a first born toddler acquainted with mom bringing home a new brother or sister. The collectability aspect for Baltorina Unique Babies is also proving extremely popular.