Don't you just love them? The first time I saw one I fell head over heels in love with it. My me page informs how I learned to make them,  this page is about how to choose one when considering a reborn for yourself or another.
First, determine how much you want to spend.Staying within your budget can keep you from experiencing buyers remorse. Next be aware that many good artists are lousy photographers. If she offers money back,be willing to take a risk, I did once and the baby was perfect and I kept it.
Many artists hire professional photographers to take their pictures. I knew a lady who brought her dolls to a studio each month for photos, now that could give the artist an edge but also make for a pricey baby.
Read feedback and ask questions.I make a lot of custom babies , if a person wants a custom of any doll, I create an auction for them and send them the number,so always ask an artist if you don't find the doll you want, she may be willing to make it for you.
Reborns come in all price ranges and I have read where the line, you get what you pay for is used but I don't agree. Many times the artist is not trying for a sky high profit and offering a beautiful baby.
It is true that the higher the quality of the doll they begin with usually insures a more realistic baby but not always. I like lee Middleton dolls because of the exceptional quality to begin with.I also love the Berenguers because they are tried and true great for reborning dolls.
I base my price on what I have invested in the baby and consider any profit a gift of which I'm most grateful to earn.
Does belonging to a group make for a better artist? I doubt it. These are clubs and clubs are fun but many good artists are loners because they want to be.
Cleanliness is extremely important to me and I would advise looking for that in photos, if the baby comes from a dirty home, the signs are usually there in the photos. I once saw a doll pictured  on a filthy sofa and a clear food stain on the blanket, can you imagine.? So look close!
When I first began to look at ebay for reborns, I made a list of catagories. Super realistic newborn, beautiful reborn I would be proud to display, lightly reborned ( little more than enhanced)and the insane, like a newborn Linda Webb Emily with 4 inch pigtails on each side of her head! Sometimes going over the list will help you determine just what kind of baby you really want to own.
I hope this helps, I  will add more later and thanks for reading this, I really appreciate it.
Warm wishes,
Sarah.
Baby Dreams Nursery.