When buying a reborn doll, you will want to consider both looks and quality. Looks are the easy part--if you like the way the doll looks in the photos, then it looks good enough. (Looks are always a matter of personal preference.) But quality is a broader question and you may have to ask the artist for more information than what the auction provides. In any case here are several things to consider:

Vinyl:

Some dolls are very hard vinyl while others are very soft, and may even be a silicone vinyl mix. Because realism is the ultimate goal, softer vinyl is usually preferred, but if you only want your doll for display, it may not matter to you. Softer vinyls are sometimes also translucent, such as those of the Secrist doll company. These allow for any inside coloring to show through and give the doll more depth.

Coloring:

Reborn artists have used a number of paints and inks in order to achieve their realistic skintones; some have even used makeup! But you will want to make sure that your doll is painted with colors that won't wash off, wear off, or rub off. Genesis heat set paints, which are cured in an oven are generally considered to be top of the line for reborn coloring. Genesis paints won't come off, nor will they "migrate" through the vinyl. [Beware! Some artists use dyes on the inside of their dolls (such as RIT or acrylic paints) which may "migrate"through the vinyl, causing blue or purple "bruising" on the doll.]

Body:

Most reborn artists create new cloth bodies for their dolls. These bodies can be from any type of cloth, but plush fabrics such as doe suede or suedecloth are often preferred. Some bodies are jointed while others are not. Some artists choose to leave the dolls with their original vinyl bodies (particularly if the doll is anatomically correct). Often dolls with cloth bodies are preferred because they are more cuddly and more poseable. Some artists make body plates from the original vinyl bodies, which can be used for posing and taking pictures. These are a nice option that captures the best of both worlds.

Limbs:

While many people prefer full limbs on their dolls, quarter limbs actually make the dolls more cuddly. The advantage of full limbs is that it allows for more clothing options (such as short sleeves).

Weighting:

Most reborn dolls are stuffed with a combination of fiberfill and something else to give them weight. Many artists still use sand to weight their dolls, but sand has several problems. If the bags containing sand leak, it makes a huge mess. (I bought one doll weighted with sand and had this happen.) I have also heard that international customs has a problem with sand and the dolls may not pass through customs. I have also heard in rare cases that sand may cause mold or mildew inside the doll (if the sand is not handled properly). Now, more doll artists are using poly pellets or glass beads to weight their dolls. Both of these are customs-friendly, and less likely to leak. Another interesting material is baby fat pellets. These are soft, squishy pellets often added in the tummy or tushy areas to give a more realistic feel.

Hair:

Hair is one of those features that can make a doll look like a real baby, or just another doll. Some artists use wigs, which are less realistic than microrooting, but some of the wigs do look nice, particularly for older baby and toddler dolls. Mohair wigs, particularly those by Kemper, are the top choice for reborn wigs. Mohair is very soft and feels like human baby hair.

Some artists root the hair on their dolls and the top choice for hair is still mohair because of its soft, natural feel. Rooting means that the hair is inserted into the scalp using needles (usually felting needles). But often rooting results in unnatural looking "hair plugs." Microrooting is the same idea as rooting, but only a few hairs are inserted at a time, creating a more natural look, as if the doll had grown the hair itself. Ultra-microrooted means that the hair has been rooted only 1 to 3 hairs at a time. Be sure to look carefully at the pictures of the hair so that you will not be disappointed when your doll arrives.

Extras:

Be sure to read what extras your doll comes with: clothes, pacifier, toys, bottle, etc. many artists use props in their photos, but the text should specify what the doll comes with.

Above all, you need to make sure that your doll is a quality doll that will last and that has the features you want. Very few artists accept returns, so be sure to ask your questions before you bid.