Hi there!

Anybody who has been following my facebook pages, youtube videos and websites may be wondering what the heck I'm up to now ... but don't worry it's just my brand that is changing - I'm not going anywhere or doing anything differently.

Most of you in the doll world will be aware of what is going on with illegal kits and dolls being presented for sale over the internet and it is a real worry.  Like most doll sculptors and artists, I also have seen photos of my dolls presented in these scam sites for crazy low prices where you just know some unsuspecting person will be excitedly waiting the arrival of their new doll having paid across hundreds of pounds/dollars, and no such doll will arrive.

It is not easy for customers to work out what is real and what is not.  How do they know when going onto a facebook page or website for a reborn nursery that those dolls really are being sold by the artist.  Recently a blank kit I sold to a customer for painting, was beautifully painted and rooted and sold on to her customer.  Unfortunately those photos of the finished kit were copied and another person called herself a nursery name and offered the same doll for sale.  Even safety photos can no longer be guarantee of their person having the doll in their possession, as we have all seen photos of dolls with photoshopped 'safety' details added to them.

I feel it might be easier if we artists start using our real names for trading, rather than nursery name.  So, if I sell a doll from a website that shows me as Carolyn Doughty, has full details about me and where I live, and contact details etc, and the customer gets a paypal invoice from me under my own name or bank details and the name on the bank account matches my name ... that is a good indication that they are getting a doll from a well known and trusted artist?  So I am changing my trading name to Carolyn Doughty Dolls.  Anybody who deals with me, once I've changed all the names and branding across will get communication directly from me under my name, and payments will be made to me, nobody else.

Anybody buying a blank kit from me and selling on the finished baby, is welcome to inform me who they have sold their baby to so that I can keep a record of who owns what, so if that customer wanted to sell the baby on, again they can refer back to me to check the sale is authentic.  Similarly anybody buying a baby from me and selling it on, again is welcome to let me know so that I can keep a record of ownership for future sales.

So over the next few weeks I'll be changing my branding to Carolyn Doughty Dolls, and if you need to look me up just simply type my name into your browser and there I will be!!!   (Hopefully!!!)

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