The Joy of Reborn Dolls: One Woman’s Unexpected Journey to Success

In the quiet moments of early morning, Gina Kasoff follows a routine familiar to many mothers. She visits the nursery to check on her youngest, Pippa, before waking the other children to start their day. What makes Kasoff’s motherhood experience unique, however, is that Pippa and her siblings aren’t human children—they’re intricately crafted Reborn Dolls. “They’re hand-sculpted and painted by very talented artists worldwide,” explains the forty-something from St. Louis, Missouri. Since beginning her collection in 2020, Kasoff has become a mother to 20 of these remarkably lifelike dolls, in addition to her five grown human children. These premium vinyl and silicone creations, which can cost between $2,000 and $10,000 depending on their specifications and the artist who made them, have become the center of a vibrant online community—and surprisingly, a lucrative business opportunity that has transformed Kasoff’s life.

While Kasoff has created an entire world around her dolls—complete with distinct personalities, voices, and daily routines—she’s always transparent about the nature of her hobby. “The dolls aren’t real,” she emphasizes, which became the cheeky title of her YouTube channel when she launched it in March 2024. What began as a creative outlet for Kasoff, who had loved playing with dolls throughout her childhood and early adolescence, quickly evolved into something much more significant. Within just two weeks of starting her channel, her content became monetized, and her subscriber count has since grown to over 30,000. Her videos, which feature morning routines, school scenarios, shopping trips, bath times, and holiday celebrations with her doll family, have resonated with viewers in unexpected ways. The result has been astonishing: “In the past 365 days, I’ve earned over $200,000 on YouTube,” Kasoff reveals. “I make more money now than I’ve ever made—more than my husband and I have ever made combined.”

Creating content for her channel is no small undertaking. Each video requires over five hours to film and edit, showcasing the care and attention Kasoff puts into her craft. As a former children’s fashion designer and current landlord, she brings both creativity and business sense to her new venture. But beyond the financial rewards, Kasoff has found purpose in challenging societal double standards around adult hobbies. “Are we, as a society, really that far gone that we watch grown men play video games, Dungeons & Dragons, dress up for Renaissance fairs and Civil War reenactments, but I’m being bashed for wanting to encourage my nurturing hobby?” she questions. “If men can engage in child’s play, why can’t women embrace their nurturing side and play with dolls?” This perspective has made Kasoff an unexpected advocate for adult doll enthusiasts around the world, fighting to destigmatize a hobby that brings joy and fulfillment to many.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Kasoff has discovered that her audience extends far beyond fellow doll collectors. The majority of her viewers are actually children under 12—young girls from Generations Alpha and Beta who have formed strong emotional connections to her content. “You’d be surprised how many little girls leave comments or write to my PO Box saying, ‘Gina, will you please come be my mommy?’ or ‘Gina, my dad left my house last month,’ or ‘Gina, I love you so much. Can I call you auntie?'” she shares. “Little girls run to my content as a source of entertainment, but also as a source of comfort and love.” Additionally, many adult viewers find therapeutic value in her videos, especially those dealing with grief, infertility, miscarriage, or loneliness. For these viewers, the doll play represents something healing and meaningful, transcending what critics might dismiss as mere childishness.

At the heart of Kasoff’s doll family is Pippa, a two-year-old blonde character with “sass and spunk” inspired by Kasoff’s youngest human daughter, Sophia. As the star of the YouTube channel, Pippa features prominently in videos about shopping trips and everyday activities. Kasoff is thoughtful about the resources she uses in creating her content, addressing potential concerns about waste. “The baby formula I feed to the dolls is expired stuff I get from local food pantries. Any food I prepare for the dolls, I eat,” she explains. She reuses yogurt containers, diapers, and medicine bottles (filled with water for the videos), and while she does purchase new clothes for the dolls, she later donates these items to friends or second-hand shops. “It’s all about being creative and having fun,” Kasoff emphasizes, showing that her hobby is both sustainable and purposeful.

Despite her success and the positive impact of her content, Kasoff faces persistent criticism online. Detractors label her hobby as “sad,” “scary,” “creepy,” and “disturbing,” with harsh comments appearing regularly on her TikTok and Instagram posts. “It’s kind of heartbreaking,” she admits, particularly when considering the women who collect Reborn Dolls for deeply personal reasons. Yet Kasoff remains undeterred by the negativity, focusing instead on her mission to create “wholesome content for little girls and middle-aged girls everywhere.” Her message to critics is straightforward: “Don’t look so deep. Just watch the show.” As she continues to build her unusual career and support a community that finds value in her work, Gina Kasoff demonstrates that joy can be found in unexpected places—and sometimes, in embracing what makes us different, we discover our greatest strengths and connections to others.