SILICONE SUMMER HEAD BROKE OFF AT NECK by andrea arcello :(

[lesleym]

I've bought 4 dolls directly from Andrea and have never had any issues with communication, her assistant has always replied very quickly.

[Barbwired]

There are too many grey areas. Things are not always as black/white as they seem. On the one hand, if we don't state our concerns about our dolls on a doll forum, for fear of backlash, the standards of quality will continue to go down. There has to be some accountability and if that fails, at least some warning to potential buyers and the freedom to air concerns about dolls, on a doll forum. If you don't say something, on the proper forum, about the quality concerns you have, then you are partly responsible for the dissatisfaction of the next person who purchases the same item and is equally unhappy with it. On the other hand, these are art dolls, not play dolls. What one person does with their art doll may contribute to it's degradation, while another person with the same doll may handle, display and care for it differently and it's fine. We, as members of a doll forum, collectors and artists alike, all have very different ideas of what quality is, what care is, what we'll deal with and what we won't. Unless and until standards are stated, this type of dissatisfaction will continue. I, personally, am not one to condone regulation of art, but there has to be some accountability held and the freedom to air complaints without retribution. If an artist will not stand behind her work, deal with her customers promptly and properly, she has no business being in business.

[Kerries Caring Nursery]

I am sure this post will cause drama but you are asking a very valid question and I know first hand about Andreas customer service or should I say Linda because most of the time Linda answers for Andrea..Andrea doesn't take the time to deal with the folks after the sale..... I did not buy an Elliot Lucas from her but a very good and trusted friend did.. My friend was in TEARS when she received the doll.... my friend sent the doll back..andrea sent her a new one but it was worse...the mold was all stretched so the head looked like it was coming off the body.. I took it to DEDS so a good number of you ladies saw the doll so you know I am being 100 % honest... I felt the doll was not up to par so i wanted expert opinion and DEDS had plenty of experts... DeniseO looked over the doll thoroughly and her conclusion was a mother mold wasnt used so the mold stretched.... but that wasnt the only problem ...the doll was a sloppy mess....Please dont get mad at me for this because it is not just my opinion it was the opinion of everyone at the show that saw her except for one sweet lady that had come with her daughter.. She thought he was still adorable.. Her daughter had an Elliot L. but it was poured by Claire Taylor...not Andrea so her doll was amazing good... after about the fourth or fifth doll Andrea decided try pouring her on silicone instead of leaving it to the professional Claire Taylor.....So she used one of the silicones poured by Claire to make her ( Andreas) molds In MY opinion this is why you see sooooooo many Elliot Lucas dolls for sale .... We expect to get the doll in Andreas prototype picture and that was a doll poured by Claire and not her... with all that being said ...last year I bought a Nadia Arcello with hopes of repainting it .. Andrea CLAIMED it was platinum but it wasnt.... It was TIN so I couldnt paint it because I only have platinum paints so I contacted Andrea.......BUT she redirected me to Michelle Fagan because she claimed was the one who poured it and she was told it was platinum..... I notified Michelle but no response from her....
I told myself I would not be in the middle of one of these toxic post anymore and I was SO proud of myself when I didn't respond to the last two I followed because I certainly had strong feelings about the posts but I have been sitting on the feeling towards Andrea & Elliot Lucas because I didnt want to start anything because so many people love andrea and I didnt want them pissed at me and thinking I was just a trouble maker but then the other side of me thinks I am a Hypocrite for knowing how bad the dolls are and not speaking up... I hate to see you ladies buying this doll and getting disappointed because from the looks of how many folks sold him there was a lot of disappointment..... I know a few of you were super happy but I am willing to bet the REALLY happy folks bought the dolls poured by Claire.... I will admit that I feel Andrea is a good sculptor but I don't think it was fair that she chose to learn to mold and pour her own silicone on Elliot Lucas after she had Claire start and she used the pictures of Claire's doll .. I think $3200 or $3400 is WAY to much money to learn on... You should be very experienced in the process before charging such big bucks....really You should be experienced in the process before charging any money ...Integrity is so important.... I will probably regret this post .......because the backlash gives me a stomach ache .... I am going to hold my breathe and push submit........

Thank you Dana you such a good friend!! It was my Elliot Lucas that she took to the DEDS show and just know that this was my second one from her the first one was see threw and looked like it had herpes all over him because of the matting was so clumpy are something. Which I will say Andrea did make me a new one but she sold the first one as a boo boo and I would not of wanted my work sent out like that to anyone if I was an well known artist like her but its her life. This was my dream kit and I was crushed when I got my second one and it was just as bad and I have pictures to show all the flaws on both. I believe I should of gotten the same product as the ones that were poured by Claire and Linda told me that some people liked the bigger mold "stretch out mold" I told her I didnt know we had a choice of a good mold or stretch out mold because I paid for a baby that looked like the proto. I also never received the baby I waited in the first place I asked for my baby to look just like the proto I got a doll that had dark brown hair all over but I could of dealt with that. I am not her to bash her but I feel we should of all been given the same product poured by Claire that knew what she was doing. Oh and my second doll was peeling on his shoulder the day I opened him so I believe since she says you can sell your spots then she should back up her work even if it is the second mom because it was brand new. Like I said if I was the artist I wouldnt want my work out there looking like that. And I dont want to hear about bathing them causes the paint to peel or you shouldnt do it because some artist have advertised that you can put paci bottle and bathe them like real babies. But to handle them as if they are nb babies. No I do not bathe my silicones I did once on my very first one I got years ago but I do wipe them down for dust reasons if needed. And I know it is a big back and forth on this issue of people treating them like real babies but I have seen artist make videos and put powder and bend them and change them so I think if the artist believe that water and baby soap might take off their paint or ruin their dolls then they should post that and put it on their care sheets because we all know as buyers and sellers that a lot of people are buying these dolls to get that feel of caring for a real baby. I'm not saying this to upset anyone because I can't stand drama and im easy to get along with so please don't bash me over this. Dana again thank you for everything you have done for me. And to the lady that is having the issues please dont give up its her work he was new so she should help.

[Tracy Lorraine]

I am sure this post will cause drama but you are asking a very valid question and I know first hand about Andreas customer service or should I say Linda because most of the time Linda answers for Andrea..Andrea doesn't take the time to deal with the folks after the sale..... I did not buy an Elliot Lucas from her but a very good and trusted friend did.. My friend was in TEARS when she received the doll.... my friend sent the doll back..andrea sent her a new one but it was worse...the mold was all stretched so the head looked like it was coming off the body.. I took it to DEDS so a good number of you ladies saw the doll so you know I am being 100 % honest... I felt the doll was not up to par so i wanted expert opinion and DEDS had plenty of experts... DeniseO looked over the doll thoroughly and her conclusion was a mother mold wasnt used so the mold stretched.... but that wasnt the only problem ...the doll was a sloppy mess....Please dont get mad at me for this because it is not just my opinion it was the opinion of everyone at the show that saw her except for one sweet lady that had come with her daughter.. She thought he was still adorable.. Her daughter had an Elliot L. but it was poured by Claire Taylor...not Andrea so her doll was amazing good... after about the fourth or fifth doll Andrea decided try pouring her on silicone instead of leaving it to the professional Claire Taylor.....So she used one of the silicones poured by Claire to make her ( Andreas) molds In MY opinion this is why you see sooooooo many Elliot Lucas dolls for sale .... We expect to get the doll in Andreas prototype picture and that was a doll poured by Claire and not her... with all that being said ...last year I bought a Nadia Arcello with hopes of repainting it .. Andrea CLAIMED it was platinum but it wasnt.... It was TIN so I couldnt paint it because I only have platinum paints so I contacted Andrea.......BUT she redirected me to Michelle Fagan because she claimed was the one who poured it and she was told it was platinum..... I notified Michelle but no response from her....
I told myself I would not be in the middle of one of these toxic post anymore and I was SO proud of myself when I didn't respond to the last two I followed because I certainly had strong feelings about the posts but I have been sitting on the feeling towards Andrea & Elliot Lucas because I didnt want to start anything because so many people love andrea and I didnt want them pissed at me and thinking I was just a trouble maker but then the other side of me thinks I am a Hypocrite for knowing how bad the dolls are and not speaking up... I hate to see you ladies buying this doll and getting disappointed because from the looks of how many folks sold him there was a lot of disappointment..... I know a few of you were super happy but I am willing to bet the REALLY happy folks bought the dolls poured by Claire.... I will admit that I feel Andrea is a good sculptor but I don't think it was fair that she chose to learn to mold and pour her own silicone on Elliot Lucas after she had Claire start and she used the pictures of Claire's doll .. I think $3200 or $3400 is WAY to much money to learn on... You should be very experienced in the process before charging such big bucks....really You should be experienced in the process before charging any money ...Integrity is so important.... I will probably regret this post .......because the backlash gives me a stomach ache .... I am going to hold my breathe and push submit........

I appreciate you, Dana! Thank you for this post. You answered several questions I've had swirling around in my head about this sculpt.

[Jasmin]

I've bought 4 dolls directly from Andrea and have never had any issues with communication, her assistant has always replied very quickly.

That holds true for me too. Andrea and her Assistant Linda always reply to my messages.

[AnneXmedici]

For me it does not matter how many were perfect as long as there were babies made and sold that was substandard (by saying this I refer to earlier posts made). A professional artist should not let dolls of an edition leave before being throughly checked over. If, by any chance, there are babies who gets sent out faulty it should be handled by the artist herself. It can happen. It is not, however, fair to let the collectors hold the bucket. This means that we all depend on pot luck when we buy straight from the artist. And that is not how it should be IMHO

[NadiaK]

Thank you Dana you such a good friend!! It was my Elliot Lucas that she took to the DEDS show and just know that this was my second one from her the first one was see threw and looked like it had herpes all over him because of the matting was so clumpy are something. Which I will say Andrea did make me a new one but she sold the first one as a boo boo and I would not of wanted my work sent out like that to anyone if I was an well known artist like her but its her life. This was my dream kit and I was crushed when I got my second one and it was just as bad and I have pictures to show all the flaws on both. I believe I should of gotten the same product as the ones that were poured by Claire and Linda told me that some people liked the bigger mold "stretch out mold" I told her I didnt know we had a choice of a good mold or stretch out mold because I paid for a baby that looked like the proto. I also never received the baby I waited in the first place I asked for my baby to look just like the proto I got a doll that had dark brown hair all over but I could of dealt with that. I am not her to bash her but I feel we should of all been given the same product poured by Claire that knew what she was doing. Oh and my second doll was peeling on his shoulder the day I opened him so I believe since she says you can sell your spots then she should back up her work even if it is the second mom because it was brand new. Like I said if I was the artist I wouldnt want my work out there looking like that. And I dont want to hear about bathing them causes the paint to peel or you shouldnt do it because some artist have advertised that you can put paci bottle and bathe them like real babies. But to handle them as if they are nb babies. No I do not bathe my silicones I did once on my very first one I got years ago but I do wipe them down for dust reasons if needed. And I know it is a big back and forth on this issue of people treating them like real babies but I have seen artist make videos and put powder and bend them and change them so I think if the artist believe that water and baby soap might take off their paint or ruin their dolls then they should post that and put it on their care sheets because we all know as buyers and sellers that a lot of people are buying these dolls to get that feel of caring for a real baby. I'm not saying this to upset anyone because I can't stand drama and im easy to get along with so please don't bash me over this. Dana again thank you for everything you have done for me. And to the lady that is having the issues please dont give up its her work he was new so she should help.[/quote]

Kerrie could you post some pictures of his issues. So many times I have seen this baby for sale and been so tempted to get him. But something always held me back.

[Kelliegirl]

Kerrie could you post some pictures of his issues. So many times I have seen this baby for sale and been so tempted to get him. But something always held me back.

Me too………..maybe a gut feeling? All I know is I had Summer by Andrea and her paint was a problem and also the silicone seemed to be disintegrating right before my very eyes, so I just have never had a good feeling about her dolls since.

[Jasmin]

Kerrie could you post some pictures of his issues. So many times I have seen this baby for sale and been so tempted to get him. But something always held me back.

Me too………..maybe a gut feeling? All I know is I had Summer by Andrea and her paint was a problem and also the silicone seemed to be disintegrating right before my very eyes, so I just have never had a good feeling about her dolls since.

Kellie I am a happy Summer Mommy and I am so sorry yours was not as perfect as mine !

Did you purchase her directly from Andrea ?

[Kelliegirl]

Kerrie could you post some pictures of his issues. So many times I have seen this baby for sale and been so tempted to get him. But something always held me back.

Me too………..maybe a gut feeling? All I know is I had Summer by Andrea and her paint was a problem and also the silicone seemed to be disintegrating right before my very eyes, so I just have never had a good feeling about her dolls since.

Kellie I am a happy Summer Mommy and I am so sorry yours was not as perfect as mine !

Did you purchase her directly from Andrea ?

No, I was her second mommy, but I know that her original mommy only had her a short period of time and didn't mishandle her……..she actually had 2 Summer's and kept the one she liked better and sold me the one I got. I was heartbroken!!

[Susan@childrenoftheheart]

It has been my experience with Andrea that she goes above and beyond what many other artists do. Her top priority has been to make the customer happy. If there is a problem that she is not aware of, then she cannot address it. When I have had an issue with a doll in the past, Andrea stepped right up to the plate and handled it very professionally. I have never had a communication problem with Andrea or Linda. They have always gotten back to me in a reasonable amount of time. The Elliott Lucas scuplt is one of the most realistic babies out there. The two that I had in inventory were flawless. JMHO.

Hugs,

[Sandis Doll House]

So sad. My Summer is perfect as was my Nadia. Maybe she should just stick to sculpting and hire out the pouring.

[dana]

Kerrie could you post some pictures of his issues. So many times I have seen this baby for sale and been so tempted to get him. But something always held me back.

Me too………..maybe a gut feeling? All I know is I had Summer by Andrea and her paint was a problem and also the silicone seemed to be disintegrating right before my very eyes, so I just have never had a good feeling about her dolls since.

have Kerries pictures... Kerrie sent me her doll pics i didnt take them .. i must add this is the second doll andrea sent because kerrie sent the first one back it was worse than this one but i couldnt find the pictures of it kerrie you will have to add those..




THIS IS THE NICE ONE CLAIRE POUREDI copied this pic from someone to show you what Kerrie THOUGHT she was getting if its your picture and you want me to remove it will

[Kelliegirl]

Oh my gosh!!!!

[dana]

Oh my gosh!!!!

even worse than the painting was that the head was so stretched out it felt like it was going to fall off.. I am not exaggerating ...the ladies at the show can back this up...
Andrea did give a refund but at first she said she did not offer refunds so I sent her an email and let her know that I showed the ladies at DEDS and they all agreed the doll wasnt right not until then did she agree to give her a refund even then she delayed the refund.

[NadiaK]

This baby is TDF. But the other pictures, I am speechless.

[SharonL]

Oh, no
Why is the neck so long?

[Jasmin]

Oh my gosh!!!!

even worse than the painting was that the head was so stretched out it felt like it was going to fall off.. I am not exaggerating ...the ladies at the show can back this up...
Andrea did give a refund but at first she said she did not offer refunds so I sent her an email and let her know that I showed the ladies at DEDS and they all agreed the doll wasnt right not until then did she agree to give her a refund even then she delayed the refund.

I would have been in tears had I received my Elliott Lucas looking like this !

Good to hear Kerrie did receive a refund.

[Lainey]

I cannot believe how bad Kerrie's doll looks. I would have been way beyond upset and angry if I received a doll like that. There is no excuse for sending a doll out that looks like that. It should have been made known that Claire was not doing the pouring of some of the babies. Claire would never, ever have sent a doll out looking like that. I'm sure Andrea and Linda know which dolls were sent out that she did herself and are just not wanting to have to deal with it. I wonder why Andrea isn't coming on here herself to explain what happened. I'm sure she is very aware of this situation and it seems like she isn't doing much to take care of it. I feel so sorry for all the ladies that got stung by this. I hope a satisfactory agreement can be made to rectify this terrible injustice.

[dana]

This baby is TDF. But the other pictures, I am speechless.

I agree Nadia. There is no question that Andrea is a very talented artist but her lack to detail and not following up on problems is not right .This doll was amazing in every way. The mommy had her at DEDS and when I saw her I was shocked after seeing the one Andrea sent Kerrie... I had seen enough of dolls poured by Claire Taylor to know this was her work so I ask her at the show and that is when i found out she poured the first four and then Andrea decided she would try her hand at pouring silicone. I agree that everyone has a learning curve but don't practice on a doll you are charging thousands of dollars for.
edited for misspelled word