Any serious collector want his or her prized compendium to be in pourboire - top shape . But when you ’re dealing with items that are well over 50 eld sure-enough , you ’re bound to have to form around some of the inevitable issues that come with ageing . And that echo true for composition dolls , made of a unequaled blend of wood , wax and lacquer that require the proper guardianship to make them last .
authorship chick came about in the other twentieth hundred , when American manufacturer wanted to bid a stronger alternative to the fragile dolls made with bisque and Communist China by the Germans . Early makeup skirt were made of gum and wax and then manufacturing business take off add together forest to their surreptitious recipes . They were sealed with a concentrated lacquer and then their features were painted on . So , while these dolls were made to last , their condition often depends on how they ’ve been stored and expose through the yr . Here are five tips for cleaning constitution dame to bestow their peach back to life .
5: Avoid “Miracle” Products
All dolls are not created adequate , but the self - proclaimed " miracle " cleaner on the market title that they ’ll work for any of them . These miraculous product run from cleaning fluid to restoration material , and they incorrectly provide beginner with the confidence to clean up their assembling all by themselves . The trouble is that often the products do more impairment than good . piece of music wench , particularly , have a polish that really should n’t be altered by anyone but a professional .
4: Acrylic Paint
We strongly advise you to not set about to alter your makeup doll ’s smiler , but if you do , then the only thing you should use is acrylic paint . This type of paint wo n’t dry out out the surface , but it will conceal some of the crazing and cracks that are bond to have happened to your skirt by now . Plus , it will add a lilliputian radiancy to your doll ’s skin colour . Be trusted to find a key colour that closely matches your chick ’s skin tone , and practice it with a soft , cotton rag in very little patch . Rub it on and then buffet it off before it dry , being measured to avoid the entire eye region include the eyebrow and lash .
3: Less is More
While a mint condition composition dame would surely be a most respect willpower , most are going to occur with their fair part of wearable and tear , and most collectors understand that . The trouble with the material used to make penning bird is that they engulf oils and waxes , which will alter their appearance . So more often than not , unless a dolly is in super bad shape or really dirty , you should n’t attempt to restore or clean your wench ’s visual aspect . The most you should ever do is use a piece of tightly weave cotton to gently buff the finish .
2: Prevention is the Best Medicine
As with most things that count , the good showcase scenario for a composition dolly is to take tutelage of it so that it does n’t need to be strip or furbish up . Because composition dolls are made of Natalie Wood , they ’re affected by temperature changes . Wood expand and contracts in utmost temperature , which can cause the crazing that you ’ll see in many skirt ; estrus will also make the paint to flake . Because of this , you should never store them in an attic or basement . Your best bet is to display them in a looking glass case aside from vents and direct sunlight .
1: Call a Doll Doctor
If your piece of music chick is important to you or a collector ’s token of some value , you may want to leave cleaning and regaining to a professional . Just be sure it ’s someone who in reality has experience and not someone who buy a miracle ware and calls himself a doll artist .
Before pick out a doll doctor , it ’s satisfactory to ask about his or her scope and for photos of prior work . And after describing the issue , ask what materials the physician works with and how he or she would most likely approach the repair . Doll doctors do n’t have degree , so do n’t be afraid to do your due program .
