Storing dolls for extended periods of time

I haven't personally had to do this, but I believed unclothed/dewigged would be best just for any off chance of color transfer or mushing around the wig. Store them in a place away from excessive heat or moisture to prevent resin/elastic damage. I don't think a lot of extra padding is necessary unless they're going to be moved around often while you're gone . Moth balls might be a little too much, unless you've had a problem with moth larvae in the past - I'm pretty sure they won't be munching on your dolls haha.

 

I had to do this when I moved for a while and had no room because I was staying in a temporary place for a few months. I put my a lot of my more expensive dolls in cardboard storage boxes wrapped up with some bubble roll and some desiccant packets and then space bagged the whole box to keep out bugs. I stored them sans clothes, of course. It seemed to work well. As it turned out it was nearly a year before I had my new place and when I unwrapped them and they still looked perfect.

 

When my sister left home to study aboard, she wasn't able to bring her dolls with her.All of her 4 dolls was put back in their original boxes with the faceup masks on. She removed everything! (Including the eyes putty). I think she was really paranoid about her doll tuning yellow ,because we live in the tropic.When I leave my doll with their clothes on for a really long period of time, the color of the cloth will leave a pigment stain the doll's resin skin But those stains can be removed pretty easily with the 'magic eraser'.

 

I wouldn't use moth balls; they're pretty pungent, and the chemical they emit can linger for a long time. (I vacuumed up some spilled mothball mess last year, and I still smell mothballs every time I run the vacuum cleaner.)

The last time I had to store my dolls, it was only for about three months. I packed them all up in their original boxes, when I had them, or sharing some of the larger boxes for those who lack them. I didn't actually remove any wigs or clothes, but I was moving in a hurry and not planning on long-term storage; if I'd be storing them for a year or more, I'd likely go ahead and take everything off. I left them with a friend, in her guest room closet, where I knew the temperature and humidity would be fine (a huge concern for me--much of my stuff went into a storage unit where I couldn't be sure of those factors), and where I knew there wouldn't be any issues with pests. They went into storage in June, came out in September, and were perfectly fine.

 

I suggest plastic boxes. The type that has clips on the sides so it kind of makes it airtight. If you live in a dry area, you don't really have to worry about clothes turning color but if it gets wet, then the clothes, wigs and stuff should probably go into plastic boxes too.

 

When I was storing my dolls I'd undress them, and wrap them in muslin for safekeeping. Then they would go into their boxes, stuffed with their clothes around them. If you are going to put them into a storage unit, I'd put their boxes in plastic boxes like the kind yuan_mdx suggests.

 

The one time I put my dolls in storage I undressed them, removed their wigs, eyes, eye putty, shoes... pretty much anything that could stain just to be safe. Although I've never had issues with staining or anything similar it gets quite warm during the summer over here and I wanted to be certain that no color would transfer over. Of course I was only storing them at home since I would be away for nearly seven months so I knew they wouldn't experience any "surprise conditions" where they were and so took no further precautions.

 

I have an additional question along these lines: Has anyone ever had any negative experiences from storing their dolls long term in their original company boxes that had those foam cutouts?

I had never really considered the foam before, but I was watching a video from a collector of posable figurines and he mentioned that the foam in his figure's original box had degraded and ruined a figure after he had stored it in the box. Yikes! I have a few dolls that I'm having to store probably for a year to two years and being Iplehouse dolls, their boxes have the foam cutouts. Now I'm a bit torn. Should I remove the foam? I'd love to hear of anyone's experiences on this.

 

All my dolls live in their boxes and come out once in a long while for a convention or play. Sometimes I go months without looking at them. Of course, they're in my apartment where the temperature, humidity, and other things are monitored.
[MENTION=17304]LadyRavenswood[/MENTION] I have a minifee girl from 2012 who lives in her box with those foam cutouts. In three years I haven't seen any degradation of the foam at all. Perhaps that collector had a different type of foam?

 

depending on the length of time....

My dolls have been in storage for over year, but I had prepared for this by taking every doll apart and wrapping each part in bubble wrap and packing them away in storage bins. The ones I have sold of late, I just put back together again for photos.

 

if it were me - i'd leave them without the wigs and clothes on - they may stain them. Wrap them in some white pillowy blankets, put them into the boxes and also try to somehow protect the boxes from being opened easily - with a string or into a plastic bag, then also put your name on it (depends with whom you live so that everyone knows these are dolls, they belong to you and they're not some kind of rubbish

Also, don't put them next to e.g. old-clothes-to-be-given-away etc. I remember I once had my clothes in a plastic bag, I put them next to some that were to be given away... and you can guess what happened when my mum was cleaning the house lol xD

also, don't put them next to e.g. places where it's too warm. e.g. a radiator/drain pipes with some warm water. Darkness isn't everything ) Hope it helps

 

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the foam cutouts, PChu. The foam from Iplehouse seems ok without the dolls and it is several years old already...so that gives me hope that all will be well too.