Travelling with your dolls: issues/ideas/etc. Part I

I had a Puki in my pocket when travelling back from the USA in January, they made me take it out and put her in the basket with anything on my person that was metal etc... when I went through the metal detector... she was x-rayed without incident but the man at the other side with the "wand" gave me a painful look and said something to the effect of "oh-god one of those dolls again..." made my husband nearly piddle laughing

I have to say Miami International Airport - familiar with dolls but not-so-good at the customer service bit...

edited to add: The second puki in my daughters bag was taken out and inspected in LA but not Miami and they asked me to take it out - they do look fragile though I suppose

 

When I brought my doll back to Europe from the Unites States, I had her in a shoe box , secured with bubble wrap and a pillow. I had also wrapped duck tape around the shoes box so that it could not open during the flight.
That was the problem at the airport check, of course. I had to open the box and let the officer take a closer look at the doll. She also scanned her with what looked like a miniature version of a metal detector.
But, the officer was very nice, careful with my doll and she even gave me duck tape to lock the box again

 

I routinely take two msd's through airport customs and never even once have they asked to look in the bag! They go through the x-ray machines and occasionally the person watching the screen raises a brow, but that is about it tbh!

 

I also have not gone overseas, and our small local airporty has been a one time deal so fart with doll being in very large bag/purse and went through without a thought. No questions asked. of course going to be flying out of same airport in May and hard to say what they will say when they see my Tohru inside my purse.

 

Since I absolutely REFUSE to fly anymore I have not tried this but:

If I were to have to go through Airport Security, I would print up a card and pin it to the outside of the bag that stated in BIG letters:

"This bag contains an ART DOLL that is worth $1500. Any damages during inspection will be reported to your supervisor and appropriate action will be taken."

Scaring people with a dollar amount seems to work.

 

I've taken dolls from here to the UK and back several times and never had a single problem. I've always put them in my carry on luggage in case they were to get damaged in my suitcase and no-one has ever said a word, which sort of surprised me as UK Customs are amazingly thorough and scrutinise everything!!!

 

Um...tbh, if I did that in Heathrow or Gatwick, that bag'd be gone before I could blink.

 

I just read VV's post and thought exactly the same!!!!

 

My first doll was bought during my study abroad year. She's a mini, so I managed to cram her into my luggage in a sort of awkward sitting position inside a purse inside my carry-on. I wondered if anyone would cause any trouble with her, but I only suffered a customs inspection of my suitcase (and they were pretty light and lenient when they found out I'd been abroad for a year), so nothing to do with the doll.

Then coming back to Japan a couple of years ago I had my (at that time) two dolls in one of my carry-ons lying flat and squished between some doll pillows and clothes and a blanket and such. Probably looked less strange than last time, but still no questions or problems.

So basically ... I got through ... Narita, Tulsa, annnnd ... I think it was Houston with no problems. But I imagine that problems could and can arise in any airport. All it takes is one Grumpy McGrumpypants. I also don't know how visible my dolls were with all the other stuff around them. I assume most people who cart their dolls like to keep them in a designated bag, but for obvious moving reasons that wasn't an option. So that may have had an effect too. I have never traveled with my dolls in a bag that was basically only carrying dolls.

 

Hehe, I work @ O'Hare so both Nola and J'Tem have had to pass airport security multiple times. Let me just say, (some) TSA workers are the worst sort of.... well I won't finish that. And usually it's because they need to go on a power trip because most of the other employees don't take them seriously. Having said that, the majority are okay and neither Nola or J'Tem have had ay problems (though I am sure my badge helps).

 

I really hope Cleveland and Gatwick don't give me problems... Mom will never forgive me if I bring my doll and she causes trouble. She doesn't want to let me bring her (SD size) in the first place, so we'll see. I'll share my story if this thread is still active in August. ^_^

~AK

 

Ive gone through... lets see... philly, chicago, fort myers (florida), orlando (florida), Dublin (ireland), london (cant remember which one), and eindhoven (netherlands).
all with dolls. never had a problem...

I also went on a cruise last year and took one with me... still no security issues.

I ALWAYS put them in my carry on.

I usually travel with photo equipment to... thats normally what has to be searched. (lights, umbrellas, etc)


btw there is actually an entire thread on traveling with your dolls. here it is!

 

Mine wasn't overseas, but I guess they were trying to give the Wichita airport security something to do, because they were opening and looking into everyone's purses right at the boarding gate (after we'd all passed through the X-ray portion and metal detector already). It wasn't even a thorough search, just an "open your purse and I'll glance inside" check. I warned the security guard that I had a doll in my messenger bag (a 60cm boy), just so she wouldn't be too surprised. She still looked a little shocked, but she just gave me a funny look and waved me on.

At O'Hare, they did say they wanted to run my bag through the X-Ray machine twice and made me wait for it to go through again... but then they let me go into the terminal.

I also am too scared to let my dolls go through baggage claim... though to be honest, I never send ANYTHING through baggage claim. I cram everything into a rolling carry-on suitcase and my messenger bag. The messenger bag is awesome... it's just about the largest "purse" I could find, and it does easily hold a 60cm doll in a sitting position in the main area. I just put all my normal purse stuff in the big zipping pocket on the back so it's all separated. That way I can carry my doll the entire way and make sure it doesn't get dropped or stepped on or what-have-you.

Like Lulu and dambuster, I am very cautious about letting anyone know that the contents of my bag are valuable except the airport security that will be handling it. I made very sure that I kept my messenger bag in the "cross-over" position, with the strap over one shoulder and the bag hanging on the opposite side. No one was going to take that bag too easily!

 

In Houston, I sent Klae in her Dollmore carrier (which was inside a larger carry-on bag) through the X-Ray machine. The TSA lady's eyes got very big and she asked me, "Do you know there's a body in your bag?" I grinned and told her yes, it was a doll. She asked if it had anything liquid in it. I said no and offered to open the bag and show her. She waved me on through.

 

I've taken dolls with me in my hand luggage on several flights over the past few years and had more reaction to my batter-shaker full of diet nutrition-packs than to the dolls going throught he x-ray (apparenly, it looks like a bottle full of liquid on the x-ray - so I always leave it out in the tray beside my bag now so they dan see it's a tupperware full of individual-portion nutrition packs without having to get it out of my bag).

The airline stewards and stewardesses, however, are often very interested in my doll(s) when I get them out of the bag to sit on my lap for the flight.

Teddy

 

I haven't gone overseas, either, but I've gone on airplanes twice now and it was fine. I always carry on, I would never check a doll.

I think they get quite a jolt when it goes through the x-ray, but nobody batted an eyelash; I bet they see ALLLL kinds of interesting toys in a person's luggage. TOYS. Um. You know.

Anyway, coming back from Portland, Maine, they told me that my bag was randomly selected for some drug thing, and I panicked. I didn't know what it meant, and I thought they'd open it, paw through it, etc., so I just said PLEASE be careful with it, there is a very expensive doll in there... the guy did give me a little bit of an odd look, but he took the handle like it was made of nitroglycerin, very VERY carefully swabbed the handle with some chemical that, I guess, makes drugs show up, and handed me the bag. It was no big deal and he was VERY careful.

 

Just a funny story... I went to Las Vegas last August for my sister's birthday. I wanted to take some pictures, so I brought Max. (DOC Hoo) I put him in my carry-on with my laptop and money, so the IMPORTANT stuff was with me. XD I wrapped him in a sweater so he'd be somewhat cushioned. Of course, they scan your bag... so as I waited for it to go through the x-ray machine thing, the little Asian lady behind the counter (she looked maybe Chinese?) said to me in very broken English "There is a man!" I was like WHAT. O_O And she points to my bag and goes "You have little MAN!" like she was really disturbed. So I said "Um... yeah, it's a doll... made of resin..." and she went "Not doll. MAN."

Then I realized she MUST have seen through the machine his... well... anatomical correctness. What must she have THOUGHT?! XD I didn't have a way to explain so I just said "It's a collector doll!" and ran.

 

I've taken dolls as carry-on from Dallas to San Francisco twice with no problem. I have a small regulation-sized hardcase carry-on bag with wheels. I pad them with doll pillows and their clothing and off we go!

When we went to Dollectable this year I carried three tinies in my belly bag, too! On the way back, I carried my Yo on the flight so he could have some snacks with us.

 

100% agree... *nod*

and ive been back and forward thru Gatwick and Heathrow, plus Japan, Mexico, USA, Spain, Greece, plus others and all have treated my dolls very well while checking my hand luggage, I just explained what they were and cud they not touch the faces and they were fine.

 

Probably nothing, as even a 70cm is too small to do "anything" with. Y'get my gist.

Oh, and another point... I had Claudia in a violin case. I had to explain to the lady at the checkout counter that what was in the violin case, was not, in fact, a violin, so it didn't need the special handling for musical instruments. She kind of raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes like, "Eww, weirdo. But whatever."