Yellowing: Is it "Natural" or does it constitute "Damage"?

Thats a really nice way of looking at it I think the market place and re-selling dolls being so... negative(?) about yellowing, it puts you in a mindset of "Oh, maybe my doll isnt good enough now", but thats probably just me and my newbie perfectionist idealistic mindset xD

 

Personally, when I see pictures of dolls with obvious yellowing, it puts me off a little, but yet I don't own that doll and am not attached to it. I think if I owned a doll that was yellowed and really loved it and its faceup, I wouldn't want to change it. I would consider it a little flaw, but I don't think it would completely turn me away from that doll. That's just me though!

 

I'm not bothered by yellowing, within reason (The only time yellowing turns me off is when it happens at an unnatural rate and ends up with a distorted color). I am totally okay with the natural resin color shift that happens over the years, since it has happened gradually enough in all of mine that I never really noticed it unless I was purposely checking. My first doll is a significantly different shade from when I first got him, and I've had his face redone professionally twice over the years to reflect that with wonderful results so don't be afraid of having your boy repainted - the first time is always scary, but if you're clear enough to your artist should you go that route, you can have a very accurate faceup done.

Also you might want to take into account that the yellowing on your boy's face could very well not be as bad as you see! MSC yellows too, and the sealant itself could be exacerbating the problem to you.

 

It bugs me when it's uneven yellowing. One of my doll bodies seems to have an area that yellows a bit faster than the rest. I don't love it but...I try not to focus on it

I don't think it makes a doll feel cheap at all. Age makes it a sort of "classic". If your doll's yellow face bothers you I suggest you commission a repaint from an artist you admire. You can even send them photos of the original face up and see if they will do something similar. You would be surprised how bright your dolls can become when you wipe off old MSC.

 

As long as it's relatively even, and the doll started out some shade of NS... I honestly don't mind yellowing all that much. I actually prefer a yellower tone to pink.

I can't stand the "greening" that older CP white resin dolls are prone to, though, and that's caused me to sell off more than a few. I'm also not fond of the over-ripe banana color that French resin tends to turn, so I've avoided adding any of those to the collection.

 

It depends on the situation for me. If it's even yellowing all over, and just creamy mellowing, I'm okay with it. If it's very uneven or a sickly banana or greenish yellow, it bothers me, and I have parted with dolls for that reason.

I do my own faceups, so that's not an issue for me. Sometimes, the yellowing might even be just the sealant, not the doll itself, and some sealants yellow much faster than others. I've been worried about wiping faceups I love, but once I redo them, better than the last, I never regret it.

 

Nope, it doesn't bother me. My EID Akando, for example, is all patchy because the parts that have been exposed to sunlight (mostly face, hands and part of the chest) have yellowed or rather, faded so much that the faded parts now look more like WS rather than the NS he came in. Of course, that would be unfortunate if I wanted to sell him but since I don't ...

 

My Xavier sees his yellowing as a badge of honor for how long we've been together and the adventures we've had.

 

Yellowing doesn't bother me, as long as it's even - On the whole, I much prefer most "normal" skintones of resin when they have a dose of yellow to stop them being to pale and pink and make them a more realistic flesh colour.

Uneven yellowing, and greening of Tan/darker resin are another matter but, at least if it's even, the greening can be dealt with even if the original colour isn't achievable again.

Teddy

 

I'm fine with a bit of yellowing, as long as it's even. It can easily be covered up too!

 

I think that yellowing is part of the deal. We all know that it will happen at some point.
I don't have a problem with the yellowing itself as long as it's even. And as long as the color is not getting too ugly (like greenish) It's a bit difficult, but I kinda look at uneven yellowing as some sort of damage. One can experience problems with covering that up.
If I would buy a heavily yellowed doll....well that would depend on it. Some resin actually looks nicer when it's a bit yellowed. But yellowed WS, nah I don't think so.

 

- Do you feel that yellowing is just a natural feature of resin, or does it constitute a damaged doll? Is yellowing a sign of a well-loved doll, or is it a defect that signifies improper care?

Any Object will certainly wear down over time, and the color is no different as it is exposed to light, temperature, etc., and changes accordingly.
Even if hand crafted items come from the same company, many items will differ in color, shape, texture, or material. I know that yellowing and damaged are subjective terms as there is no general consensus as to what comprises a severely yellowed or damaged dolls.

As for bjds, and based on my own personal preference, an even tone of resin is more desirable than mismatched parts of different colored resin on a doll.
Tan resin is much more peculiar because in some instances the resin may turn a greenish color. Personally I dislike it very much and I do count a greenish tint on a doll as damage.

- When does yellowing cross the line between "acceptable" and "unacceptable"?

To me, if the resin gains an overtly green tint, or becomes unevenly dark/yellow in color, or ruins the aesthetics of the doll/design I deem it unacceptable.

- Would you buy a very yellowed doll? If so, would you try to "fix" it? Why or why not?

I would buy a much yellowed doll if I really, truly fell in love with it. Because of the severe yellowing I would most likely experiment with various methods of fixing the doll just to delve into a different aspect of modifying or restoring dolls.