(My email address is not able to receive any photos, links or attachments)
Bodies
GENERAL STAIN REMOVAL GUIDE:
INK STAINS -- Maximum Strenght Clearasil and Oxy10 do NOT get rid of green ear, however these Benzoil Peroxide creams work wonders on stains such as ball point pen and 'Koolaid lips' (paint stains left from previous restoration attempts). Just dab the white cream on the affected area, and put the doll out in the sunshine for the day. Caution - The Benzoil Peroxide may also fade the surrounding vinyl, so as with any tip found on my site, please use caution and test it first!
MOLD STAINS and 'Koolaid lips' (if the above does not work). Removezit works well on these vinyl stains. Please contact Twin Pines of Maine directly for more information about their products (including Removezit, Formula 911 Cleaner, Perk! and Booost).
SHOE and CLOTHING STAINS: Unfortunately I have not found anything that will get rid of these.
GREEN EAR: This is a result
of metal earrings having oxidizied and stained the surrounding
vinyl.
I
have a fantastic NEW treatment. Unfortunately it is not available for home use.
Please see more information about this on my Beauty Spa
page and my Green Ear Removal
page.
Q. How do I clean very dirty vintage doll
legs.
A. On the vintage/Mod bodies (non-painted legs) I recommend using Twin
Pines' Formula 911, or a cleaner that is safe for use on vinyl such as
"Orange Clean," "Bam," or a liquid dish soap. If you would like to purchase Formula 911 cleaner, please
contact Twin Pines of Maine (www.twinpines.com)
Q. I have a Midge with the factory 'painted legs'.
How should I clean the legs, they are a bit dirty. Will acetone take off the 'painted'
skin?
A. Be very careful cleaning these delicate legs!
It may be safest just to wash them carefully with a little warm water and a drop of dish
soap. Test the bottom of the feet before you do the rest of the legs to check
how the paint reacts to the soap/water.
Q. I would like to know how to switch the heads and limbs on the vintage Barbie
dolls.
A. It is possible to switch vintage 'body parts' on Vintage and Mod dolls.
Check the markings
on their bottoms so that you put appropriate arms and legs with appropriate bodies, etc.
Before removing/reattaching heads or limbs, you must soften the vinyl at the
neck or sockets first with hot water (*Please see my NOTE
below).
Once the vinyl is soft, very gently pinch the head off of the body.
For arms and legs: Boil some water and then pour it into a pie tin or
bowl and let sit for a minute.
Cover the doll with water so that the torso and limbs are submersed. After a few
minutes, the vinyl should be pliable enough for you to pop the arm off or pry
the leg off with a butter knife. Be
careful not to injure or burn yourself, or tear/crack the limbs.
Of course you should always practice with a 'practice doll' first!
To reverse the process: and re-attach the limbs, submerse the torso so that the vinyl at socket openings is softened. Then snap the limbs into place (You do not need to submerse the limbs -- Just the socket openings on the torso itself)
*NOTE: When using boiling water, it is best to boil the water on the stove (as opposed to in the microwave where it might get too hot).
*These instructions do not apply to the 'Miss Barbie' doll. Her head is attached with a small rubber 0-ring inside. Also, using water on this doll may damage the eye mechanism.
*As with everything, always experiment with a 'practice doll' first when trying out new techniques, and proceed carefully in order to avoid damage or injury.
Q. How about a 'swingy' hip on an AG (or other B/L body)? I now have two girls who rode
those Brier horses one time too many!!
A. This can be a very frustrating repair to do! I have fixed swingy hips by
heating the torso and socket area (soaking it in hot water) and then gently popping the
leg off and re-gluing the broken wheel inside the hip area. Be sure to spray some silicone
spray on the knob before attempting to pop the leg back on. The problem is that the repair
can re-break when you apply pressure to the leg while popping it back on, so use gentle
pressure.
Q. How do I re-attach a leg from a Talking Barbie - the leg has a knob?
A. Here are the instructions for replacing a leg with a knob. It can be a
frustrating repair to do so be sure to practice first on a 'practice' doll!
1) Boil some water on the stove and pour it into a cup or bowl.
2) Soak the leg, hip down, in the water for a few minutes.
3) Remove the leg and use a sharp object (like a seam ripper, small pointed scissors,
etc.) and
dig out the little piece of knob that has broken off inside the hole.
4) You may need to take a pair of needle nose pliers in order to grab the piece out of the
opening.
5) Now you need to get the old glue off of the knob piece. I use acetone to remove the
glue.
6) Now you need to re-glue the piece back onto the knob on the body. I use any
glue that is formulated for plastic/vinyl and follow the directions for the glue.
7) The next day, boil some water, pour it into a cup or bowl and soak the leg in the water
once again (hip end down) for a few minutes
8) Meanwhile, spray some silicone spray on the knob. 9) Dry the leg well and carefully but
firmly pop it back into place on the knob.
Q. Lots of my dolls have cuts on their bendable legs so that the vinyl has split in areas. Is there
any way I can fix this?
A. You may be able to fix these splits (or at least improve them a bit and
prevent future tearing) with a glue that is formulated for vinyl/plastic.
Q. Can you assist me in repairing a split neck myself?
A. To fix a neck split I recommend using a glue that is formulated for plastic or vinyl.
Just follow the instructions for the product, and when you are ready to put the head back on the body (I
normally let the glue set about 24 hours), be sure to soften the vinyl on the doll's neck
rim (see more information above).
Q. I bought a vintage Barbie and her legs are spaced widely apart
- I guess you would call this "splayed"? Is there any
way to bring the legs closer together again?
A. Boil some water and pour it into a pie tin. Submerse Barbie's legs in this water.
After a few minutes, remove her from the water and while the vinyl is still soft, use a
strip of plastic wrap and wrap it around the legs, pulling them closed and in the proper
position.
Secure the wrappings with a piece of scotch tape. I recommend you leave this on as long
as possible.
Q. I just got a beautiful color magic, but she has no legs. I've heard that Malibu legs
can be bleached and used. I know how to remove the legs and replace them, but have never
bleached legs before. Can you tell me a little about the process and how long (approx.)
does it take for
the bleaching to work? Thanks for any help!
A. Here are the instructions for bleaching Malibu legs that fit onto the
Color Magic (i.e. American Girl) body:
The legs must be from a MADE IN JAPAN Malibu Barbie in order to fit the torso properly,
but please be aware that there are reports of some strange things
happening during (as well as after) this procedure; from 'Japan' Malibu legs that
never seem to lighten, to legs that lighten to the perfect color only to darken
again! Give it a try since you have nothing to lose, but keep in mind that
this can be an experiment in patience as well:
You remove the legs from the doll and place them in
a tall vase filled with pure bleach (You can also bleach arms and save those for
vintage replacement arms as well). You leave them completely submerged in
the bleach but CHECK on them every 30 - 60 minutes or so. When I tired this process,
it took the legs nearly 36 hours to bleach nicely. For others, I have heard that it
has taken only a matter of a few hours -- all the way up to a few days. However, if
you do not remove them from the bleach promptly after they have reached the desired
color, they will look greenish and very unattractive.
Of course you will want to wash the legs really well afterwards with warm water and soap.
NOTE: The collector later informed me that the above process worked great on the Japan
Malibu legs. She said: "It took 24 hours but they bleached
perfectly."
Q. Hi. Thank you for
your informative site. Is there any way to fix a dented breast? It would seem
that the plastic's too thick to repair.
A. To fix (or at least improve) the dent, you can try this trick (but be
careful not to create a gash in the breast). Remove the arm or arms on the doll
using the instructions above.
Next put the torso, breasts down, in a bowl of hot water (not boiling) for a
minute to soften the vinyl. Next, put a chop stick through the arm hole socket
and gently push out, from the inside, the dented area.
Q. Hello, and thank you for a very informative site! I have a question about #3 Barbie. Do you know how to fix her unevenly faded vinyl? She has faded white/ivory legs, but a very tanned torso and arms that for my opinion are darker than the original patent colour (almost like sunburned). Looks like the vinyl has reacted in a weird way during the years. Do you know what have caused this? I do believe the torso is original, and not from another Barbie since her hands are very white from the palms and wrists and then gradually go darker towards the elbows. Also her face has some white spots, but otherwise has maintained its original colour. It Looks almost like the process of fading is still going and not completed. Do you think she will fade evenly, or is this permanent? And is there anything to make her fade completely (sunbathing maybe?).
A. The #3 Barbies are my favorite of all the dolls.
Because they are nearly 50 year old toys they have all sorts of little
inconsistencies which make them vintage -- and, in my opinion, these perceived
'flaws' are exactly what make them special.
While there is nothing that can be done to 'fix' uneven fading (please don't
leave her out in the sunshine, under any type of light, or use any type of
chemicals, etc.), one must realize that this is the inherent beauty of vintage.
These old dolls are treasures from the past and are not meant to be
perfect/brand new. They are unique and none of them will be (nor should be)
exactly the same.
The brand new dolls one buys in the boxes today are all perfect, and they all
look alike. For some, it is preferable to collect these new dolls.
But as a vintage collector I personally would much rather own vintage dolls with
a history -- as well as inherent inconsistencies.
Therefore please do not look at her uneven fading as a flaw. This is just a
natural occurrence after years of being on this planet.
They age -- just like we do --and they each have a story to tell.
Q. Your site is a virtual font of vintage Barbie collecting,
restoring and identification. I reference it often. Recently I added
an interesting bubble cut to my collection, interesting for me because the
Barbie only body has the slimmest hips I've ever seen on a Barbie. I know
some of the legs have thinner hips than others, but these are almost
nonexistent. The sides look to be sanded down and quite concave at the
center joint. Also one leg is firm and has a darker tint to the
tan/grey color. The other leg is quite pliable, and even bends freely at
the ankle. This leg is lighter in color than the firm leg but does
not feel like the more rubbery legs of the 4's or 3's. Also one arm
has quite a matte finish, the other looks like the usual hollow body arms,
except for the hand, which is matte like the other arm. So, my
question.... is this poor gal just an oddity or have you heard of a collection
of incongruities like this before?
A. Thank you for your email and your kind words about my website.
I am glad you are enjoying it and that it is helpful to you.
Yes, your doll sounds typical of the inconsistencies I see. This is the beauty
of vintage in my opinion; None of the dolls look alike (contrary to what
non-collectors say!).
There are so many variations in how the dolls were played with, how they were
stored, the climates they have 'lived' in, etc.
After 40+ years they all have aged differently and this shows.
I try not to get too concerned with these inconsistencies and just look at the
basics: Do they have all ten fingers and ten toes? Is the body correct for the
head?
Are there any neck splits or green ear?
I hope this helps. I look forward to hearing from you again if I may be of
assistance!
Q. Hi! I bought a Barbie doll that was advertised
as a #3. When I received it, it looked just like my #4 Brunette ponytail doll
color-wise. It came in a TM labeled box. It smells like crayons but
the color is like my #4 doll. The seller claims the doll was stored in the
box and never played with. How can I be sure it is a #3 doll?
The #3 and #4 dolls are so similar. Thanks for your response.
A. It can sometimes be very hard to tell the difference between the #3 and #4
dolls.
Unfortunately it is impossible for me to say for certain without seeing your
doll in person, however I do have some helpful information on my site at this
link:
http://dollrestoration.com/ponytails.htm
If this doll looks exactly like your #4, however, my guess is that the seller
made a mistake and the doll may be a #4.
Still, I would need to see her in person to help you make that call.
Please let me know if I may be of further assistance to you.
I do offer a written appraisal service ($25 per doll + return shipping) or if
the doll needs any restoration you are welcome to send her and I can help you ID
her once I see her (at no extra charge, of course).
Q. Many of my Mod era
(pink skin) bendable leg dolls have green spots on their legs. What causes this
and can these be repaired?
A. Unfortunately the metal wires inside the legs are oxidizing and causing
these discolorations. There is no way to remove the green on the legs since the
oxidation occuring inside will keep discoloring them.
Barbie (and Friends) by Year -- Information and photos that will assist you in identifying your Vintage/Mod Barbies and friends
Identification Help -- Common questions I receive about the dolls and how to identify them
Hair - General information about cleaning, re-flocking and re-rooting
Faces - General information about caring for the faces, green ear treatment, neck split repair, and re-coloring Mod dolls
The general
information I have chosen to include on these pages is here as a courtesy to
collectors of Vintage and Mod Barbies® and friends.
I regret that I may be unable to personally answer your how-to restoration
emails.
Please note that I have limited experience with non-Mattel fashion dolls, modern
Mattel fashion dolls (anything newer than 1970 or not made in Japan), or any
other types of dolls.
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arising from the information and/or references contained within this entire
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Before continuing any further, please carefully read my disclaimer
page.
