Porcelain Doll Collection Getting Too Large? How To Pack And Store Them In Self-Storage Units

Are you a collector of porcelain dolls? Is your collection beginning to take over your home? If your porcelain dolls are running out of room in your home, it may be time to pack up and put some of those dolls in storage for a little while to make room for the newest additions. This article will discuss how to prepare and store your dolls so that they remain in pristine condition. 

Clean the Dolls

Before you pack your precious dolls up for storage, they must be cleaned. If you pack dolls that have dust and dirt on them, they could become discolored. You may open them up to find that they have stained clothing and smudges that won't come off of their faces if you do not take the time to properly clean them.

Use a can of compressed air to blow the dust off of them. For more delicate dolls, consider using a hair dryer without heat to blow the dust away. Once the loose dust is gone, it is time to give them a little cleaning. Use a little bit of warm water on a soft cloth or cotton ball to remove any dirt that is stuck to the surface of the doll.

Set the dolls in a well ventilated area to dry before continuing.

Pack the Dolls

Packing the dolls properly may take a little time, but all of your efforts will be worth it in the end. For the best possible results, purchase a package of acid-free tissue paper.

Begin by wrapping the doll's body with tissue paper. Do your best to pass the tissue paper under the doll's clothing to protect the clothing and the doll. Once the doll has been covered under the clothing, wrap the doll entirely with the tissue paper.

For dolls with straight hair, you can use nylon stockings to pull down over their heads. This will help to keep the hair straight and in good condition. Dolls with curly hair should simply have their heads covered lightly with tissue paper just to keep them protected from dust and entanglement.

After the dolls are wrapped up, place them gently into cardboard boxes. Never use plastic bins to store these collectibles because moisture could become entrapped inside the bin and damage all of the dolls stored inside.

Tip: To ensure optimum safety, find boxes that are small enough to fit a single doll into each one. This will ensure that the doll does not slide out of position and smash up against another doll. If the box is slightly too large for the doll, crumple up more tissue paper and tuck it in around the doll gently to keep it in position.

Store the Dolls

The storage unit that you use to store your doll collection must be climate controlled. Exposure to extreme heat and moisture will destroy your dolls over time. You could very well open the boxes to find that the dolls are covered with mold and that the glue used to make them has failed and they are all falling apart.

Talk with a local storage facility like Santa Barbara Mini Storage to learn about what units and features they have to offer you to safely store your porcelain doll collection.