If identifying my vintage Mattel fashion doll heads was intimidating, trying to estimate the damages and decide if the dolls are worthy of repairs and restoration was even more confusing. Thankfully, we have Krista of Krista’s Doll Restoration to help us.

Now that I know what dolls I have, there are all the condition issues… What’s ‘normal wear’ and what’s horrible? What’s worth fixing? (Aside from your own personal doll, when sentimental value makes restoration mandatory.)

New collectors may not realize that a doll may not be worth the cost of repair. (Unless of course it is their childhood doll!). For example: It is NOT worth re-rooting a bubblecut as a bubblecut.

Also, if a doll has been a meal to a mouse or rat and its face has been chewed and nibbled away, there is really nothing that can be done. If the doll has multiple flaws such as a bad neck split, a missing nose and green ears, it is better to invest in a replacement rather than a restoration.

On the other hand I have saved some beautiful ponytails.

One blonde ponytail had been burned on the top of its head by a light in a display cabinet. I was able to re-root this one with brunette hair (to cover the charred scalp) and she turned out beautifully.

Another had been eaten by a mouse only on the top of the head, under the hair. The face paint was perfect! Again, I was able to re-root this lovely doll and save her as well. The hole was completely covered by the new hair.

Cosmetic issues (like dirt, rubbed paint) can all be fixed. Even a nose nip or small neck split can be repaired. I can remove green ear as well. But if the doll has multiple vinyl flaws on the face (or an extensive vinyl flaw on the face) it is better to spend the money on a replacement head instead.

The PJ head has a slight green tint to her ear, but no holes for earrings. So what causes that? Is it a horrible thing for a doll?

The Mod (pink skin) dolls self destruct over time and begin to get fade spots that often turn to a greenish hue. It is also possible that the doll head was stored against some type of metal, like a metal stand, and the metal oxidized, leaving a green stain on the doll.

The brunette bubblecut has a ‘dimple’ or dent on her chin. Is that something which could be repaired? Would it be meaningful to do so? And her torso also has some dents. As that’s not vinyl, can that be repaired at all? (This torso also has one of those infamous pin-holes in the boob. What was up with those? Such a large number of dolls have them!)

I could at least improve the look of the small dent or gash on her face. The repair would probably be visible,though.

I can sometimes improve dents that are in the breasts (I remove the arms, soften the breast area with hot water, and use a chop stick through the arm hole to gently push the dent back out).

Nicks, holes and scratches on the torsos are not repairable and are better left alone (or one can replace the torso or entire body).

As for the pin-holes in the breasts, it’s funny you mentioned this! I just received a doll today that I had purchased on eBay and she has little pin hole ‘nipples.’ Long ago the doll’s original owner must have wanted to make her doll more anatomically correct! I find pin holes in other areas as well, if you know what I mean! I find it funny and charming.

I love the dolls because of the history they each have. If only they could speak, I am sure they could tell a lot of stories.

Do you have any information or ballpark percentages etc on the increase in value of a properly restored doll? For example, any restored doll increases by X % or re-rooting hair adds X to the value etc.

This is a very good question, but unfortunately I don’t have any exact figures/percentages since there are too many variables involved.

For example, restoring a Skipper or Midge is not going to be as cost-effective (re-sale wise) as restoring a ponytail #1. The restoration may cost the same, but the return will be much less on a Midge or Skipper compared to a Ponytail.

Meanwhile one could say that a professional restoration on one’s childhood doll (whether it is a ponytail #1 or a Ken) is ‘priceless’ since the monetary value is not a factor. Rather I am helping someone restore their dolls’ emotional value along with their own childhood memories.

Another variable as far as resale is concerned is who did the restoration? Not only is the quality of the work important, but if it was done by a well-known restorer with a good reputation, then the resale value of the doll will increase. The doll has become a sort of one-of-a-kind (OOAK) at the hands of the restorer.

And finally, resale price depends on where the person is trying to sell the (restored) doll. These days this usually means eBay. As we all know, eBay can be very unpredictable. Prices change daily (even hourly). One day a person may realize $180 for a titian bubblecut. The next day, an identical bubblecut may only sell for $60.

Therefore your question does not have a simple answer and these types of statistics would be hard to calculate as you can see.

How does one know that a doll is being properly restored, so that repairs are, if not increasing the value, at least not decreasing it?

Take a look at my site here: Dolls with previous restoration attempts. Pictures are worth a thousand words! You will see how the doll looked when it arrived, how it looked after I cleaned up the mess, and how it looked after it was restored correctly.

Really, the only restorations I won’t do is re-root a bubblecut as a bubblecut (better to re-root as a ponytail or a swirl!) and I won’t even bother with heads that were once lunch for a rodent.

If it is a ponytail doll with nice hair but she has a missing right cheek or a missing chin, then let’s salvage her hair for another project, buy a replacement head, and throw this head away.

On the other hand, take a look at dolls I’ve restored which had very bad flaws on the tops of their heads but I was able to cover them up with re-roots.

This doll had a huge rodent hole in the top of her head but perfect face paint (I did not take a before photo! I can’t believe I forgot to do that). She was originally a blonde but when re-rooted as a titian the big hole was no longer visible.

How long does it take to do things like paint restoration, rerooting etc.?

Re-rooting is extremely time consuming, and re-rooting a full head often takes me a few weeks to complete! While it is not difficult to do, it takes patience to root one plug of hair at a time. Each plug of hair is hand-knotted so it can be brushed and styled. The hair I use is very smooth and fine (beautiful, new saran hair), and I must take care not to tangle the skien as I work.

I find the most enjoyable part of restoration is the face re-painting. I enjoy mixing the colors to get an exact match of the original colors, and I am now (after all of these years) able to paint the features correctly the first attempt.

It has taken lots and lots of practice over the years. I really love it. I love watching the dolls come alive, and my goal is to always make them look completely original (correct colors, smooth paint, and correct lip and brow shapes).

That’s a huge investment of time! And the detail work… Just trying to decipher and read the markings on the dolls, inside the head openings, that stuff is tiny and hard to read! Your eyes must go crazy with all the detail work!

Yes, I must wear magnifying binoculars! I even have a pair with battery operated lights on each side.

Well, after struggling with the other markings I was so exhausted I didn’t dare take the heads off the other Barbie doll bodies — I also didn’t want to risk damaging them.

You can! It won’t hurt them if you are careful! I have instructions for removing the heads on my site. My website just keeps on growing as I add new information weekly.

Weekly? That’s a lot of information… No wonder I am confused trying to absorb this all!

Yes, this is why I created my site — To help educate the collector.

Gone are the days when collectors relied only on dealers to supply their Barbies. Now eBay is available to everyone. The problem with eBay, however, is that there is a lot of mis-information in many of the listings (either intentionally or unintentionally). Hopefully my site will help the collector make better informed decisions.

And while I don’t think the confusion stops people from collecting, it definitely brings to light the need to focus on an era or type of doll. My site is designed to help collectors who have chosen to focus on the vintage Barbies.

Are there any clues for buyers to look for to see if a doll has been repaired/restored rather than is ‘all original’ etc.

With a correctly done repaint it should be very hard to tell — but the new paint will be a bit shiner than original paint. It may be necessary to view the doll through a loop or magnifying binoculars.

If the re-paint was not done correctly, one may see globs and texture on the paint (see the links above for extreme examples), and the shapes and colors may not look right (brows too dark, lips too large, etc.).

If one is unsure and does not mind taking a chance on ruining a nice restoration, then there is the ‘alcohol test’ (rubbing alcohol will remove any new acrylic paint).

I see listings on ebay where a bidder has asked a seller if s/he has performed ‘the alcohol test’ to determine if the face paint is original or not. Many sellers don’t want to risk ruining a beautiful restoration by smearing the paint with alcohol.

Therefore it is best to look at the doll through a loop and check the smoothness and shine of the paint. That will normally tell you if there has been a paint touch up or not.

Are the Mattel reproductions of the classic Barbie dolls clearly marked somehow? Or do novice collectors run the risk of making mistakes with them?

Yes, Mattel has done a good job marking the dolls and outfits so that it is clear they are not the original vintage. One must always be careful with the smaller accessories (gloves and hats and things) but Mattel has done the best they could with this.

Do you know anything about other fashion doll accessory repairs, such as vinyl cases, clothes etc.?

No, I stick to the dolls only and want them to arrive fully nude.

I don’t repair the boxes or cases (though I do have a new way to preserve the graphics on the old cases if someone has one they want to transform).

The fashions are often better left unwashed. Most of the old dyes are not colorfast, and the fabrics used were often real silk and very delicate brocades. I always recommend that people consult a good dry cleaner when it comes to the clothing. I recommend people call an antique store to get a referral to a dry cleaner that specializes in vintage/antique garments.

***

For more information, please see Krista’s site where you’ll find tips on care for Barbie and Ken doll hair, general care and display tips for your collection, and more.

Krista works on an appointment system to limit restoration projects to only what she can realistically handle. If you’re interested, contact Krista at her website to get more information and to make your doll’s spa appointment.

You might want to contact her soon, as she returns each Fall to Italy for the Italian Collectors’ Fashion Doll Convention in Calenzano (just outside of Florence). There she not only demonstrates restoration but takes in international dolls for spa treatments.

All photo copyrights belong to Krista and Krista’s Doll Restoration — except for the photo of Krista which is copyright, De Agostini, 2003.

As you’ll recall, I met Krista while trying to identify my $6 worth of vintage Barbie dolls and fashion doll heads.

Krista’s been collecting and restoring dolls since 1995 when she discovered Mattel’s line of Reproduction Barbie dolls. (These dolls were brand new but designed to resemble the vintage dolls & fashions of the 1960s Barbies.) She fell in love with the vintage looks, and since she’s a product of a family of antique collectors and dealers, she started to hunt for the old Barbies, vintage clothing and accessories — and to restore the dolls themselves.

Krista, what doll started it all for you?

My very first vintage doll was a 1961 Blonde Bubblecut that I purchased at a local antique mall about twelve years ago.

Since I have a background in art and art history, it was natural for me to venture into restoration. Soon friends and family were encouraging me to help them with their Barbie restorations. I thought it would be fun to start a website that covered all aspects of collecting as well as restoring. My site, dollrestoration.com, has been online for over ten years now, and it just keeps on growing.

Do you specialize or focus on specific types of dolls?

Yes, my specialty is vintage Barbie (and her friends) by Mattel. I am often asked to restore other fashion dolls from the same era (Tammy by Ideal, Liddle Kiddles by Mattel, Cher by Mego, even G.I. Joe!), but my main focus has been the Barbies that were made in Japan from 1959 - 1969.

How did you learn to restore and repair these dolls?

I learned my craft purely through experimentation and lots of practice! I have spent countless hours in hardware stores searching for products I could use to repair the dolls. I have a couple of ‘trade secrets’ using products that nobody else offers; one is to remove the ‘green ear’ caused by the original metal earrings having oxidized over time, and the other is to repair nose nips and other vinyl flaws.

My true specialty, however, is face painting. My goal is to restore the Barbies so they look ‘Christmas morning new,’ and yet maintain their originality. Nothing I do to the dolls permanently alters them in any way.

You admit that restoration isn’t for every doll — nor, for every collector.

Most collectors are not too concerned about re-selling, and want their dolls restored to their original beauty so they can be displayed and enjoyed once again (while leaving the doll as original as possible, which is my philosophy).

New collectors who still do not appreciate the dolls’ age and history will tend to focus on every little bump, spot and scratch (often to an excess), and I must gently remind them that these are in fact old toys that were once heavily played with and very ‘well-loved.’ It is amazing that these dolls have survived this long! Just like we do, they age with time, and this is perfectly OK! Even NRFB (Not Removed From Box) dolls age. I restore what I can and I don’t worry about that little dot on the arm, the darkened limbs, faded vinyl, or the shoe stain on the foot (all things that cannot be repaired or should not be tampered with).

I have also found some charming Mattel ‘factory flaws’ that I would never dream of altering. (My favorite is when I find that the hair was accidently rooted right through the ear lobe.)

Experienced collectors understand that less really is more when it comes to restoring the vintage dolls. After all, if we wanted everything to be new and shiny we would not be collecting vintage; we would only buy the brand new Barbies on the store shelves today.

Are there any other sorts of repairs do you feel are either unnecessary or like a car in an accident, when a doll is ‘totaled’ and the repairs are just not worth it?

Yes, for example, it is not worth restoring the doll with a chin which has been eaten away by a rodent; then it’s probably better to invest in a replacement head rather than a restoration.

And if I find that the cost of the restorations are more than the value of the doll, I will advise against restoration. Unless of course this is the person’s childhood doll and it has sentimental value.

***

Since these aren’t my childhood dolls, and the only sentimental value they’ve got at this point is of purchasing them and clumsily trying to identify them, the values are an important part of my decision making process. So first I need to know for sure who or what I have here…

After a long bit of rambling on my part about my complete idiocy regarding Barbie identification and the dolls and doll heads I now had, Krista graded my research. What I have is:

1 vintage Brunette bubblecut Barbie
1 vintage 1963+ body
1 blonde Hair Fair head
1 PJ head
1 Skipper Twist & Turn head
1 retro (not too special) Barbie head
1 unknown retro fashion doll head

What I can tell you from the identification process is that the old K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) applies: Just look at the photos and give your best guess.

When it comes to Barbie and her pals (and likely any Mattel dolls), the copyright information is what will tie you up in knots. The copyright dates are dates for the molds, not production; so looking for those years will drive you crazy. (And I mean crazy!) Follow Krista’s identification advice and look at the photos, and you’ll likely do fine.

That’s what I did and Krista told me my guesses were right on 4.5 of the 6 doll heads I was trying to ID. I count myself as only half-right on the Bubblecut as I was off a year — and that one blonde Hair Fair was a trick question because this ‘Mod era’ head was sold as a head only along with some little wiglets and clips and things. *wink*

(If I would have ignored the dates, I would have had the same answers — except that tricky Hair Fair head — in much less time.)

If you want to learn more about Barbie and her friends, Krista recommends The Ultimate Barbie Book, by Marcie Melillo. “It’s the best guide book I have found and probably the only one you need to study,” she says. I’ll sure take her word for it.

So, Krista, did I do OK for my $6 investment?

Yes, you did not do badly at all! In a sense, you got: one vintage brunette Bubblecut Barbie that needs some restoration, one vintage 1963+ body, one blonde Hair Fair head, and one PJ head (the other three heads have little to no value) I am guessing you could resell them for about $50+. A Hair Fair head alone (in excellent condition) would probably resell for more than the $6 you spent.

Hey look, I came out a-head! Heh Heh.

I guess Barbie isn’t that intimidating after all.

Like Krista said, “As with anything, when one has a passion for the subject, one is motivated to learn. The quest for knowledge becomes exciting and enjoyable (not intimidating).”

I smell another addiction collection starting… Oh, wait; too late. I’ve got more than three, so I guess I’ve already started. Now I need to find out about the repairs and restoration.

Are my dolls worth it? Are yours? That’s for next time.

All photos courtesy of Krista’s Doll Restoration.

After getting so many old empty fashion doll cases, I decided I needed something, or someone, to put in them. So out rummaging, again, I allowed myself to buy a plastic baggy of fashion doll heads.

Four of them, to be precise, for one dollar. (A girl’s got to start somewhere, and, as they say, why not start at the top?)

Only once I got home I realized I had no idea about the heads. Who were they? What bodies did I need? Were they worth anything?

I turned to the Internet. After looking around at fashion doll identification sites, like DollReference.com’s vintage Barbie and friends pages, I remembered why I didn’t have many Barbie dolls in my fashion doll collection: Babs is intimidating.

Barbie isn’t just two-faced — she’s got multiple faces. And bodies. And friends. And wanna-be imitations, and wanna-be imitations of friends. Barbie is so confusing that when I try to find my favorite childhood Barbie, the 1970’s Miss America Barbie doll, I’m not even sure which one I had… That’s sad.

As if this alone weren’t confusing, there are all the condition issues… What’s ‘normal wear’ for a Barbie? What’s horrible? What can be fixed? I know it sounds strange coming from a woman who collects misfit toys, but what is worth fixing on an old Barbie doll?

Frankly, I’ve long avoided Barbie and her ilk because I can’t follow and keep up with all the Barbie lore & identification stuff. Unless she’s unopened in a box, I haven’t a clue. But, every now and then, I wonder… Should I grab that old Barbie doll?

A few days later, despite having recently been made away of my utter Barbie ignorance, I spotted two vintage Barbies at a garage sale. Both had the old hard, non-bendable, legs, and one had a the old face with the hard molded lashes. Each was marked $5, but it was late in the day and I offered them $5 for the two of them. They said yes, even tossed a retro generic fashion doll case in for free, and I took them home.

Relatively certain that at least the bodies were authentic vintage Mattel dolls, I was now more concerned with the conditions of the dolls. There were some dents, broken fingers, and other signs of play.

The older head had faded paint and a non-factory issued off-center chin cleft. Were these fixable things, or did they render the dolls worthless?

I returned to the Internet and found DollRestoration.com. Here there is more vintage Barbie doll information than you can shake a stick at. So much, that I retrieved my roll-y poll-y doll heads to see if I could identify them here.

But quickly, my head began to swim again. Why did the body say Midge — had the heads been put onto different doll bodies? Was this Skipper? Or was my girl’s nose too pointy? Was this a bubblecut Barbie, or was the hair cut or something? P.J. started to look like Midge… And why wasn’t I seeing that blond doll head anywhere?

The only thing I was pretty sure about at this point was that the one doll head, the one with the black hair which was slightly larger than the Barbie heads wasn’t made by Mattel and that she was likely some cheap imitation fashion doll.

OK, I told myself, so what if you don’t know who they are… Are they repairable? Which begged the question: should they even be repaired?

I decided the wise thing to do was to find out — and who better to ask than Krista, of Krista’s Doll Restoration.

Krista entered college as an art major where she discovered her love of art history. She graduated from UCLA’s College of Fine Arts with a B.A. in art history and now applies her artistic talent, research abilities and love of preserving history in the restoration of Barbie dolls. She’s been doing this for 12 years now, and it’s more than a business; it’s a passion.

Krista kindly agreed to share her experience with me (us) and answer my questions.

Are the dolls worth my $6 investment?

Should I repair or restore any of the dolls?

Can they even be fixed?

Will I ever learn how to identify a vintage Barbie doll? (Or must my doll heads remain body-less forever!)

Stay tuned and find out.

On our way back from Wisconsin (to Fargo), we’ve been stopping here and there at sales we find along the way.

Our next stop, Ripon. Here I find a retro vinyl Barbie case (#1002, copyright 1982). It’s not perfect, but it’s just five cents. (Another empty box, “Sold!”)

In Princeton, Wisconsin, we stop at American Garage and Garden. It’s a place we’ve passed by often but never stopped in yet. Today’s the day!

Outside I spot a few old metal bicycle baskets. I’ve been looking for one for my old bike for quite some time now and here’s a beauty for just $8. We grab it and head on inside to look around.

Mostly architectural pieces and furniture, the place has all sorts of goodies. We only bought the bike basket because everything else we loved was well past today’s budget — very reasonably priced mind you, but more than we have on us.

In fact, when it’s time to pay we discover that we’re short on cash so we have to ask the 10 year old to float us a short-term loan. Des scampers off to the van to dig out her wallet and we wait while the shop owner writes out our receipt. He’s laughing that we have to use a little girl as our bank, but we comfort him with the fact that she knows we are good for it.

Is it time to stop just because we’re out of cash? Maybe that’s a sign. We don’t think so. So back in the car we go, and Derek and I continue to look for real signs along the roadside.

Just west of Oxford, Wisconsin, Derek spots a home made sign for a “Giant Sale” and he makes a right-hand turn onto a ‘road less traveled.’ Another sign of the same design directs us to a gravel drive. Derek pulls in and there looms a large metal warehouse of a garage — next to a gloomy forbidding pine tree forest. The light eerily pours through the trees and as Derek parks I say, “And this was the place they were last seen…”

But neither a lack of our own cash nor spooky environments can stop us. And for good reason — inside we found quite a few goodies.

Immediately I spot and grab this vintage tin of Max Factor’s Society Make-Up, Hollywood face power (circa 1940’s, early 50’s). The top is tin, the bottom is cardboard and while I’ve got tins and cardboard cosmetic containers, I do not have one that is both. (Likely the cardboard bottom is a refill to the ‘keeper’ tin cover.)

Most importantly it’s only a dollar.

I also found a few plates (which I need to research first, so they’ll be ‘here’ later) and an ashtray from a Wisconsin bowling alley (no Laverne and Shirley jokes, please). Arms full, I head toward the check out when I spy this small wooden bench.

Being a girl, I am drawn to it’s charming details and small size (just 22.5 inches wide, 27 inches tall, and 15 inches deep). But I become entranced when I discover the storage nooks: the lower half of the front face of the seat’s “box” has a small latched door, perfect for hiding away dirty shoes, and the seat lifts open for anything else that might be better placed out of eyesight. (We women just love things like this.)

I immediately begin to run numbers in my head… It’s only $6, but I put the ashtray back and then I begin to work on Derek. (“I’ll make room for it, I promise! It’s soooo neat and practical!”) Next I ask the lady if she’ll accept $10 for the $11 worth of items I’ve got. She agrees — so the cute and practical bench is only $5. As if I needed the one dollar savings to rationalize it to Derek! By this point, he’s been eyeballing it from a construction point of view…

The seat is a fine example of genuine rustic farm furniture. To get finely crafted furniture in the early 20th century, a farm family had to invest in either a drive to a larger town or devote time to waiting for the Sears Roebuck order to arrive. Utilitarian furniture, those useful furnishings that valued function over form, were often built to purpose right there on the farm from whatever was available. This seat wasn’t designed to be beautiful — it was built to give Ole a place to sit when he takes off his muddy shoes, and then conveniently hides them away.

A finer woodworker probably wouldn’t have mounted hinges in a place where they might snag on the seat of someone’s trousers, and they’d have countersunk screws rather than assembling it with raised panhead screws, but that’s all part of the charm.

The wood on the sides and back are clearly from a much older piece of furnutire, probably late 19th century, but the rest was cobbled together from available materials, probably in the 1930s. The hinges, screws, and latch all appear to have been pulled off other furniture.

The screws were inserted irregularly, more for strength than aesthetic purposes. Despite the hackish way the seat was built, it cannot be disregarded as sloppy. The joints are tight and strong, edges and corners are straight and even, and the various doors were designed well (I don’t think I’ve ever bought modern furniture that fits together so well, let alone expect it to in the next century). Furniture like this is hard to come by, and you can tell why $5 was a steal to us.

Over all, a wonderful way to travel home.