Buying a doll is for most people an emotional decision, replacing childhood dolls or getting the one you never had! However, with the costs of antique and vintage dolls being what they are, you need to have a practical mind. Restoration on a doll is very important to consider , especially on composition dolls. Usually, a composition doll with restoration becomes a reject to true lovers of compo dolls, and with good reason! Commonly, these dolls are victims of enthusiastic doll "restorers" who haven't a clue as to what they are doing. They might use watercolor brushes with cheap paint to redo facial features, replace wigs and eyelashes using unsuitable glue that further damages the condition, or use synthetic materials instead of matching the original materials. No wonder restored dolls sell for less than damaged ones! You do have another choice to consider that makes more and more sense as these pieces of doll art continue to decay. How do you prevent the loss of  a 75 year old Shirley Temple,  Madame Alexander Scarlett, Sonja Henie, Princess Elizabeth, or set of Dionne quints?

1. How can compo dolls be preserved?

Ideally, they can be preserved by hermetically sealing their environment to prevent changes in humidity and temperature. This is an unreachable goal for normal ownership. This is why the most carefully stored composition dolls are becoming more and more afflicted with cracks, crazing, peeling, and fading of their surface paint.

2. Originality of object--will it last forever? Should it be preserved ?

Obviously, these works of art are worth preserving, their beauty, historical representation, and emotional value to their owners are important and irreplacable.

3 What is lost in restoration?

An inept attempt by an unqualified restorer will usually ruin any value of the original object. This has caused restored compo dolls to lose much of their value to future buyers. The look of the doll is destroyed from it's original intent and representation; it is no longer what it was.  But with today's technology in the right hands, applied by a skilled restorer, the essence of the doll and the originality of the compo can be restored to like new condition This is as close to perfect as it gets , folks. If you can't tell the difference from when it was new, and the condition can be considered permanent, no continuing deterioration, what is the loss in this kind of restoration?

4. Standards of restoring antiques:

Other antique objects are restored by museums, collectors, curators, and artists.  Treatments to stop deterioration of  antiquities, such as controlled environments, replaced pigments, missing parts replaced, broken parts repaired with today's tools and technology, are all desirable to preserve art of all types.  As the original materials become more fragile, these restorations become more acceptable. Why is restoration of composition dolls any different? Get used to it, or get used to damage and inferior and undesirable conditions devaluing your dolls. That is the choice of collectors today. When was the last time you were able to buy a 70 year old composition doll in perfect condition? If you could find one?

Finding competent, trained, skilled, doll restoration artists is hard, but not impossible. Please find one before letting an untrained person further devalue your prized compo doll. Use of new formula paints can reproduce the look of painted surfaces of the late 1800's and early  1900's. But they won't crack, or peel over time like the original paints. They expand with the expansion of the original composition of the old dolls, restoring the original look and repairing the damage. New glues and compounds repair breaks and missing compo and are undetectable after repainting. Wigs can be cleaned and restored to their original appearance, or replaced with like materials after compo repairs.

If you want to own a valuable compo doll to enjoy or increase in value over time, these new methods of restoration will get you what you want. I have found several doll restorers I've been astounded with ! My 27 inch Shirley Temple has the condition and look it had when it was bought over 70 years ago, retaining the original wig in new condition and style, using the original clothing and shoes as well. The  results are impressive and preserve the appearance and essence of the Shirley for generations to come. damaged unrestored dolls will continue to deteriorate over time, losing their beauty and eventually their value. The cost of restoration and preservation is reasonable, from $8 to $12 per  inch of height, on average. A little investigation will insure your investment and the enjoyment of your damaged dolls will increase when they are restored responsibly by trained professionals.