Our 7 best tips for caring for your dolls

Most of us love our dolls as if they were our own family. So it's no wonder we try to care for them as if they were! We can all use a refresher on how to best care for these artfully crafted treasures. After all, we want them to stay with us for a lifetime!

Always remember that dolls play a big role in the secondary market. So before you do anything else, remember that keeping the packaging, leaflets and certificates can increase the value of your dolls. Lower resale value is often the result of missing the original packaging.

So here are our top 7 tips for caring for your doll!

1.Dolls should be stored in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight. Remember to check them from time to time to make sure there are no problems with temperature, humidity, insects or confined space.

2.Permanent damage may occur if you attempt to take your doll "swimming"! Avoid submerging a collectible doll in water.

3. For daily cleaning of vinyl and porcelain dolls, use a soft cloth and distilled water without soap, beach or chlorine products.

4.Cloth dolls can be vacuumed through a layer of mesh with a gentle vacuum cleaner. Remember that silk should never be vacuumed.

5.To prevent dyes from bleeding over time, you can always place a layer of acid-free fabric between the clothes and the doll's body.

6.The quickest way to ruin a doll's hair is to wash it; it becomes matted and can no longer be tamed.

7.Golden Rule: Because high quality collectible doll hair is made from synthetic materials, using heated products such as hair dryers, curling irons or straighteners may damage the hair and vinyl. Air drying is always the best solution!