Vintage dolls restored! ~ START to FINISH ~ Fixing cloudy eyes on vintage dolls, cleaning tips, etc 

Thank you So much, Heba! 😊💕💞💕😊Greetings from America 😊😊

Thank you Fancy! I thought so too ~ Some of these old baby dolls seem to get by-passed a bit in the dolly world, but they are just so adorable. I think my most favorite are the twins 😊 💕 😊

@@CarolsCurrentObsession Oh, yes , the ones on 9:49 are sooooo adorable, for me the prettiest one is the one on minute 10:53, that is sooooo cute. I also have the same current obsession as you!

I agree! They are adorable!

Thank you so much! Good Luck, 🥰🙂Let me know how it goes! 🥰

Thank you so much, Lisa! I sure had a ton of fun doing it ❤😊

Thank you so much Holly!! You are sooo right about the quality ~ even 50 and 60 year old dolls and they are still in better condition than the new ones available today. My grandson is not always gentle with the dolls and they have held up so very well ~ they still look like new! And my granddaughters love bathing them and feeding them and changing them, lol they get worked over, and they are still good to go! 😊 😊 🥰

Thank you so much, Linda! 🥰🥰😊🥰

Thank you so much Romona! 😊😊😊

How do you pop them out? Does it alter the blinking ability? I've never refurbed a doll, but I have a 43 yr old one I'd like to fix.

Hot water or a hair dryer to soft up the vinyl then push on the back of the eyes to pop the sleep eyes out, to put back pour boiling water over the face and while holding the neckhole push the eyes back in, dont push on the actual eye part as it can break them so only push on the eye canister, once in use a small screwdriver to move the eyes into a correct pose

yes they’re so pretty

Thank you Jarene! 🥰😊🥰😊🎀

Thank you so much! 😊😊💝😊

And I heard you say your name is Carol .... funny ... so is hers!!!!! She's much older though.

That really is funny! My 1st grandson never could say “gramma” quite, and as little kids do sometimes, he dyslexically switched it to “Maga”. I like it, lol! There is this hilarious video about choosing grandma names, and all I can say is, I’m glad I got Maga instead of something like Lala, 😂😂😂. Here’s the link to that video, it’s pretty funny! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FEnw-TDuwn0.html

Oh Elizabeth! I'm so glad that I can be of some use! 😊😊😙😊 Isn't it so rewarding to see the lovely old dolls sparkle once again?! 😊😊

@@CarolsCurrentObsession Hello Carol, i posted your video on the face-book page today and have a number of collectors say that they will us the technique to brighten and clear their dolls eyes-thanks again,

Thank you so much! 💝😊😊

Thank you so much Lisa! 😊😊

Sorryimeant clothing

Thank you! Cheers!

Ah, thank you so much Ann! 😊 😘 💕 😊

You are welcome 😊.... 😊

Thank you so much, Diane! They do love it 😊😊💕💞😊 I like to make dolly quilts and there are little vintage bassinet and a stroller too. I found an old metal dolly high chair that was repainted and has seen better days that I need to get fixed up for them as well.im pretty sure I have just as much fun as they do 😉😊😊💓😊

Thank you Jay! ❤️ 😘 😀 Sometimes I look at my growing pile of “dolly business” and I get a little concerned ~ then my husband complains about my “one last doll” statements and I get a little more concerned ~ 😂 😂 😂

Carols CurrentObsession oh I know what you mean bless you - there’s always just one more 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I think she made a video about the dark haired doll in red dress. So beautiful! I think she got it from goodwill!

Thank you Ana! 😊 💕 😊 That’s a great idea for a video ~ in a little tiny nutshell, the child teaches the dolly to use the potty and then you teach the child, meanwhile using the dolly as an example all along. It takes a few days of being at home, because after they spend the morning teaching the dolly, then you spend the afternoon teaching the child. And then it takes about another day to have the child basically running around in a t shirt and no undies (so that they can get on the potty fast) to sort of cement it in. It’s great because the child totally understands what is going to happen because they have already taught the dolly. One thing though, the child has to be exhibiting some sort of desire to begin potty training, or else it doesn’t work quite as quickly. The book that I learned and used this method for all five of my kids (and it worked beautifully!) is called “Potty training in 24 hours” or something really similar to that. It’s an old book from the 70s, but it totally works! I am sure if you googled it, it would bring up the right book. Best of luck 😊 😊 😊 its a big day when they are finally potty trained!!! ( Actually, its more of a HALLELUJAH moment than anything!!! 😂 😂)

@@CarolsCurrentObsession Thanks for the tips Carol, cos I really do not know where to start!

Thank you so much Mary! 😊😊💝😊 I love the doll in your avatar picture, is that a little Toni doll of yours? (It also looks like sweet sue sort of...lol...my old eyes ...)

Thank you Dedra! 💕💞💕

Oh thank you so much! 😊😊💞😊

Thanks so much for watching and commenting Kim! I’m really glad the video is helpful 😊 ❤️ 😊

Thank you so much, Sylvia! 😊😊💝😊

I had no idea!! 💞💞💕💞 I am going to look that up ~ thank you Brenda! 😊😊😘😊💕

Ah thanks for the tip! Is Twin Pines 9-1-1 sort of like Pinesol? Or is it a specialty type of cleaner?

@@CarolsCurrentObsession It's a special cleaner for vinyl dolls. Their website is just twinpines.com. They also sell a good peroxide stain remover for vinyl dolls. :)

Thank you for subscribing!! 😊 😂 😂 😂 yah, the grands can be hard on the goods, truer words truer words 😂 😂 i wish those half gone eyes were easier to repair. One trick that i found for a droopy misaligned sleep eye is to take a needle nosed plier or a small forceps and catch it on the rim of one of the eye edges and try to carefully nudge the eye back into place. Sometimes it works and every once in a while on the really cheap dolls, it basically makes the eye worse, lol, soooo… proceed with caution! If its a cheapo dollar store type doll, i wouldnt try it, but if its a decent vintage doll, then it will probably be fine. At least it will align the eye. Now, replacing those eyelashes can be a stinker. You reall have to decide if the doll is worth it, lol! First, youll need a couple of cheap paintbrushes from the dollar store. Cut off the brush right close to the stick of the paintbrush, to get as long of brush pieces as possible. Then using tweezers, take a couple of pieces of brush and fit them into that slightly raised rim where the original lashes fell (got pulled) out. You can try to dip the lash bits into glue before inserting them, but i personally make a mess doing it that way, unless i also tediously cover the eyeball, and it stays put. (I have used that Glad wrap with the wax dots on it and it works ok, but you run the risk of wax residue if you get it too warm or push it too hard, so there’s that, too.) I’ve also just waited till I’m done inserting them and then add a tiny line of white glue to the top side and then let it dry clear. Then, ONCE THE GLUE HAS DRIED (dont do it before, or you might be cussing up a storm, lol!) trim the eyelashes to all the same length.

Thank you Marie! 🥰😘🥰

Thank you Leman!! 😊 😘 ❤️ 😊

Thank you so much Tanner 😘💕💞💕

@@CarolsCurrentObsession you are welcome 😊.... I responded back to you as soon as I saw your message was on post 📫.. 📫 😀 😊 🙂 😄 📫.. 📫

@@CarolsCurrentObsession you are amazing 👏❤. I responded back to you as soon as I saw your message was on post 📫.. Have a great weekend 😀..

Enjoy your videos very much ❤

Thank you Cmarie! 💝😊😊

Thank you! 😊😊💞😊

@@CarolsCurrentObsession you're welcome.

Oh thank you so much! You made my day! 😘💕💓💕😘😊😊 I actually have 6 grandkids now, with number 7 on the way 😊😊 (but I started sorta young ~ at 20, and I'm 49 now......😢😥

Thanks so much Irene! 😊

Thanks so much for watching them Disney! 😊 😘 ❤️

OHH mYYY, those Tonner dolls are pricy! But they are beautiful! 💞 I would not use clear nail polish, as it can stick the eyes in place and also can wrinkle the plastic of the eyes. If you have a doll that has cloudy eyes from what looks like a white sort of film (not just cloudy inside), you can hit them with a hot blow dryer for a few seconds ( be careful, it gets hot fast, and your hand will feel it!) and that will “melt” the white film away. What that white stuff is is usually the waxes in the plastic separating, and creating that white film, and you’ll notice that when you are hitting it with the heat, it has a sort of oily or melted wax type of residue that will need to be swabbed up with a piece of tissue paper or a q-tip. Once the eyes are fixed with the blow dryer, they will stay clear for years longer. I have a couple of dolls that I have fixed this way, and its been over 10 yrs, and they are still good on the eyes, so its a very effective way of fixing them when they have a white film. You have to be careful, and sometimes hit the eyes with short bursts of heat, but it does work!

You are so welcome, Irene! Thank you for watching! 😊 ❤️ 😊

You are so welcome, I hope it helps! 😊😊

Ah, Tony, thank you so much! That doll is a 23" Sweet Sue, & she's a bit of a rarity ~ she's a composition doll, where most of her ilk are made of hard plastic. I have a video about her, if you are interested. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-l7ojI7Y-iVM.html

@@CarolsCurrentObsession Thank you for your reply, I have watched your video now. yes you made her look amazing with the new wig and clothes. Thank you

🤔👌🏻🤣🤣 you guessed it, idaho indeed 🤣 you must either be from this area or have known folks from this area, lol, Idaho is not really well known. Well..Well... at least, we didn't used to be...lol... people routinely mix us up with Iowa and Ohio, or think we are a city somewhere in California 🤣🤣🤣

Hi Leslie! Ahhh, these old dolls can really give us a certain amount of grief, lol! I definitely can do a video on how to fix that, but I’ll try to tell you as well as I can right now, in case it takes me a hot minute to get the video done. So with the twisty eye, sometimes you can take a flat head screw driver and GENTLY push one way or the other, and get the eyes to reposition. If that doesn’t work, it may come to removing the head, but depending on the type of doll, that might be a risky venture. As for the eyelash strip, here is a cool little trick ~ go to the dollar store and pick up some ( maybe 3 or 4) of those really cheap kid paint brushes, you know, the really stiff crappy kind. Then you‘ll also need some white school glue or something similar that dries clear. Now take the doll and look closely at the spot where the eyelashes are supposed to be, and you’ll notice there is a tiny sort of raised area of the metal eye housing. Take a needle or pin and clean that trough out all the way, making sure that there is no left over glue or eyelashes left in there. Then take your cheap paintbrushes, and snip the brush as close to the handle as possible. (I like to get a paper plate, and snip the brush on one side, and put a puddle of white glue on the other side.) Then you need to get a little tweezer and dip a few hairs in the glue (just the tips!!) and then insert them into the eye trough. This is a touch tedious, but once you are done, dab the tiniest bit of glue on the edge of a toothpick and run it just barely along the line of eyelashes. Once they have dried (oh please learn from my hasty mistake, and wait, lol, or all of your hard work may shift!) decide how long you want the eyelashes to be and trim them up to size, and VOILA~ she is done! I hope this was helpful 😊

Carols CurrentObsession I actually have the eyelash strip in tact- so is there an easy way to reattach it? Also, will the doll’s head be able to come off and on? I just don’t want to break it.

Is there a way I could send you a picture so you might could tell me if you know anything about this particular doll’s head- removal, that is. Sorry to be so much trouble.

Yes, or refurbish old ones 😊

Ah, Leslie, I'm afraid it might be bad news. If a good wash up with Dawn won't remove the sticky, then it's a good chance your doll has what is called Hard Plastic Disease, or HPD. Try the Dawn again, and use a scrubby, if possible, and if the stickiness doesn't go away, I'm afraid that it may be that the plastic is disintegrating. If it's something like a small area where there is sticker price or tape residue, that should come off quickly with Dawn and a green scrubby. If it seems to be a stickiness that's like a chemical reaction, then it's definitely the HPD. And you should know, HPD can spread to your other dolls, so if you have a doll that's afflicted, you need to dispose of it, or you risk your entire collection. Do try the Dawn again, though, just to be sure, and Google HPD ~ there are a few articles out there that show picture examples of HPD, so you can better assess what's going on with your doll.

Carols CurrentObsession -I think I have about got it off.

LOL! I know! We buy more dolls! 😂 😂 😂

I have never tried to dye the vinyl back to pink, however, sometimes you can wash the doll up very well and then I have heard of people putting acne cream on the vinyl that will sometimes remove the yellowing. I have never personally tried it, but I have heard that it works. There is a gal named Tammy Laskey that has a channel called Tammy Laskeys Dolls, or something really close to that, and she is the one that talks about putting the zit cream on the dolls for getting staining and yellowing off the vinyl. Best of luck to you, please let me know how it turns out!!

Did not work, gave it away because I dumped my gf

Mmm~ the best idea on that would be to look for the doll in toy catalogs and then at least you would have an idea of what to look for. Also, period doll clothes patterns can give an idea as well. As to where to find them once you know what you're looking for ~ that's much harder. These dolls particularly were ones that generally only came with one little outfit, and mother would sew the rest. EBay will sometimes have doll clothing lot sales however, and you may find pieces that way as well. For me, personally, I just find an old pattern for the correct doll size and make them the clothing. If you don't sew, however, eBay and garage sales may be your only hope. I hope this helps a little. 😔😒😘😘😊😊

@@CarolsCurrentObsession Well it's weird but with further research I found the doll was made in '64, I got it brand new in '78. So did they sit on shelves for a long time?? I did find ONE photo online but it's a defunct listing and I can't reach the poster. I will take your advice and see what I can find - at least I figured out the year!

😊 ❤️ 😊

You know, I wouldn’t, and the reason why is that other oils may disintegrate the plastics. I know from sad experience that tri-flow (while amazing for a sewing machine!) and wd-40 are definitely NOT good to use, for the very reason of eating the plastics. And food oils will gum up really quite badly.

Thank you so much Tony, I will definitely check it out! 😊😊😊

Well, ive never run into any dolls with spirits, but if I did, dont you think they would want to be clean? Cleanliness is next to Godliness, as my mother always said. 😉

You are welcome 😊.... 😊