Yellowing Bodies and Something New

The other day I took this nude Gene doll out of the closet where she's been stored for a few weeks and noticed something other than her yellow body which she's had for almost a year. Look at the dark line coming down from her ear and going around the back of her head.
I posted this picture on one of the doll boards and the consensus of opinion was that it was from a hair net. I wondered how could this be? I got her several years ago and her hair hasn't been netted for a long time.

Here is an interesting explanation:

It looks like a mark from the rubber edge from a hairnet:
I do repair and restoration of dolls and have seen this before. the rubber in the hairnet edge will deteriorate and before it even does it can make a mark, sometimes not showing up for a while even years. It all depends on the hairnet, and the rubber used, mostly now they wrap the rubber in white poly thread but if the rubber is strongly "unstable" or badly produced (just like the plastic parts of a doll oxidize) it can react and start to seep into the vinyl and may not change color until later, we must remember that plastic,vinyl and rubber are all rather "fluid " materials atomically, and their structure is constantly moving. so what shows up on a surface now may disappear or move inward to the interior or outward to the surface. the color of the mark has distinct properties, green being a color that appears with a stronger copper content, and the rubber used could have been exposed to copper somehow (or brass etc) therefore making the greenish mark. An example of rubber affecting plastic is evident in many dolls like Dawn, that have rubber vinyl legs and plastic hips - they melt into each other sometimes and it really depends on the way the rubber and plastic is batched before being used in a mold part. 

Posted by mikemade on August 1, 2013

This is an Integrity Toys manufactured Gene Marshall. 


When does one just give up? I have no more replacement Gene bodies. I've used up all of them replacing deteriorating IT bodies and replacing a few non-articulated bodies on Ashton-Drake Genes.

Monster High Cleo De Nile & Draculaura

Angelic Dreamz posted pictures of two new Monster High dolls today.
I don't collect them any longer but if I did, I'd get Draculaura for sure. She looks quite sophisticated in her tight little red skirt and plaid cape. Her hatbox is just adorable. Cleo is wearing her usual turquoise and gold signature colors - no big change there.
Each doll comes with three additional pairs of shoes, two pairs of earrings, sunglasses, tote bags and the usual assortment of flimsy bracelets. Ooh...I just noticed that Draculaura has painted white hands to resemble gloves. Such a lady.

Tulabelle: Yeti To Wear

I picked up Yeti today and took pictures. Here is my review.

My first impression was a good one. The outfit is well made and comes with great jewelry. In my opinion, this doll is a good value compared to similar dolls being produced today.

In this photo, I put her fur vest on over her hair because it didn't look good on top of the fur. She is standing on her own.

The boots are a very dark plum. They are really nice and balance the doll well. There's a full zipper up the back.

There are four pieces of jewelry. The one I haven't included consists of dark-colored beads and I didn't think is was necessary. I love the earrings, pendant and ring.  The clutch bag is lovely. Unfortunately, the doll can't clutch it. I didn't want to put any sticky dots on the purse so she's holding it under her arm.

So we have a great fashion and a doll with a nice body.

The factory coated her hair with a waxy or greasy substance. It can be washed out. What can't be fixed are the weird bangs. They don't lay on her forehead like real bangs. I think she'd be better with a wig.

The real issue I have is with the cartoonish screening of her face. There is no shading - no gradation of tone at all.

I'm wondering if I can use her body with another head - perhaps an AG head or an Antoinette head.