Shipping a Sleep Eye Dome Head Bisque Bye-Lo Doll

Discussion in 'Antique Discussion' started by 3798dmmnn, Dec 13, 2023.

  1. 3798dmmnn

    3798dmmnn Member

    Hello,
    To all those doll collectors, have you ever shipped a bisque doll with a domed head and sleep eyes? I have to ship an old Grace Putnam Bye-Lo Baby, but cannot figure out how to stuff the head with tissue to protect the sleep eyes.

    Can you tape them open or shut? If so, what tape is safe to use on a Bisque head doll?
     
    judy and Any Jewelry like this.
  2. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    shut em, place cotton balls on them, & secure with more cotton or fabric....
    I wouldn't tape anything...
     
  3. Satin In A Coffin

    Satin In A Coffin Well-Known Member

    The risk of them falling into the head and breaking is there no matter what during the shipping. Not much you can do beyond taking the whole doll apart which wouldn't please the recipient I'm sure. Shipping for these things is rough.
     
    judy and komokwa like this.
  4. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    I'd ship the doll face down. It may not help, but it can't hurt.
     
    pearlsnblume, judy and Aquitaine like this.
  5. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

    Masking tape, the same that is used when respraying cars.
     
    pearlsnblume, judy and johnnycb09 like this.
  6. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    & the eyelashes??
     
    pearlsnblume, judy and Any Jewelry like this.
  7. Sdcookie2

    Sdcookie2 Well-Known Member

    Always a tough one. I have had much success only because the wig was usually loose. I pack the head with tissue or paper towels. If the wig is not loose I would message the buyer and ask to loosen part of the wig to pack for safe arrival. Without the head packed it is highly probable you will have a return.
     
    judy likes this.
  8. sassafras

    sassafras Well-Known Member

    Ask your buyer what they prefer. The majority of collectors will ask you to remove the head on a domed doll and they'll reattach it when it gets to them. Most of them have been reattached at one time or another and it doesn't affect the value on a Bye-Lo baby at all. It's definitely the safest method. Just snip the thread at the neckline, remove the head, stuff it with tissue (with the eyes closed), wrap in tissue and several layers of bubble wrap, and ship it face down. This helps keep the plaster in place that holds the eye rocker.

    If the buyer doesn't want to do that, make sure that they know there is a much greater risk of damage with all other methods. Make sure to get shipping insurance!
     
    judy, Any Jewelry, Aquitaine and 3 others like this.
  9. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Excellent advice. Ask the buyer.

    Debora
     
    KikoBlueEyes likes this.
  10. Joe in PA

    Joe in PA Well-Known Member

    One other thing to factor in (the choice of sales venue and setting a sale price, etc) is the possibility of getting a return from the buyer and possible damage from that if these are super fragile.
     
    judy likes this.
  11. Brian Warshaw

    Brian Warshaw Well-Known Member

    I don't know what the problem is, so this suggestion is offered in ignorance.

    I assume it would ideally be best to pack the doll complete, without amputating the the head. Pack the fully supported head in a short length of tube. Light-weight drain pipes arw available in a variety of diameters. Then pack the complete doll in a standard box in the normal way.

    I don't understand how one packs the doll face down when it will subsequently be handled by several people during transportation.
     
    judy likes this.
  12. sassafras

    sassafras Well-Known Member

    The mechanism that hold the glass eyes is called a rocker. It is made of metal and has a heavy weight at the end that allows the eyes to "sleep". It's held in place on either side of the eye sockets by plaster, which often comes loose during shipping if the rocker is not secured. If the rocker comes loose, you've got shattered eyes and sometimes shattered heads. :wideyed:

    On a side note, if not displaying antique dolls, it's best to store them face down, which takes the weight off of the plaster and can help prevent damage.
     
  13. judy

    judy Well-Known Member

    As suggested above, ship with the eyes down. That's true for any sleep eye doll......new or old.

    When you think you've wrapped the head securely, add more bubble..........there's no such thing as too much!

    But pay attention to the body too!
     
    pearlsnblume likes this.
  14. 3798dmmnn

    3798dmmnn Member

    Thanks for all the replies and advice. I feel more confident about this - the buyer is ok with removing the head, and I will stuff it and ship it face down. Lots and lots of bubble wrap!
     
    komokwa, bercrystal and judy like this.
  15. 3798dmmnn

    3798dmmnn Member

    What a great community! So glad I found this forum :)
     
    komokwa likes this.
  16. judy

    judy Well-Known Member

    I might add one more suggestion.

    When I ship dolls of any type, I always use a piece of cloth to wrap the doll in before I wrap the doll in bubble wrap (might be an old towel, pillow case, etc.)to prevent any chance of the wrapping from sticking to the doll.............
     
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