Frequently Asked Questions - Doll Hospital

There are two times when a restoration reduces the value of a doll: when the restoration was not necessary in the first place and when the restoration is terrible! We've seen victims of both come in to our studio, much too often!

A restoration on a damaged doll will help maintain the value and increase saleability. Restoration on an extremely damaged doll, which consequently has little value, will definitely increase the value. But, don't forget, you can't change the fact that it was damaged and the value will never be the same as if the doll was in pristine original condition.

The value of your doll is determined by condition, rarity, and demand. Desirable, rare dolls in pristine condition will fetch top value. Value diminishes as the condition deteriorates. We do evaluations all the time, so we can help you establish the value of your doll. This helps you in your decision to restore or not.

If you watch the Antique Road Show, notice that their specialists are often very cautious when they recommend restorations, and for good reason. We've seen many bad restorations, which cost our clients a lot of money, and now they have to spend their money again to get what they deserved in the first place. Good restorations will at least maintain the value of your doll and in many cases will increase the value of your doll.

Some conditions will continue to deteriorate until you take steps to stabilize your dolls condition, and you will then stabilize and even increase the value. Other conditions, when properly restored, will increase the value, mainly because you improve the dolls desirability. Many dolls we see are extensively damaged and restoration is justified. Each case is different and evaluated according to your wishes and the value of your doll. We offer advice on the level of work that should be done and how that will affect the value of the doll. However, the final decision is up to you. Not all restorations are requested for value purposes: many are simply sentimental restorations.

Try the newspaper classifieds or e-bay; you can donate it to a charity thrift shop; or, give it to a family member or friend whom you trust will deal with it appropriately. Although we take some dolls on consignment not all dolls sell well at any point in time, so we are selective. When all else fails please, please, do not throw it away! We rescue dolls!

Read our service chart that describes our restoration and repair services.

Yes it can. Click to see our broken porcelain head sample. We also have other examples on our case history page.

Yes we can. If the original fabric is still strong enough we will clean and press the clothes. New laces or ribbons or other trims can be added to restore those that are not salvageable.

See our costumes page for samples of our work.

Yes, we can. We have done many "sculpts" to replace missing toes, feet, legs; missing fingers, hands and arms; and sadly, missing facial features.

We identify all dolls that we take in with a unique number and we take digital photographs. A Work Order is filled out including the number, your name and contact information. A label with the number and your last name is attached to your doll. The digital photograph is named including your name and the number.

We do not repair cloth Teddy Bears. Visit our link partner a Bear Hospital at Dear Bears.

The availability of spare parts for your doll depends upon the availability of someone's nearly destroyed doll acquired by our studio. Frankly, it is impossible to keep parts for the tens of thousands of different dolls made over the past 200 years. We are very creative in making or sculpting new parts.

No, we do not do temporary repairs; we do permanent repairs. A misconception has developed regarding temporary repair of dolls. We recommend against 'temporary repairs' as this typically results in an unattractive job and adds cost to the project when we have to un-do the so-called temporary repair. It can take hours to remove all the inappropriate adhesives and fillers before we can do the repair properly.

No! We have developed a technique that allows us to remove and re-insert mechanical eyes used in composition doll heads without damaging the head. The technique of breaking the head compromises its condition and value.

A Timeless Doll Hospital is a business, not a hobby. Sheila is a Certified Master Doll Artisan, and the hundreds of hours it took her to achieve this was a major personal commitment. We love the business we're in, and our clients love to visit our studio. We are committed to customer service.

We know dolls: we've been making them, collecting them, buying and selling them, restoring and repairing them, and appraising for many years. We know what to do about damaged dolls and how much or how little to do to them. They do not leave our studio unless we are happy.

We have a dedicated studio. It is bright, clean, dry and large. It has a security system, fire extinguisher, and ventilation system. We've taken great pains to make it comfortable since we spend so many hours in it, and it is very functional. Fellow artisans and clients are very impressed with our studio.

To help you make your decision visit our case history page to see some samples of previous work and testimonials from our happy customers.

Please see the "about us" page on our Timeless Doll Gallery site for backgrounds on Sheila and Brian.

From you maybe, but with overnight delivery available throughout the world, it doesn't matter, does it? Our commitment to Customer service applies to anyone living in any part of the world, and we have the experience to deal with your specific problems, including shipment of your prized doll. The only advantage local clients have over you is that they can visit our studio.

In Spring 2007 we completed our 1000th restoration project! Visit our Press Room on our Doll Making site for details.

We must see your doll to give you a fair estimate that will result in the quality of work you expect. Therefore, you must send it to us or bring it in to the studio for the final estimate. We can give you a preliminary estimate by e-mailing detailed and clear photos to us.

Once we've seen your doll, and we've discussed the work with you, we'll give you a price range - low to high. This range is based on our experience accumulated over many years and material cost.

No! Once we've seen your doll, we'll discuss it with you and agree what will be done. This agreement is entered into a Work Order and that is the work we perform - no more, no less. Periodically, Work Orders have been revised, at the Customer's request or our suggestion, but always, all our work is completed with your agreement.

[This is an infrequent question, but worth answering here. There is sometimes the incorrect perception that fixing a doll is a simple process. It is often not that simple!]

We charge a fair rate for our work based mainly on the labour we put into each project. Some restorative work is time consuming. If the work includes sculpting, detail painting, restoring a wig and a costume, it can take 5 to 10 hours to complete! Our rates are far less than automotive mechanics' rates or even those of a tattoo artist!

Completing your project will take many months because we are so busy anyway, so you can put some money away each month. We'll inform you when we are finished, and if you don't have enough money yet, you pay us what you have, and then we can start a layaway plan until you've paid us the full amount. At that time, we'll ship your doll to you.

Some Customers pay for their dolls' restoration this way! It works for them; it works for us.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Once we've seen it, we can establish the accurate value of the doll. (We do insurance appraisals, so we are fairly accurate in our estimates.) Also, there is the cost of your restoration or repair. The doll should be insured for the the value PLUS the cost of the restoration or repair.

That depends upon where you live, but we will give you instructions when you contact us. This is extremely important. Please, contact us before you ship your doll.

We work on a first-in first-out basis. Our backlog varies, depending upon the time of year and recent antique shows we've attended.  At the time we complete the agreement with you we'll give you an estimate of how long it will take. This an estimate, not a guaranteed date by any means.

Completion of a project may depend upon availability of materials, which may be delayed in shipment from a supplier. We may encounter surprises, something that may not have been apparent when we took your project in. We keep you informed of surprises or delays that impact cost or schedule.

Have the carrier note the damage on their record at the time of delivery. Insist! Immediately ask the carrier how to make a claim. Take a photo of the damaged package before opening it. If the doll is damaged, photograph that as well. 

Possibly. Our experience with these fees is inconsistent. Some couriers have charged brokerage fees on top of the shipment fee and others have not. Ask your courier up front when you are arranging for shipment.

Read Sheila's article: "10 Steps to Preserve Your Doll"

Absolutely! Restoration and repair disclosure is an ethical as well as a value question. We often see dolls that have been restored or repaired previously and our Client was not aware of it until we pointed this out. It is important to pass on the history of your doll, and the restoration or repair is part of the dolls 'story'.

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Frequently Asked Questions - Doll Hospital