Packing and shipping
Packing and shipping a doll
Many people hesitate to send their childhood baby dolls or dolls by the post office or by Mondial Relay for fear of the processing of parcels which may damage their most precious reminder. Over twenty years that I send and receive packages, here are some tips to optimize your shipments.
1. We start with the head
For a porcelain doll, head and hands are the most breakable. The ideal for packing is therefore bubble wrap by adding an additional turn on these elements. For the head, some also use (clean) diapers whose shape perfectly matches the porcelain head.
As for the open/closed eyes, they continue to beat during transport. They risk breaking and the lead continuing to move in the head can break it.
The first and safest solution is to remove the wig and stuff the head with tissue, paper towel or newspaper to block the mechanism.
If it is not possible to remove the wig, you can also block the eyes from the outside to prevent the mechanism from activating during transport. This solution is less secure because it only works on a mechanism in perfect condition and does not take into account wear and losses.
2. Body packing
We wrap the body of the doll in bubble wrap to form a beautiful mummy. This recommendation also applies to baby dolls.
Warning
Do not use high-performance scotch tape as this can make unpacking complicated and risky for the object. (ex: opening with the cutter on clothes and tearing not controlled with risk of falling).
So prefer a paper scotch tape, often used for painting (masking), it adheres enough to secure the object and its easy unpacking allows reuse of bubble wrap.Tape the open/closed eyes of baby dolls.
3. The cardboard box
Start by finding a solid cardboard box, preferably double or triple layers (see photo). Post boxes are well studied (if the size matches).
It is also necessary to provide space around the doll in order to block it with for example:
- Crumpled newspapers
- Polystyrene chips
- Bubble wrap
- Big plastic bubbles
- Empty and closed water bottles
Nota Bene: You must always put your contact details in the package (address and telephone number) because in the event of a problem on the outside, label removed for example, the package will be opened.
Close the box with large scotch tape. Circle it wide and long.
On the shipping slip, it is important to indicate the telephone number with the address. The post officers do not hesitate to call in the event of a problem.