I have a friend who saves items she calls "upcoming antiques" by vacumm-packing them. Most of her items are in the original box, so vacumm-packing unboxed dolls might not be the best way to preserve the dolls.

The only other thing I know about archival storage is that the item should be as clean as possible before storage.

acid-free tissue paper, acid-free boxes, clean before storing. The hair may get mussed, so wrapping the head carefully in tissue paper might be good, as might propping it so nothing bumps or rubs against the hair.

Lay clothes flat, i guess (though occasional refolding is recommended for fine linens).

Where will you keep them and what are the temperature and humidity conditions like? These dolls are just plastic, so I'd be more concerned over the temp of the storage area.

You can also get the "old lady" hair nets at the grocery store to cover the hair. They are very fine and will keep the curls in place. Old cotton sheets are good for wrapping stuff up. Even acid free tissue still has wood in it and has to be changed out occasionally. I would store them in plastic tubs if you have any concerns about critters like silverfish. You can put in those packets of stuff which pull the moisture if you are concerned with dampness.

OT tip--Sterilte containers still have holes which are open to the content area. Check the handles. If you are trying to keep out bugs and moisture, these aren't the best long-term boxes. I found this out by all off the worms which kept escaping my worm bin made from a Sterilite box. They just crawled right out those holes.

Gloria

I noticed those holes in the Sterlite containers and put tape over the holes. Do those holes serve any purpose?

Thanks for the replies.

These dolls were "gently" played with and some of their hair is no longer factory-perfect. They were once treasured by a little girl :::sniff, sniff::: who hopefully will pass them on to her little girl some day.

The funny thing is, my dd was never "into" dolls, but took a liking to these in particular, probably because they were associated with the books she was reading. (Stuffed animals, OTOH, even at 16, are an entirely different story!)

We will pack away this collection (dolls, books, clothes) with your helpful tips and suggestions :-)