I have to daughters and 2 beautiful big doll houses along with a lot of dolls and furniture I would like to store them in the attic or somewhere where they won't be ruined. I have no idea on where to start and how to pack them so that they don't get ruined being I have a long way to go before they have children of their own! Can someone please help me on what I should use to store them in or even any help in what don't work any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!!!
What are they made of? If plastic? It will warp in the heat of the attic. Same for wood if covered improperly.
If they are expensive doll houses? I would contact the company that made it and ask them for advice.
I personally would NOT store something that I wanted to save for my kids in my attic..at least not a doll house. Stuffed animals? Yes. Doll house? no.
If there are plastic parts you are going to have to store them someplace where it's temp controlled.
If your attic gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter the plastic will degrade (melt and/or get brittle) fairly quickly.
Wood, fabric will store better in non humid space - if you pack it in a trunk be sure to include a desiccant (something that will absorb moisture).
http://www.amazon.com/Dry-Packs-56gm-Tyvek-Silica-Packet/...
Some plastic storage bins might be able to take high/low temps better than others.
Moth balls are not a bad idea (doll clothes can be aired out) but the vacuum storage bags are great for sealing out moisture and insects too.
I'd avoid using cardboard boxes - silverfish and other insects can eat cardboard and it doesn't keep out humidity.
If you are going to wrap anything in paper make it a no acid/low acid paper.
http://personalorganizing.about.com/od/Basments/a/What-to...
I suggest finding a doll club of some sort in your area and contacting someone from the club. They can provide a knowledgeable answer for you specific to the types of dolls, miniatures, and houses you are storing.
ETA: it looks like there's a United Federation of Doll Clubs associated club in Baton Rouge called Bayou Bebes. There's contact info on their web page (http://www.angelfire.com/la2/bayoubebes/) . You definitely want to find a UFDC-member club.
so, they don't play with them any more? and you're storing them for posterity, am i understanding you correctly?
if that's the case, you should probably bite the bullet and put them in a temperature-controlled storage unit. i doubt they'd survive well in the attic, unless your attic is cool, clean and bug-free.
khairete
S.
I would not package the doll houses but make sure where you store them is out of the light. Different packing materials give off fumes, sometimes chemicals that can alter the surface. I am sure there are special packing materials that pros use if you really want to go that route.
As far as the dolls go, cardboard box with non print paper lightly separating the pieces. You don't want to wrap and you don't want to use anything with print as the ink can rub off over time staining the items.
Oh yes, and B is right temperature control. When I think of attics I think of the ones where my husband comes from, not what I have. Not sure I would store anything up there!
I went with cardboard box over plastic because it can breath, plastic can't and those space bags, god knows how they react over time because they haven't been around more than ten years..
Really we can't be very helpful because you didn't say what they were made of. I had a lot of dolls destroyed because they were up against each other. You may want to google the specific materials to see how each piece is best stored.
I suggest you consult a professional storage company. You are talking about a variety of materials which will need ddifferent treatments.
I suggest the attic is too hot and a basement too damp. Storing in plastic is problematic. I have stored some things in plastic bags for a couple of years and the bags discolorered.
My grandmother saved things. The only things that survived she kept in the house. They had an insulated storage room in the milk house. They were dairy farmers. Fabric mildewed. Paper became brittle and discolored. Everything lost it's luster.
If you are intent on saving these items? I would store them in a temperature regulated storage facility.
DO NOT put them in plastic bags. The bags act as a humidifier in an attic and will cause warping and mold to grow.
Personally? I can't see saving things like this for decades for my possible grandchildren. I understand your intentions, but I think it's hard to save something like this for decades knowing you do NOT have the proper facility to store the items, as I don't think the attic is the right place and agree with Marda that the basement is too damp.
Go to a large hardware store like Lowes and go to the trash bag isle. Look for contractor trash bags. I buy these for our outside trash cans.
The 33 gallon trash bags, think large leaf bags, do fit the outdoor trash cans but just barely. They often come off the edges and don't work right.
SO I buy the 45 gallon large black trash/contractor bags.
These are perfect for storing things in the attic, if you want to add some moth balls or other rodent deterrents you'll need to research that. They keep most insects and critters out.
I think it's very nice of you to save these for your kiddos. I have a lot of stuff from when my daughter was little that my grand kids have used and I still have some of it.
My mom kept rocking horses, toys, clothes, and more in the attic for 20-30 years and they were fine.
I will say that today's materials might not last as long, but they might even be better, than yesteryears materials. I'd make sure they were not brittle and easy to break when you take them out of storage.
