How to Collect Ancient Coins
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010Guidelines for collecting ancient coins successfully
Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category
How to clean soft vinyl dolls
Monday, January 11th, 2010How to clean soft vinyl dolls like vintage strawberry shortckae dolls.
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Cleaning vintage strawberry shortcake dolls and other soft vinyl dolls
Copyright, Neva J. Howell
Warning! You have to take your own risk in cleaning old dolls.
The fact that these things have worked for me may not mean they will work on every doll.
Start with an inconspicuous area or try it on a doll that is already damaged in some other way.
I went thru a lot of trial and error, trying to figure out the best way to clean the soft vinyl dolls in the vintage Strawberry Shortcake line.
I was afraid I might damage the painted on eyes, mouth, freckles and blush by using a regular cleaner so I tried several things before settling on a particular way.
First, I tried a natural soap I use called neutralizer. It didn’t harm the vinyl but it also didn’t take away the old dust and dirt that is often on the faces of old dolls.
Then, I tried baby wipes but they didn’t work well either.
Finally, I found a product at the dollar store that works better than anything else. It’s called Orange Goop Hand Cleaner.
I tried it on my Huckleberry Pie doll because the hat was molded and I figured that would affect the price a bit anyway. When I wiped it off about 10 minutes later, the face was just simply shining. The doll looks like new.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work that well on my Strawberry Shortcake first edition flat hand doll and that may be due to it being older and, perhaps, a different type of vinyl. It did take some of the staining off her too, but not all.
VDS DAMAGE ON SOFT VINYL DOLLS:
This type of damage causes dark spots on the legs, arms and trunks of the vintage strawberry shortcake dolls.
Sometimes, VDS can attack the face too but I’ve mostly seen it on the body and primarily on arms and legs.
Stopping VDS damage I have several dolls with VDS damage and I’ve read that it can’t be cured but I beg to differ.
There is no way I’ve found that will undo the damage once it’s done but bathing the dolls in colloidal silver (naturally antifungal) should stop it from getting worse.
I have no proof of that but I believe it, based on what I know about silver as a wellness counselor.
Collecting Stamps Philately?
Saturday, March 14th, 2009Stamp Collecting as a Hobby or Passion
Start or Add to Your Stamp Collection
Join the American Philatelic Society
Are you into philately?
You’ve seen those commercials about coin collectors and the passion they have for finding unusual and collectible coins? The same could be said of avid stamp collectors as well as those interested in the closely related study of stamps, called Philately.
Finding that unusual and unique stamp can be exciting, and for some it can also be lucrative if the stamp has historical significance. Stamps that are no longer in circulation are also prized and can be quite valuable.
Ways to start collecting stamps include joining a stamp collectors club, visiting stamp collector exhibits and fairs or collecting through your favorite stamp collectibles dealer.
A good place to start to learn about stamp collecting is the postal service’s own website. They have a section on stamp collecting where you can find groups to join and also find out about upcoming releases from the post office, as well as research prior releases.
Stamp Collection Companies are companies that offer unusual, unique and valuable stamps of all different types. If you have a specific type of stamp you collect, such as stamps featuring animals or political figures, a good stamp collection company may have categories you can subscribe to online so you can be notified when your favorite category is updated with new collectible stamps.
What kind of stamps do people collect? Well, the variety is endless. From stamps featuring disney characters to boyscout stamps to ultra-rare and expensive stamps such as 1894 - PERRY (BLACK which values at a staggering $3,250.00.
Taking care of your stamps is vital because damaged stamps (unless they are old and postal service stamped anyway) can affect the value of new stamps that are collectible in nature.
Some of the tools of the trade for stamp collecting include the right type of tongs for handling stamps, a good magnifying glass for examining detail and a good-quality stamp collection album. It’s better to get your album from a stamp collection company than just going with one from the dollar store, because you want to protect your stamps carefully and a stamp collection company will generally provide a better-quality album than the local department store.
Joining online stamp collecting groups is a fun way to learn more about stamps and also opens the opportunity for stamp trading rather than having to buy every stamp you want to collect.
You can also learn how to determine the value of your collection by viewing similar stamp collections on forums, in groups or in the inventory of those companies who sell entire collections.