A Bit of DOLL ORGANIZATION!

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What about this Mess?

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I've tried putting dolls in tub/bins standing up as well as laying down, but eventually someone slips down, disappears or is crushed by multiples being stacked on top of one another. 

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Nothing was worse then 'losing' a doll, or destroying a hairdo.

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This is a great idea for kids, but not for the quantity of dolls and accessories I'm dealing with.

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For a long time, I was stacking dolls sitting on a shelf--well, I had them 3 high in each other's laps and that wasn't working either, and also the gals had smashed hair. 

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I love this idea of storing them in shoe pockets...but I don't have enough wall space or doors for that. 

I do leave certain dolls/characters in their homes/stores dioramas, but sometimes I forget where they landed last time, since I cover all my houses/dioramas with table cloths to keep clean, except the garden center.

My dolls all needed a definite 'spot'.

I had a brain fart and a bunch of USED magazine boxes left over from clearing shelves upstairs, when I (donated magazines). 

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I tried the guys in the boxes, and this looked like this was a SOLUTION! 

These boxes are at least 20 years old. But, you know REDO...REUSE, is good for the environment, lol.

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Guy dolls are definitely wider. So, I put the guys in my old wider boxes. I can get 7-10 male dolls in a box, depending on their builds, naked or semi-naked. Guys clothes really don't mash, except for formal wear.

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These boxes hold what was in a large bin and one shelf full of dolls, now organized, and labeled. 

I then ordered 20 NEW cardboard magazine file boxes. They arrived and were slightly narrower boxes. 

Here are how the boxes work. You can use inexpensive boxes or expensive ones. I'm hoping to make more attractive fronts for these with some stickum paper. Right now, I just need good organization.

* Because this is an ad-free blog, you will have to google search for cardboard magazine file boxes on your own from your favorite source.

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These inexpensive boxes came flat---all you need to do is fold them. They seemed thin, but are actually quite strong.

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The thinner cardboard has crisp corners.

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Simple box construction, follow the directions by this drawing.

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Once assembled, I taped down the folded bottom on the inside and out with shipping tape.

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Definitely works well, no edges to catch on anything.

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I have a numbering system, but you could use any type of system. This was written directly on the box or a removable contact label as well as the dolls names.

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Here's a closeup of the names...I use boxes marked F for Female and M for Males

With the girls, I keep them basically undressed or in casual clothes with a plastic bag loose or tight(great for short haircuts) over their heads to keep hair somewhat controlled and protected. Billie has screwy hair, but it fits her weird personality.

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Standing up in the narrow boxes seems to be working and I can get as many as 10 skinny or juvenile in a box. Dolls that bend easily or are loose jointed may need a strip of upright cardboard at the shallow end for support.

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We will have to see if this file box solution becomes longterm. I do like the easy access to getting a doll in or out from a shelf without pulling down the entire box.  Here are my brunettes, almost all with smooth hair or updos.

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I put shipping tape over paper labels on each butt/body, with their name and box number. I do like the tag system many people use, however tags can rip off and are hard to write or see so small. I also worry about color transfer, the written labels on the butts are totally covered in shipping tape so no color transfer.

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Outside on the box, I have a label and a box number. I list who is supposed to be inside. I have the young dolls pretty much together, blondes, as well as sorting my AA's and Asians for the ease of finding everyone.

This is the girls' shelf---this was two bins and one shelf of sitting dolls, so this IS an improvement, and I still have room in two boxes. UH-OH, but I also have dolls still floating around in the great fruit-basket upset of the basement. Right now the sheets are everyone that is accounted for.

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Here is one of the master sheets of mugshots of my dolls when I name them. I enter their box location manually.

I've been updating photos, names, and their storage destination on new mugshot sheets. This is in my computer and a hard copy. Later and I will print out a final hardcopy so I can make notes of changes and additions. 

Portrait Cam(Camilla).png

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Each doll's photo is listed 'Portrait Name.png' and then in alphabetical order. Guys and Gals are mixed on the sheets, but in alphabetical order. Looking at the sheets they are easy to find and put away!

Eventually when I have nothing else to do---I will make a computer file on each doll,  figure out 'who, what, when' info they were from. So many have been re-bodied or were acquired from thrift stores and already messed with. I will also put research there or alterations I have made.

I have new Excel, which I haven't used for years on the new computer. I may practice with a short project before I decide to use that.

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Here are a couple of new dolls from the last two weeks!

Sometimes dolls come with a bag of other stuff like these did. The guys are both in great condition, but I will have to list them on Etsy as I have several of these already. The Courtney doll is in excellent condition. 

The 2000's doll, and I will save for her body. After having Carly's arm shattered when being dropped on the floor, I will feel better having a few extra body matches around for the 2000's dolls, as their knees tend to split over the years also.

Ninety percent of my Gang are thrift store finds, rescued and then refurbished. I'm picky in picking them up, and sometimes I do buy a trashed doll with cute clothes, keep the clothes, and then donate the doll back.

Sometimes they clean up or are in perfect condition. I try to have only one face/hair doll and not duplicates. Occasionally, I will change hair color or drastically cut their hair, (Like ZARA in the Vickie's  post she was a totally trashed Extra doll I got for a pittance.) 

A REDO can really change their personality. Lip color and eyeshadow are easy to change, too. 

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Here is a photo of my working Mug Shots copy. 

I have a copy with the added box locations on each portrait.

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Here are the file boxes---with the hand scribbled labels....later I will use typewritten labels on the boxes, when I find my sticker paper and I determine who stays and who will be re-homed. If I have an issue or a doll needs something, I can use a post-it for special attention. 

The labels are made on removable contact paper---so I can update or change easily. Eventually I will make larger print computer labels, after I see how this works for long term.

Hopefully this organization will help, so I can be more disciplined in my stories, get them photo'd, posted and then all the dolls, and props put away easily.

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This was the aftermath of the last Vickie's Vintage Sale post...YIKES! 

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And, this is the stack of clothing bought by each of the doll customers...to be sorted and put away, but 

CLOTHES ORGANIZATION IS ANOTHER DILEMMA????

Please share any tips and ideas on storage in the comments

 to help us all organize!

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Sandi