condition on vintage rubber limbs doll

[nu4u2buy]

Hi, just popping in to question your thoughts on the sellability of a vintage doll whose rubber arms and legs have  turned a brownish color because of .storage (in the attic I think)  Just wondering if here is someway to clean back to natural rubber color or because of this condition is the doll no longer desired.  No photos to show but if one would like to see the doll I will provide photos.  Thanks for any info you can give.

[mudshark61369]

@nu4u2buy,

Please do post some photos of the doll.  The photos may be able to tell us who made the doll and what material it is made from.  Look on the bottoms of the feet, under the hair on the back of the head or neck, between the shoulder blades.  If it is clothed look for a tag on the clothing.

If the doll is clothed is there a difference in color between the exposed areas and covered ones try and get a photo of that.  Older dolls "darkening" may be a legitimate patina, and trying to clean it could cause damage or devalue the doll. The discoloration may be an effect of age on the material.

Older plastics and vinyl may not react well to cleaners containing alcohol and some other chemicals. The skin color may not clean evenly then you've ruined the doll.  Once we Identify it and deem it to be able to be cleaned I would suggest a cleaner like Simple Green which is an all natural product, and do a test spot on an area that would be covered or hidden bottom of the feet or tush. 

[mudshark61369]

@nu4u2buy,

DO NOT try cleaning the doll until one of us identifies it !!!!

[soh.maryl]

If you have photos available, why not post them here?

Personally, I have a special interest in dolls and toys made by Sun Rubber of Barberton, OH.

And I know from experience that, if the older ones have discolored limbs, there is nothing that you can do to change that.

But, again, why not show us the doll? Someone will probably be able to help you. 

[kathiec]

Yes, photos would help. But there's probably not much you can do. With vintage Barbies and other vinyl dolls, you can sometimes lighten discoloration by applying benzoyl peroxide acne cream and putting the doll in the sun. But the process takes a long time, and the cream has to be reapplied every day. And if the discoloration is severe, it's probably never going to lighten to its original color.

As to the question about saleability, that totally depends on the doll and the condition other than the discoloration.