disclaimer: this advice is tailored to authentic stock dolls. while most of it is good practice for all sorts of dolls, some of it is specific to the materials authentic neo-blythes are made of and may not be applicable to fake dolls.

✽ please keep your doll out of the sun as much as possible. UV exposure can lead to yellowing of the skin and hair.

✽ please keep your doll in a room with low humidity and good ventilation. if you need to run a humidifier in your space, please do it in an area separate from your dolls or put them away until you are done.

✽ exercise caution when dressing your doll in dark or brightly colored clothing. some dyes can stain their bodies and even hair. it is a good idea to wash doll clothing before letting them wear it, and limiting their time in dark clothing to a few hours at a time. staining can occur more rapidly under higher temperatures, so in the summer, if it gets warm inside your house, please let them lounge about in white clothing.

✽ plasticizers can leach out of items like plastic shoes, sunglasses, doll furniture, and more. it is good practice to have a fabric layer between your doll's body and plastic surfaces, such as socks, clothes, and seat cushions.

✽ saran doll hair can get greasy. you can use an oil wig spray and a wooden comb to combat this. if you decide to wash her hair, use a shampoo specifically formulated for wigs and give the hair a soak, not a scrub, using lukewarm water. agitating the hair when washing can cause abrasions on the surface of the saran that dull the color and luster of the hair. be very careful not to get water on the inside of the head, as this can cause mold growth and rust the screws.

✽ please brush blythe's hair very gently as she cannot grow it back... use a metal wig comb or wooden comb and slowly detangle, working from the ends upward tp reduce pulling and snagging. be extra careful if she has curly hair so you can preserve her curls!

✽ some hair colors are destined to yellow no matter what. dolls like miss sally rice, cappuccino chat, and good neighbor cafe may have hair colors far warmer than they did years ago, so please forgive them and love them even when they change.

✽ please pull the pull-string outward, parallel to the eye mechanism, rather than downward. pulling down on the string can apply a lot of pressure to the mechanism, causing it to degrade faster or even break.

✽ try to limit the number of times you open their heads up to protect the integrity and longevity of the faceplates and inner mechanisms.

✽ be careful when handling and transporting your dolls; the makeup scratches up quite easily, so it is good to invest in a carry case or pouch so that your doll is cushioned and comfortable.