If you are collecting/buying this type of doll, check for a distinct vinegar type smell and any discolouration/distortion of plastic

It is a serious disease
It can pass to your other dolls and cannot be cured
The dolls have to be binned!!

So it can prove an expensive mistake to make

The majority of dolls for sale/sold on Ebay will be fine
A lot of sellers of this type of doll are aware of Hard Plastic Disease and will state in their auction it is free from HPD
It would be advisable to contact seller before bidding and ask if there is any unusual vinegar type odour or discolouration of plastic

I personally love these dolls and have bought many, all disease free
But I have come across it at doll fairs

Hope this info helps
Regards, Julie

It sounds like something from a horror film!!

A valuable collector's doll, stored in an air-tight display case with other dolls, begins to warp and buckle, its face becomes bloated and discoloured and a sticky brown liquid starts to build up inside it
And more sinister yet, the dolls stored with it begin to 'catch' the disease!

In fact, this is not a scene from a video nasty, but a phenomenon known as 'Pedigree' or 'Hard Plastic Dolls Disease' observed by real-life doll collectors and museum staff, which a team of scientists from the University are helping to understand using state-of-the-art technology

Dr Howell Edwards, Professor Tony Johnson and postgraduate student Ian Lewis studied two cellulose-acetate dolls produced in the 1940's and 1950's by the 'Pedigree' company suffering from the disease
They used the sophisticated technique of Raman spectroscopy, which is an ideal means of examining valuable or historically important artefacts, because it involves examining an object scientifically with laser radiation without having to dismantle or damage it in any way

The team discovered that the disease was attributable to the tiny iron hooks used to hold the dolls together and found in their eye mechanisms, reacting with the poly vinyl-acetate material from which the dolls were made - a similar reaction has led to the degradation of many old cellulose movies stored in iron cans

A by-product of the degradative process is acetic acid which gives rise to the 'vinegar syndrome' by which the disease is also known because of the distinctive smell caused by the reaction - the acetic acid speeds up the degradation process by attacking the iron

Dr Edwards explained how the disease could be prevented
"We recommend removing iron components from hard plastic dolls made from poly vinyl-acetate, or, if this proves too destructive, washing them in soap and water to remove any acids produced by the reaction
But collectors must take care to dry them thoroughly afterwards, since remaining traces of moisture would rust the iron and speed up the on-set of the disease"

Dolls make a popular addition to any family, whether young or old
But what do you do when your doll's injured or unwell?

A visit to the Campbelltown Doll and Toy Hospital can cure almost any ailment, and your doll will come home looking as good as new

Carmen and Wayne Scott started the Campbelltown Doll and Toy Hospital in 1991
They wanted a hobby they could share with their children and decided to collect dolls and toys

Their collection quickly grew and they were invited to put on a display in a Sydney shopping centre
Visitors to the display seemed more interested in the restoration of the dolls, than the toys themselves
It became obvious there was a market for repairing old dolls, so Carmen and Wayne made a small Red Cross sign and added it to their display
They had hundreds of inquiries and the Campbelltown Doll and Toy Hospital was soon in operation

Wayne has a background in mechanical repairs and spray painting, which enables him to restore almost any doll

Unlike porcelain dolls, manufactured dolls are made from a range of plastics, woods and fibres
These are harder to repair because you need to understand the "mechanics" behind each material

Dolls more than 100 years old usually have a porcelain or bisque head, with a jointed paper mache body
Younger dolls are made from various plastics or vinyl
Porcelain dolls are ornamental while manufactured dolls are made to be played with
The earliest plastic doll is made from celluloid, which is very thin and lightweight
This contains gunpowder, which Wayne uses when making repairs

If a doll's nose has been chipped or bitten off, Wayne can perform a little plastic surgery, by welding a new celluloid nose in place
He can also make new feet, fingers, toes and lips
He spray paints the head and touches up eyes, lips, cheeks and eyebrows

Doll and toy owners can send patients directly to the hospital or meet Carmen and Wayne in shopping centres for a quote
They advertise in local papers and visit malls on a regular basis

Owners decide what treatment they want for their toy, get a quote from Carmen and Wayne, and then admit the patient
There are two rooms in Carmen and Wayne's house dedicated to the restoration of the dolls
In Wayne's "surgery" the dolls are given their treatment
There are even a couple of small hospital beds set up for them to recuperate
Spare parts (legs, arms, etc) are kept in the shed
In Carmen's room the dolls are given a new wardrobe before the owners arrive to take them home
And while the dolls are visiting the hospital, there's always time to catch some sun out near the pool - some time in the sun is often part of the restoration process as it help to dry out any moisture

While the aim of the doll hospital is to restore the toys, they try to keep them looking authentic
A fifty-year-old doll doesn't need to look factory fresh

Carmen even imports wigs, so a new hair colour and style are also possible

The most common doll Carmen and Wayne see is a 1950's Pedigree doll
This is an English brand and was extremely popular in its day
The Pedigree doll is made from hard plastic and can be worth several hundred dollars, even before restoration
However, most doll owners aren't interested in the price their dolls would fetch, they have them restored for sentimental reasons

While Carmen and Wayne work hard to restore all dolls to their former glory, sadly there is one "disease" with no cure
The incurable disease only strikes the 1950's Pedigree dolls and is extremely rare
Carmen and Wayne believe it is caused by a heat-related breakdown in the plastic
Symptoms include a vinegar like odour, white crystals on the skin's surface, red inflammation under the skin, and often a brown fluid seeping through
A scientist in the UK has tested the diseased dolls but no cure has been found

Campbelltown Doll and Toy Hospital
7 Griffiths Pl
Eaglevale 2558
Ph - 02 4626 17??
Open Tuesday to Friday from 10.00am until 5.00pm