MAKEOVER MONTAGE - DOLL & PONY HOSPITAL

Have a look below for a general sense of what level of care your doll or Pony will need. Please note that these are indicative prices only, and that discounts may apply for “bulk” orders of multiple toys. When you’ve had a read (there is also a FAQ at the bottom of the page), please fill in this enquiry form and we can get talking!

The She’s All That

Sometimes you just need to change one thing in order for everyone to see how beautiful you really are - such as removing your glasses, like Rachel Leigh Cook in She’s All That. This is the option to choose if your toys are in pretty good shape but have been stored for a long time (either in boxes or on shelves) and just need a general freshen up: body and hair washed, and hair reset. This is also a good option where the doll belongs to young kids who just want the hair sorted out (and their grown-ups want the grime dealt with) so they can get to work styling/tangling it all over again!

Price: from $30

The Princess Diaries

This is our mid-range makeover service, reflecting the day-long beauty spa that Anne Hathaway undergoes in The Princess Diaries. Hair might be lightly tangled or have signs of tail rust, and there may be issues with face paint or cutie marks (chipping, flaking, fading). Your toy will get a deep clean and have its hair reset.

Price: from $50

THE MISS CONGENIALITY

Disaster—or just the sandpit—has struck. Your beloved toy has really seen better days and needs a multi-stage makeover including things like serious detangling and de-frizzing, de-yellowing, or tail rust removal. This service will take your toy from rough-around-the-edges to beauty pageant ready, just like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality.

Price: from $70 (if re-rooting is needed, quote will be provided according to how much new hair is required)

The Breakfast Club

Our most intensive makeover service: customisation! Taking your Barbie, Pony or other toy from “weird goth” to “preppy chic”, just like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club. This is the option to choose when you require (or just want) things like repaints, re-rooting, hair restyled completely. Have an old pony you’ve always wished had different coloured hair? Time for Barbie to enter witness protection? You need The Breakfast Club. (This service includes a ‘Miss Congeniality’ level deep clean.)

Price on Application

FAQ:

Why would I pay money to fix a Barbie’s hair/face? Isn’t it cheaper to just buy another one?

Yes, in all but a few cases it is, but Barbie—like so many things in our modern world—is made of plastic. Restoring Barbies and other fashion dolls is a small but meaningful act of plastic waste reduction. Also, I believe that toys have feelings: giving them a second lease on life is a tribute to the joy they bring us, whether we are young or young at heart.

What about My Little Ponies? They’re not technically plastic!

Okay, you got me: they’re vinyl! Despite this, the thought remains. Also, if your pony is a G1—aka an “original” from the ‘80s and ‘90s—then it’s definitely not cheaper to buy a new one, because the resale market has gone bananas!

Why do your services have prices “from”?

They’re ballpark figures designed to indicate what it will likely cost, based on time and effort. For example, a ‘She’s All That’ service only takes me about an hour; a toy with more significant damage, wear or other issues may take upwards of five hours to restore, while re-roots or custom designs require additional materials like hair and paint. When you fill out the enquiry form, I can give you a more accurate sense of the cost involved :)

Are you qualified in doll restoration?

Depends how you define “qualified”, but I have studied Textile Effects for Costume Design at Central Saint Martin’s, and taught courses in thermoplastic and other techniques for costume design. As an Autistic person, I estimate that I have sunk at least 100 hours into reading, watching and learning about how to restore fashion dolls and other rooted “hair play” toys.