A few years ago, I packed up many of my Jenny dolls. I gently rinsed them with Palmolive, to remove any oils and dirt. I let them thoroughly dry for several weeks. I carefully wrapped each in a white washcloth and boxed them up. They went on a bottom shelf in my bedroom, cool and shady.
I opened the boxes today, to take out a few to sell, and discovered the legs of several had yellowed disgustingly. Most are still in great condition, so it's not something I did. You can see the seam lines of the swimsuit, where it soaked into the fabric instead of settling on the skin. Eew.
My first thought was simply to toss the bodies. After the shock wore off, I wondered if acetone would remove it. It completely removes it, though it will be hard to do the hips without damaging the torsos. I suppose the yellow grime is plasticizer. This won't work on dolls like 15 Age Jenny, where the plastic itself has discolored.
Jenny's legs seem to be the weak point of the dolls. If you browse modern sales, you frequently see legs that have yellowed, faded, crackled on the surface, or strangely sloughed off strips of plastic. Takara-Tomy recently introduced
a hollow leg body with one leg permanently bent. I hope they continue to improve on it. I would like to see an updated Super Action body.
Aya is in my collection to stay, and will be happy to have her legs restored. I find her very peaceful.
