When I first decided I wanted to experiment with customizing dolls I wanted to use CHEAP dolls.  Finding cheap dolls means that they are usually in "distressed" condition...... they need LOTS of help.  I don't give these dolls TLC, I toughen them up by sending them to Boot Camp.

The following is a scenario of what I put the dolls through when they arrive.  This particular example is for multiple dolls but even the stragglers go through the same process.

day one - initial inspection

The recruits arrive.  They have been packed tightly during transport and a few look like they aren't even going to make it through the first day.

An odor fills the air as they are unloaded.  Smokers, Hermits and Daycare Workers are all in this group.

  Smokers = Dolls exposed to smoke or fire.  From a household with people who smoke or with singed hair or melted parts. They tend to smell like an ashtray.

  Hermits = These poor dolls have been in storage MUCH too long.  They tend to have a musty odor and often have some type of fungus.

  Daycare Workers = Dolls that have been on the front lines of action and it shows.  These girls have been touched with sticky candy fingers, they have gone swimming in the mud, done battle with the dog and cat..... you name it.  They usually smell like dirty socks or worse.   

The recruits get lined up for inspection.  From head to toe they are run through the checklist,  and from rats-nest and chopped hair to melted and chewed toes, this is the worst looking bunch of recruits ever. 

Dolls with painted on, glued on or marker drawn outfits are segregated while the others have their clothing removed and disposed of.  Hair bands and jewelry are removed and destroyed or sent to the parts department for overhaul.

One of the Daycare Workers didn't survive, she died from numerous puncture wounds to the head from a previous battle with a pet.  She donated her body to one of the girls with a permanent wardrobe and the extra head and body were sent to the lab for future scientific experiments.

Day two - Disinfectant dunk tank

The recruits are unceremoniously dunked into a hot water and disinfectant mixture. The remaining painted wardrobe doll remains segregated.  They are wiped down with a washcloth to remove the topmost layer of grime.  Bruises and tattoos (stains & Ink marks) are noted for the future.  The recruits are required to remain in the tank no less than an hour, with at least two wipe-downs per doll. 

As they dry out in neat rows they still look like a ragged bunch but at least they smell a lot better.

Day three - Separation & body Scrub

This is the first day that the recruits realize just how tough this is going to get.  Today their heads are removed and the bodies undergo grueling hours of scrubbing and chemical treatments.   This time the dunk tank is full of soapy water and a hard bristled tooth brush is used to scour every speck of dirt from their bodies.  Bruises and Tattoos are chemically treated for removal.  Each recruit gets dunked, scrubbed thoroughly, and rinsed at least twice.  

Body damage and permanent scaring are killers today... Three dolls don't make it. One lost a leg during the scrubbing process, another had a bruise that would not respond to numerous chemical treatments and the last was the painted wardrobe body.  

day four - shampoo & facials

At first the recruits are excited about today but it soon becomes obvious that this is no beauty salon.  Again the dunk tank is filled with hot soapy water and the tooth brush is at hand.  Their hair is shampooed with liberal amounts of dish soap.

Again bruises and tattoos receive chemical treatment.  Hair that is permanently stuck together with glue, gum or just melted is cruelly chopped off.  Makeup is inspected and if found unsatisfactory it is removed.

Only one recruit was lost today.

day five - tortured hair

The dunk tank today is misleading...cold water and fabric softener.  The heads soak for 15 minutes then one by one they are put to the torture test.  A doll brush (the one that comes packaged with every new doll) is the weapon of choice.  The recruits hair is not gently detangled it is ripped and tugged and pulled and stretched.  The Daycare Workers are used to this treatment, but it doesn't mean that they fair any better than the others during the torture.

During the treatment the hair is inspected to see if there are any bald spots and to see if the chopped cuts can be styled.  

A pile of hair that has fallen out during the process is disposed of as the dolls that survive relish in a quick warm water rinse at the end of the day. 

Another recruit was lost today her buzz cut was deemed unsalvageable.  The science department however was excited at the prospect of a pending hair transplant experiment.  If the experiment is a success she may be our first resurrection.

Day six - fight for survival

This day always has a late start as the recruits now have to brush out their hair before they can begin the day.  

Since heads cannot survive long without a body, today is the day each recruit is assigned a body.  Bodies and heads are divided into groups according to skin color and the girls immediately notice that the counts don't come out even in the groups.  Each doll fights to get the best match she can.

The day resembles a frenzied game of musical chairs as the slow elimination process works it's way through the groups.   By the end of the day another head has been donated to science.

Day seven - final inspection

The final day the recruits line up for final inspection.  Every little flaw will be examined and reviewed.  Each doll will receive a designation, but not all designations signify survival of Boot Camp.

Designations:

  PAD = Promotion to Active Duty. The highest ranking. These dolls are added to the play line and will make appearances in the diorama photos.  

  RAW = Ready and Waiting.  Boot Camp survivors, these dolls are in the best shape to take on a new assignment from the customizing department.

  MHC = Makeup & Hair Cadet. Though having survived Boot Camp these dolls still need to continue training with hair styling or new makeup.  

  BSC = Body Sculpting Cadet.  Though having survived Boot Camp these dolls still need to continue training with body repositioning or sculpting.  

  MH/BSC = Cadet needing training in both the Makeup & Hair as well as the Body Sculpting courses. These dolls do not receive survival status and for many it is only a short step between them and the LES group.

  LES = Live Experiment Subject. Considered non-survivors.  They are turned over to the science department for times when a live body is need for experiments.

Our final inspection for this group of recruits found one PAD, an elite group of RAW's, the majority of the group was designated MHC and a few were LES.