Tips for Traveling with Dolls?

Here's a thread in General discussion that gives tips on taking dolls on flights.

I've taken dolls on domestic and international flights. I put a faceup protector on their face, swaddle them in a carry case/sleeping bag or a towel (they're fully clothed and wigged), and put them in carry-on backpack or suitcase. So far I haven't been held up in baggage scans. But if baggage scanning catches the doll, it always helps to have them in a carry case or towel, so that they're safe and contained when your bag is being unpacked.

I don't recommend stowing them in check-in luggage because there's always the risk of losing those bags. I'd prefer to unstring the doll completely and take them disassembled in carry-on. But if you absolutely have to put the doll into check-in luggage, I'd take the doll's head off and keep that in carry-on (since it's generally the most valuable and irreplaceable part), and then put the body into check-in luggage.

 

My 1/6 Maskcat came with a travel bag, but I think they've switched to trunks now. If it's not too big, absolutely use that for travel! It'll have cushions inside to protect your doll from its walls, and you can tuck extra clothing and accessories under the bottom cushion to fill it more tightly, so the doll can't shift around.

Wrap joints and the torso with at least one layer of bubble wrap or some of that thin foam padding if you don't disassemble the body, so they don't rub while traveling. If you disassemble the body, don't pack the resin with the hooks or any metal reassembly tools, wrap each piece, and put smaller groups of wrapped pieces in bags to keep them organized. Wrap the face well and use a face mask. Bunny has a great tutorial for this under the BJD Guides section of her highlights.

I use a simple doll bag I made for the body and take the head and wig carefully packaged in a box. The bag is literally two pillows that came in a doll box as padding, stitched next to each other on a piece of wool and with a wrap tie added, like a dolly cushion version of a roll-up pencil case. It doesn't have to be fancy, just functional and protective! (I have one more to make; I could do a tutorial for it if anyone would be interested?)

And yes, if there's any way for you to have them in your carry-on, do it. I traveled with two tiny-scale dolls last month, and my suitcase was lost for five days. I think I'd have panicked if my dolls were in it instead of my backpack, instead of just being grumpy and inconvenienced.

 

I squished my 4 1/3s into two carry-ons and when my husband wanted to come home with a 5th doll, we packed her in the checked baggage since she had a box. The length of the flight isn't the issue; it's if you have to change planes. That's where the concern of it getting lost in transit becomes very real, IMO.

 

If I can carry it on with me on a plane I will. Even if I have to force my traveling partner to carry one too

I have one doll that I have never traveled with (he’s 75cm tall and pretty heavy). I dread thinking about that day. If I can drive to the place I’m going, then I’d prefer to travel that way, but sometimes it’s just not possible (I also recommend carrying the head on your person if the bodies are too bulky).

 

I used to fly domestically with SD sized dolls, and my trick was always to wrap them in light-coloured clothes, so you can pack your clothes and insulate them from force, rather than wrapping in bubble wrap. I also used face protectors, and on anyone that had magnet hands, I took the hands off and bubble-wrapped them separately, because those can be fragile. Also if their wigs are elaborately styled, you may consider putting those in bags to protect it from getting messed up.

 

If I had to transport one of my dolls on a plane, it would be disassembled and in a bag wrapped in bubble wrap. All the small pieces of metal like the hooks would be in the hold suitcase

 

TSA might take it out and look it over because of all the metal

 

If there's only two dolls, it might be easy to wrap them in bubble wrap and purchase a dust bag to keep them safe in your carry on!

 

I've traveled with dolls of various sizes a few times in my carry on luggage. I use a hard-sided carry on, padded bag for 1/6 or 1/4 and a padded roll for 1/3, face protector, and my clothes tucked around the doll to keep it from moving. Last time I went to Resin Rose my bag was flagged at the x-ray. The agent who opened my bag and swabbed my Twigling girl (1/3) for explosives seemed mostly annoyed at his coworker (literally looked at the screen before opening my bad and said "that's a doll"), made small talk about the hobby (I opened with "I'm going to a convention for this kind of art doll"), and let me step behind the barrier to re-wrap my doll safely and pack her back up. The 1/6 in a padded bag and tiny in a sunglasses case weren't flagged for extra screening.

I've wrapped dolls in towels for padding when evacuating for hurricanes and had no problems. If your dolls are very tightly strung, you might want to loosen the elastic just in case the barometric pressure change does something, but I've never had a problem with my dolls flying.

 

I travelled with my 65cm boys carefully positioned and padded in a carry-on with faceup protectors. If airport security wanted to take them out because of the metal hooks, I told them they are delicate dolls sort of like China and asked if it was okay for me to unpack them. It always has been okay and you get some great reactions!

 

I have flown with my dolls as carry-on, but once, an attendant at the baggage scanner took out my doll and embarrassed me, treating me like a crazy person. So I pack them carefully in my checked bag. That works fine for me. Do what’s right for you.

 

Where did you get the faceup protector?

 

You should be able to buy them from any dealer that sells BJDs, they'll be under tools/doll care/other. Here are some - Coolcat (BJD supply store in Taiwan), VolksUSA, Volks International, Legenddoll

 

omg you even included links! Thank you so much!!

 

Has anybody bought a doll travel bag for taking their doll onto a plane? I'm sorely thinking about purchasing one for a trip I'm taking soon, but would it just be easier to wrap her up and put a face-up protector on?

 

Depends on if you want your doll to be your carry on or if you want to fit your doll *in* your carry-on. I personally wrap my doll bodies in simple wrap cases I made with cushions that came in doll boxes and undyed wool, and take the heads off and store them in a box with face protectors on; it lets me fit them in my carry-on. But I also only travel with smaller dolls.
However you do it, you'll still want to bubble wrap the joints and hands to prevent rubbing/chipping and put on a face shield. Bags alone won't prevent rubbing damage or chips/breaks if the bag is jostled hard (or even lightly, for thinner pieces like fingers) in transit.

 

I've taken 1/3s on flights multiple times. I just have them kneeling in my backpack wrapped in a large scarf or doll blanket I've sewn in their size with a face protector on and their wig off.
Personally, I prefer having a doll put under the seat in front of me so it's within reach rather than have it in the overhead locker. If you collect 1/3 or larger dolls, carry bags for them are going to be longer than most standard cabin baggage, which might displease other passengers if they see the overhead locker is taken up by one oddly-shaped bag. Most doll carrier bags are also not hard cases, which risks your doll being jostled around against harder and heavier luggage.
I do have a doll carry bag (the 70cm size bag from Dollmore), but I mostly use it for transporting multiple large dolls to meets when I'm driving, or doing a short hike with a 70cm+ doll to a photo spot.

 

I personally always keep their originan boxes, and that's how I travel with them !