The box is in the hallway and it is bigger and heavier than you expected. Take an hour and follow these steps; the first quarter of an hour will then go smoothly and you will not damage anything.
Before you open
Lay a clean blanket or sheet on the floor where you will take the doll out of the box, preferably in the room where she will stand, so you do not have to carry her through the house. Wash your hands: TPE absorbs grease and dirt. Have scissors ready for the tape, not a knife — a cut through the box easily goes through the material underneath.
Opening the box
Lay the box flat on the floor and cut only the tape on the lid. The doll lies in protective foam; the head and the accessories are packed separately. Take out the head and the accessories first, then the doll herself. Lift with two hands under the back and the knees, or first roll her gently onto her side and pull the blanket underneath her; that way you do not have to hoist her up.
Attaching the head
On the neck is a threaded metal bolt. Place the head on it and turn clockwise until it is firm; most models have a quick connector in between that clicks into place with a quarter turn. Do not tighten beyond hand-tight. Check that the head is straight by sitting the doll up and looking from the front.
Eyes and wig
The eyes are placed loosely so they are not damaged in transit. Straighten them by pushing the eyelid up slightly and turning the eye with a clean fingertip until the pupil faces forward. Then pull the wig over the cap; adjust the strap on the inside so it does not shift. Brush the wig from the ends upwards, never from the crown.
The first cleaning
A new doll has a slight factory smell and sometimes some powder on the skin. A lukewarm shower or a wipe-down with mild soap, then drying and light powdering, is enough. After that you can move the joints gently to feel how much resistance the skeleton gives; do not force anything, the hips and shoulders are deliberately stiff to hold poses.
Keep the box
Keep the box and the foam for the first fourteen days. If you want to return within the cooling-off period this is the safest packaging, and for a later move the original box is the most convenient too. If you want it gone after that, it folds flat for the cardboard recycling.
