At a local antique store, I had the good luck of finding a Bitty Twin doll for $24. But she was in rough shape- she was scuffed, grimy, and had a bunch of pink/white stains all over her body. Her hair had a fried patch too. I got her home, took off her purple pants and ugly Halloween sweater, and got to work. Here she is immediately after coming home and getting a good hair brushing:
That frizzed patch was awful. There was nothing I could do to fix it short of flat ironing it (but I’m not that confident with my heat skills) or cutting it off. So I took the nuclear option and pulled the wig off.
I cleaned her skin with a Mr. Clean magic eraser and sanded down the scuffs with micro mesh. Then I took her head off and repainted it.
I bought a really nice Monique wig, glued it on, and then cut her hair from knee-length to upper back. I put her in a Bitty Baby outfit from Mercari and she’s as good as new.