Composition dolls are made of a combination of wood pulp and paper-based products. The material mixture was an inexpensive alternative to the pricey bisque dolls made in Europe. Composition dolls are formed in a mold, making these dolls the first to be manufactured by machine. These inexpensive dolls were a welcome alternative during economically depressed times in America.

Composition dolls were popular in America because regular people could afford to buy them. Manufacturers produced the dolls quickly, using cheap materials. Composition dolls were introduced as a low priced, unbreakable alternative to the bisque doll. They became extremely popular during the second World War, when Americans refused to buy German dolls. Germany was, at the time, the leading manufacturer of dolls.

Unfortunately, composition dolls have not fared well over the years. The material is extremely vulnerable to changes in the environment. Dolls stored in attics, basements or garages suffer the most damage. Common symptoms of deterioration are peeling, cracking and crazing. Crazing refers to tiny cracks that appear on the surface of the doll's skin. When these tiny fractures fill with dirt, they become unsightly and the dirt is impossible to remove safely.

Although composition dolls were durable at the time they were made, they do not hold up well over time. This doesn't mean that a composition doll is doomed to disintegrate. It just means that a collector must be careful to store composition dolls in a controlled environment. A composition doll that is protected from extreme heat, cold or sunlight will maintain its condition.