"Highlighter Marks" are not children's fault! Science!

[rosietrot]

So, as I have been trolling ebay ("trolling" in the traditional searching way, not the mean way) I have been noticing that people see highlighter marks on ponies and I thought that was a little strange that SO many kids use highlighters on ponies.  Plus, it's always yellowish-green highlighter.  Well, after collecting and noticing patterns on my own 2nd set of rainbow ponies (year 3) I noticed that these ponies have a higher likelihood of highlighter.

Think of the following:
1. Notice how BRIGHT the yellow streak is in this series? 
2. Notice how mane colors FADE?

On a side note, where do colors "go" when they fade?  Well, I haven't noticed the yellow fade, although the blue and pink certainly do.

Take a look at the colors here: http://www.ponylandpress.com/us/rainbow2.shtml

 My theory is that the "highlighter marks" are actually the bright yellow mane, after 30 years, laying color down on the vinyl pony.


Maybe this point has been belabored by veterans, but I found it a common possible misconception.

[Thunderwing]

You are exactly right! People call it highlighter marks because of the colors - but I've known for a long time it wasn't. The yellow does come from the bright yellow manes of other ponies, when said ponies are left to lay against each other for a long time. Good reason why yellow hair should be wrapped in paper towel when it rests against (any) pony. Such as when they are shipped, or stored.  Pink highlighter I found, came from the dyes in grocery bags. I discovered this when I used to use grocery bags as padding between layers of ponies in boxes in storage. The ponies came out with pink marks on them! Paler pink marks can also be caused by the elastics used in pony wear, like the princess hats, or the elastic in the neck-seam of the baby pony nightgowns. Makes sense, since when I was a kid, we all toted our G1's around in a grocery bag.

[kaoskat]

The pink marks can also come from those wonderful pink saddles that came with some of the playsets. Lesson to learn: Don't leave accessories on display ponies.

[Thunderwing]

The pink marks can also come from those wonderful pink saddles that came with some of the playsets. Lesson to learn: Don't leave accessories on display ponies.

Ah yes, I had forgotten that one!  This is also true - I have quite a few ponies that I've gotten along the years, with so called 'saddle sores'. That pink saddle from the ... playset that Lemondrop came with that I can't remember the name of... is especially naughty for leaving marks!  Oh, and so do the shoes from G1 ponywear.

[TinyShinyUnique]

I knew about the hair colors too. And accessories. But I've been one of the kids who 'beautified' their fakies with markers. Ahem. Great to know about the elastics!

G2's 'ponywear' is also able to stain the ponies especially the red bandanna Miss Painter has. Don't make her wear that or the green will stain in red. The same goes for Globe Trotter too.

[MaronaPossessed]

Here comes the day...where children will be smarter than adults...and children will enslave us...

[Carrehz]

G2's 'ponywear' is also able to stain the ponies especially the red bandanna Miss Painter has. Don't make her wear that or the green will stain in red. The same goes for Globe Trotter too.

Oh, thanks for posting this!! I just got Miss Painter complete with her accessories and I had no idea her bandana could stain. Luckily I hadn't put it on her yet Thank you!

[Stormness_1]

..unless of course the symbols/eyes/lips/nostrils/ears have been 'coloured in' and there's now a 'highlighter' outline... yep, that's real highlighter, or pen at any rate!

[mellowhen]

Anyone know how to get the pink ones out, in any case? They are all over my poor Butterscotch

[Stormness_1]

sunfading is the only known cure.

[FarDreamer]

http://mlppreservationproject.com/body.html#HighlighterMarks

Yellow highlighter marks are probably from Chartreuse hair bleeding.

[elish2]

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I just noticed the ponies with the bright neon colors seemed to have these marks....not sure how they leaked, but that was what I assumed was happening...

[gabumon]

Wow! I didn't know that was a cause of the marks.  My goodness I learn something new about MLP all the time!!

[moonflower]

Yellow highlighter marks are usually down to chartreuse hair leakage. Even if the affected pony has no yellow hair it is possible she had yellow-haired friends! You can try and prevent this from happening by washing out the excess yellow dye from the hair and then drying the hair with paper towel between hair and body to prevent the hair from touching the body. If storing ponies with chartreuse hair, wrap the hair in acid-free tissue paper to prevent hair touching pony or other ponies being stored with it.

Pink highlighter marks are usually ponies being stored with saddles and accessories on them and are sometimes called "saddle sores" for this reason.  Red dye is particularly unstable and breaks down easily. The dye leeches out of the saddle/accessory and stains where it is in contact with the pony. Pony vinyl is quite porous and easily stains. Of course, a pony could also get staining from other toys if stored in contact with them. A mixed box of toys in someone's attic for instance - most people don't think about how they go about storing toys carefully like us collectors.

[gabumon]

do these guidelines apply to all generations of ponies?

is it just g1?