Does regluing heads on G1s devalue them?

[Psivampyr]

I had a heck of a time removing heads off of some G1s and I had to reglue them on because of the inner ring becoming detached. I was wondering if it changes the value of a pony. The ponies in question are close to mint/perfect except for having to have the head glued on.
I'd greatly appreciate any help. I was thinking about trading some of the ponies that don't have sentimental value for ones that would.

[TWILIGHTCOOKIE]

I'd rather have a pony with a loose head. The reasons would be; (1) easier to clean down the road, and (2) what if the new glue doesn't react well with the plastic? , such as turning brown or yellow. If I knew a pony had a reglued head I would pass it up.

[MiRaja]

I think it depends.  It used to be some years past, that removing the head, whether it was to clean and restore the pony or not, would instantly devalue the pony.

That doesn't seem to be the case, but it certainly depends on how well the head has been removed and how clean it looks, etc, etc.  I, too, would prefer ponies who have heads removed not to be reglued, but it wouldn't necessarily mean I would pass the pony up.  Depends on the pony. 

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I have had to open a great many ponies... I don't really want to deal with a re-glued head.  Let it spin!  :-p

[reanna-mator]

I'm not too picky. Most glue can be undone with effort if needed so it's not a deal breaker for me, but if I had to choose, I'd rather the head stay loose.

[PinkRosedust]

I'd rather have a pony with a loose head. The reasons would be; (1) easier to clean down the road, and (2) what if the new glue doesn't react well with the plastic? , such as turning brown or yellow. If I knew a pony had a reglued head I would pass it up.

Agreed. I guess if I REALLY wanted the pony and it was a REALLY good deal, I'd take the reglued head...but I wouldn't be happy about it.

So to me personally, yes, the pony is devalued. But I think I'm particularly bothered by the idea of regluing heads while a lot of collectors aren't as particular about it. I just hate trying to pry heads off when they're glued on really tight. It's aggravating and time consuming, not to mention the vinyl could rip if I'm not careful enough.

[Artemesia's Garden]

I did a poll on this a while back and the consensus is that people don't mind a loose head as long as the plastic is undamaged. If a neck seam has been re-glued because it has been damaged I would be upset about receiving that pony unless I saw photos of the damage and had made an informed purchase. Even then I'd probably prefer to receive it unglued so I could deal with the repair myself with my own glues. Even worse would be if it had been re-glued with something even stronger than the MLP original glue and I couldn't get it's head off at all or ripped the vinyl.

The neck seams sometimes need a lot more patience due to all the different environmental variables that affect the glue as it ages. I admit that I damaged a neck seam or a plug on two occasions when I first started out. Luckily I know enough about glue to repair them so they appear undamaged and since it was my own fault I've decided to keep them in my own collection forever to avoid disappointing anyone. Which I am happy to do. Now I'm able to spot if a neck seam will be stubborn so I don't make that mistake any more.

[FantasticFirefly]

Anything in which involves removing or altering something factory can devalue. For how much, or if it will depends on so many factors. You will get more money for a carefully cleaned of ick seapony then an icky one filled with black inside with a factory glued seal intact. But opening heads just to see what's inside if you don't see evidence of rust or mold is something you should avoid.

Another example is a pony so nice overall people are willing to overlook that flaw or repair, OR a pony is super common to find nice and you would have to cut the price to sell her. A pretty creamy white cherry treats with a loose (intact ring) neck seal would still sell instantly, guessing for good money as she's hard to find still a creamy even white instead of tan or beige. the same loose head on say, cotton candy would devalue her as she's terribly easy to find mint and factory original for under $15. Ripped rings usually devalue quite a bit more as you would need glue to hold the head in place and there is no telling how the materials will react to that glue long term. (one reason actual gluing devalues)

But anything done to a pony should be recorded and always mentioned in a description when reselling. I keep a spreadsheet, most ponies going into my collection are factory original. I only have a couple in my actual collection I needed to clean out to remove grime or rust inside and I do have that information included in the spreadsheet. So if I upgrade and sell those ponies I'll remember to mention it when selling.

[LadyMoondancer]

The inner ring / neck plug being cut through will devalue them.   (But they'll still be worth more than a pony body with a head sitting next to it, ha ha.)

If the inner ring is intact and the head turns then it usually doesn't change the value much IF the head still rests flush against the neck.  Sometimes they get little "neck gaps" after the head's been taken off . . .

If the head plug is intact, then I would put the head back on, not glue it, and mention it in the auction or item description.

If the neck plug has been ripped or sliced so it can no longer hold the head on (which does happen sometimes no matter how careful you are) then you don't really have any choice but to glue it back on.  But yeah, it will devalue the pony.  Just mention it in the auction and make it clear that the neck plug has been severed.

[Artemesia's Garden]

If the inner ring is intact and the head turns then it usually doesn't change the value much IF the head still rests flush against the neck.  Sometimes they get little "neck gaps" after the head's been taken off . . .

That's true as well, I forgot to mention that. I find it with shy pose ponies and shy pegasus ponies sometimes but not always.

[Baby_Honeycomb]

If I remove heads it's usually for a good reason. It has to be done correctly and carefully to not damage the inner ring or rip the neck seam. For my part, I always mention it when selling and I never glue them back on. Has never been a problem so far.
As a buyer I'd rather have a loose head on my pony when it's done well than a pony that moulds from the inside. Have some ponies that just had to be beheaded because I could already tell from the outside that it was not just a little rust on the tail and they came out quite nice like my CP Applejack or Barnacle. And it was really ugly to see what was actually going on inside.
When it comes to value, well, it's probably a matter of taste and how well it's been done.

Send via Tapatalk on my Galaxy - blame autocorrect for every mistake

[Psivampyr]

These are very good points. I sadly was trying to behead them to keep water from setting inside the body after a good washing. The neck ring was severed by accident and poor Tex had to have his head reglued. I am only trying to collect my original herd ponies, and I never had boys back then, so I was hoping he could find a new home. I guess I will just have to keep him, I don't want to try to sleep at night worrying about someone not being happy about him. Thank you all for being honest.

[FantasticFirefly]

Psivampyr- the only times a buyer is actually unhappy, is when something is not disclosed (like buying a pony from a seller who lied about condition and the pony is worse then described/photographed).

One thing to always remember is we all collect in different ways. Some love mint only, on the flip Some collectors prefer ponies that have become flawed as it's a much more affordable way to collect as you get more ponies for your money. Some folks like the flaws as they add character or a personal history to the toy. The boys are popular so someone would be more then happy to purchase him as he is now. You just won't get the same amount of money as what a mint Tex sells for though is all.

[MiRaja]

Also; to prevent ripping heads off and cutting rings, I never ever use a knife whether exacto or not to get them off.  I instead use a spoon.  No, really, a spoon.  I use both ends to carefully pry the head and use pressure to pull the glue up rather than cut it.  I do have simple spoons, the ends are tapered to a slim, but blunt point.  I think I got them from World Market a decade ago, but they're excellent head popping spoons!  I have ripped a small hole in occasion in the ring, but I have never had a situation where it was required the head be glued because the entire ring had been cut off! 

No knives! If you have issues finding a starting spot, go soak that pony in scalding hot water and give her a few good tugs.  Have a stronger significant other help you out ( My girlfriend has stronger hands than me! ) and yank on it a few until the neck starts to get little holes in the seal of the glue.  That's where you can shove your blunt, but not sharp, instrument,(that's what she said!) in and work that gap larger and larger until you can get a good hold on it and start pulling it apart. 

This method also prevents the sawed off neck seam look.  When the pony is put back together, it looks just as it was. 

[LadyMoondancer]

The Big Brothers in general have heads that are difficult to get off.

Don't worry, I'm sure Tex will still get a great home!    Some collectors don't mind at all.  It just depends on the person.