Neck Seal: To Open, or Not to Open?

[vira]

hello everyone! im hoping this is an appropriate place for this topic.

i acquired night glider not too long ago; shes in pretty good condition, no mane cuts, and only a few blemishes. however, shes got....an Odor. kind of musty, like she was stored in someones basement.

i left her in a paper bag with baking soda for maybe a week or so, no luck.

so now im wondering; should i break her neck seal to check her for mold inside, or should i try other deodorizing techniques?

if anyone has experience with deodorizing ponies, im all ears! i'd rather not crack her open, especially since i dont see any active spots on her outside, but if it sounds like i need to i will.

thanks!

[gold.standard]

Hmm, trying to destink but not popping her open is going to be tricky, since water just might make it worst. I personally always pop them open if I can because I can't run the risk of mold (allergic and asthmatic),especially if she smells musty there might be mold at least in my experience. But I know a lot of collectors don't like loose pony heads! I would try putting her in a heavier destinker like Odoban, or similiar brand. Dryer sheets work too. I've used both to remove cat pee smell and heavy pet odor from furniture, toys and papers. It took months, in the cases I dealt with (it was pretty gross but things worth saving, I'll spare everyone the details.) But it the must is light, maybe a week or two?

[Leave a Whisper]

If she's moldy yeah you don't want that around. That's totally gross. If you ever sell her just mention it. I'd rather have a pony that had a loose neck and mold free then the alternative.

[SkyCakes]

I would also too go "Off with her head!" lol. Because mold is something that I wouldn't want to mess around with. That could possibly get worse on the pony.

[invaderhorizongreen]

I would try to break that seal very carefully, I have two glitter baby ponies that were so rusty on the inside they looked brown but cleaned up very well.

[vira]

thanks everyone! i'll probably push up my sleeves and do it tomorrow!

her head is glued on pretty darn well; am i correct in remembering that its safe to use a blowdryer or hot water to loosen the glue?

[Elfpony]

I've  gotten G1s who smelled quite musty but who were themselves quite clean. The plastic can pick up the smell if they're kept in a basement. I would give her an external cleaning first, let her dry, and maybe let her air out for another week or two and see if the smell improves. If there's no improvement at all in a few weeks, then it might be worth checking inside.

Elf

[Foxtale]

I've  gotten G1s who smelled quite musty but who were themselves quite clean. The plastic can pick up the smell if they're kept in a basement. I would give her an external cleaning first, let her dry, and maybe let her air out for another week or two and see if the smell improves. If there's no improvement at all in a few weeks, then it might be worth checking inside.

Elf

This is what I would do as well. I've encountered many musty smelling ponies that weren't a result of the insides being gross at all.