Intro and Advice seeking!

[SD7]

Hello 

I go by Seven online. I'm a writer and a recent college grad and upon moving out of my parent's home I found my old pony collection!

There were over 200 ponies/fakies in an old box and it's been really nostalgic going through all of them. That said, I don't think they deserve to be locked in a box and unseen for 10+ years. I want to sell them to people who will love and appreciate them. Some are in great condition some have had... haircuts, so I'm also looking forward to giving them a bath and rerooting some hair. The process seems educational, nostalgic, and therapeutic. That said, I know some people enjoy "bait" and I got lots of those.

I'm excited to look around the website but I'd really appreciate any advice for selling, and when and when not to clean up a pony or sell it as "bait" (it sounds malicious when I write it!). I'm currently looking at my G1 flat footed ponies... Minty, Bluebellex3, Snuzzle, and Butterscotch, all made in Hong Kong.

I'm looking forward to getting in contact with people and talking about the pony cleaning and selling process!

xoxoSeven

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Welcome to the arena!
If labeling it as "bait" sounds too dreadful, you could always call it a "TLC pony". There are plenty of people willing to buy a discounted pony and put extra work into them to restore them, especially if they are well versed with rehairing and retailing.
As a general rule, FF ponies will always want to be saved from customization because they run on the rarer end of the cheaper ponies. Although they aren't like Mimic (who can fetch around $100 easy in good condition), they are still harder to come by than other early year ponies such as Firefly or the curved feet variations.
A good wash will always brighten a pony up. You can use dawn soap or just hand soap on the body to remove surface dirt, and a magic eraser for tougher stains. If there is paint on them, you can use acetone or leave it on and let the buyer handle it. Just use normal shampoo and conditioner on the hair.
If you post pictures of the ponies you have, we would love to help you clean them up for sales, or even just buy them right off the bat.

[achab1984]

Welcome to the arena!

[Safflower]

Welcome to the Arena! You can make a thread in the Pony Corral to ask for help with restoration, and you can check the Price Check archives if you want to know prices Glad you could join us, I look forward to seeing you around!

[Baby Sugarberry]

When offering someone new restoration advice, it's inappropriate to not also give them the potential dangers of what you're suggesting.

A good wash will always brighten a pony up.

Soap and water are safe for most ponies - most, not all.  There are a few that are more delicate, like so-softs and Magic Message Ponies, where even light scrubbing can damage them, especially if you use hot water.  Care must be taken not to get water inside the pony itself, unless you are able to take their head off so they can dry out properly. 

You can use dawn soap or just hand soap on the body to remove surface dirt, and a magic eraser for tougher stains.

Magic Eraser is sandpaper - do not use around symbols, eyes, metallic or iridescent parts, colour change symbols and other fragile areas.

If there is paint on them, you can use acetone or leave it on and let the buyer handle it. Just use normal shampoo and conditioner on the hair.

Acetone WILL REMOVE all types of paint, including original symbols and eyes!  Be very very careful with this chemical.  It's not a cleaner of first choice. 

Please consider consulting the community before undertaking your restoration projects, as there are a number of less-than-obvious pitfalls when it comes to fixing up your vintage MLPs.  In particular, since you mentioned it, rerooting ponies may negatively affect their value if you intend to sell.  Some collectors won't want them, or not unless they're restored in a specific way. 

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Sorry for being absent-minded, Baby Sugarberry.
It's a good idea to consult the community for anything you are unsure of. 

[Taffeta]

I would personally advise that any ponies you want to sell you maybe wash with gentle soap and water (dish soap is recommended by a lot of people) and nothing stronger. I'd leave restorations like rerooting to a new owner. As Baby Sugarberry said, some people will refuse point blank to buy reroots, while others enjoy restoring them that way or doing alternate reroots. (I'm personally someone who won't buy rerooted ponies for collection pieces as I consider them to be customised once the original hair is taken out, even if the hair is cut...)

Also customising old ponies is...a mite controversial at times depending on the pony and the condition. I think your safest option is to just clean them up with basic soap (no extreme chemicals, baby sugarberry is right) and offer them as they are.

One other piece of advice - make sure you're clear when selling what your target market is. Arena is a global community so if you only want to sell in your own country, it's a good idea to say so from the start so everyone knows Some ponies were only sold in certain countries, though, so sometimes you can make more money if you are willing to ship overseas.

[Spinky69er]

Welcome to the Arena

I hope you find wonderful homes for your herd