Advice on restoration

[SD7]

Hello all,

I'm getting ready to sell my old ponies I found in a move (200+ something ponies/fakies). The restoration process seems like a lot of work, fun, and nostalgic.

I'm looking for advice. I understand the basics on cleaning from helpful people here and external research, and I'd always appreciate any extra advice. I want to try customization and repainting eyes/symbols. I'll definitely be rerooting some hair. I haven't done much research on the materials needed for this but, again, if anyone has suggestions or favourite brands of hair, paint, anything for restoration and customization I'd be appreciative.

I'm also seeking advice on when to leave a pony in TLC or bait condition. My instinct is to restore all the ponies but I want to know why it might be a better idea for me to leave them as they are.

Below is the first group of ponies I'll be working with: Snuzzle, Minty, Butterscotch, Bluebellex3. FF, G1, all made in Hong Kong. I want to clean them and try rerooting. I'll be selling all of them in the future but want to focus on learning restoration right now. At one point I'd like to try customized ponies but I might save that new experience for a fakie...

xoxoSeven

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[tailrustedtealeaf]

When selling, it's important that you disclose whether a pony has been rehaired or not. You can indicate a rehair by marking the hoof. Some do this with a marker, although that could lead to bleeding on the leg of the pony. You could also carve the hoof with a tool.
Even if you don't sell (or plan to sell) the pony, you should mark any rehairs you have done.
I do know customizers/restorers use dollyhair.com to buy skeins to rehair with, but there are many other sites and many different kinds of hair.
This site is a good start for finding matches, although perfect matches do not always exist. It goes off of the hair avaliable on dollyhair: https://sites.google.com/site/mlphaircolorguide/g1years1and2

[jrr74]

I think it is great that you want to learn to restore your ponies before selling.  But I also want to add you will unlikely see a financial return for the time and money you invest in these lovely ladies if you do go ahead and rehair them.  Some collectors like their ponies 100% original regardless of previous condition.  Also, for ponies that do not fetch a lot of money, you may be better off letting the new owners restore them.  With 200 ponies to go through, a good wipe down and brushing may be the best way to go. 

[Safflower]

You can look at the stickies in the customs forum to get information about rehairing! And like tailrustedtealeaf said, ALWAYS mark if the pony has been rehaired. I would only rehair if there are major trims, minor trims are fine. It looks like the bottom two in the group picture would like some new hair though Also, I wouldn't repaint anything if it is only rubbed a little. These six don't need any repainted by the looks of it. Now onto specific tips for these six!

In general, these lovely ladies look pretty good and don't need anything major except for the two who need new hair

For Snuzzle: She looks pretty good! Try pulling off her head (I know it sounds bad!) The neck seal looks broken already, so it should come off with a bit of tugging but be careful. If it is too stubborn, but the neck in hot water to loosen the glue. If the neck seal isn't really broken, I wouldn't recommend taking her head off. Take out her tail if possible and give her a gentle wash with some soap. You can use shampoo for the hair. Let her dry completely for a day or two and reassemble her if necessary

Minty: Same as Snuzzle

Butterscotch: Same as Snuzzle for cleaning. In order to rehair her, you need to take her head off. There are many tutorials on rehairing, you can look at those You can keep her tail though!

First Bluebell: Same as Snuzzle

Second Bluebell: Same as Snuzzle for general cleaning, but she does have tail rust. Take off her head and pull the tail out. You can use a toothbrush to scrub with toothpaste on the rust. Wash her tail out and use shampoo again and let dry. Then reassemble her

Third Bluebell: Same as Snuzzle for cleaning, but you do need to rehair her mane and tail.

[Baby Sugarberry]

Restoration is likely to cost you more than it's worth, I'm afraid.  Between the materials, time, and skill needed to properly fix up ponies, it just isn't worth it if your main intention is to sell them off.  As has been mentioned, rehairs/repaints will significantly cut the number of people willing to buy your collection, and repaired ponies don't generally see much of an increase in sales value. 

What will increase your final price is a good wash, condition and groom for most ponies.  It's important to do this well ahead of time so they all will be properly dry before ending up in the postal system. 

[Elfpony]

Agreeing with what others have said above. But if you want to practice rehairing I would suggest you take a pony with a major haircut (like Butterscotch) and give her an alternate colour rehair (blue? Pink? Rainbow?). This might give you a slightly better chance of rehoming her after work has been done to her.

Elf

[SD7]

Everyone,

This has been so amazingly helpful. Thank you! I really appreciate the rundown for how best to clean them! I'm looking forward to cleaning and rerooting the ones that need it. I've just ordered some tools, and hair. This is going to be a great rehoming process.

A few more questions: Should I be regluing heads on for rerooted ponies? Or is leaving it spiny okay? Also, below is a photo of a Cotton Candy's hoofs. Are these the types of hoof marks that signal rerooting? I had been taking them as initials.

xoxoSeven

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[RoseNoire]

They look very uncontrolled to be made by an adult. If it was a rehair, it would have been more obvious. I've seen someone carving a simple eye shape on the hoof to signal a pony has been un-BBE'd, for example.

[LadyMoondancer]

Those are just a child's initials I would say.

The ponies you posted so far look to be in good shape.  For their hair, I'd just use conditioner (can be a cheap brand like Suave) to wash their hair. 

Try to minimize the amount of water that gets inside the pony, like don't hold them underwater or anything.  If their heads are loose you can take them off while the pony dries;  if the pony's head is secure then sort of stand them on their butts while they dry so the water gradually seeps out through the tail hole.

Collectors prefer original hair if it's in good shape . . . One these ponies the only one I'd rehair would be the tail-less Blue Belle with the buzzcut.  (Although to be honest if it were me I would just sell her as she is for a lower price, lol.) 

You could also rehair the cut parts of Butterscotch's mane, but then you have to go through the trouble of finding a hair match.  In terms of money, it's a better deal just to seller her as-is compared to buying hair.  But if you do go for it, I would suggest ONLY rehairing the parts of her mane that are cut; most collectors would rather have her original mane for the rest of it, rather than an entirely rehaired mane.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

If your goal is to resell them for money, don`t bother with cleaning them up, just sell them as-is.  If you rehair and start painting them, their values will actually DECREASE.

[Safflower]

For rehairs, it's your choice to glue the head back or leave it. Doesn't really matter And Cotton Candy's hooves have a child's inititials on them by the looks of it, and maybe an additional scribble. It is quite common for initials on hooves so ponies won't get lost out and about or at a friends house with other ponies You can signal a reroot by carving the letters RH in a hoof. That's the way I remember it being done