Tips For G2 Ponies Please!

[WaterDraw]

Hello everyone! G2 ponies are my favorite of all of the ponies, but sadly I don't own any due to the fact that I don't know a lot about them. To me, it seems really hard to find information about them online. I don't know if that's because they weren't too popular over here in America or what.
Basically, could you all help me out a bit with some of the most important information I need to know about them? I'm sort of a picky collector which is why I like to learn about these things upfront. Here are some questions I have:
1. Do they get tail rust like G1 ponies?
2. Do they get age spots, plasticizer leakage, or regrind?
3. Does their hair fade? I.E. The pink used on G1s that so often fade to white.
4. Is there any special damage that I need to know about them? Like how secondhand seaponies often have rust in them or how flutterponies wings easily break?
5. What is the recommended price for them and are there any rare ponies?
               5 1/2. What's the recommended price for the Secret Suprise Clever Clover? He's my absolute favorite G2 pony. 

Any other information I should know about them is appreciated also! I know a lot about G1 ponies and some about G4 ponies if you have to refer to any terms for them or if you would like to compare an issue with a previous pony released or a pony released after them. Also, if you have any interesting facts those are always appreciated!

Thank you all for your time.   

[Khoufu]

I only have 3 (Ivy, Sky Skimmer, Petal Blossom) and in my experience the plastic has aged pretty well and those three have some pink hair but it hasn't faded. The only common damage I can think of would be the eye jewels falling off. I'm no expert, this is just based on my own experience. McDonald's g2s get ratty hair easily, and supposedly moving leg mechanisms can be impossible to repair. As far as prices, a lot of them should be under $10-15.

[Shaz]

On the whole, G2s seem to age quite well! I don't think I've even seen any with faded hair!

One problem that G2s do have is losing their little eye gems. These can be replaced with little tiny Swarovski crystals. Apart from combing out tangly hair, replacing eye gems is the only restoration I've ever had to do on G2s. They're quite a low maintenance generation.

[Taffeta]

There are some that go sticky sticky, like Queen Sunsparkle and Hip Holly. I am not sure if Queen Sunsparkle was sold in the US or not. Hip Holly wasn't, she was only in Europe. I haven't noticed sticky sticky plasticiser issues on any of my other loose ones when I was cataloguing them recently, but sometimes there is some discolouration on ones who have moving parts (eg Moonshadow, Lady Cupcake). Again, not sure what was sold in the US.

I don't think Clever Clover is overly hard to find because he was sold all over. But he is one of the original set, so one of the oldest. That said, my Clever Clover still looks pretty much as good as the day I bought him back in 1997, so he tends to age well

I am not sure about fading hair. I would still be careful with them but it doesn't seem a prevalent issue. Sky Skimmer etc has a different type of hair. I am unsure whether some of the Ivys might fade (the Ivy beanie fades), and I don't know about later ones.

Eye jewels are the biggest issue with these, but it is still easy to find them with gems intact. Out of the 60 or so in my box, only one of them has lost an eye gem, so it should be possible to find ones with the eye gems intact. I don't think any of the earliest ones are very expensive - it tends to be some of the later ones in Europe with limited availability that clock up higher prices.

Good luck with finding some G2s for your collection!

Moonbreeze's lavender lagoon site is one I find helpful for figuring out accessories and what version of what pony came out when.
http://lavenderlagoon.weebly.com/

[Duenia]

1. Do they get tail rust like G1 ponies?
2. Do they get age spots, plasticizer leakage, or regrind?
3. Does their hair fade? I.E. The pink used on G1s that so often fade to white.
4. Is there any special damage that I need to know about them? Like how secondhand seaponies often have rust in them or how flutterponies wings easily break?
5. What is the recommended price for them and are there any rare ponies?

1. If they get wet the can get tail rust
2. I've seen plasticizer leakage, head body mismatch (body yellowing normally), eye ink running, magic motion plastic yellowing, and age spots.
3. I don't know of any that do off the top of my head
4. Some of them have motion mechanisms, batteries can't be changed for the musical ponies, changing mane and tail pony tails are held on with an elastic that can break down, and eye gems as everyone has mentioned.
5. There are quite a few since G2 was only in the US for 2 years. Then it seems to slowly shrink down to like just France lol.

Best resource I know of is Moonbreeze's site:
http://lavenderlagoon.weebly.com/

Edit: Oh and the ponies with magnet noses the paint chips off the magnet super easy.

[ColdRuru]

Most of the answer beeing said, I will just add that they can have THE fading hair, but there not so many pony having it instead of the G1.

Also, I know someone who have almost everything in G2, here's her listing:
http://ecuriemerveilleuse.forumactif.com/t4433-la-collection-de-g2-de-marypony-recap-page-1

It may helps a lot of people here!

[RoseNoire]

Yay, G2 informations !
I have one case of tail rust I need to deal with and many eye gems missing but that's it. G2s are fairly well preserved indeed.
I see I'm not very useful but oh well.

Have a nice day !

Rose

[WaterDraw]

Thank you all for the lovely tips! I feel much more confident about getting some now. 

[Leave a Whisper]

http://gen2.aien-hime.com/

This is a nice id site. There's also My Little Wiki and strawberryreef.

[Taffeta]

http://gen2.aien-hime.com/

This is a nice id site.

That was the other website I was trying to remember. I used both it and Lavender Lagoon to ID and organise my collection and they're both great

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Clever Clover was one of my first G2s, since he was sold in the US he shouldn't be too pricey! I almost said "too hard to find" but I've come across G2s literally...three times only in the wild.

[WaterDraw]

UPDATE:

I just bought my first G2 pony and, you guessed it, it's Clever Clover with all of his accessories. Thank you all so much for the information and I'll be sure to post pictures of him in the Pony Brag arena once I get him!! 

[Leave a Whisper]

Can't wait to see!

[Taffeta]

UPDATE:

I just bought my first G2 pony and, you guessed it, it's Clever Clover with all of his accessories. Thank you all so much for the information and I'll be sure to post pictures of him in the Pony Brag arena once I get him!! 

Yay! That's great news especially with his accessories. His hat is so cute
Congratulations!

[Zapper]

Pink G2s can suffer plastic breakdown. My pinks G2s look similar to my pink G1s with neon pink blotches.
The tinsel in their hair is also prone to kinks and the eye crystals are only glued in so it's possible for them to fall out. Especially when the pony gets a hot water treatment the glue can dissolve.
It's best to glue them back in or be extra careful about exposing them to heat.