Why do Magic Message ponies' cutie marks turn brown?

[Prince Firefly]

I found my first Magic Message G1 at a thrift store- Cloud Dreamer. Her cutie mark went brown.
For those who don't know: Magic Message ponies usually have solid blue cutie marks until you apply heat/rub them, then pictures appear.

But even the ponies on My Little Wiki show their brown symbols! Cloud Dreamer's seem to be the worst. Windy/Magical Breeze's also does it, and the others do it to a lesser extent.

Is there an explanation, and are the cutie marks worth repainting?

[LadyMoondancer]

Awww, that is sad to hear.    Is it the "outer" part that turns brown or the part underneath?

(For those who haven't owned a Magic Message pony, part of it is printed on the pony's bum like a regular symbol.  Then a second 'layer' of symbol is added over it.  Like the cloud for Cloud Dreamer.  And when you press the 2nd part, the print below it shows through.

[Taffeta]

The symbols on these are pretty delicate, I have heard of them coming away completely at the least thing, so I wouldn't advise messing with it too much to be honest.

I am not sure if by brown you mean the film-like heat sensitive substance that covers the symbols - I have noticed this can go brown around the edges. None of my loose ponies have an overall brown symbol, though a couple have really worn symbols. But I have seen brownish around the edges of these where you can see the heat sensitive covering.

[Prince Firefly]

Awww, that is sad to hear.    Is it the "outer" part that turns brown or the part underneath?

(For those who haven't owned a Magic Message pony, part of it is printed on the pony's bum like a regular symbol.  Then a second 'layer' of symbol is added over it.  Like the cloud for Cloud Dreamer.  And when you press the 2nd part, the print below it shows through.

oh my god its heck yeah pony scans themselves!

I didn't know it was layered! I guess I should have figured that, though. As for which layer it is, I have no clue, but I believe it's the outer part.

Post Merge: April 10, 2018, 02:36:09 PM

The symbols on these are pretty delicate, I have heard of them coming away completely at the least thing, so I wouldn't advise messing with it too much to be honest.

I am not sure if by brown you mean the film-like heat sensitive substance that covers the symbols - I have noticed this can go brown around the edges. None of my loose ponies have an overall brown symbol, though a couple have really worn symbols. But I have seen brownish around the edges of these where you can see the heat sensitive covering.

I believe it to be the heat sensitive coat, though I may be wrong.

[Raindrop]

As others have said, there is a thicker, heat-sensitive layer of material over the painted symbol on MM ponies (the Euro release Nurse ponies have a similar feature).  Over time the layer can lose its sensitivity (won't fade with heat to reveal the painted symbol underneath), discolor, or become scratched.  My guess is that either the rubbery matrix of this stuff or the heat-sensitive pigment in it on your pony discolored due to age and/or exposure.

[Khoufu]

My Magic Hat just has a permanent pink cloud over her symbols, I simply can't get the symbols to 'magically" appear like they're supposed to.

[SpookyTrees]

How timely is this post. I have three Magic Message Ponis, two Magic Hats and one Windy. I as cleaning them today and when running their symbols under warm water they changed! However I spaced out whilst drying Windy and damaged her symbol a bit. I’m so annoyed with how I forgot to be careful!!!

Anyways here are my two Magic Hats, one of them is missing her symbol on her display side!

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


visitors can't see pics , please register or login

[Mewtwofan1]

I’ve never had one of these ponies, but I want one. As for why they turn brown...
     I’m not a chemist, so this is what I’ve gathered and come to. My conclusion is the same as everybody else. The film has wore away or gotten damaged in some way due to exposure, breakdown of the chemicals or some other force. 

[Ponyfan]

visitors can't see pics , please register or login
 

Here's my Mirror Mirror. As you can see the coating is damaged and her symbol is stuck on the princess. I wish I knew about the heat senstive coating before. When it started peeling off I wasn't sure what was wrong with my pony.


Ponyfan

[NightGliderSA]

I have only one of these ponies: Magic Hat. She was sold as Magic Star, and actually has not even the smallest sign of a symbol anywhere. Nothing on her cheek either. But I actually really liked the simplicity of her like that, so bought her on purpose and haven't tried to restore her either. And of course kept her name as Magic Star and made her a necklace to make up for the loss of a symbol. She sits on the shelf with my favourite favourite ponies

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Regarding the browning of your pony's symbols. It sounds to me as if they have a heat sensitive plastic layer over them? (Please all pony people correct me if I am wrong about that) And plastic does tend to go yellow and then brown with age. Perhaps this is what is happening? This is just speculation on my part; I mean I am the owner of a messageless Magic Message pony after all.

[Taffeta]

@Night Glider, your pony is really pretty. Very interesting that she lacks even a cheek symbol, as that shouldn't come off so easily. Makes me wonder if she ever had one.

I have seen these ponies with completely gone symbols before. I used to have a Cloud Dreamer but I don't seem to have her now so I guess I sold her. I have also heard of the symbol just coming off in water O.O. so I wash them very carefully. I picked up a Cloud Dreamer at the toy fair a year or so ago and even travelling home her one symbol took a scratch or two. She was in my trade box but my sister decided to adopt her so she ended up staying.

I had to upgrade both Magic Hat and Mirror Mirror due to symbol damage and Floater due mostly to haircut. This set seem to have a lot of flaws. I don't know if any of mine work now, I haven't tested them in years. I know that my upgrade Floater and my Magical Breeze (UK name for Windy) both used to work fine. I think my Cloud Dreamer did as well, but I'm too scared to risk it now. Here's my Magical Breeze with her symbol intact.

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


My Magic Hat with some wear but no browning:
visitors can't see pics , please register or login


And a  more worse for wear Mirror Mirror that has since been upgraded, but also just wear, no browning:

visitors can't see pics , please register or login



Raindrop is right that the Nurses use similar technology on the symbol heart.