The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: parthenia on December 04, 2021, 03:20:47 PM
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(hello! i am brand new to this forum - just joined today- sorry if this isn't the right place to post, not sure where to put this topic)
i have allergies to perfumes and artifical fragrances and unfortunately bought a sweet sister pony (Fancy Flower) from a seller without asking about perfumes first- when she arrived at my home, she reeked of an artificial fragrance her previous owner must have sprayed on her
i want to save her and work on removing her scent, but havent had any luck removing it from her plastic body
i chopped off her mane and threw away her tail, which smelled horrifically sweet, and it removed most of the scent, but her body still smells when i bring it to my nose and sniff
when she arrived i separated her head/body and fully washed and sanitized her inside & out. first i put her in a bag of dry baking soda for 4 days, but it did nothing to remove her scent
afterwards i fully submerged her plastic body in 100% undiluted white vinegar for 48 hours straight, which didn't really seem to remove her scent either
i've currently put her in a bowl of clean water with dissolved baking soda, but after 24 hours of being fully submerged it doesn't seem like it's working either and her body still smells sweet as before. (i know baking soda and vinegar mixed together will do nothing to clean her since the chemical reaction to mix them only leaves water behind, i used both solutions separately)
does UV lighting work on removing scents as deep as this if vinegar and baking soda haven't worked? people say to air out a pony when its sunny outdoors, but i live in an area where its currently freezing & raining constantly this winter. so i can't leave her outside to air out- i only have UV light to substitute for sun
what else can i do to get rid of the fragrance? is she beyond saving and will i just have to sell her off? any advice is appreciated. i've seen so much advice for removing smoke/mildew/mold smells specifically from ponies, but almost next to nothing for chemical perfumes and fragrances and i'm getting desperate
(please dont suggest using additional fragrances to mask the perfume. i want to get rid of the artificial scent completely, not hide it with even more)
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Moved to the Pony Corral :) You'll get more answers here.
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thank you!! i appreciate it
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Have you tried storing her in a shoebox bin of kitty litter? I would have thought some unscented dish soap would have de-scented the mane and tail enough that you could've kept them.
I don't think a uv light is going to help since a big factor of people suggesting the outdoors is more for the fresh air than the sunlight tbh.
So dousing her with uv rays is probably only going to succeed in aging her plastic prematurely.
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you sure that wasn't a MLP with Original Pony Smell you just destroyed??? cuz G1 MLP have a sweet plastic smell to them even when there is no fragrances included with them.
also some of the G1s came with cosmetics, so that's permanently in that plastic.
UV light ruins ponies, don't put them in it!!!
basically.... if you are THAT sensitive, collecting the actual physical toys might not be the best idea... there are a lot of cross -containment issues. what if the previous owner kept all their 80's toys in a bin, are you going to chop their original hair off too? Because that just.... ruined the value of that pony. I don't think this is a good solution for your collecting, G1 ponies are very finite in quantity as it is.
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you sure that wasn't a MLP with Original Pony Smell you just destroyed??? cuz G1 MLP have a sweet plastic smell to them even when there is no fragrances included with them.
also some of the G1s came with cosmetics, so that's permanently in that plastic.
UV light ruins ponies, don't put them in it!!!
basically.... if you are THAT sensitive, collecting the actual physical toys might not be the best idea... there are a lot of cross -containment issues. what if the previous owner kept all their 80's toys in a bin, are you going to chop their original hair off too? Because that just.... ruined the value of that pony. I don't think this is a good solution for your collecting, G1 ponies are very finite in quantity as it is.
I was honestly cringing the whole time I read their post. Even I, and I'm very much pro customization, wouldn't ever think to chop good hair off a G1.
If you are ready sensitive to scents but want ponies in the G1 style maybe start with Basic Fun ponies. I don't think they are scented other than a few waves that clearly mentioned it on the box.
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I've always had luck removing smells by putting them into freezing temperatures. I've removed cigarette stink by wrapping them in paper towel with vinegar, putting them in a plastic bag, and leaving them in a shaded, protected area in the winter. A freezer will also suffice...it's likely not the most healthy thing for her plastic but it is a bit better than exposing to UV, which I am not sure will do much for the smell.
It is a shame her mane and tail ended up chopped.
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you sure that wasn't a MLP with Original Pony Smell you just destroyed??? cuz G1 MLP have a sweet plastic smell to them even when there is no fragrances included with them.
also some of the G1s came with cosmetics, so that's permanently in that plastic.
UV light ruins ponies, don't put them in it!!!
basically.... if you are THAT sensitive, collecting the actual physical toys might not be the best idea... there are a lot of cross -containment issues. what if the previous owner kept all their 80's toys in a bin, are you going to chop their original hair off too? Because that just.... ruined the value of that pony. I don't think this is a good solution for your collecting, G1 ponies are very finite in quantity as it is.
This is a Sweet Sister pony with no mention of scenting on the original packaging or webpage descriptions anywhere on it
There already has been quite a bit of damage on it (scratches, marks I couldnt remove, plastic discoloration etc) and the hair appeared to be shorter than what it originally wasnin untouched photos I've seen- so I figured it wouldnt hurt to rehome and restore it since its value probably would have already tanked because of the statue from its previous ownership
Had it been in pristine collectors condition when I got it I would not have dared touch it like I have now
Post Merge: December 05, 2021, 03:25:26 PM
you sure that wasn't a MLP with Original Pony Smell you just destroyed??? cuz G1 MLP have a sweet plastic smell to them even when there is no fragrances included with them.
also some of the G1s came with cosmetics, so that's permanently in that plastic.
UV light ruins ponies, don't put them in it!!!
basically.... if you are THAT sensitive, collecting the actual physical toys might not be the best idea... there are a lot of cross -containment issues. what if the previous owner kept all their 80's toys in a bin, are you going to chop their original hair off too? Because that just.... ruined the value of that pony. I don't think this is a good solution for your collecting, G1 ponies are very finite in quantity as it is.
I was honestly cringing the whole time I read their post. Even I, and I'm very much pro customization, wouldn't ever think to chop good hair off a G1.
If you are ready sensitive to scents but want ponies in the G1 style maybe start with Basic Fun ponies. I don't think they are scented other than a few waves that clearly mentioned it on the box.
I should have clarified: As I got this secondhand from a previous owner who appeared to previously have modified her mane/tail (which was not in pristine/perfect condition when it arrived in addition to being cut- it was shorter than perfect collectors photos of her) I figured that she was due for a rehairing anyways. Her collectors value probably already tanked before my ownership, so I dont see how me keeping that original botched hair & botched tail would retain any value
I am trying to collect basic fun ponies! But am having difficulty finding them in stores where I am other than overpriced ones online on ebay etc.
Post Merge: December 05, 2021, 03:29:46 PM
I've always had luck removing smells by putting them into freezing temperatures. I've removed cigarette stink by wrapping them in paper towel with vinegar, putting them in a plastic bag, and leaving them in a shaded, protected area in the winter. A freezer will also suffice...it's likely not the most healthy thing for her plastic but it is a bit better than exposing to UV, which I am not sure will do much for the smell.
It is a shame her mane and tail ended up chopped.
Thank you, I'll try and see if freezing can work
Her original mane and tail were cut much shorter by the original owner as their length didnt match collectors photos ive seen. I feel bad that I've had to get rid of it but it seemed to me her original value already tanked with whatever her previous owner did and a rehairing wouldn't hurt in this state
Post Merge: December 05, 2021, 03:37:56 PM
Have you tried storing her in a shoebox bin of kitty litter? I would have thought some unscented dish soap would have de-scented the mane and tail enough that you could've kept them.
I don't think a uv light is going to help since a big factor of people suggesting the outdoors is more for the fresh air than the sunlight tbh.
So dousing her with uv rays is probably only going to succeed in aging her plastic prematurely.
I haven't thought of cat litter, I don't have access to any since my family doesn't keep pets, but its something i can consider in the future
The mane and tail were cut shorter than normal compared to untouched collectors pieces, so I figured she was due for a rehairing in any case
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Her collectors value probably already tanked before my ownership, so I dont see how me keeping that original botched hair & botched tail would retain any value
You'd be surprised. A lot of people prefer original as can be, haircuts, marks and all. Buying TLC ponies to fix up and sell is a finicky business. You probably won't be properly compensated for time and supplies because charging too much for a restore just makes people turn around and find an original, even if it's not in perfect condition. The more common the pony, the more likely this is the case. When you get into more sought after ponies, then you run into devaluing it if you fix it. So it's a tricky market to sell to. Most people would agree that fixing up a pony should be the buyer's decision.
I don't want to discourage you from doing it though :) Just being realistic. If you want to practice restoring and rehairing, do so on common ponies and don't expect to make much off them. Do it because you want to and it's fun :)
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Her collectors value probably already tanked before my ownership, so I dont see how me keeping that original botched hair & botched tail would retain any value
You'd be surprised. A lot of people prefer original as can be, haircuts, marks and all. Buying TLC ponies to fix up and sell is a finicky business. You probably won't be properly compensated for time and supplies because charging too much for a restore just makes people turn around and find an original, even if it's not in perfect condition. The more common the pony, the more likely this is the case. When you get into more sought after ponies, then you run into devaluing it if you fix it. So it's a tricky market to sell to. Most people would agree that fixing up a pony should be the buyer's decision.
I don't want to discourage you from doing it though :) Just being realistic. If you want to practice restoring and rehairing, do so on common ponies and don't expect to make much off them. Do it because you want to and it's fun :)
Thank you so much for your advice, I'll keep this in mind
I genuinely had no idea having never seen this before- I'm glad I didnt destroy a perfectly good one for no reason and had hoped to keep her (I may have to sell her off if I cannot get rid of the scent once I've rehaired her..) but I will keep this in mind going forward
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I haven't had any issues with pony smells yet, but I have heard kitty litter works wonders, so I'm seconding TwistedRiver's suggestion. Also, if you're interested in restoring ponies anyways and not really into maintaining their value, why not just get ones that are already in baity condition (moreso than a slight haircut), especially for the more uncommon ponies?
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I haven't had any issues with pony smells yet, but I have heard kitty litter works wonders, so I'm seconding TwistedRiver's suggestion. Also, if you're interested in restoring ponies anyways and not really into maintaining their value, why not just get ones that are already in baity condition (moreso than a slight haircut), especially for the more uncommon ponies?
I'll keep kitty litter in mind!
That's exactly what I was thinking- this was a slightly more damaged pony than normal. Had the pony been in better condition than I had got it in (it seemd like bait to me) I wouldn't have altered it as much as I have with the hair, but I will definitely be careful about preserving future ponies when they're in better condition than this one
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I’m ok with some scents, but cheap floral perfume smells makes me sick. I got a Perfume Puff as a kid, and the second I opened the box, I knew I was in trouble. I could barely be in the same room as it for more than a minute.
It was still a pony, and I’m not about to throw one out, even if it stinks, so I had to figure something out. I was able to successfully completely de-scent a fresh from the box Perfume Puff(which are incredibly strongly scented). You’ve got the right idea, but you’re aiming for a quick fix. There is no quick fix. To get any scent out of a pony takes time. Lots of it.
There are probably lots of ways to do this, but this is my method:
Get yourself a plastic bin with a lid (or a piece of Tupperware) that fits the pony with some room to spare, but not too much. Buy a 5 pound bag of baking soda(they have it on amazon). Put the pony in the bin and fill the bin with the baking soda until the pony is covered. If the pony’s head is removable, you can put some carbon packets(available online) inside and put the head back on. I’d avoid stuffing it with the baking soda - you might not be able to get it all out. Put the bin somewhere that it can sit undisturbed for months .
Every now and then turn the pony and give the bin a shake to refresh the baking soda. Once a month or so(or whenever you remember) pull the pony out, wash it off(I also febreeze the ponies and fully wash them during this time), let it dry completely, and let it really air out for a few days. I like to use a fan or put it by an open window to keep the air circulating around it. Give it a sniff after a few days. If it still has a whiff, change out the baking soda, and repeat the process.
This is not a few days type process. You’re looking at a few months, sometimes more. And if you have to put the pony in some kind of enclosed storage, tuck some carbon packets in with it to keep any lingering scent at bay. This method also works with mildew and cigarette stench. You can also do this with accessories and ponywear, but I wrap anything cloth or paper in tissue paper so the baking soda doesn’t ruin it. I also skip the washing step for cloth or paper items.
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I’m ok with some scents, but cheap floral perfume smells makes me sick. I got a Perfume Puff as a kid, and the second I opened the box, I knew I was in trouble. I could barely be in the same room as it for more than a minute.
It was still a pony, and I’m not about to throw one out, even if it stinks, so I had to figure something out. I was able to successfully completely de-scent a fresh from the box Perfume Puff(which are incredibly strongly scented). You’ve got the right idea, but you’re aiming for a quick fix. There is no quick fix. To get any scent out of a pony takes time. Lots of it.
There are probably lots of ways to do this, but this is my method:
Get yourself a plastic bin with a lid (or a piece of Tupperware) that fits the pony with some room to spare, but not too much. Buy a 5 pound bag of baking soda(they have it on amazon). Put the pony in the bin and fill the bin with the baking soda until the pony is covered. If the pony’s head is removable, you can put some carbon packets(available online) inside and put the head back on. I’d avoid stuffing it with the baking soda - you might not be able to get it all out. Put the bin somewhere that it can sit undisturbed for months .
Every now and then turn the pony and give the bin a shake to refresh the baking soda. Once a month or so(or whenever you remember) pull the pony out, wash it off(I also febreeze the ponies and fully wash them during this time), let it dry completely, and let it really air out for a few days. I like to use a fan or put it by an open window to keep the air circulating around it. Give it a sniff after a few days. If it still has a whiff, change out the baking soda, and repeat the process.
This is not a few days type process. You’re looking at a few months, sometimes more. And if you have to put the pony in some kind of enclosed storage, tuck some carbon packets in with it to keep any lingering scent at bay. This method also works with mildew and cigarette stench. You can also do this with accessories and ponywear, but I wrap anything cloth or paper in tissue paper so the baking soda doesn’t ruin it. I also skip the washing step for cloth or paper items.
Thank you so much for this advice- im really glad to hear that you found something that worked for you. I'll definitely give this a try, I figured if a scent this harsh wasn't going away in a few days i'll wait long term in that case
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Like others have suggested, I'd advise kitty litter! It worked really well for a couple ponies I had with weird scents lol.
Also if you want to get into MLP, idk if gen 1 is for you if you're warry of scents. I'm someone who gets migraines from strong smells so I understand being a little apprehensive of smells. The general thing I've noticed with G1 ponies is that they typically will always smell like something. It's just kind of the way the plastic they were made with is? Like, I've seen descriptions of the scent vary a little between collectors, but the smell I'd describe it as is like a sweet scent with a bit of a spicy nip to the end if that makes sense? At least in my opinion that's how it smells.
Anyway, the point is I'm not sure if gen 1 would be the best for you to collect? Obviously, not all ponies will smell EXACTLY the same, however in my experience, all of my ponies have SOME scent. Whether that be a sweet scent, a smokier (but not cigarette) scent, a teakwood/cologne scent, or even just a strong plastic-ish scent. Depending on how I'm feeling that day, I have to be careful how much I handle the pony because the smell can sometimes transfer onto my hands! LOL
If you like the look of g1 I'd suggest the re-issues that are coming out by Basic Fun, even if they are a little hard to come by at the moment. Other than that I've noticed g2 ponies do not tend to have a scent at all, same with g3. G4-g5ish can be more hit or miss. A lot of my late-line G4-G4.5 ponies reek of a horrible plastic smell that makes it hard for me to even be around them.
Anyway I hope this helps. Good luck with scent removal!
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Like others have suggested, I'd advise kitty litter! It worked really well for a couple ponies I had with weird scents lol.
Also if you want to get into MLP, idk if gen 1 is for you if you're warry of scents. I'm someone who gets migraines from strong smells so I understand being a little apprehensive of smells. The general thing I've noticed with G1 ponies is that they typically will always smell like something. It's just kind of the way the plastic they were made with is? Like, I've seen descriptions of the scent vary a little between collectors, but the smell I'd describe it as is like a sweet scent with a bit of a spicy nip to the end if that makes sense? At least in my opinion that's how it smells.
Anyway, the point is I'm not sure if gen 1 would be the best for you to collect? Obviously, not all ponies will smell EXACTLY the same, however in my experience, all of my ponies have SOME scent. Whether that be a sweet scent, a smokier (but not cigarette) scent, a teakwood/cologne scent, or even just a strong plastic-ish scent. Depending on how I'm feeling that day, I have to be careful how much I handle the pony because the smell can sometimes transfer onto my hands! LOL
If you like the look of g1 I'd suggest the re-issues that are coming out by Basic Fun, even if they are a little hard to come by at the moment. Other than that I've noticed g2 ponies do not tend to have a scent at all, same with g3. G4-g5ish can be more hit or miss. A lot of my late-line G4-G4.5 ponies reek of a horrible plastic smell that makes it hard for me to even be around them.
Anyway I hope this helps. Good luck with scent removal!
thank you so much for the advice! im going to be much more careful about purchasing going forward (it was 100% on me for being irresponsible and not remembering to check for my sensitivities- at least this is an issue that can be resolved with enough waiting). its really interesting to hear this about previous gen ponies too though i shouldn't be as surprised given their age/differences in manufacturing materials. i'm pretty excited about the basic run rereleases, i hope they make them more accessible
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WaterDraw brought up a good point about G2s. I haven't noticed any sort of smell on mine, plus they look sorta similar to the Sweetheart Sister ponies. If you like them, maybe you should look into collecting G2s instead. :) They're very, very pretty.
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WaterDraw brought up a good point about G2s. I haven't noticed any sort of smell on mine, plus they look sorta similar to the Sweetheart Sister ponies. If you like them, maybe you should look into collecting G2s instead. :) They're very, very pretty.
i love g2s! its really reassuring to hear that they don't smell, so i'll definitely take a look at them
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Yelp, shame about the hair. Does anyone know whether this set came scented originially? I would have thought not.
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Yelp, shame about the hair. Does anyone know whether this set came scented originally? I would have thought not.
I have a fancy flower and she doesn't have any smell to her, and none of the other sweethearts i have have a scent so I wonder what happened with this one?
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Oof, add me to the list of 'sad to hear about the hair getting chopped', but I'm glad to hear it was already trimmed! That said, you can also remove scent from hair, just like the rest of the plastic! (And if the hair was scented, the body plastic is also probably scented by now too, so it's no use cutting it off, as you saw!)
Nylon (which, if I recall correctly, is what the pony bodies are made out of) is considered a very 'thirsty' plastic, and will absorb just about anything put near it. Dye especially, but also scents! Unfortunately, possibly because of a mix of being very old and very soft plastic (which makes them absorb more I presume?), G1 ponies tend to pick up a LOT of scent in their travels! Some are unscented out of the factory, but mix them into a collection with scented ponies, and let them sit for 20 years in a hot attic ... EVERYONE starts smelling the same! ;)
Another scent they can pick up is less floral - the scent of plastic degrading. It's not a "bad" smell per se, but it is pretty plasticky, or chemical-y smelling, if that's something that also triggers your nose. I totally understand having nose sensitivities, we use unscented laundry soap here too! I suspect, if you're in a no-scent household, you may even be picking up on the smell of someone's scented laundry detergent! That stuff is STRONG if you don't use it yourself, and you quickly become noseblind to it if you're wearing it every day. The seller might think 'this pony has no smell!' but once you open it up you're bowled over by flowers! If you're getting them secondhand from someone who thrifts, they may be picking up the overwhelming thrift smell, which seems to be a very strong detergent/floral scent. (I'd much rather they smell like flowers than, uh, other things! :P I'm not advocating for the thrift store to stop washing stuff, LOL!)
You've already got a lot of great advice for de-scenting future ponies, so I'm just chiming in to add that I agree! We have cats, so if I get REALLY bad cases I'll use kitty litter, especially the (unscented!) clay kind. Usually, leaving them in my backyard for a couple of weeks to 'air out' is often enough. Just put them somewhere safe where they won't be rained on, and let them enjoy the scenery! But like goddessofpeep said, sadly it's a protracted process!
I would also recommend you check out G3 ponies, because not all of them were scented; however, the ones that were scented were DOUSED with it, so I have many "unscented" G3 ponies in my personal collection that smell scented, due to sharing a box. G2 ponies have smaller, harder bodies, so it may be harder for them to absorb scent? I would hope! I also recommend the Basic Fun ponies, I think they are adorable and have quite a few of them!! The Rainbow ponies were the only line that came out with scents as I recall, but they also made an unscented re-release!
Anyway, this was a wall of text, but I hope you won't let a bit of a disappointing start sour you on ponies! They really are so much fun! :heart: If you like cute things, I especially recommend checking out G2 babies!! They're soooo small and so precious!
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Hope I’m not derailing too much but @babysquirmy, aside from the ponies on the do not sun fade list, I’m very curious to hear more about why UV is bad for g1 ponies! I thought sun fading was a pretty accepted restoration technique these days? I haven’t heard that before and typing UV into the MLParena search bar doesn’t return any results on that particular issue. Is it more about known issues with UV exposure or uncertainty about the long term effects of sun on vinyl? Overall I’m fascinated by the subject of original vs restored ponies and their value to collectors. Thanks for the insight!
I must also back everyone up on the effectiveness of the baking soda litter de-stinking technique! The stuff I used had a scent already so the ponies came out smelling artificially flowery, but that scent fades very quickly (a matter of days/hours) and the original nasty smell never returns. I’ve even used it on an art toy that had a plastic smell I couldn’t be in the room with - one it came with from the factory, not a smell from exposure to anything - and it even tamed THAT, so it’s very effective. I believe you can get the same baking soda litter without the scent, too. Best of luck!
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Hope I’m not derailing too much but @babysquirmy, aside from the ponies on the do not sun fade list, I’m very curious to hear more about why UV is bad for g1 ponies! I thought sun fading was a pretty accepted restoration technique these days? I haven’t heard that before and typing UV into the MLParena search bar doesn’t return any results on that particular issue. Is it more about known issues with UV exposure or uncertainty about the long term effects of sun on vinyl? Overall I’m fascinated by the subject of original vs restored ponies and their value to collectors. Thanks for the insight!
UV light destroys "fading pink" hair and can cause other colours to fade faster or discolour too. Purples, blues, whites... if your pony has any of these , you need to really really protect them if you are treating them.
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Hope I’m not derailing too much but @babysquirmy, aside from the ponies on the do not sun fade list, I’m very curious to hear more about why UV is bad for g1 ponies! I thought sun fading was a pretty accepted restoration technique these days? I haven’t heard that before and typing UV into the MLParena search bar doesn’t return any results on that particular issue. Is it more about known issues with UV exposure or uncertainty about the long term effects of sun on vinyl? Overall I’m fascinated by the subject of original vs restored ponies and their value to collectors. Thanks for the insight!
UV light destroys "fading pink" hair and can cause other colours to fade faster or discolour too. Purples, blues, whites... if your pony has any of these , you need to really really protect them if you are treating them.
Over the years I found useful information by looking at how people look after vintage cars and boats. I also worked in museums for a while and found info from the V&A Museum of Childhood. If this helps: the pony's body is made of UPVC, the hair is nylon, the washer is iron (rusts) and the clamp is aluminium alloy (corrodes slightly in some cases but not usually). I only have experience with Euro, UK and USA ponies though. If you look up the effect of UV light on soft plastics you will see what we mean. Sunfading may break down a stain but this 'zapping power' will also affect the longer term condition of the pony as well.
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Thank you both so much! I really appreciate this and I LOVE when people cross reference with other disciplines for their restoring knowledge. I’ll have to look into car stuff!
I know some ponies are sensitive to UV exposure, and about the pink hair, but those things certainly bear repeating! One other question - I would imagine the vinyl parts of a car that get UV damage get a lot more exposure due to being inside an object with windows that’s usually stored outside. My understanding of the average MLP sun fading/UV light box session is that that only takes a matter of hours/days. Wouldn’t shorter exposure time mean less potential for long term damage?
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Thank you both so much! I really appreciate this and I LOVE when people cross reference with other disciplines for their restoring knowledge. I’ll have to look into car stuff!
I know some ponies are sensitive to UV exposure, and about the pink hair, but those things certainly bear repeating! One other question - I would imagine the vinyl parts of a car that get UV damage get a lot more exposure due to being inside an object with windows that’s usually stored outside. My understanding of the average MLP sun fading/UV light box session is that that only takes a matter of hours/days. Wouldn’t shorter exposure time mean less potential for long term damage?
My reference to car stuff was just to do with maintenance in general I guess. The damage from UV will be proportional to the length of exposure but no-one knows exactly what combination of and intensity of environmental triggers cause plastic breakdown to become noticeable. Symptoms are yellowing of iether or both head and body, stickiness which usually starts inside first, appearance of brown spots.
In general, it is thought best to keep soft plastic clean, dry, at a stable temperature and away from UV light. It is also though best to keep it away from other soft plastics such as plastic bags however this may be due to the increase in humidity rather than a chemical reaction between the different types of plastic. That said, the V&A museum keep two of each Barbie. One is kept intact the other has the parts separated to reduce any breakdown due to chemical reactions between the different materials.
With any restoration work it's entierly It's entirely "your pony, your choice" however I personally would not want to buy a pony if I knew it had been sunfaded. Some inks will disappear after just a few days of sunfading in which case you might think it's worth it. Some inks disappear after a few months. If you sunfade, maybe you will have a few years of pony looking good, but they will start to show visible plastic breakdown a few years earlier than they otherwise would.
I have a theory that a lot of the problems with yellowing and pony cancer etc. that we see in the community are made worse by collectors using harsh treatments like sunfading and peroxide etc. to get a short-term improvement in the pony's appearance. Unfortunately they are then sold to other collectors who don't realise what has been done to them, and then in a few years they start to yellow etc. This has happened to me with white, higher value ponies like June rose and Port-O-Bella, but of course it's impossible to prove.
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Thank you both so much! I really appreciate this and I LOVE when people cross reference with other disciplines for their restoring knowledge. I’ll have to look into car stuff!
I know some ponies are sensitive to UV exposure, and about the pink hair, but those things certainly bear repeating! One other question - I would imagine the vinyl parts of a car that get UV damage get a lot more exposure due to being inside an object with windows that’s usually stored outside. My understanding of the average MLP sun fading/UV light box session is that that only takes a matter of hours/days. Wouldn’t shorter exposure time mean less potential for long term damage?
My reference to car stuff was just to do with maintenance in general I guess. The damage from UV will be proportional to the length of exposure but no-one knows exactly what combination of and intensity of environmental triggers cause plastic breakdown to become noticeable. Symptoms are yellowing of iether or both head and body, stickiness which usually starts inside first, appearance of brown spots.
In general, it is thought best to keep soft plastic clean, dry, at a stable temperature and away from UV light. It is also though best to keep it away from other soft plastics such as plastic bags however this may be due to the increase in humidity rather than a chemical reaction between the different types of plastic. That said, the V&A museum keep two of each Barbie. One is kept intact the other has the parts separated to reduce any breakdown due to chemical reactions between the different materials.
With any restoration work it's entierly It's entirely "your pony, your choice" however I personally would not want to buy a pony if I knew it had been sunfaded. Some inks will disappear after just a few days of sunfading in which case you might think it's worth it. Some inks disappear after a few months. If you sunfade, maybe you will have a few years of pony looking good, but they will start to show visible plastic breakdown a few years earlier than they otherwise would.
I have a theory that a lot of the problems with yellowing and pony cancer etc. that we see in the community are made worse by collectors using harsh treatments like sunfading and peroxide etc. to get a short-term improvement in the pony's appearance. Unfortunately they are then sold to other collectors who don't realise what has been done to them, and then in a few years they start to yellow etc. This has happened to me with white, higher value ponies like June rose and Port-O-Bella, but of course it's impossible to prove.
So you feel that marks that can't be removed with a gentle wash should probably be accepted as a permanent part of the pony?
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Thank you both so much! I really appreciate this and I LOVE when people cross reference with other disciplines for their restoring knowledge. I’ll have to look into car stuff!
I know some ponies are sensitive to UV exposure, and about the pink hair, but those things certainly bear repeating! One other question - I would imagine the vinyl parts of a car that get UV damage get a lot more exposure due to being inside an object with windows that’s usually stored outside. My understanding of the average MLP sun fading/UV light box session is that that only takes a matter of hours/days. Wouldn’t shorter exposure time mean less potential for long term damage?
My reference to car stuff was just to do with maintenance in general I guess. The damage from UV will be proportional to the length of exposure but no-one knows exactly what combination of and intensity of environmental triggers cause plastic breakdown to become noticeable. Symptoms are yellowing of iether or both head and body, stickiness which usually starts inside first, appearance of brown spots.
In general, it is thought best to keep soft plastic clean, dry, at a stable temperature and away from UV light. It is also though best to keep it away from other soft plastics such as plastic bags however this may be due to the increase in humidity rather than a chemical reaction between the different types of plastic. That said, the V&A museum keep two of each Barbie. One is kept intact the other has the parts separated to reduce any breakdown due to chemical reactions between the different materials.
With any restoration work it's entierly It's entirely "your pony, your choice" however I personally would not want to buy a pony if I knew it had been sunfaded. Some inks will disappear after just a few days of sunfading in which case you might think it's worth it. Some inks disappear after a few months. If you sunfade, maybe you will have a few years of pony looking good, but they will start to show visible plastic breakdown a few years earlier than they otherwise would.
I have a theory that a lot of the problems with yellowing and pony cancer etc. that we see in the community are made worse by collectors using harsh treatments like sunfading and peroxide etc. to get a short-term improvement in the pony's appearance. Unfortunately they are then sold to other collectors who don't realise what has been done to them, and then in a few years they start to yellow etc. This has happened to me with white, higher value ponies like June rose and Port-O-Bella, but of course it's impossible to prove.
So you feel that marks that can't be removed with a gentle wash should probably be accepted as a permanent part of the pony?
Not necessarily, depending on what it is I might try acetone/magic erasor/mineral oil. If that doesn't work I might try sunfading for a couple of days just because some biro does disapear really fast. But I'd have to weigh it up. How about you?