Refurbished? Also, HI!

[Taffeta]

I should probably add to this my disclaimer that I've seen the hidden rehair scam a fair few times over the years, which has led me to being very wary about stuff like this. So yeah, I have stepped back from ponies that might have been variants because the head was removed for cleaning...just in case the hair was also replaced (even if not by the person selling it). I don't know how you tell, but I know we even had a scientific experiment done on the glue on one of the reverse gusty fakes at one time...and people can get a really close approximation if they want to.

It's another matter if someone is clearly disclosing, but it's also why I'm in the "mark the hooves" category. I totally understand the position of people who don't want to do this, but rehairing is permanently changing the pony. And whether we think a seller should or should not restore a pony for resell, it's absolutely vital that any and all restoration work is disclosed.

It's fine if it's the restorer, as the vast majority of restorers are honest people. But there are always some (and in the past there were probably a fair amount more), and there's the risk of the ponies changing hands without a record, or someone unscrupulous will just sell them on as something else.

So I'm really wary on this point because of scams I've seen over the years. It's more an issue for me that I want everyone to be getting exactly what they pay for, and I'd rather sellers didn't meddle with something that's for a buyer (who will hopefully keep the pony and thus not circulate it back into the market for a while) to decide.

[Beth3346]

yeah i remember the reverse gusty and the faded white windy back in the day. i definitely agree on rare nirvana ponies and variants not being retouched by sellers.

the ponies i have that were retouched are fairly common. and the touch ups were just some eye paint and cleaning. i feel ok about it as long as it's disclosed. i also worry about the record though. i usually don't buy with the intent to resell but end up reselling at times because i need the money or i run out of space. though thinking about ponies is making me want to buy more ponies.

[Taffeta]

Let's just say it took LadyG and co a long time to convince me any Reverse Gustys were genuine, because of that spate of fakes. AND...there are other "prototypes" that I don't believe are genuine, even now.

[Cobblestone]

Maybe seeing refurbished as opposed to restored is what threw me off. It felt weird to see a bunch of (what are commonly understood to be rare) ponies with new hair and paint. I know there’s a market for that but I’m also very wary of anything without a neck seal. I can see the temptation for someone outside the community to maybe mimic a rare pony or something.

Not that this person is doing that. I want to be perfectly clear I’m not accusing anyone of anything, I just know g4 brought a TON of new eyes to the community and that also brings scammers. If everything you’re selling is a fixed up nirvana or tagged in some special way I’m skeptical.

Post Merge: November 10, 2021, 05:28:52 PM

I also understand the personal desire to fix up ponies. I’m into Breyer dapples right now and boy oh boy do I want to fix up some scratches and maybe paint in teeth or other small destails they didn’t bother with for some lines.

Post Merge: November 10, 2021, 05:31:09 PM

I've rehaired and repainted Argies in my collection. I think restoring poinies to sell is kinda weird? I guess there's a market for it. But if I sold ponies, I wouldn't bother and let the buyer choose what they do with it. But as far as ponies in my own collection? Heck yes, I'll restore them. They're mine. I can do what I want.

edit: Also hi! I remember you, you did some art of my ponysona

Ayyyye hi BC. I think the last time I saw you was on pony island but I didn’t do much chatting there. Maybe I can do more fun art things over here when I’ve got the time.

[Wardah]

Oh I definitely agree any work should be disclosed. I just think if someone would probably get more for a fixed up common pony then they should be able to and there's people who would appreciate it.

[Cobblestone]

Ice Crystal  oof
Something about seeing the head popped off and all the cut marks around the neck just hurts. Has anyone figured out a formula to eat away at the old factory glue? I remember the old heat methods but I think that was like 50/50

[BlackCurtains]

Acetone will dissolve glue but it will also eat the plastic if you leave it on too long. I use a cotton swab and work on a small area at a time, then once the glue gives I rinse it off. Disclaimer - I've only done this with G3s. G1 neck seals usually only need to be boiled. I haven't personally come across a stubborn one yet.

[Snapdragon]

Maybe seeing refurbished as opposed to restored is what threw me off. It felt weird to see a bunch of (what are commonly understood to be rare) ponies with new hair and paint. I know there’s a market for that but I’m also very wary of anything without a neck seal.  [cut for length]

I feel the same way! On one hand, it's like, yeah, it's great that ponies are getting fixed up! But for me, I'd rather be doing fixes myself; and personally I'd prefer a more 'unretouched' common pony than one with some new hair plugs or paint. Or even a rare pony; but then, I know a lot of folks aren't customizers, so 'easy fixes' feel out of reach for them, so I can understand that. 

I hope that's not something that will become commonplace; I'd prefer to be able to still buy group pony lots for low prices, and not have to battle against resellers. I think battered ponies have a special kind of charm, too!

[Taffeta]

Oh I definitely agree any work should be disclosed. I just think if someone would probably get more for a fixed up common pony then they should be able to and there's people who would appreciate it.

The problem in that equation is the 'probably'. The fact is that as a seller you can never 100% assume the market. If you don't restore a beat up pony, it will put off some buyers. If you do restore a beat up pony, it will put off some buyers. The trick is to try and gauge which option puts off the most buyers, and given the cost and work hours that goes into restoration, it doesn't make good business sense to put that effort in when you can't guarantee a sale at the end of it.

You do see cases of people doing this, and you also have people who offer restoration services to those who want them, and while they're not to my taste, so long as the work is honestly disclosed somehow, it's not that it's wrong. I just don't see the point, from a simple economic standpoint, of putting time, effort and resources (hair, paint etc) into fixing something given that a good proportion of the community will reject the item for that very effort. Not to mention that the cost of those restoration materials also has to be factored into any profit you make.

You can't undo a restoration on a pony once it's done. Even if you have a pony that's badly rehaired and you give it a really good rehairing...it's still a restoration. You can never go back to original. You can never return to what it was. That's why I think it should be the choice of the owner, not the seller, that drives restoration overall.

[Snapdragon]

Oh I definitely agree any work should be disclosed. I just think if someone would probably get more for a fixed up common pony then they should be able to and there's people who would appreciate it.

The problem in that equation is the 'probably'. The fact is that as a seller you can never 100% assume the market. If you don't restore a beat up pony, it will put off some buyers. If you do restore a beat up pony, it will put off some buyers. The trick is to try and gauge which option puts off the most buyers, and given the cost and work hours that goes into restoration, it doesn't make good business sense to put that effort in when you can't guarantee a sale at the end of it. [trim]

That's 100% how I feel, too. It feels like - idk, wasted effort? To spend time and effort rehairing/repainting, say, a Cotton Candy or Applejack. They're lovely ponies, and if it's for your collection then go crazy! but... I'm not spending $15 on Applejack because you poured three hours of time and a hank of hair into her, either. I'd rather wait and find a nicer untouched Applejack for that price.

That's partly why I'm so hesitant when I talk about the appropriate ponies to bait for customs, too; people are often asking in reference to sales pieces, and it's hard to admit that some custom ponies just seem to not sell. So if you can sell an imperfect pony for an okay price, do that; because otherwise you run the risk of pouring $500 of your manpower hours into a $5 sale, or no sale at all. And that sucks!!

[BlackCurtains]

I've done commissioned restores, but they were bigger projects like sculpting a new ear or foot. I like fixing up ponies but I wouldn't bother trying to sell them just for those reasons you guys mention. For my own collection? Sure. But it does seem like wasted effort to rehair an AJ and expect to get a profit. Plus, I agree that it should be the buyer's decision if they want a lightly restored pony or not. Rehairing isn't a hard thing to learn, even the non-tool methods.

I've always said that you should do art for yourself. Everyone wants to make a job out of selling art and if you can achieve that, awesome. But if you're making custom ponies or whatever JUST to sell, then you are probably going to burn out quickly.

[Taffeta]

Yeah. Rehairing is actually really very easy. I mean, if I can do it, and I have absolutely no practical skills generally, then it's really not as hard as people think. Especially on a pony. Dolls are much worse (and more painful, at least if you're me, as I used to stab myself regularly when rerooting Jem dolls). Rehairing is massively easier than repainting or resculpting, tbh, because that requires some genuine artistic skill as well as the ability to shove a needle through a hole a few times.

Alt rehairs are a bit on this line as well. If you have a massively haircut pony, is it better to alt rehair it or is it better to rehair it in the original colours...? I don't know. But I do see people alt rehairing really common ponies and then selling them for very much higher prices, presumably in recognition of parts and labour. But I feel like that's probably only profitable if you have a market/are already known for it as a service/have commissions already.

I do wince when I sometimes see alt rehaired ponies who have clearly been haired with cheap costume wig hair and who have then been listed at high prices because they're alt rehairs. Yes, alt rehair is a thing. But should everyone be doing it for profit? Probably not.

[Wardah]

I meant more like tiny paint touch ups. Not like totally repainting the eye/marks/blush but like if there's a small scuff fixing that. I've done things like that for stuff in my own collection. (Mostly non pony).

What about if people touch up stuff for their own collection but end up eventually selling them on? Is it different because they at least got some enjoyment out of the pony while they had it so even if they don't make much extra it was still worth it?