Procedure for getting new ponies

[sleepykris]

I recently won some ebay auctions for ponies that will be arriving soon.  They are G1s, but I bought the ones who look to be in very good condition.  Should I clean them anyway?  I was reading the MLP restoration site and I think she cleans the ponies that she gets.  Just wondering what everyone else does. 

I also purchased some MOC and MIB ponies.  Should I worry about the transfer of pests (bed bugs, silverfish)?  My dad used to buy old books and a lot of bugs were in them.  Should I put them in a plastic bag to suffocate any pests?  And for how long?  I'm afraid to put them in the sun.  What does everyone do?

Thanks in advance for any replies.   

[mlp4me]

Here when I get a new pony if they're not super gross they usually get a quick wipe down with anitbacterial soap and water. Any time you get a pony wet give them ample time to dry before putting them on display or into storage.
(Super gross ponies get cracked open and very thoroughly cleaned, sometimes with pumice, tooth paste, etc. Remember if you dismember a pony and then decide to re-sell to disclose if the head is loose.)

As for MIB/MOC, that's your choice, honestly if the box smells like basement you could follow a precautionary pre-display measure for pest killing...

[Skeen]

Nothing goes on my shelves without being thoroughly cleaned unless I've bought it from a collector I know. 

[HelloGoodbye]

Normally mine get a good scrub in the sink when I get them.  I like to shampoo and condition their hair to make it really soft while I'm at it.  Then, to make sure that they dry out, I put them in cups, tail facing down, so any water can drain through the tail hole.  And then I leave them there for a least a few days, if not longer.  That way their hair can set really nicely, too!  If a pony has really amazing original curl or something then I just wipe the body off to clean/ disinfect it and leave the hair alone so I don't mess it up.  If I buy it from another collector and they already did a good job cleaning the pony then I just leave the pony alone to minimize the amount of times it gets wet.

[DaffyDilly]

I just shove mine on the shelf as they come but I want to get out of that habit and clean and style them first.

[MandarinCupcake]

I wash and style each pony that I add to my collection. Some certainly need it, like the ones I get from the thrift store, or ones with messy hair. But washing and styling them is also therapeutic for me, so each one gets  a little love.

[Mirnyj]

I only wash the ones that look grubby. I wouldn't worry about pests, there's really nothing in a plastic pony that would attract those to live in them. Books are a whole different story, because bugs like to eat the deteriorating paper.

[Elisto]

For me it depends. Most of mine come from non-collectors, so they need to be cleaned. However, if I get them from another collector, I typically don't clean them because they've usually been washed recently. I feel like I can usually tell if they need it or not, but if I'm not sure, then I do.

[Shaz]

I usually wash all new ponies, and do their hair,  just because it's so fun! Most ponies just get a basic scrub with soap, and have their hair done with shampoo and conditioner, then I stand them on a towel for a few days to dry out before being put away.
You definitely shouldn't get pests in ponies, there's nothing to attract them. (I collect antiquarian books as well as ponies, so I know about insect troubles. believe me, even the grungiest pony is less alarming than a poor old book with book beetle.)

[cyberunicorn]

for me every new member of the collections gets a good scrub, unless they have come from someone I have bought from before but most of the time it is so I can style them the way I like them to look. 

with mib/moc I usually give it a close examination but if nothing is strange such as smells or damp marks then they are put away straight away

though to be honest I think part of the fun of a new pony is taking it out of the envelope/box and sending it to the spar ready for perfect display 

[Ionn]

If you're worried about stowaways on the packaged ponies, how about placing them in a ziplock type bage & popping them in the freezer for a day?

[Salli]

Putting them in a ziploc bag for a day certainly won't do any harm to the MIB/MOC, so if you're worried about it, go ahead and try it. I don't think I've ever even heard of cards being inhabited by bugs. Has anyone else?

[Eurocoin]

If I get pony from a flea market or from a non-collector, I wash them before putting in my collection. Ponies from collectors won't be washed and are put in the collection right away.

[QueenStarglow]

Washing a new pony with antibacterial soap is the first thing you should do.

You have no idea where the pony has been and if it was in storage in like a basement, attic, or garage, it could have rodent feces or urine on it.

Even if you buy from a collector or someone else you know, wash the pony. Humans still spread germs that can pass to you or your family.

[robinharper]

No matter how sparkling clean they arrive here, I do give them a wash ... just in case ...  But most of the time people sell them over here without taking teh time to clean them so a bath is most of the times necessary.  Does keep at times the price low for the Ponies 

Hugs
  Robin