The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: kingluke on June 15, 2020, 06:52:29 AM
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Hello everyone,
So soft ponies. How do you prefer them?
I prefer them with near mint flocking. I don't really buy/own any with less then stellar flocking.
My current grail is a near mint so soft lofty.
I won't deflock rare ponies for the sake of a nss but i don't mind them as long as the flocking wasn't near mint. I don't feel like paying extra money for the service either, though it is hard work.
Please share your thoughts on flocking :)
Cheers,
luke
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Deflocked all the way. I like my ponies with visible smiles and eyelashes, and don't get me started on how most so-softs look when they age...
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So Softs...
I actually don't like touching them so much, but I like how they looked visually.
There's tons of ponies out there that are not flocked, so it makes flocked ponies special IMO... It breaks my heart to see deflocked ponies -- with the exception of those that are ~completely~ ruined. (I don't think a few minor rubs = ruined).
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I have some of both. I have a very nice Truly who was actually in a bait lot, but her flocking is fine (and she still has some original curl) so I cleaned her up and she's part of my collection. I also have a Lofty I rehaired but her flocking is soft and thick - very nice!
I've deflocked a Magic Star for a custom in the past. She was in really bad condition and the deflock took a long time. I don't think it's something I would do again unless it was Twist. I really want a deflocked Twist! She's kind of HTF in bad condition though.
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Some of the SS ponies are too beautiful for flock.......angel comes to mind. She really shines when she's deflocked. However others I think really work with the flocking....I think Truly is a really great pony, and her flocking is so cute on her.
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Deflocked all the way. I like my ponies with visible smiles and eyelashes, and don't get me started on how most so-softs look when they age...
Same here. Flocking looks weird to me, especially when displayed with regular G1s... plus how they age.
Soft, thick flocking is absolutely lovely to touch though, lol.
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I'm not a big fan of flocking, it looks and feels weird, and it doesn't age well. However, the deflocking process is SUCH a pain, I don't do it unless absolutely necessary. I have a deflocked magic star and Truly, and they both look much better for it, but it wasn't a easy task. I have a surprise who's flocking isn't perfect, but it is in really good condition, so I've left it. Short answer is, depends on the state of the flocking!
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I don't really care for the so softs, they're often too muted my tastes and I don't really like the texture, but I wouldn't deflock unless the flocking was in poor condition. Even if I don't like them myself I'd rather preserve their condition for someone who does! That being said, I like admiring other collectors and their beautiful deflocking projects, most of which also start off in ratty flocking conditions.
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I love So Softs. Their flocking is so nice to touch and I think it can make them look very elegant.
I prefer for them to stay so soft because there are only so many left, and re-flocking exists but is not the same.
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I prefer the flocking even if it’s stained and thin in places. I do understand how some ponies might need deflocking though.
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i love flocking if only they made flocking that lasts forever
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Oh, deflocked, definitely. It's funny; I'm a Sylvanian Families collector so you'd think I'd love So Softs? I like flocked toys in general. But flocked ponies just don't do it for me, somehow.
I do think it's only right to keep deflocking to ponies whose flocking has seen better days, though ;) But I think that with all sort of alterations, no point messing with it if it's in perfectly good condition.
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de-flocked, although I've never actually had one! (if you don't count the ones I tried to shave when I was a kid)
Unless you keep MIP, flocking wears off so easily, especially around the ear tips and hooves, even when handled gently and my OCD side can't handle it. I'd love a de-flocked Truly or Magic Star one of these days.
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So Softs are my favorite, and deflocks are the worst. I deflocked a Paradise once and she lost all her charm IMO.
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I prefer SS. It's just a regular pony without its flocking. I can only understand doing so if the flocking is absolutely wrecked beyond repair. Otherwise its like ripping the eyes out of a TE, or the wings off a Winger and calling it an improvement
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I only like so softs if they're pristine. Otherwise I prefer them deflocked. If I ever get one with so-so flocking, I'd probably pass it along to another collector, because if it's not completely destroyed I don't have the heart to deflock them, with the exception of the couple childhood ponies that have mediocre flocking, but I can't part with.
I have 2 Ribbons, one almost mint and one deflocked. The deflocked one was disgusting when I got her (looked like she lived in a room with a chainsmoker for 3 decades) and I had no qualms about releasing her from her nasty brownish fur and exposing the beautiful blue that she was underneath.
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I think flocking is lovely, but I didn't grow up with it. It's on my list of things that aren't essential for me and are also difficult to maintain in good condition so I avoid them. I do however de-flock ponies since I have found Paradise, Lofty, Angel, Twilight and Good Wishes with terrible flocking so i decided to remove it. I really like those ponies and wanted to own them, so this seemed like a good way. Also there are a lot of Pegasus in this set and G1 as a whole is lighter on Pegasus compared to Earth and Unicorn ponies. Where there are Movie versions or 'ordinary' versions I have those in my collection instead.
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I'm not keen on flocked ponies, they look strange to me. But at the same time I would feel guilty deflocking them unless they were totally beyond redemption. I've only ever deflocked one SS pony: a Lofty that was nearly bald anyway. I've been looking on and off for years for a Ribbon that I wouldn't feel guilty about deflocking....
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On balance where ponies have a regular version and a SS version, I mostly prefer the regular version.
In terms of deflocks, it's about the only form of customisation I allow in my collection, but the flocking has to be really wrecked first. And I wouldn't deflock a pony that has a regular version that's basically the same because it's pointless. It's easier to get the regular version here for all of those bar Truly/Cupcake, and I don't want to add to any confusion about what version of the pony it is.
With Ribbon and Lofty, I think they should have regular versions, so I prefer the deflocked versions of those two over the SS, although I have no intention of deflocking my very pretty SS Lofty. Ditto for Paradise, who was one of my really wanted ponies as a kid, albeit in her case I prefer the Brazilian one as she's a genuine regular version. I like SS Paradise but she doesn't have the same lure for me because SS ponies didn't exist in my childhood.
I think I have Ribbon, Fifi, Hippety Hop and Twilight deflocked. All of them had seriously wrecked flocking.
I love mint SS ponies. And would never deflock them.
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Flocking feels gross and looks ugly to me. I only deflock balding so softs though.
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I love the flocking of a mint SS, but that's usually not the case of lots of SS's and it also hides some of the most brillant coloured ponies ever (Twist for example).
I have a full collection each of SS and deflocked to satisfy both urges (except ponies that came with a NSS version already like Gusty).
I only deflocked ponies that had no hope in being saved. It all started when I was giving my new baity condition Wind Whistler a wash and the flocking started sloughing off.
Once I saw how pretty her colour was, then I knew I wanted a deflocked SS of every pony in my collection.
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There's tons of ponies out there that are not flocked, so it makes flocked ponies special IMO... It breaks my heart to see deflocked ponies -- with the exception of those that are ~completely~ ruined. (I don't think a few minor rubs = ruined).
From a logical point of view I totally get this. There are hundreds of ponies without flocking, if you don't like it why not focus on those instead rather than deflock the ones that exist?
But on an emotional level I also get why people like deflocks. These are the characters featured in several cartoon episodes and books that so many of us became attached to as kids, whether we owned the toys of them or not. And if you didn't grow up with SoSoft ponies or didn't like the flocking even back then, it can be very satisfying to own a beloved character as the regular type of pony you're also nostalgic for. When I see photos of deflocked Ribbon it just awakens something in me! :biggrin: Even characters that weren't on the cartoon I think are very appreciated because they are in the classic MLP style, but some of them have very unique color schemes that there aren't really any substitutes for.
I think SoSofts are lovely when the flocking is in mint condition, but I decided to not collect them since flocked ponies were not a part of my childhood. The only deflock I own is Paradise (bought already deflocked), because she was absolutely necessary for me to have in that form to go with PE. There are others that I'm tempted to search out deflocks for, but most of the characters I want are already available in non-flocked versions so I'm pretty pleased with just collecting those.
It's pretty fascinating how popular and sought after deflocked ponies are by collectors. Imagine if people wanted de-Twinkle Eyes or de-tinseled Princess Ponies at the same rate! For the sake of preservation I guess it's good that doesn't happen with most other sets! :lol:
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They're just ordinary ponies without the flocking, so I'm personally all for So Softs. I love them when their flocking is mint and thick, I think they look fuzzy and adorable. That said, if the flocking is in terrible condition, I think de-flocking is great. The ponies get a second chance and they really do look amazing. I only have one de-flock, and she sold me on them completely. But ONLY if the flocking is in extremely poor condition. Recently saw someone deflock a beautiful and flawless Crumpet - it made me very sad.
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Depends on the pony. I would prefer Skippity-Doo without the flocking, because it hides her symbol. I like Buttons better with. I'm not a fan of the darker ponies like Twist or Best Wishes deflocked, because their colors are so loud underneath.
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My preference wasn’t in the poll ;) I love both! I have a full set of So Softs and I adore them. I also want a full set of the deflocked ponies as well :) Although I’m not after deflocked versions of ponies that already have a non so soft version.
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My preference wasn’t in the poll ;) I love both! I have a full set of So Softs and I adore them. I also want a full set of the deflocked ponies as well :) Although I’m not after deflocked versions of ponies that already have a non so soft version.
I totally should have added that option. Woops :blush:
I can see the appeal of nss as well. Good luck collecting them all.
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As a kid, I remember seeing a new, flocked G1 in its packaging in a shop, thinking to myself, hmm, not too sure if I like the look of them? Perhaps it was because the eyelashes were hidden, I have always admired standard G1 eye designs, I find them so pretty.
As an adult, I have a few SS in my collection, (I love the green/white/melon theme of Scrumptious) not in the best condition but they are a novelty and, surprisingly, my kid thinks they are amazing!
I did purchase a very tatty Paradise from E-B USA a couple of years ago and lovingly removed her yellowed, stained and patchy flocking. I was amazed at how white and clean she was underneath! However, the effort taken to do a good job of removing all the glue whilst protecting her symbols etc... I suppose it was a labour of love and I am in no great hurry for a repeat exercise - unless a balding Angel came my way and wanted some TLC! ;)
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I prefer them with near mint flocking.
Yep, this is me! I like my SS ponies w/nice flocking too. I've been following @blazenheartcustoms on ig and WHOA there are some exciting restorations happening...check out #savethesosofts
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It's pretty fascinating how popular and sought after deflocked ponies are by collectors. Imagine if people wanted de-Twinkle Eyes or de-tinseled Princess Ponies at the same rate! For the sake of preservation I guess it's good that doesn't happen with most other sets! :lol:
I would actually be pretty happy to see a Non-Twinkle eye version of the set! I love a lot of the ponies, but I'm meh on the Twinkle eyes. They look buggy and gimmicky to me, and I would love to see their eyes be normal
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It's pretty fascinating how popular and sought after deflocked ponies are by collectors. Imagine if people wanted de-Twinkle Eyes or de-tinseled Princess Ponies at the same rate! For the sake of preservation I guess it's good that doesn't happen with most other sets! :lol:
I would actually be pretty happy to see a Non-Twinkle eye version of the set! I love a lot of the ponies, but I'm meh on the Twinkle eyes. They look buggy and gimmicky to me, and I would love to see their eyes be normal
Same here. I always thought they looked kind of demon-like and soulless with those pupil-less eyes.
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I don't think I've ever seen anyone "de-twinkle" a TE, like I've seen customizers to do BBE babies (I've only seen customs of TE characters made from other ponies). Maybe if the process was easier people would be doing that. For me personally the gem eyes are a large part of their appeal, so I wouldn't want them any other way.
I did once see a collector who had detinseled the full first set of Princess Ponies, but I feel like most collectors aren't bothered enough by their tinsel to do that. Detinseling was really popular to do with G3s back then, so that's kind of similar to the situation with SoSofts.
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Heh. In regards to TE, thats one type of pony I was never fond of as a kid. There's SO many pretty girls I'd like to own, and tried to own (Fizzy, Gingerbread, and especially Sweet Pop), but I just don't like the eyes... glaring/shining at me from a distancing.
I wouldn't ever try to de-gem one though.. I could, but I don't really want to ruin one just because of my tastes. I'd rather get a custom if I really wanted it.
I think the majority of people do like TEs as-is though.
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I think it depends on how good the flocking is. I kept all of my ponies flocked except for Taffy. Her flocking was just super thin and in patches. I really had no choice but to deflock her.
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So Softs are not my favorites. I only had 2 in my childhood ponies, Best Wishes and Twilight. I still have my childhood Best Wishes but my Twilight was thrown out. I was able to eventually replace her with another Twilight.
I like the bold colors the SS have under their flocking but I would never consider deflocking a SS unless her flocking was really bad or almost gone.
Ponyfan
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I prefer deflocked over flocked. Flocking just gets so nasty and doesn't age too well. That said, I wouldn't deflock a pony unless it was pretty gross.
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@Tropical_Sunset
Oh my! That Ribbon looks amazing! See? Flocking does hide those vibrant colours :)
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A perfect So Soft pony is a wonder to behold!
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I like them both. I can deflock, and actually enjoy it, but will only do so on a pony where the flocking is in poor shape. I'm currently busy with Lofty: she was full of mold and what flocking she had left rubbed straight off the first time I washed her in cold water. I think she was just glad to get rid of it at that stage, poor pony.
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I prefer flocked. And I wonder if there's a way to re-flock a pony who's flocking is patchy.
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I prefer as SS. I am not a picky collector so some of mine are kinda sad....
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I prefer flocked. And I wonder if there's a way to re-flock a pony who's flocking is patchy.
Some customizers have done it successfully. It seems like a crazy process and not for the faint of heart from what I can remember :)
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Flocked, but only if it's near mint and I know it's CLEAN. I can imagine flocking holding onto a lot of germs, much like a plushie. But, aside from that, perfectly flocked SS ponies look like they'd be nice to snuggle~
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I'm in a similar boat to Taffeta, being UK as well so no So Softs here.
My North Star, Shady, Magic Star, Buttons, Gusty & Wind Whistler are all Movie Star Ponies, while I have unflocked versions of Posey, Lickety Split & CJ.
The ones I do have flocked are either only found that way or easier to find that way.
I hate deflocking as it's a huge hassle and the one or two times I've done it were on Ponies so bad in other ways they were Customised...
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I have a soft spot (no pun intended...well, maybe a little!) for So Softs. They were the ponies I had the most of in my collection (besides original ponies from years 2 and 3). I agree that they don't always age well, but when they do, they are quite beautiful. I agree that it's okay to de-flock them if they're already in ruins, but to de-flock a perfectly fine So Soft? Shameful. My favorite So Soft that I owned was Lofty...although I did love my Surprise (a birthday present for my 6th birthday)...and I can't forget about Buttons...
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I love So Softs. More than anything - I hate that the weren't available in the UK, because it's pretty hard for me to get a hold of em for a decent price. Back before I lost a lot of my collection, I had quite a few of them in varying conditions. I just LOVE the feeling of the flocking. I used to grab ones even if the flocking was kinda sad because I didn't want it to get taken off them :, )
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It absolutely depends on the state of the pony. I like them both ways, I think the flocking was a fun gimmick (my first ponies were SS Truly and Magic Star at the age of two) and as a kid I found it nice to touch. Honestly I think gimmicks like this have really be lost in subsequent pony generations (I mean they all have their various appeal, but the variety of G1 in the main toy line I don't think has ever been repeated). But I do think as 30+ year old toys some are just in such a sorry state that a deflock really does a wonder to make a pony look fresh and new again.
This Sundance I cleaned up had the most perfect beautiful flocking I have ever seen. I took great care to clean up the incredible amount of dust she had acquired without harming her flock (didn't end up keeping her as part of my collection). Apart from some overage of neck glue she was soft and fuzzy head to toe, absolutely lovely!:
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On the other side, I think this Angel desperately needed a deflock. Her flock was thin, patchy, brown, the glue had yellowed and was giving her a sickly cast, and what of the flocking remained was completely pilled and matted. She looked super sorry when I got her, but after cleaning her up I loved her design so much I ended up keeping her (which I hadn't originally planned on).
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And as an outlier, I still have all of my childhood ponies, and because they're sentimental, I have no intention of deflocking Truly and Magic Star, who's flocking definitely has seen better days, although isn't in the most terrible condition. Since I know very well why their condition is what it is (they were well loved, and had many adventures) for me there's no reason to dramatically change their state.
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I muuuuch prefer deflocked.
The flocking on the first set of So-Softs was just a bad material choice IMO. They have so many issues from normal play, like dirt getting permanently stuck in the flocking and that white "foggy" effect a pony gets when her flocking has been crushed flat. (I've noticed they tried to fix the issue with the 2nd set of So-Softs; their flocking is much shorter and less "furry" than the first set. And it does make them much easier to clean.)
In general, I wish they'd used the same kind of flocking that Sylvanian Families / Calico Critters have. It's short, soft, and you can clearly see the color / pattern of the underlying plastic underneath it.
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Deflocked, definitely. To have a deflocked Paradise is a huge pony dream of mine... :hope: That being said, I would love to have one or a handful of So Softs with nice flocking as a novelty. :D
Unfortunately I have none though. So Soft or deflocked. :P
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Deflocked all they way
I have out of the so sorts that’s I deflocked are, Ribbon, Lofty, Paradise, Surprise, and Gusty. Only because the flocking was too thing and I couldn’t see their symbols easy. Out of all of them only Ribbon and Lofty still have their symbols.