Help Me Write a Pony Condition Grading Guide - The Bait Check

[gabumon]

(Please forgive if this type of document exists already.)

Compilation of Pony Condition Grading Guide a.k.a.  The Bait Check!

I want to write a guide to help new folks determine if their Pony is Bait.

Here are the Grades I have come up with:

1. Cleaning Only Needed
2. Amateur Restore Possible
3. Expert Restore Possible
4. Restore Unlikely (100% bait)

I need your help!!!  Would you add a comment here and list conditions you've seen "out there" and what "grade" you would classify them under?

Also any guiding recommendations you have would be neat to have, like "never bait pony "X" no matter what the condition".  etc.

Remember to list the Grade #s by the conditions you describe.

After we get a good list here (i'll run it for a couple weeks) I'll compile it into a FAQ document.

Thanks so much!  Feedback welcome!   

[Jenn77]

Just wanted to say Great Idea!! and looking forward to hear from others on this I think that it would be real helpful.

[Baby Sugarberry]

I'll take a stab at the "do not bait" list, feel free to chime in because I'm probably missing ponies.

Ponies which should never be baited (restoration highly encouraged):
AKA The "customize one of these and collectors will probably die of heart attack" list:
Rapunzel
Sweet Scoops /charm
Mommy & Baby Pony
Baby Gametime / Baby Sugarcake
Satin n' Lace (magenta)
Twice as Fancy Babies
Scribbles/Dabble
OOAK/Rare Nirvanas
Mimic
Mountain Boys
Ladybird


The "really not recommended, easily sold for double digits even in poor condition" list:
Hollywood
Baby Princess Sparkle
Lil' Sweetcake, Lil' Cupcake
Tux n' Tails
Pearlized Babies (Their retail releases are 10x more common and nearly identical anyway)
Crumpet
Year 3 Adult Seaponies
Windy Wing Cool Breeze, Moonjumper, Starry Wings
Diamond Dreams
Red Roses
Lil' Tot
Cha Cha Llama, Cuteasaurus, Oakly
Soft Sleepy Newborns
My Pretty Pony
TAF Buttons, Munchy


The Rare/Semi-Rare list:
Playtime Baby Brothers
Lemon Treats
Twice as Fancy (any not already listed)
MO Sparkle Ponies
Mail Order Sprinkles, Spike, NBBE Baby Half-Note
Flatfoot Peachy
Baby Ember (lavender w/symbol)
Slumber Party Pack Ponies
Bright Eyes
So-Soft Angel, Taffy, Skippity-Doo, Twist, Gusty
Big Brothers (other than Tex, Salty and Steamer)
Baby Blue Ribbon
Baby Crumpet
Princess Taffeta
Blueberry Baskets, Cherry Treats
Whirly, Flurry, Sun Glider
Baby Pony & Pretty Pals (all)
Dazzleglow (blue hearts), Starglow
Teeny Tiny Baby Ponies (singles/twins)
Flower Fantasy Ponies (all)
Colorswirl Ponies (all)
Paradise Baby Ponies (all)
Fancy Mermaid Ponies (all)
Mail Order Ponies (any without a retail release)

[Aadra310]

I saw your post about this on another thread and think it's a good idea!  I'm not at the Arena much so I'm not aware of any other guide like this.  My suggestion would be to get pictures submitted.  I know a lot of people have done restores on ponies that look really grungy.  So, that might give a visual representation of just what is fixable and what is beyond help.

[gabumon]

great good starts!!!

for Grade 1 I'd say a pony with moderate dirt, minor marks or frizzy hair.

for Grade 2 I'd say extreme hair cuts, permanent marks, or missing symbols or eyes.  mild cancer less than 1/2" square total.

for grade 3 I'd say any non common pony with chew marks, missing head, holes in plastic, total cancer more between 1/2" square to 1" square. 

grade 4 is anything worse. or common ponies with grade 3 conditions.

how does that sound for grades?  i'd love suggestions! where does "internal condition" fit in the grades?

update my grade 4 idea

[Elisto]

I would appreciate just a distinction between "restoration" and "cleaning" since some people seem to imply that dirty=bait.
So maybe starting there, for #1, just list some common superficial problems like dirt, mold, removable rust, and sunfadable issues like ink and certain discoloring.

There is a bit or a subjective side to this thought because something like cancer may not be fixable, but not everyone considers that bait-worthy either.

[Ginger]

That's a wonderful idea!! I'm curious to see what the finished product will be. =)

In my mind I always thought:
1- Mild cleaning. Marks can be removed with dish soap, magic eraser, frizzy hair which needs conditioning. Any questionably baity pony should be basically cleaned first.

2- Marks which require sunfading, minor patches of pin-dot/ingrained dirt, tail rust. May require oxy-bath. Hair straighting.

3- Needs rehair, missing eyes/symbols, huge patches of mold/ingrained dirt/pin dot (I like your over 1" description!!), minor chew marks/broken horns.

4- Missing heads+holes in plastic+major plastic parts missing. Anything worse or commons with #3 (what you said). Regrind on common pony.

Maybe I'm a wuss. I don't use and bait ponies though, just clean them.

[Dyzarktarzk]

Love the idea

I agree with  Baby Sugarberry's list, and I'll add:

Ponies which should never be baited (restoration highly encouraged):
AKA The "customize one of these and collectors will probably die of heart attack" list:
In general, all MO ponies (maybe not so much the Playset ponies and Collector Ponies, but still is always better to ask before doing something with them.)
It seems there is really not so much problem with Baby Kellog's (Christmas Baby).

The Rare/Semi-Rare list:
Cherry Treats
TAF Nightglider
SS Gusty
SS Truly
SS Magic Star
SS Skippity Doo
SS Twist
All Pretty & Pearly Baby Sea Ponies

A new option: Common but still somewhat desirable ponies (depends on condition)
Rainbow Curl Ringlet
Bridal Beauty (not as common as Pony Bride)
Precious Pocket Ponies (all, specially with complete symbol)
Secret Surprise (specially with briddle)

With boys a lot depends on condition, but still, better not use Mountain Boys and Playtime Baby Brothers as baits, same with animal pals and friends (Cutesaurus, Zig Zag, Baby Nectar, Baby Woolly, etc.)

Now, onto more details on what is a bait:

Using your proposes, gabumon:

1. Cleaning Only Needed
Tangled & messy hair.
Body surface dirt.
- Pen marks
- Marks that can be sunfaded
Maybe some smells (smoke)
When the body is 'gluey' (just don't put it touching a 'sane' one)
Tail rust (or another thing that can have the pony open to have a full inside cleaning)

2. Amateur Restore Possible (always mark what has been done)
Partial rehairs
Small paint re-touches
De-flocking/flocking SS
Gluing body parts back together (ie, horn being still on body but loose...  I need to take a pic of this)

3. Expert Restore Possible
Sculpting body parts (ie, horn on unicorns, ears, etc.)
Complete or almost complete rehairs
Major paint re-touches

4. Restore Unlikely (100% bait)
Missing WHOLE body pieces (but there's always someone who can try to restore even this ponies).
Ponies that have missing all their symbols/eyes/paint work that could equivalate as 'customizing' the blank body, or those that have suffered at the hands of lipsticks and markers over their body (still, there could be someone who'd love to have the pony even with this kind of marks)
Big cancer spots + missing body parts + missing hair + missing paint (a combination of them, also, depends on the pony)

[mlpfan]

this is already helpful:)

[rybett]

So glad I rescued Cherry Treats! 
Internal, I have one who has some sort of spots that seem to start internally or within the plastic.  Where would that go?

[Baby Sugarberry]

I'd make a distinction between problems that, while severe, are generally repairable with basic skills:
Missing hair
Pindot (mild to moderate cases)
Dirt
Eye paint damage (scuffs, scratches)
First tooth paint rubs
Marker attacks (mild to moderate)
Yellowed (peroxide bath)
Tail rust
Mildew
Stinky


Those that require skilled repair,
Remodelling missing parts
Repainting symbols
Repainting blush
Eye paint damage (severe)
Replacing summer/windy wing wings
Mismatched head/body (sunfading or dyeing, possibly fixable)
Fixing the various "mechanical" ponies (Dance n' Prance, Brush n' Grow, Peekaboo, etc.)


And those that are generally not fixable:
Cancer
Age spots
Major flocking loss
Twinkle-eye shine loss
Severe marker attacks (non-sunfadeable)
Missing head or missing body
 

[Chi]

I should also add that you actually can reflock a pony. It won't be 100% perfect, but you can try to patch up small missing areas with flocking from RestoreDoll.
Here's a tutorial! It's meant for touching up small rubs such as ears/hooves but the difference between original flocking and this stuff will be somewhat noticeable.

[Baby Sugarberry]

*nods* that's why I put down major flocking loss as not being fixable; minor rubs aren't impossible to patch, but something like all over thinning or a large swath of missing flocking, there's no current method to get that back to the original look.


Added most of the ponies Dyzarktarzk mentioned, but SS Magic Star and Truly regularly go for under 10$, I can't see putting them down as rare.  Same with the Pearly Baby Sea ponies, see plenty under the 10$ mark (sans floats).

[Ringlets]

its kinda late for me to be thinking this over now, but its an interesting idea and if it helps people to save restorable ponies then thats great
I'll be back later to see if I can add anything

[gabumon]

yay! Keep the information coming!