Yellowing on Paradise Estate. Is there any help for it?

[GypsyTails]

My new obsession in this round of collecting is playsets. They never appealed to me before, but right now I can think of nothing but! I found an incomplete Paradise Estate on Craigslist. The price is fair, even low, but the stairs around the pool area, and several other white areas are yellowed and have ingrained dirt. Has anyone had any luck cleaning the playsets up? Or once yellowed, are they doomed? It's a bit of a drive, and while its a good price for the estate, it's still  expensive for ME atm. I said I was gonna be done for a while lol

[ponyqueen]

Check here:

http://www.mlppreservationproject.com/accessories.html

I think I might be spray painting my yellowed roofs.

[Aquarel]

Once yellowed I believe the pieces are hard to get to white again (if not impossible) , although if you're good with an airbrush I think you could tape off the pieces and repaint them.

[GypsyTails]

You guys are the best!! I wondered if peroxide would work on the brittle plastic, but I guess that confirms it. I'm also somewhat of a dimwit, the areas I was looking at are actually a lighter shade of pink. The pictures are kinda shadowy and grainy.  >.< so they probably aren't as bad as I thought.
Painting! OMG, why didn't I think of spray painting or airbrushing? EE!! This might work. My husband is gonna kill me lol
Do you think that effects resale value? Repainting? I doubt it would matter to me..but.. anyone else? I foresee keeping it, but things do come up.

[Sugarberry]

Any time an item is altered, its highest value goes down a bit.  The only exceptions to that I can think of are in antique cars and some works of art.
Now as to a friendly suggestion- the shell of Paradise Estate is not terribly hard to obtain in the scope of pony collecting.  It is the pieces and the pool canopy that tend to be more valuable overall.  Take care of those, and make the shell look nice to yourself.  You'll be happier in the long term, have years of enjoyment, and the pieces will hold the value you've invested.   

[GypsyTails]

Thanks Sugarberry, you're quite right!  It's got some odds and ends with it, and the pool canopy is intact! That's why i got excited (That, and it's in driving distance and I don't have to ship the bugger!)  It looks like there are a couple of pieces that will need mending. Hard to tell exactly from the pics. I just know I'd have tons of fun with it! Waiting for the guy to get back to me again *bites nails*

[LadyMoondancer]

Here's advice on whitening yellowed Transformers . . . perhaps the same would apply to playsets?

http://heroicdecepticon.blogspot.com/2010/12/whitening-yellowed-transformers-toys.html

[Sugarberry]

   You're welcome GypsyTails!
One other quick note that you probably already know (but really should be mentioned just in case!)- if you do use spray paint, or other decorative items such as colored felts or cloth, be cautious about leaving ponies displayed in contact with them for any length of time.
Tiny circles of white felt under pony feet will protect from varnish or paint without harming your ponies, or alternately a little piece of clear plastic (even from a sandwich bag) will do the same for you.  Here's another idea for you too:
I finally bought a huge coffee table for my PE two weeks ago.  It's out of the box for the first time in roughly twenty years.    Bought a chunk of pony fleece to put over the table, and there's a plastic sheet over that which PE sits on.  I bought a second, very thin plastic sheet to put over the top to protect from dust (and kitties).   
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[GypsyTails]

THAT is a very good idea. I hadn't given any thought as to how I would display it. Thanks Sugarberry!

[telelle_wings]

Here's advice on whitening yellowed Transformers . . . perhaps the same would apply to playsets?

http://heroicdecepticon.blogspot.com/2010/12/whitening-yellowed-transformers-toys.html

I did this with some of my ponies for a test and I got a significant improvement with only like 4 to 5 hours outside under an overcast sky. 3 white ponies and one pink one. Huge difference.

This is the original information about removing yellowing from plastic. http://www.retr0bright.com/index.html

[GypsyTails]

  AHH! IT looks like I'm going to be getting it! Working out the details and hoping nothing goes wrong. I know I shouldn't be this excited over this, but I am. I'm also gonna need a third job O.O

Thanks for all the links!

[hathorcat]

I absolutely agree with the hydrogen peroxide option for removing yellowing on playsets.. Emery's tutorial http://www.mlparena.com/archive/Forums//viewtopic/t=210048.html - was amazing! I followed it for a Dream Castle and it really brought the pink back out again.

Have fun!

[NovelNerd]

I haven't read all the comments but agree with perioxide. I bought a PE from a member here at a meet over the summer. She used peroxide cream on her estate and one of the roofs on mine to show how it could be lightened. I keep meaning to get some for myself to use on the rest of my estate.