If you're shopping for kids, it's probably better to look for G3s and G4s, anyway. It's very difficult to find G1s, and G1s tend to have a whole slew of problems that can make them dangerous for kids (mold, lead, one study even said they might have traces of arsenic in them!). By today's safety standards, G1s are best kept thoroughly cleaned and on a shelf.

Um. do you have a link in regards to anything about arsenic? I tried to keep my research on these toys pretty updated and from reputable sources and haven't read anything about arsenic thus far.

ok, 1980's era toys including G1 ponies contain lead and cadmium, the concentrations can vary, and some colours of toy is far far higher then others. I'm not speaking of the paint, actually in the vinyl itself. they also contain types of phthalates that are now banned as they are highly suspected of being endocrine disruptions in people. (if you have slimy leaky ponies to clean, use gloves, and wash hands after handing your collection, before eating etc. I personally stopped giving g1's to kids for these reasons to be on the safe side. I do buy g3's/g4's to share pony joy with them though.

G3 era and beyond are safe. they also tend to show age worse then the vintage toys. so something about the older recipes made them hold up far better. maybe it is the unsade stuff. G2 is unknown, and I don't have the kind of cash to send off samples to the quality of lab we'd need to find out.

Yeah, haven't tried 911. it sounded like a decent degreaser. last time I looked it up I couldn't find a MSDS for it.

I tend to gravitate to ponies on the nicer end of the spectrum. Some tidy enough that a damp microfiber wipe is all they need.

I have had great success with original plain blue dawn liquid for really filthy stuff. and it's what I use to wash pony combs/brushes.

I'm sorry.
This is odd. there's some doozies on eBay that should have been long ago banned, but they're still up and running. I really don't get it.


They also banned an account that had my strangest purchase ever back in 09'. the guy did NOTHING wrong either. he had the worlds most terrible USPS office. I really hope that the postal employees who allowed packages to pile up in the back and not dispatch out were punished.

Picked up 5 MOC's from a new seller. In October of 09'. Seemed like a nice guy, still learning the ropes, was willing to ship to Canada the way I preferred and polite and courteous when I requested special shipping instructions. he wasn't new to collectibles and already told me about having plenty of proper packing on hand, but was to ebay. Had a whole heap of things listed to start himself up building feedback before he got to his "best stuff". Anyway, he was willing to use cheap shipping USPS offered, but sturdy box packed, and padded so the MOC's don't get damaged. So instead of just bidding on the one I really wanted, I bid on them all.

So I ended up winning most or all of his MOC ponies. Paid, and he contacted me twice over the span of 2 months worried asking if I got my order. first I responded with"oh this is just being slow I think (customs explanation of stuff valued higher coming into my country), don't stress" it was only a couple weeks, and thought perhaps it was because customs wanted to charge me due to the contents value, I find those parcels get held up the longest.

he sounded worried, the next time he messaged me much later I told him that I believed he sent by how he handled this as a seller thus far, so they'll either show, or were lost but he didn't have anything to worry about. So when they didn't come, I didn't file, I didn't neg or leave any FB. I just let it go. It would have been my first MIA package ever, since starting buying/selling things shipped in the 90's. I believed he sent, since he was the one who initiated correspondence twice and I was the one who asked for cheap no tracking/insurance shipping so I wasn't about to take his money on top.

Checked his feedback a little while later, nearing Christmas. lots of negs for the same situation I was in, paid but no stuff arrived. Buyers thought the guy was lying about sending it. and then  later some had a couple with comments under saying that stuff arrived, sent when promised and the PO was terrible, not the seller. My package showed up at my door in MAY the next YEAR. A day or two before I caught a plan to move back west. Post office stamped it early Oct, the day exact say he said he sent it. Account long Naru'd by eBay, so I couldn't even contact him through there. . So a retired disabled man lost his ebay account because of the worst postal office in the US.

I think I only have one of these left now. My sister may have one too, I'm not sure, but her ponies are away. I didn't know about the discolouration issue until about last year when people on here were talking about it and when I knew that I got my G3 down and extracted my pony - which I'm pretty sure is also Secret Wish - and sat her on my desk so she couldn't stickify or hurt any of the other G3 ponies.

She's still there and as yet no discolouration, though she was a little sticky when I got her out, she's fine at the moment. It made me wonder 2 things.

#1 whether exposure to air actually helps to delay the sticky or not
#2 whether the cooler British climate has anything to do with her not breaking down as fast as some others.

In which case, there may be something in working out how to postpone this as long as possible. From what FantasticFirefly said, it sounds like temp is a factor.

Of course if it's random pot luck, that's another matter, but it might be interesting to work out if there is a pattern with the speed of breakdown vs temperature and storage. When I got my Secret Wish out she had no sign of discolouration or glitter loss and she still doesn't, but the fact she was a little sticky does make me wonder.

My Queen Sunsparkle is also sticky, but also hasn't discoloured.

None of my G1 sparkle ponies have any issues whatsoever. Not that I'm sure they ever get this issue, but I know they can discolour.

If she's sticky, the process has started. How hot can your storage area get at it's peak? I keep recommending hygrometers (one that displays both temp and RH) to collectors, they are excellent little tools to monitor conditions.

UV, and HEAT will cause plastics to degrade. These are delicate so it happens much faster is all. Some things like the divine shine become the canary in the coal mine and can serve as a warning conditions need to change before other pieces follow.
Heat is a HUGE enemy. Our climate is cooler too and I managed to find a really pretty Secret Wish 3 years ago that was stored in someone's basement since she was bought new.

My husband lost his job on Labor Day weekend.  It was the sole source of income for our family.  So far, he has been unable to get into another position, and I'm trying to come up with ways of generating money from home while I look after the little ones.  (We have three small children.)  I know MLM stuff (essential oils, Jamberry nails, Mary Kay, etc.) is popular with a lot of people, but I am not the kind of person to do well with that.  (I have no friends, for one thing.)  I'm thinking more along the lines of making (sewing, crocheting, possibly knitting) stuff to sell. 

So what sort of handmade thing would YOU buy?  Any thoughts?

Ugh, the MLM. Great way to make everyone distance themselves away. Even people I adore who's facebook is a constant MLM presentation I just... can't.... (I unfollow to be spared).

Ok, unfortunately for crafts/art.

I went to an art school, and I'm an excellent painter.  MIL is an amazing quilter.  People will want stuff, boy do they want stuff. They usually don't want to pay what the supplies cost though! It's not malicious, they just don't get how much supplies add up and time so they ask me for something based on prices of canvas prints found at winners/homesense (us is marshalls?) MIL has people wanting quilts but at wall-mart prices. People are really cheap. they'll want awesome things, but why would they pay you $70 when they can buy it at the store for $10?

*IF* you already have the stuff, go for it in your spare time to see what happens. I would highly advise against buying materials when you NEED incoming money. Please don't do that!

-suggestions.
Putting out feelers, make an ad on local classifieds and doing interviews to watch a child you mesh with during hours their parents work. Look up how much childcare costs in the area (if you don't know current rates for various ages). Some of my SAHM friends earn a decent wage just taking on one additional child during the workweek.

-other tasks.
Mowing lawns, raking leaves, shoveling snow, clearing and salting walkways, house cleaning. There's tons of tasks that older people really struggle with, but will happily pay for.  See if anyone local to you needs anything like that done on a regular basis.
It's how I made a lot of pony spending money when I was 10-14, and sometimes later on. (I was helping with my disabled brother a lot too, so I had a very messy schedule. and I was able to actually do this vs. a set job with set hours).  Again, look up how much people charge in the area for these types of services.

Ok, so things are getting really crazy with this situation.  I emailed the seller advising of 48 hours to respond about my shipping refund request since I spent about 12.00 to ship the ponies to the correct person.  No reply.  I waited about 4 days (today) before sending a message to the seller through paypal asking for a 12.00 partial credit on the 34.00 I had paid.  I did not submit a case, just a message.

The seller re-activates their IG account under a different name and has started threatening to call the police for theft if I do not return the ponies I purchased...and PAID FOR....ON TOP OF ANOTHER 12.00 for fixing their shipping error. 

This gone from a very forgivable error to insane. You have nothing at all to worry about. well, except being out $12.
Cost her more then $12, well in lost future sales. name her here (title) and warn about her in Facebook pony groups too. Definitely a seller to avoid like the plague

I'm headed back to Canada this november... Guess I should stock up? When I was home this summer I could only find Disney Princess ones... Where are they selling the pony ones?

You missed them sadly. I can ask Twinks if there was another run. But we got them around Christmas in the medium sized eggs. I forget which toy came after the MLP ones. If you want some for your purposes I can ask her which MLP's she has left. She bought a number of eggs to get her full set, and she completed mine.  Set was 4 ponies that attached to little jewelry type cases.

That being said I don't think I would ask for a refund just because the ponies weren't packed carefully especially if they survived the postal service. As FantasticFirefly said sometimes the sellers do pack things well but they are repacked by someone else not as carefully when the packages are inspected.


Ponyfan

I'll clarify a little in the event I scare anyone from shipping to Canada. I am not talking about our customs. If you ship with USPS or your countries post- Our customs is REALLY careful if they open anything up to check, it all goes back in the package, padding as it was too and sealed up well again.

Be vary wary though buying/sending anything with eBay's Global Shipping Program (Pitney Bowes). They open so many packages, and they suck. they'll remove wrapping and stuff things in the most compact space possible. I was a lucky buyer, no knife marks on my ponies, they didn't lose flocking or scuff although they could have easily. so many other Canadians received broken stuff due to GSP opening everything repacking as tight as possible.

I've purchased some lots from reputable sellers that don't normally sell ponies and they've been poorly packaged or had some more marks then I would have liked considering the description. I honestly think they were just clueless and the price was still good for what I got. They didn't want to give a partial refund since they were selling for a daughter in both cases, so I just let it be. They were polite, apologetic, and did offer a full return. I gave them a good review and got a great review in return.

Exactly.... I'm glad it still turned out to be a good deal. I never expect perfect ponies from those sources. So I always bid lower, it accounts for the duds I'll get, and some do end up being nice deals in the end.