The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: SwirlyWhirly on April 06, 2018, 09:37:57 AM
-
If a pony doesn't show any sign of rust, mold and similar, do you still take it apart to wash the inside? Since the heads are glued on, I feel like taking the head off is a bit like ruining it since it will be less in original condition than before.
What's the opinion on this in the pony community? If I sell a pony which head was taken off and the glue had to be cut open with a knife, can I still call that pony mint condition if it otherwise is in mint condition? I don't plan on selling any of my ponies but I don't want to make them worth less either if I one day decide to do so.
Also, when washing a pony without taking it apart, is there a big risk of water getting trapped inside? I try to be careful when I wash mine but some water always tends to end up at the tail hole anyway and I always worry that some has got inside.
-
I never take pony heads off. Ever.
Except today, when I had to take FF Bluebelle's off as she had developed an extreme case of mould and needed urgent intervention.
I don't like to do anything to a pony that alters its original state, so I don't rehair and I don't touch up symbols and I also don't unseal heads unless it's a crisis point, like today.
Bluebelle's head today came off just at a tug, though. I don't know if I'd have gone at her with a knife to break the seal, or if I'd have just dumped her in cleaning stuff as she was and hoped for the best...
I really have an aversion to interfering with my ponies...
And no, a pony with a head removed is no longer mint, although you can still say that the condition is very good.
Also, did you knnow that if you are not looking where you are typing, it is possible to type hoof instead of good because the letters g/h and f/d are close together...
-
Nope. I'd only do it if there's obvious signs of a problem. If they're free from rust, or mold leave em be.
-
When I see no trace of tail rust or mold, I don't take the pony's head off. It is a very tedious and time-consuming process to take off the head without damaging it too much, it's not worth the effort if the pony is actually clean inside.
And then, indeed, there is the "value" factor and the fact that visible damage might be unfortunately done to the pony.
For the washing, I don't dip them in water, I just let it run on them to wet the pony, wash it with soap and a brush and rinse it. I try my best to not let water inside them. When I'm in the drying step, I shake them with a wide movement to pull the water towards the extremities of the mane, absorb water with a towel, repeat a couple of times, lots of hairdryer time and I finally let my ponies sit in a dry environment.
So far so good, they seem fine after 5 months, but I'm as worried as you about mold and rust.
If you want to make sure no water stays inside, you might want to lay your pony on its back in a dry room for some days.
-
I pretty much only take the head off if there is a serious problem, or I'm planning on customizing them. For example, I got a really rank-smelling Masquerade in a shopgoodwill lot who was also missing her tail, and the washer had fallen into her hoof and become wedged in there so good it started to deform and cut into the plastic. When I did work up the courage to pop her head off, she had a half an inch-thick layer of rust and mould in her hoof. Yuck. Definitely worth popping it off to clean that gunk out.
But yeah, I wouldn't take the head off unless the pony seriously needed to be cleaned or you're planning a restoration/customizing project. And definitely wouldn't do it if you're looking to sell the pony later on (especially uncommon/rare ponies).
As for washing, just try to avoid getting water in as much as possible. It's okay if a little gets in there, it's practically unavoidable unless you're super super careful; just try to pat the top of the tail and the roots of the mane dry as much as you can and don't store the pony anywhere closed-in/without good airflow while its mane and tail are wet.
-
I don't tend to put them in water either, I use a (designated) toothbrush and soap and clean them then rinse or wipe them off. I dry them with a towel and then sit them on the bath to dry for a bit. I always make sure they are properly dry before they go in the cupboard, so they can be out a week or two. Baby unicorns especially seem to hold water...I have had a couple which have seemed dry, only to leak out water at the tail 2 or 3 weeks after. One I got at ponycon even did it, so had presumably been washed by the seller and assumed to have dried some time before - but hadn't.
Baby Unicorns need their nappies. Apparently.
The one time I did put mine full in water was a bunch of grotty So Softs who needed it. But they then got hung on the hoist outside in the wind to dry...
-
I've heard some people use facial wipes or moist hand towels too.
-
I only remove a head unless absolutely necessary. I deflocked some ponies which required head removals, and had to replace some loose rusty washers on a few tails. That’s pretty much it. If I had a pony covered in mold I would remove the head and check inside but I haven’t had to yet.
-
I use antibacterial wipes to clean ponies that I don't need to remove the heads from.
-
Nearly all the ponies I get are from the thrift store or Craigslist, and a lot of them have their seal already broken or halfway broken. I always take off the heads of ponies with broken seals, it just makes cleaning easier. And I will definitely take off the head of ponies who have tail rust because you never know how bad it can be. Also, even if they don't have tail rust or something, if a pony is in a lot where all the other ponies have water damage, I will take off their head. There is a likely possibility water got in there if all the others have water in them too. For example, almost all the ponies I got in a lot recently had the inside of their bodies COMPLETELY covered in rust. So gross. I could see a bit of orangey pink at the base of a Yum Yums tail. I took her head off even though her seal was mostly intact,and she was the most rusty of them all.
-
I use antibacterial wipes to clean ponies that I don't need to remove the heads from.
What kind of antibacterial wipes?
-
I use antibacterial wipes to clean ponies that I don't need to remove the heads from.
What kind of antibacterial wipes?
Flash antibacterial wipes, cleaned up Morning Glory, you've got to leave them for a bit to let them dry.
Just make sure that when you've got Twinkleeyed ponies that you don't clean the eyes, just clean around them (I just use normal antibacterial hand wipes for them). Always wear gloves when using Flash wipes.
-
If a pony is dirty beyond what will come off with a few swipes on a magic eraser, it is more often than not dirty on the inside too. Any kind of dingy shadow on a pony is a sign that all is not well inside. White and pale yellow ponies tend to show this best. Ponies that have clearly lived eventfully lives with children 9/10 have something internal as well. I've seen some pretty foul ponies and many of them looked ok outside.
As for value, I don't think I've ever seen anyone reduce the price on a pony simply because the head is loose. And if they are, it wouldn't be by much. If I sold a pony with a loose head seam, I would mention it in the description, especially if it's a pony I've personally opened up. I don't think it makes it significantly less mint. If a head comes off easily, it's better to know for sure rather than discovering a year later that she's been degrading inside. I would only second guess this if the head is so difficult to remove that cutting the seam is necessary.
As for water getting inside during cleaning, you absolutely must tilt the pony so the tail is lower. Always alter the position during drying. I tend to wait at least two days before displaying the pony. I've had a g3 sit drying for a week with the head off and still discovered she had water in her feet.
-
So today I took off the heads of some bait duplicates. It did not go well with two of the ponies. It felt like the plastic of the head and body was all one piece melted together. Once I cut through the visible line between head and body I couldn't even see what was supposed to be glue so both ponies ended up with holes from trying to pull and cut the heads off. Not even violently. I don't see how I could have been more careful. The holes are in the part of the neck which doesn't show once the heads are reattached so they'll look fine when put back together but this confirmed my suspicion of taking off the heads being a bad idea to do to a mint pony. Hence the trying this out on bait duplicates. Still, I'd like to be able to do this to more ponies in need of inside cleaning without making holes in their necks. I have a pony in great condition except for tail rust but now I don't dare to touch her.
Is it possible that these ponies head and bodies somehow melted together or were they just really, really well glued? And how do I deal with this from now on? Obviously my technique is lacking.
-
So today I took off the heads of some bait duplicates. It did not go well with two of the ponies. It felt like the plastic of the head and body was all one piece melted together. Once I cut through the visible line between head and body I couldn't even see what was supposed to be glue so both ponies ended up with holes from trying to pull and cut the heads off. Not even violently. I don't see how I could have been more careful. The holes are in the part of the neck which doesn't show once the heads are reattached so they'll look fine when put back together but this confirmed my suspicion of taking off the heads being a bad idea to do to a mint pony. Hence the trying this out on bait duplicates. Still, I'd like to be able to do this to more ponies in need of inside cleaning without making holes in their necks. I have a pony in great condition except for tail rust but now I don't dare to touch her.
Is it possible that these ponies head and bodies somehow melted together or were they just really, really well glued? And how do I deal with this from now on? Obviously my technique is lacking.
Just a thought - did you soak the join between the head and neck (where the glue is) in very hot/boiling water first? That can help significantly in loosening the glue and the heads tend to come off much easier and without damage . Hope that helps :)
-
Wellp, I just wasted my time and patience on opening a CF Italian Cotton Candy for nothing. I heard rustling inside, I though it was rust, but nope, that was a tiny vinyl cone I don't even know what that was and her washer was damn shiny and her inside as fresh as new. I'm upset. :lol:
-
when i clean them from first getting them i always take the head off to clean only if it comes off easily. if i have to fight to get the head off it usually stays on. but I tend to want to make sure there's no hidden grossness inside the body.
-
Just a thought - did you soak the join between the head and neck (where the glue is) in very hot/boiling water first? That can help significantly in loosening the glue and the heads tend to come off much easier and without damage . Hope that helps :)
No, didn't do that. Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely try that the next time. I don't want to repeat the massacre I did the other day. :lol:
-
I will also not take pony heads off (sounds terrible!) unless there are signs of rust, or if the head already turns. In my experience some are much easier to take off than others, so perhaps you were just extremely unlucky? Another thing you can do to soften the glue is use a hairdryer and 'blow' the air over the seam area. I keep moving the pony around while doing this and have found it to really help with those stubborn ponies who insist on keeping their heads on. Darn ponies!
Wellp, I just wasted my time and patience on opening a CF Italian Cotton Candy for nothing. I heard rustling inside, I though it was rust, but nope, that was a tiny vinyl cone I don't even know what that was and her washer was damn shiny and her inside as fresh as new. I'm upset. :lol:
This happened to me too - so frustrating! The small piece of vinyl is what comes out of the tail 'area' when they make the hole for the tail. Salty had 2 in him somehow.
-
Yup, that was my assumption. I put it back inside so I don't loose it. Hope my pony won't rust now as I was generous with water for that one. ;-;
-
I only take off the head if there are obvious signs that the inside is dirty and needs to be cleaned. I'm more comfortable doing it with my personal ponies, but I've done it to some that I've sold as well, and I make sure to disclose what I've done. I have conflicting stances on this; while I don't like to alter a pony from its original state, I also don't like to leave a pony dirty or 'flawed' if I can help it. I tend to decide on a case-by-case basis. I can't stand tail rust though, so I usually always clean that if present, and then replace all metal with Zip Ties.
I've received a few ponies that had no rust or dirty insides, but their tail washers were loose. Their heads were only glued at a small part of the neck seam, so I gently popped their heads up enough to replace the washer, and then popped them back down without affecting the remaining glue.
If I'm not removing heads, my ponies are cleaned with a soapy sponge, a Magic Eraser, and then a soapy sponge again, and I wipe them down with a towel. I wash, shampoo, and condition hair, but I always dip the hair into water, and squeeze it out before styling. I try to avoid submerging ponies into any liquid if not necessary, and I leave them to dry since the cleaning process can allow some water to get inside via the roots and tail holes. But, I've got five submerged in peroxide right now to try to deal with other issues, with two that have their heads off; they're my testers since a lot of this is new to me, and I'm okay keeping them, or eventually selling them and noting that this has been done.
-
I use antibacterial wipes to clean ponies that I don't need to remove the heads from.
Oh, I tried antibacterial wipes for basic surface dirt on my G1 Majesty and it was a total pain, nothing would get off except if I scratch the hell out of it on 100% of the surface of my pony. I gave up and went back with my dishsoap and toothbrush halfway through. ;-; Did I do something wrong ? =/
(Happy birthday btw. =) :hug:)
-
I usually only take off heads when I know for sure a pony is dirty inside, and when that happens it doesn't bother me at all. I also like to replace the washer with a zip tie just to prevent rust in the future. I also remove the heads from ponies who don't have much glue left, anyway.
I NEVER take the heads off of ponies that don't need it. I find it to be a waste of my time and I'd hate to devalue any pony.
-
Yes, I almost always remove the head to clean them. There is nasty stuff in there sometimes and I like them to be throughly dry inside after cleaning them. I’ve seen a lot of them that are sticky inside.
-
Only for tail rust and stuff like that. Most of my G1's come with loose neck seals, anyway.
-
If my G1s have a neck seal that is hanging by a thread, I gently pull on it for two reasons. One, if it's hanging by a thread, their head can turn pretty much, anyway- might as well make it turn fully, it's kinda cool, especially on G1's.
Two, some of them smell glorious inside. I thrifted a Starshine a few months back that has no neck glue, her head can turn freely- I'd never popped a G1's head off before but I did out of curiosity with her because I knew I could get it back on. She smelled HEAVENLY inside. Like the biggest, freshest blast of "G1 pony smell" you could ever imagine.
But if a pony's neck is still well sealed, I leave it. I wish all their heads could turn, but I'd never do that unless they were full of gunk and need a serious cleaning. (Suspicious glance at Wavedancer, who has never been opened up but played with in water many, many times over the course of 30 years between two generations... >.>) Especially to my "childhood" G1s (hand me downs in the early 2000's, but still from my childhood) I really can't bear doing anything to them to change them whatsoever- It took me until last year to get the guts to give them all baths! (30 something year old dirt on them!! They look so beautiful now)
I don't know what it is, a thrifted pony with her neck hanging by a thread, I have no problem making it into a turning head. My childhood G1s I could never fathom doing anything to change them at all. Really not sure why, they're not any different from any of my other G1s, really. Sentimental, sure, but making their heads turn doesn't dramatically change them, and I never plan to resell any of my ponies. Never have over 20 years, never will.
-
I'm not a prolific pony seller, but I'd feel comfortable saying "this pony is mint with a turning head", because then you're being clear and to the point; the pony's great, only her head's come off! It happened organically enough to my childhood ponies when I played with them, so I think sometimes heads just naturally pop off without collector involvement due to age, brittle glue, or just really rowdy kids!
That said, I don't mind a pony with a turning head (prefer it even!) so it's not a deal-breaker for me when I'm buying. For some folks it is! So just be up-front and everyone will be happy! :)
As to when I'll remove heads - I'll admit, I'm a bit head-remove happy. If I even see a SIGN of darkness at the base of a tail, or she smells like mildew, or even if the body looks dark from within, I'll tug the head off to make sure it's nothing. I'd much rather have a loose-headed pony than risk a bad case of rust/mold/mildew a couple months from now!
-
Some ponies heads are very loose anyway. I’m a bit of a clean freak so like others have said, if there’s evidence of mould or rust inside I’ll pop the head off, take out the washer etc. I wouldn’t mind receiving a pony that has been advertised as ‘mint’ To find the head had been taken off and the washer replaced etc. If anything I’d be glad that the seller had taken time and care to clean it up.
-
Like most people have said before me, I only take their heads off if there's clearly rust or mold on the inside.
If the head has just been taken off with the ring still intact, I don't think it affects the value a lot - I wouldn't mind buying a pony like that. but if the head has been cut off (not just cut through the glue, but cut clean off), I do think it'd bring the value down, and definitely needs to be in the item description if for sale. :)
-
As a rule, I don't like removing pony heads unless there are obvious signs of internal issues like mould or rust. Even rattle isn't always an indication of rust and shouldn't be the sole reason one decides to break an intact head seal. A perfect example is a Glow 'N Show pony I actually won this week - the washer is loose and rattling around the body cavity, but there is no internal rust. And I can tell because she's transparent! Her head gets to stay intact.
It's been my experience that water penetration during washing manes and tails is really only a significant risk of causing rust/mould if the pony has been submerged in the water, rather than simply a standard wash and rinse. If you ensure the pony is not soaking in water or cleaning solution and make sure you rinse rather and dunk, the drying process of the interior is much safer and unlikely to cause issues.
That said, if there are serious suspicions of rust/mould issues, don't hesitate to (gently!) loosen the neck seal and remove the head so you can perform a thorough inspection for internal complications. It's better to have a clean and dry pony with a loose head than to have a pony with an intact factory seal with active rust or mould growing inside!
-
I must be the odd man out, most ponies that come my way get cleaned inside and out. I live in a humid area and I have not yet had the funds for a dehumidifier for my pony room. Where possible I remove the washers from ponies while others that I know don't have heads that come off easily, I leave them on. If the glue pops off easily though, they're getting cleaned. In several instances I've been able to nip serious problems in the bud before they ruined the pony. Outwardly the pony would look fine but then I opened her up and -wham- the beginnings of mold.
So yeah, I most often remove their heads and leave them loose. My ponies are staying with me so I'm not worried about their resale, I'm worried about preserving them.
-
I wouldn't unless there's a visible sign of rust or mold, or any other detectable rank smell. I sometimes remove heads if I can hear that the washer is loose and fallen into the foot, but otherwise I have a heavy preference to leave the seal intact when cleaning them. Like others have said, it probably won't pose a major issue if you merely rinse them. Submerging them in water is just not the way to go, unless you already need to get at the insides for cleaning.
Though, I don't mind the head being loose if it's a pony I plan on keeping permanently for myself.