Stored ponies smelling bad/weird

[GustyFox]

Most of my ponies have been stored for almost four years now. The majority of them are in individual zip locks within a big box.
I try to open the boxes every 2 or 3 months to check on the ponies, comb them, even play a little etc. When I open the boxes I can sense they smell, it is not terrible nor it is strong but in a while it will make me headache.
Imagine how sad is that, ponies that I love make me headache

Last time I took all the ponies from one of the boxes out, gave them a bath, removed heads, checked for inside dirty, let them dry, packed them again and today, after a couple hours handling them  I'm having headache again.

It happens with all the generations, a little less with the G4, may be because they are super new. But happens all the same with G1s and G3s. I though something could have happened with my G1s before they are mine and spread through all the herd, but the G3s have been mine since ever, I got most of them MIB or fresh from stores with the kind help of arena fellows.

I don't know how to describe the smell, or if the smell is really the cause to the headache or anything but it is a fact that it always happens.

What can it be? Anyone have a clue? What could I do?

[Mirnyj]

Could it just be the old plastic, maybe plasticizer leaking and the fumes (although the amount is not massive, maybe you're sensitive) giving you headache? One thing you could do is bring your ponies outside and let them breath the fresh air for a while. Also putting them in an air tight container with baking soda or cat litter for a period of time could help get rid of the smell. I wish you best of luck getting them stench-free! 

[hathorcat]

I would agree with Mirn; plastic leaks chemicals and when it is contained in an unbreathable location smells and scents can build up. Its not that dissimilar to the experience when people have pony rooms, perhaps with little or poor ventilation, you open the door and get a giant waft smell of pony plastic. Or even when you buy something new made of plastic and unseal its wrapping.

Personally I would be trying to store them so that the plastic can breath - leave the zip lock bags open (or have holes punched in them) - and ensure the boxes they are in also have air holes of some kind. You will find any scents which are simply a result of plastic being contained should dissipate discretely and therefore there wont be anything for you to smell when you are dealing with them.

I wouldnt be surprised if something like that was giving you a headache - chemical smells can be very bad for affecting even those people not overly susceptible to pungent scents.

[GustyFox]

That is good to know, thank you for the reply. I thought the plastic bag was helping but seems like it is actually making the situation worst.

I'm going to try letting the ponies "breath", thank you for the advice

[Galactica]

I would definitely not store them in plastic bags because that could lead to mold or mildew inside the ponies or on their hair which would definitely cause a bad smell!

If you are worried about them getting dirty, you can wrap them in tissue paper, or even bubble wrap-

I agree baking soda is great for removing odors (cat litter would work too but personally I don't love the way it smells)

I store my dolls and ponies with lots of packets of silica gel- it absorbs humidity and keeps mildew/mold from getting started-  you can pick up huge bunches of it online (from places like amazon).  It's the same little packets you find inside a new pair of shoes

[CupidStrikes]

I think it's recommended to air plastic figures out at least once a month and for an extended amount of time. Plastic leaks chemicals after a while, especially if the plastic was manufacturer a while ago (though sometimes new things - like blind bagged G4 ponies or Japanese figures - will reek of plastic when you open them), apparently newer manufacturing methods (and/or more expensive ones) have methods to prevent this which may be why the G4s are less susceptible (for now). If left unchecked, the chemicals the plastic leaks can also form a sticky residue over time (I own a few figures where this has happened and it is annoying and possibly irreversible). I believe that temperatures over 35C can quicken the degradation process as well.

[gabumon]

yes I agree about storing them in baggies that have holes... not sealed shut.  in my (lazy) case, I just don't close the "zip".

also doesn't it make a difference where the storage box is at? mine is high on the top of a shelf.

[Stormness_1]

I can't reccommend silica packets enough. That and tissue paper are great storage options. For my sales ponies, they're in open ziplocks, in cardboard boxes so they can breathe, whereas my collection ponies are in in plastic tubs with tissue paper and silica packets up the wazoo.