Well I did it! Got me some restoration ponies.

[nollilols]

I'm a terror for buying NM condition ponies because I'm drawn in by all the pretty, but I always tell myself that I want to get ponies in poorer condition for cheaper, and do them up myself.

So, in a snap decision I bought a poor condition Posey who had about 3 minutes left on her auction and no bids. I also grabbed a Lemon Drop. Waiting a few days to see if a Confetti listed by the same seller also goes as cheap. With the combined postage, they'll be the three cheapest ponies I've ever bought.

All three have 'marks' which sound potentially untreatable, but they could also turn out to be surface marks, so I'm really taking a chance on them. Worst that happens is they don't turn out too good and I sell them on as bait or something, but at least I'm giving it a go!

*Nervous* 

Anyone got any nice restoration success stories for me to make me feel better?

[Lorelei Redfern]

well  i  dont have pics  ofwhat she looekd like before.. but  i do have  something i can do to help you feel better! I have this rock n roll  g3  pony.  she   was   brown and dingy  and had  pink marker on her.  and   just ick she was grody well after an  entire day of soaking in hot water mr clean and   dish soap  nad  major scrubbing.   she became   once agian sparkling white!  i managed to get a lot of he pink highlighter off her. 

and most  marks can be scurbbed or sunfaded off that i cna think of.. so you should be fine!

http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1831_10151763841198452_1059893844_n.jpg

not he best pic.. but.

[hathorcat]

Even if you dont manage to fix them back up to perfection, I like to think that we have given these poor little ponies who may otherwise have been destined for the rubbish bin a second chance at life and there is no harm in purchasing more ponies

I dont have any before and after images to share but with all the tricks of the pony trade I hope you can get those ponies in nice condition again!

[nollilols]

Thanks peeps! Lorelei your Rock N Roll pony looks great! Glad to hear pink marker can come off, because I'm pretty sure Posey's got some on her face haha!

I'll update this thread with photos of the before and after as I go

[Amsel]

I haven't done a lot of heavy restoration, but there was one project that took some work....

It was my childhood Truly:

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and after I cleaned her up:

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Who knows, you'll probably find that you'll be able to clean up your ponies really nicely!

[Lorelei Redfern]

i  wish i had tken pics of crumpet >< my crumpet was ltieraly black in places..lol  and now  after  shes deflocekd seh looks great!

and thanks! there are  are a few stubborn palces where  she has a little..  but  scbrring vigerusly..  and soaking helped lol

[nollilols]

Wow that Truly looks amazing, Amsel!
 
Yeah my new girls will be a good test run for various cleaning methods. As well as being an attempt to get me into restoring, they're a test run - I'm not mad about either Posey or Lemon (I like them, but they're not favourites), so if I somehow damage them, I can live with it. Confetti I adore, so if I get her she'll be the last one I restore and hopefully more successful!

[Marionette]

Good luck with your ponies!

I'm kind of in the same boat. I love minty ponies, but I'm going to be cleaning up a Lovebeam I just bought. She's mostly in pretty good condition except for highlighter to the face. All over the face. It's gonna be a challenge to get it off without affecting the eye or the stripes, but I knew that when I bought her (though I wasn't sure if the stripes were painted or molded; I figured they were painted, and they are). I just had to have her as I rarely see her pop up, and I wanna fix her if I can! She's pretty other than the marker. My plan is to bathe her and then very, VERY carefully use some acetone. Then, if I can get the right areas covered up, I might try sunfading.

[reanna-mator]

Congrats! I love adopting ponies in need of a lot of restoration. It's a bit sad to see a dirty, messy pony get no bids, and occasionally I do like to pick one up in need of a lot of TLC. A pony is a lot more special to me if I've worked to make them look nice, and I love seeing the transformation!

[nollilols]

Marionette, those plans sound exactly like what I've got in store for my new girls!

Reanna-mator, I've found I've bought several ponies I thought I would love but I haven't grown attached to them. So, I'm hoping the restoration process will do the same for me, and work as a real bonding experience. I definitely think it develops sentimentality, putting time and effort into something like that.

[achab1984]

I have bought some ponies that were in not so good condition. But the crazy thing is almost all of them turned out very nice! They cleaned up very well! Congrats on giving them a new home

[SparklersOasis]

Congrats on giving those girls a new life!  Here's a few of my more recent restores.  Long and short of it, the lady that babysat my sister and I growing up found out I collect ponies, and gave me some she dug up!  They all had been played with pretty hard.  Hope they help!

Powder Before (made my hands feel grimy just to pick her up!)  She got an antibacterial bath, then scrubbed down with a magic eraser, around her eyes and symbol I used q-tips.
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Just to show you how gross she was:
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After, I was so happy all the red marks came off!
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And Strawberry Scoops before, not as grimy as Powder, but what a rats nest of hair!
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Midway, because I really wanted curls, and this picture cracks me up!
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After!
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Can't wait to see your before and after pictures!!!

[nollilols]

Thanks Avene!

SparklersOasis, thanks for sharing those pictures! SS's 'curlers' are hilarious! And Powder <3 I love Powder, I just bought her. I'd love to restore a Powder, though. I may actually start selling on my current small collection and start again (well, not including my lovely Italians!) and make a restoration collection. I'll see how it goes with Posey and Lemon Drop.

I can't wait to get the girls, but it'll be a while as Confetti doesn't end til next week, and then they'll take a week to get here. I'll post photos as soon as they arrive though!