Help Me Write a Pony Condition Grading Guide - The Bait Check

[Sarah-Bee]

This is a fantastic idea! 

[koolkaci86]

I really like this idea. I've collected on and off since I was a kid. I'm not a confident restorer but now if I list job lots of ponies for sale on Ebay or elsewhere I no longer call them bait but restore lots. I'd like to improve my skills in restoring though and have learnt that dirt and yellowed ponies definitely are not bait. Will definitely keep checking back here. Learning so much so thank you

[starrypawz]

For me I'd say:
1. Cleaning Only Needed
General dirtiness, messy hair, maybe pindot as it can be easy to clean, removable marks,

2. Amateur Restore Possible
Messy hair, general dirtiness, sunfading needing marks, removable marks, pindot/smooze, minor rubs to symbols/eyes depending on own skill, missing eye gems on G2s

3. Expert Restore Possible
Minor gouges/chewed off bits like ears, hair needs completley redoing, pen marks that need sunfading, sunfading needed, symbol rubs and eye rubs, missing eye gems (G2), body repaint, smooze,

4. Restore Unlikely (100% bait)
Regrind, depending on severity, unremovable marks, missing parts such as legs, ears, gouges/cuts (I found a Baby Cotton Candy like that D: ), bald/really messed up hair, leaking plasticer aka sticky pony that can't be fixed, really badly rubbed up symbols/eyes

[Baby Sugarberry]

Even completely missing hair is not grounds for baiting - it's 100% fixable back to original finish with the easy availability of new nylon hair.  A few hours of patient attention will completely restore a bald pony.


It might be useful to move this over to the MLPwiki?  It's set up for many editor contributions already, and would make it far easier to compile/link everything into one set.  It also has full pictures of all the ponies built-in, so people could see what they look like.


I could ask absol if nobody else wanted to, I think it'd be a valuable addition to the community.

[Dyzarktarzk]

*nods* that's why I put down major flocking loss as not being fixable; minor rubs aren't impossible to patch, but something like all over thinning or a large swath of missing flocking, there's no current method to get that back to the original look.


Added most of the ponies Dyzarktarzk mentioned, but SS Magic Star and Truly regularly go for under 10$, I can't see putting them down as rare.  Same with the Pearly Baby Sea ponies, see plenty under the 10$ mark (sans floats).

When I finally got SS Magic Star and Truly they were higher and don't care to check their prices now =X

And checking...  I was intending to put the Pearly Baby Sea Ponies onto the common   But forgot to check where I put them =X

Something that I'll also put for a 'please check before baiting' are playsets, accessories and clothes (specially G1 and G2).  Same with My Pretty Pony (both) and the three Soft Sleepy Newborns.


Also:  Do NOT bait nirvanas, always ask before.  *hugs my baity Peru Glory*  Sometimes the only option of getting one is if it is in really baity condition...

Another for:

3. Expert Restore Possible
New wings for Flutters, WW and SW ponies.

4. Restore Unlikely (100% bait)
Head/body color mismatches (again, depends on pony and other problems it may have).
Previously intended to customize by a kid (aka, 'embellish it' or individualize it, make-up, nail polish, lipstick, glitter on body, painted) on common ponies.

Things not fixable for that I don't considerer as something to bait a pony:
Loss of shine on TE.
Regrind
Seriously faded color
 
Fixable but not something I'll really do (lazy me) that doesn't mean to bait a pony:
Not working mechanism on BnG
Missing jewels on G2
Missing saddle on Secret Surprise Ponies
Missing earrings on SHS
Missing the 'button' on DnP and/or not working

[Baby Sugarberry]

@ Magic Star/Truly -  finding a minty so-soft is going to run you FAR more than one with some flocking loss, or one with lots of flocking loss (unless she's already rare, like Twist or Crumpet, mangy so-softs are very low valued). Just because most of them are going for under 10$ doesn't mean you got a bad deal, depending on condition. 


Actually, that's probably making note of, that certain ponies without common problems for their model are going to be heavily valued, even if they have other, fixable issues.  A good example would be a Gingerbread with no cancer/age spots, but chopped hair.  She'd probably go for a lot more than an otherwise minty Gingerbread with spots.

@ Flutter pony wings - only if you are making your own, I don't think they should be considered part of the pony's condition, myself, since they're more like... accessories, that clip on?  Does that even make sense? n_n;   Definitely expert/skilled repair for WW/SW's, though.


Same with the saddles for Secret Surprise, they clip on.  If the pony is otherwise mint, she shouldn't be considered bait. >_o

[Dyzarktarzk]

I know, that's why I put the last 2 categories about some issues that I don't consider the pony having them as bait =)  Sorry if I didn't explain myself in the post =P

Yes, I was thinking about making your own wings =)

And yup, they were for my NM Truly and Magic Star (and something that gets on my nerves is: I have a beautiful SS Cupcake... complete flocking... but... have lipstick all over her face ;_; And with a SS Paradise... have the most amazing flocking I'll ever see/touched, no spots missing, soft and full and fluffy... hair is great, she's white!  But has golden paint on her wings... *cries hard*.  Or my TaF Buttons who has lipstick/marker all over his body and face...)

[gabumon]

Yes Baby Sugarberry.  I think putting it on the wiki is a nice idea.   Let me see what it looks like after the first draft is compiled.  I know it will need updated as time goes on so a wiki type page is great, but if it's okay I'll start the original doc.  ok? 

I'm going to work on compiling this, this weekend!  any last contributions?

[Baby Sugarberry]

By all means, I'm not one to take over somepony's project. n_n  Just thinking about how to make it as useful as possible to the community.  One problem with many tutorials is that they are rarely updated if the original author loses interest or leaves.


If you need photo examples of bait, I've got a great big box of possibilities!

[Dyzarktarzk]

And remember me to take the pic about the 'glue body pieces to body'  =X

[gabumon]

By all means, I'm not one to take over somepony's project. n_n  Just thinking about how to make it as useful as possible to the community.  One problem with many tutorials is that they are rarely updated if the original author loses interest or leaves.


If you need photo examples of bait, I've got a great big box of possibilities!

yes! let me take a stab at a first draft then I"ll PM you it and you can help me put it on wiki (I'm a noob on wiki, never done it).  and yes, pics of baits would be an EXCELLENT resource for folks.  Stay Tuned!

Post Merge: April 21, 2012, 04:28:52 PM

yay! thanks everypony for all the contributions!!!!

thanks Baby Sugarberry for putting it into the wiki!!!

here's the link!

http://mylittlewiki.org/wiki/Bait

[Baby Sugarberry]

First draft has been moved to the Wiki, here: http://mylittlewiki.org/wiki/Bait
Anyone see more ponies that need to be added to the "please try to restore" list?  I've made an attempt at a more neutral POV.  Any value in separating those ponies who are potentially bait material with really severe flaws, and those that should never be baited under any circumstance? (Mimic, Mountain Boys, Rapunzel anyone?)

[Dyzarktarzk]

Nice for putting it up!!

Sorry not helping with your question, need to think it over.

(And with the 'unfixable'... I'm still hoping I'll ever came across a loose Mexi unicorn Twilight head... have the body... missing the head.)

[Applejack]

Thanks for putting this up 

Also....can you de-flock a SS pony ?

[nhal039]

This thread may help a bit. Its ponies prone to problems (cancer, regrind, discolouration etc). Its rare and common ponies but its worth keeping them in mind before baiting a pony as it can be really hard to find a pony without these problems ; )