Pony Restauration Attempts by Darth Delicious -picture heavy-

[Darth Delicious]

Though I've done a few light restaurations on ponies, like adding tails and hair fix-ups I actually never really took before and after pictures.
That's gonna change now!

Today I finally got the courage to take out this really poorly looking pony, Cotton Candy ITALY.
And I don't think I'll be able to restaurate her, to be honest. But every MLP deserves a chance!

She has suffered a huge amount of decolouration. Which is probably her biggest problem.
So I was wondering if there's someone out here who can give me advise on fixing her up again, if possible.

Here are some pictures of how I got her (she came in a huge lot of ponies I bought a few years back. She looked like this even then).
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I combed her hairs (as much as possible) and took her apart, noticing that the original colour was still there, but on the inside. Poor Cotton Candy 
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Then I gave a big cleaning with water and soap. And most of the dirt came off. Except for a few spots.
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I also noticed that her "skin" (the rubber she's made of) appears to very thin as if she's been scrubbed over and over. And on some spots it's almost see through if you hold her in front of a lamp.
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The manes and tail are still quite frizzled and dry. But before I start working on that, I would like to know what I can do for her body.
I'll have to find a way to repaint or touch-up her eyes once the body is done too.
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Basically these are my questions:
1. Is it possible to give Cotton Candy her own colour back again?
Or will I need to paint her? What kind of paint can I use for that?

2. Will I need to give her a sunbath to get the few left spots off?

3. When I repaint or touch-up the eyes, what materials (ink or paint) are best to use?

*waves*

[hyenacub]

Holy crow, she looks like Snuzzle!  I have no advice, but i wish you the best of luck.  That is one poor pony!

[okapishomapi]

Holy crow, she looks like Snuzzle!  I have no advice, but i wish you the best of luck.  That is one poor pony!

I didn't realize she wasn't a Snuzzle until I read your comment O.o

[PinkRosedust]

1. Is it possible to give Cotton Candy her own colour back again?
Or will I need to paint her? What kind of paint can I use for that?

The only way would be to paint or dye her. Personally I would leave her as she is because she is so evenly faded; I think she looks neat and unique this way!

2. Will I need to give her a sunbath to get the few left spots off?

Honestly I'm not totally sure. I guess it couldn't hurt since she's already so faded.

3. When I repaint or touch-up the eyes, what materials (ink or paint) are best to use?

I don't have any paint recommendations, but actually I would suggest leaving her eyes as they are. It's sort of a trade mark of Italy ponies to have messy eye paint!

I'd say if you want a CC who is still pink and has nice eyes, just find yourself a standard release Cotton Candy. Are you interested in trading or selling this one? =)

[nhal039]

I would leave her as is as well, cancer isnt fixable (there are very few rare cases where it has been fixed). Pink italian ponies are so prone to fading its not funny, so many of us have near white italians that use to be pink : )
Also all italian have bad eyes, cotton candys arent bad at all compared to most.

I think any restoration (painting) would decrease her value considerably, mind you if she is yours and you plan on keeping her and dont like her colour I guess a full paint job is ok

best to check in the nivarna forum : )

[Sokkis]

1. Is it possible to give Cotton Candy her own colour back again?
Or will I need to paint her? What kind of paint can I use for that?

I would say, that if you want her original color back, dye her.

[Snapdragon]

Agh, don't repaint her eyes yet!! You should look under her feet first - is it possible she's a nirvana? Like, Italian ponies NOTORIOUSLY have misprinted eyes, that's part of their charm/trademark appearance! I mean, she's your pony to do with as you wish, but - be careful, too!

EDIT, omg, I am so stinking smart, totally overlooked the "ITALY" up there, all in caps even! Sooooooooo smart! Yeah, Italian ponies are kind of supposed to look like that, I think; so it's your choice, but you'll devalue her if you fix her eyes/dye her, I think.

[Darth Delicious]

  Thanks for all the advice and responses!

@PinkRosedust: Well, I'm always interested in trading or selling. But I already have a gorgeous HK Cotton Candy in my collection  .

First time I saw her, I also thought I had a Snuzzle in my hands. Then she showed me her sign with a sad sigh. Poor Cotton Candy  . I can't imagine what she's been through! But next to Snuzzle she actually looks pale and yellow-ish.
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Besides the heavy decolouration she also has some serious scars and cellulitis on her belly and behind.
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I'll be sure to put her up for sale or trade later on. Maybe someone would like to become her guardian  .
If no-one does, I'll put her in my box of "Ponies that are better off customaded"  . Maybe I'll make a true warhorse out of her *nods*.

This brings me to another victim. Blue Belle. She'll need a lot of love to become pretty again.
It may be possible that she is a "Nirvana" (?). I can't make out the marks on her feet. The only think I can make out (though barely) is the '82 and the "end" of Pat. Pend. on her right front hoove. All the markings seem to have been "whiped" away.
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Comparing this to other ponies, this also could be an ITALY pony. But next to the ITALY pony I have, she looks frightendly pale.
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Also, her body feels like a chewtoy. It's so squishy, unlike any other pony I've had in my hands.
I can squeeze her easily. Does boiling a pony do that?
Though no matter how I look at her, she looks even coloured. Even the same colour on her insides.
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But I still can't figure out what kind of Blue Belle this is.
She's not white, nor grey as she looks in the pictures. But she as a bit of a yellow-ish colour over her. Not nicotine-like, just a glow. A hint.

I held her mark next to her ITALY and HongKong sisters and they just don't match!
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And finally there is this weird thing with her eyes. They've been painted neatly. But in a dark purple colour.
Also her left and right eye don't match. They're not the same. One is more Animé-like while the other is straight.
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This has been puzzling me ever since I got her (she was in the same batch as CC was).

Does anyone have any idea who this Blue Belle is exactly?

[nhal039]

oh check in the nirvana section before restoring her. I dont know much about greeks but I think they dont have markings (the are worth a ton too)? mexicans dont have markings either... and I recall mexicans being soft plastic...
Gees how do you come up with all these nirvanas lol

Post Merge: May 18, 2012, 02:38:31 AM

oh my I just saw here eyes they look airbrushed (airbrushed eyes increase the price of a pony about 5 times over ; )
She could be an argie? I forgot they dont always have markings but I honsetly think she is greek
 
This link might help http://mylittlewiki.org/wiki/File:Blue_greek_bluebelle.JPG

[NoDivision]

I'm not great with nirvanas but that definitely looks like a greek bluebell to me, from the eyes.

[Darth Delicious]

*gulps* Wow, I never knew I had such treasure in my presence!
Thanks nhal039!
With that link I came across a Greek Blue Belle and she matches this Blue Belle perfectly!
Including the sign, colours ánd the mismatch in the eyes!
So yeah, you're right NoDivision! 
heh... even with the pinkness around her sign  . I think that's the paint of the signs that has been sucked up by the soft rubber. It's probably impossible to remove  .
Another mystery solved! *cheers happily*
It's gonna be a challenge to fix her up again. But of what I've read sofar it will darn well be worth it!
I actually have loads of ITALY ponies. Somehow, I find them easier to get by then the HongKong versions with the pretty glittersymbols.

Okay, next victim. Seashell ITALY. She's not in a very bad shape actually. Well, her body isn't. Except for some writing on it *waves fist at Francesca for writing on the pony*. I don't know who the person is, but that's what's written on one of Seashell's sides.
She also has cut hairs and it's frizzled, but I have high hopes for this one.
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My main problem is... how do I remove that writing? If I can't remove that writing my high hopes will crash quickly.
Sunbathing isn't an option as far as I read. As she is purple/lavender and I expect it to fade terribly if I was to give her a sunbath.
It appears to be written on with a pen. So it's most probably ink.
Anyone?

I have a couple more victims left, but at this point I have to go.
Thanks sofar everyone!
I'll keep you posted on the restaurations ofcourse.

*waves*

[NoDivision]

sunfading is really your only option with pen marks like that.

[skyrocketneko]

Wow, congrats on your Greek! The only thing you can do for Seashell would be sun fading. I would leave her hair, it doesn't look bad.

[Starly]

Holy crow, she looks like Snuzzle!  I have no advice, but i wish you the best of luck.  That is one poor pony!

I didn't realize she wasn't a Snuzzle until I read your comment O.o

Ditto..

[Darth Delicious]

Hmm. Okay. Well. If sunfading is the only chance of removing that writing... then that's what I'll have to do!
I'll go prep her now  .