Question about Big Brothers

[Sugar]

Oh hai, everypony!

I bought a very pretty Chief off a seller on Etsy.  He's just gorgeous, all white and shiny, just one tiny darkish spot I think I can sunfade off his NDS belly side... but he's solid.  I mean, he's hollow like a pony ought to be, but his plastic isn't the squooshy Pony plastic I'm used to.  He's more like a hard plastic toy of another type.  I had a Tex at one point, but I can't remember if he was squooshy or solid...  Did Hasbro make the Big Brothers out of a different plastic, or is this some kind of weird ageing-plastic thing?  Could any other Chief or Big Brother owners weigh in on this?  Although I've gotta say, it's just curiosity motivating this - he's so splendid, I don't think I'll ever turn him loose from my herd.

[BabyIceCrystal]

It's a plastic aging thing. It means his plastisizor has leeched out and probebly evaporated. That's the process that makes some ponies sticky. Just in case, I would suggest pulling his head off (hot water to temporarily soften him and lots of work) and checking his insides. Sometimes the plastisizor ends up coating the inside in stickiness which in turn attracts plenty of bacteria and mold and could lead to cancer if left in there over time. If he does turn out to be sticky, no worries, a little Dawn dishsoap and a pipecleaner or small bottle brush will do the trick.

[partypony566]

That's some good advice right there!

[kittybethy]

Exactly, the plastic gets really hard over time.

 I'm afraid that your boy is showing his age.

[NovelNerd]

Hehe I remember someone mentioning these things to me. I would like to know are brothers prone to this happening a bit more quickly than others? Almost every brother I've brought for my wife has reached this "hard" stage. It just seems weird that they would do that so quickly and so few of my girls would be like that.

Congrats though on Chief!

[Sugar]

Thanks, everypony!   I'm truly happy to have him, even if he is harder than the ladies in my herd.  (Oh dear...  Must not make naughty comments... must not make naughty comments...  )

@ BabyIceCrystal:  Thank you for the excellent advice!  I actually did get his head off (just call me henrietta the eighth?  Orf wiv 'is 'ead!) with not too much trouble - hot water then acetone-soaked dental floss did the trick - and gave him a good washout.  He seems okay, but I'll keep an eye on that just in case.  Do you know if those silica gel packets inside might keep any bacterial nastiness at bay?  Just wondering...

@ anypony:  So this is what'll happen to all our ponies, given enough time?  'Cause as different as it is, it's not an unpleasant development; Chief seems pretty sturdy now.  At least they won't go all brittle or somesuch... I hope?

[tiktok]

Might be that Big Brothers harden more readily. They do seem to be made of slightly thicker plastic than the ladies. My 4-Speed is rock solid. I desperately need to get his head off once and for all, since he probably has gone sticky on the inside.

Daddy Bright Bouquet arrived yesterday with his family and is quite soft and squishy, though. Hmm. I wish I had more boys.

[hathorcat]

Yup as Baby Ice Crystal says its just that his plasticiser has leaked

You could certainly pop a silica pack inside him but thats for absorbing and keeping a moisture balance - it wont work to absorb chemicals such as plasticisers or bromides. If you have cleaned him out and made sure he isnt still sticky in anyway, I would just pop his head back on and keep an eye on him

[Enolaalone]

Hehe I remember someone mentioning these things to me. I would like to know are brothers prone to this happening a bit more quickly than others? Almost every brother I've brought for my wife has reached this "hard" stage. It just seems weird that they would do that so quickly and so few of my girls would be like that.

Congrats though on Chief!

Yes I think they are, and also prone to cancer I have just acquired a Tex who also appears to be covered in smooze. I haven't tried cleaning him yet though.

[hathorcat]

Hehe I remember someone mentioning these things to me. I would like to know are brothers prone to this happening a bit more quickly than others? Almost every brother I've brought for my wife has reached this "hard" stage. It just seems weird that they would do that so quickly and so few of my girls would be like that.

Congrats though on Chief!

It could simply be that the density of the plastic is such that it happens quicker but I think its just that within the set there are a handful of ponies that its more common with rather than the set as a whole

Age spots/cancer is common in 4 Speed, Quarterback and Chief but likewise its common in Gingerbread and Angel but we wouldnt say its common to all TEs...so I think it simply has a high preponderance of it it in some ponies within one set. Lol...I hope that makes sense

[Sugar]

Aw, crumbs.

I just checked on Chief's insides after that washout, and he's all sticky.  Blech.

Looks like he's back to the spa for an intensive scrubdown with Dawn!   (Yay, more spa tonight!)

[Hunter-Rose]

My first G1 was Salty and he is hard as a rock, (fell on my knee and left a bruise hard  ) so it was strange getting ponies that squished. I have a Tex as well now and he smishes a little bit but he is still pretty hard, so I'm guessing that it is pretty common with them 

[hathorcat]

My first G1 was Salty and he is hard as a rock, (fell on my knee and left a bruise hard  ) so it was strange getting ponies that squished. I have a Tex as well now and he smishes a little bit but he is still pretty hard, so I'm guessing that it is pretty common with them 

Lol? Really? I assume he must have fallen from a great distance? he he he

[Hunter-Rose]

Relatively high, I was standing up and everything, I have no idea how he did it! 

[Jinxxy]

Yes. The boys get hard easily.  >.>