Moving

[DancingPhoenix]

I'm starting to box up stuff in my pony/craft room because we'll be showing our house soon to sell. I know many people on here store ponies and have moved with them, but I am not sure how to go about it. I have lots of different sized bins and containers, and some ponies can certainly be put in a pile in one container and be okay but some of the ones that are cleaned and styled and on display are what I'm worried about. How do you store ponies to move them without any damage to the pony? Do you just line them up next to each other on one level? Is there a way to stack them?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. My ponies are what I am most concerned about for the move haha

[Rhubarbpie]

Personally, I would either wrap the ponies in plain white tissue paper or put them in zip-lock baggies. I'd also maybe do something with their hair, where possible, put them in neck and leg curls for the journey so they are nice and neat looking when you unwrap them. Obviously if they have their own shop/factory curls then preserve them as best as possible.  With accessories, it largely depends on how you store/display them. I have a darling G3 jewelry box I use for my styling supplies, barrettes and combs/brushes. I'd simply masking tape the drawers shut and its ready to go, my other pony accessories are already in zip-lock baggies and would be ready to go also.

What ever you do, don't use newspaper to wrap your ponies in, maybe to pad out the boxes after wrapping your ponies in tissue or bagging them, but not to touch paper to pony, the ink would come off on your ponies  and might not wash off!!

And good luck with the move!!

[bbassel]

If it is possible I would take the ponies with you personally in the car/vehicle. I have heard horror stories about moving companies and for your own piece of mind you can visually know they are being cared for correctly. Good luck with your move : ) an idea I like is to get rubber totes that are see through and only one pony deep. It would get pricey but you would have themfor future storing purposes and then the ponies can be lined up neatly without their hair getting mussedand you can still see them at the same tim : )

[MoonStars]

Depending how fussy you want to be about the ponies with the styled hair, etc, and depending on your funds, you could get some of those Glad (or whatever brand they are) plastic food storage containers at the grocery store, and store them singley. You'd have to determine what size containers that would at once have enough space to fit the pony, but not so much that they move around easily inside them, then pack them with tissue paper around  their hair (and perhaps inside the curls, somehow).

[scarletjul]

When we remodeled and I had to store my ponies, I boxed them in layers in under the bed sized storage containers with sheets of bubble wrap between each layer.  It worked really well.  Just be careful and take your time. 

[FantasticFirefly]

Mine are in fold top bags, then wrapped in tissue, packed in corrugate cartons by year. You can use tissue to hold legs apart as well for poses that smoosh, and pad around horns etc.


How large is your collection? If it's a big collection keep a log of what is going in each box and write some kind of code on each box. Collections tend to be one of the last things we unpack when moving house, so it's helpful to know via a log sheet and codes that all boxes did indeed arrive from point A to point B safely.

[Unicorn_pops]

I really suggest the zip lock bags too. I stored a baby MO pearlized pony and she stuck to another common pony Ended up having to replace both because it pulled the paint off her. Temperature control is something else you need to think about.

[babystarz]

Stacking ponies can cause wonky legs and dents, so don't stack beyond one row with another on top and plenty of padding in between!

[hathorcat]

Are you just needing to pack them to move? There is a big difference between packing them to store them for an extended period and packing them just for a week or so in order to move home.

For me one of the key things is dont pack too many rows on top of one another in a box - 2 at a max. Pony plastic is soft as you know and a little weight or pressure on it and it will distort. For this reason I also recommend using acid free tissue paper or even uncoloured toilet roll [as long as you get a reasonable brand] to pad between legs and around anything which could get out of shape - such as horns.

Even if just moving make sure you put something between each pony. Plastic sweats and can "stick" to one another at best and "stain" one another at worst. A wrap around of each in tissue paper protects individual ponies as well as those around them. Be careful if you use baggies for an extended period - plastic needs to breath so if you do put them in zip lock bags leave the bags open and check them with regularity in case the plastic starts to stick to the bag.   

Good luck with your move!

[Enolaalone]

I'm a terrible person, I just put all mine in a big box  They didn't stay in the box for a huge amount of time though and it did not get even remotely warm here. I don't think you need to panic a lot if you're moving rather than storing them for a long time as Hathorcat said, but I have a very laissez faire attitude to my ponies that you might not agree with. 

[FantasticFirefly]

Oh, hathorcat brought up a great point. I didn't specify which tissue I use, but yes- it is acid free. you don't want something leaving yellowed stains. NO coloured or decorative tissue! I also only use the fold top bags, they are open on one end and breathe more but I also use a hole punch to add extra holes for more breath-ability because mine are being stored on a more long term basis.

For very huge collections though (I have at least 30 big cartons) write down what exactly is going into each box, and code each box, and keep the sheet handy that lists where everything us. When we buy our retirement house and move from this one I also plan to use unusually coloured packing tape to seal each box so I can tell right away if anything got tampered with, and when I sent my collection here my name and phone-number was at the top and bottom of each box should any have gotten lost, there would be no excuses as to not finding the proper owner. I've heard many stories over the years of a collection arriving with one or two boxes missing and the collector not noticing until much later.

[DancingPhoenix]

Oh wow so much to keep in mind! We're not 100% sure when we'll be moving yet (haven't picked a new place) but aside from my more special ponies I think most will have to stay in storage for a while. I myself am saving up to move across the country so I'm not sure how long I'll even be in our new house before moving again. I'm with my parents right now due to a few things that have gone on in my life, but I want to get out on my own again ASAP!

I'm going to use plastic storage bins to put them in, and yeah probably won't stack them. Acid-free tissue paper is indeed an important detail I will keep in mind. I don't think I'll put them in individual plastic bags, unless I think the pony might have mold or something that could spread during transit. I'll probably use shredded paper or something to fill in extra spaces and make sure they are secure. I'm in Minnesota so I don't think heat will be much of an issue, it does get hot in the summer but even then I will definitely keep my ponies close by and they won't stay "outside" or in a car for too long. Honestly the only thing I'm willing to let movers touch is my furniture! I'm very picky about my possessions

[hathorcat]

If you are keeping them for a long time in plastic storage bins with lids - you should add in a couple of silica gel packs and even punch a couple of small holes in the walls of the box at the top to keep everything breathable.

[FantasticFirefly]

If you are keeping them for a long time in plastic storage bins with lids - you should add in a couple of silica gel packs and even punch a couple of small holes in the walls of the box at the top to keep everything breathable.

Agree with the breathability.

Will you be renting storage at some point? If you do, get a climate controlled unit. the ones that are not can cause serious damage. It's also better for any artwork or upholstery, fabric and wood in furniture too.

[Kiwi]

when we moved a few months ago, I put my ponies into ziplock baggies (at least until I ran out, so I had some of one tub that were just loose). They all went into storage tubs as is, in their baggies. They all survived the move just fine.

And they were ok on the truck, but the truck was our own rental, with hired movers. But we were right close with them and helping to unload the truck. Actually, all of my pony tubs fit nicely in 2 rows at the very front of the truck - what UHaul calls the "mom's attic" - it's the part that sticks out over the cab.