What's wrong with Tex?

[S.o.a.r.]

I've had this poor Tex in a Ziploc bag for the past 2-3 years because I've been afraid that he can "infect" other ponies with possible cancer. So today when I went over my MLP collection I decide to take a picture and ask you guys what you think...

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[hathorcat]

It can be hard to tell for certain from a picture unfortunately; it does kind of look like an age mark but it could also just be a faded out/bleeding pen mark [black pen marks will turn a dark brown over time]. Either way, its not going to spread to another pony and you are fine to display Tex with the other ponies. You could try sun fading the mark to see if that will remove it over time - that would prove its a pen mark - and if it doesnt move you havent done any damage to Tex.

[achab1984]

I have one also and he has a stop in the same spot. But mine feels like its a bump when you run your figure over it.

[Thunderwing]

Not contagious, don't worry. Doesn't look like mold, and 'cancer' (VDS) spots are not contagious anyway. They are spots left as the plastic degrades.

[S.o.a.r.]

It can be hard to tell for certain from a picture unfortunately; it does kind of look like an age mark but it could also just be a faded out/bleeding pen mark [black pen marks will turn a dark brown over time]. Either way, its not going to spread to another pony and you are fine to display Tex with the other ponies. You could try sun fading the mark to see if that will remove it over time - that would prove its a pen mark - and if it doesnt move you havent done any damage to Tex.

The mark feels like a tiny bump and he has a slightly smaller mark on the other side, also a tiny bump. But the discoloration might be disappear when sun fading? Won't Tex symbol/hair fade too?

[Ianthe99]

wrap everything ,except the mark, with tinfoil. Keeps the rest from fading

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Oh the Big Brothers get age spots all the time - that's what that looks like.    Funnily enough my childhood Tex has marks in the same spot but I played with him on hot asphalt so he's stained with tar. 

[hathorcat]

It can be hard to tell for certain from a picture unfortunately; it does kind of look like an age mark but it could also just be a faded out/bleeding pen mark [black pen marks will turn a dark brown over time]. Either way, its not going to spread to another pony and you are fine to display Tex with the other ponies. You could try sun fading the mark to see if that will remove it over time - that would prove its a pen mark - and if it doesnt move you havent done any damage to Tex.

The mark feels like a tiny bump and he has a slightly smaller mark on the other side, also a tiny bump. But the discoloration might be disappear when sun fading? Won't Tex symbol/hair fade too?

If you can feel a bump where the mark is then its probably plastic deterioration caused by an imperfection at time of manufacture. Basically the plastic when moulded would have had a tiny bubble in it which perhaps a spec of dirt or some other foreign body got inside. Over the years that bit of plastic has less integrity than the rest of the body as well as an object within it. So you get the plastic around it breaking down and leaving the little raised bump. If that is what it is, unfortunately sunfading may not work as its the physical plastic which is breaking down and changing colour.

However if it is a surface stain as a result of something else then sunfading it will help. His hair would take some time to fade but he has a bit of a light coloured symbol as it is and, therefore, yes that can fade quite fast. When sun fading you need to cover up all of the pony except for the mark you are fading - wrap him in tinfoil [sorry I cant remember if you call it something else in North America - maybe baking foil? *needs ponylady for my UK to US translation guide] and then pop him in the sun for a while. Monitor him carefully.

[S.o.a.r.]

It can be hard to tell for certain from a picture unfortunately; it does kind of look like an age mark but it could also just be a faded out/bleeding pen mark [black pen marks will turn a dark brown over time]. Either way, its not going to spread to another pony and you are fine to display Tex with the other ponies. You could try sun fading the mark to see if that will remove it over time - that would prove its a pen mark - and if it doesnt move you havent done any damage to Tex.

The mark feels like a tiny bump and he has a slightly smaller mark on the other side, also a tiny bump. But the discoloration might be disappear when sun fading? Won't Tex symbol/hair fade too?

If you can feel a bump where the mark is then its probably plastic deterioration caused by an imperfection at time of manufacture. Basically the plastic when moulded would have had a tiny bubble in it which perhaps a spec of dirt or some other foreign body got inside. Over the years that bit of plastic has less integrity than the rest of the body as well as an object within it. So you get the plastic around it breaking down and leaving the little raised bump. If that is what it is, unfortunately sunfading may not work as its the physical plastic which is breaking down and changing colour.

However if it is a surface stain as a result of something else then sunfading it will help. His hair would take some time to fade but he has a bit of a light coloured symbol as it is and, therefore, yes that can fade quite fast. When sun fading you need to cover up all of the pony except for the mark you are fading - wrap him in tinfoil [sorry I cant remember if you call it something else in North America - maybe baking foil? *needs ponylady for my UK to US translation guide] and then pop him in the sun for a while. Monitor him carefully.

Thank you all for this useful information and the suggestions! I'll start with trying to sunfade the spot and wrap Tex up carefully in lots of tinfoil! Hopefully that will help and if it doesn't, I'll most likely look to buy another Tex in slightly better condition.