Is there such a thing as Party Time withOUT regrind??

[DappledHazel]

I don't own Party Time but I have one picture of Party Time without regrind.. There were some others but they were re-coloured... What is regrind exactly? I know they are colorful spots (usually pink.), but what are they..?

[LadyMoondancer]

Regrind is the result of old plastic being melted in with the new plastic during their creation.   

[BlushingBlue]

What is regrind exactly? I know they are colorful spots (usually pink.), but what are they..?

What we call "regrind" is an unfortunate side-effect of recycling plastics as part of MLP production. They take plastic scraps from the molding process, grind them back down into little bits (hence the name), and mix them with "fresh" plastic to create more ponies. While it seems like a good idea from a financial and environmental standpoint, the "old" plastic loses some of its ability to retain dyes by being reused in this manner. Over time, some of the color will leach out, often leaving a bright pink pigment as the last color standing.

However, not all pink spots are regrind. In regrind situations, the signature pink is what's left over after the degradation, so only ponies who originally had that pink in their color formulation (e.g. Party Time's orange, Cloud Puff's purple) will show pink splotches from regrind. Bright pink marks on a yellow or white pony may look similar, but that's from contact with outside dyes, not from regrind.

[missjennicakes]

I have 2 Party Time's one of them looks regrind free and the other just has some pink on one hoof. I've never looked at them under a black light or anything though
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[brighteyes]

In some ways I think I'd rather have a Party Time that already has regrind.  Then at least you aren't always afraid the inevitable will happen and she'll one day get it.

At least the hot pink doesn't show up TOO much on the orange.

I have to agree with this. I got my Party Time post regrind and once I learned what the mysterious spots were I wasn't as bummed out about her being "marked up" especially since it's an issue that effect ALL of them and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

I"m unsure how bright her original color was but mine doesn't seem to have AS many pinkish/yellow blotches on her, even in bright light. It's only a matter of time, though.

I agree as well.  I don't think I could handle having a perfect Party Time.   Every time I looked at her I'd be looking for new regrind to appear rather than appreciating her as she is.  Cloud Puff is like this too, though not as bad I think.  I do have a perfect Cloud Puff (at least she was when I put her in storage last year so who knows if she still is).  I also have one that's entirely pink LOL

[DappledHazel]

I have 2 Party Time's one of them looks regrind free and the other just has some pink on one hoof. I've never looked at them under a black light or anything though
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That's cool 

[LadyMoondancer]

I have (had? I think I still have her) a Cloud Puff that's almost entirely pink.  I actually think she looks prettier that way.

Lily is another one who gets regrind really bad, I'm always finding splotchy versions of her.

[NigheanRuadh]

However, not all pink spots are regrind. In regrind situations, the signature pink is what's left over after the degradation, so only ponies who originally had that pink in their color formulation (e.g. Party Time's orange, Cloud Puff's purple) will show pink splotches from regrind. Bright pink marks on a yellow or white pony may look similar, but that's from contact with outside dyes, not from regrind.

Thanks for this.  I noticed pink splotches on a Sundance that I got the other day and immediately thought they were regrind.  Now I know that they aren't. 

[flyawayraven]

Regrind tends to be most common on ponies that have red in their dye, hence pink and orange ponies being more susceptible to it.

[Shimmer Mist]

In some ways I think I'd rather have a Party Time that already has regrind.  Then at least you aren't always afraid the inevitable will happen and she'll one day get it.

At least the hot pink doesn't show up TOO much on the orange.

I have to agree with this. I got my Party Time post regrind and once I learned what the mysterious spots were I wasn't as bummed out about her being "marked up" especially since it's an issue that effect ALL of them and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

I"m unsure how bright her original color was but mine doesn't seem to have AS many pinkish/yellow blotches on her, even in bright light. It's only a matter of time, though.

I agree as well.  I don't think I could handle having a perfect Party Time.   Every time I looked at her I'd be looking for new regrind to appear rather than appreciating her as she is.  Cloud Puff is like this too, though not as bad I think.  I do have a perfect Cloud Puff (at least she was when I put her in storage last year so who knows if she still is).  I also have one that's entirely pink LOL

Here's hoping she's still perfect!

Now I'm curious. Does Party Time turn completely pink or has her regrind always just been spotty?

[Baby Mischief]

I'll take regrind over pvc breakdown anyday of the week.

Gah! So many things to worry about!! What exactly is pvc breakdown?

[reanna-mator]

No

And anyone who claims otherwise...pop your PT in a bright light or under a black light and be prepared.

LOL - this pony may be the one that makes me bitter.

Haha, I think I can vouch for this. I've been going crazy looking! What is it, the color used in the plastic?

[hathorcat]

However, not all pink spots are regrind. In regrind situations, the signature pink is what's left over after the degradation, so only ponies who originally had that pink in their color formulation (e.g. Party Time's orange, Cloud Puff's purple) will show pink splotches from regrind. Bright pink marks on a yellow or white pony may look similar, but that's from contact with outside dyes, not from regrind.

Thanks for this.  I noticed pink splotches on a Sundance that I got the other day and immediately thought they were regrind.  Now I know that they aren't. 

I think we get confused with terminology. Regrind in ponies is not really an accurate description is just something we have come to use as a handy term. In the plastics industry a lot of time manufacturers use "jazz" polymers which are essentially recycled plastics. Typically you see these mostly in harder plastics rather than soft unless you are making something that does not require a high level of manufacture. In something as cheap and mass market as a toy being made in 80s Hong Kong and China I dont doubt they did use jazz at some point but they wont have used something a different colour - jazz is typically black or grey in colour. While I do believe a lot of what we see is as a result of poor quality polymers and additives in the mix, the pink colour is a result of it rather than actually being the colour of the recycled plastic. It is also the same thing as age marks...its just that it has cottoned its own name over the years when it appears in this colour.

Often the pink "regrind" spots we see on ponies like Party Time are the same thing as what some people here call "vinyl deterioration". Look very close to the centre of the "regrind" marks and you will see that they sometimes have the same dark centre, fading outwards appearance of "age marks". Sometimes under a black light  you will even see a very dark spot at the centre...again like age marks. The different colours of ponies (with their different blends and pigments) show us the same thing in different ways - on white ponies we see brown marks, on blue ponies we often see white marks and on pink ponies we see bright pink marks..its all the same thing. However, depending on what has caused the issue we can see different effects on different ponies. I have had a lot of Sundances and Blossoms over the years with random pink marks which are not removable, they are part of the plastic rather than a surface stain.

[Sweet_Stuff]

Good explanation, Cat!

::now contemplates finding a 'perfect' Sweet Stuff::   

[BlushingBlue]

I think we get confused with terminology. Regrind in ponies is not really an accurate description is just something we have come to use as a handy term. In the plastics industry a lot of time manufacturers use "jazz" polymers which are essentially recycled plastics. Typically you see these mostly in harder plastics rather than soft unless you are making something that does not require a high level of manufacture. In something as cheap and mass market as a toy being made in 80s Hong Kong and China I dont doubt they did use jazz at some point but they wont have used something a different colour - jazz is typically black or grey in colour. While I do believe a lot of what we see is as a result of poor quality polymers and additives in the mix, the pink colour is a result of it rather than actually being the colour of the recycled plastic. It is also the same thing as age marks...its just that it has cottoned its own name over the years when it appears in this colour.

Often the pink "regrind" spots we see on ponies like Party Time are the same thing as what some people here call "vinyl deterioration". Look very close to the centre of the "regrind" marks and you will see that they sometimes have the same dark centre, fading outwards appearance of "age marks". Sometimes under a black light  you will even see a very dark spot at the centre...again like age marks. The different colours of ponies (with their different blends and pigments) show us the same thing in different ways - on white ponies we see brown marks, on blue ponies we often see white marks and on pink ponies we see bright pink marks..its all the same thing. However, depending on what has caused the issue we can see different effects on different ponies. I have had a lot of Sundances and Blossoms over the years with random pink marks which are not removable, they are part of the plastic rather than a surface stain.

Haha, yeah, sorry if it seemed like I was implying the recycled pvc itself was originally bright pink. It's hard to walk the line between being clear and not getting too terribly geeky about it; I often fall off one side or the other. But now that you bring it up, what you said about jazz is really interesting. I've not heard of jazz being grey or black, only the multicolor "jazzy" kind. I remember when I did "community service" at the recycling center (as if having a bunch of grade-schoolers around can be considered helping ) and we each got to take home a handful of jazz. Very exciting stuff to get exotic "trash confetti"! If industries today are only using black and grey jazz, that raises a lot of questions. Doesn't separation by color cut into the already razor-thin margins of plastics recycling? What on earth is being done with all the other colors? Can it really still be called jazz if it's just black/grey?

Anyway! Stomping back down on the geekiness!

You bring up a good point that, like how not all pink spots in all ponies are "regrind", not all "regrind" can be traced back to actual regrind as a primary culprit. For those ponies that are prone to developing the dreaded pink, any metaphorical chink in the armor can get the process underway. (And likewise for other ponies who have their own signature syndromes. Lookin' at you, Chief!) It's a funny quirk of metonymy how the "regrind" effect has become synonymous with the/a cause in pony jargon, but I personally can't think of a better term for it. "Degradation" just sounds so... degrading!