Secret wish is sticky and discolored?

[aquamarinemolly]

Thanks for sharing this info, Glitterbelle is on my wish list

[FantasticFirefly]

I think I only have one of these left now. My sister may have one too, I'm not sure, but her ponies are away. I didn't know about the discolouration issue until about last year when people on here were talking about it and when I knew that I got my G3 down and extracted my pony - which I'm pretty sure is also Secret Wish - and sat her on my desk so she couldn't stickify or hurt any of the other G3 ponies.

She's still there and as yet no discolouration, though she was a little sticky when I got her out, she's fine at the moment. It made me wonder 2 things.

#1 whether exposure to air actually helps to delay the sticky or not
#2 whether the cooler British climate has anything to do with her not breaking down as fast as some others.

In which case, there may be something in working out how to postpone this as long as possible. From what FantasticFirefly said, it sounds like temp is a factor.

Of course if it's random pot luck, that's another matter, but it might be interesting to work out if there is a pattern with the speed of breakdown vs temperature and storage. When I got my Secret Wish out she had no sign of discolouration or glitter loss and she still doesn't, but the fact she was a little sticky does make me wonder.

My Queen Sunsparkle is also sticky, but also hasn't discoloured.

None of my G1 sparkle ponies have any issues whatsoever. Not that I'm sure they ever get this issue, but I know they can discolour.

If she's sticky, the process has started. How hot can your storage area get at it's peak? I keep recommending hygrometers (one that displays both temp and RH) to collectors, they are excellent little tools to monitor conditions.

UV, and HEAT will cause plastics to degrade. These are delicate so it happens much faster is all. Some things like the divine shine become the canary in the coal mine and can serve as a warning conditions need to change before other pieces follow.
Heat is a HUGE enemy. Our climate is cooler too and I managed to find a really pretty Secret Wish 3 years ago that was stored in someone's basement since she was bought new.

[True]

That's just another reason why I wonder how mine got so bad? I remember getting her in a bait lot, and she was PINK when I got her. I put her in the bait bin with all the others and forgot about her. My baits are all stored in my room/basement, inside one of those plastic drawer bins? (dunno what to actually call them xD) and THAT bin unit is inside a metal cabinet, so it's dark and cool all year round. Its just baffling lol.

I have had her sitting on my desk since I re-discovered her, and she's definitely not "slimy" sticky like she was when I found her, but she does feel grimy, like maybe she needs a bath, I haven't washed her or done anything at all with her besides pull her out. so maybe a bath WOULD make her feel normal, for a bit, but I guess I'm kinda just curious to find out what happens to her if she sits out for a while.

Do you think a FBR would get spoiled down the road for a pony like this?

[Taxel]

The process probably started before you even got her, or that line is just so bad it doesn't matter what conditions are (and could be better/worse in different batches).

As far as airing out goes, I don't know what makes it help but it does work! My grandma was looking through her stored dolls (stored in a garage out in the Mojave Desert - AKA the place where I got into a 120 degree car once) and noticed one was sticky. Probably from plasticizer leak but she had no way to know that. She gave the poor thing a quick wash and leaves her out of the boxes now. The stickiness went away and hasn't returned so far.

I think once plasticizer leak starts you're out of luck with customs. Unless you want to wait years for the process to finish and the pony to turn rock hard. I don't know how well those ponies accept paint and sealant though. I imagine rehairing would be a huge pain, though I don't know for sure

[Cadence]

Out of curiosity, is it even safe to handle them once the plasticizers start to break down? (ie. exposure to toxins) And would using a coat of nail polish/varnish/acrylic polymer medium gloss etc. prevent this breakdown on divine shines that are still okay?

[Taxel]

I would call plasticizer leaking ponies dangerous, to a degree. I'd never allow a child or animal near them. But I don't think mild touching (enough to clean them off etc) would be harmful to an adult. Just gotta use common sense - wash hands after, don't lick em, etc.

I would absolutely NOT introduce any more chemicals to the mix, ever. I'm pretty sure nail polish isn't good for ponies anyways. This is a process you can't really avoid. You either have to throw away the toy or whatever (this isn't a pony problem; its a soft plastic problem), find someone else who'll take it, or wait it out.

You can apply baby powder to help soak it up. I have a doll leaking plasticizer and I apply baby powder every so often. I washed her with Dawn, did a thick baby powder coat, washed it off, and now just keep her coated decently inside and out until it stops. It could take years.

[Cadence]

Great tips, thanks for sharing, Taxel! I'd definitely do that with gloves just to be safe!!