Recent purchased G1 ponies and hard plastic

[zombie85chick]

I recently purchased a lot of ponies on ebay. They're incredibly dirty but I noticed a couple of them are hard. Unusually hard plastic. Is this normal? What can cause this? I apologize but I don't know how to search for this and Google search yielded no answers.

[Khayman81]

I don't know why. But I've had the same problem. A Masquerade I bought was unusually hard on the belly and legs. And others were smooth and soft... maybe it is some kind of plastic getting old thing.

[lostpony]

PVC which ponies are made from is hard plastic...ponies are made soft by the addition of a "plasticizer" which is the stuff that leaks out gradually over time and gives that certain unpleasant smell when they've been stored a long time, which we then scrub off when we get them and restore either a neutral smell, that nice pony smell or sometimes their special scent when we're lucky and they still have it. 

If the plasticizer is depleted, the pony will be less soft.  I'm still new and I don't know much about what the plasticizer substance actually is but some members here know quite a lot about such things so search and/or ask around if you want to know more.

I have a Fire Chief that I boiled for days as part of an experiment in dealing with pony cancer ("age spots") and he's real hard now when he's at room temperature.  At some point in the future when ponies are a lot older it might be hard to find them still soft.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

As Lostpony said, a pony becomes hard as a rock when the plasticizer "leaks".
It's something that happens randomly with some soft toys for any number of reasons, mostly just age though.
One of the signs of this is that the pony becomes sticky.

[tulagirl]

Yes it is normal.  I have several ponies that way.  Especially my Paradise Babies.  They are like rocks.  I don't mind it though.

[Clipper]

some where made that way.. I know my flower fantasy flowerbelle was hard as a rock as a kid.. I've never found a soft version of her ever.. Also twinkle eyed ponies you can find both versions. I think it is possible over time they could turn hard from the plasticizer leaking.. But I really think that some batches of ponies were made this way..

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Like Clipper says, some were prone to it.  And some just get this way.... part of aging...

[FarDreamer]

It's probably better once it's all leached out.  Plasticiser isn't healthy for you, especially when it's actively leaching and the pony is sticky.

[lostpony]

Some G3s are definitely made hard to begin with.

There is really a manufactured hard version of some Twinkle Eyed ponies???  Wow I need those right NOW

I personally like them rock hard and stable in particular but I would see having no soft ones as a loss.  I know some here feel strongly that soft ponies are important to preserve.

Someday soft ones will become rare.  Future archaeologists might judge the level of our development on whether our ponies were soft enough, but they will have to speculate and disagree because none of the pony fossils will have any plasticizer left in them to be sure.  Har har har.

[Foxtale]

some where made that way.. I know my flower fantasy flowerbelle was hard as a rock as a kid.. I've never found a soft version of her ever.. Also twinkle eyed ponies you can find both versions. I think it is possible over time they could turn hard from the plasticizer leaking.. But I really think that some batches of ponies were made this way..

I've always wondered about the TE ponies. There were some that no matter how many of that pony I have they are always hard. I assumed it had something to do with the ability to put the eyes in the pony and have them stay that way. If they were soft it might have been hard to get the eyes to work?

[lostpony]

I found two styles of the eyes in TE ponies...the first ones have a lot of glue on a gem that looks the same on the inside as the outside (Masquerade) and the later ones have a gem that is much larger underneath and stays put without need of glue (Bright Eyes).  I think, but don't know, that these are the only two types.

I don't think keeping the eyes in dictates a need for harder plastic but they do seem to have a thicker more luxuriant material than for example CP (collector pose) ponies. 

Which TEs do you have that are always hard?  I have maybe a third of them so far and must have missed that one...

[Foxtale]

I would have to dig through my collection to check but I don't think i have a soft Party Time (but that pony has its own issues with the colors changing) (I have about 4) or Sweet Stuff (I have about 3).  I have not checked out the glue for the eyes that closely on them.

Next time I get my TE's together I am going to have to document this

[Emberly]

I would have to dig through my collection to check but I don't think i have a soft Party Time (but that pony has its own issues with the colors changing) (I have about 4) or Sweet Stuff (I have about 3).  I have not checked out the glue for the eyes that closely on them.

Next time I get my TE's together I am going to have to document this

I actually had a very soft Party Time, buttery soft. She also had no regrind beside a small spot, and a vivid pink stripe.

Unfortunately, about  40% of her body was covered in sharpie. I tried to bleach it, and she came out with regrind AND hard!

[Clipper]

Gingerbread, Sky Rocket, Sweet Stuff are ones that come to mind that can be found super hard. Weird how they are all in the same poses.

I found two styles of the eyes in TE ponies...the first ones have a lot of glue on a gem that looks the same on the inside as the outside (Masquerade) and the later ones have a gem that is much larger underneath and stays put without need of glue (Bright Eyes).  I think, but don't know, that these are the only two types.

I don't think keeping the eyes in dictates a need for harder plastic but they do seem to have a thicker more luxuriant material than for example CP (collector pose) ponies. 

Which TEs do you have that are always hard?  I have maybe a third of them so far and must have missed that one...

[LunaMoonCustoms1212]

PVC which ponies are made from is hard plastic...ponies are made soft by the addition of a "plasticizer" which is the stuff that leaks out gradually over time and gives that certain unpleasant smell when they've been stored a long time, which we then scrub off when we get them and restore either a neutral smell, that nice pony smell or sometimes their special scent when we're lucky and they still have it. 

If the plasticizer is depleted, the pony will be less soft.  I'm still new and I don't know much about what the plasticizer substance actually is but some members here know quite a lot about such things so search and/or ask around if you want to know more.

I have a Fire Chief that I boiled for days as part of an experiment in dealing with pony cancer ("age spots") and he's real hard now when he's at room temperature.  At some point in the future when ponies are a lot older it might be hard to find them still soft.

this may be a little off topic, but what happened to the age spots after you boiled your pony?