In Storage Damage - Might be Silica Packets with Printing

[gabumon]

These ponies were in storage for maybe 3 months and I took them out ... and now they've got "inky" marks!! 
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G1, G3 and G4 affected

doesn't come off with soap + water, doesn't come off with magic eraser.   

Even though I live in an arid region I have a handful of silica packets in the bottom of the bin.  All the ponies are touching each other, but I don't know how this happened.  Any ideas?

[Stormness_1]

I had some ponies in a plastic bag with something similar happen... They were baits so I didn't worry terribly, but I figured there must have been something on the bag as it wasn't there before - I'd already disposed of the bag though before finding the marks, it was just an old grocery bag, and I didn't investigate further.

Is there any paint lifted or smudged on any adjacent ponies? It's not the right placement to be container rub, I've seen that before from ponies in a dark-coloured suitcase, but I can't see a G3's leg touching a bin edge in that spot and not the hoof, shoulder or face.

[nhal039]

I had a similar thing happen but they werent in storage just piled together on a shelf, it turns out the ribbon I had brought from the store obvouisly wasn't colourfast correctly and the dye leeched out staining the ponies. In my case sun will fade it out, its still a pain thou. I do suggest trying sunfading

[gabumon]

I've been keeping a MIB (bag) G3 set in the same bin and a couple of MIB (bag) McDonalds ponies in there.  Neither have "dark blue" ink on them... but maybe that's it

edit... could it be strands of tinsel pony hair?

edit 2.  I have this G4 Boutique Pinkie with black hair.  Does black hair stain?

[lovesbabysquirmy]

  Does black hair stain?

It can... 

[Stormness_1]

Possibly the MIB's. I'm thinking that may the cause... I may have had a MIB McD's pony in with mine too, I can't remember, but I know I did have one rolling around here recently. The ink may just look blue after staining the ponies, I know the suitcase I spoke of earlier was a mid-grey, but some of the stains were black, so it took us finding a white stained pony to figure it out.

[Kazzellin]

Aww! You have my sympathy - and empathy. When I first unboxed my childhood ponies, Barnacle had a big black spot of what looked like permanent marker right by his DS symbols - and it had rubbed off on punzie (ear tips) and a few others. Thankfully it's faded from punzie all by itself; I'll have to find Barnacle and the others to check them, though. No clue how it got there! I also recommend trying to sun fade. *hugs* Best of luck!

[gabumon]

thanks for the tips everyone.

how about THIS!!! :  the silica packets HAVE BLUE INK printing on them....

"DO NOT EAT"

[Raindrop]

Whatever the source, it does look like a color that might sunfade well.  Cover hair, eyes, and symbols and put them out in this warm, sunny weather we are having.  UT is at a higher altitude than many parts of the US, so it may go faster than elsewhere as well.

[Jinxxy]

thanks for the tips everyone.

how about THIS!!! :  the silica packets HAVE BLUE INK printing on them....

"DO NOT EAT"

OMG noooo!
I bet that's totally it!
"Well, you don't know 'till you know, you know?"
This has happened to.me with ribbon..

Crap..brb.
I am going to go check all my ponies in with silica gel pacs!

[gabumon]

YA and from a "Science Perspective"  ...
doesn't it sorta make sense??.. .the silica packets are Absorbing Moisture so there's a "transfer" mechanism going on.... 

would someone be willing to do a scientific research on this?  maybe if someone has have a chewed off leg pony you could store it next to a printed-on silica packet and let us know what happens?
 

[lostpony]

This is all a bit scary.

I keep all mine standing up next to each other in shallow cardboard boxes and now I need to go back through all of them and have a close look to make sure nothing like this is happening.  I've got them all mixed in with fakies and other toyline ponies with ribbons and stuff piled in between and on top..

If it is the silica gel pack's ink that would be a dark irony....

[tulagirl]

Oh this is not good news for me.  In some of my ponies I keep silica packets to keep mold from growing in them.  I did this because they were full of mold when I got them and I am so allergic to mold.  Not very many ponies, but like a handful and I am not sure who they are now. I have too many.  I know all my silica packets had light gray writing and none were blue.  Oh boy I hope I don't have a problem down the road. Have you tried fingernail polish remover?  Very careful since there are some painted features. Perhaps on a cotton swab? I use it for ink and I have had good results if it is new ink.  If it is old 1980's ink usually its harder, but I can lighten it.

[Jinxxy]

YA and from a "Science Perspective"  ...
doesn't it sorta make sense??.. .the silica packets are Absorbing Moisture so there's a "transfer" mechanism going on.... 

would someone be willing to do a scientific research on this?  maybe if someone has have a chewed off leg pony you could store it next to a printed-on silica packet and let us know what happens?
 

I have several different types of gel packs. Paper ones and plastic ones of all brands.
I also have a white bait. Let's do this! :p

[SkyCakes]

This is news to me but it wont stop me from using them. I need them to kill off the moisture and I know it sort of defeats the purpose but I hate mold. :/