In your book, how does restoration affect value?

[Cottononi]

I think there is no "real" answer to this question, since non-mint pony is always a non-mint one, so we can't really agree collectively on what price restored ponies should go for. So, it's always the individual buyers decision when buying a pony with repair done. For me personally fixed paint or re-pinked hair makes the pony less authentic or less original, so I'll probably pass on that one and rather buy ponies with slight flaws, like faded symbols. However, sunfaded marker stains or removed tail rust do not bother me. (I still think people who restore ponies are doing really important work and seeing baits fixed always warm my heart :') )

But what do you think? Is it better to have a pony with 1/3 of their mane cut off than a complete rehair, or should pony always look as close to the original condition as possible even when the parts aren't original? What are repairs you can make peace with and are there some that bother you.

[BlackCurtains]

I'm all for restoring I've done quite a few restores and rehairs myself, even on Nirvana ponies. If you have a pony in your collection who makes you sad or disappointed when you look at it, you should fix it! If you can't then maybe trade it on to an upgraded one. I think our collections should make us happy, and if a pony with a haircut or rubbed symbols bothers you, it doesn't belong in your collection. That's just my personal opinion It's not just ponies either, but all collectibles.

On the other hand, I understand why people would want 100% original ponies, even if flawed. It's up to the person. I don't think people should be shamed or made to feel bad for restoring though. They are toys, not antique furniture.

[starrynights]

I think restoring makes them more valuable than if left in previous condition.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I'm a hypocrite wrt rehair methods. I HATE using glue and the typical tool-method, but I do it anyway because it's easier when I do alt-rehairs. If I'm buying a rehaired pony intended to be the original colors, it'll devalue it to me if it's been glued in versus knotted or weaved. Repinking to me depends on how it looks, if it's pretty much indistinguishable I'll care less. Same with symbol touch-ups and other painting-the skill present in the touch-up are a Huge influence to me. I'll take a smudged or missing symbol over one poorly done.

[Leave a Whisper]

I am down for a good restoration because it brings the pony closer to its original state. A chewed ear that's been resculpted, chopped hair that's been replaced, restored symbols, clean from rust and mildew, those are all cool in my book.

I would consider de-flocked, de-tinseled and de-eyed ponies to be of drastically lesser value then their intact counterparts.

[Baby Crumpet]

I absolutely LOVE seeing ponies restored rather than baited for custom, but I also think that the second you do certain kinds of restoring, the pony is, in essence, custom. Rehairs, symbol/eye/blush repaints, resculpted parts... I love seeing them! But these are altering the pony. Restored ponies should be marked, in the same way a custom would, if they have more drastic work done.

Personally, I would prefer NOT to buy ponies that have repaints/rehairs wherever possible, even if the alternative is smudged symbols or a haircut. Likewise, if a pony is re-haired in non original hair, I'm less likely to bite. I prefer my ponies in original condition wherever possible. Having said this, the work that goes into restoring ponies absolutely warms my heart, and, to me, it is always preferable to preserve or restore than to customise. Though that might just be me, but I always worry about ponies running out with the more time that goes along  My old collection was FULL of TLC ponies, and I loved seeing them in their played-in states.

I think because of these factors - at least to me - it does mean that the pony's value can go down. But sometimes it can go up. If you sunfade a mimic so that pen marks are now gone, it would probably increase her value. If you rehair her with new hair and repaint her symbols... perhaps not.

[JanuaryJoy]

I'm all for restoring I've done quite a few restores and rehairs myself, even on Nirvana ponies. If you have a pony in your collection who makes you sad or disappointed when you look at it, you should fix it! If you can't then maybe trade it on to an upgraded one. I think our collections should make us happy, and if a pony with a haircut or rubbed symbols bothers you, it doesn't belong in your collection. That's just my personal opinion

I can agree with these points! I've had a few G1 glitter-symbol ponies that bothered me due to their rubs or fading, so I partially or completely re-glittered them. It wasn't perfect, but I don't feel bad since there's plenty out there.
However, I would say rarer ponies should be repaired reluctantly. If you find a $100+ pony practically bald, then re-hairing it to look original is usually a huge improvement. But some flaws are so opinionated that a fix to you might be a downgrade to somebody else. You never know if you'll need to sell part of your collection for another to enjoy someday. And since some rare ponies aren't abundant, you might disappoint whoever will own it next if you change or redo anything significant, especially poorly.
Still, I'm not strong my last point, it's just a thought. Overall, consider yourself if you're restoring a pony to keep in the collection, but consider others if you want to sell!

[SunPony]

I agree with JanuaryJoy's opinion.  I have a couple somewhat rare ponies I rehaired because I intend to keep them indefinitely (and they had bad/missing hair).  If I hadn't intended to keep them I probably would have left them as is.

[Taffeta]

A restored pony to me is on the same lines as a custom. And a custom has its own value, but it's not the same as the original.

That especially includes rehairs, because the hair isn't original to MLP. Even if the hair is original MLP, it's not original to that pony.

Minor repaints and such I might be ok with but would still consider it a value dip. I can only think of one example of that in my collection - Baby Bluebelle (Greek). She had no eyes when I got her, and PKW repainted them for me beautifully. However she was a rescue pony when I got her, and she's still basically a rescue pony. I wouldn't resell her and she's no longer entirely 'authentic' as her original eyes can never be put back. She's just cute

The only exception in my collection would be replacing a tail if the tail is exactly correct for that pony. It's still a restoration aspect, but it's minimally invasive (so long as the head hasn't been removed) so I can live with that.

I am really strict on this with my ponies. Ponies who have their heads removed or washers replaced are also "no" on my list. Loose heads can be ok but if it's a rarer pony or a variation I won't risk it. Replaced washers are always a no for me.

That's not to undermine anyone else's opinion. I have a lot of preloved ponies in my collection, with various flaws and issues. And although I don't like cut or faded hair, I'd rather have the original hair as it is than try and replace it. That's when I will look for an upgrade.

I guess for me the biggest issues are around hair xD.

[Wardah]

The way I see it is a well done restore is usually higher in value than a less than minty original but not worth as much as a minty original.

[Taxel]

For me, it devalues the pony. Who knows what someone did and how it will affect the pony over time. Certain cleaning solutions, paints, glues, etc will damage the ponies in the long-run. I would rather have a pony in less than perfect condition who won't be damaged later because someone was overzealous with a "restore".

I prefer to collect baity G1s (especially ones with tails) so I'm an outlier.

[LadyAmalthea]

I guess it's very subjective depending on the pony; value of a thing is only what someone is willing to pay for it, and not set in stone. As for really baity common ponies, I figure the value has already bottomed out and can only go up a little with a restore, at least for now, while that particular pony is still plentiful. For instance, I'm working on a BBE Baby Lickety Split. I got her for a dollar or two in a bait lot, and she had faded, chopped-off hair with mega tail rust inside and out, and rusty eyes. I can't imagine that if I clean her up, rehair her and give her new eyes, I couldn't turn around and sell her for more than I paid for her. Perhaps not as much as a minty one, but still, more than a baity one.

Now if she were a Mimic (I'll just use her as my example high-dollar pony) in similar condition, I imagine people would still be clamoring to buy her, obviously not for as much as a mint condition one, but I don't feel like a fully restored Mimic would fetch a much higher price than the untouched, poor-condition one (even though I personally, would prefer the restored one).

I guess since you asked what we each personally feel, my rules are this: I do not collect baity ponies because they are not aesthetically pleasing to me. I buy baity ponies only with the hope of restoring them, and only if they are super cheap. So if I feel like my ethics would be compromised on restoring a pony due to its value, I probably won't buy it. So if I saw a Mimic for sale with chopped hair and chewed hooves, I would probably move on, unless it was at a thrift store or garage sale where I felt I had to 'rescue' her, and then I'd probably try to sell her within the collector community as is before trying to restore her. If I want Mimic badly enough, I'll wait until one in a condition I can accept comes along, or settle for a custom.

I would like to think I'm not a picky collector, but I've come to accept the fact that I just am about certain flaws. Cut hair/frizzy hair is one of those things. It is a flaw that I feel I can rectify (by rehairing) to my own specifications, unlike some others. Cut forelocks are the bane of my existence, because I might not be able to find an exact match to the rest of the mane if I rehair it. I will never intentionally buy a pony with a cut forelock (unless it is so dirt-cheap that it justifies the cost and labor of a rehair). I have several ponies permanently sitting in my bait box that are flaw-free except for that darn butchered forelock, because a seller managed to strategically hide this fatal flaw in the photo. Also, I don't do FBRs, so if the body is bad enough that that is the only way to fix the pony, I'll pass. I can tolerate markings under the hooves, and small, light body marks scuffs, even symbol scuffs if it's on the NDS.

[Noasar]

I think that if a restoration is done well it can actually add value. I can think of some restorations I’ve done that are virtually indistinguishable from the original - repinking is the easiest thing to do and it can really improve the look of a pony.

I understand why some people don’t like it but for me it’s ok

[LadyAmalthea]

I think that if a restoration is done well it can actually add value. I can think of some restorations over done that are virtually indistinguishable from the original - repinking is the easiest thing to do and it can really improve the look of a pony.

I understand why some people don’t like it but for me it’s ok

I think with re-pinking, sometimes it doesn't look right. I can't seem to get the color formula right, myself, which is frustrating to me. I've seen lots of people post pics of re-pinked hair on here that looks spectacular, and I would have no problem with buying one of theirs, but if it looked as bad as the attempts I've made, I wouldn't buy it, either!

(Shameless off-topic plea: if anyone has the perfect color recipe, I'll love you forever if you feel like sharing it with me!)

[Taffeta]

For me, being virtually indistinguishable from the original is a red flag issue because it might lead to someone buying a pony not knowing it's been restored. Obviously I don't think that anyone here would do that, but if something happened to you and your collection got sold on, it's helpful to know that a restore has taken place.

But then I feel the same about deflocks of ponies with virtually identical regular versions, or custom remakes of accessories. I feel like so long as it's clear to anyone potentially buying down the line that the item has been altered, then it's fine for everyone to do as they see fit - but it's really important to document that those changes have happened.

I remember there have been a number of big money incidents with Nirvana ponies and rehairs, so it's worth keeping in mind that collections can and do change hands.