Plasticiser Loss?

[Nocato]

Hey guys, l just got a lot of 6 ponies I bought recently in the mail today, and everything was all good until I came to one in specific-- G2 Queen Sunsparkle (Rainbow Forest page here). She's a "see-through" plastic with glitter in it. Anyways, when I took her out of the bubble wrap she was in she was all sticky! This wasn't noted in the description the seller wrote (and I generally trust this seller, everything else I've ever bought from her was just as described!) So, the pony was sticky and gross feeling, and her body felt hard when I squeezed it. I just washed her off with some hot water and a magic eraser (the eraser turned brownish) and now she's not sticky though her body texture feels weird (though this may be normal for her--I've never held one before today). I squeezed some other ponies I have in the same "pose" as her, with the movable back legs, and they feel hard too so maybe she's supposed to be that stiff?

Anyways, I was just wondering what you guys think? Is she having plasticiser breakdown? Should I quarantine her? I don't want her to spread it and kill my pretty collection if it is...

 

[Willow]

I'm not sure about the likelihood of it spreading, but I do know that particular pony *does* have the tendency to get sticky. I do think the seller should have mentioned it, but it's a common occurrence with that pony.
Other 'sparkle' ponies (i'm not sure the reason behind it) their plastic can get very hard. I have a few G1 Sparkle ponies that are hard as a rock.

 

[LadyM]

It's not something that will "spread", it just happens to some ponies more than others. For some reason I am always finding ponies in Gingerbread's pose who are hard as a rock.

 

[SoSoftClaire]

Eugh, all the clear, see-through ponies (such as Sparkle G1s, Divine Shine G3s, Hip Holly from the G2s, etc) have this issue, it seems!

I have to clean my Divine Shines every 6 months or they'll be completely sticky and disgusting!

Here's a thread with some more discussion and speculation on the matter: http://www.mlptp.net/forums/mlp-discussion/66366-time-check-your-divine-shines-again-sticky-goo.html


Also, I have to note that a lot of my G2s are hard- I think they're just harder than the G1s and G3s generally, but I bet some of your pony's hardness is due to plasticizer loss (which is that goopy sticky stuff on her.)

 

[tulagirl]

Yes I would say it was because they probably had to use a different type of plastic product to make the see through ponies and this might account for why so many of them get sticky. I use cornstarch baby powder spread evenly on my hands after I have washed a pony and let it dry..then I apply the cornstarch baby powder on the pony with my hands. This keeps them from getting sticky quite so fast..its not a solution to the problem..it only treats the symptoms. It takes some time and practice to get it on the pony without it showing really bad. I also have to dust my American Girl lunch foods they are already getting sticky. I have a 1940's bear that has a plastic face thats dusted as well.

 

[RavenFeather]

It's not something that will "spread", it just happens to some ponies more than others. For some reason I am always finding ponies in Gingerbread's pose who are hard as a rock.

Both of my Gingerbread's, including my childhood one, are hard as a rock. The weird part is, my childhood one used to be soft..Now she has brown spots as well, so she's been quarantined. My Childhood Lily has some regrind, but it kind of looks pretty on her. XD

 

[Plumeria]

Eugh, all the clear, see-through ponies (such as Sparkle G1s, Divine Shine G3s, Hip Holly from the G2s, etc) have this issue, it seems!

Yep. I've also been experiencing this problem with the G3s that are more "shiny" than others...like the first run Pinkie Pie and Kimono. It's a complete pain. I went through and washed my entire collection during the Thanksgiving holiday (took days) with warm water and Dawn dish soap. I've been lucky so far, the only ones I've needed to rewash was my only Divine Shine pony and my Pinkie Pie. But even those two feel a LOT better than they did when I first discovered the problem.

And no, it doesn't seem to be spreading. I've heard from some people that it can, but that doesn't seem to be the case with my collection and they're all stored in very close proximity to each other on shelves in a dark and cool closet. But maybe if they were stored where *no* air whatsoever got to them, it would. I'm not really sure.

When the plasticizer stops leeching out, the ponies should stop being so sticky. They'll turn really, really hard and brittle from all the research I've done. But unfortunately (or fortunately?) that takes *years* -- I'd prefer them hard and brittle to sticky and gross, though. Yuck.