Sudsy’s Pony Spa Restorations

ChocolateStarfire said:
I don't think so! I love organizing and cleaning my ponies (and other collectible toys)--nothing wrong with admiring your hard work! It's nice to have vintage toys looking beautiful again. :)
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It is! Do you mind if I ask what other kinds of toys you collect?
 
It's a joy to scroll through these photos, thank you for sharing your amazing work! Gives me hope for my own discolored ponies once I get my lightbox together :yellowheart:
 
Truly_Scrumptious said:
It's a joy to scroll through these photos, thank you for sharing your amazing work! Gives me hope for my own discolored ponies once I get my lightbox together :yellowheart:
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I know you didn't ask, but let me give you tip. HAVE PATIENCE. It is so tempting to just wait a couple of days and think “This isn't working” but sometimes it can take a couple of weeks before you see results. And it's worth the wait.
 
SudsyPony said:
I know you didn't ask, but let me give you tip. HAVE PATIENCE. It is so tempting to just wait a couple of days and think “This isn't working” but sometimes it can take a couple of weeks before you see results. And it's worth the wait.
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I appreciate the tip! I'll definitely have to remind myself of that once I get started lol.
 
Truly_Scrumptious said:
I appreciate the tip! I'll definitely have to remind myself of that once I get started lol.
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I have done several ponies and sometimes I STILL feel impatient, and after a couple of days I am like “Why isn't it was perfect yet!?” XD
 
SudsyPony said:
It is! Do you mind if I ask what other kinds of toys you collect?
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I collect all kinds of toys! :D I have a dinosaur toy collection going, a vintage TMNT collection, some Transformers here and there. I have quite a few Star Wars toys, including a Micro Machines/Galoob Millennium Falcon. I have a few Darlin' Dinos toys, too! I have one Zelfs toy (a glow-in-the-dark dino-themed one, of course!), one Hairdorables doll, and a paleontologist Barbie in box. I'm more of an action figure toy collector, rather than a doll collector--MLPs (and fakie CPK ponies!) are the most doll-like toys that I own. I used to have Care Bears (vintage and new blind bags), and Breyer horses, but I had to sell them all to pay my bills, as well as because I didn't feel as attached to those toys as I do my MLPs and the others I've listed. It's a challenge to keep my toy hoard balanced, but I'm doing my best!
 
ChocolateStarfire said:
I collect all kinds of toys! :D I have a dinosaur toy collection going, a vintage TMNT collection, some Transformers here and there. I have quite a few Star Wars toys, including a Micro Machines/Galoob Millennium Falcon. I have a few Darlin' Dinos toys, too! I have one Zelfs toy (a glow-in-the-dark dino-themed one, of course!), one Hairdorables doll, and a paleontologist Barbie in box. I'm more of an action figure toy collector, rather than a doll collector--MLPs (and fakie CPK ponies!) are the most doll-like toys that I own. I used to have Care Bears (vintage and new blind bags), and Breyer horses, but I had to sell them all to pay my bills, as well as because I didn't feel as attached to those toys as I do my MLPs and the others I've listed. It's a challenge to keep my toy hoard balanced, but I'm doing my best!
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Cool! I would love to see that Star Wars collection! I am such a huge Star Wars fan!!!
 
Maybe in another post (for May the 4th, when I usually display my Star Wars stuff)!
 
Whenever I get a pony in a pony lot that I know I will never use, I give it to my daughter. Recently, I gave her a Happy Meal Sparkleworks, but within only a day or so of play, all the hair fell out! She wasn't very happy about that, so I used some scraps of hair from old projects to rehair her XD
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SudsyPony said:
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These look so wonderful! Do you have some kind of FAQ post? Pony restoration is something that I want to get into, and while there are some really good guides out there, some of the cleaning products that people are using are a bit out of my price range at the moment.
 
quartz_ said:
These look so wonderful! Do you have some kind of FAQ post? Pony restoration is something that I want to get into, and while there are some really good guides out there, some of the cleaning products that people are using are a bit out of my price range at the moment.
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I don't have a FAQ post, but I am happy to answer questions.

For cleaning, I get great results from just soap and water. You can boil ponies if you're worried about fungus or mold. Acetone will take off stubborn surface stains (be careful not to use this on eyes or symbols), but make sure you buy it from the makeup area of the store, not the hardware section! It is much cheaper that way. If you are having trouble finding it, it might be labeled as nail polish remover. I got mine for $2 at Walmart.

Sun-fading, which can restore a pony’s original color, is free if you use the sun. Although, that requires living in an area where there is sun. If you don't, you can use a cardboard box, line it with foil, and wrap the inside with UV string lights. Salon 40 creme will make the process go significantly faster, and you can get it on Amazon for $5-$10 (I don't know if the same is true if you love outside the US).

The great thing about all these materials is that once you have them, they last a very long time.
 
Thank you, this is all wonderful advice! What about for hair care? I realized last night that a lot of my ponies have a flurry of flyaway hairs after their latest bath (which was just water):eek: I was reading that I can fix that with conditioner, but am anxious to make it worse. Can I just use my own shampoo and conditioner on their hair? What about fabric softener?
Sorry for so many questions ^_^;
 
quartz_ said:
Thank you, this is all wonderful advice! What about for hair care? I realized last night that a lot of my ponies have a flurry of flyaway hairs after their latest bath (which was just water):eek: I was reading that I can fix that with conditioner, but am anxious to make it worse. Can I just use my own shampoo and conditioner on their hair? What about fabric softener?
Sorry for so many questions ^_^;
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No worries! Yes, you can use just regular shampoo and conditioner on their hair. Make sure you rinse it thoroughly afterward. Nothing bad will happen if you don't, you just might notice the hair feels a little crunchy. If that happens, rinse it out again. You can use fabric softener, but personally I have found that conditioner works better. Other people might disagree with me. You could try both and see what you like.

When the hair is still wet, comb and flatten it (by that I mean just smooth it down flat with your fingers). Wrap the mane around the pony’s neck and then wrap it in a paper towel. Do the same with the tail but wrap it around one of the back legs. This will set the hair so it dries nice and pretty.

You might already know this, but just in case, note that if we are talking G1 ponies, if you don't remove the tail before submerging them, the metal washer on the tail could rust. Also, all gens of pony run the risk of growing mold or fungus if they're not properly dried out.
 
SudsyPony said:
No worries! Yes, you can use just regular shampoo and conditioner on their hair. Make sure you rinse it thoroughly afterward. Nothing bad will happen if you don't, you just might notice the hair feels a little crunchy. If that happens, rinse it out again. You can use fabric softener, but personally I have found that conditioner works better. Other people might disagree with me. You could try both and see what you like.

When the hair is still wet, comb and flatten it (by that I mean just smooth it down flat with your fingers). Wrap the mane around the pony’s neck and then wrap it in a paper towel. Do the same with the tail but wrap it around one of the back legs. This will set the hair so it dries nice and pretty.

You might already know this, but just in case, note that if we are talking G1 ponies, if you don't remove the tail before submerging them, the metal washer on the tail could rust. Also, all gens of pony run the risk of growing mold or fungus if they're not properly dried out.
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Boiling ponies sounds kind of terrifying but a necessary evil if fungus/mold is suspected :blink:
Do you know if acetone works on permanent marker, highlighters, etc inks?

I like the little convection oven idea for fading :lolpony: I saw that Salon 40 cream works for spotting as well? My Moonstone has a brown mark on her neck but I didn't see any evidence of nasty bacteria on that spot from the inside when I popped her head off.

Ok, any ingredients for hair products that should be avoided? I was thinking of diluting it with water beforehand.

I'm wondering if I should try wooden combs instead of plastic; I don't know if that would make a noticeable difference.

I am talking specifically about G1s. I have a small enough collection that I was just going to wash specifically the hair without submerging. Don't want to risk bacteria growth or damaging the cutie marks.

I went ahead and followed you :satisfied: I feel like eye paint and cutie marks are a whole different discussion for another day
 
Do you usually find your fixer upper ponies at the same places?
 
quartz_ said:
Boiling ponies sounds kind of terrifying but a necessary evil if fungus/mold is suspected :blink:
Do you know if acetone works on permanent marker, highlighters, etc inks?

I like the little convection oven idea for fading :lolpony: I saw that Salon 40 cream works for spotting as well? My Moonstone has a brown mark on her neck but I didn't see any evidence of nasty bacteria on that spot from the inside when I popped her head off.

Ok, any ingredients for hair products that should be avoided? I was thinking of diluting it with water beforehand.

I'm wondering if I should try wooden combs instead of plastic; I don't know if that would make a noticeable difference.

I am talking specifically about G1s. I have a small enough collection that I was just going to wash specifically the hair without submerging. Don't want to risk bacteria growth or damaging the cutie marks.

I went ahead and followed you :satisfied: I feel like eye paint and cutie marks are a whole different discussion for another day
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Please dont put your ponies in any ovens lol.

Acetone will work on some ink stains but not others. I have had more success removing things like permanent marker and ballpoint pen with sun-fading/UV exposure. It is usually time consuming (we're talking weeks), but it works. UV will also remove things like age spots, which is sounds like it what’s on your pony’s neck.

Things I have used on pony hair:
Soap and water
Shampoo and conditioner
Watered down fabric softener
Straight fabric softener
Toothpaste
Baking soda
White vinegar

Don’t use Salon 40 on the hair. Cover the hair when doing any kind of UV treatment because it will take the color out of some types of hair. Comb from the ends and work your way to the root. Don't pull while combing. I don't think it would make a difference of you used wood, but try to use a comb with fat teeth instead of a comb with narrow teeth.

Happy to help :)
 
Twinkle-eye said:
Do you usually find your fixer upper ponies at the same places?
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I mostly get my ponies from eBay. I try to keep my eye out for pony lots where someone is just trying to make a buck off of ponies they would otherwise throw away. They often come mixed with a random assortment of pony related toys or just junk. One came with an LOL doll

I have also found ponies at local thrift stores, but that is pretty rare
 
SudsyPony said:
I mostly get my ponies from eBay. I try to keep my eye out for pony lots where someone is just trying to make a buck off of ponies they would otherwise throw away. They often come mixed with a random assortment of pony related toys or just junk. One came with an LOL doll

I have also found ponies at local thrift stores, but that is pretty rare
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I tend to get them on eBay from people who are cleaning out their attics etc. Only find fakies at the thrift store! :redheart:
 
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