I've tried most of these techniques, but certainly not all of them. Use them carefully as many can harm a pony if done incorrectly. I am not personally vouching for any, but support pony restoration and hope to learn new and better techniques to share.
Research what you're doing and don't be afraid to try things on fakies or baits as needed. Also, be willing to learn from the mistakes other collectors have made. They're amazingly willing to share. Make sure to read the Materials & Directions section before starting.
I assume the people using this site have some knowledge of the different My Little Pony generations. While most techniques will work on any generation, there are times you might need to do some tweaking. If you're confused about anything said here, try researching the different gens. A great resource is My Little Wiki where you can find links to all the hot spots in Ponyland. And may I not so humbly mention, my site is listed there as well! They have a nice definition of a "Bait" pony, a list of ponies they recommend not be customized, and a list of ponies commonly known to have issues: Bait. MLPCollection.com offers an excellent pony identification tool.
Images on this website have been donated by various contributors. Please do not use them without permission.
This site is not affiliated with Hasbro.
If you sell or trade a restored pony, be certain to tell the buyer exactly what work you did. When you do a restoration, put some type of identifying mark on the item so that collectors in the future will know that it has had work performed on it. This is usually a mark on the bottom of one of the pony's feet.
Many of the materials you'll find discussed on this site are harsh and quite toxic. Work in a well-ventilated area, wear latex or rubber gloves, and keep them away from children and pets. Use caution while using sharp objects and glues. Contact your city or county to find out how to properly dispose of left over chemicals. You should never dump chemicals down the drain.
For some very detailed safety information, see A New Pony Tail Safety Features.
"Note too, that a vinyl formulation may have been changed within a given production time frame. This means that just because of a previous success with a particular remedy for a problem doll there is no guarantee that the same treatment using the same product to fix the same problem on a doll or action figure of the same name will be effective or safe. Again, test every part of every doll or action figure before applying any remedy." - Vinyl Dolls by Nicholas J. Hill
Restoration
- Safety - Resources - Ethics - Disclaimers -
Here is general information to get you started with pony restoration. Much of the information shared on this site comes from "The Definitive Book on the Care and Preservation of Vinyl Dolls and Action Figures" by Nicholas J. Hill.
Mr. Hill has worked as a formulating organic chemist and has been awarded three patents in plastics technology. He wrote this book to help clarify misinformation shared at doll shows he attends with his wife. Please e-mail me if you know of restoration techniques that you think should be added to the site. Problem prevention tips are always welcome too!
According to Mr. Hill, "The summary for preserving your collection is
rather simple:
Keep your collection clean.
Avoid UV light exposure and temperature extremes.
Keep your collection dry."
Here are other resources from around pony land for restoring your collection!
The Definitive Book on the Care and Preservation of Vinyl Dolls
This book was written to provide collectors with an understanding of the nature of vinyl. With proper information, caring for and preserving a vinyl doll or action figure can be accomplished with the confidence that the job at hand can be done to the benefit of the patient and the psyche of the doctor. This book is softbound. More than 200 pages of practical information and more than fifty color "before" and "after" pictures.
The MLP Arena is a discussion board with lots of experienced pony collectors who can give advice.
HQG1C - Collectors Club offers bases that you can use for customs without ruining an original pony and reproduction accessories
There are Facebook groups dedicated to pony restoration. You can get tips from other restorers here and find collectors who are creating replacement parts for playsets, wings, and accessories.
My Little Pony Restorations and Customs
3D printing has made options for custom bases almost unlimited! The list of replacement accessories available also continues to grow. These are Facebook groups where you can find the collectors printing these:
These YouTube channels provide beautiful information about pony restoration.
RetroGeek Crafts She's also published a book about MLP restoration! Which I absolutely am going to buy. Restoring My Little Pony
The My Little Pony Trading Post Tutorials:
