What's with "original curl" obsession?

B

babygoldenautumn

Guest
Maybe it's just me, but lately I've noticed that people seem to think that ponies appraise for higher values simply because they have the 'original' factory curls they were packaged with. Personally, I don't get it. Some ponies look awful with their original, spindly, off the scalp curls. I think my ponies look much better after I've washed and styled their locks. Simple is always better, methinks. I will admit that I once saw an absolutely gorgeous Baby Apple Delight with original curls, but that's about it. Moreover, how can you tell if a curl is genuine or not? Certainly, some are more obviously restyled than others, but believe me, there are many, many ways to give ponies those 'original curls' long after they've vanished. Again, I don't get the obsession . . . maybe it's a purist fetish?
 
I think it has to do with the fact that, if the curls are still completley intact, they must have been played with very little, or just very carefully.



I have Rainbow Curl Stripes from my childhood collection, and despite years of brushings and bathtimes she still had the wavy bush that was a result of the original curls. So some ponies it really doesn't matter, because no matter WHAT happens to them, at least some of it will still be there. There are others though, that are great with it.
 
Original curls are so lucious and pretty!! I can't imagine a Lickety Split without them! A completely mint Lickety looks SOOO lovely with her original curls. If the curls are messy, they don't look as good, ex: my Sparkler, but she pulls off the messy-curls very well. Original curls make the pony a bit more mint, ya know, cause few ponies have complete, full, original curls. Seriously, once you've seen SS and NSS Surprises with the most perfect original curl (and it helps if they're so close to M/M too), you'll understand the glory of the curls.

As for faking original curls, I'm not sure that ANYTHING can be EXACTLY like the ORIGINAL curls ponies have. I can garuntee at least two of my ponies have completely original curl (my sister's SS Surprise & Best Wishes), and it would be near-impossible to replicate the curls on Best Wishes. I've never seen a decent replica of original curls, there's just no substitute for the true, original glory.

I suppose it all depends on your liking, if you don't like original curls/curls in general, you don't like them. But, for us that do, a pony without her/his (in Daddy Apple Delight's case) original curl just isn't right. *runs off to stare at Lickety's curls*
 
Oh, yeah, I think I've seen a nice looking Sparkler and Medley w/ semi-original curlz too . . . but I still mine think mine look better with smooth hair! Gawd, I'm a stubborn pony . . . hmph!
 
I'm with spooky! Nothing like a So Suft Cupcake or Best Wishes with original curls, IMO. Flutters too for that matter.

It does imply that the pony has been less played with, and also I like the factory curls because they look more natural. Some people like their ponies with perfectly styled hair in a perfect single ringlet with not a stray hair, but I prefer the slightly crazy factory curl look.

All a matter of taste though.

As for telling original from redone...I think to a trained eye, you can tell the difference.
 
midnightthunder said:
I love it when on ebay and the pony has crazy hair but 'still has original curl'. lol
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What's best is when it's a pony who didn't HAVE curly hair . . . I saw an auction like that for Baby Sunribbon once. The seller thought she'd had curls because of her long mane, so there she was with "original curl." :lol:

~LM~
 
I opened an MOC Sweet Stuff once (I had two) and her hair does this Farrah Fawcett flip-thing. I know some 'factory curl' isn't the most desirable, but for me, it IS the 'purist' attitude of 'original' stuff on a 'mint' pony. :)
 
Original curl also is much less likely to come out. I mean, if you shake the pony, it won't come undone.

Recurled hair tends to come loose (unless throughly boiled) So even though it looks nice when first doner it needs redoing periodically. It also is hard to get perfect.

Secondly, in ebay auctions, you get some people that see curls as worth more, and use an iron to curl the hair. The thought just makes me wince. hat's not original curl, though it might look nice is damaging to the hair.

I think it's also a matter of frizz though. My satin n Lance has original beautiful curls...they'd be impossible to mimic. However my Dancing Butterflies had original curl, but it was so obscured my the frizzies that she didn't display well at all, so I wet it down to get rid of what was left of it and restyled it. I don't do that unless the frizz makes the pony undisplayable though; the kind when if you put fake birds in the hair you can easily convince people that hasbro made a "birdnest hair" set.

~Moondust
 
Moondust - my Locket and Twilight both had that 'bird nest' you speak of. I didn't have to restyle it in the sense of curlers in it though.. I got it wet, put in some conditioner, combed it gently through, and then shook them dry (hard shake). After that I let them air dry, and the next day their hair was curly as ever, and decidedly NOT frizzy.

On the card it has "Grooming tip: Let wet curls dry before brushing." I figured it was there for a reason. I know it's a faux pas to do it with the conditioner in, but I picked it through anyways because I had a feeling it wasn't strong enough to take out the factory curls.
 
Moondust - my Locket and Twilight both had that 'bird nest' you speak of. I didn't have to restyle it in the sense of curlers in it though.. I got it wet, put in some conditioner, combed it gently through, and then shook them dry (hard shake). After that I let them air dry, and the next day their hair was curly as ever, and decidedly NOT frizzy.

On the card it has "Grooming tip: Let wet curls dry before brushing." I figured it was there for a reason. I know it's a faux pas to do it with the conditioner in, but I picked it through anyways because I had a feeling it wasn't strong enough to take out the factory curls.
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I'll definately have to try that on my Locket. She has the birdsnest but I'm always afraid of messing around with less common ponies. That's not very invasive though.

I don't think that would've helped my DB though, hers were everywhere! I had tried taming them with a comb and a little bit of water and that just defines a couple of curls in the mess, lol. I even tried a little bit of gel, but that didn't quite work either. She had curls in the faintest sense of the word though.

Thanks for the tip ^_^.

~Moondust
 
LOL Md, I wish I could take a picture of Locket now for you. Her curls are amazing. They are messy in a 'stylish' sense. The ringlets aren't frizzy, they're actual curls, arranged in a sort of sassy style. Same with Twilight, whom I was PETRIFIED to get wet because she is so pristine.

If you are wary, don't comb her hair, just let the conditioner sit for about 60 seconds and rinse her off. Good luck. :D
 
Bah, I hate factory curls. They're ratty and messy and it's just a waste to pay more for uncombed hair. My hair grows in curly, but I still comb it every day it's out of braids because otherwise it would be a mess. I've because as soon as they're out of the package they get a full washing and cleaning. And as for non-factory curls not holding--not true. I curled Mint Dream's hair and even after a cross country move in a storage bin, she's still got the curls. I gave her. Same with Raincurl.
 
I like factory curl on some ponies. Shady for instance looks really funny with straight hair. and there are some G3's that have fenominal factory curl that no matter how hard you try you jsut CAN NOT duplicate it!

http://freeweb.siol.net/damirgor/G3Display009.jpg

Every pony on the lower shelf there except sparkle snap, has factory curl.

Rainbow flash has been styled with twisting, Sparkle Snap had an introduction to my curling iron, because her hair was straight and all SLH ponies should have curly hair except Aloha Pearl (imo) now if i could just find a mini curler i'd be set LOL i do like sparkle Snaps curls, but they are a bit large. oh well :)
 
Oh, I forgot to add--Another reason my ponies don't have factory curl in my G3s is that I detinsel them all. So their hair gets washed in the process.
 
I love original curl! It's soft, and bouncy, and more natural feeling and looking than recurled hair.
 
I like it on some ponies, but not on others. My Rosette looked like Gerry Halliwell when she arrived, big frizzy mass of hair that stuck out at an odd angle. But after careful washing in cold water, combing through with conditioner and drying scrunched up with loo roll (!) she now looks like this !
rosette.jpg
 
While I agree factory curls aren't always the prettiest, there's just something about the newness they imply that I like. Only a coupe of my childhood ponies survived with thier curls intact though. But I remember getting curly haired ponies as a kid and trying to avoid brushing their hair so they'd still look new. The ones I had when I was really young all have bone straight hair. I had a friend who had wayyy more ponies then me, so a lot of them didn't get played with, and they stayed looking new forever. I loved her ponies! To this day, "new pony" smell (G1, not G3) reminds me of her house. So as a I got older and learned to take care of my toys, that was my preference. I don't pay tons of money for factory curl ponies now, I just bought what was available when I wanted each pony. Here's a picture of 4 of my childhood girls from my early and later days. :)
DSCF0118.jpg

Obvioulsy Medley and Heart Throb were played with quite a bit harder then Sweet Tooth and Lil' Tot. But I love them equally. :D

Truly
 
I don't know if any of my childhood ponies have original curl left - I know for a fact they have all been in the bath at least once. (Dancing Butterflies and Quarterback's wedding was the social event of every spring and everyone had to get spruced up beforehand).

It's not a selling point for me. If everything else is good and minimally flawed, I can take or leave original curl. Doesn't bother me, but I don't seek it out specifically.
 
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