On 17/04/2019 12:17, N_Cook wrote:
On 16/04/2019 19:04, wrote:
Does it smell slightly sweet?
Does it smell at all?

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA


If it smelt of vinegar, then possibly "dolls disease" breakdown of old
PVC/Vinyl , the soft plastic as used to make dolls.


Since the last time of googling dolls disease, this informative piece
has emerged, as 1996 presumably they're creating an online archive

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15020282-700-technology-sad-doll-disease-ends-in-tears/

the infectious nature sounds like what happens in vcr/cassette players,
where when one rubber band goes gooey , others start to go gooey
although not in direct contact.