Minnesota Pony Meet 2012- HUGE success! Pictures added on p. 15

[Aurora]

Someone will have to give me more info on it so I know what to expect because I have never been to one before I can't wait!!

Hi, PonySeeker! Pony meets are pretty stright-forward. Expect tables full of ponies either for sale or as a display (always ask, I've tried to buy people's collections before! LOL!) and a bunch of friendly people. I'm hoping we'll have lots of games at this year's meet and lots of prizes, too! And there are all types of ponies, from customs to custom bait, valuable and hard-to-find, and those common ones that are great for starting a collection. AND those friendly pony people know so much! If you want to know more about generation two or obscure accessories, it's a fun place to hear what other people know, what they think, and what they have that you can touch and see, sometimes for the first time!

[Delphian]

I'm so excited for the next meet! Last year's meet was a lot of fun and I bought way too much. lol

[nessa16]

I am getting really excited for this.  I really wanted to go to the national convention but I think I will have to wait yet another year because of it being so far away...our bank account would not be able a trip to Florida, the convention, Disneyworld and Universal Studios lol.  I know I would not be able to go to Florida without hitting up those parks too. 

This would be the perfect way to go to a my very first pony meet and the Renaissance Fair.  I haven't missed the one in Colorado in 4 years so I am not planning on missing the one in MN now that I am here.  I also have not been to the twin cities in 6 years and I have been wanting to go back so bad!  Just so excited!  Not to mention the chance to buy some ponies in person!!!!!

[Aurora]

I'm getting pretty excited, too, though there is a lot of summer between now and September! It doesn't help to look out the window and not see snow- I keep thinking it looks like Spring, and have to remind myself that February does not equal Spring.

So I'm putting out the date of Saturday September 1 for everyone to discuss. I'll hunt down the form for the BBC (Oh, Arvin! I miss you!) and see if I can put it on hold- if the date doesn't work for most of us, we can always change it.
That should give our North Dakotan friends time to do other things in the cities and go to the RenFest. I'm not going to try to plan a pony day at the fest, since that would be a lot of things to distract me, and I'm already pretty darn distracted!
I'll let you know how that goes and get back to you with details asap. Pony Hugs!

[cloud_weaver]

I may be able to attend.    Can't believe I missed last year, Como is 20 minutes away from me. 

[Aurora]

I may be able to attend.    Can't believe I missed last year, Como is 20 minutes away from me. 

I almost missed it last year due to car troubles! Learned a lot about what to do and not do- specifically, don't drive a car you are not familiar with for the first time. Thanks, Balto, for your patience! And thanks to Balto's neighbor for saving us!

I just filled out the form for the first of September, just to be sure we have a room reserved, even if it isn't on the optimal date.

[babystarz]

Ooh totally coming! I'm usually at my cabin for labor day weekend, but it's only 45 minutes away from the cities so I can always come back for the day


I like the park idea, but we might want a Plan B indoors just in case the weather is gross. I think it hailed on labor day two or three years ago.

[Aurora]

The como park site is indoors, but doesn't have air conditioning. It wasn't bad, though. Last year it was hot, then it rained, then it was warm again. Never too stifling, just never really comfortable! The bummer part was that the rain happened while we were touring the zoo, and we got seperated in the storm, and then it was the only rain we got all fall, so my poor little garden suffered. But WE had fun! LOL!
 
I am truly enjoying picturing what "gross" weather looks like, though! I know what you mean, but c'mon, picture it with me! Sort of like "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," but less edible!

[bubbles171]

thanks labor day weekend would be great. It will be my first meet. I am also planning on going to the  fair in Orlando with my brother. I so have to start saving. It will be my first time there as well. I can bring some of my harder to find ponies as well if you like? Others might like to see them.

[babystarz]

I am truly enjoying picturing what "gross" weather looks like, though! I know what you mean, but c'mon, picture it with me! Sort of like "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," but less edible!

Hey, if it could happen anywhere, you know it would be in Minnesota I love the movie adaptation of  "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," by the way. The gummi bear/mustache obsessed monkey gets me every time!

It will be my first time there as well. I can bring some of my harder to find ponies as well if you like? Others might like to see them.

I'd love to! I'll bring mine too I might even have some to trade by then

[Aurora]

I started to make a mini-travelling museum last year, with ponies that some collectors might not have seen, or some that maybe we haven't all had a chance to touch. It never got finished, so I didn't bring it, but the start of it had the roller-skate ponies, one of the ponies with curlers stuck to her head, one of the Soft Sleepy Newborns, the g3.5 baby, a g2 baby, and one of the first Spikes.

The only thing I would worry about if you are bringing expensive ponies is to be sure they aren't left alone- last year we didn't really leave the room until we were done, but you never know! The only time I've heard of something bad happening at a pony meet was when a kid wandered off with a Mountain Boy, and no one knew where it had gone. Everyone was horrified and suspicious until weeks later, when someone found it with their child's stuff.
I'm just saying to be careful- I don't want to scare anyone!

[babystarz]

Duly noted My car is tiny but the trunk is huge, so I can always lock ponies in it if I want to leave them alone. Are we expected to bring our own tables?

[Aurora]

There are tables there, I think there were 8 or 10 of them. Some people brought lots of stuff, and some brought just a few things, so if it comes down to it, some people can share tables. I put a lot of mine into purple tubs last year and they worked really well- fun to dig, and easy to price, since they were $1 tubs! I'm going to try doing something similar this year, so I don't really need to use a table. Maybe a set of those cheap snap-apart-together shelves would be good- less floor room for more ponies!

I just heard back from the site, and we have a different room from last year. According to the email, it has 6 6-foot tables, 2 white boards and a large window looking out over Lake Como. It's the Michael Donald Glass Community Room at Black Bear Crossings on Lake Como if anyone wants to look it up. It will probably be about the same size as the room we had last year.

One little thing to keep in mind about Black Bear Crossings is that we can't bring our own food into the building. There was an ice-cream window right across from us last year, and a nice little lunch counter upstairs with decent prices. It is also a good set-up for keeping food in your car and running out for a snack- pack some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips, sit by the lake and eat them while dreaming of ponies- sounds good to me!

[Frenzy]

I will definitely have to keep an eye on this thread. I am moving back to Minnesota up around the cities within the month! Great to see how many collectors there are in the state!

[Aurora]

Hi there, Frenzy! Where are you now? Welcome home!