Customizing Mountain Boys...?

[MidnightFireflies]

You know, when I posted this, I didn't want to come off the wrong way-ESPECIALLY if the artist was part of the community here. I was kinda ticked off. But the more I thought about it, If they WERE a member-they should have KNOWN not to do that. I spent a few days brewing about those boys until I decided to post b/c it was bugging me so much. I agree with NOT customizing those rare ponies. I wish they would have restored them instead of customizing them. I spent 2 years chasing Ice Crystal myself and it makes me so sad that even if those boys were ratty, someone could have added them to their collection and they would have been perfectly loved no matter the condition. I do, however, respect the fact that people have the right to do what they want with their own ponies, but I felt like this was a slap in the face of every person that desperately wants a Mountain Boy of their own!


(At least in the respect of Fireball as their seems to be debate over the "ice crystal."
 

[ButtercreamDream]

Guys, that's not ice crystal.  That's not the right pose for him (Icy has a bent front leg).  I'm pretty sure it's salty.

That said, I get frustrated about G1s being customised too, if they are minty or easily restored.  I was talking to someone last week about trading for minty looking G1s that they were going to bait, but in the end, they are their ponies.  There's nothing you can do but cringe a little, and hope that they turn out REALLY REALLY well.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

That is terrible!    That would be like taking a Picasso off the wall that you didn't like and spray-painting over it!  I hope at some point the "customizer" comes to one of the pony communities and learns that what they did was terrible and really ruined the pony, in my eyes.  And never does it again unless the pony is truly, truly, unsalvagable! 

[Rika_of_Thunder]

Phew, I'm really glad that wasn't actually Ice Crystal since he's one of my grails |D I'd be perfectly happy to have one that was totally bald and covered in cancer!

But yeah, if the other one was really Fireball..... D:

I mean, if you REALLY want to customize a G1 boy pony, why not just use one of the cheaper ones as a base? Really it only makes sense.

[toralei]

Oh man. Instances like this are so hard. On one hand, I hate seeing ANY G1 customized, but especially as rare and expensive a pony as a mountain boy? Big big no-no. WHY don't people research the value of ponies before they strip off their symbols and yank out their hair? Really, how long does it take to type in the pony's name on ebay and see what kind of prices they go for? She obviously knew the ponies' names... I'm reminded of a recent auction with a completely ruined Mimic in it...same issue.

Oh, I saw that one 




Anyways, I really have nothing new to add to this conversation. I think that the craftsmanship used is obviously great, but.... i don't know. they look like tacky race cars.

[StarDragon]

Eeehhh..... no!!! ;_; Poor rare Fireball...

The worst case of customising that I've been through personally was a G3 Sunrise song that I baited right out of the box when she was in stores (without buying a second one for keeping, since I was stupid). But this... I wonder if the person who customized Fireball knows how much he is worth, and if she/he's kicking himself right now.

[ZennaBug]

That's definitely not an Icey.  The other might be fireball.  Honestly, I think they are beautiful.  Even though it makes me sad that a MB might have been customized, you have to consider their possible condition.  Maybe he had a mohawk, no symbols, and some discoloration.  In that case, I actually don't mind.  Think about it like this:

Restore:  Possible FBR to cover flaws, repaint symbols, retouch eyes (if necessary), rehair
Custom:  Large symbol to cover body damage, retouch eyes (if necessary), rehair.

In my mind, they are both equally customized at that point.  If it were a badly-executed custom with lumpy paint, I would be disappointed.  As it is, they are beautiful and the artist put a lot of time into them.  So I'm going to assume that they were both very baity and then it doesn't bother me.

[NoDivision]

That's definitely not an Icey.  The other might be fireball.  Honestly, I think they are beautiful.  Even though it makes me sad that a MB might have been customized, you have to consider their possible condition.  Maybe he had a mohawk, no symbols, and some discoloration.  In that case, I actually don't mind.  Think about it like this:

Restore:  Possible FBR to cover flaws, repaint symbols, retouch eyes (if necessary), rehair
Custom:  Large symbol to cover body damage, retouch eyes (if necessary), rehair.

In my mind, they are both equally customized at that point.  If it were a badly-executed custom with lumpy paint, I would be disappointed.  As it is, they are beautiful and the artist put a lot of time into them.  So I'm going to assume that they were both very baity and then it doesn't bother me.

This exactly.

Also, can we maybe not use really hateful words and blanked out expletives decribing violent treatment? That accomplishes nothing. I know seeing a maybe-fireball customized upsets some people, but there's no need to be rude and hateful.
 
And yes, I think that Ice Crystal was a barnacle, I've seen him go that color and the eyes are definitely faded purple. Ice Crystal and Fireball are the names of the customs in this instance, though fireball seems to have retained his real name. 

[hathorcat]

we dont collect "for the sake of the community" and we dont hold ponies in trust for the sake of collectors as a whole....

Maybe you don't feel that way... Some of us actually collect to preserve the things we like, which kind of implies thinking about the larger collecting community, not just because we want it.

If that's not your reason for buying ponies, fine, I'm not going to judge or tell you what to do, but not everyone has the same attitude about collecting.

Wow...ok...I dont want to deteriorate into an argument here so I apologise for the use of "we" rather than "I"....but likewise this is a thread for peoples opinions and I respect other peoples so hopefully people can understand mine...which is that I simply think people's property is their own to do as they wish with...thats all I was trying to say. I just dont like threads that start bashing other people [what they do with their collections, what they pay for their ponies, what they make with their own ponies, etc etc!] thats all...and thats how this thread read "in my opinion". As I said I wouldnt do this myself and it makes me cringe....but I still think its the owners ponies to do as they wish with them.

And with that complete off topic divergence...I offer my apologies for the segway on this thread and bow out...lol!

[hlbmlp]

yeah... i was kinda mean... but from a financial standpoint i think they could have made more money with a reaaallly beat up mountain boy.  :/ and i am sad about it... but i AM thinking about bidding so i can have a mountain boy... if it goes for cheap enough that is... then i'd probably make him look back to his original state.... but that's just what id do.  I know it would be customizing a custom, but for the right price that may be the only way i will ever get a mountain boy. 

[Lyra]

Errr I don't know, they could have been completely riddled with 'pony cancer' under all that paint for all I know

The fact that the seller's name contains "Sundance" does not sit right with me. I know there's the Sundance Film Festival. . .but that would be a big coincidence, especially considering they're selling another pony (rehaired) and knew how to customize.

While I live by the "its your pony, do what you want with it" rules, that just went way too far. Its only thing to customize truly baity common or even uncommon G1s, but rare ones? Uncustomized Ice Crystal and Fireball are up on eBay right now, $180 and $140 last I looked. The customizer knew their names, so obviously they could have very easily found out their worth. Heck I'm guessing they knew it since they made a point to mention their names. But still they destroyed rare, valuable collectibles. They could have restored the two if they need it or sold them how they were! I bet they'd have been able to afford at least a few truly baity non-rare G1 boys to customize.
And this is coming from someone who opened a G1 (she was only in a bag, not in a box or on a card, but still I got heat for it).

I think they probably named themselves Sundance for the G1 pony? Maybe they do know all about ponies, but these ones were just really baity

[Snapdragon]

You guys do know that Ice Crystal one wasn't originally an Icy, right? It's the wrong pose to be him. The Fireball one on the other hand... could have been a real Fireball

ETA: The 'Ice Crystal' isn't even in either of Salty's possible poses, so that one must really have been a baity boy, possibly Barnicle, since I don't know if 4-Speed can quite match that color.

That's what I realized too! I was like, "where's Salty? I see Barnacle?" That's what I get for posting before looking at the picture.

Also, since I'm here anyway: I agree that people get to decide what they want to do with their own ponies. If you wanna customize your Mimic - go do it, it's your property. (I wouldn't do it, but it's your pony, your choice.) But she didn't customize her own pony for herself; she customized it for sale. Her 'right' to customize exists, yes, but because she's put it into a public arena, she no longer has any right to say that people aren't allowed to be upset by it. And if you're just customizing a rare pony for the sake of money ... yeah, I can't agree with that. It's unwise, first of all (destroying a rare pony AND lowering its value, much?), and it's - I dunno, I hesitate to say 'unfair to the community,' but I would say that it's upsetting to people who collect these items.

You wouldn't take a vintage video game that you hacked apart and turned into a clock and try to sell it to the video game collectors, would you? They want the game as it WAS, in a possibly-playable condition; they don't want some fancy clock you made with it.

[Nappercasper]

I think the customs are beautiful, if they don't go too high i will give a bid. I think the ice crystal one is alittle dark so maybe it was another. The customiser may not of even known they were rare before customising. I kinda thought it odd they pointed out what they were before customed xD

[JoshsPonyPrincess]

I messaged the seller and asked what baits she used and she said fireball and she thought tornado...so there is the actual answer straight from the seller.

[DaffyDilly]

I was 99% sure that it was Fireball because Steamer doesn't have freckles, and the auction says that the freckles were intact.


The other is definitely not a MB though. Must be a faded Barnacle as has been suggested. I think Daddy Sweet Celebrations is too pale.


I rather like them. If I wasn't totally skint I might have picked up Fireball to live with my two original Fireballs.