Ponies that were once thought valuable

[Brightglowpony]

I thought of Anchors Away, Star Catcher, and Kimono for g3.  For g1, I thought of the "Fancy Mermaid" baby ponies.  My jaw dropped watching Baby Pearly (the pink one) go for around $90 one time, and now I've seen her go from $10 to $20.  The other two seemed to have dropped in price too.

I once had a lady at a flea market selling ponies insisted that Baby Chuck E Cheese pony was worth more if it was signed...I wasn't aware of what she was talking about and she told me that when you got them from Chuck E Cheese they got signed...I continued to give her the I don't agree face.


I can't see myself paying more for a pony because some employee at Chuck E Cheese signed the baby pony and I would have never gotten mine signed  even if I had purchased the pony back in the 80's from a Chuck E Cheese.


How the heck do you prove it was signed at Chuck E. Cheese anyway?

That's interesting 

[lunar_scythe]

baby bow tie.  I sold one in a bait lot here in the US several years ago(she had symbol and eye rubs), and was stunned by how high the lot went...I think it ended at like $50, for 6 bait babies and a fakie or two.

[hathorcat]

I once had a lady at a flea market selling ponies insisted that Baby Chuck E Cheese pony was worth more if it was signed...I wasn't aware of what she was talking about and she told me that when you got them from Chuck E Cheese they got signed...I continued to give her the I don't agree face.

I can't see myself paying more for a pony because some employee at Chuck E Cheese signed the baby pony and I would have never gotten mine signed  even if I had purchased the pony back in the 80's from a Chuck E Cheese.

How the heck do you prove it was signed at Chuck E. Cheese anyway?

Signed by who? Dont you just love some sellers....you just politely want to say "could you think about what you are saying before you say it"

Yes, as others have said the german babies CJ, Hopscotch, Honeycomb....when I started collecting I couldnt find a Baby Hopscotch under about 150$!!!!!!

[tootie_tails]

Uuuugh, the G3 line as a whole. And many G1s.

The crazy hype when the G3s came out.. I remember how people were talking more about future values than anything else.. like two days after buying the ponies in store!! 

If someone dared criticize the looks or the quality of the G3s it was quickly shot down, people were like this: "shut up and show some respect, she may be worth a fortune in the future"
A typical forum topic back then would be "Has the easter ponies risen in value yet?" (posted in autumn the same year)
I don't get it at all. Why are you collecting ponies in the first place if the future value is that important? You would be better off investing in the stock market or something!

Also, I hate it when people overpay for a G1 and then wants to sell it and ask the same price because "that's what I paid". No, that's not what you paid, that's what you *overpaid*! 

Anyway, about the G3s, it definitely too early to rule them out. They may be mostly worthless now but we really don't know about the future.

I remember reading an article long ago, about someone who had studied the mechanisms behind toy collecting and values. The interwiever asked them, Is there a way to tell which toys are going to be collectible and valuable in the future?
The advice from the expert was to look for two things in general:

-First, renown.
The toy should be well known and popular with kids during the time it is produced/sold in stores.

-Second and more important, a quickly returning interest.
*If* a toy is turning collectible, you will see a significant rising interest for the toy in 10 years or less after it is no longer produced/sold in stores.
As in prices rising, people talking about it, getting harder to find it in flea markets, and so on.

[tehrin]

I once had a lady at a flea market selling ponies insisted that Baby Chuck E Cheese pony was worth more if it was signed...I wasn't aware of what she was talking about and she told me that when you got them from Chuck E Cheese they got signed...I continued to give her the I don't agree face.

I can't see myself paying more for a pony because some employee at Chuck E Cheese signed the baby pony and I would have never gotten mine signed  even if I had purchased the pony back in the 80's from a Chuck E Cheese.

How the heck do you prove it was signed at Chuck E. Cheese anyway?

I'm wondering if it had been "autographed" by some child's mother with their name on it? I have a pony like that actually that came with a bunch of ponies I bought off a friend for cheap... a big ol name written on it's side in ball point pen. The pony's plasticizer leaked out, leaving her rock hard and the pen is in there permanently.

SHE MUST BE WORTH A MINT!!11111

[FantasticFirefly]

Karen, I had a good laugh at your story. I once had a fleamarket seller insist that his (rusty) BBE's were rare, worth more then the $20 or whatever he wanted for them, and Hasbro didn't produce very many MLP's after. I felt bad later that I burst so hard into laughter.

On topic - I instantly thought of the G3's.

Also, I hate it when people overpay for a G1 and then wants to sell it and ask the same price because "that's what I paid". No, that's not what you paid, that's what you *overpaid*! 

I've done this. Usually when I happen upon an unexpected upgrade, and it's something I'd keep anyway. I'm usually happy to keep both ponies, but if someone wants it as much as I did, then it moves on. Otherwise it stays in the collection. I certainly wouldn't complain that it wasn't selling. lol. If it's something I do want to get rid of, I just take the loss and move on.

[relcelestia]

Also, I hate it when people overpay for a G1 and then wants to sell it and ask the same price because "that's what I paid". No, that's not what you paid, that's what you *overpaid*! 

Amen and AMEN!!       

[Rachel-Eyes]

I remember reading an article long ago, about someone who had studied the mechanisms behind toy collecting and values. The interwiever asked them, Is there a way to tell which toys are going to be collectible and valuable in the future?
The advice from the expert was to look for two things in general:

-First, renown.
The toy should be well known and popular with kids during the time it is produced/sold in stores.

-Second and more important, a quickly returning interest.
*If* a toy is turning collectible, you will see a significant rising interest for the toy in 10 years or less after it is no longer produced/sold in stores.
As in prices rising, people talking about it, getting harder to find it in flea markets, and so on.

Wow, that is very interesting! I love studies like that!

Though I do have to wonder about that 10 year thing. It seems to me that in a couple hundred years, the values would increase not because it's an "omg super rare I must have it" pony, but just because it's an antique toy that was incredibly popular in its heyday. I have this crazy fantasy of a toy museum in the year 2451 shelling out hundreds of dollars to a super rich collector for an rare antique Pinkie Pie. Of course, think of all the pony cancer by then! But wouldn't it still be kind of cool that in hundreds of years, there will be people doing their best to preserve our current time?

Stuff like that just fascinates me. :p

I know it's already been mentioned, but when I found Honolu-lu at Goodwill, I Googled it and found websites back in 2006 claiming it would be worth at least $50. I did a PC here just out of curiosity and found that now it's worth maybe $12 if in super minty condition. I was disappoint, but oh well. I do love my cute little fiery red summer baby pegasus.

[Dragonflitter]

Even $12 seems too much for her right now. :\ I see several sellers have her priced at $5 and doesn't look like she's selling...

*pats her* But she's one of my fave. She's adorable

[hokuspokus]

I think we are all overlooking something here.

When G1s came out there was no internet and toy collectors were looked down upon unless they were antique toys. Most people looked at G1s for what they were...toys. They were bought to be played with and some people became collectors but not many were thinking of them like future investments or debating a pony's future value.

When the interenet came out we were all able to find ponies easier and learn about ponies we didn't know existed. Prices spiked to unsustainable levels (just like they do whenever a new country pony is found). Eventually a "true" price emerges. Think of German Nightlight. Due to demand she has been in a consistent range for many years as does Mimic. They are not all that rare, just sought after. In some cases there are rarer ponies that go for less because they aren't liked as much.

When G3s came out I don't think anyone was really taking the availability factor into account. Nor were many thinking of the amount of years that had passed to come to G1 values. Many G1s currently fall in the $10 or less range and that is close to what they cost when they were brand new on the shelves...not much of a value increase. Considering it has been 30 years for many of these ponies I think it is unrealistic to be tearing down the value of G3s so soon. Guys, it's only been 8 years.

There are some G3s that will remain valueable and others that will increase in value but it's going to take another 10 years of people thinking they are worthless and donating them to charity or throwing them away until that happens...just like the G1s. Kimono, due to her limited release may yet see her day and she stands a better chance than many G3s.

Also remember that G2s prices have fluctuated greatly in the last few years alone. G4s are the new "it" and are skewing the prices across all gens due to limited collector funds as well as two distinctly different groups of pony collectors competing. Let's face it. The brony community is willing to pay far more than any of the older gen collectors.

Long story short. It's way too soon to speculate. We need at least 10 more years to see a change, maybe more. The interenet changed the collecting game considerable and I think one of the biggest impacts is it's going to take a lot longer for things to appreciate in value and they will have lower ceilings.

Stop looking down on the G3s like the ugly stepdchild or a waste of money. Remember why you collect in the first place! If you are looking to pad your retirement, you are collecting the wrong stuff.

That said....

I remember when the TAF Project Pony came out and was very hard to get due to only available to press or something. Then a couple years ago a huge pile was found and they went from being worth several hundred $ to $35.  Still love that pony regardless of value!

That's a pretty good point!

[Rhini]

I remember reading an article long ago, about someone who had studied the mechanisms behind toy collecting and values. The interwiever asked them, Is there a way to tell which toys are going to be collectible and valuable in the future?
The advice from the expert was to look for two things in general:

-First, renown.
The toy should be well known and popular with kids during the time it is produced/sold in stores.

-Second and more important, a quickly returning interest.
*If* a toy is turning collectible, you will see a significant rising interest for the toy in 10 years or less after it is no longer produced/sold in stores.
As in prices rising, people talking about it, getting harder to find it in flea markets, and so on.

I'd agree with them partially on the first point. The line as a whole should be popular overall, but when it comes to individual pieces within a line, definitely the most sought after are going to be the ones that there were very few made of.


I was watching pawn stars and there was a flex armstrong (?) snake that was terribly unpopular when it came out, they sold like 500 and were so embarrassed they pulled the rest of them off the shelves and destroyed them. Consequently they're worth several thousand dollars to those collectors nowadays.


In tandem with that point is the durability of the object. Ponies in my experience are annoyingly finnicky. They get tail rust, cancer, pin dot, their hair dries out, they get stained super easily. All of this contributes to them being harder to find in good condition. Not to mention the fact that after all they were intended as toys and used, often times, brutally in such a manner by children. Sally is not going to think twice about how giving Mimic a mud bath might affect her value in the future.


And of course the internet plays a major factor. Now that there are communities like this one dedicated solely to the discussion of ponies interests surely spike. FIM has brought back a huge resurgence of interest in the pony world in general which has spiked prices and demand.


The G4 blind bags, prototypes, and even customs are all a good example of this initial price spike and then drop. Now that blind bags are available in the US try finding another fluttershy going for $30 or regular prototype of a pony going for anything more than its store value. With white celestia coming soon, i'm sure customizers of her have taken a hit as well.


There are just sooo many things that factor into price and demand, the only way to even hope to drive up the price of something is by buying them all and hoarding them, or by generating a ton more interest than there is supply.

[SuniMoon]

Anchors Away upsets me. A LOT. I found her in gorgeous condition at Value Village, with silky hair, and me, not being a G3 person, thought I could at least turn a profit.... NOOOPE. ):

[cloud_weaver]

Anchors Away upsets me. A LOT. I found her in gorgeous condition at Value Village, with silky hair, and me, not being a G3 person, thought I could at least turn a profit.... NOOOPE. ):

She's down to what...$20 now?  I had a chance to sell off a couple of Star Catchers when her price peaked.  I picked some up from Craigslist.  How the market changes!

Rhini, I'm going to have to watch that show!  Sounds very interesting.  ^-^

[Aurora]

I agree that it is too early to judge the g3's. And I also think it's not quite right to put the g1's and g3's in the same mindset. After kids got done playing with their g1's, they got put onto garage sales or donated to charity. When the g3's were done being played with, they went on ebay. It's a completely different world.

[Rhini]

Anchors Away upsets me. A LOT. I found her in gorgeous condition at Value Village, with silky hair, and me, not being a G3 person, thought I could at least turn a profit.... NOOOPE. ):

She's down to what...$20 now?  I had a chance to sell off a couple of Star Catchers when her price peaked.  I picked some up from Craigslist.  How the market changes!

Rhini, I'm going to have to watch that show!  Sounds very interesting.  ^-^

It's great!    people bring in stuff to pawn or sell, and if they don't know anything about it they bring in experts who tell you all about the object. Very informative and i've seen and learned about some neat stuff. Same with American pickers.


Anywho, you make a good point too Aurora, everything goes onto ebay or Craiglist nowadays. Speaking of "Ponies that were once thought valuable", I see all these ebay sellers thinking they've hit a gold mine with their raggedy bunch of cotton candies etc and I always have the mean desire to crush them and tell them theyre gonna get $20 at most if they're lucky. Yeah that pony you THOUGHT was worth $50 each? Move the decimal point over to the left two places    Not like they listen anyways!