Collectors "rite of passage" horror stories!

[Radiance]

Well, I'm still pretty much a newbie but I've made some mistakes. I've overpaid on some ponies by a good bit. On the other hoof, I've picked up some really nice, expensive ponies for only a buck or so in lots or at the thrift store, so I guess it evens out. I traded 3 rare G3s for 3 common, but nice, G1s. I got the G3s in a lot that I ended up paying less than $3.00 per pony, and I knew the 3 I had were rare, but I wasn't interested in making a profit so I just decided to trade them for whatever ponies caught my fancy. I was thrilled when the Peachy I received in the trade was stamped "Italy"!

[AmethystDefender]

I don't buy on e-bay, (well, I'm not buying ponies at all right now) because I have no money right now, but I think my biggest Oops might have been passing up a large amount of G1's (including either the castle or paradise estate) at an antique store several years ago.  I don't know what I was thinking...leaving them there... ;

Second biggest oops was passing up a g2 at a garage sale...I don't really like g2's, but I could have used it for a trade or something.

EDIT: Gah.  site connection troubles causing double post-age

[gabumon]

Before I got back into collecting, I found over a dozen G1s at a thrift store...and sold them on ebay.  Including three or four big brothers!  D:  I haven't gotten over that.  :Facehoof:

I did a similar.  I found Quarterback at thrift and whacked his hair.

[FiddlePhan]

I guess we've all done the 'pay too much' thing.  he he

My worst thing though was deciding that I was bored with Happy Tails Woosie and painting her with gold Testor brand paint.  I didn't realize way back then that the paint would not dry and she remained a tacky, sticky, mess.     I tried putting blue glitter all over her in hopes it would dry and it sort of 'melted' into the paint but she was still tacky and smeared glitter and gold everywhere.  My mom had me throw her out. 
Now I really regret ever doing that.  She'd been a gift from my mom during one of my back surgeries.  So stupid to have painted her.

[Gingerbread]

Two things - not keeping accessories in order and losing some somewhere and seeing ponies at bootsales and giving myself a minute to decide if I really want them then seeing someone else walk off with them!
I was also doing a bootsale once and I refused to leave my stall as I was trying to save money. Towards the end of the bootsale a woman was looking at my stall and chatting to her friend about the amazing lot of toys she had just got for a pound. I happened to see into her bag and saw loads of G1s including Melody, Clover and Bright Eyes...now I always look around!

[Calico_Star]

I don't think I've done anything too terrible or shocking, I'm a pretty careful collector. My biggest newbie mistake though was letting it get to me when I'd lose a pony auction I really wAnted. I'd get so upset. Now I just tell myself that another one will always come along. It really does help to think of things that way.

[hathorcat]

Hmmm...I probably have one from both the selling and buying side...prepare to cringe people!

1) Buying - As new collector I was so excited to spend £15!!!! on a rare "white haired" Lickety Split...lol! I still have this pony I refuse to part with her - she makes me giggle when I look at her and other than the hair she is simply gorgeous!

2) Selling - As a new collector I decided I didnt want accessories [yes I know everyone feel free to faint] so I noticed someone was posting for sweetie baby clips, I offered the 2 I had to them for sale and received $20 for each clip - I dropped 10 times that amount to buy the same clips from another seller back just a couple of years ago! Oh dear....

[Elisto]

I can't think of a time I overpaid, but I've had a few "oops" moments. The first was when I accidentally threw away some Pony Wear accessories...this was early on in my collecting and I didn't yet know what everything was. All my accessories were hand-me-downs and were mixed in with Barbie stuff that I didn't want. I think I did pretty well sorting out the pony items considering I didn't have any references, but I'm pretty sure I lost a hat and a tennis racket, and maybe some other things. I also donated a few tailless common ponies to Goodwill thinking no one would ever want them, yet now I'll buy tailless ponies!

Around the same time or a little later, I found some of the those baby pony snail rockers at a flea market and thought they looked familiar but couldn't figure out why. A few days later, I realized there was a drawing of them in one of the old brochures that I had and had never realized they were real accessories. But there was no way to go back and get them. Still disappointed with myself for that because I still think those rockers are awesome!

[hikari_amaya]

Overpaying with me. I found this site first and when I would win a lot I would ask before doing anything to them. I bought a MGR Sparkler without a tail and was going to customize her and got yelled at by a member for being "stupid" and that I needed to learn my ponies before buying anything else because I could easily customize a $40 pony to a $10 custom D< Then later on noticed she favored restoring than customing which is fine.. but I was a newbie then. Now I've familiarized myself with some ponies and certian sets


I still love my G2s and I've overpaid for a Cupcake (replacing my childhood original pony) that was missing an eye jewel IT SUCKED! But I found a gem to at least attempt to fix her.

[Glacia471]

I don't think I have too many to list... I don't overpay all that much either. There are some times when I forget to ask about the condition of a pony and it's a little worse than I expected, or forgetting to bid on auctions and kicking myself when they go for less than what I would have bid. There was an incident recently where I made an offer on an item, the seller counter-offered and I didn't take it when I should have so someone else bought it I sulked quite a bit over it, and ended up blowing my money on some Nirvanas instead
 
Oh but I do regret opening some of my G2s as a kid Ones such as Hip Holly and Copper Glow too. I played with them plenty and I still have all of their accessories and backcards so I guess it's ok One of these days I'll get them MIB again

[MoonStars]

I had an almost terrible awful oops. We acquired a giant bunch of G1s from a craigslist lot a few years ago, and some other lots all around the same time when we (my kid and I) were first building our collections. So I don't know which lot this came from. Anyway, I had tossed all the lots together to sort out later. When I got around to it, I was separating "bait/restores/whatever" from others. I had two Blossoms. One had no tail. She was about to go into the "whatever" pile when I noticed her blossoms were different than the other Blossom's blossoms, then upon closer inspection, her eyes were different... and there were no markings on her hooves. @-@ (by now you know where this is going, right? LOL) So I posted pics thinking only to share what a weird Blossom I have and maybe find out what was up with those slightly different blossom symbols and hey, maybe she was a really good fakie or something. (PFft what did I know... no markings on the hooves, must be non HAsbro, right?)  Lo and behold, knowledgeable collectors determined that it is a GREEK BLOSSOM!!!  Had I not bothered to post pics, she'd have just been given away--maybe to another newb who wanted to customize a tail-less common pony...GAAK!--- or languished in a box full of "projects".   Needless to say I went through ALL the previously "whatevered" ponies checking hooves. *whew* makes me sweat even still, just thinking about it.

[MoongazerThePony]

One word:

ponyadore.

Whats that? Sorry if I'm being stupid.. 

Anyway, mine biggest "oops" is buying a fakie  before I knew about G1's. I way over payed, but luckily the seller was okay with me returning it c:

[Elisto]

Oh, that reminds me! I did one time buy a fakie that I thought was a real MLP! It was one of the babies with the painted-on diaper that was made from the same mold and has the same eyes as the real thing. It was very convincing until I got home and noticed the rooted tail. That was how I learned such similar-looking fakies existed! At least I only spent $2 on it.

[mlpfan]

don't think i have screwed up yet, but there is always tomorrow:)

[StoryDreamer]

I'm pretty sure I sold my mint Moonjump with wings for a paltry sum..