Why is Mimic so rare/valued?

[Twizel]

I started collecting later in life and missed most of the G1 and G2 run while it was going, so I apologize if this is common knowledge. Mimic is beautiful and I love her, but I could say that about many ponies, so I guess I'm just asking why this particular one? Is it just that lots of people like the design?

[Pinecone]

I think there were just not a lot of them made. I wish they'd bring her back for G4, even if they have to skip the jewel eyes. I love her design.

[Matcha]

I think it might be because of poor distribution, or maybe the fact that's she's and awesome green unicorn and had a part in that movie, yes? 0:

[Elisto]

I think there were slightly less of her made than most of the other TE, but she's not that rare. Mostly, I think she's just very desirable because of her unusual colors.

[LadyMoondancer]

Well, she was not sold in the UK so there were slightly less of them made than some other TEs.  But that is not the reason.

Someone who was in the MLP community from Day One told me that the first time she showed up on eBay, there was excitement because she was so colorful and unusual.   So her price went "high", for the time.  (Probably under $20 because ponies were cheaper then.)

This generated interest in her and the next time she showed up, even more people bid on her.  And the third time she showed up, even more people, and so on.  So her price just kept climbing and people began to think of her as a "status symbol" pony.

In addition she does have very unusual colors, so if you like green, or parrots, or tropical themes, she'll probably be on your want list.

But as far as rarity goes--that is not why her price is high.  Even the "not released in the UK" thing . . . there was another TE not released in the UK (Bright Eyes, I want to say) and she doesn't go nearly as high as Mimic does.  And the 2nd set of So-Softs are just as difficult to find, if not moreso (took me forever to get a decent Angel) and they don't sell for as much either. 


Mimic was not shortpacked.   Hasbro did not shortpack ponies in the 80s.  They sold them in boxes that had an even number of ponies, a multiple of however many ponies were in the set.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

She's very unique... she has a major part in an episode... she has collector "mythical" status... she wasn't present in many childhood collections... there weren't as many of her made... *throws dart at dartboard*

[babystarz]

She's not rare, actually And there were as many of her made as the rest of the second set of TE's. They are slightly less numerous than the first set, but I wouldn't consider any of them terribly HTF. She's just very sought-after now because she's popular with collectors and has built up this "must have" reputation. She also has a color scheme that deviates from pinks and purples, and no other pony has it, which is another reason people really want her.

I've never really felt the hype around her was warranted personally, but plenty of people think she's the cat's meow

[hathorcat]

Its a sought after or rare thing I think...if a pony is sought after her price is higher than average even if shes not that rare...if a pony is rare her price is higher than average even if shes not overly sought after. If that makes sense! Although when it comes to pricing "sought after" always tends to win out over rare on the pricing strategy.

Mimic is the "sought after not super rare" category - she comes up on ebay quite a lot and possibly more than Quackers and Bright Eyes; the difference is although the latter 2 are very popular they are just not quite as popular as Mimic. Its about perceived "worth"....there may be 10 Bright Eyes and 10 Mimics for sale but collectors will not go higher than the $60 for Bright Eyes as thats what they consider her "worth" whereas with Mimic she is perceived and considered to be "worth" more so collectors will bid higher to the $100 [please note I am just using the prices as examples]. This means Mimics price always looks a little inflated as people are simply willing to pay more for her. Stockings and Lil Tot come up much less often than Mimic but they dont tend to get anywhere near her price - they are rare but just not as sought after.

We didnt get Quackers in the UK either - we missed out on her as well as Mimic and Bright Eyes - technically these 2 ponies are "US exclusives" lol.

On a side note HB catalogues state that this set was sold in a box of 24 - which means each box had 4 of each pony but I don't know how the other 4 ponies were made up - the "additional" 4 will always have been the same in each box but who they were is unknown [until someone comes across a full box of this set - how amazing would that be] and I actually would suspect its as likely to have been Bright Eyes who was short packed as Mimic. Examples of this short packing continue even today into the G4 line.

[Shenanigans]

For me, it's not really about the price, just the pony. She's my grail, but I just can't afford a $75-$100 Pony I love her because my favorite ponies are unicorns and Twinkle Eyes and she's both! Plus green is my second favorite color and she's in my favorite pose so that makes her even better She's simply beautiful and I have high hopes that I'll own her one day

[LadyMoondancer]

On a side note HB catalogues state that this set was sold in a box of 24 - which means each box had 4 of each pony but I don't know how the other 4 ponies were made up - the "additional" 4 will always have been the same in each box but who they were is unknown [until someone comes across a full box of this set - how amazing would that be]

I think I would die if I found a full box of MOC ponies, ha ha!

Remember, though, there were not five ponies in the 2nd set of TEs . . . there were six.  Speedy was also rereleased in that set!  IMO there were four of each pony, 4x6 = 24.


(The 2nd set of So-Softs also had six ponies, Hippity-Hop was rereleased.  I like Speedy and Hippity, but it's a shame they didn't design two more ponies.  Especially a new TE, that's one of my favorite sets.)

[hathorcat]

On a side note HB catalogues state that this set was sold in a box of 24 - which means each box had 4 of each pony but I don't know how the other 4 ponies were made up - the "additional" 4 will always have been the same in each box but who they were is unknown [until someone comes across a full box of this set - how amazing would that be]

I think I would die if I found a full box of MOC ponies, ha ha!

Remember, though, there were not five ponies in the 2nd set of TEs . . . there were six.  Speedy was also rereleased in that set!  IMO there were four of each pony, 4x6 = 24.

Ta da!!! Solved!!! I completely forgot Speedy was in that set...well remembered....thanks LadyM

Well that hands down proves the not short stocked argument and we have the paperwork to prove it!


Edit: Lol...having just even checked my catalogue Speedy is even in the picture! Either hathorcat is daft today or unable to count to 6...unsure which is worse.

[LadyMoondancer]

Ohhh, do you have the Toy Fair catalogue from that year?  *drooools*

[hathorcat]

I am an HB catalogue addict lol! I ll upload a pic of this set later...

[LadyMoondancer]

Awesome!  I, too, am a catalogue addict!  I'm always making grabby hands and the prototypes and beautifully mint ponies!   


Plus the little panoramas they used to do.  <3

[Vintergatan]

I love it how often this topic pops up, and for a good reason imo considering that her rarity is indeed not the factor in all the hype, so to us that are indifferent to her, this is quite baffling

What puts me off with her is her pose (and her price, lol) so I guess i´ll never own her unless I find one for very cheap