Hi! Accidental G1 collector, also G4-curious

[FlickaFriend]

Short version: I intended to get a couple of G1 ponies for my daughter's 5th birthday next month, for nostalgic reasons. I have accidentally ended up with a small collection for myself! I was delighted to find this forum and have really enjoyed reading your discussions about G1s as well as picking up tips on how to clean a rusty tail etc. I'm also G4-curious, I think they're very cute characters and want to watch FiM.

Long version: I had forgotten all about My Little Pony until my daughter and her friend (both 4 years) started role playing as My Little Pony ponies, pretending to be Cotton Candy or Butterscotch or Majesty.

I assumed it must be inspired by a rebooted cartoon or something but, no, the little girl's mum had given her her original My Little Pony collection from the 80s. 

With a wave of nostalgia I remembered how I'd loved and adored and dreamed about the My Little Pony toys.

I can't remember if I was actually allowed one of my own. My parents would probably have deemed them trashy. I do have a memory of owning a Blossom or Minty but that could have been a fantasy.

However I remember my best friend and I, at her house when we were about 7, poring obsessively over her My Little Pony catalogue. My friend used to tell me if her parents won the lottery they would buy her the whole collection and another whole set for me and the thought was utterly delicious. In our 7 year old brains there was basically no possible better use of a million pounds than to spend it all on My Little Ponies.

I decided to get my daughter a couple of My Little Ponies on eBay for her 5th birthday next month.

Well once I started looking I could not resist those gorgeous pastel vinyl equines. I now have a small herd hidden in my wardrobe: a very grubby Blossom and her baby, who are more grey than lilac; a very rusty Posey with white hair and a brown (!) tail, a beautiful Music Time, a lovely Snuzzles, a nice CP Bow Tie, a shy pose Bow Tie, Parasol, Peachy and on the way Tootsie. I want to get Mainsail, a Posey with proper pink hair and will probably need another Parasol as I think my daughter and I will need one each. I would love Seaflower but I don't know if she ever comes up for sale.

I can't wait to start cleaning up the ones in need of TLC but have to wait until after my daughter's birthday next month as I don't want to ruin the surprise by have ponies sitting around drying.

I've really enjoyed reading the forum as a guest over the past couple of weeks of obsession! Especially reading POTD for the ponies I know.

At the moment I'm most interested in G1 ponies although I would like to watch FiM and I like the look of the articulated G4 toys, haven't seen them IRL and not sure they'd have the tactile charm of the G1 vinyls. I think the characterisation is cute though.

[centaurette]

Hi there! I'm brand new to this place too! It's so amazing that you got back into it with your daughter; my younger brother was really into it as a child (and still is passively into it now), and sucked me back in too! I was a kidlet when the G2 ponies came out, but I had some very well-loved (probably thrifted) G1's! Well-loved ponies are my favorite; they're fun to clean up but I love to think about how they brought someone a lot of joy way back in the day!

The new show is rather cute, too! I recommend it; it's better than a lot of other kid's shows out there, I think!

[Kikwifluff]

Welcome to the Arena!! 

I have yet to watch the show, but I can say this: g1 ponies are great! It makes me happy to read that you like cleaning them up. It's very satisfying to see them be restored to their original beauty. 

[Tiffoes]

What a lovely way to get into collecting, and a sweet story too.
It's funny how sometimes it's others that spark the start of our collection! It happened with me and my little sister too!

Welcome to the Arena, I hope you'll have fun here~

[Leave a Whisper]

Great story and welcome!

[FlickaFriend]

Hi everyone, thanks for the lovely welcome 

[lostpony]

But...there IS no better use for a million pounds than to spend it all on My Little Ponies.

The articulated G4 toys are the next-best thing to the original G1s.  The older ones are marked down to make way for the movie toys, so it's a good time to pick one up and try it for yourself.  Have you seen the articulated Loyal Subjects G1-esque ponies?  there's a thread about them in the Pony Corral with some of our pictures.

Loved the story and hope you have a great pony time together with your daughter!

[FlickaFriend]

But...there IS no better use for a million pounds than to spend it all on My Little Ponies.

Oh yes! Of course!

The articulated G4 toys are the next-best thing to the original G1s.  The older ones are marked down to make way for the movie toys, so it's a good time to pick one up and try it for yourself.  Have you seen the articulated Loyal Subjects G1-esque ponies?  there's a thread about them in the Pony Corral with some of our pictures.

Loved the story and hope you have a great pony time together with your daughter!

Thanks lostpony.
On your suggestion I've looked at the loyal subjects articulated toys online but they don't seem to be available in the UK and I'm not sure about solid hair that you can't brush. They are appealing though.
I was thinking of the poseable figures like Fluttershy picnic set or Twilight Sparkle in the reading cafe or Rainbow Dash winning kick. With silky hair and little joints in their legs. Cute!

[Spinky69er]

Welcome to the Arena

I hope you have some amazing adventures expanding both yours and your daughter's collections

[FlickaFriend]

Thanks! I love it here!

[achab1984]

This is awesome to hear that your back into the hobby! They are so cute its hard not to love them! I am fond of the G1 ponies the most!