Will G4s drop in price after the hype?

[Ragamuffin]

Not sure when to buy Star Swirl. I remember forelock ponies and fashion style AJ were sought after, but nowadays not as much. Hoping it's like that with some G4s. I know they're pretty limited with release but $100+ for a baby pony (Silver Spoon specifically) is absurd. I don't want to spend more than $50 for a G4, but I don't want to spend over $100 if the rarity increases over time.

For an example I own, I bought the Sweet Apple Barn in 2011 at Toys R Us for $15. For a while, the prices on eBay for this set were in the $50s-70s. Now you can get it for around $30...

[Taffeta]

I would expect them to drop. For how long and by how much...we'll have to wait and see.

Problem with Starswirl is extremely limited distribution. I mean, she was meant to be pan Europe and yet I never saw her in the UK. She only appeared very patchily here, so I've been told. I got mine on a trip to Lille :/ I haven't seen any of the other so called European exclusives, either. Ploomette, Rainbow Flash, etc. Only Holly Dash, who we seemed to get but Europe not so much...

 Ponies like that may hold their value a bit longer - but maybe not to current extent?

I am leaving the expensive ones alone and hoping that they show up on second hand markets. I got a lot of my rarer G1 ponies that way - either from the carboot sale or by trading what I found at carboot sale. And that was a gen that nobody planned to be long term collectors for when they were out. G4 has been haunted by collectors for a while - so I imagine there will be a bunch of stuff flooding the market as the fad ends. (Sort of like Monster High has a little bit).

It may go up again in the future though, if the kids who grew up with it decide to start to collect.

[LadyMoondancer]

Keep an eye out for people selling lots of their former childhood G4s as the years go by, that is where to find them for cheaper . . . hidden away in lots.  Also keep an eye on thrift stores and Craigslist.

I don't think Starswirl will ever really be cheap for Americans.  Right off the bat you'll be paying at least $14 . . . for shipping.  And then the price of a sought after pony on top of that.

Overall I would say if they dip in price it will be right as the show ends, if people change fandoms and sell off their ponies in favor of a new fandom.  But after that I think their prices will remain pretty high, because the toy collectors will still want the 'unique' ponies from G4.

[bright rabbit 1]

Well I know amazon.uk has put the G4 ponies for ridiculous amount of money. Argos seems to only have a few on their website. Smyths seems to be out of stock of them. Barginmax.com has G4 ponies that are cheaper than amazon.

[Leave a Whisper]

Some will drop, some will rise in price, some will stay the same.

[Taffeta]

Well I know amazon.uk has put the G4 ponies for ridiculous amount of money. Argos seems to only have a few on their website. Smyths seems to be out of stock of them. Barginmax.com has G4 ponies that are cheaper than amazon.

And yet randomly they now have buttonbelle o.o

[lovesbabysquirmy]

the ones who had TOO MUCH distribution will be the ponies you can't give away in a lot with McD's toys

the ones who had a small, limited distro will be the ponies who either hold value or rise in value because they are harder to find

all the fandom merch and general STUFF, it'll fall to the wayside and only a niche market will still collect.  do you want to buy a $1000 minky life-size plush of someone else's G4 fursona?

[Miss_Pompon]

I'm not sure that even Star Swirl will increase in price, because 2nd hand ones will continue to appear on ebay for at least a few years, and then collectors will resell theirs.
I sold 2 Star Swirl on ebay last year and they didn't sell as high as the one I sold in 2017. And I wasn't able to get a decent price for FS AJ, or even ploomette.

Here in France, we are still able to find HTF G2s and exclusive G4 in flea markets and yard sales, and those will end up on ebay, so I won't worry about increased prices.

[Elfpony]

I wouldn’t expect the price of the really harder to find / were only available regionally ponies to rise, but they may also not drop much, as those will be the pieces that collectors are still searching for. The ones like FS AJ, who were popular but reasonably widely distributed, I would expect to see the prices go down from their high point. Anything with wider distribution (looking at you, every Pinkie Pie ever), will be flooding the 2nd hand market and be given away as freebies. But patience is a virtue as a collector and there’s always the chance you’ll be able to find a more rare G4 cheap in a lot or as people get tired of having them in their house and just want them gone.

Elf

[TheBeatlesPkmnFan42]

I don't know if the prices will drop, but I'm kind of hoping they do. I want all the G4 ponies that aren't Mane 6, but a few of them are quite pricey (Star Swirl, Silver Spoon, Holly Dash) and it'd be nice if prices went down so I can buy these girls for a bit less. I plan on getting around to them eventually regardless but I'd prefer if I don't have to save up quite as much to do so.

[Taffeta]

I don't know if the prices will drop, but I'm kind of hoping they do. I want all the G4 ponies that aren't Mane 6, but a few of them are quite pricey (Star Swirl, Silver Spoon, Holly Dash) and it'd be nice if prices went down so I can buy these girls for a bit less. I plan on getting around to them eventually regardless but I'd prefer if I don't have to save up quite as much to do so.

I am still waiting for the glut of HollyDashes that is bound to invade the UK second hand market any time soon.

...I have 2 right now in my trade box and I think there are more to come...

[Leave a Whisper]

It'd be nice if it did, I still want Sandbar, Holly Dash,  Lulu Luck, Queen Novo and  Haven Bay. But I honestly doubt I'll get the Mers and Holly Dash.

[Nemesis]

The ridiculously inflated prices have been my greatest grievance with G4. :/ There’s just no way I feel happy spending $25-$200 on a single, tiny G4 when most vintage ponies sell for a fraction of that. You’d think Hasbro would capitalize on this and make an “encore” wave of characters like Bumblesweet, Flitterheart, etc.... but for the most part, that hasn’t happened.

I imagine the prices will come down somewhat after the mania has tapered off, as that’s what tends to happen with these things. The question is... how MUCH will they come down?

[lonewolf]

the ones who had TOO MUCH distribution will be the ponies you can't give away in a lot with McD's toys

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I hope so. Namely I'd like to see the price of the SDCC special of the pony in my signature drop. Would still like to have one.

the ones who had a small, limited distro will be the ponies who either hold value or rise in value because they are harder to find

If they don't, I had the foresight to get a few of the earlier releases MIP and hang on to them (like the Tr'U Nightmare Moon set) in case they should go up in value. My spare Zecora has the advantage of the box being autographed by her voice actor.

all the fandom merch and general STUFF, it'll fall to the wayside and only a niche market will still collect.  do you want to buy a $1000 minky life-size plush of someone else's G4 fursona?

Now what about a life size Luna or Fluttershy? If one of those comes up for sale at less than what it cost new you can bet I'd be interested (in addition to those I'd like a life size Flurry Heart). And I wonder about customs of characters that never got an official release like Daybreaker, Autumn Blaze, or Saffron Masala?  If in the future some people were trying to get one one of every character that appeared in the show I could see bidding wars opening up on them.
 And this is still going to be probably the only case where a fandom outdid the company in terms of selection and quality of products (namely plushies).

[Leave a Whisper]

They'll probably just be treated as other custom mlp stuff is Lone.