Is having an army of ponies selfish? let's discuss

[TornadoLovesMelody]

I envy peoples armies of ponies I might want but at the same time I fully understand them and am happy for them too.

Ponies are every collectors selfish pleasure so I don't condone armies.
Yet, I never really liked when people buy things they don't necessarily want for themselves but buy them just so that someone else can not have it. That behaviour is ... less pleasant =)

But yeah - I wish I got to hold some of the Argie trotters I've seen people have multiples of that I've been wanting for years. I may not have the funds to own one but I want to smell one and touch one

[Ponyfan]

G1 Twilight the unicorn is my army pony. That being said I only have 2 Twilights in the army and the rest are custom versions of her.

Yet, I never really liked when people buy things they don't necessarily want for themselves but buy them just so that someone else can not have it. That behaviour is ... less pleasant =)

That is the only time that seeing someone's armies upsets me. 


Ponyfan

[Leave a Whisper]

G1 Twilight the unicorn is my army pony. That being said I only have 2 Twilights in the army and the rest are custom versions of her.

Yet, I never really liked when people buy things they don't necessarily want for themselves but buy them just so that someone else can not have it. That behaviour is ... less pleasant =)

That is the only time that seeing someone's armies upsets me. 


Ponyfan

That's different. That's just done out of plain spite.

[Broken Irishwoman]

Yet, I never really liked when people buy things they don't necessarily want for themselves but buy them just so that someone else can not have it. That behaviour is ... less pleasant =)

My childhood "friend" used to do that. Whenever I mentioned a pony I really wanted, she made sure it was the next pony her parents bought her. Only because I wanted it.

[Glitter Yolk]

I'm trying for an army of Baby Apple Delights, but I've only got two at the moment and one is bait.   So much for that!

I don't really feel selfish about it, as my primary collecting targets are fakies! But, if I were to find another one in person and someone else, be it kid or adult, was thinking about getting it I would wait until they've decided to really go for it. Especially if it's a kid, regardless of whether I have the pony already or not!

I have been in the position where someone has bags full of ponies and has left none for anyone else, but that's a little different than armies I guess.

[magoobear]

In my case for my favorite pony I stopped at #10 , she happened to be a very cool rehair version, so maybe it just took that to be satisfied with it, I don't have her in an moc but I don't even have a desire for her on mic
Everyone is different in their collecting, and my collection took a different turn that I hadn't seen coming myself but it's good to just embrace it , it makes me happy apparently
Small
Plastic
Ponies
...
That smell funny
..
From 1982-1990
It's my thing ☺️💜🤩
Just remember to have some fun with it!!

[brightberry]

I haven’t felt actual jealousy in a long time.  I kind of feel that if you really want something and you have the means eventually you’ll get it.  So I don’t mind when I see armies of ponies I really want.  I think people having armies is better than the ponies ending up in a dump or used to make flower pots.   

[otocolobus_manul]

This is an interesting discussion, I love seeing different points of view on this. What about when there’s only a handful of a pony known to exist, and one person owns all of them/immediately buys every new one that crops up?

[Gator]

I like the "Last Unicorn" reference earlier in this thread, cause for years I've felt like that's me with Satin 'n Lace.  I would buy more if I had the money.  And I can't tell you why.  I like to look at them.  They fill me with joy.  Each time I see the Satins, my Satins, it is like that time when I was truly young, looking at the mail order phamplets, at the mail orders I thought I could never have. 

[brightberry]

This is an interesting discussion, I love seeing different points of view on this. What about when there’s only a handful of a pony known to exist, and one person owns all of them/immediately buys every new one that crops up?

Those ponies could have a worse fate.  That’s how I think of it. 

I mean there are a lot of things on this planet that I’d really like to have but sooner or later, I have to choose to enjoy what I do have and I won’t try to poison others from enjoying what they have. 

I guess my only exception is denying someone else things they need to thrive.

[FiddlePhan]

Ultimately people are free to buy what they want and how many they want and I realize that.

I have a collection of Gusty's but it's all different versions of her and that kind of collection I totally think is cool.  I love seeing pics of those when people post them.

When the collection is of one model though it does irk me when it's a pony that is really hard to find, maybe it's a variant from a certain country, and the person has 15 or whatever of them.    I'm not going to hate on people or be mean to them over it but yes, it does bother me.
So many people are looking for, dreaming of the pony but the already hard to find pony is even harder because a large number of them are owned by one person.  (not directed at anyone.  I have a horrible memory and don't remember who has what or what armies I've even seen.  ha ha)

My mentality when I collect is that if I'm fortunate to be able to track down a rare pony for my collection, I'm happy and don't want another so others can have the joy I had at getting this pony as well.   Not everyone feels the same I know but that's just my way of doing things.

[aintnobuffalo]

Hmm, I'm not sure. If it's selfish, then wouldn't it imply that the selfless thing to do would be to buy no ponies at all so others may have the opportunity? Someone is going to buy them, why not you? And is there a major difference between the philosophical selfishness of collecting in general verses collecting a specific pony? Either way you are taking ponies out of the market, if that is the ethical concern. So I would argue that it isn't any more selfish that enjoying other material things.

[SaraMari]

I would say generally no. I don't often feel jealous when I see an army, more like impressed haha, even if it were an ice crystal or mimic army. They come up enough that I don't feel like an army would be ruining others chances.

However truly rare ponies where theres like less than 10 known ones out there, having an army of them would seem hmm I guess selfish. Are they really that in love with that particular pony or is it that they just don't want anyone else to have it, to have bragging rights or to drive the price up?

[TheBeatlesPkmnFan42]

Nah. I don't army any ponies myself, mostly due to my lack of space, so as a result I don't keep any doubles. But, I do love seeing other peoples' armies. I love seeing people so passionate and dedicated to their favorite ponies!

[caseysealia]

Yes and no. Obviously you have the right to choose what you buy. I have armies of ponies such as Serena, starting Heart Throb, Tootie Tails, Rainbow Curl Strips ect. (obviously none of these are rare, so its a bit different) I know exactly what its like to get fascinated by a specific pony. I feel like rarer ponies, like Raps, shouldn't be bought simply because you can (unless its a great deal, I feel if its listed as her appropriate price that a collector would be the only one paying for her at said price vs. resellers) because that does rob another collector that chance to complete their goals. 

But again, its your money you do what you want. But then again g1s are getting harder and harder to find. It really depends on the pony, and the price, IMO. Like SaraMari said with some ponies is it dedication to that specific pony or just bragging rights?