Solitarily liking ponies?

[Mana Minori]

Has anyone ever felt like they’re alone in liking a certain pony or line of ponies that others don’t? Maybe the pony or line is super obscure or under appreciated by pony fans and pony collectors. Or whatever reason.

At times, I feel like I’m pretty much the only one who obsessed and adores the g1 Takara line, but I’m constantly proving myself wrong and snapping myself out of that mindset when I find that there ARE others out there that love these little pony beans enough to also be making fan art and crafts of them, like me! Recently, I find a post about them made by some guy called Ponitacupcake on LiveJournal (idk who they are, but I was overwhelmed with pride and support) made me realize that I’m not the only one who wants them rebooted (and felt the Transformers x FiM crossover was a squandered opportunity When there is another pony line far more fitting.

https://vintage-ads.livejournal.com/6331370.html?embed

Have you guys ever felt lonely at some point, in liking a pony or pony line? Do you still feel that way?

[Ponybookworm]

I live in a small village so nobody local really has interest in the same things I do... but I'm used to it...

I love bright colours myself, & know others don't, preferring the pastel look, but pastel, though in its place is great, is just a bit... faded. Bright colours are more cheery to me.

[Taffeta]

Meh, most anyone who grew up with G1 and then got into collecting them has experienced being a collector more or less on your own. Although I admit I had my sister as well

Takara ponies are Nirvana ponies, they get discussed more in Nirvana discussion but you always bring them up in the Corral...which may be why you don't get the Takara discussion you want from people. There are quite a few people who have laid out big money for Takara ponies, and one person who was lucky enough to find one in a store in Japan when they were over there.

But Takara are niche and so the people who collect them and like them are also niche.

At least you can be glad that nowadays people do recognise them and care about them. Back in...I dunno, 2000ish? when I first got sent scans of a takara pamphlet, I remember I put it on my site. And literally NOBODY cared. Now, though, they're recognised, accepted and included as a Nirvana pony. Which is genuinely better. I think it's been the last ten or so years that it took off. I really wish that I had bought them all up when they were (probably) cheap on the Japanese auctions when I started buying stuff from Japan in 2007, but eh, you live and learn. I

I don't like Takara particularly, despite having studied Japan for as long as I have. I feel like I ought to, but I just don't like the moomin ponies :/ I do like their outfits mind you. I have one wedding outfit in its package, because I felt as a scholar of Japan I should have ONE Japanese pony thing. And it's cute and I would get more if I found them cheaply. But not the ponies.

Nowadays, I don't really have the sense of liking a type of pony nobody else likes. Again, going back, I did feel that way. There were so few people who cared about variants at all back in the day, and getting people to acknowledge them was hard work at times. And then there was G2. I liked G2. I still like G2. Probably about the same now as I did then. But it was SO hostile then, whereas now it's lovely <3.

...I don't really know what bigger point I'm trying to make - I think it's that we have a much better position now to discuss many different types of ponies than we did when I first joined the community in 1997-8.

BUT...you will have more luck talking Takara in the Nirvana forum, I suspect. People in the corral mostly want to talk pony general or mainstream, so you're probably tackling the wrong audience.

Oh, yeah. I suppose in my case it's not about a specific pony but about the names. I grew up in the Uk with the UK pony names and I use them. I don't ever think of any of my ponies in terms of the US names.

It makes me genuinely sad that some UK collectors who grew up with G1 have switched to the US names, especially when it means duplicate names or ridiculous names like 'tootie tails'.

Most of the online sites use US names and there's an expectation everyone should use those names. So I sometimes wonder how people in other countries feel, where they have another language version of a name that makes more sense to them, but can genuinely never use it.

It's why I started using the names in those languages if the pony is an exclusive (Nachtlicht, for example).

I really hate the dominance of the US names. And I feel sometimes that I'm quite alone in that.

[SunPony]

Well, no one I know offline/irl is into pony collecting, so I sometimes feel a little wierd or lonely about it I guess.  Then online...hmm...I do like the first tooth and drink-and-wet babies a lot, which don't seem really popular for whatever reason.  I maybe wouldn't call this feeling "loneliness" but perhaps a kind of vague feeling of pity for these unloved ponies, if that makes sense?  But I don't feel super passionate about it, there are way more important things going on in my life and society right now to have strong feelings about and I only have so much energy.  I try to keep only positive feelings associated with the pony world.

[banditpony]

Eh.

Just because someone is a fan of something doesn't mean they share the same thoughts as you, or even want to talk about it.

I have no interest in arts and crafts of takara. The exception to that is there were some high quality accurate 3D prints and I got one to customize. I don't dream that they are released again. I hardly consider them MLP, they fit more in line with just the cute toy aesthetic I collect.

But I'm certainly a fan.

[Leave a Whisper]

Other then my cousins and friends as a kid, and my daughter who is mostly finished with her collection, I don't really have anyone offnet who I can talk to about it. Its never bothered me.

[pinkkittywinks]

Takara ponies are tricky, they are waaaayyyyy out of most people price range, so I think most people will blank them out. I never dared entertain the idea of owning one as they are expensive As Taffeta said, the are a niche, within a niche. I think the other thing to consider is they really don't look like "tradition" ponies and that will put some people off. Piggy ponies are similar in that way. Also Takaras were only produced for a small amount of time, one year I think, so I don't think they were that popular at the time.

I do own a Takara, I bought her last year, I was lucky enough to get one from a friend for a price that I could afford, and she is still my most expensive pony. I don't think I would have been so keen to get a Takara unless I hadn't spent time with one. I was entrusted with caring for a Takara pony, while I made outfits for her and it was this spending time that made me love them. It is worth noting I ADORE the Moomins too

The Takara fakie babies are super popular and beloved by many people even though they are fakes. They are still expensive, especially when it comes to some of the more unusual colours. There is also an adult Takara fakie, but these are worth almost the same as the real ones.

If you ever want to enthuse about Takara's why not pop over to the nirvana section

Love pkw xxx

[banditpony]

Takara ponies are tricky, they are waaaayyyyy out of most people price range, so I think most people will blank them out.

I am not sure you were saying this... But people don't have to physically own things to be fans of them. People can be fans of any pony, regardless of price, and own none.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I'm probably one of a few people who love the Pony Life ponies. Not bothersome, but could do without the "Burn it!!" comments. I really do think they're quite cute.
No one else IRL that I know of is into pony.
I like Takaras but don't feel much like discussing them, just not sure what there is to talk about them.

[Mana Minori]

I'm probably one of a few people who love the Pony Life ponies. Not bothersome, but could do without the "Burn it!!" comments. I really do think they're quite cute.
No one else IRL that I know of is into pony.
I like Takaras but don't feel much like discussing them, just not sure what there is to talk about them.

i don’t mind the PL ponies, I actually have a few.Potion Nova is my favorite and spoiled baby of a pony. Sorry that you don’t have anyone irl to share them with. Have you tried finding any meetups with Pony Life?

[tailrustedtealeaf]

There are not meetups also we are in a pandemic. I just wait and hope ponypeople find me...

[Mana Minori]

There are not meetups also we are in a pandemic. I just wait and hope ponypeople find me...

yes I am aware of that, but meetups have also been scheduled online in many communities, such as in Lolita groups. So I’m saying maybe you can find a meetup that discussed Pony Life over Zoom or something. I apologize for not clarifying.

[Taffeta]

TBH I don't see why PL shouldn't be discussed here. This is the pony community

Speaking as someone who also owns Potion Nova but isn't really interested in PL.

But equally I'm not interested in FIM and I still think it should be discussed here as well.

[Marshie]

The only time I ever really felt alone was with my offline friends and family. I still live with my parents and have gotten many rude remarks to my new hobby. Friends are a little more caring though since they can respect I have an interest and something that makes me happy! Only thing about that though is none of them are really into it so I don’t tend to talk much about it with them and can’t really explain things I love about ponies with them.
I never felt like I was alone in liking a certain line of ponies in the actual community though, but this may be because I’m still new here and haven’t gone too far into the different types of ponies.

[dragglereeka]

I've always felt that G2 ponies as a whole are the collective least favourite. Although I may be completely wrong?  I love them for the nostalgia as they were my first childhood generation, but also their overall design. However, I think Hasbro didn't do much for them in terms of lore etc. The least fleshed out generation definitely.  I've always made my own stories for the Enchanted Forest dwellers <3