The first thought I had this morning-

[kissthethunder]

I'm going to be honest and it's probably not a great opinion to have.

I've seen it happen where adults send their kids to ask adults for things. Fleamarkets, garage sales, thrift stores- even fairs. Parents who don't want to pay sometimes send their kids to ask adults for their toys.

If the item I have is meaningful to me or I need it for my collection I know it will be kept and preserved for longer than the child will hold interest in it. Even my little cousin who I got into mlp and gifted things to got rid of it all and I've outlived her collecting and I gave her some pretty collectible hard to track down items in the name of her being a kid. Looking back I might have been just as generous but with less collectible merch. Kids outgrow it and I have this sentimental need to make the toys last as long as possible.

SO in the end, no, if I got there first and I want the item for my collection where it'll be kept within the community I'll do it. If it's a common piece or a double I'd gladly give it up in hopes that the kid appreciates it.

But a lot of kids are pretty entitled, parents use them to score deals, and I'd rather take this on a case by cases basis based on my own experiences.

[LadyMoondancer]

I would keep it if I picked it up first.

Conversely, if someone else got to it first I wouldn't try to "bribe them" or "trick them out of it."  That just doesn't sit right with me.   "First come, first serve" goes both ways.

[orangepeachmango]

I would keep it if I picked it up first.

Conversely, if someone else got to it first I wouldn't try to "bribe them" or "trick them out of it."  That just doesn't sit right with me.   "First come, first serve" goes both ways.

Omf Yeah I agree with this I would also just be WAY too anxious to do that?? I saw some lady carrying a big bag of g1s at vv one time, but she was like, clearly another collector. Made me cry a little I totally could have scored that bag if I was just a Little earlier... But finders keepers is a two way street ;  )

[Aurora]

I would keep it if I picked it up first.

Conversely, if someone else got to it first I wouldn't try to "bribe them" or "trick them out of it."  That just doesn't sit right with me.   "First come, first serve" goes both ways.

Someone got to a box of ponies before me, and they were walking out of a garage sale as I was walking in. I'm not a shy person, but this surprised me- otherwise I would have walked up and had a conversation with them about their ponies, found out if they were a collector--- it's worth more to me to find another collector than to get the ponies first! Much more useful!

I've actually convinced a child that they didn't want the pony in their hands before. It was at a flea market, with a big box of ponies, and I started telling her about how Parasol was one of the very first Rainbow Ponies, and this one was in really good shape. Soon she had put down the pony I wanted, and skipped out with Parasol. Win win! That wouldn't work if there weren't other ponies, of course!

[Skeen]

Would I give the kid the pony?  lol no

[princessluna11706]

If it were a super common that I already had I'd give it to the kid, but since it's not the case, I go with many here and say first dibs gets it.  IMO something rare like that should be in the community.

[bright rabbit 1]

I rather take the pony for myself, if it was a really rare one. (First comes first)

I told a lie to someone once when I saw this doll I really wanted in a car boot sale. I said to this girl that the doll comes to live and rips the heads from their other dolls, I told her to go for a horse when I asked her if she had any horses for her dolls. She left with the horses while I got the doll.

A funny thing happened when I was little, this store I went to with my mum they had the original LPS (90s versions) there was this girl who wanted this monkey playset I was holding with another set (the other set was mini mice). Mum said I could only have one and I put the mice back and took the monkey one.

This also happened when the Gloom n Bloom Monster High dolls were on sale at Tesco, this girl wanted Venus McFlytrap and I scooped it up.

[Cswift]

As cold-hearted as it sounds, I'm going to say I absolutely would keep the pony for myself. First-come, first-serve is a concept that children would do well to learn young.

Plus, the emotional pain I'd experience from losing out on a pony I'll probably never see again would objectively outweigh the emotional pain the child would experience from not getting a toy they'll likely forget about in a week, LOL

[Storybelle]

I can be very, very nice when I want to. When I was ten I had some money for a birthday so I wandered into a toy shop. But they didn't have anything I wanted so I bought a toy my sister wanted instead and gave it to her.

That said, if I find G1s or any pony that I want out in the wild, no batting eyelids or temper tantrums will pry it from my cold, heartless hands. From children or parents. Especially from parents.

[01mlplover]

I really can't stand other people's kids so I wouldn't feel the slightest bit sad to tell a kid no, it's mine. I found it first.

[Strawberry Swirl]

Ha ha ha ha! Good to know that there are other people with my "keep the ponies, who cares about the kids" sort of instinct.

[lostpony]

You're all unconscionably mean

I liked the way Skeen answered best: "lol no"

[Einhornbaby]

I wont give it up. Chances to find another are soo slim and to be honest... my grails are ponies are have been looking for at least a year or much longer (some for more than 10 years), so I think if I ever find one of them in the wild I WILL keep it no matter what kid comes up wanting it too.