How do you decide what to add to your collection?

[Artemesia's Garden]

I just used various websites to complete a database of G1 ponies in my collection. Thank you Taffeta for the release dates! My list is much smaller than I thought, under 300 characters. I don't collect a lot of sets because I made some choices that would save me space etc. but for some reason I thought I would end up with more characters represented. I've been through a lot of my ponies now completing a more detailed inventory but I still have around half to go. I find it interesting that I've come to a stage where I know what I'm aiming to collect now and what my limits are. I'm working on upgrades at the moment and then I guess accessories will become more important rather than just incidental.

[Beth3346]

when i first started I was all over the place. I stopped collecting for a while because i went a little overboard in 2020. after downsizing and having my collection packed away for months i would like to start collecting again. this time i plan to be more conscious of space but i tend to try to complete sets and replace ponies that i regretted selling. my pony room will also be my office and guest bedroom so space will be limited.

i'm also planning to do an inventory after i move and unpack my collection. TBH after all of the selling i don't really know which ponies i still have.

[applejackbunny]

When I first started collecting nearly 20 years ago, I was adamant I would only get the first six collector's pose ponies. Well, over 600 ponies later, I'm still not finished! 

My collecting has evolved a great deal over the years. I used the various websites and compiled my own wish lists. At first, I only wanted the ones with subtle colours and shunned all the brightly coloured ponies (I found them garish). I didn't want to collect any G2s or G 3.5s. I didn't want any beddy bye eye ponies (I found them ugly) and disregarded any ponies I considered to be gimmicky, like the Brush 'n Grow and the Dance 'n Prance ponies...

There were many other limitations I imposed on my collection too, but gradually, over time, these changed. There are still some hard rules such as no beddy bye eye ponies (I still find them creepy!) or G3.5s, but I now have many brightly coloured ponies, a substantial G2 collection and have softened a little on the gimmick front.

For me, it's been a process of evolution and constant revisiting of ponies I've previously disregarded. For example, for the longest time, I didn't like TAF Buttons, but then one day, out of the blue, I suddenly loved her and now she's one of my favourites! It's quite scary how that can happen! 

I do have space and financial constraints, so that has been a limiting factor. I've also decided that I won't be collecting any G5s and, I must say, it does feel good to draw a line under my collection and concentrate on filling in the gaps and upgrading existing ponies etc.

Another self-imposed limitation was accessories. I have a few now, but they're mainly combs and brushes so they're small and don't take up much space. I never buy whole playsets.

To sum up, I suppose I decide which ponies to collect based not on completionism, but on which ponies I fall in love with.

I imagine this is all quite familiar to many collectors on here.

[stjarne]

really, just ponies, sets & merch that i find cute, charming or pretty. there are ponies & items i decide not to add to my collection mainly due to their design. sometimes, there are ones that i initially don't like, then they sneak their way into my wishlist... mylittlewiki is my main source for anything but it doesn't have pics of everything, especially merch. i lurk on auction sites (ebay, mercari, poshmark, depop) to find stuff i've never even seen before! it's a lot of fun and i end up with merch i wouldn't have known about otherwise.

i'm not sure about my limits yet, as my collections still on the smaller side (i mean, compared to some people  ) and my collection will have to take residence in my own room for the time being. but just saying, when and if i ever get my own place eventually there IS going to be a pony room. i'm not a completionist, but my collection's going to grow pretty big if i continue on the path of what i have on my wishlist LOL, and that's just for G3. that's why i really want to steer off from other gen's. there just won't be room.

[BlackCurtains]

These issues with large collections is why I only collect orange ponies (mostly). I knew I had to limit myself for space, budget and sanity reasons But collecting one color can be hard too, especially when there are so many Nirvanas. I'm not limited to just orange either, some yellow ponies have found their way into my collection and I have other ponies who I think are really neat who are different colors too, like Dutch Diary, she's so unique. Then of course, I have my Raincurl army. Raincurl is fairly inexpensive but I also collect art of her and merch (I don't any merch yet but I want some), so that drives the price up.

Collections are complicated. I think everyone has a way they collect that works for them, you just need to identify it

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Usually, I will find a pony that I decide I want and then go hunting for her in lots. I'll get a lot with her, keep any other ponies I don't have, and then sell or trade the extras.

Lately, I've only been adding G5 to my collection, but I keep an eye out when I thrift. I have quite the backlog of doubles to go through! I really need to just sort through everything and make a massive "Keep" "Doubles" and "Don't wants" list somewhere.

[SpacePinto]

I only have six ponies.

[Artemesia's Garden]

@BlackCurtains do you count peachy orange ponies like Skyflier? @SpacePinto which 6 do you have and do you plan for any more?

[SpacePinto]

@SpacePinto which 6 do you have and do you plan for any more?

Fizzy, Wind Whistler, Gusty, Heart Throb, Posey and Mimic, I also wanted to buy a few more that were in the cartoon (like Masquerade or Lickety Split or Surprise) but that was long ago.

[Marshie]

I started back in 2020 so I'm still a newbie to collecting, and my collecting habits haven't changed. I just go after the ones I find really cute! Only set I want to complete right now are the Twinkle Eye ponies, but that one is getting close to done. Maybe my collecting habits will change soon, but there are a lot under the "gotta get because they're cute" category still.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

buy what I like, enjoy it, sell it, buy what I like...

[SkyCakes]

I dont know when I started but 12?13? years later I have a big collection. I couldnt stop it was like I had some sort of disease. I still love ponies but as the years go by I like the older ones a little more. I still have some G4s and G3s. I only kept my favorites.

[Ponybookworm]

Books, comics, magazines in my language are second only to the Ponies themselves.

For the Ponies I'm a lot more picky than I was. Only a few get to have duplicates or variants, & most of those are limited to different enough ones. I have twins for some Ponies like Tootsie, Butter Kiss, napper & some more, but not for every Pony. Most of my other variants, except a select group of "army-able" Ponies are the likes of Dutch or recently Argie Ponies. And I'm more likely to go for a unique Pony than for a variant.

Money is a huge factor, as is payment plans for more expensive Ponies & stuff. This is why I prefer dealing with sellers here for pricey Ponies

Accessories rea prioritised by what the Pony needs to function, non-Pony characters (still seeking a Spot for Suzie, two floats for Seaside Babies (Splosh has hers), & the shells for Sealight & most of the second set of adult Sea Ponies for example), & big fun scene-setters. Small bits I can find elsewhere I do, bits I can make I do, & bits found in lots I go for often (my most wanted set accessories are the Slumber Party game & spinner). I don't do brushes & combs except the rare ones with extra function, or the Brush & Grow ones or playset ones, & use my own ribbons as originals are so HTF.

Non-book merch has to be useful. I like cutlery & crockery because I can use it, as well as cushion covers & pillow cases. Single bedding not so much, though I do like the sleeping bags as day-bags in winter (I wrap my legs in one in the colder months). But the general rule is: if I can't use it, I don't get it. I do go for posters, postcards, & stickers a lot though, mainly because they take u[p little space when stored.

[BlackCurtains]

@BlackCurtains do you count peachy orange ponies like Skyflier?

Some of them, like Flutterbye is kind of peachy. Skyflier is too pink. Party Time can be too pink if she has really bad regrind and I wouldn't want a pink one. Thankfully, my Party Time is almost perfect I have the peachy G2 Teddy in my collection. It really depends on the pony.

[LadyAmalthea]

When I first started collecting, my choices were based on nostalgia only. I was only trying to either replace ponies that my siblings or I had and loved as children, or acquire ones that I always wanted as a child but never got ('cuz I'm a grown-up and I CAN!!)

But as I immersed myself more into the pony world, I started wanting more, and finding beauty in the later pony sets that I was previously not interested in because they were released after I aged out of ponies as a child, so I started collecting those too. But only on a 'if I like her colors/design' basis...I don't have a need to complete a set if there's a pony that doesn't appeal to me. I even caught the G3-collecting bug for a while, but now I realize I went sort of crazy there and want to scale those back, as they don't really mean much to me.

I've slowed down on my pony collecting as space diminishes, but there are still a few grails out there I'd like to find someday. But I pretty much have all the ones that mean the most to me.