Thrift Store? Flea Market? Antique Store?

[rayedelsol]

Where do you find all your G1s [other than here and eBay]? I've been to my Goodwills and the Flea Market and there is nothing here. Our Goodwill primarily sells clothes and might have one or two toys, but nothing old. Our Flea Market has seriously gone downhill.

So. If you are finding stuff in thrift stores or flea markets, how often are you finding them? I see these brag threads [super congrats, btw], but I'm seriously jealous! Is there a secret I don't know?

[JigglesTheCat]

I was thinking the same thing! I've been searching for who knows HOW long, and yet I haven't found a single pony. I'm so desperate to find thrift store ponies that I'd be happy to find one with a missing leg with half an ear!

[Eldarwen]

I go through 1-3 different flea markets twice a week. I've been doing this for 5 weeks now. And it was this week when I found my first G1 pony. They're rare here, and I know im not the onlyone trying to find them. Its so much about luck, you need to find it before others do. There is collectors and people buy them for their kids too. I sold all my fakies (20+ of them) on flea market last month, and they all sold in one day. You can only imagine how fast hasbro ponies go.

[StoryDreamer]

Yeah, I'm from your area and I can seriously tell you you're going to have to look hard. Yard sales. The Goodwills are awful. Salvation Army, eh. I found ponies for years at various thrifts in the 2000's but that seemed to dry up. The best place is the independent thrift stores. The flea market..I never found ONE pony in 20 years.

[gabumon]

I see half a dozen ponies at my thrift store a month and a G1 once or twice a year.

I think it's because I live in a college town that has fluxes of young people moving in and out, I think they donate out ponies in all that moving.

who else here lives in a college town?

[lolaandbean]

I haven't found one single pony at the Goodwill. Mine mostly come from thrift stores. There is a thrift store near my Dad's house that always has ponies. Except for the last time I went I have found at least one g1. I bought a grab bag of toys at Value Village that had 6 ponies in it recently.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

First, *sings*  DON'T STOP... BELIEVING!

Secondly, look everywhere.  Flea markets, thrift stores, antique stores, search your local online listings, make a Wanted post on those sorts of websites...  Check church sales even...  Get up early on the weekends and travel around your town looking for garage/yard sales... 

The ponies ARE out there, you just have to hunt them down! 

[HavACrumpet452]

All of the above. G1's are common around here. Unfortunately its a lot of the same common ones over and over. I got 2 Sherbets in a week's time. I'm actually having a harder time finding G3's right now except the Core 7.

[rayedelsol]

All of the above. G1's are common around here. Unfortunately its a lot of the same common ones over and over. I got 2 Sherbets in a week's time. I'm actually having a harder time finding G3's right now except the Core 7.

I think if I ever see G1's in person around here I will snatch them up, no matter if they are ponies I already had. There is seriously NOTHING around here.... 

[Sonata]

I just buy mine off Ebay or here on the arena. I don't know any flea markets or anything here, so yes. xD I don't buy often, so it doesn't matter much to me.

[NoPonySpecial]

I have no luck buying ponies in person either!! I find lots of realistic horses, which I have no interest in. IF I find a pony, it's G3, and usually a whole bunch of them in a stapled bag, so it's hard to see what's in there. I wish there were more ponies around, it's so much more fun than relying on the internet. 

[invaderhorizongreen]

lets see thrift store and salvo now and then, a few times a year for the flea, yard sales on occasion , and the huge once a year church sale. ( I did find 2 gen 3 ponies and two ponyville sets ) However the ponyville had all the parts and ponies stolen out of them.

[scarletjul]

My g1 pony luck comes and goes but my best luck is at the thrift stores and specifically at Savers.

I've never found anything at Goodwill (none of the ones here have toys.). I rarely find anything at garage sales and I only occasionally find ones at flea markets.  I've had decent luck at thrift stores, though and waves of luck at Savers although they tend to cost a little more though.

Going often helps, though.  I go once a week, consistently and sometimes several times in the same week when I do spot g1s.  Also, the stock person knows me.  . I also comb through other thrift stores and try to remain positive because there are often weeks where I find nothing - but that just makes the finds that much more exciting. 

[octocorn]

We have two flea markets near me, and I alternate which one I'm going to every Sunday morning.  If you see a plastic bin, dig to the bottom, ponies hide.  Even if you see a fakie, HANG ON TO IT! Those people running the booths take notice to what you're holding, and will help you find more, and if you're lucky those will be real ponies.  You can always put said fakie back.  If I don't find a real one, and the fakie is under a dollar, I buy it anyway, because once again, people at other booths see what you've purchased. I have never come back from the flea market empty handed.  today I got a g1 sweetheart sister Flower Burst, a g2 Light Heart, the bed from the show stable, and two g3's I haven't id'd yet. 

[Summer-blade]

I scorer flea markets I luck out a bit I did today I found three G1s! yard sales are great too, well hit or miss. Since my boy friend and I run a table at a flea market I have a slight advantage and an In with the other vendors.

And a good online alternative to  e-bay, is shopgoodwill.com they sell pony lots G1s and G3s but mostly G3S and they tend to be a little baity.