I have also not been buying ponies much in recent years, but I've started checking ebay to check prices since I began selling again and WOW, yeah, prices are through the roof while photos are abysmal, descriptions are nonexistant, and conditions are questionable. Everyone seems to think they are sitting on a gold mine with their dirty, wild-haired common ponies. I'm glad I already bought most of the ponies I wanted years ago, but it makes me feel a bit hopeless about ever getting the ones I'd still like to have (of course I was waiting on buying some of the more sought-after ones which have now become ludicrously expensive... sigh). Kinda takes some of the fun out of collecting when the prices have gone from "little treat for myself" to "serious purchase to think hard about first."

I just added more G1s to the shop this morning!

YAY it arrived!
The Jellytip block is based on a very famous Icecream here but it does convert well to chocolate!

I looked that up and it looks tasty! Too bad ice cream doesn't ship too well. Guess I'll just have to visit New Zealand someday!

Unfortunately, things like this were never meant to last and they age terribly. Art museums are actually struggling with preserving art pieces made of plastic, in fact! So I'm going to turn to my art background and suggest that you get acid-free board (such as book binding boards, just make sure it specifies acid-free) and acid-free book binding glue. Cut the boards to the same size as the sign and glue them together at a right angle (making the same shape as the sign - you're making a strong backing for it). Once it's dried, glue the sign to the backing. I usually hesitate to permanently glue things like this, but I think it badly needs the structural support, as it looks very fragile.

You will also need to keep it out of the light as much as possible. Sunlight is particularly bad, but from what I understand, even artificial light can be damaging to plastic. Keeping it away from sunlight should be a priority, anyway. Good luck!!

Flowersinherhair, Basic Fun sent me a list of specialty shops by state that was supposed to carry these, but this list never mentioned Books a Million as a distributor.  In my state, Georgia, they only listed like six shops that would carry them, with only one in driving distance for me.  That store said that they had them on order, to be shipped early Nov., and that they would call me when they came in.  They never called me, I found them at Books A Million, and so I said forget that little specialty store.  They were probably discriminating against me and threw out my number because I’m an old fat dude who collects toys.  I deleted the email unfortunately.  Maybe if you contact Basic Fun they can send you the distributor list?

I do have the CT and FL list because I texted a copy of those states to a friend.

Oh, that's a great idea to contact Basic Fun - I didn't realize they would help people find them like that!

Oh wow, I never win things! And I've won CHOCOLATE, which is very exciting for me, haha! Thank you!!! 

Okay, they're all cleaned up! They're honestly still in poor condition (yellowed, animal chew damage, stains, and Sweet Pop has bad hair and both her eye jewels are crunched), but this was more about the experience than getting mint ponies.

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Sweet Pop has never really been on my radar because her color scheme doesn't do anything for me, so I'm thinking it'd be fun to give her a custom rehair and new eye gems! And Sprinkles I will likely sell at some point.

Okay, I'm sure someone has found nastier ponies, but these are the worst I've gotten my hands on!

I haven't posted in ages, but this warrants making an appearance. I often check the free section of craigslist, but generally I'm hoping to find farm supplies or furniture. There was a normal post about a barn clean-out, but when I opened the first image I spied a familiar shape...

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Enhance!

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I went the next day and got to poke around in the barn - I think many of the things in there hadn't been touched in at least ten or twenty years, judging by the thick layer of dirt on everything. Poor Sweet Pop was luckily still there, and I found an equally grimy Sprinkles in a box of other toys!

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They are definitely not going to clean up gorgeously - they have physical damage and stains and other problems, but it was so much fun to find these abandoned in a barn and get to rescue them. It's so rare to find G1s in the wild these days, especially for free!

I'll post an update after they're cleaned up!

EDIT Fixed images!