Set completion- do you collect them all?

[Taffeta]

I have both Baby AJ and Baby Blossom from new here in the UK but I'm not aware of any differences on Blossom. EXCEPT that there are 2 versions of Baby Blossom, one darker and one paler purple (the latter fades more easily to grey/beige). But both were here...and it's like Windy, it's just a batch difference.

My Baby Blossom was my 2nd pony and first baby, so she's very battered and faded, making it impossible to know what she started out life as, but we do have some photos with her from when I was about four and she doesn't look that dark in comparison to some of the others I've had. I've seen similar with Baby CC but I think it's also batch.

If it helps at all while being geeky and off topic, the packaging style for that set is categorically 1984 art style but with stories, which only began in 1985. They are therefore kind of on the cusp between the two years here in the UK - so it's probably not surprising that there are some differences. Also I know Baby AJ was sold in France, I've seen her MIB in French box.

I agree the PaCS babies (thank you all so much for not saying NBBE!) are European, not UK. I think they were available in many Western European countries in around 1986.

..Back on topic - set completion to me also means completing variations. For example the Rainbow Babies - I have a set of ones found/bought new here in the UK and a set of ones which originate from the US and they are not the same.

[Vintageg2]

I want to complete the entiteit G2 line, so every set. My favorite are the playground babies

[katrine2309]

I have both Baby AJ and Baby Blossom from new here in the UK but I'm not aware of any differences on Blossom. EXCEPT that there are 2 versions of Baby Blossom, one darker and one paler purple (the latter fades more easily to grey/beige). But both were here...and it's like Windy, it's just a batch difference.

My Baby Blossom was my 2nd pony and first baby, so she's very battered and faded, making it impossible to know what she started out life as, but we do have some photos with her from when I was about four and she doesn't look that dark in comparison to some of the others I've had. I've seen similar with Baby CC but I think it's also batch.

If it helps at all while being geeky and off topic, the packaging style for that set is categorically 1984 art style but with stories, which only began in 1985. They are therefore kind of on the cusp between the two years here in the UK - so it's probably not surprising that there are some differences. Also I know Baby AJ was sold in France, I've seen her MIB in French box.

I agree the PaCS babies (thank you all so much for not saying NBBE!) are European, not UK. I think they were available in many Western European countries in around 1986.

..Back on topic - set completion to me also means completing variations. For example the Rainbow Babies - I have a set of ones found/bought new here in the UK and a set of ones which originate from the US and they are not the same.

Your knowledge is endless, Taffeta! 

Thanks so much for replying- I love these quirky MLP details! I do think it is easy to think of these as UK exclusives though as, at least for Sweden I think they came on the UK card. So, if one don’t think about how often ponies on UK cards were sold in other countries one would just assume it was UK only, I guess. The French Applejack would destroy that theory though! By the way, I’ve noticed a signifant reduction in the term NBBE - it makes me happy too (although I do forget  sometimes- old habits... )

Back to topic on set completion:
I never thought about variations as their own kind of set, but that makes sense! I never cared that much for variations earlier, but the more I indulge myself with all geeky MLP stuff- the more fun I have with variations. Now I tend to keep them- if I find any

I also noticed there are a lot less collectors interested in set completions than 10 years ago. I would have thought there would be much more completionists. I wonder why that is? Or if it is just a coincidence?

[PoserBeachball]

I also noticed there are a lot less collectors interested in set completions than 10 years ago. I would have thought there would be much more completionists. I wonder why that is? Or if it is just a coincidence?

Most likely a coincidence though I wonder if it is because many people are living in smaller homes now, and when space is limited everything one owns has to be heavily curated.

[Taffeta]

I wonder if it is to do with the increase in cost of ponies as well? And we're all getting older, have different priorities maybe? I don't know.

I think a lot of things have been confused by 'UK' style backcards, esp. when they're ponies sold on cards marked UK but NOT available here. Because that makes sense, Hasbro. Oh wait, Hasbro don't make sense xD.

(I wish my knowledge was endless. ><. Or at least some of it was actually useful in the real world xD)

[Khoufu]

I'm almost 23, I've collected since I was little, and never cared about completing sets for the sake of completion, though I did seek out the third McD's G2 pony (Ivy) as a kid partially because I thought it'd be cool to have all 3.

[Taffeta]

It's funny actually, you saying that, Khoufu. As a kid I didn't care at all about set completion either. I mostly had one example from a set, and that was it - I moved on to another set for the most part. The exception was the Rockin Beats because they needed all the members to be a proper band...

Some of the later baby sets my sister and I had between us I think. But in the early years it was usually one - Masquerade was my TE, Windy was my Rainbow...I had Cherries Jubilee from 1985, Snowflake from 1986...Tropical Breeze was my flutter...etc etc.

But as a kid I didn't have a lot of money so saving up for a pony was special. And being able to get all these other ponies at second hand sales for £1 or less was too irresistible to pass up...

I guess that was the first time I actually thought I could complete sets, so it was the first time I actually wanted to...

Anyone else changed their position from when they were a kid to now (with whatever gen)?

[katrine2309]

If I could have I probably would have had them all as a kid It is the grown-up in me that try to talk some sense and be rational when I’m deciding NOT to buy.

But still there were ponies I liked less, and probably wouldn’t have bought even then. I didn’t like pink ponies that much I remember. I tried to avoid getting them (except for Firefly). Not because I didn’t like pink (I did), but it just got too generic for me I think. There were so many pink ponies, and I wanted them to be different. I still remember getting Cool Breeze as a birthday present. Happiest day ever. She didn’t have a speck of pink on her! I loved her

So, no- maybe I wouldn’t have been a set completionist- even as a child. My inner child would have bought much, much more ponies than the grown-up allows though 

[TheBeatlesPkmnFan42]

Ah, I didn't talk about the G3 sets I'd like to complete!

-all the Holiday ponies (Winter, Easter, Valentine's, and Halloween)
-Jewel Ponies (and other ponies with jewel symbols, such as the Jewel Birthday Ponies, Precious Gem, etc)
-Super Long Hair Ponies (and other ponies with that gimmick)
-Dazzle Bright Ponies
-Dream Design Ponies
-Crystal Design Ponies
-Cutie Cascade Ponies (and other ponies with cascading symbols)
-Pegasus Ponies
-Pretty Patterns Ponies

[tebrighteyes]

For G1:  I am a bit obsessive and a completionist.  It is definitely got to catch them all.

For G2:   Don't care so much about completing sets and I mainly just want to get the ones I like.   Which is actually a majority of them.  But some of sets like magic motion and changing mane and tail I can live without.

For G3:   I already have most of them since I collected them while they were out.   I am only missing a few exclusives I think.    I do want to get the ones I am missing eventually but I am in no hurry.

For G4.   The only set I really want to complete is the early set that came with the pets.  Otherwise I only want a select few.   

[NightGliderSA]

There are very few sets that I feel the need to complete: notably the twinkle eyes, the flutters and all the wingers. This is due to my wanting one of these ponies - desperately - as a kid and never getting one. Scars you know. I also need to have all the ponies on Tickle's back card as it is my only surviving back card. And of course I needed all the carousel ponies. This is the first and only set that I have actually completed and this would only be due to the fact that my very VERY dear friend gave them all to me except Sparkler for my birthday this year. I already had Sparkler you see.

And here they are: (she also made the carousel)
visitors can't see pics , please register or login

[katrine2309]

There are very few sets that I feel the need to complete: notably the twinkle eyes, the flutters and all the wingers. This is due to my wanting one of these ponies - desperately - as a kid and never getting one. Scars you know. I also need to have all the ponies on Tickle's back card as it is my only surviving back card. And of course I needed all the carousel ponies. This is the first and only set that I have actually completed and this would only be due to the fact that my very VERY dear friend gave them all to me except Sparkler for my birthday this year. I already had Sparkler you see.

And here they are: (she also made the carousel)
visitors can't see pics , please register or login

What an amazingly nice friend! That was so sweet!

[starstrider]

My eventual goal is own complete sets of all G1 ponies... it's a lofty goal, but one I hope will be achievable in the long run!  It is exciting when I finally do manage to snag the last pony I need for a set, there's just something so deeply satisfying about reuniting those ponies together once more.  Interestingly, I never felt the need to complete sets as a child, unlike some people I knew who would literally cross ponies off on the backcards as they bought them.  But somehow now as an adult collector I do feel the need to complete my G1 sets. 

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Anyone else changed their position from when they were a kid to now (with whatever gen)?

Aha, starting with G4 I had to have every single pony...including mane 6 re-releases. Now I can hold myself back and say 'no thanks' to the static Twilight Sparkle with the Applejack and bed, partially because I pay for my collection now.  So I sort of went in the opposite direction.

[Flitter]

There was a time when I wanted nearly everything it seemed  but I realized I would need to focus and started choosing types to collect and then for a long time I was collecting only one of each character. So when new waves and releases would come out, I'd buy just the new characters from it. Now my collection consists of 7 Funkos (& 1 on my wishlist) and 3 G4 brushables,  definitely no full sets there.