Unpopular Pony Opinions

[BlackCurtains]

I feel though that no one IS baiting mint condition ponies Maybe I'm wrong and have just missed it when it came up, but most people who show before pics DO have mangy ponies. Who would bait an Ice Crystal? That's just dumb and I don't think customizer's who also collect would do such a thing.

[Snapdragon]

I feel though that no one IS baiting mint condition ponies Maybe I'm wrong and have just missed it when it came up, but most people who show before pics DO have mangy ponies. Who would bait an Ice Crystal? That's just dumb and I don't think customizer's who also collect would do such a thing.

I recall one specific situation where a customizer posted a brag of ‘look at all this bait my friend just found for me at the thrift!’ and included was a mint Big Brother, along with ... basically every pony there being mint or VG, LOL. Folks kicked up a storm, the customizer got very aggressive and offered the “what do I care if he’s worth $25, I’ll sell him for $200 as a custom!” and people got even more angry. I’ve also seen some folks who post in-progress photos of ponies who are in a desirable pose, but who don’t look very baity at all. (Photos can lie, so I always hope they are worse looking in person!)

So unfortunately it happens, but I do think it’s very uncommon, thankfully. I’m sure some people just don’t post before pictures for just that reason, but I think most artists are very conscientious, since we’re also collectors!

[Carrehz]

Very well said Snapdragon! I completely agree. I love customs but I do think some people are WAY too quick to call something "bait" - I've seen eBay auctions marked "bait" and the pony's in pretty good shape, just needs some TLC, maybe a rehair.

[BlackCurtains]

That is true about lots. I have some collection ponies that I got in so called bait lots. Most just needed a tail or had a hair trim or something simple.

General question for anyone about "bait" - Do you feel that way about all gens? Just G1?

[tailrustedtealeaf]

If something would take enough restoration work to be considered a custom but is a sought after pony, I try to make the custom related to the original pony or preserve whatever's intact. I'm doing something to a Seaflower right now because she would have needed a FBR anyway, but I saved her symbols because they were in pretty good condition.

I'm definitely in the minority as far as preserving G4 go-I will save them if I can. If they have sharpie or other permanent marks that severely hinder the displayability of the pony, I'll consider it bait, but I do not just bait G4 because they're mane 6 or another common character. Every mane 6 pony I've listed online has sold, even the cheap Target versions, so that probably helps my view.
 
I also view the fillies as hard to find/not worth baiting now because I find them so scarcely and they sell for about $15 each. That's quite a lot!

Of course, that's my view as someone who likes to clean them up, enjoys G4, and sells. For someone who doesn't, I'd imagine it's a lot different.

[Carrehz]

G2 yes, G3 I'm starting to feel that way... G4 I'm torn, I think it depends on the pony. I find it hard to get too worked up about the thought of one less generic main 6 in the world.. but I'd still check first before baiting - make sure it's not a version that was only released once + is hard to find, or something.

Anything that's still on shelves is fair game IMO.

[Pokeyonekenobie]

That is true about lots. I have some collection ponies that I got in so called bait lots. Most just needed a tail or had a hair trim or something simple.

General question for anyone about "bait" - Do you feel that way about all gens? Just G1?

IMO:

G1s I will bait if they have unremoveable marks (like the permanent marker on my Big Brother that I turned into Troubleshoes) or if they come already stripped of hair/paint so I would have to do a custom job to even restore them anyway.  I have a couple that I found at thrift stores with the hair chopped off so they will be rehaired--most likely with an alternate hair scheme to make it obvious they are not original but I do not plan to do full customization on them.

I don't have any G2s but I feel like the biggest issue I've ever seen on them is missing eye gems that can be replaced so not bait.

G3-If it looks nice in general I won't bait it because people are still looking for these but hair cuts/stains/marks that can't be removed make it bait-able after I look to make sure it isn't rare like Anchors Away or Port-a-Bella since I feel some collectors would take them in whatever condition they could get them in.

G4-Mane 6 are ALL baitable.  There are so many of these (especially Pinkie Pie) that I don't know that they will ever be classified as rare unless they are MIB/MOC in 20+ years.  The only exception MIGHT be the original releases of Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack that had bangs.  The other characters I would probably re-home before baiting unless there was significant damage due to their general rarity.

And when I do make a custom I only use a bait that I have an original for in my collection--so I'm baiting the worse looking one.  For example if I am using a Basic Fun Seashell for a bait, I have a Basic Fun Seashell in my collection that won't be touched for customs.  This is my own, personal practice so I don't expect other customizers to do the same but I feel like this way if I decide to get rid of things down the road, I've saved one original for someone else to collect that I can honestly say was in better condition than the one I customized.

Right now I have a Salty with a big yellow stain on his face/side that I got in a bait lot.  I have not found a better one so for now he will not be baited even though I cannot get the stain off of him.

And I intentionally bought extras of the Cutie Mark Crew lines to customize so while they are not bait they are custom fodder and again I only customize them if I have another in my collection.  I've enjoyed turning the G1 designs into the Cutie Mark Crew style.  I'm still trying to get my hands on a second pretzel accessory so I can do a Twist custom...

[SunPony]

That is true about lots. I have some collection ponies that I got in so called bait lots. Most just needed a tail or had a hair trim or something simple.

General question for anyone about "bait" - Do you feel that way about all gens? Just G1?

G1- I try to use only ponies with age spots, regrind, or other thought-to-be unfixable issues as bait.  Or if the pony has lesser issues but it's super common.  Like head body mismatch Cotton Candy.

G2- I have only used two for customs... One was chewed on and I don't remember what the other one's condition was.  But they were both common.

G3- Depends on rarity.  And again, I try to go by body condition.  But more flexible than G1.

G4- I bought a bunch of the $3 ones at Target and I'm still making my way through those!  I have a few more that I bought new specifically to customize (due to the pose).  Once I use those up I will try to use common ponies or bad condition ponies.

[Taffeta]

I feel though that no one IS baiting mint condition ponies Maybe I'm wrong and have just missed it when it came up, but most people who show before pics DO have mangy ponies. Who would bait an Ice Crystal? That's just dumb and I don't think customizer's who also collect would do such a thing.

People have baited good or acceptable condition ponies since the start of pony collecting. It's just that in recent years it's become more frowned on, and so it's not so overt.

Although condition is subjective which is another problem.

Suggest the bait subject would make a good new thread?? It seems like an interesting discussion but it's going to get lost in here.

[BlackCurtains]

People have baited good or acceptable condition ponies since the start of pony collecting. It's just that in recent years it's become more frowned on, and so it's not so overt.

Although condition is subjective which is another problem.

Suggest the bait subject would make a good new thread?? It seems like an interesting discussion but it's going to get lost in here.

Huh. Guess I missed it all. I bought two bait lots, one G1 one G3 from customizers who were getting out of the hobby and all the ponies I received both times are definitely baity. But as I said above, I've bought lots off eBay that were bait or TLC condition that were fine. In fact, that's happened too many times and now I have all these G1s I don't know what to do with

Condition is subjective, absolutely. That's why I find "bait guides" rather worthless. It's a good starting point but it's better to learn about ponies in general.

Sure, I can start one in customs.

[Taffeta]

There are also probably a fair number of genuinely bait ponies, but it's also not uncommon - or wasn't, in the past - for customisers to prepare baits and then sell them. So like removing all the hair, symbol, etc, but then selling them on. Of course, there are also some horribly damaged ones which get prepared like this which makes it hard to tell the difference.

...I was acquainted with a customiser who had some questionable practices back when and I learned some stuff then that gave me pause for thought about this as an issue.

For the record, I think most customisers who post openly about their customs are probably ethical. But it's not the whole story.

I don't have any issue with customising. I just don't feel like baiting a good condition pony that's no longer in stores is maybe not a good idea. So basically that's my stance.

[SunPony]

Okay I think my unpopular pony opinion is that I don't mind what anyone else's opinion on what people should do with their ponies is    If one person says never bait anything ever and another says bait anything you own if you want, I just can't bring myself to be bothered by either of them 

[Snapdragon]

I do think the bait conversation might be safer over here in the 'unpopular opinions' thread, only because the bait conversation can get very judgey, very quickly. 'You're not baiting how I like, and thus you are wrong!' etc. But I think it's a good conversation to have, because there's always new eyes reading and learning! But just for kicks -

G1 - I went to my first MLP Fair and dug through every bait bin to find new collection ponies for cheap! As I've grown and spent a decade+ collecting as an adult, I look back on these ponies and think, 'oh no... you really were kind of bait!' Chopped hair, stains, missing symbols! But they're still precious to me because of the memories associated with them. For myself now, I want to have multiple unfixable issues before I can comfortably bait a pony - damaged/no hair, symbols scuffed/missing, stains, body damage. A pony will often have their eyes intact, so as of late I've done some customs where I modify the existing eyes, without outright wiping and repainting them. I suspect a lot of folks on eBay put 'bait/TLC' either because they're not collectors and don't know the terms (and want to avoid 'item not as described' claims), or don't know how to fix those issues, either restoration or rehairing. Since I'm a customizer, I'm in a better position to be able to fix the ponies I don't think are ready to be baited yet!

G2 - I have only found one truly 'bait' G2, and that was a pony who had her hair buzzed to the skin! Most G2s seem to be in pretty good condition, or maybe they just don't show up enough in beater lots on eBay? I don't think missing crystals should classify them as bait, since those are pretty easy to replace.

G3 - during the years they were on the shelves, I actually deboxed a MIB to make a custom. At the time, they were plentiful and we never thought they'd run out! Oh, those were the days... I've bought tons of 'bait' ponies for $1 who really just need new hair, so eventually I'd like to do some alternate rehairs on them! I think folks do bait them a bit indiscriminately, but personally I'm trying to make customs only out of the ones who really need the help. That said, they're still pretty cheap and plentiful, especially those Core Seven poses, so I don't feel quite so bad for those. (I also still have some blanks I've been customizing! I wonder how long they'll produce those? Indefinitely I hope!!)

G4 - My mindset has been, 'if it's on the shelf, I'm supporting the line by taking it home to customize.' Hasbro still gets $5 either way! Since they're still making them by the pound (or were until this year), I don't feel so bad baiting any of the Mane 6, unless it's got some kind of cool gimmick or extra paint. And, sadly, many of the G4 I get secondhand have hair that's absolutely destroyed already... It's not exactly a product made to last. Fun fact, I actually bought a Plumsweet to customize for a friend, never made it, then flipped the MIB pony for a profit last year! Procrastination can be good sometimes, actually!

[Leave a Whisper]

My unpopular opinion is, that it is kind of impossible to separate MLP from its media. It has always been there, because it is  Hasbro's commercial. Its like that with many of their toy properties tbph. Its just one part that makes up the whole recipe, and it's not anymore or less important then other part of the recipe.  You can tweak the amount and type of  toy/media/merch, in the same way you can tweak the type and amount of milk/flour/toppings,  but they still make up the cake.

[Taffeta]

That's especially true for G4. With earlier gens I think people choose different aspects of the media to focus on, but I tend to agree - it's still Hasbro's promotional train. It's true of Jem as well...the animation (up till G4) and the comics are designed to sell ponies, and thus are all one big part of the advertising package.