Customizing Mountain Boys...?

[Wardah]

I see a lot of people saying they would have loved to have Fireball but maybe they did try to sell him first and nobody bought him, possibly because there were all sorts of ugly marks on the butt and they might have been asking too much. They decided if they have to keep him they might as well make him pretty instead of having an ugly pony with marks all over it on their shelves. Paint matching a body color to paint over just marks is tricky especially since some paints dry a different color than when they are wet. At least with covering the marks with a new design they don't have to worry if the paint matches when it dries. Something happens and they really need money so they sell off a few of their least favorite collection pieces at much lower than they would have originally asked because they are desperate. I know the only way I would want a manky looking pony on my shelf is if it had sentimental value.

[nhal039]

'If sellers lie about/leave out crucial information regarding an item, you can contact them and explain the problem, or if they aren't cooperative, you can file a PayPal claim against them to get your money back. It's no reason for someone to deny their fellow collectors of ponies they would probably adore and couldn't afford otherwise'

I totally understand that thanks anyway : ) I am an international buyer so by the time I got 1 of the ponies it was to late to dispute it throught ebay... the other wasnt through ebay often in nz we pay people money directly into there bank account so there is little one can do unless the seller gives you the money back : (

[PinkRosedust]

Wow some of the comments on here made me change my opinions of these customs, I first thought it was horrid baiting a mountain boy but now I think if he was in terrible condition why not. For example
Say if the seller oringally brought their ponies for a high price and ended up with some manky ponies.. say if the person she brought them off lyed about the condition these ponies were in.
Now she has these ponies that were really expensive but the resale value is not even half off what she paid for them...  she hates the ponies...she is not made of money...what does she do? Customize them into ponies she loves... after a few years she sells her collection or these two cause she has outgrown them. Can you really be mad at a person under that situation?
I personally have brought 2 manky thunderclouds.. both sellers failed to tell me about the cancer spots, big stains and a cut in the symbols. Now I have 2 thunderclouds that I hate (and for the record I never want another thundercloud in my life). I wish I brought another pony... but no I am stuck with these 2. personally would perfer a cool custom like those 2 made of one of my thundercloud. It would make me love him again. They are my ponies and I am not going to sell them so why not?

You could always sell one or both of them (not entirely sure why you wouldn't want to if you hate them..?), and use the money to buy those customs (or customs from someone else even!) Then you'd be happy, seller would be happy, and one or two fellow collectors would have a Mountain Boy to adore that they might not get otherwise. =D Just a suggestion. =)

[assassin_kitty]

Firstly i would just like to say please don't kill me! But i do have a couple of boys in my bait box and I fully intend to customise them! Pretty much all the baits i buy come from ebay and i always buy them pretty cheap so all the baits I have are exactly that Bait with mank hair and in bad condition. I work on the assumption that if someone wanted them for their collection they would have outbid me on the meager amount that i paid. I can totally understand being upset if someone customised a mint condition boy or for that matter any G1 that was in great condition but I don't think anyone should be bashing a customiser for what they do with their own ponies.

[Taxel]

I work on the assumption that if someone wanted them for their collection they would have outbid me on the meager amount that i paid.

Just saying, but not everyone can/will buy off of eBay or has been collecting forever. I'd probably put a lot, if not all, of your baits into my collection as they are (obviously I don't know exactly how they look) but I haven't been collecting for even a year yet nor do I have any spare funds. So its not always a case of "well nobody wanted them in their collection".

If they're truly baity and not rare, then bait them, I don't care. But I'm just reminding you that just because you didn't get outbid doesn't mean people didn't/wouldn't want them in their collection. That's kind of ridiculous to assume.

[Vintergatan]

I agree with Taxel. Also, bait lots are not an option for us living far away as shipping is a killer. I´ve seen a bunch of "bait" lots out there that I would gladly just keep as they are. Unfortunately, I can't ever order more than 3 ponies anymore without customs skinning me alive here :S

[TuxAndTails]

Firstly i would just like to say please don't kill me! But i do have a couple of boys in my bait box and I fully intend to customise them! Pretty much all the baits i buy come from ebay and i always buy them pretty cheap so all the baits I have are exactly that Bait with mank hair and in bad condition. I work on the assumption that if someone wanted them for their collection they would have outbid me on the meager amount that i paid. I can totally understand being upset if someone customised a mint condition boy or for that matter any G1 that was in great condition but I don't think anyone should be bashing a customiser for what they do with their own ponies.

I'm assuming your boys are ponies like Wig Wam, 4-Speed, Chief, etc. The difference is those ponies are slightly hard to find, but not rare, and many people use them as baits; at least one of the baits used for the customs in question was a pony worth $100+ (in mint condition), which changes the situation completely.

[Noasar]

I think they would have sold for more, even with major flaws if she had not customised them. And lets face it, the painting and design were good, but they weren't outstanding. I regularly see better made customs on here made from G3/4's. I guess what I'm trying to say is the fact that they were Mountain Boy ponies didn't add anything to the final product, so why use them?

For a G1 to be considered truly baity in my eyes it would have to have limbs/ears missing and be covered in cancer/non-removable marks, which clearly neither of these boys were.

[BrightIdea]

Well I guess we know which one is more popular and valuable one now.


Custom Fireball sold for over 50 dollars, while non-custom "well loved" Fireball in poor condition has sat on ebay for about 45 dollars for a month. I have heard an overwhelming cry that most people would want a baity Fireball, yet he still needs a home. C'mon people, what are you waiting for! 


I do agree its sad to see a pony of its rarity be customized, but I am also happy to see that pony gain a new life as a custom.  I think it is actually pretty neat that the seller used the mountain boy theme, but made that pony unique.

[Dyzarktarzk]

Wow some of the comments on here made me change my opinions of these customs, I first thought it was horrid baiting a mountain boy but now I think if he was in terrible condition why not. For example
Say if the seller oringally brought their ponies for a high price and ended up with some manky ponies.. say if the person she brought them off lyed about the condition these ponies were in.
Now she has these ponies that were really expensive but the resale value is not even half off what she paid for them...  she hates the ponies...she is not made of money...what does she do? Customize them into ponies she loves... after a few years she sells her collection or these two cause she has outgrown them. Can you really be mad at a person under that situation?
I personally have brought 2 manky thunderclouds.. both sellers failed to tell me about the cancer spots, big stains and a cut in the symbols. Now I have 2 thunderclouds that I hate (and for the record I never want another thundercloud in my life). I wish I brought another pony... but no I am stuck with these 2. personally would perfer a cool custom like those 2 made of one of my thundercloud. It would make me love him again. They are my ponies and I am not going to sell them so why not?

You could always sell one or both of them (not entirely sure why you wouldn't want to if you hate them..?), and use the money to buy those customs (or customs from someone else even!) Then you'd be happy, seller would be happy, and one or two fellow collectors would have a Mountain Boy to adore that they might not get otherwise. =D Just a suggestion. =)

And I'd love to have a MB even if in bad condition =D

Firstly i would just like to say please don't kill me! But i do have a couple of boys in my bait box and I fully intend to customise them! Pretty much all the baits i buy come from ebay and i always buy them pretty cheap so all the baits I have are exactly that Bait with mank hair and in bad condition. I work on the assumption that if someone wanted them for their collection they would have outbid me on the meager amount that i paid. I can totally understand being upset if someone customised a mint condition boy or for that matter any G1 that was in great condition but I don't think anyone should be bashing a customiser for what they do with their own ponies.

But that's another detail, some sellers only ship WITHIN USA, specially with lots (or at least the most of times I saw they only ship within USA, so us international buyers have no way to even bid on them, or shipping is WAY MORE than the whole lot *sad* (ie, lot sold for $20 and shipping is $40).  And another thing, in some lots I CAN have a lot of the ponies on it, and only interested in one or two, and as I'm no customizer, what will I do with the rest of the ponies?.


And I agree with Taxel and the others.


Really baity ponies are bait material, they need a new life, and being customized gives them that opportunity, I completely agree on that.  But there are ponies I'd love to have even in a really manky and bad and horrible condition just because it's them (and in mint condition I'm almost sure I'll never could afford them...).

[Taxel]

Custom Fireball sold for over 50 dollars, while non-custom "well loved" Fireball in poor condition has sat on ebay for about 45 dollars for a month. I have heard an overwhelming cry that most people would want a baity Fireball, yet he still needs a home. C'mon people, what are you waiting for! 

Not everyone interested has money. And honestly even though I'd love him I 1) have a VERY hard time spending more than $20 on a pony and even $20 is pushing it and 2) I'd want to rehair his cut plugs, but I can't rehair and wouldn't want to have to pay to have him shipped both ways and pay someone else to rehair those bits.
So yeah. Its not always a matter of nobody wanting them. And also don't people normally wait until the last moments to bid? I bid on some eBay auctions before and had people complaining about me bidding and raising the price of some ponies a few days before they ended.

And honestly I don't think a $5 difference is worth customizing a rare pony over. Especially since customizing costs money for supplies. So technically she still would have made more not customizing him because part of her profit wouldn't have been just covering customizing supplies.

[Elisto]

I'm wondering why the artist didn't just say what the baits were to begin with...if it were me, I'd include that in the description, whether the bait was rare or not, just for peace of mind or simple curiosity of whoever might be interested.

[Pythia]

But that's another detail, some sellers only ship WITHIN USA, specially with lots (or at least the most of times I saw they only ship within USA, so us international buyers have no way to even bid on them, or shipping is WAY MORE than the whole lot *sad* (ie, lot sold for $20 and shipping is $40). 

THIS. Of all the things I find on ebay, I can ususaly buy less than 1/4 of what I want because peopel won't ship outside the US. Saying that clearly no one else wants a pony because they didn't outbid you on it is quite ridiculous, IMO.

[hlbmlp]

i want them ALL but have little money! (darn you art school!)  so yeah... I also prefer my ponies "played with" aka in pretty beat up shape. I dunno.. I guess i like them to match my childhood ponies.  :3  but i will customize a truly baity pony (unless i dont have one already, then when i get another im too attached to the first).  Give them new life. Like a phoenix. Reborn from the ashes.

[Wardah]

Custom Fireball sold for over 50 dollars, while non-custom "well loved" Fireball in poor condition has sat on ebay for about 45 dollars for a month. I have heard an overwhelming cry that most people would want a baity Fireball, yet he still needs a home. C'mon people, what are you waiting for! 

Not everyone interested has money. And honestly even though I'd love him I 1) have a VERY hard time spending more than $20 on a pony and even $20 is pushing it and 2) I'd want to rehair his cut plugs, but I can't rehair and wouldn't want to have to pay to have him shipped both ways and pay someone else to rehair those bits.
So yeah. Its not always a matter of nobody wanting them. And also don't people normally wait until the last moments to bid? I bid on some eBay auctions before and had people complaining about me bidding and raising the price of some ponies a few days before they ended.

And honestly I don't think a $5 difference is worth customizing a rare pony over. Especially since customizing costs money for supplies. So technically she still would have made more not customizing him because part of her profit wouldn't have been just covering customizing supplies.

I think the pony that has been sitting a month on ebay is a BIN not an auction. There are no last moments on BINs.

The point is we don't know if they tried to sell it and just nobody bought it. Do we expect someone to sit on a pony waiting for it to sell forever? If it isn't selling should they lower it and "take a loss"? I know if I ever had a rare pony with marks on its body and nobody was buying it, I'd have to do something with it to make it more appealing. I can't paint match for the life of me so my only choices would be either a full body repaint and then repaint everything else or to give it a new design that covers up the marks. I think I'd rather do the second especially since I wouldn't have to redo the face because faces are hard. Anyways if I had to give it a full body repaint it wouldn't really matter if it was Fireball before or not.