Why does the cost for G4 ponies seem so high?

[shadowspell7]

I've never seen other G4 ponies (like Diamond Rose, Feather May, Rainbow Flash, Dewdrop Dazzle, etc.) besides the Mane 6 in stores when they were supposed to have come out. I assume it is because where I live in Texas the stores receive everything last. But when I look for these ponies online, they are usually priced around $20. There are some I really wanted but I don't understand why they cost so much when other brushable G4's cost near $7 in stores. Is there a particular reason for this?

[Thunderwing]

Because they are harder to find...  That is the simple answer. The 'non core' ponies simply were not released in the same numbers as the core ponies, so there were fewer to go around. I saw them in stores, but never in large numbers, and they sold out very quickly. So they are more rare, and are more expensive on the second hand market.

[achab1984]

Its cause there was less of them made, but there is some good luck coming out! Some of the ponies are going to be coming out again or at least have been seen on Taobao.

[Sprinklecupcake]

Those ponies you mentioned are htf or overseas! Ive seen em around on taobao and ive seen the sweetie swirl playset at ross now.

feel like g4 ponies prices are somewhat expensive, $9 for a small pinkie pie or rainbow dash that scoots around and $20 for styling strands fluttershy!    The quality of the gen is very low too... I wish the dolls werent as expensive as they are, waiting until black friday and christmas sales.

[hathorcat]

This is a nosy question What time did you start looking for these releases in stores? Most of them were pretty early on in the G4 line so if you missed the start of the line, that may be why you did not see them

As to why they go for higher - supply and demand. It always happens with collectible toys and items. When something is no longer available retail, it no longer has a RRP and therefore sellers can charge what they wish and buyers will pay what they have to. You have a combination of people late to the party or who missed them on shelves who are willing to pay extra to complete a collection/set and those who panic a little that prices are just going to get higher and better grab them when you can.

All of these ponies dont go super high. Check out a lot of ended auctions rather than BINs and you will find more affordable and more accurate, in my opinion , prices. Its really only the ponies between the Lily Blossom/Cheerilee and Trixie/Lyra waves [excluding them] which go high - mainly because we have seen them no other way as yet so getting them this way is the only way to own them. Same reason the international exclusives are pricey - no other readily available release.

Like G3, I am sure one day in the future forums like this and ebay and garage sales and thrift shops are going to be flooded with a lot of these guys, and their prices will consequently drop. We were paying these percentage increases on ponies during the early years of G3 for the same reason and now the self same ponies hardly hold retail.