Next on MLP Talk - When collecting becomes a burden 3/2/2015

[ladybastilla]

How about something on the importance of budgeting for your collection?  It's along similar lines, and it's not something we talk about a lot, but it's an important subject.

Elf

That definitely is an important topic. Especially since ponies can range from $2 at a flea market up to hundreds of dollars depending on which one you want to get.

In relation to that, one thing I've been thinking about as I decide what I want to add to my collection next is at what stage do I want to add certain ponies? How do people feel about the cost of the more elusive / expensive ones? Are you willing to pay, do you find less expensive ones you're as happy with, or are you undecided?

What thoughts and considerations should go into deciding you want a really expensive pony? For instance, someone is selling Thundercloud on eBay right now. I think he's beautiful, I -technically- have the money, but I know I'm not ready to buy him yet. Why? Because my shelving situation has not been adequately resolved to a point where I would feel -right- bringing him here.

Also, there is the thought of one or many ponies at various stages of collecting. For example: I don't own any G1's yet. I want to. I hope to in the near future. But it hasn't happened yet. I'm torn between the idea of getting somepony who is more valuable or getting several of the ponies I want who are more accessible. How valuable they are does not define how much I want any pony: half the time I don't know if a pony is worth much until after I want it. (Which can be a bit frustrating sometimes!). Rather, it's the consideration of shelf space vs. cost vs. what stage I'm at as a collector. To me, there is a lot more commitment in taking on a $100 pony then buying, say, five ponies for $100. (Though I won't lie: someone a couple hours from me is selling Tex with all his accessories and I did think about it.)

As I'm still pretty new to this, my loved ones don't always fully "get" some of the things I consider when I look at buying ponies--especially those from older generations. They seem to think that you get a pony, you put it on your shelf and that's the end of it. (And I won't lie: prior to getting into ponies, I didn't totally understand what people did with them either. That's a whole other topic and an area of ponies that I still feel like I am learning about.) The amount of knowledge that someone needs to learn how to use as they get into this hobby is actually kinda shocking to me. I mean, there's restoration, knowing the value of the various ponies, studying the history of each gen--the lines that came out, what parts of the world various ponies are from, how media and the toys interacted--customizing, displaying and photography, pony communities like ours here... and I'm sure there are things I'm missing even with that list.

Anyway, I think I'll end this here for now. I'd need to sit down and think about some of the other ideas in my head before I could really present them to you guys in a way that would make perfect sense. I hope something here is helpful, though.  

[Rosette]

I've certainly seen instances where 'collecting' goes hand-in-hand with mental illnesses like hoarding, depression, OCD.  That can lead to detrimental amounts of stuff--everywhere--and a lack of discretion or restraint in accumulating more.  I think that an inability to function in your living spaces (too much stuff piled up) and obsessive need for the next buying fix can make pony collecting miserable and unhealthy, to boot.

[Elfpony]

Definitely. My roommate and I present panels about collecting at anime cons pretty frequently, and we stress the difference between collecting and hoarding. For example, carefully planning your purchases, planning your display, curating your collection (all of what Ladybastilla said), budgeting, and enjoying your collection without necessarily adding to it all the time.

Not that we haven't all had that "I didn't know this pony existed before now but I must have her,   RIGHT NOW!" moment, but that can get dangerous if it's happening all the time.

Elf

[Katika]

I haven't read all of the replies yet, but I have a couple of rules for myself when it comes to collecting.

First off, I *do* have Gotta Catch 'em All syndrome, however I don't collect all sets of ponies.  I realized that sea ponies frustrate me because they are harder to display, G3.5 newborns just don't seem pony enough for me, and anyone that does not have brushable hair does not meet the requirements of an MLP to me, personally.  I will also only pick up playsets if their ability to be used as a display shelf is greater than the amount of shelf space they'd take up on their own (which so far has limited me to multi-story castles only).  Anyone who doesn't fall in one of these categories, I really, *really* want.

I let my finances dictate the pace of my collecting.  My husband and I have agreed (this is another big one - if you share your money pool with someone else, it is imperative that you talk to them about how much is acceptable to spend on ponies!!  I get that we all love our ponies, but keeping peace at home really needs to be a priority) that I can keep up with current releases under most circumstances, but I really only get to do online shopping as our "fun budget" allows.  This means that there will be months where I am getting pony mail every other day and increasing my herd by dozens, and then there will be three or four months where I won't get anyone new.  It honestly does keep things a little more exciting for me that way, and helps me appreciate ponies when I do get them when I'm not constantly buying them.

Last, I made a promise to myself that the day ponies quit making me smile, I'd send them along to someone who appreciates them more than me.  Ponies should never, ever make someone miserable in my eyes, and they should always be about joy and happiness.  That's the reason why I collect, and if that reason was ever gone, there'd be no point in it.

[brighteyes]

I really like the customizer interviews and would love to see...er *hear* more of those.  Maybe it could be expanded to pony arts and crafters?  There are a lot of really talented pony artists out there that I'd love to learn more about- what program do they use?  How do they get ideas?  What got them interested in pony art?  What is their favorite piece they've made etc...

I also like the episodes where you have people from the collecting community on, like MustBeJewel.  The one where you ranted about the awful retro mini firefly was fun too.  It would be cool to do a segment or maybe a series about pony collectors and their childhood collection.  What ponies did you have as a kid?  What got in interested in collecting again?  Or a newbie collector show where new collectors could post burning questions or could be interviewed.  Just chat like that would be neat.  A pony news segment might be interesting too.  I'd love to hear what is new and coming out or a brief rundown of upcoming events like swap meets or events on the forums.  I know all of these aren't necessarily viable options, just throwing ideas out to see what sticks.

Also, I was the brighteyesmlp in the chat last week.  I couldn't figure out how to get into the chat though.  Do I have to download Skype or something?  There was a skype button but I got busy getting dinner ready and didn't have time to further investigate it. 

[NichiTsukinoko]

That is a great idea Elfpony!

[wizzer218]

For me its the money part...and sometimes spending more money then I should..... I actually call it pony debt..lol......I don't remember a time when I have not had a pony payment plan in the works.......sometimes I do get a little out of control....lol.....it does get stressful at times financially seeing as  all the ponies I need are expensive..... I did decide to only collect g1s which helps a ton.....but in the end my ponies give me far more joy and pride then stress...my ponies have their own room which has been dubbed "the pony room".....lol.....if I had any advice for fellow collectors it would be to --- not get yourself in debt with credit cards and whatnot---

[Alzatia]

For me the the latest burden is falling on the display part of things, I've been putting a lot of effort the past year in displaying my collections as cleanly as possible. Mostly investing in a lot of Ikea Detolfs, acrylic rises and Tamashii Nations figures stands (these work for anything, from figures to dolls!). Also, in fixing up the rooms.

As to the collections themselves, know your limit, or visualize your limit. I was pretty new to collecting when I collected Ben 10, and bought far more than I now realize I could handle. After a flood struck, most of the collection was damaged and its leftovers now remain in storage. Basically, make your collection(s) manageable. I know I've pretty much reached my limit with pony, mainly only buying BAB and Funko now. Pony is actually the collection I'm most satisfied with.

[NichiTsukinoko]

BrightEyes, We would love to do more customizer and pony arts and crafter interviews but it is very hard to get volunteers for that. The mods of the pony coral have told us that if we make a post in the pony coral  asking for pony artists, that they will move it into the customs area. And it gets buried there.

[hathorcat]

BrightEyes, We would love to do more customizer and pony arts and crafter interviews but it is very hard to get volunteers for that. The mods of the pony coral have told us that if we make a post in the pony coral  asking for pony artists, that they will move it into the customs area. And it gets buried there.

If you are looking for pony artists rather than customisers you could post in the Arts & Crafts forum as well. Like customs its a little slower moving than the Corral so you may get more visibility. 

[NichiTsukinoko]

Hathorcat: We get terrible visibility in Customs. We get 0 responses in customs. If posting in Arts and Crafts is anything like posting in Customs, it would be a complete waste of time.

[hathorcat]

Hathorcat: We get terrible visibility in Customs. We get 0 responses in customs. If posting in Arts and Crafts is anything like posting in Customs, it would be a complete waste of time.

Its a shame as you certainly get more awareness on the front page of the relevant forum; a low post thread in the Corral can vanish on to page 2 within a day. And we have a lot of members who only travel to forums that interest them and seldom stop by elsewhere. I know thats certainly true for some customisers.

It was just a thought, but clearly not one for you to try.