Rescuing ponies you don't need

[amanda34]

I think i'm more or less of the same opinion as everyone else. Nope, i just can't leave any ponies behind, either, i dont worry if i have the same pony or not. i love them all so who cares? You're the one who's buying them!

I'm also like this with teddy bears, and some dolls. Also sindy and barbie horses, too!

[aquamarinemolly]

I usually don't pick up thrifted ponies unless they're for me. I've seen some common ponies with bad haircuts at yard sales...Once I dug through a whole bucket and picked just one I wanted the most, to practice repinking. My Cocoberry isn't mint at all, but I did a lot of work to restore her <3 such fond memories.

On rare occasion if I find one *and* I know someone else is looking for that pony, I'll buy it so that we can trade!

[Glitter Yolk]

As a rule of thumb, I don't take G1s unless I want them for my own collection, at least in most cases. I would prefer to have a small collection, and if I picked up every pony I saw I'd have no space for displaying them. Nor do I have a strong desire to restore baits, it's time-consuming and I'm inexperienced. The more baity they are, the less likely I am to grab it. The way I see it, it would cost a ton to purchase all the random ponies I find that I don't want or already have, money I could be saving for ponies I DO want, even if it takes a lot longer to get them. Impulse control is super important to me, even if regrets sometimes come with it! But there are exceptions like upgrades, variants, factory errors and nirvanas.

[starstrider]

If I ever find MLP merch in the wild, I will buy it without hesitation.  If I don't need it, it can always be cleaned and sold/traded.  Honestly, I can't imagine leaving ponies behind.

[NightGliderSA]

Those ponies are in such lovely condition, of course you could not leave them behind!

I have personally only ever found 5 ponies in the wild, over the course of a four year period, and I bought every single one. The only duplicate was Cotton Candy, but as she was the first pony I had discovered in two years of searching you better believe she came home with me 

[Taffeta]

I would definitely buy ponies in that nice shape if the price was right. As someone else said, bringing them into the collecting circle is no bad thing and you can always trade them on if you decide not to keep them.
I don't see many G1 often. I have a little glut of G4 on my shelf in my university room here. All of them are from the local carboot or charity shops in my current area. I don't buy tons of mane 6 but a lot of these are ones I wouldn't have looked for but didn't have already back home, so I guess that's all right.

When G1 ponies were common at carboot sales I would buy as many as I could, especially ones that I could trade, so the area I grew up in is probably quite devoid of G1s now and I like to think of those traded ponies all over the world...

I found that Sugar Sweet last summer who I still have because after cleaning her up I really didn't know if I wanted to sell her. And that is kind of hoarding because I already have this pony loose and MIB, but when you spend time rescuing and cleaning up a pony to make her look presentable again, you feel like there's some greater connection somehow? I dunno.

I don't buy Peachy. I really just can't buy more Peachies. I don't usually buy Posey either, except if there's extenuating circs. Sister has a posey army so sometimes I buy one for her, but not often.

I only buy G3 if I don't have them (or think I don't have them -.-). But there was one exception, which was a really damaged Bow Tie, which I wanted to work on. Again, 'rescuing'.

I see a lot of G1 ponies at the toy fairs. I never try to buy them all, but if there's some which look especially nice or if they're cheap and I know someone here would be wanting it (like a UK pony or something), I'll pick it up.

[poniesthatsparkle]

I always try to grab as many ponies as I possibly can each time I go the the flea market. Unless they're missing body parts or are being sold for a ridiculously high price, I do everything in my power to bring them home with me.

[CindyPony]

The only G1 i ever left behind in the wild was some Glory encrusted with glue where plastic gems had been poorly placed and a few plastic gems remaining for something like $12.

For the most part i hoarde any pony i see, but since most end up in boxes for "later" i wonder if i've done a good thing.

[ghouldilocks]

I only leave G1-G3 behind if they're ridiculously priced...I haven't had the time yet to be able to really go through all my collection, but when I do, all doubles will be cleaned up for trade or sale, so I don't feel bad about it.

[wizzer218]

I Never leave any g1  behind 😁 I just left 3 g3s though..they wanted like $12.99 for them at Goodwill..was ridiculous

[Taffeta]

I try not to buy EQG dolls now that aren't articulated, esp not if they are mane 6. But I found a RR Applejack doll in a charity shop while trekking around on my birthday last weekend and of course, because it was my birthday, she came home with me. She is in good shape, and I guess she'll move in with the Trixie who lives behind my lamp on my library book shelf when I've cleaned her up.

[Shy Violet]

I used to leave no pony behind but I don't pick up G3's or G4's anymore since I have too many doubles and I don't even actively collect G3's. I just buy them in case I decide to collect them one day, I don't want to regret passing so many up. Now I have 2 boxes full of G3's that I need to clean up some day and no where to display them. I mostly take home every G1 I find from the thrift store since they're cheaply priced. I've started leaving behind Peachy's and other ponies that I have multiples of like Applejack. But I am guilty of having a bin of doubles that I need to clean up some day and trade or sell. Then there's the ones that I can't bear to part with. After spending all that time cleaning them up and styling their hair I get attached and can't let them go. Or when I buy someone's childhood collection I can't bear to split them up. It's very difficult to resist but I do try to leave the ones I already have that are common. I know there are a few other collectors in my city so hopefully one of them will come across them. I rarely find G2's but I always buy those too. I also have a problem leaving behind other 80's toys so my pony room is now an 80's toy room, lol. 

[Shileah]

I've never come across a pony in the wild. If it was a G1, I'd take it with me as long as the price is somewhat reasonable, just out of pure excitement to actually find a pony on a flea market/thrift shop.

Since I enjoy cleaning them up and fixing smaller things, and still need lots of experience here, it wouldn't be a waste. I've also just stepped into the world that is rerooting, found it pretty chillaxing, and now need more candidates to let me poke them with the pointy end, lol 

[MerryAnvil]

I also have that mindset hehe. I have a couple doubles because I don't like leaving ponies behind even if I already have them, especially G1s! Last year I found a second Pony Bride who was super dirty and I felt bad for the poor girl so I took her home and cleaned her up, and now I have two (and I won't be getting rid of either one because I became attached and I love Pony Bride so much oops). I have a few other G3s that are doubles because they either came in lots or I picked them up for cheap. I tend to do this with most gens with the exception of G3.5s and G4s, and I'll sometimes leave G3s behind if they're wanting a ton for them.

 But I feel like G1s/G2s are rare enough to find in the wild that it's not a big deal to pick them up whenever you find them, regardless of whether or not you have them already, if they're fairly reasonably priced. I find most of my G1's for $1-4 at antique/thrift stores and that is 100% worth it IMO, even if you already have that particular pony. Plus, you can always trade them for ones you don't have if you dislike having doubles!