How we collect

[katrine2309]

I have always thought I was not a completionist. I never felt the need to have all ponies, or even all the ponies in one set. Simply because I only wanted the ponies I really, really liked or the ponies that fitted in my collection. I have been away from the pony-community for some years now, and when I got my self back into it a couple of weeks ago it really hit me. I might not be a set-completer or a generation- completer, but none-the-less I AM a completer.

Already when I bought my first pony as a grown-up I was a completer. The first ponies I bought was Firefly, Glory, Blossom and baby Bowtie. To complete my childhood collection - as I already had Baby Firefly, Baby Glory, Baby Blossom and Bowtie. The second thing I made sure off was that all my ponies had all their accessories - down to their backcards and stickers (which is still an on-going process...). The same thing happened with my pony wear - even though I don't particularly LIKE pony shoes I just had to have those too, because they completed the outfit. My ponies NEVER wear any pony shoes, but I still need to have them.

So from thinking I wasn't a collector that worried about completing, I might be the "worst" (or maybe best!) kind of completer of all. It is not just about buying the pony, but getting everything that is associated with that pony too. So even though I only have around 35 ponies in my collection I have a TON of stuff for them all. Even the stuff I don't like, just because it belongs to the pony ( it sounds so wrong when I write it like that, but I hope you guys understand what I mean).

So how about it? Maybe, on some strange level, all collectors are completionists? I thought it would be interesting to hear all your thoughts on how you collect? Is it only ponies, or are you like me, collecting accessories and pony wear, puffy stickers and backcards as well? What is important to you in your collection? What motivates you to buy the MLP things you decide to buy?

[simplysteffie]

I only collect pink G1's.

The only set I have in other colors are Glow-N-Shows.

[Desert Rose]

I'm guessing we're all completionists in our own ways. No matter if we only collect Nirvanas, Pink ponies or simply all of them. We still want to complete the thing we're focused on.

I know I'm a total completionist I want EVERY G1 and G3 ever made And I plan to start collecting more organized. Set after set, starting with the first and move all the way to the very last. I need to get a better track record of what ponies I actually do have first though >.< But I'm working on that

As for accessories... don't hate me now but I HATE accessories They're just so tiny and there's just SO MUCH it makes my head spin I just generally throw them all into plastic bags and let them stay there. However I've been thinking maybe I should start selling them off since I notice a bunch of people here do like accessories

The G1 backcards I love though. The artwork on them are just so beautiful

So yeh, I'm a total completionist too in my own way

[TwilightTrixie]

My boyfriend and I are completionists too, though we want everything G4!  Pony hats, pony shirts, pony bedding, pony calendars, etc., and of course the all important ponies!  The only G4 items I don't have a huge desire for at moment are the So-soft doll toys....though that Spike the Dragon is so adorable we might have to snatch him up.

[xeevee]

I am a gotta catch 'em all collector.  As I get more and more ponies, I start wanting more and more other things (even though I am no where near having all the ponies yet).  I have started getting lots of merchandise, I am buying nirvanas now, and I have even started contemplating getting moc pony wear, even though I have never cared about pony wear before now at all.

[Taxel]

I'm not a completionist, unless you count wanting to complete my wishlist, and I don't consider someone who wants to complete a few sets or certain things a completionist. To me, a completionist wants everything of whatever generation they collect (accessories, backcards, stickers, etc aren't required in my mind). There's a huuuuuuge difference between wanting to have compete outfits and wanting every G1 released in the US, and I don't even find them comparable. But that's just me, and you can of course call yourself whatever you want.

I'd love to get all the G1 babies and seaponies, but that's just not possible. I wouldn't be able to (mentally) spend the money the rarer ones probably cost (not that I know their prices). If I can't get every baby and every seapony, oh well. I'm not going to be upset in the slightest, as there are things I'd much rather spend the large chunks of money on. When I compare a $200 pony (or few ponies) to a $200 doll I want, there's no competition for me and I'll go for the doll because I can interact with it a lot more.

Mainly when I buy ponies, I go after Sundances/Sunsparkles I don't have yet or I hunt for baity G1s. I mainly collect ponies in nearly all bait-worthy conditions (even though a lot are branded bait that have little wrong with them :/), so in my mind there's not much to "complete" with that. If I see a messy pony that needs a home and I like them (and can afford it), I'll buy them. I mainly buy/trade for bait lots. I don't do restorations, however, just basic cleaning and like buying replacement wings. Very simple things only. I'll also buy random ponies sometimes, if they catch my eye. And at a thrift store/yard sale or something, I'd buy every pony I could no matter how I felt about them.

[katrine2309]

As for accessories... don't hate me now but I HATE accessories They're just so tiny and there's just SO MUCH it makes my head spin I just generally throw them all into plastic bags and let them stay there. However I've been thinking maybe I should start selling them off since I notice a bunch of people here do like accessories

The G1 backcards I love though. The artwork on them are just so beautiful  

Haha, no worries! I'm not offended by that at all - I think there are many who doesn't like accessories, and only collect the ponies. To me, the accessories are just a part of the nostalgic memories that got me into collecting in the first place and I loved playing with my MLPs when I was a kid and I had a lot of accessories for them back then. I'm not sure I would be able to enjoy the accessories so much if I was collecting all the ponies too! I agree though, most of us really want to complete whatever we are focused on - well said.

It seems like there are quite a few completers among us, but I always had an impression that most of us were concerned about buying ponies - not so much concerned about buying accessories. I just find it interesting that we all love MLP and we all collect, but our collections are just so different! I always thought that the accessory collectors, backcard-, merchancise- and puffy stickers collectors were few and far between. I'm not so sure anymore!

[NovelNerd]

I am a gotta catch 'em all collector.

This was what I intended to post & then saw you beat me. Ponies are like Pokemon they all must be caught and living in my home...least G1 ponies.

I'm agreeing with Rose though except for a few accessories I don't really like them that much. Hmm, I don't have to complete all of something like if there is a set of ponies and I hate one I won't get it. 

[StarlightGaze]

I'm trying to be a completionist for certain things. I want every character in G4 in brushables (glimmer wings, shine brights, and other versions), fashion styles, and blind bags. Blind bags are going to be hard as heck. Stuff I don't care about are blind bag cards, getting every variable, getting every accessory and pet, and other toys like talking Celestia and babies. I'm getting trading cards, but that's hard too.

I've only started collecting since March 2012, yet I have SO many G4 ponies now. I poured a lot of money into ponies since then. To be a true completionist would just be too much for me.

[katrine2309]

I'm not a completionist, unless you count wanting to complete my wishlist, and I don't consider someone who wants to complete a few sets or certain things a completionist. To me, a completionist wants everything of whatever generation they collect (accessories, backcards, stickers, etc aren't required in my mind). There's a huuuuuuge difference between wanting to have compete outfits and wanting every G1 released in the US, and I don't even find them comparable. But that's just me, and you can of course call yourself whatever you want.

Sure, there is a difference - I am not disagreeing with you on that. I just find it interesting that our collections are so different from one another, and I just wanted to point out that there might be different kinds of completionists. I have always thought about completers like you do. The ones that want to collect every pony there is. But being an accessory junkie - I started to think that there might be different levels of being a completionist.

I'm not so much concerned with the terms used (we can call it accessory completers instead, I don't mind ). I am more interested in the fact that we have so different collections, but maybe the same urge that motivates a collector to get all G1 ponies is the same that motivates me to buy all accessories for my ponies? I just found it interesting that I feel the need to buy pony shoes to complete the outfit, when I just really don't like pony shoes. But I truly think it is fun buying them, and having them with the outfit makes me happy (now I sound crazy, but I hope you understand what I mean!) I was thinking that the same feeling was true for those who collects i.e. all G1 ponies?

[Like A Tea Spoon]

I'm a bleeding heart collector. I buy the ones I love and I also tend to buy the rescues and baits.  I'm also the type to feed strays when I see them lol

I usually unpack my ponies and put all their accessories in a plastic tub for safe keeping, since these are usually my G3-G4 ponies.

I'd love to be able to find G1 baby play pens, cribs and buggys but I think I'll concentrate on actual ponies and rescue baits right now.

[katrine2309]

I'm a bleeding heart collector. I buy the ones I love and I also tend to buy the rescues and baits.  I'm also the type to feed strays when I see them lol

I just love that description! A bleeding heart collector

[Enolaalone]

I'm a bleeding heart collector. I buy the ones I love and I also tend to buy the rescues and baits.  I'm also the type to feed strays when I see them lol

I just love that description! A bleeding heart collector

I agree! I'm like that too, I see a broken pony and I'm like *grabby hands* give it to me! I will fix it! (Or it will sit on the table next to the other broken ponies, more likely...).

I'm not a collector of accessories at all, and not really a completist except for wanting all the ponies I used to have in my childhood collection. Apart from that I have a few sets to complete - the rainbow ponies and some families - but I wouldn't want them all!

[RAMChYLD]

I have the completionist complex

[Daiyuflower]

I'm not a completionist by any means   I only collect ponies I like...sometimes that is most of a set, like the TAFs, but there are always a couple in each set that I just don't like the look of. 

I think the only set I have an interest in completing right now is the G4 Fashion Styles.  They're such a nice size, very reminiscent of G1s, and I like the fact that they can wear G1 Pony Wear