Finding ponies outside of the internet

[Okiedokieloki]

Do people still find G1-G3 ponies at places like thrift stores and flea markets fairly often?

I wish that I could just once find ponies outside of the internet. Every thrift store I've ever been to has been barren, and today I went to my first real flea market and I saw just about every other toy line from the 80s and about a billion beanie babies, but no ponies. I would love to experience finding a G1 or even a G3 that didn't come from me buying online, but I'm not very confident in that happening anymore.

[NoPonySpecial]

Honestly, no, not fairly often, more like occasionally. 

That is, except for one thrift store that often has ponies, although it's usually G3 or fakies. I wonder if it has something to do with the neighborhood it's in, like maybe it was populated with kids at just the right age to be donating their ponies right now.

I guess, if you do find a thrift store with ponies, go back to there more often than anywhere else?

[Lucky_Ladybug]

I highly recommend checking antique malls, if there's any in your area. I've seen Ponies at a couple of antique malls. The last time I saw some, they were dirty and I didn't get them because I didn't want to clean them, but another time, if I remember correctly, they were in very nice condition and even kept individually in plastic ZipLoc bags. I wish I'd looked more closely into getting some of those.

[reanna-mator]

I pretty much am just able to check thrift shops, but I'd love to try flea markets out sometime.

I have found G1 and G3 at Savers. G1s pop up for me 3-4 times a year, maybe and I visit quite often. I'm very stubborn about checking for ponies and by now most of the people working in the checkout lanes there know what I'm looking for.

Just remember, you definitely won't find any if you don't try! Just be tenacious!

Off the top of my head, my thrift store G1s over the past few years have been Blossom, Lemon Drop, Chatterbox, Sunspot, Skyflier, Taffy, Lavender Lace, Satin n Lace, Tassels, Truly, Firefly, Windy, Baby Stockings, Baby Firefly, Baby Shady, and I know there are a few more in there. I'm going to stop wracking my brain because the point is, these were all finds from just one or two stores. I think it's dependent on a few factors, but they are still showing up.

Keep in mind if there are any vintage or antique shops in your area too. There's one in my hometown that's had ponies in the past (not so much lately though) but I've had a couple good finds there too, including Whirly Twirl and Locket.

[Lucky_Ladybug]

I think we have a Savers somewhere within a fifty-mile radius of here. I know that the idea is that stuff comes in bags, but do you have to just get them at random or can you look through the bags first to see what's in there?

[reanna-mator]

I think we have a Savers somewhere within a fifty-mile radius of here. I know that the idea is that stuff comes in bags, but do you have to just get them at random or can you look through the bags first to see what's in there?

At our Savers, smaller toys are put in smallish clear plastic baggies, hung on the wall in rows and priced. Most of the time they seem to put some effort into putting like items together, but a lot of times I've gotten random toys I don't care for in with my ponies. But it's easy to tell what's in them.

[TexasGal]

What's really sad is I've found g1s TWICE when I was dropping thigns off at my goodwill drop off, which is connected to our goodwill, but they won't mark them down and walk them to the front for me.  I nearly cried as one was a SHS and the other was a Daddy Bright Bouquet pony.  The other time was a g4, but still, it was a pony.  I haven't seen any, even when I go every day during the week and on weekends.  I can't go all the time to check, but I check as often as I can, but I always seem to miss the ponies.  =[ 

[TWILIGHTCOOKIE]

I find g1s at Thrift Stores all the time, found 4 so far in January.

[Jocelyn]

I want to echo the fact that antique stores are good places to scope out ponies - I've gotten quite a bit from an antique store downtown over the past two years. It may be a bit overpriced, but they're still worth checking out!

[scarletjul]

I find g1s at thrift stores but not often - maybe a few times a year?  I actually just found 3 earlier this month (including a Baby Pineapple that cleaned up rather well.). I have my best luck at thrift stores over the summer but I still don't find g1s often.  I am also lucky enough to have a couple of collectible toy stores in the area, where I gave also found g1s - though, again, not often.

I rarely have luck at flea markets.

[Okiedokieloki]

Hm, a search brings up quite a few antique malls/stores in the area. I wish I had thought about looking into these places earlier on in my trip to Kentucky, but now I think it's too much to try to do in a week and a half. If I could get around on my own I would totally be able to hit them all up in a day, but I have to rely on someone else to chauffeur me at the moment. Guess it's going to be something for me to look into next time. If I can get my boyfriend to bring me that is.

Thanks for the suggestions! My optimism has been renewed! 

[invaderhorizongreen]

I have found a few very dirty cheap gen 1 at the flea the last two years I have gone. All of them cleaned up nicely and look almost new. I got lucky talking to a vender who had some stuffed in a closet for 20 years, and they dropped by a few months ago.

[CottonTALE]

I come across ponies more often than not in my local second-hand shoppes. I mainly find Mcdonalds ponies, but I also find G3s and G3.5s most of the time. I've gotten lucky and found a few G1 ponies once and even a G2!

Still hoping to find more G4 ponies there. A woman can dream eh?

[mlp4me]

With my lack of time to go thrifting I don't find ponies very often. I think if I went out more I would find more. Honestly can say that it's a good if I can find a pony or two each month when I go out...

[HelloGoodbye]

The Savers near me has a pretty steady stream of G3s.  I don't find the regular sized ones every time I go (every other time is pretty standard, and it is always Waterfire, lol), but I find Ponyvilles fairly frequently, and of course, billions of McDonalds ponies.  Last time I went I got lucky and found G3 so soft Rarity.  I don't go all that often though, maybe every one and half or two months?  I wish I could get over there more, but oh well.  I've never found a G1, but I also haven't been checking for that long.  I've never found a G4 either.

There is a Salvation Army that I would like to check out, but every time I have time to go it is closed. 
It looks pretty promising, though, and every time I drive by I just say to myself that I know there is a G1 pony in there!