G1 back cards and playset boxes...

[hellapostalia]

So I was at an antique mall last weekend and randomly saw a few g1s in gallon ziplock baggies with their backcards (fizzy, moonstone, ss hearthrob). I squealed and I'm sure people looked at me be I NEVER find g1s thrifting, at yard sales, goodwill... Well maybe a peachy or two but that's it!

Ponies were in pretty good condition ( tho they were in need of the salon! Seriously) but the back cards were a bit rough. Still display worthy but maybe a 5 out of 10.

I know nothing of mib g1 Mocs nrfbs or back cards... I bought heart throb bc she was one of my childhood ponies. Her card is beautiful to me and I love having it in my collection now but it got me thinking about original g1 packaging.

Is there a general price guide for empty playset boxes and back cards for ponies and pony wear? Do people want to buy them? Is it about the box/card art or completing a pony or playset with all accessories and the packaging to match?

I know all collectors are different so I'm curious to hear your views on original g1 pony packaging... Do you collect it? Do you only buy moc/nrfb? What are your criteria for backcards... Are price tags ok? Bending and folds? Sun damage? Yellowed bubbles?

[LadyMoondancer]

Wow, congrats!  It's hard to find G1 ponies in the wild anymore!

Backcards are definitely collected by a lot of people.    Basically, the better condition a backcard is in, the more it's worth.

[nessy_86]

I collect it all. The boxes, the backcards, anything package related really. I love the original packaging. The better condition the better price . I have some items with price stickers and writing on the cards. But I love them all the same. As long as the price is right I usually buy. Backcards I've seen sell from $1 to $10 generally-- it usually depends on the pony. The boxes range from all over. So there really isn't a price guide for any of it. I collect the playset boxes to have a completed set and I love the art on it. I'm working my way though getting all of the boxes but some of them seem hard to find. I'm trying to get one complete set loose and one complete set in box.

[Taffeta]

I collect backcards like an insane creature. I think last count I had around 250 different ones. Some are more hard to find than others. Generally non-US cards are rarer so I find them more expensive. $1-$10 is probably a good benchmark for most US cards, I think. Depending on condition and the pony. Mimic's might go for more I dunno. It probably does relate to the pony.

I sometimes pay more than market price for a particular card if it's one I'm looking for. But I have heard people still talk about recycling them or tossing them out even now. So I think it's a specific thing for a collector xD. For me it's my nirvana, but I think it's a bit of a niche obsession...

My criteria for backcards...

If it's common or semicommon, I'd rather it wasn't ripped or missing parts (although horseshoe points sometimes I don't mind). The condition and the price here are interrelated. If it's rough condition but low price sometimes I will go for it

If it's medium rare then I'm a bit less picky about card bending and damage. It also depends on price here too.

If it's super HTF, like some of the UK ones - eg Mountain Boys, 1988 twins, etc - then I'll take it in whatever condition it appears in, because the chances are I won't get another any time soon.


For me it's a mix of art and history, especially with the UK ones, because they are often pieces of the information puzzle of what happened in the UK line.