The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: ponylovingmomma on May 19, 2013, 07:31:23 PM
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I love the Sunshine ponies and through all my years of collecting I have come to a simple conclusion, they aren't hard to find. A simple search on eBay and you will come across dozens of them. So, why are they so expensive!? :wonder: I notice they are often posted on eBay in the $15+ range and some even upwards toward $30. This is an asking price not an ending price and usually they are being posted by resellers. Are collectors actually paying these prices? I find it hard to believe...
Another pony I have found to be expensive is Baby Blossom. I searched for her for 3 months refusing to pay the outrageous prices resellers listed her for, usually in the $12 -$22 range. Eventually I found her in great condition for $4. Considering how common she is I can't believe anyone, especially people who know MLP would ask $22 for her. Really?
Currently I am looking for Sugar Sweet, and again I am running into the same problem. I refuse to pay more than $7 for her :) What other common ponies do you find to be way overpriced?
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Sand Digger seems to be the rarest of the set, but I'm puzzled as to why I can't get Shoreline at a decent price. They're the last two I need in the set!
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The problem with the sunshine ponies is their hair. It's incredibly hard to find in mint, non frizzed condition. So to me, I'd rather pay $15 for one that is mint, than $8 with uncontrollable frizz because it really isn't completely fixable. Seaflower and Sand Digger are just saught after because people really like their colors.
Same problem with baby blossom, she's not as common as you'd think or at least to me. I buy dozens of lots and for every one blossom I get, I'll have 10 baby cotton candy. Baby blossom is also prone to discoloration, I don't come across nice ones very often.
With sugar sweet, it's both hair/discoloration. If you want original curl, you'll pay more because it's hard to find. This pony is also prone to discolor. Though I agree, even a mint one I wouldn't pay more than $8 for just because she's not a favorite of mine.
With vintage ponies getting older, condition is always going to be the main deciding factor over the price. Sometimes you'll get lucky and someone doesn't know what they have, will have a poor photo, and you'll find a nice one cheap;) I've noticed more sellers using Ebay mobile, the listing descriptions and picture quality has seriously gone down so you have to really go outside the box to search for stuff.
Then again, you're always going to have those people who think every pony is worth a fortune just because it's old:/ But that's why I try to buy a few small lots to get the ponies I want, because at least the per pony price makes it worth it.
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I agree with Wysteria about Baby Blossom. I only have one, because I traded for her on here...whereas I have 6 Baby Cotton Candys (and I have sold one in the past as well) - all on accident! I also have multiples of all the other babies in that set. So I do think she is slightly less common than the rest of her set.
Also agree with the frizzy hair issue with the Sunshine ponies. Color changing hair...bah humbug on that.
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I never look for mint condition ponies because I am cheap, and frizzy hair (especially on a Candy Cane Pony) is fixable to me hence why I won't pay a fortune for something I don't feel is worth the price. I took a break from collecting for 6 months and the price jump for G1's has been incredible. I'm afraid my reasonably priced hobby is becoming way to expensive for me to take part in anymore and it makes me sad :(
Tonight however I found a TAF Love Melody for $2 and she looks to be an good condition. That makes me happy. I've been looking for her for a long time and finally got her for a price I am willing to pay just like Baby Blossom. I planned to only spend $5 on Baby Blossom and eventually I did find her for $4. My price point for Love Melody was $8 and I found her for $2 so being patient helps I suppose!
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I think my main overpriced pony right now is Cranberry Muffin. She's one of my top wants, but she's expensive right now. I recently watched one go up to the $50 range! :whoa:
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Patience is key! You'll find great deals if you're willing to wait for them!
Unfortunately my willpower is terrible... XD
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Overpriced Candy Cane = Lemon Treats! She's always up like $30+ because she's.. sought after I suppose.
I also have to agree about Baby Blossom - she SEEMS like she'd be super common, but she's definitely not Baby Cotton Candy!
Sunshine ponies - I'd say they'd be worth $15 max, but, sellers on eBay tend to have things a bit higher than normal... at least I've noticed that. :)
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Baby Blossom is not common? But I have 3 of her...and two are for sale....*mind blown*
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No no, she's very common but... in good condition she can be difficult to find sometimes - as mentioned she gets discoloration and such. Just doesn't pop up as much as others in her set - Baby Surprise, Firefly, Cotton Candy... for whatever reason. Or perhaps she's just overlooked? But I buy lots of MLPs and haven't had a Baby Blossom in forever, but the others - many have come and gone in the past! It is odd, once you stop and think about it...
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Regularly cursing the all too many ridiculously priced BINs on evilBay these days. That's about all I wanted to say.
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Typical, just as I get back into collecting, the prices go up :lol:
I agree about the vintage thing being rather in vogue. I saw someone on eBay who was, I guess, selling a bunch of stuff out of their attic, and each pony was listed for £9.99 (about $15)... they were common G1s, not Nirvanas or terribly sought-after or anything. Seemed to be in fair condition, but still... I wonder whether they managed to sell them O_O;
eBay is an interesting factor when it comes to hobbies! I own ABJDs too, and the eBay prices for certain dolls are kinda off the charts (usually with Volks) compared to private forums, etc... as if they weren't expensive enough already. :shocked:
I guess some things just go up and down... as people have said, being patient is a good habit to get into I guess, haha.
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I was typing a comment and my stupid broken computer blue screened again -_- Not happy!
Anyway, here's what I wanted to add:
Ebay sellers commanding high BIN prices without an option to bid is because they feel they will be undermined by the bidders, since they know that one day some poor sucker is going to come along and buy their overpriced item. I'll admit *raises hand* occasionally, I do take the bait. But for good reason though, if you are hunting and hunting for your pony at a reasonable cost, and it just is never coming along, impatience can occasionally get the better of us, and we'll go ahead and say 'here mr.ebayer, I'll buy your sorely overpriced pony, just because your bait looks the most attractive in this seemingly empty pond', and whoosh. They got you. And after that, they'll keep reeling out more baits for people, and the more we buy from these people, the more they carry on their business of ripping poor pony folks off. So if we want this to stop, we have to stop buying from them, completely. But see it in another light, and this is how some people have to make their living. Buying second hand goods in charity shops/thrifting etc, and cleaning it up and whacking it on ebay for 4X what they paid for it. Sad, but true. >_<
I have 2 recent examples, a G1 UK pony I've wanted for a LONG time, and have waited a very long time to find in good condition for sale, is always being put at £15 BIN no bid option. I refused to pay that, as although she is hard to find, she isn't worth that in less than beautiful condition, but sooner rather than later someone will fall for it, and buy the pony. I waited, and along came a dream, an absolutely mint, with ribbon and brush pony in a bid only. I won her for £3.48. Worth the wait? You betcha! ;)
Another example? A seller who relisted another UK G1 I've been after for a long time. Always up for 29 days at a time, always relisted, probably over the period of 5 months. £18.99 BIN. No-one ever bites. So since I couldn't find this beauty anywhere else, I had to have her. So, I sent them an email, offering a best offer, and said I wanted to keep it strictly in ebay so as not to break any rules. Sweet person, added a best offer option, and told me to not worry if he didn't respond straight away, but would definitely take my offer. And he did, and I got the pony for £14.50. So yeah, I think patience is your best option, and notice trends too, if a pony you want at a BIN has been relisted many times, it is worth sending them a nice little email, telling them how much the pony would be appreciated, and offer them a best offer.
Good luck!
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It's all about the condition of a pony and how much you want to have that pony. I personally don't want pony's in my collection with a poor condtition but in mint or at least near mint condition. And as told above the Sunshine Pony's have difficult hair. Seaflower is the hardest to find and then comes Sanddigger. Baby CC is very common and a good Baby Blossom (no friz good color) is way harder to find.
Also don't forget that eBay sellers have to clean and wash a pony, take good and lot of pictures, make a clear description, list it, have to pay eBay and PayPal fees, have to pack it good and go to a post office to send the package.
So I think if you don't have to spend much, be patient you will get them someday. Or buy some lots, sell them and save money for the ones you like.
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Speaking of overpriced ponies--there's a G4 Rainbow Dash, PP sized, in "Shadowbolt" costume for $40 from China (free shipping, but still). For $15, I could repaint my own Rainbow Dash to have that outfit. It's doubly weird when you consider that usually it's the G1s that are overpriced, not the G4 ponies.
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I've noticed this too, there are no more 'good deals' on ebay- everything goes high or is overpriced. :/
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Curse you, invisible hand of the market! :shakefist:
I usually (not always, but usually) try to buy my ponies in lots if I can. Except for So Softs, I'm not outrageously picky about my ponies... thanks to all the wonderful ponyfolk here on the Arena, I can fix up so many beat-up old ponies to a reasonable condition, and there are sometimes hidden gems in those lots. ^.^
That said, I've noticed fewer lots of late. I don't know if it's just my imagination or what, but more and more ponies come one at a time, and pricily to boot. -_-
Given my druthers, though, I'd rather buy from wonderful Arena members anyway. :grouphug: It's really only impulse pony-buying for me now on evilBay. :whistle: But I am an impulsive sort, so I guess I pay for it! :lol:
Ramble over. I find most of the Newborn Twins and the second set of Rainbow Ponies are stupidly dear on eBay atm. :razz:
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Since I take the time to clean them I have to raise up the prices, there's my cost of buying the pony, cleaning supplies, shipping supplies. The time cleaning and drying the pony, if I were to sell on ebay with their fees I'd have to seriously overprice ponies just to make it worthwhile and come out with a little money, rather then a loss and the hassle of dealing with the less then nice people there you run into sometimes. :(
I will say the collectors forums are an entirely different market then ebay- on ebay or etsy you have people who don't collect ponies but want one or two they had as a kid, those people are the ones paying $30 for applejack cleaned up with a new ribbon in her tail, not pony collectors. :satisfied:
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I dont think we can judge every pony reseller the same way. As Fantastic Firefly says, some of these people take the risk in buying a lot which some of us either could not afford or could not be bothered to wade our way through. They purchase them at the risk sometimes of getting a lot of ponies which they cannot resell for the value they paid. They then have to clean and spruce up and list and get hit by ebay fees. Yuck!
I am not saying everyone is perfect but personally I have taken advantage in the past of such sellers. I dont want to spend $300 for a pony lot which has 2 items I want and then have to clean all the other ponies and resell them - I wish I had the time, patience and talent. So if someone else wants to do that and I simply pay a higher price per item with less effort, no risk then that works for me. :)
As mentioned before, some ponies are simply not as common as we think while others are just hard to find in reasonable condition. BINs are almost always "overpriced" in comparison to what you get on an auction. But thats because thats what a seller wants and not always what a buyer is willing to pay. No one forces anyone to purchase anything so while I completely agree its frustrating if the one pony you are looking for only seems to pop up BIN, it will eventually show its face on auction. And then you need to be careful that because it doesnt show up too often you get caught in a bidding war which goes higher than a BIN :P Been there...done that!
As for general prices - yes some prices are up, but equally some prices are down. I dont think right now the hobby is that much more expensive than 5 or 6 years ago. Many of the ponies I have purchased in the last decade have significantly dropped in value while a few have increased.
If you are a bargain hunter and have the patience, I am sure you will find them eventually.
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I know what you mean with G1's being TOTALLY overpriced! I saw a really nice G1 Posey (non SS) sell for over $40..... REALLY? Really? What is going on here?
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if a pony you want at a BIN has been relisted many times, it is worth sending them a nice little email, telling them how much the pony would be appreciated, and offer them a best offer.
This is absolutely true! If there is something you want BIN that has been relisted (especially multiple times), it's always a good idea to message the person and make a *reasonable* offer. The worst he/she can say is no. It's important to remember (I have to remind myself of this) that there is no conspiracy among sellers. I think many sellers are afraid of pricing too low so they price too high, and most have no idea what distinguishes one pony in price from another.
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Vale, and Cat - agreed. :) I've had success using the best offer feature and I'm nice about it. Often the (if they're not pony people) seller doesn't know the average true selling price of what they have and are simply placing a BIN to match others. Also, There are a couple pony sellers with higher prices I DO buy from on ebay, as they price high but also have good stuff and better customer service then most brick and mortar stores around here. So, I spend that extra knowing exactly what I'll get, and if there's an error on their end, they are more then happy to work it out fairly without hassle.
I love buying lots but sometimes you just want one pony or accessory and not an entire box of junk along with it, or handy if you want an item on short notice (gift, wishlist item for someone). Also my biggest pet peeve is yellowing, it's so hard to tell before a pony is cleaned if it's simple surface dirt that will wash away, or if she's permanently discolored underneath. So buying what would be a $5 pony uncleaned not knowing if I'll even keep her, for $16 all cleaned with no yellowing knowing for sure she's collection worthy is sometimes well worth it to me.
I know what you mean with G1's being TOTALLY overpriced! I saw a really nice G1 Posey (non SS) sell for over $40..... REALLY? Really? What is going on here?
If it's on etsy or ebay, it's likely non-collector buying, or bidding against eachother. It was non collectors on ebay bidding my commons I'd only get $3-$6 for here or on the TP, to prices like $18- $35+. All I did was clean them and put a satin ribbon in her tail. Very common ponies for us collectors means more little girls once owned them, it's those non-collectors generously bidding or hitting a high BIN to buy a childhood memory.
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It's not really overpriced when the market is willing to pay and especially if its starting to be a tendency. Then it is just pricey ;) I guess it just going to be more and more of these things though - the G1s are getting old and vintage-y now, more and more each year. Wanting the ones in good condition means you either has to wait and have patience - or pay the asking price the market demands. But I also think that a lot of sellers are having trouble selling their ponies to super steep prices though. Of course - if the seller is patient as well someone will always buy for what your asking I guess ;)
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In all honesty I would prefer ponies I buy to not be cleaned or have their hair styled and pay $10-15 less which is why I do not bother with resellers. I'm not going to pay someone to do something I would rather do myself. As more people impulse buy overpriced ponies the market will permanently change and I know I will no longer be able to participate in collecting MLP. Unfortunately, that is simply the way it is. I do hope it happens later rather than sooner.
For right now I continue to make a price point for each pony I would like to purchase and I will not pay more than the amount I have decided on. I don't do lots because I often have a limited budget for ponies and most lots will go over a price I can pay. When I have extra pony budget money I do try to pick up lots.
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I honestly would not worry too much as don't think people "impulse" buying overpriced ponies is going to change the market. If there are 10 ponies on ebay - 2 "over priced" at $50 and 8 at auction, then the market and pony collectors will decide what the 8 auctions will end at - they wont be influenced by the high priced BINs. I know when I price check I dont ever factor in buy it now prices as they are not reflective of the market. If BIN prices were always on point and accurate then you would find most of them snapped up from ebay relatively quickly, instead they almost all sit for a short to long term.
What will drive price up is ponies becoming harder to find due to most childhood collections making their way into collectors hands and a general increase in collector numbers. But to be honest thats the case with any collecting hobby - inflation even reaches ponies! :)
I know what I spent for my collection. I also know that in the current climate and with the current buying prices, I could not make back the same money that I have spent. Yes, there is a big increase in price in comparison to pony prices from a decade ago but if anything in the last 5 years prices have dropped a little from that peak of 06-09. I know that's not consistent over all ponies. But compare what we used to pay for everything from Diamond Dreams to Mimic 5 years ago and neither of them are as pricey as they used to be. Still high, yes. But not higher then they used to be.
Everyone is different; to be honest I will pay an extra $10 if I am getting a minty gorgeous pony than if I am getting one which needs a lot of work and restoration. But thats the market for you - for the main, the minty gorgeous ponies will be at the high end and those needing work at the bottom. Thankfully we have lots of different collectors with different budgets, different collection requirements, different standards so hopefully you will still manage to add to your collection.
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I'll admit, I've overpaid for ponies on impulse before. :P Sometimes I get impatient during the hunt.