Sunshine ponies and other overpriced G1's

[ponylovingmomma]

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!?  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?

[reanna-mator]

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!

[Wysteria]

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.

[PinkRosedust]

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.

[ponylovingmomma]

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!

[Rachel-Eyes]

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!

[reanna-mator]

Patience is key! You'll find great deals if you're willing to wait for them!

Unfortunately my willpower is terrible...

[Sunshine]

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.

[Sakuyamon]

Baby Blossom is not common? But I have 3 of her...and two are for sale....*mind blown*

[Sunshine]

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...

[mul-ta]

Regularly cursing the all too many ridiculously priced BINs on evilBay these days. That's about all I wanted to say.

[autojoy]

Typical, just as I get back into collecting, the prices go up 

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.

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.

[Icecrystalline]

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!

[Pumpkin]

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.

[cleverLC]

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.