Settle for a flawed pony or save for a mint one?

[Leave a Whisper]

@Glitterball - exactly how many Honeycombs do you have? xD.

@LAW - a little OT but I love the image of Fizzy with the soda cup in the other photos on your DA site And Starhopper looks amazing too

My sister has a whole box of rescue ponies in the loft. She used to pick up every really abused pony she could find at carboot sales to rescue them. She's still a bit that way - at ponycon last year I had to talk her out of buying a bald Posey and I couldn't talk her out of adopting a brown Blossom...

Thank you Taf.

[Shileah]

When I first started, I bought every pony that seemed reasonably priced and did not care about the condition that much. I am pickier now and rather pay a bit more to get a pony in good condition. It doesn't need to be perfect and I haven't gone for any MIB ones (yet), but I don't buy ponies that have pen marks (except on the underside of the hoofs), obvious hair cuts, bite marks and easily visible damage to the symbols or eyes.

That said, I tremendously enjoy rehairing. I still have some ponies left from a bait lot I picked up before I went into collector's hiatus, but I haven't been able to find any decently priced new ones. I will keep looking though!

I don't really know what to do with the rehaired ones to be honest. I've kept them all so far, which is ok because they are all ponies I don't have in better condition, anyways. I have two Up, Up And Aways that both needed rehairing, one is done, the other one not yet, so not sure what I will do with her once she is done, too. Is there even a market for rehaired ponies?

[glitterball]

Oh - to add -

I recently bought one of my grails off of ebay - Bonnie Bonnets - she was actually a re-hair but that was cool with me - the re-hair was of great quality and she has a long, silky, mane and tail. I was absolutely delighted with her  - but I know some folks would rather buy an original haired version.

[Skeen]

I don't enjoy upgrading because I don't like comparing flaws and deciding both ponies are equally flawed and having to keep both til I upgrade AGAIN, so I tend to buy either mint or "will clean up to mint."  I don't accept rehairs or restorations in my herd.  They have to be original. 

[Carrehz]

I don't do upgrades - except in very very rare occasions, I buy a pony to keep. And I'm not a rehairer. So I'll wait until the right one in the right condition comes along.

[Taffeta]

I don't enjoy upgrading because I don't like comparing flaws and deciding both ponies are equally flawed and having to keep both til I upgrade AGAIN, so I tend to buy either mint or "will clean up to mint."  I don't accept rehairs or restorations in my herd.  They have to be original. 

I do this too. I have a rule that the first in never leaves. Later ones might, or if I buy a pony my sister already has and then get a better one, upgrading and selling the original is ok because it's just a placeholder. It's complicated because we have a shared collection, but the "real collection pony" sometimes belongs to her. SS Truly is one of these, but for some reason I can't stop amassing Trulys. I guess I'm still looking for a perfect one or something?

[Artemesia's Garden]

 I'm settling for flawed ponies now hat I'm getting down to the final few I really want. I love restoring them. I'm working on one at the moment and will post pictures when he's done.

[Leave a Whisper]

Oh - to add -

I recently bought one of my grails off of ebay - Bonnie Bonnets - she was actually a re-hair but that was cool with me - the re-hair was of great quality and she has a long, silky, mane and tail. I was absolutely delighted with her  - but I know some folks would rather buy an original haired version.

Can we see? 

[Khoufu]

I bought a Thundercloud with acne spots for $20 because I couldn't afford him otherwise. I don't mind limited spots and such, as long as it lowers the price sufficiently and symbols/eyes/flocking are in at least good shape, like 8/10.

[SpacePinto]

Since I don't really know how to restore old toys anyway, it's saving for really good ones for me, especially that I don't even have that much space in my living area to devote to ponies so I'd much rather settle for a small collection of ponies I really like that are in a really good shape, rather than having tons of random ponies in different stages of wear.

[Elfpony]

I have a few ponies in my herd that are restorations and also a few that have flaws (Posey has a bobbed tail, but I think it’s cute and suits her). Funnily, I don’t mind flaws on more common ponies, but I am extremely picky when I’m looking to buy more expensive ponies. In those cases I’m willing to save up and spend more on a mint pony.

I also do upgrades, but I have also chosen to keep flawed ponies instead of upgrading. Sometimes the flawed pony has a “better face” and I end up keeping her instead. It’s certainly not a science.

Elf

[toyjunky]

For me, it depends on what the flaws are. Like some others I do not do restorations, so just a bath by hand, shampoo, condition maybe and restyle. So when I find some G1's I try to pick out the ponies that I think I can clean up decently.  Which means I leave ones behind that look full of rust or mold based on outward appearances (marks and staining) and also ones that have badly cut hair. Or ones that have things like marker scribbled down the whole side or across the face. I figure some other collector will eventually come along and buy those, so I try to only buy things I know I can handle. Although the last time I was at a swap meet I saw two baby sea ponies (never had found them in the wild before) that were tempting but they looked so icky and they wanted too much in my opinion for something that looked that moldy/mildew.

[glitterball]

Oh - to add -

I recently bought one of my grails off of ebay - Bonnie Bonnets - she was actually a re-hair but that was cool with me - the re-hair was of great quality and she has a long, silky, mane and tail. I was absolutely delighted with her  - but I know some folks would rather buy an original haired version.

Can we see? 

OK - I have popped her into temporary storage as we are preparing to move house, but I do have one of the seller photos:

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She is a lovely re-hair, gorgeous long, slightly curly locks! 

[Taffeta]

She does look pretty with those colours.

[glitterball]

She does look pretty with those colours.

Thanks - I was really pleased when I got her in my pony-mail! It would have cost me a lot more to get an "original" haired one from here or the US (high postage fees are such a killer) and then I saw her for a decent price in the UK! I guess no one else bid on her as she was a re-hair but that's fine by me! She has gone to a good home! (albeit now waiting in a box until we move and I can display her again, lol)