The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: tuneful87 on March 27, 2024, 09:02:01 AM
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I've started to collect again after a long hiatus, and I'm shocked by how little effort sellers are putting in despite obscene asking prices. Little or no description. Bad photos. No cleaning or hair styling. It's appalling.
I have no qualms about paying top dollar for a pony if it's in very good condition and well taken care of. But the effort I'm seeing is less than zero. What in the world...
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I think because selling platforms are more and more being geared toward professional resellers and businesses and not collectors just trying to reduce. The sellers don't care about the item, often just scouring thrift stores and yard sales for "vintage" items'. They're just trying to see how much $ they can get for as little effort and investment as possible.
It's not just G1 MLP. I've noticed this across everything I've been trying to find 2nd hand lately. I've received many items recenty that arrive covered in pets hair, dust, scratches, sticky, with odd smells, etc. that's not notated in the description or shown in the photos. I have to be so diligent about zooming in on every inch of the seller's photos to try to catch flaws. And several times when I've asked questions about things I get "I'm not a collector. Look at the photos." or vague "It's good used condition." as an answer.
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eBay really isn't the same as it used to be :( The days of detailed photos and descriptions are mostly gone, sadly. You do still get some sellers that put in the same amount of effort but a lot of them are moving to social media and such... it really sucks :(
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A seller I had bought from failed to mention pony cancer, highlighter marks, and multiple missing tails (only one listing photo!). I have seen so many awful condition ponies with descriptions like "Perfect for any collector" when the pony is overpriced and covered in marks. I hate it. How can people not have common decency? Our community is not just a quick cash grab. It grinds my gears. :argh:
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The moment it became possible to just list something on ebay with an app on a phone, the need for actual proper sales practice went out of the window. I still buy from ebay, selectively (not really ponies), but I won't sell there now because the platform is so obnoxious to small collectors selling private doubles, rather than people who think they are toy dealers but who are actually just picking up stuff they know little about and trying to scalp collectors. (There are actual dealers who know stuff too, I'm just talking about the bad auction silly titles rubbish price types).
It's also expensive to list an item now though. If you aren't a business, it's very costly on fees.
Another symptom of the internet being invaded by the convenience crowd looking for maximum profit for minimum effort.
There are also few consequences now for buyers or sellers who flake or who don't disclose details. In the past, getting a negative feedback was a big deal. Now...it isn't a thing, and even if it is, the scores wipe after a while anyway.
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The same happened to me, but on a second hand flea market. There were commonponies with flaws for 7.50 euro's a piece. I didn't want to spend a small fortune (there were many) on ponies that were hard to rehome. Poseys, lemon drops, ect. They thought they were rare and wouldn't budge in price. They said they were rare. I never thought I'd see the day I 'd leave g1s behind in the wild. I did pick up french cotton candy and poor condition good weather, who I will try to rehome.
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I also leave common G1 ponies behind. Not just because of the price but I think everyone has a Peachy, Bow tie and Lickety Split :) The vendors think they can fetch a lot because it's original.
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I have also not been buying ponies much in recent years, but I've started checking ebay to check prices since I began selling again and WOW, yeah, prices are through the roof while photos are abysmal, descriptions are nonexistant, and conditions are questionable. Everyone seems to think they are sitting on a gold mine with their dirty, wild-haired common ponies. I'm glad I already bought most of the ponies I wanted years ago, but it makes me feel a bit hopeless about ever getting the ones I'd still like to have (of course I was waiting on buying some of the more sought-after ones which have now become ludicrously expensive... sigh). Kinda takes some of the fun out of collecting when the prices have gone from "little treat for myself" to "serious purchase to think hard about first."
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I have also not been buying ponies much in recent years, but I've started checking ebay to check prices since I began selling again and WOW, yeah, prices are through the roof while photos are abysmal, descriptions are nonexistant, and conditions are questionable. Everyone seems to think they are sitting on a gold mine with their dirty, wild-haired common ponies. I'm glad I already bought most of the ponies I wanted years ago, but it makes me feel a bit hopeless about ever getting the ones I'd still like to have (of course I was waiting on buying some of the more sought-after ones which have now become ludicrously expensive... sigh). Kinda takes some of the fun out of collecting when the prices have gone from "little treat for myself" to "serious purchase to think hard about first."
Definitely where I land. I have a lot of the common ponies you'd find for cheap in lots (and a lot of Lots are much higher priced than they were beforehand) and at this point only do serious splurges (which are few between because price AND because of space) or accumulating them at thrifts.
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I honestly miss when Ebay was actually a site for collectors selling stuff to one another, rather than another corporate marketplace. But that's how life rolls I guess?
Although some ponies have gone up in price, some have also dropped over the years. I am glad I collected most of mine when I did, but at the same time feel as though I can't downsize or organise (particularly my mip ponies) because it's a wild west out there :/
And I may never be able to replace things if I get rid of something precious.
I was looking on ebay earlier, and saw a few UK G1 MOCs. I was amused by one of them listed at £300 (which is what, around $400), when the pony has a massive discount sale label on the card saying £1.99 ($3),
Don't get me wrong, I am happy to see actual UK G1 MOCs still emerging, especially ones like this whose names are different - but that's a biiiig markup for a minor packaging difference.
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I stopped selling on Ebay when they gave buyers the advantage and started saying screw you to sellers. Kind of sucks as I have lost interest in ponies and have all this stuff I would like to get rid of. I try to sell here but no one looks at my sale page or they try to talk me down to insulting offers. Not sure what I am going to do with things as it seems to be harder to sell than it used to be.
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shipping is soooooooo expensive, often costs more than the items!
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Yeah, shipping prices are just insane now :( Even within the UK it can get pricy for tiny little items (not sure about other countries), but international shipping is SO expensive for most things now that it's definitely put a damper on my international purchases :(
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Yeah, shipping prices are just insane now :( Even within the UK it can get pricy for tiny little items (not sure about other countries), but international shipping is SO expensive for most things now that it's definitely put a damper on my international purchases :(
This is also true. Here's my old person insert, but back in 1998, my first purchase from ebay was the adult sea pony Sea Breeze. Those things have a weight in the tail. But she cost $5 and the shipping from the US to the UK cost $4.
It doesn't help that our exchange rate has gone badly against us. I remember when it was almost 2$ to the £ and that was a great time to buy (tough time to sell though).
I have always sold and shipped internationally but they have made it so much harder to do that. I've two boxes of pony stuff I want rid of, but...*shrug*. Ebay's not an option, I'm not selling on social media, and the sales pages here are pretty quiet. I can see the stuff that isn't G1 will end up at a local charity shop.
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Shipping is insane!
I already spent a fortune in the last month just for shipping things from the US to me in Germany :(
And it’s not always EBay international shipping program that is the most expensive. I now bought a few things from the US and the EBay Program was less expensive than Fiirst Class Mail.
And I have to say they are pretty accommodating when there are damaging while shipping.
I am always so so happy when US sellers on eBay make up special listings for us international buyers so we can save on shipping costs.
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There’s a seller from Europe that’s listing shipping to the USA for one pony is $100. $100! One pony! And I don’t even think it’s insured.
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There’s a seller from Europe that’s listing shipping to the USA for one pony is $100. $100! One pony! And I don’t even think it’s insured.
*faint* seriously? I used to joke about that years ago but even with the insane stuff happening now with shipping prices I still didn't thing the $100 shipping for one pony thing would ever be real :yikes:
*is reaaally out of the loop* :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:
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There’s a seller from Europe that’s listing shipping to the USA for one pony is $100. $100! One pony! And I don’t even think it’s insured.
The cheapest shipping from Germany to the US with insurance is $52.
And there are definitely countries in Europe with more expensive shipping rates (like France for example)
So it’s not that unrealistic.
From the US to Germany I have seen prices anywhere between $20 and $70
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100$ only if the pony is made of pure gold :)
The shipping thing on Ebay is also handling costs. Everything that cost something to ship is being charged.
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The Global Shipping Program is definitely a factor in this. Lots of people who have never done any selling before, wanting maximum profit for minimum effort, plus a shipping service that does all the effort at the buyer's expense is a dream come true for a lot of newer sellers. Not to mention that even sellers who don't want to use it get tied up in it and it's hard to take it off...and of course, there's the GSP's own handling charge in there as well.
Shipping from here to the US for one pony with tracking is probably still around £10ish, but it may change with insurance and I don't know about more than one pony. Compared with $100 that's cheap. But still expensive.
I've seen US sellers claiming it costs $50 to ship a pony accessory overseas before though. That's definitely not valid. I think some sellers just do it to put off overseas buyers.
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I've seen US sellers claiming it costs $50 to ship a pony accessory overseas before though. That's definitely not valid. I think some sellers just do it to put off overseas buyers.
It really wouldn't surprise me :(
You do still get the odd seller here and there that's willing to work with you and ship things overseas (and not charge ridiculous prices for it :p), but sadly they seem to be scarcer than ever.
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I've seen US sellers claiming it costs $50 to ship a pony accessory overseas before though. That's definitely not valid. I think some sellers just do it to put off overseas buyers.
It really wouldn't surprise me :(
You do still get the odd seller here and there that's willing to work with you and ship things overseas (and not charge ridiculous prices for it :p), but sadly they seem to be scarcer than ever.
And that's why I shipped that package to Brazil. (see other topic). It can be done cheaper and secure. I always take the price of the carrier. I also rather buy private to be sure the shipping is not insane.
But today's online world is obviously to get more money on vintage ponies.
Yesterday I went thrifting at my local fleamarket. There is this regular vendor with ponies I have good chatting with. She told me she has no clue what G1 to bring for her table since nobody wants to buy it. Or try to have it way cheaper price. Mostly commons, italians and sometimes a htf pony. So either the visitors are picky on price for something vintage or everyone has them already.
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I've seen US sellers claiming it costs $50 to ship a pony accessory overseas before though. That's definitely not valid. I think some sellers just do it to put off overseas buyers.
Not if you want tracking... which is always recommended! And Ebay will often side with the buyer and refund them if you don't upload a tracking number when you ship!
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I've seen US sellers claiming it costs $50 to ship a pony accessory overseas before though. That's definitely not valid. I think some sellers just do it to put off overseas buyers.
Not if you want tracking... which is always recommended! And Ebay will often side with the buyer and refund them if you don't upload a tracking number when you ship!
Not for a single accessory. I've bought a lot of stuff over the years from the US, via various different methods, and I've tracked parcels with more than one pony in all across the world (mostly into Canada and out again, actually, thanks to IL's airport depot not knowing a UK postcode from a Canadian one). It's only ever cost over $50 if the item is mint in package or the lot is heavy.
One of my ponies went to Bangladesh and Pakistan before finally finding the UK. That one cost about $10 shipping, and I had tracking which I could follow all the way to the local depot and my house.
I am talking postage from the US to the UK specifically, though. I can't speak for other places. But the US is one of the better countries for bundling tracking into the overall postage options. The UK, you have to ask for it specifically, and make sure you get the right option to have it signed for or all the way tracked.
There's a difference between the most expensive shipping charge possible and shipping priority with a tracking number that is enough to satisfy ebay/paypal.
If it was a super expensive accessory like Sweet Scoops' charm, then I could understand additional insurance pushing the price up, but this wasn't. I think it was a piece of ponywear, but I don't remember exactly.
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I moved away from eBay because of fees, too. It's just not worth trying to sell individual ponies there anymore, and lots, well, you don't get top dollar. Most people seem to be moving towards the social media platforms, but I really don't see those as any better. I've been trying to sell some Webkinz I have and that is a whole ordeal. Limits on when you can list in a group, then trying to keep up with messages in the first 4 minutes after you list, then trying to keep a posting relevant when it gets bumped down the next day. It's worse than pulling teeth at times. Ponies are the same way. I've found Facebook groups where people buy/sell (and frankly the amount of ignorance there surprises me! I mean, people on the internet should be able to search to find pony names, yet there are tons of posts asking "who's this pony??") but the same issues pop up like for the Webkinz...trying to keep posts relevant while juggling tons of initial interest.
I finally decided to just work on getting to a couple in person events to see if I have better luck selling there. I can connect with collectors and try to get fair prices (I can't count on top because of limited attendance) and make sure my ponies are finding good homes. I can then gauge better if that is more efficient or if I should just go back to eBay and bend over. :huh:
So why are things slacking so much here? Are we losing people to the on line platforms? That does make me curious, since these issues are seen by so many people.
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I was thinking of getting the glitter sweetheart sisters but I quickly changed my mind after looking on ebay and seeing 30 dollars being charged for one that has the worst most ratty tinsel hair ever
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I haven't been to Ponycon for a few years (a few reasons - COVID, money, and also the fact they've rooted it in Nottingham, which is a lot more difficult tog et to from this part of the West Midlands than it was from London.
BUT the last time I did go to a Ponycon, I felt that though there were always lots of G1 on sale, the G1 aspect had been somewhat diluted. Activities were more aimed at kids or G4 things. And I am quite specific with things I look for at Con, and they were less present than in the past (the MOC were more common ones, there wre very few backcards, the ponies were either very expensive nirvana rare ponies or more regular ponies.
None of these things are bad things, because a lot of newer collectors are still out there and I know I am picky. But I do feel that the range of what is available even in person is getting harder to nail down now.
I hate that facebook is used for sales and trades. But I have almost given up on filling the gaps I have or want to fill because the online market has just gone.
Right now there are a lot of MOC ponies on Ebay at stupid prices, here in the UK.Ponies that you would struggle to sell for $50 in the past now being marked up at £300 per pony. It would be funny if it wasn't tragically greedy.
Rather than people knowing which MOC ponies are rarer and which aren't, it's like anything on card must be super valuable and gets marked up. I don't really want to see any MOC on ebay with a price tag over $200 unless it's something exceptional. There are very few MOC ponies that should merit that kind of price tag.
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UK Ponycon is still affordable if it comes to G1 ponies :) But I also noticed not everyone wants to pay a lot for the more rare ponies.
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UK Ponycon is still affordable if it comes to G1 ponies :) But I also noticed not everyone wants to pay a lot for the more rare ponies.
It is, but the range of ponies and the depth of G1 stuff there is not the same as it used to be in the past. And while there's the argument that you save on shipping, when you factor in transport and accommodation, it's not really a saving.
I have got some amazing treasures from ponycon over the years. It's just working out whether the outlay to get there is still worth it/whether I can still afford it and be able to buy ponies. So that's also a personal thing and a frustration with the rooting in Nottingham.
But I tend to shop for things that fall through the middle line - not US stuff or Mail order stuff, not really Nirvana. I'm looking for UK cards and UK stickers and UK things. And UK ponycon tends to have fewer of those now than it used to in the past.
...Maybe that's also a sign of how many ponies and bits have gone back and forth over the years, but most of the MIP ponies that turn up at ponycon are relatively common US carded ponies or really rare Nirvana ones.
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Well, I recently had to fill out a Customs form for a package to the EU. Because its contents were hand-made, I called them hand-crocheted figures. With vintage MLP I suppose we can get away with vintage collectibles, but toys are an issue on the list (which I looked up) as we're no longer under the CE bracket. Just a wee heads-up for sellers; if you want to send to the EU, collectibles is better than toys, especially when the customer is an adult.
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Well, I recently had to fill out a Customs form for a package to the EU. Because its contents were hand-made, I called them hand-crocheted figures. With vintage MLP I suppose we can get away with vintage collectibles, but toys are an issue on the list (which I looked up) as we're no longer under the CE bracket. Just a wee heads-up for sellers; if you want to send to the EU, collectibles is better than toys, especially when the customer is an adult.
Vintage and collectible mostly means "valuable" to customs. And if the value on the package is low and marked as a gift chance is package will be opened up to check. Where I live I have to pay import costs.
So when I ship abroad I try not to mention that. Unless it was something very expensive. But then it will be shipped insured ofcourse.