Quote from: Bluebook on May 26, 2022, 08:43:07 PM

Not naming names because this really isn't that important, but it's one of those things that's been kind of sitting unresolved for a good long time now and I wanted some advice on the situation.

Long story short, I contracted with a trader who some people here may know, we live in the same state and go to a lot of the same shows (pre-covid). I'd given them good business in the past, and so I hired them to do a little restoration on two G1s and a G3, in pretty bait condition (they were dollar store rescues like so much of my collection). Because of the condition I wasn't expecting much, but re-hairing was definitely on the list. I gave them money, their prices were reasonable, and we loosely agreed it'd be done in a few months. That was back in 2019... in the before times.

I did reach out to them in 2020, and they showed pictures of the ponies, in a disassembled state. Of course the state of the world precluded any kind of real resolution, but I was glad for the response... it was hard to get in touch with this person as they weren't especially active on social media, or at least the social media I'm on (Facebook & Discord). Admittedly, I'm not super active either.

I also reached out in late 2021, thinking perhaps we'd be able to meet up at a winter con that was happening then, and work something out. I even offered to send someone with money to pick up the ponies, in whatever state they were in, in case I could not come. I received no response, and decided not to go to the con for other reasons.

I am going to be attending a con I know they'll be at this summer... what do you guys think I should do? Should I try talking with them in person and trying to work something out? If they still have the ponies, I'd be happy with them just being returned. I know logically at this point I should probably just give it up but I'm as stubborn as Applejack, and just as silly. It's also just messy unfinished business at this point, and I think it'd be good to settle it at some point given that we're likely to be at the same cons (as long as those cons run). Any advice from fellow collectors that have had to deal with this sort of thing before?

i don't think its unreasonable of you to talk to them, 3 years is a LONG time to complete a commission and those ponies, bait and cheap or not, are your property

Yeah, if it weren't for the pandemic this all would probably have been straightened out eons ago. I think I sort of gave up for a while last winter, but I've been thinking about the con again (because, happily, a friend I haven't seen for a while reached out and i've been busy writing fanfic again) which brought it to mind.

The delay in the commission was initially that, at least for one of the ponies, the new hair got purchased, accidentally tossed, and then reordered... I wonder if they just could not get the supplies anymore? It's mostly just crazy to think it's been three years since I've been to an in person con!

I have tried reaching out again to them with the two social media accounts I have for them, to try and coordinate things.

The even crazier thing is, I think I got those ponies in like December 2018? The G1s were the first I'd found in the wild.

And now, for Part 2: Having covered my Brushable and Plushie collection, we press on to my dresser, where my Blindbags and Equestria Girls live.




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I really enjoy setting up little scenes with ponies, mainly with my blind bag\Freindship Collection.
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Twilight's library is probably the best thrifting find, we saw it in a thrift shop, complete with accessories. Note Skywishes & Golden Delicious at the Apple Cider Stand... they have been a couple since about 2014, the first two blind bags I ever got. In about 2016, I picked up the Apple Stand, and they had just the right poses for it, so now they are a part of that scene between Twilight's Library and Sweet Apple Acres in my little Ponyville recreation.

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Speaking of Couples, I'm something of a Sunlight & Flutterdash shipper, so here's my girls chillin' & all dolled up for the Fall Formal. For some reason Sunset walking about with a coffee cup seems right doesn't it? God knows how Flutters got Dashie in a skirt, but they both look awesome! Alright, alright, I promise I'm not one of *those* shippers, so let's press on shall we?

Post Merge: April 22, 2019, 06:33:36 PM

And finally Part 3, to finish everything up:

I have another scene set up with Equestria Girls, set up as well.
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It's sort of a class picture vignette, with Photo Finish setting up her equipment in front of the pep rally figures, some of which are more complete than others, Fluttershy coming through a trade with Ole Grey Mane who in turn got it in a trade on the Arena.  "Wondercolts! Wondercolts! Rah! Rah! Rah! Twilight's Magic! Sis, boom, ahhhh!"
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Meanwhile, down on the lower part of my dresser, there are another pair Equestria Girls, this time Pinky Pie painting a very modern cupcake which for the longest time I did not notice as I had it upside down on her easel, and an absolutely adorable pair of Ponies, who incidentally is my favorite character, with Luna & Sunset being close seconds.
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Finally, we have the two MIP ponies I own, and my nearly complete Baby Sea Pony collection (still need to find those Baby Hippogriffs). As you can sea, I love those crazy horse bird catfish. The MIB ponies each have an interesting story to them too. The silver keychain Rarity is one I bought while traveling in Japan a few years ago, from a store in Osaka with a selection of MLP toys including a big box of G1s I probably should have looked through, but didn't as I feared their prices would be exorbitant and I don't quite know enough in Japanese to haggle. Anyhow, I was happy to find her there as she was something I hadn't seen yet, and because we had visited both the Ginkauku-ji (silver) temple and the more popular Kin-kauji (Gold) temple in Kyoto she has had the alias "Ginkaku-ji Rarity" ever since. The bagged G2 is of course a Mc Donalds Sundance, bit more importantly she is a replication of the first *ever* MLP toy I received in a Happy Meal. At the time I wasn't very happy with it (this was after all 1997, and the world was less enlightened about boys liking girly things, at leas tin the midwest, and anyhow I was very young), and subsequently sold it much to my regret only a few years before I rediscovered MLP. At least I think that's correct... memory is a funny thing sometimes. Anyhow, I love Sundance & all her friends now, and eventually intend to finish my collection of them with an unbaked version of Sundance, who will join her friends on the display shelf in Part 1.

Well that's the collection, at least the best parts of it which are mine. Hope everyone enjoyed my collectors commentary, and I hope that I'll find some new pieces this soon to add to the collection so I can put up more brags!

Post Merge: April 22, 2019, 06:35:36 PM

Glad it's working! Your collection looks great!

Glad you're enjoying it! It's really taken off the past few years thanks to a combination of thrifting in order to find older ponies, and the untimely demise of TRU, after which our local Marx had a lot of EQG figures I have snapped up.

Ok so, I have a good amount of ponies, and I'd like to introduce them all to you! I took a lot of pictures, apologies for some of the long shadows, it's a typically rainy day where I live. I'll be posting this brag in a couple of parts, too, so we don't all go mad going through the collection.

So starting out from left to right in my room, I have a newly installed display shelf, where I keep all my treasures of generations past, won mainly through thrifting a lovingly... well cleaned up at least, my G1s really need work, poor old gals, though as a historian I try to be very conservative with any restoration. Above that are some existing displays where many of my G4 plushies live...

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Post Merge: April 19, 2019, 05:08:50 PM

Will come back sometime later, for some reason I can't seem to get the images to play nice...