Why do ponies, and collecting them, make you happy?

[hathorcat]

Because I'm OCD and I love collecting shiney pretty things that make me smile. 

Lol...I think partly this for me too I have one of those collecting personalities - I like to get involved in something as much as possible, understand it, collect it - and ponies are so varied there is always something new to collect or something new to learn. Its also an accessible hobby to collect and has a pretty wonderful online community *hugs Arena tight*.

Yes, its a little bit nostalgia and I adored my ponies as a little girl. But I was more a Sindy girl and focused more on them and then Sylvanian Families than ponies if I am honest. But for some reason when it came to looking for childhood toys it was my ponies I wanted...and therefore ponies I found. I guess they were more vital to me and brought back stronger memories than any other toy.

[Mysticolt]

I've always loved collecting different action figure lines and coming up with my own canon for how the different characters would interact and what kinds of adventures they would have and it's the same with ponies.

I love collecting the different pony characters and making new characters through customizing duplicates and imagining how they all fit in together and what storylines they might engage in. I guess I like that Hasbro don't give us much information on the cardbacks so I can invent my own canon.

In an unsure world, it's nice to imagine a nice, safe community of happy ponies who live in peace and care about each other, who may have exciting and dangerous adventures, but nothing truly bad ever befalls anyone and there's always a happy ending!
I always loved that aspect of the MLP show, and while I never had much chance to own ponies as a child since I wasn't allowed to have them as they were too girly, I'm sure making up for it now!


I also love how once you remove the hair and paint from a pony, you have a blank canvas for your creativity to add new hair and new features to easily make a unique character, the possibilities are endless! It's like creating your own fun little pony world!

It's great to be part of something that has such a fun community aspect with forums and conventions and meetups where you can interact with like minded pony collectors who are also some amazing people!

 

[Wardah]

For me it is a kind of nostalgia but different. I don't even think MLP was around when I was a kid and my most favorite toys growing up were the original LPS and Pokemon. However MLPs and other toys both older and newer remind me of being a kid in a way. There is just something magical about them.

[sleepyowl]

I... I don't know. I don't really have that nostalgia factor a lot of people do. I'm 100% sure I had ponies when I was a kid but I didn't like doll-like things then, so I didn't know their names or anything, and didn't prefer them.

I like getting things and having things to look forward to. I'm kind of anxious and moody, and having things like Ponies to focus on instead is nice. I like waiting for them to arrive in the mail, going to stores looking for them, "saving" them and cleaning them up. At first I didn't think I'd like cleaning up ponies but it's really relaxing to wash them and fix their hair up. It makes me happy seeing these ponies that were kinda sorry looking sitting on my shelf looking pretty good now, all thanks to my efforts.

Plus, I just like cute things and child-like things, and ponies fit the bill. I also think it's neat how there's an entire community revolving around them. And... I think I'm just someone who enjoys acquiring and collecting things. It sort of runs in the family.

[Falconaitae]

One of my friends said, that if you watch 10 episodes of MLP and won't like them, then you have no soul So that's why ponies make me happy: their cuteness and adorableness is just irresistible. The fun part of collecting is thrill of hunting and finding the ponies you want, cleaning and restoring them if needed (or unboxing the new ones!), rearraging the display and styling them. Also, there is a lot to learn about all the different series, variations, which ponies are rare or common etc. These all activities make me happy, because I like ponies Last but not least the community aspect, that makes everything even more enjoyable.

[LightingElectricDream]

I started collecting my little Pony when I was 9 years old. At that time no one was selling them. only on the internet. My mom wouldn't buy me G1 ponies because they where not new. She did however buy me G2 mint in box. at that time they where value less so I took them out of the box and played with them. I still have them today I did sell one set of tine tho..anyway. When i was 12 I found a Paradise pony at a flea market she was rough but I wanted her so bad. Parents said no. I cried for months after that event.

So anyway. To make a long story short That memory was trigger when I asked my someone to buy me a G1 MLP shirt from walmart. they said no. thus bring back the memory of the flea-market event.

So I was tired of being told no G1, I took matters into my own hands. 3 of of ebay, then I bought 8 of of ebay. then I got more off of Craigslist list, then thrift stores, flea markets. dumpster diving. then I went into the online world of buying selling and trading.

I currently own 64 Plastic My little ponies.
Not including sold Items. Other wise I would have like 70 some.
and its a joyful stress reliving nostalgic collecting life I live.
 

[Kamisha]

I love to own pretty things. I have a collector's soul, I collect The Lion King stuff too I also like pretty pens and notebooks I just like to buy what I like. It's kinda materialiscic, I know. But I still love ponies xD

[Elfpony]

There's a lot of emotion surrounding these little plastic horses, eh? 

For me, I got into Ponies as an adult for the nostalgia factor.  I had many as a kid, and some of my favourite memories involve getting ponies and the family members and friends that gave them to me.  I don't have my childhood ponies, but I have ponies that meant something to me as a child (if that makes sense) and ponies that are associated with memories of family and friends who are gone.

I also love the community.  I have friends across the world and just down the street who I would never have met if we hadn't been pony collectors.  And that just blows my mind.

Ponies also relax me.  When I'm going through a difficult time, sometimes I'll just go and stand in my pony room for awhile and look around, touch a pony here or there, move some stuff around, and I feel a little bit better.

Elf

[NoPonySpecial]

 I was wondering today if My little Ponies have some sort of magic charm in them. They just make me so happy. But I'm not a big fan of horses and ponies and hooves. More of a paw girl.  But My Little Ponies make me happy, even just to looking at them...I don't know, it could be some kind of wonderful witchcraft. 

[Spike]

I've always been a collector of things and have always loved toys. Even in high school I had toys with me. But I collect what I do now because of nostalgia, because of all the things I did have that were thrown out by my parents and the things I had always wanted. It's the childhood I never had. Collecting makes me happy. Nothing really does anymore. It is what brought me out of depression. I'm not depressed anymore, mainly because of collecting. Ponies aren't the only thing I collect. I have several different collections.. Cabbage Patch Kids, Ponies, Beanie Kids, Beanie Babies and just any 80's toy that has a popular brand I can find. If I didn't collect, I don't know where I'd be now.

[snwbear24]

They were my favorite toys growing up and now I can't get enough of them either I don't think I will ever grow out of them or get rid of them I love them so much. I joke with my bf that I am a big child but when I have a daughter she will be in heaven if I let her touch them lol

[PandoraAnesidor]

I can agree with everyone else here when I say that ponies cheer me up, by being so colorful and happy-looking! I seem to have been a born collector. My Mom tells me that even when I was as young as 2 years old, I didn't treat my ponies like most kids treat their toys. I lined them up on shelves, making sure each pony had its accessories, and I liked keeping their hair neatly combed. Unfortunately my original collection was lost over the years as we moved from house to house.

As a teenager and young adult, I saw G3 ponies for sale in the store, and often wanted to buy them, but always stopped myself. I didn't really understand what toy collecting was, or that it was something adults could do too. I wish I hadn't spent so long denying my inner collector!

It took G4 and the emergence of the Brony/Pegasister phenomenon to remind me of my deep love for all things pony, and to show me that there's a fabulous community of people with the same passion. It also really introduced me to the artistic/creative side of MLP, through customs and fan art of all kinds. I had been aware of Breyer customs before, but I never knew anyone did them for MLP!

So, to answer the original question, collecting ponies makes me happy because it means that I'm accepting who I really am, and what I really like. It allows me an outlet for creative expression, and gives me a way to connect with a wonderful community. What more could you ask for in a hobby?

[NorthernFlower]

As a child I did not even imagine that you can have collection of ponies ! I saw MLP in the shop a few times.  10-15 different ponies only  I have not even dreamed to own all 10-15 ponies, which I saw in the shop.
Now I love to shove my head between the glass pony-shelves and hum 

[Sky_Rocket_Sammie]

Nostalgia is a big part of it. They were my favorite childhood toy, granted I had to hide them from my dad (my ponies lived at various female cousins houses). Ironic because one of my female cousins (close to me in age), her parents wouldn't let her play with Hot Wheels (my favorite toy I didn't have to hide). So her one or two cars would "live" with me and she'd "home" my ponies.

There are a few other reasons, it boils down to I've always liked horses. Finally had my own when I was 12 (till age 17). MLP were the fantasy side of real horses, colors and mythology. One of the reasons I enjoy the current FIM, because of the back story.

The current merchandise, it's fun to be able to buy pony stuff. And not get crap for it. Finally!