3 Complete Big Brothers...

[Tilas]

I was visiting a friend and she took me to her aunts place. Her aunt had a bunch of G1 ponies that she had let her 2 year old granddaughter play with. Out of curiosity my friend showed them to me. Mostly basics, but in the collection were 3 Big Brothers.

Salty, Steamer, and Barnacle.

I saw them and I really liked them. I mean they were MINT. No scuffs, no marks, hair was perfectly vibrant. Then the gramma mentioned she "had a bag of stuff for the ponies". I asked to look, and what do I find?

Each brother was 100% complete. Bandana, Brush, Hat, like they just came out of the package! The letters on the hat were PERFECT! I got super excited, and I told the mom of the granddaughter what she had, what that meant to collectors like myself, and I made an offer to buy them. $100 cash, for the lot, which I thought would be fair (maybe a little too much, but I WANTED them for my collection...).

...she didn't bite. She decided she wanted to keep them for her daughter to play with, and she "didn't really get why they meant anything to me". Outwardly, I understood and thanked them for just letting me see and hold them, but deep down, I cringed, big time. I tried to buy just the accessories since her 2 year old is too young to play with them but nope. I offered to spend that $100 on NEW ponies and MAKE the kid a collection. Nope.

I know, I KNOW it's nice that she wanted to keep her toys for her own daughter to play with, I know that's sweet and they're hers to do with what she pleased, I know it could be a family thing or whatever but.... as a collector... eeeerrrrrgggggghhhh!  The thought of seeing that perfect set of 3 getting thrashed by a toddler...

Gah. Part of me was slapping myself for even telling the mom/aunt what the ponies were worth to collectors. I mean, I might have been able to scoop them if they thought they were just toys, but that wasn't right to me, I had to be honest. I had to be fair.  And I'm STILL thinking about those 3 perfect complete brothers and how they slipped form my hands. Help me feel better, I can't be the only one who's had ponies slip away...

[achab1984]

Oh that is horrible!!!!! Why did she not take the money!!!!! She could buy that kid alot of other toys with that $100.00

[MidnightMocha]

That is SO ANNOYING! Oh goodness. I've been in a similar situation, nto with ponies, but I really feel like people like that are sort of...I don't know, I can't think of the word. It's like they're not MEAN but they sort of enjoy not giving in to people?

Which could not be the case at all, I'm just saying that I know some people tend to enjoy having something that someone else wants, and they don't want to make them happy because they're set in keeping it for what they want. And practical reasons don't matter to them Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, personally.

It's okay, one day she is going to miss that $100 and will see the tattered investments on the floor or in a kid's mouth and she will be resentful, maybe.

[LightingElectricDream]

I missed out on a $20 TAF) Munchy On ebay. I was so sad..
But I do understand her reason she wanted to keep the memory alive of ponies being played with. and she may have not seen them as a display shelf item. I mean My kids are going to get all my ponies when they are old enugh to be nice to them and careful and grateful for them. But I may keep a few out of reach completely.

[elish2]

It is really hard for me even to find traces of g1 ponies where I live. Not even at garage sales or thrift shops. At work a few of the other nurses are catching on that I like MLP and a few have said "oh I have a bunch in my attic" and I'm like BRING THEM TO ME!!! and they just don't do it. I have told them I would buy them...but nope, they haven't brought them yet. One gal even told me she has all her original mlp in perfect condition including Dream Castle with all the accessories....aghhhh

[MidnightMocha]

It is really hard for me even to find traces of g1 ponies where I live. Not even at garage sales or thrift shops. At work a few of the other nurses are catching on that I like MLP and a few have said "oh I have a bunch in my attic" and I'm like BRING THEM TO ME!!! and they just don't do it. I have told them I would buy them...but nope, they haven't brought them yet. One gal even told me she has all her original mlp in perfect condition including Dream Castle with all the accessories....aghhhh

See, and this is why I honestly think there are some people who get some sort of horrid joy from having things that they themselves don't want or need, but know that someone else really wants it. So petty...ugh.

[rybett]

Mine would have gone for the $100 and then sent me to e-bay to spend it on ponies.  Hugs!!

[Eldarwen]

Thats so annoying! 

This has happened to me a couple of times.. I feel like sometimes people just change their minds once they find out how expensive ponies can be.  A few weeks ago, I met this woman who said she had a huge bag of ponies that I could have for free. I even said that I could pay, no need to give them for free. Next time I saw her, she just told how she had visited this auction site and saw how my little ponies go for really high prices. Next day when she brought the " huge bag of ponies", it turned out to be just 4 fakies.

What happened to the "huge bag of ponies" after she realized they go for high prices? I guess she changed her mind and decided to sell elsewhere. I felt really bad because I would have paid a good price. The truth would be nice.

[himmie]

Aren't G1's actually NOT recommended to be played with? I have heard people mention reasons before.

A friend of mine, around my age, has four small children. I remember when she and I were kids that she had a complete Chief and Wig Wam, probably others. I have asked about several times in the last few years, she just always tells me, "the girls play with them once in a while." It's painful to hear. I would gladly pay her or buy her kids NEW toys. *sigh* I know how you feel!

[LightingElectricDream]

Never tell people what they are worth.. When they are not collectors.
When I go to stores and talk to people in adds. I never tell them I am a collector. I never tell them what they are worth. I just play stupid.    Lol!

[Lyra]

It sounds like that lady had been saving them a long time, maybe waiting for the opportunity to finally give them to a little grand daughter to play with?
I wouldn't give up my childhood ponies for 10x what they are worth and the whole reason I collect is because they remind me of childhood, so don't feel bad for those ponies getting trashed, they are just staying in their family. You know how money cant replace sentimental items...
So I think that lady probably did want them more than you
 Don't know if any of that makes you feel better

[MidnightMocha]

It sounds like that lady had been saving them a long time, maybe waiting for the opportunity to finally give them to a little grand daughter to play with?
I wouldn't give up my childhood ponies for 10x what they are worth and the whole reason I collect is because they remind me of childhood, so don't feel bad for those ponies getting trashed, they are just staying in their family. You know how money cant replace sentimental items...
So I think that lady probably did want them more than you
 Don't know if any of that makes you feel better

That may be the case, but it's difficult when they don't have a good reason for doing it!

By the way, big thumbs up for Lyra Silvertongue- I miss the His Dark Materials series

[lochnessmomster]

I agree with Lyra, that maybe the woman cared more about the sentimental value than how much she could sell them for, but I can totally understand being disappointed all the same.  That really stinks. I hope you are able to score a great pony deal on eBay or at a flea market, etc. to help make up for it. 

The closest I've come to a situation like that is missing out on a Mountain Boy auction that started at 99p.  It was mislabeled as "shire pony."  Either I fell asleep through the auction or the seller ended it early, I'm not sure which.  I emailed the seller later to ask if she still had it available, and she said that she did and would be re-listing it soon for a higher starting bid because a friend of hers told her what it was worth.  Bummer, but I understood her point of view. 

I've also had several friends tell me that they have ponies to send me, but to date I have never seen any of them.  Doesn't matter that I've offered to pay for them and cover the shipping costs as well.  I don't think anyone is being deliberately mean in my case, though... probably just lazy. 

Never tell people what they are worth.. When they are not collectors.
When I go to stores and talk to people in adds. I never tell them I am a collector. I never tell them what they are worth. I just play stupid.    Lol!

I nodded vigorously while reading this.  I went to a car boot sale last summer and found a near mint Fiery the Dragon and a cute Pound Puppy in a plastic container at one seller's stall.  I casually held them up and asked "How much for these?"  Didn't breathe a word about their rarity or worth.  I wound up getting them for 10p each, and I don't feel the least bit guilty. 

[nessa16]

Never tell people what they are worth.. When they are not collectors.
When I go to stores and talk to people in adds. I never tell them I am a collector. I never tell them what they are worth. I just play stupid.    Lol!

I nodded vigorously while reading this.  I went to a car boot sale last summer and found a near mint Fiery the Dragon and a cute Pound Puppy in a plastic container at one seller's stall.  I casually held them up and asked "How much for these?"  Didn't breathe a word about their rarity or worth.  I wound up getting them for 10p each, and I don't feel the least bit guilty. 

I do that too.  I did that when I found two TAF babies and a MIP My Little Puppy Spaniel set for $.50 each.  I try not to act too excited until I leave .

[Ice_gypsy]

or because you offered $100 for them she probably assumes they are worth WAY more like those people who think the original 6 are worth $100 each