"Must Have" Ponies: Perception vs. Reality...

[SkyCakes]

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?
  I would say my MOC baby surprise. the reason I choose her well to me she is the one I played with alot as a child. I was very happy to finally have her mint on card because of that reason.

2. Who is your favorite pony?
So soft surprise. I dont have her on card but I don’t mind. Her and her baby were the most played ponies of the sets that I had.

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )
  I would think Mimic. I feel everyone would want her because of the TV series and I loved the Golden Horseshoes
when I acutally got to see it. I think her colors are awesome. Her pose is great. She reminds me of an "Oscar pony."
4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique? 
  I think everybody probably has different tastes as to why they like any pony. For me its the Merry go round ponies or the alternate birthflower ponies. They are just very unique.

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?
 That changes daily. I would pick G1 Starswirl because is purple and blue and she has a cute heart symbol. I really love her colors purple is one of my favorites.
I also probably would one day say Baby sapphire. I like that she is my birthstone. I think shes very cute and I love her pose and colors.
 
6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?
  I collect by set and I feel like I accomplish something when I do that and it seems to be alot of fun for me.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)
  I think at period of collecting I am at selective few. I don’t have many to go after as I used to. I have plenty of others on my want list that are mail order us or the uk ponies.Though it feels very odd to be at the very last few ponies I need from the original us collection. I know its not “complete” without the sea-ponies but I collect what I like and I dont mind that.

[Broken Irishwoman]

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?

I recently aquired my first MOC, Baby Mischief. And she's on a Dutch card too! So I think I'd pick her, because nothing sparks the feeling of nostalgia more than a pony in the original package, exactly like you used to see them in your own toystore.

2. Who is your favorite pony?

Way too many.  My favourites include Baby Sugarberry, Baby Sunribbon, Baby Explorer, Baby Mischief, Dibbles, Tickle, Flutterbye, Ringlet, Swirly Whirly, all the Wingers, Mainsail, Sugar Apple, Napper, Star Hopper, Yo-Yo... Want me to go on?

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )

Mimic I think. But also the old favourites, like Bubbles, Firefly and Moondancer.

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?

Get 'em all! 

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?

Probably Mainsail or Star Hopper, and some Wingers.  And Dutch Baby Cat!

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?

Individual. I don't care too much about completing sets, but I do enjoy it when it happens!

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)

More inexpensive ones! 

[DemureGirl]

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?
My most valuable pony is probably my piggy Blossom. Though my pride and joy of my collection is my recently completed Mountain boy set <3
I also snagged a Mimic for $20 on ebay (even though it cost me $30 to get her to the UK )

2. Who is your favorite pony?
Gypsy. No question

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )
I'd say Mimic. She seems pretty unoffensive (nice colour scheme, not gimicky, etc). Though something like Rapunzle or Sweet Scoops would be up there value wise.

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?
Gypsy, but I am really biased. Orange isn't even my favourite colour - it's green. Gypsy because she is such a interesting pony and is bright, colourful and doesn't have any gimmicks. She is a nice, simple pony

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?
Erghh... umm... *thinks* Bright Eyes (TE) has been catching my eye recently. And I've always had a soft spot for SS Angel

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?
I don't collect by set per say but if I only have one or two ponies left to get in a set I will usually go out of my way to complete it.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)
I'd take a few less expensive ones

[pineapplecupcake]

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony? Ummm, from G1, I own the Bright Eyes I had as a kid and from G4 I recently got a Diamond Rose for $2, so that was exciting.

2. Who is your favorite pony? This is a really hard question! Of G1, I really like Flower Bouquet, Rosedust, Sugarberry, Nice N' Spicy, and Dancing Butterflies. Oh, and baby TAFs (one day I will afford one of you!). Of G3, I like Butter Pop (I like popcorn a lot) and Winter Minty from 08. G4 I really like Honeybuzz and regular Sunset Shimmer.

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? Mimic? I'm really not sure. Definitely not Rapunzel according to the other thread, hahaha! I would also say that Nightglider comes up a lot, just from reading what people are looking for on the forum.

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique? Oh man, this is a hard one too. Everyone likes different stuff so it is hard to choose a generic one. I guess I would say any of the winged ponies - they are just so pretty!

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now? Hrmmmm. I'm fickle, so it is always changing. Right now, probably Baby Dancing Butterflies and/or Baby Sweet Tooth (she's sooooo cute) in the long term. Short term probably Baby Rainribbon and Baby Sunribbon.

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set? Individuals. I tend to like only certain ponies out of each set.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth) A few less expensive ones

[Featherwurm]

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?

Monetarily, TAF Nightglider is probably the most expensive and (from what I can tell) sought after pony I own.

2. Who is your favorite pony?

While I have been very selective on the ones I own (all favorites or childhood ponies) I think Summer Wing Cool Breeze is my top favorite.  She was my favorite as a child (Green!) and I still have a soft spot for her.

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )

From what I've seen, while not the highest in price, I think Mimic seems to have the highest clout as a desirable pony.  While not as rare, her demand seems higher than other very rare ponies.  I think it does make some sense even if she's not on my want list, she is a harmonious combination of colors, pose, type, and symbol.

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?

I truly think that every collector should focus themselves on what makes them happy.  Whether it's that one special grail laden with memory, or just some theme that delights.  There's no formula, just a matter of enjoying the thing.  I couldn't possibly tell someone else what to like, as what's important is purely what matters to you as a collector and a person.

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?

At the moment I'm after two collector G3s, the Egyptian Pony and the Orange Pop Art Pony.

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?

Just whichever individual ones strike my fancy.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)

I'm happiest with those that just... catch my eye and the ponies from my childhood herd.  Just... whatever they are makes me happy, they're what I have and what I like.  I'm not even conditionally particular.  So... one rare pony I think, is what I mean.  Fewer, but more important.

[Sukey]

Very interesting thread!

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?
Mimic

2. Who is your favorite
Starshine

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )

Feel free to take a couple guesses. Guess a big pony (expensive / rare) and a regular pony. Why? Because we often overlook the little guys when they're the backbones of our collections and could possibly be the ponies more of us are actually looking for.

Not really sure, maybe Mimic for rarer. For the more common ponies, I would guess that most collectors have or want Glory and Firefly. To me they are like the embodiment of G1

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?
Wow, this is a tough one. I do really like Starshine- I think because of her rainbow hair and she is just classic and beautiful.

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?
Gingerbread- I have been trying to get a good condition one for years. Argh!

Night Light- I hope to get her someday...

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?
I collect individual ponies. If I have a set mostly complete, but there is a pony in it that I don't really care for I won't buy it just to complete the set. I do have some complete sets, but only because I like all the ponies that are in those sets.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)
I would rather have more ponies that are in good condition than just one rare pony- that being if I had to start my collection all over- I would want more than just one expensive pony if that makes sense.

[daffodil101]

Ooh, great thread 

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?

Probably Gametime, right at the moment.  I do have some Alternate Birthflowers though which are pretty awesome!

2. Who is your favorite pony?

Probably Patch from the 7 characters.  A childhood favourite.

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )

I'd say Mimic.  The price just keeps going up!  Fortunately for my wallet I'm not in a hurry to get her.

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?

That's a really hard one...  I'd probably have to go with one from the 2nd TAF set like Nightglider.  I just adore them.

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?

Right at the moment it's Diamond Dreams.  I let one go in an auction recently and I'm kicking myself for it.  She was beautiful.

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?

Well i nearly always buy individually.  For me, every pony is an individual-- and every double of every pony is an individual!  One of the hardest things about collecting is choosing which doubles to keep or sell.  I'm selling some newborns at the moment, and even though one has a bit of tail rust, she just seems to have so much personality compared to the minty ones.  I make a decision, do photos, then look at the photos and agonise over my decision.  It seriously drives me crazy.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)

In the past, definitely more common ponies;  but as I have a bigger collection now, I'm leaning towards the rarer ones. 

[Freeindeed]

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?

NBBE Baby Lofty, from Brazil. Lofty was one of my favorite ponies growing up, so she is super special to me. She's the only Nirvana I currently own, although I do have a few others on my want list.

2. Who is your favorite pony?

G1: Starry Wings
G2: Can I do a pair? Polka and Dot, the little ladybug twins <3
G3: Sea Spray
(I don't collect G3.5 or G4)

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )

For expensive ponies I would say probably Mimic as well. She is definitely one of the most talked about ponies, at any rate. For regular ponies, hmm... probably one of the more popular ponies from the early G1 years like Applejack, Firefly, Glory, Gusty, Fizzy, etc. Also, G3 Minty seems to be fairly sought after.

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?

For G1, Flowerburst. She never seems to get any love and I don't know why! That light blue body and dark blue hair, with the pink and green accents. I know Sweetheart Sisters aren't everyone's cup of tea but I think she's beautiful.
For G2, Hip Holly, because she's just so bright and bizarre that you can't help but love her. Plus, she is the only pony who has a beeper and a cell phone.
For G3, Alphabittle. Her colors are gorgeous and she has an amazing overall design. And I love that her hair is very much like the G1 Rainbow Ponies.
 

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?

My most wanted pony is Daddy Sunbright, and my absolute grail is the Australian February Birthflower. It will take me a while to get either one of them I'm sure, but I can be patient. *sits on hands*

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?

I collect invidually, and I only buy ponies I like. With G1 I've never felt the need to buy everything in a set just for the sake of having it complete. I probably have about 100 or so of my favorite G1's (plus maybe another 50 or so mixed G2's/G3's), and I don't line them up by set like a lot of people do. I just mix them all together in whatever way I think looks good, with all of their accessories 'cause I love the accessories almost as much if not more than the ponies. Like, my Sea Breeze is next to Tuneful because I think they look cute together with their bright colors, and in my mind they must be friends. That's one thing I like about the G3's-- they don't really have sets for the most part, so you can just get what you like without feeling like you have to have them all-- or maybe that's just me, I don't know.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)

It would probably depend on the ponies in question. Like I said, I have a pretty small collection, so I'm kind of picky about what I keep. There are a lot of rare ponies I'm not interested in, but there are also a lot of common ponies that I'm not after either. So if it was a choice between, say, a Piggy Pony and common classic ponies like Applejack, Gusty, Medley, Dancing Butterflies, and Snuzzle, I'd go for the commons. But if we're talking about Nightlight vs. a bunch of Happy Tails, Brush N Grows, and Magic Message Ponies, I'd definitely stick with Nightlight.

I think I have a nice mix of commons and rares in my collection. I was actually thinking today that even if I woke up tomorrow and ponies were worthless I'd still love my collection, and I wouldn't see it as a waste of money. I don't keep any ponies that I'm "meh" about. Everything in my collection I absolutely love.

[Spectrum]

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y
My G4 yellow filly proto. 
2. Who is your favorite pony?
Minty.

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )

I don't think there is one particular pony that is universally sought after, but maybe the takaras?


4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?

I really like Nightglider. Her pose, symbol and colors are all lovely and most collectors seem to like her, so I'd go with her.



5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?

I'd love to own a takara one day, but it will be a very long while before that happens.

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?
Individuals, mostly.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)

Probably one rare one, for space's sake.

[Bekuno]

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?

My SDCC black funko vinyl scratch mib.

2. Who is your favorite pony?

G1: NightGlider
G2: Princess Silver Swirl
G3: Starcatcher II
G4: Vinyl Scratch

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is?

NightGlider or Mimic for rare and then Fizzy as a regular pony.

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?

I think Scribbles (hard not to say NightGlider though!). She's so unique with her gradient hair and being in a flutterless flutterpony pose. Plus she's a mail order and hard to come by. I just prefer her to dabble.

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?


NightGlider is my most wanted pony, even over Scribbles (mainly because I'm less likely to get Scribbles). As for regular ponies I realllyyyy need to get Bowtie!

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?

I'm an individual person but knowing a set is completed is really awesome.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)

This is really hard to decide and very dependent on the rare pony. I think I could be happy with either choice.

[Stormness_1]

This looks like fun!

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?
For me, there's a lot of them - bargains like Baby Buttons, Baby Sugarberry, Munchy and Nightglider, surprises like Italy Minty and the absolutely mint Hopping Pocket I've received in lots, etc. I've got so many really great ponies just by winging it, and blindly buying lots!

2. Who is your favorite pony?
That is a really hard question! I don't actually think I have a favourite right now - Most of my pony finds are really great experiences, and they all make me pretty happy!

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )
For me, one pony I've never had trouble finding a home for is Nightglider. I've been lucky enough to have 3 go through my hands, and she's one pony that people positively throw money at - I've never had anyone say that Nightglider is overpriced.

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?
Honestly, I don't think there's just one pony. Even if something doesn't appeal to you, I say, get one from each set, and hold them in your hands before making a decision! I didn't like BBE's until I got one, and the same with G4's! Now there are still some I don't collect, but I made that choice with them in my hands and I don't have any regrets!
If I absolutely had to pick a must-have, I'd probably say Parasol. She's pink, she's sparkly, and she's colourful - everything MLP is about!

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?
Another really hard one! I never narrow it down to just one, or I end up overpaying - I buy where the bargains are! Right now my two most wanted at the forefront of my mind are TAF Buttons, as she's the last from her set, and NSS Buttons, because I have SS Buttons and I want the one with stars to match her baby!

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?
While I do love the feeling of a complete set (to the point where I actually write complete over the set on my printed checklist), I collect individual ponies, because for me, finding an elusive pony for a bargain is more thrilling and makes me feel more accomplished than just buying the next one off the list.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)
Neither! As I've said, I'm a bargain hunter, and I love cleaning, etc... and while sometimes I'll buy a big ticket pony as a reward or for a special occasion, I mostly buy lots and bargains to clean up, but if I had to choose, it would probably be the latter.

[freyjaloh]

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?
Mine should be UK hairdo starlight, she is my most exp pony to date.

2. Who is your favorite pony?
Rainbow dash! I love her alot, i have a small army.

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )
TE Mimic! I really wanted her but cant afford now and Windy wing cool breeze.

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique
G1 TE and Rainbow dash.

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?
TE Mimic and any of the Wing ponies esp Glow and cool breeze

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?
Set! I love to collect sets but i oso buy those i like from a certain set.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)
I love to have more ponies!

[prancingstag]

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?

I don't have her yet, so in the future this answer may change, but my biggest grail is German Nightlight. Almost every other pony in the world pales in comparison to her beauty *w* and I've actually gone off adding anyone else into the herd in anticipation, so hopefully I'll get her soon.

2. Who is your favorite pony?

Tex! My very first G1 pony that I ever owned, he's a gorgeous guy and has a lot of special memories attached.

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel )

For the typically "rare" ponies, I'll say Babies Sugarcake and Gametime, especially Sugar. A lot of searching parties and not much finding, from what I've seen posted around. As for more common ponies, I'd say Gusty is one that everyone seems to want in their herd, and also Night Glider is always popular and in high demand (me included in the pool of people who think they're gorgeous and would like to own someday ).

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?

I'd recommend a Pony Friend I'd say they're one of my top favourite kinds of ponies. I think all twelve of them are gorgeous. I also find it really fascinating how G1 is reflected in them - even though they are not ponies themselves, they are in the same "art style" as it were, and are unmistakably My Little Pony, even when actually a My Little Panda or Kangaroo. I think they're a really cool example of how you can break out of the mold and try something different whilst still staying true to the roots, and loving the Friends actually helped me on the road to appreciating a lot of the more "different" kinds of ponies out there, including G3.5s and BBEs and such.

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?

Niiight Liiiiight

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?

I have my own categorising system and tend to collect individual ponies as they fall into line with who's already in my herd. I go by relationships, and usually buy a new member on the basis that they will become part of a family or partnership or friendship. Sometimes I collect by set when I want to pair up "friends" from the same line so that they're not lonely - buying my second TAF pony to keep the first one company, etc.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)

Hmm, up till recently I would have said quantity. Give me more, more, more! Couldn't get enough of the little hooves. But this year I've really cooled down on the MLP front and couldn't be bothered getting huge numbers of new ponies, even if I had the money for them... Right now I'd say one valuable pony (on the proviso that it's someone I really really want) would make me happier than loads of commons.

[doxiechic16]

1.   Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?
I would say my MIB Baby Sugarcake (I love her and don't think I could ever part with her), followed by my MOC Spanish Love Melody 

2.   Who is your favorite pony?
Can I cheat and say more than one pony?  I’m in love with Baby Sugarcake and have a fondness for most ponies that are yellow.   I also recently fell in love with Moonstone; the Greek, Brazil, Peru versions are especially gorgeous! 

3.   Who do you think the most sought after pony is? (Apparently it's not Rapunzel  )
Mail Order Category: Baby Sugarcake and the TAF Babies
Non Mail Order Category: Mimic, Nightglider, Munchy
Nirvana: probably South Africans, some of the rarer Greeks
*I would also like to add that, while I think Rapunzel is sort of ugly, I’d totally buy her if she dropped below $300.  I think she has a reputation for being desirable that makes her desirable.  She almost seems like a Kardashian; we hate on her, yet we are fascinated by her, and we keep her in the public eye. 

4.    If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?
I would suggest owning some version of Applejack (she’s a classic, supper adorable, and often reasonably priced) or Moonstone (she’s pretty and the regular release is reasonably priced).

5.   Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?
Hmm…...this is a tough question because there are a number of ponies that I want, but none of them have that “OMG, MUST HAVE UBER GRAIL” feeling attached to them that others have had in the past.  At this point, I’d probably say the rest of the TAF Babies set, particularly Baby Sugarberry and Baby Love Melody.  I thought that they would continue to hover in the $50 to $70 range so I wasn’t in any hurry to get them, but their prices have been INSANE on ebay lately.  I hope they come back down in price soon.

6.   Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?
I’m definitely not a “gotta catch ‘em all” type of collector; I just buy what I like.  Sometimes that means that I end up having a complete set because all the ponies in that set are awesome (think Mountain Boys), but I don’t set out to complete sets unless I genuinely like all of the ponies in the set.

7.   Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)
In general, I’d rather have one rare pony than a few less expensive ones.  I’ve always loved the Mail Order ponies, and I (unfortunately for my pocketbook) acquired a taste for Nirvanas about a year or so ago that has become an expensive habit.

[QueenStarglow]

This thread has been fascinating to read!

1. Who is your most "valuable" / proud moment / grail-y pony?

Mine is German Nightlight. She was the most expensive pony and I've ever bought, but also the pony I wanted most for years and years. I don't regret the buy!

2. Who is your favorite pony?

I love all the space-themed ponies, but GnS Starglow is my favorite pony.

3. Who do you think the most sought after pony is?

I would say Mimic. She's expensive but affordable for a sought-after pony. Sure lots of people want ultra rare nirvana ponies, but only a few can afford them and understand all the different variants. Everyone knows who Mimic is. There was a church formed in her honor!

4. If you could advise the entire community to add one pony to their collection, who would that pony be and why do you think he or she is special / beautiful / unique?

I would say Firefly. She is just iconic.

5. Who is your most wanted pony, right here right now?

The last winger I need is Moon Jumper (I've been super picky about finding a perfect one) and Color Swirl Lovebeam!

6. Do you collect individual ponies or do you collect by set?

I focus on individual ponies first, but if there's a set I love or a set with one or two ponies missing until it's complete, then I'll complete it.

7. Would you rather have one rare pony or a few new less expensive ones? (All ponies in good condition and bought for their proper worth)

Definitely a few common ponies. I have very few "rare" ponies in my 400+ collection. I'm not really about having to have that ultra rare wanted pony because it's ultra rare and wanted. For me, looks+personality > rarity and popularity.