Do you ever feel bad customizing a pony?

[Peepersponies]

Sometimes, even if it's a very common pony and she's in bad shape, I feel a little bad taking her apart to customize.... Does anyone else feel this way? I can't shake the feeling that I'm "ruining" a collectors item with my silly art.

I'd love to work with HQG1C but they're (understandably!) More expensive to get my hands on, and I haven't been able to find many unhaired options for sale within the US at the moment!

Is this silly, or do you guys agree? Do you have a certain criteria for what makes a pony "baity" enough to customize??

[BlackCurtains]

No, I never feel bad. I've been doing it too long lol. There is a personal criteria I follow and I'm way more picky about G1 than G3. Those are the only gens I customize (so far...). Usually, if on a G1 it's just a haircut, I'll opt to rehair instead. Same if a tail is missing. I'm less likely to cut G1s, like remove body parts. I'm working on something now that I have to cut the middle out of and at first I was going to do a G1 but decided on a G3 instead.

For the record, I wouldn't bait a HTF or rare pony. That includes G3. I will do restores though. I restored one of my Argies and I know it probably bothered some people but meh. She was my pony.

[Peepersponies]

Ah thanks for the input, it makes me feel better! All the bait ponies Ive bought are pretty thoroughly stained with sharpies, cutie mark-less and tail-less, so I think they're more than qualified... I guess I've just got to get brave!

For the record, I wouldn't bait a HTF or rare pony. That includes G3. I will do restores though.

LOL, thankfully I don't own any HTF ponies to accidentally bait-- but every time I take a pony apart I think, "well now she's one pony closer to being HTF!!!" It's a shame there can't be infinite pony bases in the world...
(I suppose that would be a perfect transition into an ad for HQG1C- it's a shame they can't be infinitely in stock!)

[Leave a Whisper]

When I really mess up I do.

[kaelynn]

Not usually, though I now take the time to check rarity of ponies BEFORE prepping them as baits.  When I first started customizing about 10 years or so ago I posted a WIP of something and someone sent me a private message scolding me for baiting that pony since she wasn't common.

I rarely post pics of WIPs now until after the original pony is unidentifiable because of that, unless the pony is very obviously baity...ie. chewed, stained, bald, etc. and even then I'm cautious.

Ultimately though the pony is yours and it's your decision what to do with it.   

[Peepersponies]

When I first started customizing about 10 years or so ago I posted a WIP of something and someone sent me a private message scolding me for baiting that pony since she wasn't common.

Oh gosh 😭 the way my heart would have DROPPED if I got that message...! That would make me start triple checking the rarity of ponies as well!!

Ultimately though the pony is yours and it's your decision what to do with it.   

Yeah this is a nice sentiment, I definitely try to think this way when it comes to my most favorite ponies that I don't plan on trading or selling away! Thanks for your response 

[kaelynn]

When I first started customizing about 10 years or so ago I posted a WIP of something and someone sent me a private message scolding me for baiting that pony since she wasn't common.

Oh gosh 😭 the way my heart would have DROPPED if I got that message...! That would make me start triple checking the rarity of ponies as well!!

Ultimately though the pony is yours and it's your decision what to do with it.   

Yeah this is a nice sentiment, I definitely try to think this way when it comes to my most favorite ponies that I don't plan on trading or selling away! Thanks for your response 

Yeah I felt pretty bad about that for a while.     I think it was my husband who finally said to me, "You paid for the pony so it's yours and you can do whatever the heck you want with it!"   

[pinkkittywinks]

YES! One of my first attempts at customising/restoration was a childhood fakie, I regret this decision as I didn't realise at the time how sentimentally attached I was to her at the time. I feel a pang of guilt when I look at her

Love pkw xxx

[Starflashbaby]

Yes!!! If it can be restored then I'm all in for restoring it to its original self. I kind of don't like to Customize G1's unless its really too far gone. if I ever restore a G1 I would want to use those I forgot what they are called They start with an H ponies... Anyone Know??? were the boy ponies have unicorn horns or standing unicorns... I'd like to do that. I think that is way better then Customizing a G1 pony.

Edit:  HQG1C Ponies is what I was trying to say.

[Snapdragon]

I would feel bad, but seeing as I've seen someone bragging about baiting a mint G1 Big Brother (with hat!) because 'he would only sell for $60 mint and I can get $200 out of him as a custom', I don't really feel bad about anything I do anymore. Mint G1? Who cares, it's not a Big Brother at least! Kicked a puppy? Not a Big Brother! It's like my own personal Get Out Of Jail Free card!

Joking aside, I have my own very stringent standards for baiting ponies for myself, but I also try to remind myself that other ponies are other peoples' property, so it's really none of my concern what they do! (Even if I cringed big time over the Big Brother, LOL!) People of course are entitled to their opinions, but ultimately it's your property! I'd say if you're concerned, wait to take WIP photos until the bait is stripped of original paint and hair, and then nobody will know!

I'd check for the big no-nos, though, like Mail Orders or Mountain Boys or rare Euro ponies; that's generally why I suggest that people who customize should also be collectors, since you'll know that it's a bad idea to bait a Mimic for a custom, for example! Plus, what's a better idea - selling a pony untouched for $50 and using that money for more baits, or putting in 12 hours of work rehairing, repainting, and photographing... to sell her for $45?

Since your post was a little open-ended with your question of 'what is your criteria', I'll just drop mine for fun! Haircuts are a big one for me, since they're easily spotted in lots, and it tends to bother a lot of people, me included. Rubs and scuffs are part of the package in collecting 20-40 year old toys, IMO! But if a pony has a lot of age dots, a lot of head-body mismatch issues, many highlighter spots, chewed spots, those are all signs to me that she might be better as a custom. One or two of each, that's fine; more than a handful, not good. I tend to look for very roughed-up ponies, because I like to restore or do alternate rehairs as much as I can. Missing tails are, to me, not even worth a custom; it's SO EASY to put in a new tail once you know how! (Unless it's a BnG or something!)

Overall, when I'm looking at something ridiculously common like a Collector's Pose or Flutter Pony, there can be way fewer flaws than with something like a Sparkle Pony, just by the law of comparative rarity. Sparkle Ponies are pretty tough to find, but you're gonna get a couple CP ponies in every eBay lot you buy. I think, overall, you have to come up with a system that YOU feel good with, because ultimately we only have a sort of tenuous agreement of what makes a pony 'too far gone to fix', and you have every right to disagree with someone else's standards! (Some folks don't even think you should customize any G1, ever, for example!) So long as YOU are comfortable with the choice you made, then that's all you need!

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk, and I am excited to see what you come up with!

[Starflashbaby]

I agree with what you said Snapdragon
There is no "Like" or "Love" button like there is on the MLPTP so I just had to let you know I agree with you

[Peepersponies]

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk, and I am excited to see what you come up with!

Snapdragon, thank you SO MUCH for such a detailed breakdown. Reading this was really really helpful and reassuring, and I loved hearing your thoughts!
I'm glad to know that the criteria I'd been personally following for customizing ponies is consistent to what you and others have said. I think now I'll be able to go forth customizing with less anxiety!

[Primaltimediamond]

A bit! Even if I haven't customized a lot of ponies and currently am more in restoration mode, I do love the HQG1C for that very reason, though I do wish they'd bring back molds or do more, baby pony molds PLEASE, even though the closest would be Starglow ponies, in terms of shipping *sigh*

I messed up on my first custom and accidently ripped the hair plugs on the head D: and I'm not very convident about my sculpting skills yet, and the body is fine so I could just put a new head on the body, but that means i'm left with a pony head i'm clueless what to do with

But that also seems to come with the territory, just lots and lots of spare bits

[Snapdragon]

I agree with what you said Snapdragon
There is no "Like" or "Love" button like there is on the MLPTP so I just had to let you know I agree with you

Aw, thanks Starflashbaby! I liked your post too! I had to admit I had a giggle, because I was like, H ponies?? Holey ponies? So far gone they got holes? Oh right, HQG1C makes more sense!

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk, and I am excited to see what you come up with!

Snapdragon, thank you SO MUCH for such a detailed breakdown. Reading this was really really helpful and reassuring, and I loved hearing your thoughts!
I'm glad to know that the criteria I'd been personally following for customizing ponies is consistent to what you and others have said. I think now I'll be able to go forth customizing with less anxiety!

Aw thanks! I'm glad it was helpful! I was going to go even further (like, if you're gonna have to put in $12 in hair to restore the pony, but the pony itself is only worth $5 mint, then is it worth a restore?!), but I realized it was turning into a book! One thing that also gets me is when I'm basically tearing apart a pony, my friends are like 'OMG that poor pony!' And I think they see it as torturing the pony! But in my mind, I'm helping the pony! Whether it's a restoration or custom, even if it gets kind of scary in the middle.

A bit! Even if I haven't customized a lot of ponies and currently am more in restoration mode, I do love the HQG1C for that very reason, though I do wish they'd bring back molds or do more, baby pony molds PLEASE, even though the closest would be Starglow ponies, in terms of shipping *sigh*

I messed up on my first custom and accidently ripped the hair plugs on the head D: and I'm not very convident about my sculpting skills yet, and the body is fine so I could just put a new head on the body, but that means i'm left with a pony head i'm clueless what to do with

But that also seems to come with the territory, just lots and lots of spare bits

You can work around ripped plugs, don't give up yet! I had a pony who came to me with a dramatically ripped-out hairline, and someone had shoved (and glued) a huge chunk of wig hair into her neck! It was crazy! But I took a strong glue (it might have been Loc-Tite? I think E-3000 would also work great!) and glued the busted hairline back together, and held it in place with a scrunchie. Then once the glue had set, I punched in new holes on either side of the ripped/glued line, and added tons of glue inside when I was done, so it sort of made a new foundation to hold her head together! You wouldn't know to look at her, unless you parted her hair!

[Primaltimediamond]

You can work around ripped plugs, don't give up yet! I had a pony who came to me with a dramatically ripped-out hairline, and someone had shoved (and glued) a huge chunk of wig hair into her neck! It was crazy! But I took a strong glue (it might have been Loc-Tite? I think E-3000 would also work great!) and glued the busted hairline back together, and held it in place with a scrunchie. Then once the glue had set, I punched in new holes on either side of the ripped/glued line, and added tons of glue inside when I was done, so it sort of made a new foundation to hold her head together! You wouldn't know to look at her, unless you parted her hair!

had another incident like this happening with a Firefly I'm rehairing, she had no tail and it felt a bit moot to order a bunch of hair just to replace her tail, so I kinda just went "New hair for you!" Ironically the other pony is also a firefly, and the one I ended up replacing with, firefly :'D good thing she's super common I do tend to spot her often!

But when I removed her mane whoops, there went her hairline, I tried superglue first that didn't work so I had to take out the hair plugs because it was just looking bad, but then I did a similar thing you mentioned, glued it shut, wrapped  rubber bands around it and also glued it on the inside

but that did the trick and she's currently drying, i'll brush and trim her mane after work, the glue should be dry by then :3 I'll def do the same for the other firefly, I plan on making her a super cute custom!

But I wanna focus on a different custom first, that isn't firefly :'D