How long have you been a collector?

[Einhornbaby]

I have loved ponies since I was 4 or 5. I'm 32 now. I never got rid of my childhood herd, I had 32 back then, and even when I was a teenager, I had them stored in a big hidden box in my bedroom, not in the attic with the other toys. I remember that I started to dream about MLP when I discovered ebay, that was in 2005. And I bought the ones I had always wanted as a child, i.e. Surprise, Heart Throb, Sweet Stuff, Love Melody, ... and from then on, I have been addicted.

same here
Well, I re-started active collecting in 2004, April to be exact. So, 9 years now

[applejackbunny]

I got my Applejack when I was 7 years old (back in er...*cough* 1982 *cough*!!) and my Sunlight a year later, so I'd love to say I've been a collector since then, but it was really only when I discovered as an adult that there were more ponies out there, that I began seriously collecting them and that was a little over 10 years ago! 

[Yurusumaji]

I've only been a pony collector for a year. I came into the pony community after FiM took off.

Aside from ponies, I've been a collector for almost 3 years.

[Corona]

I had a ton of ponies when I was a kid but now they're all gone. I really started to buckle down and collect about a year ago, so not very long at all compared to most people here.

I started with G4s since they were easier. Then I picked up Gusty and Firefly at an anime convention and the G1 bug has had a hold on me since!

[applejackbunny]

...oh, and that's also when I joined this community the first time around, just about when the Arena started, I think! I had a bit of a hiatus though and have only recently (in the last 5 months) started collecting and arena-ing again 

[Lady Starflower]

I got my first pony when I was 5 and it pretty much started there. I took a break when G2's came out but I still had my original herd and displayed them in my room. The. When G3's came out I got back into it and discovered eBay and the TP then I eventually moved to the Arena

[Kiwi]

I had some ponies as a kid, but I started actively collecting soon before the G3s came out.

[PinkRosedust]

I loved ponies as a kid and had a ton of G1s and G2s. At probably age 10 or so I stopped playing with them and stored them away. But then G3 hit (and I was only 13), I saw them in stores and thought they were cute. I looked MLP up online, found several different forums and websites, and that's when I pulled my old ponies back out and started collecting. Can't believe it's been like 10 years...yikes!

[kirei_na_sakura]

Only about a year

[Sunshine]

I had MLPs from the time I was a child... I know I had TAF Milky Way who was probably my earliest (release-wise) pony... and had most of them until... well, my best friend became "too cool" to play with ponies and convinced me to sell mine at a garage sale, while she actually ended up keeping hers... (nice friend huh?  )
So, I ended up with two of my original ponies - Dance 'n Prance DJ and BBE Baby Tiddlywinks who was given to me in my childhood by a different friend of mine.

In middle school my mother was so worried about me getting into "the wrong crowd" because of this "best friend" of mine, that she wanted to start a hobby with me, collecting or something that I was interested in. So... she started with the idea of those really ornate doll houses, and I was like "I never liked dolls, but... I DID like My Little Pony" - and so it began, with just 2 G1s.
Now I have like, one bazillion ponies and it keeps growing. I stopped collecting while I was doing my undergraduate and masters work at university, so, 7 in the mid-late 90s to 2000s, then really slow collecting (people still gave me MLP stuff if they found it at stores or goodwills, etc... but I wasn't out there buying G3s off the shelves!) So since... 2010 I've had my collection in my possession in my own home, and was able to get myself re-caught up with everything, re-remember names, research values, get back in the loop (which I believe I am now!) and so, I guess it's more like 10 years...

Wow sorry that was too long,

[cricket]

So many great stories everyone.  This is why I love this community!

[wizzer218]

Omg!.....I am right along with yah

I got my Applejack when I was 7 years old (back in er...*cough* 1982 *cough*!!) and my Sunlight a year later, so I'd love to say I've been a collector since then, but it was really only when I discovered as an adult that there were more ponies out there, that I began seriously collecting them and that was a little over 10 years ago! 

Lol......I feel old now

[LightingElectricDream]

I was 9 
Back in 2001

[Sprinkles]

Since August

[starrypawz]

Since 2008

me too!!! twinsies!!
 

Yay I've always wanted a twin