The MLP Arena

Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: sweetstuff on February 23, 2012, 08:11:39 PM

Title: Show of hands
Post by: sweetstuff on February 23, 2012, 08:11:39 PM

I'm ashamed to even admit this! :blush: but has anyone else "casually stalked" someone at a thrift store when you see they have something MLP in their basket?


I had my two youngest kids today with me at a local thrift store. I hadn't been in a while. So my youngest son is busy digging through,and I'm going through the shelves looking for MLP and Beauty and the Beast stuff. I find a couple of cute fakies, but nothing much. Then I notice a gal with G1 Minty in her basket and I'm thinking - "where did she find her?!" I looked some more, but I didn't even see any generation of MLP.


I kinda kept hoping she might change her mind on Minty, but alas  :P
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: hlbmlp on February 23, 2012, 08:31:33 PM
i have.  but when her kid saw it there was no way i was getting that pony! :<
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: PinkRosedust on February 23, 2012, 08:44:50 PM
Haha, that must have been slightly painful. Finding myself in a situation like that is one of my greatest fears. I'd cringe if I saw a G1 in someone else's basket, especially if they had young kids with them. That may be presumptuous of me, but hey...I'm just looking out for the safety of the ponies! =P

I wouldn't put it past myself to do some minor stalking, though I'd feel pretty awkward about it lol. It hasn't happened yet though. I should find some wood to knock on...
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: TickledPink on February 23, 2012, 08:48:04 PM
Nope! it's none of my business what people have in their baskets.  I'd rather a child get the pony than me, at least I know they'll be played with ;)
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: scarletjul on February 23, 2012, 08:53:43 PM
 :blush:  I have.  Once, I walked into Savers and headed straight for the toy section and saw someone with a g1 puzzle in their basket.  I didn't actually stalk them but I kept my eye on them.  They never put it back.

Today, I went to a new thrift store and there was a woman with a pile of girl's clothes and toys.  I couldn't tell if she had any ponies and she didn't put anything back - but I didn't stalk her anyhow.  :silly:
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: DoctorMowinckel on February 23, 2012, 09:05:02 PM
I can't do that. I'm 6'4", weigh about 260 pounds, and I shave my head. If someone like me is creeping you, you'll notice.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: TickledPink on February 23, 2012, 09:07:43 PM
I can't do that. I'm 6'4", weigh about 260 pounds, and I shave my head. If someone like me is creeping you, you'll notice.

Haha!
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Tinker on February 23, 2012, 09:08:03 PM
No... But I've had the reverse. On one of my GW trips I was looking through the toy bins for baits and fix-me-ups after awhile a young girl followed me around the toy area. I offered her some of my goods, but that just made her run away.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: HavACrumpet452 on February 23, 2012, 10:06:21 PM
Yes! I stalk people all the time to see if they will change their mind. Once a woman gave a bag with ponies to her 2ish year old child and a few minutes later the kid said she had that one already and put the bag down and walked away. Hooray for me! That's how I got baby Big Top.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Sanadaookami on February 23, 2012, 10:09:13 PM
Only once- I was at one of my favorite pony peoples shop (its only open once a month but she always has a rotating stock of about 50 G3's in great condition and 5-6 G1's, and she doesn't over charge) and this particular day I didn't get off so I was there latter then normal- most of the time I get there as she sets up and help her with it so she gives me great prices for the work.
Anyway a lady with a little girl who was already there had a ziplock freezer bag full on G1 pony ware- I love dressing up my ponys and at the time only had one dress and some shoes~ She was wondering around trying to convince her 5 yr old that the cloths were what she wanted- but the girl clearly only wanted a G3 Lilly Lightly. Eventually the child won and so did I XD
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: FlyingPonyMonster on February 23, 2012, 11:08:18 PM
I stalked a child walking out of a supermarket carrying g3 Cheerilee sayi g drop it drop it......LOL then I realised it was weird! Haha
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Saoirse on February 24, 2012, 01:24:22 AM


Ah Id hate that to happen, but on a brighter note its a bit like toy story, abandoned and unloved and then picked up by another child to be loved again ;)
I can't do that. I'm 6'4", weigh about 260 pounds, and I shave my head. If someone like me is creeping you, you'll notice.

Haha that was funny!
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: hathorcat on February 24, 2012, 03:14:56 AM
I stalked a family around Tesco supermarket only 2 weekends ago once cause they had 1600 Frankie MH in their trolley...wanted to see if they were definitely taking it...so sad and so true!!!
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: littlexflitter on February 24, 2012, 06:58:05 AM
I won't stalk people in the store, even though it can be tempting to see if they'll relinquish whatever it is that they have that I want. I just can't feel okay about following others; It makes me feel like a creeper! XD
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Pangel on February 24, 2012, 07:15:33 AM
Not really stalking, but I've been at a carboot before with my sister and watched as a known pony-dealer snatched Ice Crystal and Fireball out from under my nose ;__;
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: sweetstuff on February 24, 2012, 07:18:17 AM
I wasn't really stalking  - it was more like if I happened to see her in other parts of the store, I would look to see if she put Minty back. *lol*

I wouldn't dream of taking something from a kid because I actually had a guy do that to my oldest son a few years ago when he was into Transformers and we found a couple at the thrift store. I'm all for kids loving toys

I guess my inner child wanted that G1 pony for herself!
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: ZettaMomo on February 24, 2012, 07:23:57 AM
I wouldn't, I would just feel really weird about it. I have had someone 'stalk' me when I was out before and it made me very uncomfortable. I would hate to give that feeling someone else.
If someone else got it before me they got it, even if it is sad on my part.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: hlbmlp on February 24, 2012, 07:32:32 AM
i only got around the first isle before her kid came, so i kinda feel like it's not really stalking cuz i only followed her for about 3 feet ^__^
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: mlp4me on February 24, 2012, 07:44:35 AM
No stalking here, there's simply not enough ponies to go around....
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Majesty on February 24, 2012, 07:49:41 AM
I very rarely get to go to thrift stores and when I do it isn't very busy.  So, I've never had the opportunity to stalk someone who has ponies in their cart/basket.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Elisto on February 24, 2012, 08:10:53 AM
Sort of? I don't follow anyone, but I will take a peek at what other people have picked up from the toy aisle.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: partypony566 on February 24, 2012, 08:29:45 AM

I'm ashamed to even admit this! :blush: but has anyone else "casually stalked" someone at a thrift store when you see they have something MLP in their basket?


I had my two youngest kids today with me at a local thrift store. I hadn't been in a while. So my youngest son is busy digging through,and I'm going through the shelves looking for MLP and Beauty and the Beast stuff. I find a couple of cute fakies, but nothing much. Then I notice a gal with G1 Minty in her basket and I'm thinking - "where did she find her?!" I looked some more, but I didn't even see any generation of MLP.


I kinda kept hoping she might change her mind on Minty, but alas  :P

MINTY?!!!! :faint: omg I would have been so disappointed! Yeah I would definitely be stalking incase she put it back!!!
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: SaraMari on February 24, 2012, 10:07:45 AM
I stalked (I mean hovered a couple feet near here as she was looking over her picks) a woman last week with a baby Tappy in one of her toy bags, and luckily she put it back!! XD I don't usually look in other's baskets/carts but I got the "pony sense" about her I guess haha.

Pangel - If I had been you in that situation I might have caused a scene, I don't know if I could have kept my mouth shut then DX
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: lemontwist on February 24, 2012, 10:13:35 AM
Once I heard a kid shout "Look mommy, My Little Pony!!" Oh I came running. But it was just a grungy G3 backpack. D:
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Eskara1862 on February 24, 2012, 10:42:39 AM
 :wave:  Totally me!  And on more than one occasion...
 
Once, I saw a lady with NSS Gusty in her basket.  I actually worked up the courage to ask her if I could have the pony because it was one I had wanted very badly as a child. She said no and that it was for her little girl.  However, she wasn't interested in any of the fakies, so I'm thinking she was either another collector or e-bay seller. Most parents don't take only G1's and leave the fakies behind because they don't know the difference.
 
I actually have a personal set of rules about interactions with other people at the thrift shop. 
 
1) Items in other peoples baskets are off limits.
2) If I can grab it before they do, it's mine.  And I'm danged fast when it comes to ponies.
3) If I see a pony/item I want in the cart, stalking from a distance is okay. If the item is laid down somewhere, it's MINE! If the item is thrown out of the cart by a child,  the kid clearly didn't want it and it's mine.
4) If someone dares to take something from my basket, I will get it back, along with anything else in their basket that I like.
 
Rule number 4 came into being because it actually happened to me. This woman had a Lovely Lady Locks TV tray, Small Soldiers Archer, and Rainbow Brite's puppy in her cart.  I managed to grab the ponies before she did.  When I turned my back to dig for more, she removed the ponies from my cart!  Oh, that meant war. It's an unspoken rule at the thrift shops that you never take something out of anybody elses cart! My sister was with me and I told her what happened.  She helped me stalk the lady and we managed to get my ponies back, along with Puppy Bright ;)  I'd have taken the TV tray too, but didn't get a chance. I did see that lady other times at the thrift shop.  Nothing else ever dissapeared from my cart and I left hers alone as long as she left mine alone.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: HavACrumpet452 on February 24, 2012, 11:18:23 AM
Never turn your back on ponies in a cart and always carry a taser. Ok, maybe not the second part.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: BrightIdea on February 24, 2012, 01:52:46 PM
If I knew where thrift stores in the Netherlands were, I would be doing this, lol.


I am, however, guilty of stalking childrens' McDonalds ponies. "which one do they have, which one do they have today!?" and staring at kids with happy meals.  I try and keep it discrete though.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: lovesbabysquirmy on February 24, 2012, 01:54:48 PM
Hm... not that I recall!  I usually get to the ponies first.  :)
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: PrincessNikki on February 24, 2012, 02:20:07 PM
I have never found anything good pony-wise at a thrift shop. Not even fakies appear.

If I saw a G1 in someone's basket I would ask them where they found it.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: hlbmlp on February 24, 2012, 08:09:06 PM

1) Items in other peoples baskets are off limits.
2) If I can grab it before they do, it's mine.  And I'm danged fast when it comes to ponies.
3) If I see a pony/item I want in the cart, stalking from a distance is okay. If the item is laid down somewhere, it's MINE! If the item is thrown out of the cart by a child,  the kid clearly didn't want it and it's mine.
4) If someone dares to take something from my basket, I will get it back, along with anything else in their basket that I like.
i have just adopted these rules !!! :D 
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Rhini on February 25, 2012, 10:06:51 AM

1) Items in other peoples baskets are off limits.
2) If I can grab it before they do, it's mine.  And I'm danged fast when it comes to ponies.
3) If I see a pony/item I want in the cart, stalking from a distance is okay. If the item is laid down somewhere, it's MINE! If the item is thrown out of the cart by a child,  the kid clearly didn't want it and it's mine.
4) If someone dares to take something from my basket, I will get it back, along with anything else in their basket that I like.
 

Yes! I try not to even look in other people's carts, but if something is just too good to pass up I'll ask them. A lot of the people who frequent the thrift stores know me and will just give me ponies if they have any in their cart  :)

I have definitely stalked people through the store to see if they put things down, and often they do! Children especially have a habit of carrying stuff around for a while and then just throwing it down somewhere, or being forced by their mums to put it back. I also stalked one lady who grabbed a giant bag full of ponies, but she wouldn't give them up :( Another was a lady with a gallon bag full of LPS *sigh* she didn't put them back either.


I've only had to get something back once, after an employee accidentally put the items in my cart back on the shelf, and I was darn quick to rescue my seapony and fairytale bird!
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Okiedokieloki on February 25, 2012, 06:24:35 PM
I have once, though it wasn't at a thrift store. I was at a Walmart while I was hunting for fashion style G4s, and this particular one only had Rainbow Dash. I already had her so I moved on to looking at some other toys, when I eyed a shopping cart at the end of the aisle that had FS Fluttershy in it. I hoped it would be just someone restocking, but it was a guy with his little girl. I kind of followed him around the toy department to see if he would put it back  :lol:
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: cesprins on February 25, 2012, 06:34:27 PM
Well I did have an incident where I thought there was an abandoned cart/stocking cart that I didn't think was somebody's because it was piled high with stuff... and I saw ponies there so I grabbed them, but then a lady said "ooh those are mine!" So embarrassing! I apologized and gave them back to her and continued on my way.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Sarahlacewing on February 25, 2012, 06:45:38 PM
This kind of thing happens a lot at the outlet down here.  Things get separated.  So you might have the roof to one house and another person has the actual set.  Or you find baby accessories and then notice someone down the way has the actual pony.  It's pretty common to swap and offer to keep sets intact here.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Ringlets on February 25, 2012, 06:50:37 PM
I havent actually had this happen (thankfully! )  - I'm normally too quick! (plus I always have someone with me hunting too )  :lol:   I will admit that in this situation I prolly would be hanging about discreetly keeping an eye open incase the pony got put back though :ninja:  :p  :silly:

I can't do that. I'm 6'4", weigh about 260 pounds, and I shave my head. If someone like me is creeping you, you'll notice.

ROFL!! :lmao:  :lmao:  :lmao:
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: fingerpaints on February 25, 2012, 07:03:20 PM
I don't stalk, but if I want it, its either in my basket which is in my hand, or in my hand, I do not set stuff down ever, I have seen too many fights over the years over this sort of thing, if I set it down and walk away but still want it, I ask whoever is with me at the time to watch it / hold it for me. I did this at a garage sale yesterday, there were a few things I wanted but my wallet fell out of my pocket in the car & I forgot to pick it back up, so I set the stuff that I wanted down & made my mum stand there and guard it for me lol.

I have been dissapointed to see someone else get something just before me at times, it happens, but once they pick it up its theirs, if they set it back down, its fair game.

I am guilty of not picking up every pony item I see tho, cause often thrift stores here in Oz overcharge, and if its covered in ink, has major haircuts ect. I am not paying like $5 - $6 for a bag of cheap nasty fakies with like one real G3 in really poor shape in it. I do believe in the "no pony gets left behind" rule if it's not overpriced, if there is a child that is eyeing off what I have, if its something that I simply picked up so it "wasn't left behind" I will give it to the child. I prefer them to have it and get some enjoyment over it than me, if its a G1 tho, sorry kiddo! However, if there is anything else in the bag, I am happy to purchase it, pull the pony(s) that I want out and give the rest to said kid.
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: JazzMatazz on February 25, 2012, 07:09:20 PM
the only time I've every 'stalked' someone is I went to pick up a nerf gun I wanted and a kid rushed in and grabbed it right out under my nose. His mother was half screaming at him that they were NOT going to be buying the gun so I waiting while looking at other things and as soon as he put it down I went and did what he did to me and went right to checkout and bought it for myself. I suppose I could've just approached the mother and ask for it but eh ... I hate walking up to strangers.  *hides
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: Saber-Toothed Crow on February 25, 2012, 08:31:49 PM
Can't say I've ever had the opportunity to pony-stalk someone, but I would! Happily I have quick pony snagging abilities, so I'm more likely to end up as a stalkee XD
Title: Re: Show of hands
Post by: gabumon on February 25, 2012, 08:40:18 PM
I wouldn't say "stalked",.... but I've "kept an eye" on someone else's cart before.  Only once did they end up putting the item back and I was able to grab it.

Although I'm the collector, my wife has really good pony sense at thrift stores!  She spotted Moonstone and Windy(?) on the shelf and grabbed them real quick.
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