The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: egyptiondragon on May 11, 2015, 06:43:24 PM
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As I browse auctions on ebay I come across ponies that are listed as bait but to me they look really nice and still deserve to be loved as they are. of coarse I have a up up and away without an ear and missing part of her hoof but I am considering making a cast for her hoof and ear. the onething I can't stand is symbol loss. what doyou consider bait?
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I've noticed that on ebay too. I think some people think if the pony is dirty or beat up than it is bait.
It varies from pony to pony. Flaws that I might consider make a g3 Pinkie Pie bait I wouldn't consider making a Mimic bait. The rarer it is, the more flaws I am willing to accept.
I agree that symbol loss is the worst. The symbols are like the essence of the pony so when they lose them they seem empty.
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I've noticed that on ebay too. I think some people think if the pony is dirty or beat up than it is bait.
It varies from pony to pony. Flaws that I might consider make a g3 Pinkie Pie bait I wouldn't consider making a Mimic bait. The rarer it is, the more flaws I am willing to accept.
I agree that symbol loss is the worst. The symbols are like the essence of the pony so when they lose them they seem empty.
I know exactly what you mean my nightglider has 2 bites but I'm really happy with her cuz shed be hard to get otherwise.
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Maybe the sellers on eBay just prefer to err on the side of caution so no one expects really nice ponies and ends up disappointed? :huh:
I agree that symbol loss is the worst. The symbols are like the essence of the pony so when they lose them they seem empty.
Never really thought about it this way but this seems to be how I feel too.
I also think any kind of significant body discoloration pretty much relegates a pony to the bait box, esp a common pony. If the discoloration can't be fixed by sunfading, and looks awful, what else can ya do?
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I agree, I think as a seller, I would list as baity and flawed, so the buyer isn't disappointed, if anything they end up being pretty happy if the pony can be restored with just a bath an some hair TLC.
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discoloeration is also a large thing if its noticable I dont mind spots soo much though
Post Merge: May 11, 2015, 07:17:51 PM
I agree, I think as a seller, I would list as baity and flawed, so the buyer isn't disappointed, if anything they end up being pretty happy if the pony can be restored with just a bath an some hair TLC.
I understand this but honestly Id rather have something listed as flawed so I'm no looking for some terrible dysfunction! lol
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tbh I've gotten some REALLY nice ponies some would consider bait, like my Peachy. her cutie marks might be nearly the color of her body but I display my older gens from the front, shes' really cute :3
or my Moondancer which the seller listed the problems with her and I really can't find any from a not too picky g1 collector's perspective
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I agree, I think as a seller, I would list as baity and flawed, so the buyer isn't disappointed, if anything they end up being pretty happy if the pony can be restored with just a bath an some hair TLC.
Yup, as a small time seller I can't afford a negative feedback because the buyer was disappointed with the condition of the pony. I'll either list every flaw it has or just list it as bait.
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myself, it has to be missing a limb , head or chunks of hair.
:)
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bad haircuts, lotsa pvc breakdown, mold, chewed up, severe marks of other kinds, symbols/eyes/blush so faded you can barely see it. I've gotten some mighty nice ponies for a good price that were ahem "baity" with only a few flaws. I think my worst ones were a Sweet Stuff with pvc breakdown and a mane cut, a Chief for daughter who has yellowing but was otherwise nice and my Bunny Hop who is missing her symbol entirely and has some a faint pink spot but is still such a bright white otherwise.
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I agree, I wouldn't bait a pony unless she had bad haircuts and serious marks, and maybe chew damage too. There are plenty of collectors who would appreciate ponies with acceptable flaws. And there are plenty of truly baity ponies who could get a new life as customs. The truly baity ones should be left to the customizers, and flawed ones should be restored or just accepted as they are. I hate to see ponies in good/decent condition used as bait!
And I've also gotten some really nice ponies that were described as bait. All they needed was a quick clean, no major restorations. I recently got a NM Firefly with nothing but a tiny streak of nail polish on her chest that came right off! She was only $5 shipped.
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I agree, I wouldn't bait a pony unless she had bad haircuts and serious marks, and maybe chew damage too. There are plenty of collectors who would appreciate ponies with acceptable flaws. And there are plenty of truly baity ponies who could get a new life as customs. The truly baity ones should be left to the customizers, and flawed ones should be restored or just accepted as they are. I hate to see ponies in good/decent condition used as bait!
And I've also gotten some really nice ponies that were described as bait. All they needed was a quick clean, no major restorations. I recently got a NM Firefly with nothing but a tiny streak of nail polish on her chest that came right off! She was only $5 shipped.
NICE!
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To me a bait pony is:
-one that has no mane or tail or has a buzzcut
-one that has large marks/stains that cannot be removed and are just sticking out (faint marks are okay, I usually don't even notice them!)
-one that has missing parts (horns, wings, legs, ears, whatever you can imagine)
-one whose eye paint is badly messed up (symbol fading/loss is acceptable because it's quite common for G1s)
Of course my G3 standards are a bit higher, but then again I haven't really seen many bait G3s, except ones with many marks or cut hair.
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To me, they usually have to be in really poor condition, as others have described, at least, if they're G1. As for selling them, I get the concern about picky buyers, but yes, I have listed all the flaws before. If that's too much work or if selling as a lot, why not just say "All ponies have flaws/noticeable flaws/are not perfect" rather than call them "bait", which implies they're entirely undesirable as-is and suitable for crafts, not collecting?
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Personally, I consider bait anything I can't repair on my own (sunburn, chopped hair, missing limbs or major gouges) and that frustrates me to the point where I can't enjoy the pony (stubbornly frizzy hair, rubbed away eyes, abundant chew marks, etc). I agree that people can sometimes be quick to bait a perfectly good pony, but then again it is their choice. I just see it as a bit of a shame.
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To me I swear my definition of bait ponies is lawnmower victim ponies! Haha! I've seen customs of ponies on here of poor cut up ponies given new life as a sweet little new pony, those are some of my favorite customs! But seeing a perfectly fine g1 being turned into a Homer Simpson pony? I personally dislike it. I think that ponies that can be restored deserve that love and attention, they are not made anymore and if each one with a flaw gets customized into the Simpson's or whatever, then there won't be many left for others to enjoy who won't mind the flaws. It is their choice and their pony, I just cannot like it hehe
(Also I don't hate the Simpson's lol I just don't see how Homer is a good idea for a pony!)
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Yes the lack of definition between "bait" and "restore" is confusing! I would only truly consider a pony "bait" if it were impossible to restore to its original condition due to missing limbs, extreme chewing, plastic breakdown, or really stubborn mold you'd need to chemically remove. "Bait" should only imply 'craft project', not 'could be fixed if you're determined enough'
I personally only choose to buy really good condition ponies, but I'd consider a "restore" project at the right price for a rare pony I really wanted.
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a while back we compiled a Bait Guide and put it on the wiki!
Click the link in my signature. :)
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I have rescued MANY big brothers who just needed some TLC. Sometimes this includes head/body swapping.
For me it needs to be a mix of:
common (if it's not common it has to be REALLY REALLY BAD and even then, it depends as someone might want it depending on how rare it is). I will use G4s and sometimes G3s straight from the package b/c they are so common. G1s I am much pickier with (and it saddens me when I see nice ponies getting customized - and I DO see this)
symbols GONE or very badly damaged
severe body damage (missing limbs, big chew marks). little stuff can be ok, and hidden with hair or how you display it
severe discoloration. Discoloration happens, but a big brother with "lots" of cancer spots does not automatically make it "bait"
permanent marker - stuff that can't be cleaned or faded and covers a large portion of the DS or pony in general.
haircuts. this USED to be an automatic bait if the haircut was bad enough. NOW we have alt-rehairers and restorers, who can save a pony if the only issue (or the only major issue) is a haircut...it's still "customizing" but it also saves the spirit / integrity of the original
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I'm so not picky - all I ask is that the pony have four legs. They can even be chewed on!
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I consider them bait when they have severe hair loss and/or severe symbol loss and/or severe marks, stains, rust, mold, chews, cancer, discoloration, etc.
It must be severe or I will still consider the pony good or in fair condition. I recently had an ebayer buy a pony from me with faint marks that were pictured and described on one side. The pony could still easily have been sunfaded. I have had good results sunfading ponies in the past and knew those marks were removable. The buyer complained about the marks even though they had been both pictured and described saying she'd say the pony is bait even though nothing else was wrong with the pony.
I would have sunfaded the marks myself but with the gloomy weather we'd been having I was afraid the sun wasn't ever coming out. So lesson learned that if you don't think the pony is bait, do the restoring yourself if the pony can look better before passing it on because other people's idea of bait is waaaaaaay different!!!
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I've bought ponies before for specific custom projects and discovered they were actually near-mint when I had them in hand (my Skyflier's only issue is her haircut - she was just dirty as heck when I got her, but cleaned up so well and has perfect eyes and symbols). Then I'm happy to get a new pony for my collection cheap (but I have to go on the hunt for another bait!). :P
Elf
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People have become more picky and, more significant, buyers have become more demanding over the years. What 5 or 6 years ago would have been looked over as an issue, will nowadays result in an item undescribed or demand for refund on sites like ebay. I really think this has made sellers over paranoid with listings. I think people would prefer to sell and make perhaps a touch less on a sale than go through the hassle of refunds, etc. If you list the pony as having issues you are more likely to get a happy buyer when they realise the pony has fewer issues than perhaps mentioned. Maybe I am cynical but I really do feel there is that change in collecting and that in turn has knocked on to sellers.
As for what I consider bait - it needs to be unrestorable to original. So I would class anything which could not be polished up to like new as "bait". But by "bait" I dont mean I am submitting it for a custom base, I mean its not a pony I would add to my collection and therefore as it has issues I am happy to move it on.
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I don't care how dirty a pony is (this includes permanent markers), if she has nice enough looking hair (even a cut is sometimes okay for me), an intact symbol, and no really major defects (like a limb chewed off), I wouldn't use that pony as bait. I've gotten some ponies for free from other collectors who considered them bait due to small cancer spots or small bite marks on the non-display side of the pony.
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I usually consider a pony bait if its problems are too noticeable on display to overlook. Like, I don't care if it's missing an ear, as long as I can hide it with its hair without it looking silly! Spots and marks are okay as long as they don't jump out at you, haha.
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I have a super baity SHS Twinkler, with faded hair, stripped tinsel, rubs, dirt, frizz, she's just a mess... Bait in anyone else's eyes. But for some reason it just gives her all this character. I can't seem to get rid of her or any of my other "flawed" ponies. Each flaw just gives them a personality, a story of how much the previous person loved and played with them. No pony is bait to me, and I actually like buying bait ponies more than minty ones.
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I think a more interesting challenge than baiting and making a new pony, is restoring a pony. That said, I LOVE CUSTOM G1 BABIES! Aaaa!
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I consider bait to be when the symbols are almost completely gone, the hair is a mess, tail rust staining the rest of the body, and bite marks. :huh:
I have noticed people baiting ponies that might not be baited otherwise, though.
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I have a super baity SHS Twinkler, with faded hair, stripped tinsel, rubs, dirt, frizz, she's just a mess... Bait in anyone else's eyes. But for some reason it just gives her all this character. I can't seem to get rid of her or any of my other "flawed" ponies. Each flaw just gives them a personality, a story of how much the previous person loved and played with them. No pony is bait to me, and I actually like buying bait ponies more than minty ones.
I have a G3 Breezy that someone had given a haircut prior to her coming into my possession. Usually haircuts are annoying, but in her case I prefer the haircut! I have another Breezy that's in great condition, but the one with the haircut is the one I display more prominently because she's just so adorable! Good job, whatever small child made that haircut. ;)
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Oh man, I shouldn't even reply, because I am WAAAAAYYY too forgiving when it comes to bait G1 ponies! :P My very first MLP Fair, I went around and dug in people's bait boxes, picking out ponies that I wanted for my collection! (I've since gone back through my boxes and wondered what the heck I was thinking with some of them!!) I have also purchased "bait" lots, and realized I could only bait about a quarter of them in good faith. (G3/G4 ponies I'm much more casual, since they're kind of everywhere!)
My issue is, for G1 ponies, I am extremely hesitant to bait at all, because they're not made anymore, they're vintage, and SOMEONE is going to be a new collector like I was, and be willing to accept a pony in almost any shape. Heck, I collect baity Big Brother ponies now, because I think they're cute with their little mohawks and the like!
So for me, a pony not only has to be missing all/most of its hair (or have a really unappealing haircut), it also has to have age spots, staining, scuffed paint, and/or other damage. If it has its hair, I feel like it should be repainted; if it has paint but no hair, then it can become an alt rehair!
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I think a baity pony is one that has major flaws that cannot be repaired and stick to your eye when you're watching the pony on a shelf from the other side of the room.