The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: NovelNerd on February 13, 2016, 12:45:20 PM
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I don't know if it's the same for others but it seems here pony prices in flea markets have gone nuts. It's not that I never find G1s but that they are way over priced every flea market I go they are even more than EBay. I actually put back a G3 ornament recently because the woman told me she wanted more than what was on the tag because they were selling for more on EBay. I've gotten to where I halfway don't flea market shop anymore at least not for ponies. Is that seeming to be a trend with other areas?
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I've run into this probably twice in my area. Once at a flea market, the other at a local comic convention. I hate it. If they are wanting to sell for ebay prices then they should sell on ebay. Flea markets have a smaller audience than ebay so it is silly to me to be holding out for those high prices.
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Greed + Ignorance = high prices.
Unfortunate side effect of FIM rocketing MLP into the public eye. People start to remember, look at them and go, oh, yes...O.o. I could make money from them...
I still remember with great amusement the guy at the toy fair with all the clean common expensively priced mint ponies on his table, and the beat up pony box under the table, in which I found Spanish Strawberry Fair for 30p.
People don't do their research. They just see money and that's all. Sometimes there's an advantage, but usually it's to our detriment and they will not believe us, the collectors who actually know the market, about how prices are.
It's a problem that's present on Ebay too, though...no surprise it's also at fleamarkets.
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I see that at one of our local thrift shops as well. They seem to way overprice anything that could possibly be a collectible/vintage on the off chance that it sells. It's pretty sad for regular people, but I know they get a lot of ebay reseller/flippers so maybe it's a good business strategy for them :sad:
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It happened to me before FiM too... literally dog eaten ponies, common ones at that, that she wanted like $10 a piece for. All marked up, hair cuts, such bad shape. No idea if it's more common now cause I haven't been hunting and finding them! :(
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Well I haven't went flea marketing mug in a while one due to funds and because there isn't s high turnover rate at some of the d the places near my house. I've been looking at furniture though and of course I stop by ponies when I see them. Honestly I would be ok paying the value of a pony if it was cleaned up ect since unlike eBay I can pick t up and look at it before buying. What I'm finding though is like $20 for a bait sprinkles. It's insane
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I started noticing this when ebay became known in the mainstream. People thought local shoppers would be willing to pay the same prices as a seller who shipped all over the world and sold to people who didn't get our commons, so were willing to pay a premium for them (so-softs etc).
I still see it now and sometimes it's worse, it isn't even average eBay prices. they want the same price for a filthy pony with a frizzy mass of hair you have no clue how it'll clean up, as one of our pony collecting ebay superstars got for one that was beautifully cleaned and mint. (one lady with uncleaned ponies in a box always always compares her grubby items to what paradiseauctions on ebay gets, or asks for. except PA is awesome, I've bought from her a few times and is totally at the opposite end of the customer service and item quality spectrum!) In the end that vendor gets to keep her things and keep bringing them back and forth to shows. One in the east also has these prices and complains that "nobody wants ponies, I haven't sold anything". or "I stopped bringing or buying ponies, they never ever sold" In the end it's up to them if they actually want to turn over their stock.
At least now if my spouse is with me, I could use his phone to support my point politely with actual evidence of what an item actually sold for within our country in comparable condition. If he's not around I am out of luck. (Alas I am a dinosaur and the last cell I had was a flip phone. :( totally writing this to you all on my desktop.)
But sometimes you have luck being nice about it, and sometimes the person has it in their mind they can make $40 on a $3 common. You get used to walking away after a while. :)
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I started noticing this when ebay became known in the mainstream. People thought local shoppers would be willing to pay the same prices as a seller who shipped all over the world and sold to people who didn't get our commons, so were willing to pay a premium for them (so-softs etc).
That's interesting. I didn't realise that the market had balanced out like that (although I don't think it's a bad thing). For a really long time, the US and Canada got seriously shafted by the online market because of this impression that what was sold there was sold everywhere and that there weren't exclusives. It always struck me as kinda unfair, since there are some lovely North American exclusives out there. Obviously some of them are high cost within North America as well, but it's about time the market balanced.
Unfortunately the market balancing in that regard seems to have diseased it in the other regard. But I think it's just about mad sellers seeing one price on ebay and immediately assuming all MLP are worth that. The sellers that annoy me the most are the ones who don't even bother to look up the pony's name and set at the very least. If you can't be bothered to research your item, why should you expect us to pay a lot of money for it?
I mean, if you went into a jewellers and someone thrust a ring at you and said "it's a ring, I want £300 because someone bought a ring for £300 once", you'd laugh at them. I don't see why they think it's fine with second hand or collectable goods. We're collectors. We're not idiots. And they don't often listen to us about prices, believing we're trying to rip them off - but they're fine about ripping us off, which is lovely.
Mind you, the occasional insane bidding on random ponies on ebay does make me wonder. I'm 100% behind the idea that people should pay what they think is right for an item, but when a regular baby sea pony with float sells over $300 loose, you know someone really didn't check before they bid. (Great for the seller, but I bet there are a few scalpers at flea markets etc who will see that and up sea pony prices as a result...)
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Ya i'v seen some crazy prices. For example I went to a sale 3 years ago and this lady had a toy booth set up. She had a bag of ponies, I picked out a mimic (not in super amazing shape) for $5. Fast forward, a year later she had more ponies. I was super excited so see what she had. They were no longer cheap ponies, they were ebay priced ponys.
When you go to a flea market or any second hand sale the thrill is finding a deal. If I wanted to pay ebay prices, I'd buy on ebay.
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The flea markets in NH are closed until the spring/April, so I'm not sure how much ponies will go for. The last flea market I went to was the end of last year and 2 vendors had ponies. One vendor had a ziploc bag filled with ponies for $25.00 and the other had a basket filled and she let me buy them for $2.00 a pony. I guess I've been lucky on my pony quest as I never paid more than $3.00 per pony when shopping at flea markets.
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I started noticing this when ebay became known in the mainstream. People thought local shoppers would be willing to pay the same prices as a seller who shipped all over the world and sold to people who didn't get our commons, so were willing to pay a premium for them (so-softs etc).
That's interesting. I didn't realise that the market had balanced out like that (although I don't think it's a bad thing). For a really long time, the US and Canada got seriously shafted by the online market because of this impression that what was sold there was sold everywhere and that there weren't exclusives. It always struck me as kinda unfair, since there are some lovely North American exclusives out there. Obviously some of them are high cost within North America as well, but it's about time the market balanced.
Unfortunately the market balancing in that regard seems to have diseased it in the other regard. But I think it's just about mad sellers seeing one price on ebay and immediately assuming all MLP are worth that. The sellers that annoy me the most are the ones who don't even bother to look up the pony's name and set at the very least. If you can't be bothered to research your item, why should you expect us to pay a lot of money for it?
I mean, if you went into a jewellers and someone thrust a ring at you and said "it's a ring, I want £300 because someone bought a ring for £300 once", you'd laugh at them. I don't see why they think it's fine with second hand or collectable goods. We're collectors. We're not idiots. And they don't often listen to us about prices, believing we're trying to rip them off - but they're fine about ripping us off, which is lovely.
Mind you, the occasional insane bidding on random ponies on ebay does make me wonder. I'm 100% behind the idea that people should pay what they think is right for an item, but when a regular baby sea pony with float sells over $300 loose, you know someone really didn't check before they bid. (Great for the seller, but I bet there are a few scalpers at flea markets etc who will see that and up sea pony prices as a result...)
Prices would end far higher so long as worldwide shipping was selected. the nanosecond it wasn't, and within Canada only items ended far far lower in my country. The collectors in euro market bought a lot of my toys if they were not sold over there, and yes, they would pay premiums for so softs in particular I remember. Especially if they were still in lovely shape. Most of my packages went to the UK, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany and France. :)
Taffeta, yes. I agree with most of what you said. Especially the bolded. It took me years and years to gain the knowledge I have about ponies, the accessories, packaging, different line variations, what makes a pony mediocre, great, NM, Mint etc etc etc. That is worth something to me, I likely spent 1000 hours or more compiling my own guide and committing most of my information to memory. and I really dislike it when someone wants to use me as a reference at their whim for FREE and not do their own research or even simple google search at all just to flip to us. Not even googling the name of a pony they have themselves or what price they should pay (again, asking me). Someone who had a beloved childhood collection they have taken care of for 30 or more years I have no issues helping getting the best money for, simply the resellers who want to buy cheap as possible from childhood owners and extract every dollar possible from pony collectors. If I sell original SSC dolls, I know I won't get top dollar. I am not an expert. If I make back my money plus some for my time (a little more for sought after/$ items) while giving an SSC collector a good deal (considering I may miss a detail important to them to justify top prices) I am happy. It's simply amusing that some resellers must price things as though they are pony guru's. :)
If we are thinking of the same baby sea pony though, I think much of the price (after the first $40) had to do with the seller. they're trustworthy, know their stuff and really did a beautiful job cleaning the pony and styling the hair. For years I assumed anyone with a bit of patients could set hair nicely, and turns out that isn't the case. some people lust after beautifully curled ponies (either original curls carefully put back into place, or soft fresh curls either way display ready ponies) but can't do it themselves, so if a perfectly done pony is for sale is the one they want they have to fight for it. :)
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I have no car, cannot take the bus, and can only walk short distances.... I don't get to flea market at all. I did find a fashion style cadence in perfect though dirty condition for 88 cents at the salvation army store.
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One local collectibles store told me flat out, "we check displayed prices against eBay at the register" and implied the price could go up. i wrote to the BBB about this shop.
That particular practice is against the law.
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Oh lol in used to walking way, but I remember when I started collecting again it happened just once in a while but elsewhere I would find good deals. Lol now I'm leaving all ponies behind.
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It has't caught on here yet, thankfully. I usually only go to the kingsday market (in two towns), and most ponies are still about €0,20 each. Sometimes they go for like €2.-, that's still cheap, but I can't help feeling a little like "dude, really?" about it. Simply because that's not a fleamarket price for a toy like an old pony. I doubt that it's because they know that ponies can sell for a lot on eBay, they just want to get all the money they can get for any toy.
Which is so not the point of kingsday... At a regular fleamarket, okay. But kingsday is for kids to sell their toys, not for the parents who usually still run their kid's joint regardless. >_<
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We got up at 6AM today to go to 3 different flea markets. All there was were 3 G (i don't collect them) and a Bluebelle with so much sharpie on her symbol i had to deduct whoshe was by coloring/mane combination...
So i came back home half frozen and empty handed.
But yeah i noticed that prices qre sky rocketing as well.. last time i found a G1 (mangy, half covered in glitter and with a chewed ear), the girl wanted 5 euros for it.... No way...
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I totally agree.
I just got home from a fleamarket too, also only G3 ponies. There was one seller who had two ponies, she asked €1 per pony (which is too expensive in my opinion for very common ponies).
Another seller was selling a whole bunch of regular G3 ponies, and she even asked €3 per pony.
But it really depends on the sellers. I've also found some HTF G1 ponies lately, like French Windy, and I believe I only payed €0,25 for her.
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I just really hate when people try to sell you a pony that is in a terrible condition (the can you can only bait, with no tail, pockmarks, chewed on limbs) and ask like 5/8 euros for it...
And when you object about it's condition they answer "but it's a collectible, you know? It's worth money!"
Not in this state, no...
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I don't really think so.
There have always been the crazy vendors that jack the prices up because "that's what it goes for on ebay" or "it's a collectors item".
And the vendors who just want to get rid of their stuff for cheap.
But you get that across the board, not just with ponies. I've seen people print out ebay listings (not completed listings, mind you) or put collector books with pricing on it... :) Just kinda makes me laugh. Like ok, if I wanna pay that much I'll buy it on ebay. Or wanting to say "You KNOW... that doesn't mean it sells for that much". Or "Why don't you just sell it on ebay, then?
But in my area, to get good deals... you pretty much have to go there first thing. Because otherwise the people who flip will snatch them up... sometimes flipping them at the same place, same day.
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It's such a shame that people try and rip others off. It's not just mlp that sellers overprice. I collect moon dreamers, star castles and 90s Barbies and on eBay the sellers have pound signs in their eyes. Things that should be a few pounds are hiked up to a ridiculous price. Same at car boot sales. Really takes the fun out of collecting some times :(
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Around here, ponies at cat boot sales still tend to be reasonably priced, unless they're from professional sellers. There's one seller I come across regularly. Her prices are higher than what I'd normally pay, but I still check out her stall every time because I noticed she doesn't do any research on what she's selling. Every adult pony is priced at x amount of money, every baby at y, every accessory at z. Once or twice, I've been able to find something rare.
Prices are usually a lot higher in charity shops. I've seen fakies from the pound store with three or four times their retail price. Thankfully, not all stores do that, but it's quite a few now.
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I don't really think so.
There have always been the crazy vendors that jack the prices up because "that's what it goes for on ebay" or "it's a collectors item".
And the vendors who just want to get rid of their stuff for cheap.
But you get that across the board, not just with ponies. I've seen people print out ebay listings (not completed listings, mind you) or put collector books with pricing on it... :) Just kinda makes me laugh. Like ok, if I wanna pay that much I'll buy it on ebay. Or wanting to say "You KNOW... that doesn't mean it sells for that much". Or "Why don't you just sell it on ebay, then?
But in my area, to get good deals... you pretty much have to go there first thing. Because otherwise the people who flip will snatch them up... sometimes flipping them at the same place, same day.
Flea markets here are different I think than some areas. In the shops people rent a booth space and that space is open all the time and according to stall numbers you pay up front at the register and they keep tabs of which item came from where. The stall owners are never there and there is a low turnover of items so when it comes to toys I know the same three or four stalls that will have them in a store >_<
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I don't really think so.
There have always been the crazy vendors that jack the prices up because "that's what it goes for on ebay" or "it's a collectors item".
And the vendors who just want to get rid of their stuff for cheap.
But you get that across the board, not just with ponies. I've seen people print out ebay listings (not completed listings, mind you) or put collector books with pricing on it... :) Just kinda makes me laugh. Like ok, if I wanna pay that much I'll buy it on ebay. Or wanting to say "You KNOW... that doesn't mean it sells for that much". Or "Why don't you just sell it on ebay, then?
But in my area, to get good deals... you pretty much have to go there first thing. Because otherwise the people who flip will snatch them up... sometimes flipping them at the same place, same day.
Flea markets here are different I think than some areas. In the shops people rent a booth space and that space is open all the time and according to stall numbers you pay up front at the register and they keep tabs of which item came from where. The stall owners are never there and there is a low turnover of items so when it comes to toys I know the same three or four stalls that will have them in a store >_<
Ooh i see! That's like an antique mall. Here, those tend to also be more expensive with low turnover. I think there is less incentive to sell at a permanent spot cuz you don't have to haul the junk weekly, nor have to be present to sell.
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I bought I think around 17 ponies today for $3-4 each at the flea market, which I think is fair, they're gorgeous ponies! I haven't sorted through them yet to see who I have though. However, at the same flea market this other seller has this tote of ponies that he's had for at least two years, and his are priced anywhere from $8-22, which he will not budge on, and he's repeatedly told me that "yeah, I have a guy that buys those for his wife, he bought a bunch last week, probably gonna come back for the rest." Riiiiiight. From what I can tell, he's never sold a single one.
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my thrift stores all price ponies low, usually in bags for $2.99-$4.99 depending on how many per bag, flea market that comes once a month the most i paid for a pony was $3, most are $1. The normal "vintage toy booths" of course price to ebay standards but you know to avoid them anyways cause they never have anything worth looking twice at.
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I haven't been to a flea market in a while, but last year or so I went into a church sale thing. There was a woman with a table full of toys, and a pony. It was a lovely shape G3 that I didn't have, so I was excited. She asked if I was a collector, and I said, "kind of," and my younger sister said "yes!" This woman charged me £7 for a G3, a G3.5 and some accessories. I was a little miffed but my dad was buying and it was too late to say 'no'. She was a great shape pony, but I can't help but kick myself. It isn't so bad for me locally, I can score a nice bundle of ponies for a few pounds in charity shops. One even keeps them back for me, which is really nice. In a way I can't wait for FIM to drop out and then perhaps the prices will even out. I guess though if anything is 'vintage' it's more than likely 'collectable'.
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Most of the time I find ponies from all gens for $1-4 each. G1 a lot less frequently.
But one time I did run across a stall that had a bunch of G3 and G4. She had a gallon sized ziploc full of random G3 plus accesories and wanted $30 for them! "They don't make them anymore". Yeah, I had to walk away from that booth without buying anything. It was all overpriced.
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I've noticed G1 prices climbing at flea markets in the past few years, as well.
The same woman that I regularly bought ponies off of at a local flea market went from $2-$3 per pony to $8-$12 per pony this past year. She doesn't even seem to have any rhyme or reason to how she prices them.
I still run into a few that have flat rates on ponies of around $3, but I'm seeing less and less ponies from random sellers and a lot more of them from people that deal in vintage toys exclusively.
And it kills me to leave them behind, because for at least 5 years, I didn't find a single pony in the wild. When I did start finding them again, I was snatching up anything I could get my hands on - now the prices are skyrocketing.
But I still can't seem to find them in thrift shops. :P
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Geez. Ok I get that I can't expect people to dive into this sorta thing like My People™ (all y'all) do but come ON if you're going to sell something, at least know what kind of price is reasonable?
Nobody I know is going to pay over maybe $6 for a Peachy or Cotton Candy. I'm just sayin'. ☕
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I was looking at pics of a con i was planning to go to and a detail on a booth attracted my eyes..
On one of the "vintage toys" booth, in full sight, two fakies.
Priced each 12$ (!!!)
For *fakies*.
Those guys clearly had no idea on what they were selling.
"It looks like a MLP let's put a HUGE price tag on it"
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omg I love the booths that put high prices on McDonalds ponies. $6 for McPonies at a booth at an antique mall here! And one lady told me "Those are the old ones." when I was checking out her used tinsel hair G4's. :haha:
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I've laughed at some sellers and said nah and walked off, then they go look at their precious pony...
I picked up a sylvanian family playset for $6 a couple weeks ago, in it's box, I checked it out and it goes over $150 so there are some bargains still