MLP Fair attendance- over the years?

[Galactica]

So- from any of you who have attended over the years-  has the MLP Fair become more popular or less ? 

I am really just curious because some of the other 80s-based-but evolving doll/toy collecting communities (ie Strawberry Shortcake/Jem/Moondreamers/Rainbow Brite) all used to have quite large communities (particularly in 2000-2003 thereabouts) that have dwindled every year since, with a very steep decline over the last few years that have snuffed out some communities entirely (Moondreamers/Rainbow Brite).

This doesn't seem to have happened to the MLP community-  does it?   

I am thinking that this must have to do with the popularity of the G3s and now G4s-  and the FiM cartoon-  but I don't really know since I wasn't around here a few years ago.


Thoughts?  Observations? 

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Much much much MORE popular!  :-p

[lunar_scythe]

nope; there have been a few 'down' years I think, but I 'm pretty sure  more people come every year; it's not unusual for vendor spaces to sell out!

In some ways I think we owe a *lot* of that to the Arena and the MLPTP; announcements on the two sites are seen by probably 85% of the older gen collectors, and unlike a lot of the other series, there really are just a few major forums, so it's easier to get the info about such events to everyone.

You also have to remember unlike other char lines, mlp has been constantly produced for longer than most.  From 1982 to now, there were only 4 or 5 years when ponies were not being produced *somewhere*. The dutch ponies were 1992, G2 started in 1997 and were sold in Europe right up to G3's start.  That means that for as long as there have been forums and message boards, there's always been something new to talk about, even if it was complaining about the looks of the G2 line, haha!  So people stayed interested in the series continually.

[Wysteria]

I've attented 5 fairs now from 2003-2011. Convention wise, it seems attendance is only growing due to the the new FIM crowd but I have a feeling that's a fad that will fade rather quickly. As long as the show is popular, I think the community will stay fairly strong but as some of us long time collectors start reaching our 30's, I know for me personally, I have so much going on that I can't be as active as I'd like to or once was. When I was in college back in the early to mid 2000's, I had all the time in the world but now with a full time job and insane student loans to pay back, time and money are just an issue. For many other collectors in my age group, a good chunk of them did seem to move on an sell their entire collections. Though it's something I think of doing often, MLP is just something I love too much to ever give up entirely.

Even though many collectors come and go, it seem like MLP stays very stong/active thanks to wonderful places like the arena:) Once you attend a fair and meet so many of the great members from the chat boards, it does make the collecting aspect that much better.

[achab1984]

I have not been able to go to a fair yet, and I hope to someday That is my dream I also would love to go to Breyerfest but I cant afford them Breyers anymore. And there seems to be alot more rude people in that community anymore. I do not go on the Blab that much anymore due to that.

I hope the ponies stay around for years and years to come They bring us so much happness

[hathorcat]

I think as Lunar says as a community MLP stays active and the Fairs well promoted because as the years have progressed most of us have found our way to the Arena and/or the TP - having 2 big main forums ensures a community stays relatively cohesive and that any announcements are seen by most collectors. A lot of other 80s toy lines have a scary number of multiple forums and sites. That being said there are plenty of MLP collectors who are not active at all on forums like this.

I agree that there is a boom in fans and collectors right now due to the sheer popularity of FiM. I am sure with time that will even back out as some people move on to other fandoms but as long as our community stays as active as it was before FiM then I am not fussed as pre FiM the Fair seemed certainly to be popular enough to continue to thrive.

And after all that waffling Over the years from images and reports, pre the most recent Fair [which perhaps due to the FiM boom seemed very very very popular], I would say the event in the preceding 3 or 4 years seemed to be consistently the same.

SweetTune or PhyllieBean can perhaps help more on attendance perhaps.