How far gone must a pony be for you to decide that it's a bait?

[gemini_pony]

I'm much more picky about what I customize these days. If I can restore it I'd rather do that. But I still need baits so take several things into consideration.

[ChocolateStarfire]

Not sure if this question has been asked before, I'm just curious because I'm going to make my first custom, how bad must a pony be for you to decide it's a bait? How far are you willing to go to save a pony?

As a G1, G3 and G4 customizer, I can tell you one thing:

It depends

*confetti falls from ceiling along with a sad trombone in the distance*

I tend to customize G1s that have had cancer, pindot mold, or HQG1Cs. Any G1 that I want to keep in my collection that is in very good to mint condition I DO NOT customize.

G3s and G4s are the ponies I have no shame in customizing, no matter their condition. I don't think of them as dearly as G1s, so to some I am sure this seems callous. I have a few G3s and G4s I don't customize, but most are fine to bait as is, imho.

This kind of thing is very subjective. Everyone here has a different idea on what is/is not rare or precious to them. I think if you're going to make a custom, you need to do this based on your experiences and preferences, not necessarily on what we say.

I hope your custom turns out beautifully, no matter what you choose to use as its base!

[Snapdragon]

Not sure if this question has been asked before, I'm just curious because I'm going to make my first custom, how bad must a pony be for you to decide it's a bait? How far are you willing to go to save a pony?

As a G1, G3 and G4 customizer, I can tell you one thing:

It depends

*confetti falls from ceiling along with a sad trombone in the distance*

Okay, that got a chuckle out of me!

But yeah, I'm with the majority here! One thing I'd add is, be wary of assuming someone else's bait standards will match your own. I've bought several 'bait' lots that had ponies in it who I thought were perfectly serviceable, personally! I've added "bait" ponies to my collection - because, especially on eBay - 'bait' just means 'I don't collect but I'm afraid to label them mint and get a nasty feedback, so I'll just let the new buyer decide their condition.' Look closely at the pics, and be ready to change your mind once they arrive, LOL!

It's funny, but I've also found that my standards went up as I 'aged' in collecting years. Ponies I eagerly snagged from bait bins at my first MLP Fair, ten years later I look at them like '... oh NOW I see why you were in there!' I mean, I still love them, LOL! I got a lot of great ponies those first years! Cheap, too!