A new (G1 and G3) pony collector needs some advice!

[Cityswimmer]

Hi, I'm new and I hope I'm posting this in the right spot!

I'm brand new to collecting ponies (as an adult) and I'm having a little trouble on where to start! I have been to a few local thrift stores and found some lovely G3's, but they don't seem to have any G1's, so where can I find those for a reasonable price? (I live in Canada, so maybe Canadian sites or something so shipping isn't super crazy! :o )
Speaking of reasonable prices, what's a good price for pretty good condition G1 ponies that aren't super special or rare?
Is there any other advice you'd give to a new collector?
Also how can I participate in swaps and stuff as a newbie? It seems you have to have a certain amount of positive feedback, but how do I get that without partaking in swaps?

Thank you so much in advance for your help!! <3

[Lore-Lei]

The MLP Trading Post is a neat little marketplace for your buying and selling needs. Also, I don't know if you have eBay in Canada, but I'd certainly give it a try as well.

[KarentheUnicorn]

Hi, I'm new and I hope I'm posting this in the right spot!

I'm brand new to collecting ponies (as an adult) and I'm having a little trouble on where to start! I have been to a few local thrift stores and found some lovely G3's, but they don't seem to have any G1's, so where can I find those for a reasonable price? (I live in Canada, so maybe Canadian sites or something so shipping isn't super crazy! :o )
Speaking of reasonable prices, what's a good price for pretty good condition G1 ponies that aren't super special or rare?
Is there any other advice you'd give to a new collector?
Also how can I participate in swaps and stuff as a newbie? It seems you have to have a certain amount of positive feedback, but how do I get that without partaking in swaps?

Thank you so much in advance for your help!! <3

This years My Little Pony collector fair will be taking place in Chicago. It might be something you want to look into if you are interested in collecting G1 . It's probably the best place to find many, many, many G1's in the same place and learn about them at the same time. You can also find ponies for good prices and from fellow collectors who know the price and are not going to charge you too much for something that is common.

[PinkieShyPony]

You can always do private swaps with people here on the arena to boost your feedback. You can search for a partner by posting under the mlp arena swap section. Also you could get feedback by buying from people here on the arena sales. There are a few people who are from Canada who are selling on there. Good luck and welcome!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Hello fellow Calgarian!    I'll PM you!

[Sunset]

G1s are rare and hard to find "in the wild", I.e. In real life from charity/antique shops or flea markets.  But they do pop up every once in a while.  To begin with you'll want to start with some of the places/ methods others have mentioned.  If your unsure about a price, you can always ask for a price check here.  I'd say a common g1 pony can range from $3-10 depending on condition.

[Ianthe99]

I say $5 or under is a good price for a decent G1. (I mean American dollars.. and also, I haven't totally kept up in the last few years, so I may be out of the loop a bit.)

Post Merge: April 23, 2016, 11:12:16 AM

Check this, often, with keywords "My Little Pony" "Pony" "Ponies" "Ponys"https://calgary.craigslist.ca/

[Taffeta]

Although prices have hiked a bit in recent times, sometimes you can still save by buying common ponies in lots on ebay. It really depends on who is selling, though, and whether they have hiked the price or the shipping is atrocious.

Your best bet may be posting your wants in the Wanted section and seeing what happens. If you're happiest dealing within Canada for now, you can always state that in your post and there are quite a lot of Canadian ponypeople around. I'm sure someone can help you

Welcome to the Arena!

[Elfpony]

Keep checking the thrift stores in your area regularly. There aren't a lot of G1s in the wild, but they do show up from time to time. Kijiji can be a good place to look, too.  Good luck!

Elf

[Aurora]

Welcome to the fun and addicting world of Ponies!
Keep going to thrift stores. Talk to friends, family and complete strangers. Wear Pony shirts! If they don't get you ponies, you'll at least make friends! Haha!
Seriously, though, just keep learning. Reading posts and chatting here and on the Trading Post is so much fun. You can also read other people's sites- I started learning on Dream Valley, but Strawberry Reef is an amazing G3 reference.

Keep an eye on the local Bronies- they tend to have meet-ups, and those are lots of fun. If there are any Pony Meets in your area, they will pop up here- you can also just ask about other Pony People in your area. And Pony Meets are amazing for new collectors, because most long-time collectors have lots of extras that they will be thrilled to find new homes for.

G3 is a good set to start with. They are still new enough to be in good shape, but not old enough to be hard to find yet. And there are hundreds of them! G1's are my favorite, but they are hard to find in the wild. When you do find one, though, it's such a thrill!

Happy Ponying! I hope we'll see you here a lot!