Did TV influence your collecting?

[Elisto]

Oh, well if we're talking about when we started getting ponies when we were little, then no, my first ponies were gifts from people who just thought I'd like them, and while I did watch the show, by the time I remember my mom taking me to the store to buy ponies, the TV show characters were harder to find, so I just picked which ones looked nice on the shelf. Megan was the only one I remember specifically asking for because of the show. In fact, I'm not sure I even really realized that the characters should also exist as toys. But once I started actively collecting second-hand ponies after the show ended, then yes, it did influence my collecting.

[gallifreyan_pony]

I had ponies from before the TV show happened, I remember being dead excited when the Movie was announced and it was the first ever thing I saw in the cinema (I would have been about 5). When it came out on video I watched it compulsively too. I honestly don't remember seeing the show on TV but I think we had an episodes video at one point.

There were definitely ponies I wanted because I'd seen them in the film, or the comic, the fact file or on merch but what was actually available to buy at the time is a different matter. These days, those ponies I recognise from childhood are more interesting to me than ones I don't. For instance, the last few years of G1 happened after I'd out grown ponies and none of them seem especially appealing.

So basically there is an influence but it's a small part of a greater nostalgia kick, so I voted D.

In terms of G4, the show introduced me to the toys but I rather like the non-FiM G4s and I'm just as excited for a pretty non-FiM pony as a background character (particularly as I don't pay very close attention to the background ponies) so I still wouldn't say it has a much of an influence.

[RAMChYLD]

Well, I was already collecting Fluttershy and Applejack toys before the I got to the TV show, and even before that I built my three-pony Pinkie Pie army without seeing one bit of the entire of G3. As for Tales, I loved the show, but it didn't really encourage me to collect them (ponies were hard to find over here up until the 2003 or so), and I only recently bought a Sweetheart and wanting to start on Tales ponies out of retro-recognition. So the show did influence me a bit, but not as much as my self drive.

[Icecrystalline]

As a child, I adored the 80's shows, I got the videos in charity shops and I really loved them, but I believe th pony came before the films in my life, and I have always loved them xxx

[VanillaBean]

I was a G2 kid, but had a couple of G1 videos, therefore I was very confused. xD
I wondered why the cartoons looked so different to the G2 artwork. I loved the characters, & Surprise & Paradise were the first G1s I bought as an adult, because they had always been my favourites.
I'd say the show definitely influenced my collecting to a certain extent. It's fun seeing the toys fleshed out with different personalities, although colour scheme & pose come first. I'm currently searching for Galaxy, purely because I love her in the show. (although being pretty certainly helps too)  x3

[lovesbabysquirmy]

*BUMP* for today's answers!

[Firehooves]

As a show fan first (and a Big Brother Pony), I watched G1 first, and what little collecting I've done came out of that. G4 has gotten me to pick up a few extra ponies, though.

[Einhornbaby]

When it comes to FiM, I am absolutely an A lol. I did not like the new style until I watched a few episodes :p now I want them all lol.
When it comes to G1 : I had ponies before knowing the show The show made me want to have more of them though, hehe.

[LadyStarCatcher]

I was collecting before watching but watching the show and seeing some of my ponies in it made me want More of them! I had loved them all along but knowing a bit more about them was encouraging. Hee. 

[sd_dreamcrystal]

I didn't watch much of the shows even as a kid, I was the more be outside and play kid instead of watching tv kid. What restored my love of mlp was my friends over on another site! One in particular restored my want to collect them. As for the G4 line... the show had no influence on my collecting them.

[ShannonInPonyland]

It's kind of a back and forth answer for me, so I couldn't pick a solid answer from the ones given above.

I've always had a love for MLPs, I started off just liking the toys and collecting them and that goes for G1-G3. Once G4 came out, I thought they were cute so I bought a few blind bags never having watched the show. One day out of boredom I figured I'd give the show a go and honestly it fueled me into collecting them even more so I guess it's really a mix of collecting them in the first place and the show getting me to collect them even more 

[crimsondeity]

When ponies first caught my eye, the original show wasn't out yet. I believe the first movie may have been aired, but if so, I was unaware of it. My first exposure to MLP was in commercials; my parents weren't fans of too much television at home, only as a treat at relative's homes.

Anyway, I did eventually catch episodes of the original show, but it didn't really affect who I wanted, or how I played. I do remember that after getting Mimic, my friends and I saw the Golden Horseshoe episode; after that, Mimic became a "princess" and had special powers. But beyond that, we made up our own stories, and gave them their own personalities separate from the show. And when I'd choose a pony, it was based on color combos and/or their cutie mark. So I guess that makes me a "B".