Collectors "rite of passage" horror stories!

[PhyllieBean]

So I just had a lovely chat with one of our newer collectors and she was worried about making a bad desicion on a recent ebay purchase.  Well that got me to thinking....I think it's safe to say that each of us made some kind of oopsies or blunder when we first started participating in this "sport" that we would never let happen today!  Whether it's overpaying for a common item, getting the runaround on ebay, customizing a rare pony, or throwing out those "extra" accessories, etc.  You get the point.  We've all done it!  It's basically a rite of passage, maybe you're not officially a collector if you haven't been through the experience!
 
So Old Schoolers, what was the biggest boo-boo you made as a new collector that you would definitely know better than to do today???  If there was an actual Pony Collector Rite of Passage, what things would qualify for initiation?!
 
For me, I grossly overpayed with a BIN on one of those MOC Fancy Pants Babies (from Argentina I think?)  I assumed that I had found some crazy rare peice of lost MLP treasure!  Well, we all know what happens when you assume!  Needless to say, I learned quite quickly that you can pretty much sneeze in any direction of the internet and get snot all over one of those things! 

[Jadis4742]

Ha, the FIRST thing I did as a collector was overpay on ponies! (I still overpay now, but that's intentional and another story entirely.)

See, I had ponies and a child and remembered them fondly, but I got into collecting through a mixture of watching FiM for the first time, Ambien, and eBay. I woke up to two eBay emails in my inbox - I had bought a lot of three G1 ponies, and another lot of G3 art ponies, the G3 anniversary set, and what I thought were vintage collector pose ponies.


Of course, it was the retro set.     Live and learn!


And when my purchases came in I fell in love with ponies all over again. So I don't regret it, but yeah, I stumbled coming out of the gate on this one.

[Dragonflitter]

As a kid I kept ALL my MLP accessories in a big tin... which I then threw out at some point in my teenage years. >.<

Also through out all my vintage Littlest Pet Shop toys. I was sure no one would want little cheap plastic toys! Then I discovered the world of collectors...

[TokiBear]

I think my biggest oopsie was overpaying as well.  I have paid way too much for some ponies in my collection... like my very first Wind Whistler... I just wanted her so badly haha.  I don't regret it but I am more price savvy these days.

[hyenacub]

Before I got back into collecting, I found over a dozen G1s at a thrift store...and sold them on ebay.  Including three or four big brothers!  D:  I haven't gotten over that.  :Facehoof:

[KarentheUnicorn]

My oops happened way before the internet, it was actually while MLP was still in stores so I don't know if you call it an oops.

I used to have a awesome memory of what ponies I have - I never needed a checklist back in the day and a lot of times I still don't I can look at a pony and usually know if I have it or not.

Back in the day I needed one more dream beauty - and I mistakenly purchased the exact same one again. When I got back home I realized what a blunder I made.

As far as overpaying, when I first got online ponies were fairly cheap compared to now. I was able to buy MOC argies for $25 in some cases. So I don't know that I really overpaid considering I got a lot of good deals compared to what you have to pay now for the same ponies.

Besides in a certain way we probably all overpay for all MLP stuff so I look at it as more what I am willing to pay for a pony and then I don't feel so bad later thinking I overpaid.

[RavenWolf]

I've had a few over the years, two stand out and still make me cringe, Both of which where cases of not recognizing the items as MLP. But this was years ago when I first started collecting as an adult and there wasn't as many pony resources online.
One was I found this toy bed at a thrift store with all its accessories for 10 cents... I passed it up thinking it was probably a Barbie item, found out a few days latter it was the Lullaby bed.    it was only 10 cents why, why didn't I grab it anyway?!
The other time I found a see through blue glittery plastic horse, I thought it was a fakie so I didn't grab it, found out latter it was a Crystalline the Dream Beauty.
One thing I've learned the hard way is "If in doubt, grab it anyway!!"

[ButtercreamDream]

I've had a few, all within my first 2 years as a collector.  My first was my very first ebay purchase.  I bought Moondancer and Medley, and the photos weren't great.  They were described as "In good condition", but I didn't realise that "good" is pretty low down on the condition scale.  Medley had almost no symbol left, and an ear chewed off, and Moondancer had marker, symbol rubs, and was yellowed.  I couldn't tell from the pics, and they were strategically place so you couldn't really tell, but what a disappointment.  I chalked it up as a newbie mistake, and didn't talk to the seller about it.

My second blunder was one of my first ever trades.  I didn't realize the difference between Year 2 Seaponies, and Year 3 Seaponies, so I agreed to trade a year 3  in Ex. condition for a rather common pony.  I kicked myself when I found out what she was worth :/  I wish I had traded her for a different Y3 instead.

Finally, I meant to place a max bid of $100 for a huge lot of accessories.  I won it for $230ish!  When I looked into it, I had placed a max of 1000 instead of 100...simple mistake, but very costly!  Someone else must have been willing to overpay, and kept bidding it up $5 at a time, and eventually gave up.  It was my mistake, so I bought it and didn't say anything to the seller.  It was still less than what you would pay for everything if you had bought it all separately anyway, just not what you would expect to pay for a lot.  These days, I triple check everything before I place a bid!

[BrightIdea]

Ugh.. I have had a few screwups. I don't seem to learn with the white ponies though.


Pony messups:
1. Storing Cherry Treats in a bin with other colourful plastic items.  She got a giant purple splotch all up her leg and down her side.  I cleaned it really well though and waited a few more years and it faded back to white. Now the spot looks a little weird and melty
2. Carrying Rarity in my purse. Yes, yellow plastic packaging for "lady items" will put yellow spots all over your pony.


Other embarassing collector mistakes from when I was really young:
1. Polishing old coins that might be worth something. I love polishing things and didn't know I was devaluing them
2. Spraying perfume on my white kitty kitty kitten.  The perfume was a brown colour. Guess what colour I dyed it by accident.
3. Writing in the hang tag of my brothers beanie baby, Patti the Platypus. It was the rare maroon variant!

[tulagirl]

Oh goodness I have to participate in this thread.  I have collected My Little Pony for about 13 years.  The first batch I got was in one huge lot from a collector and I over paid and then stupidly resold them thinking I would get my money back. I sold them alright but for 1/8th what I had spent ARGH.  The worst purchase I made online when I started rebuying was I spent 30.00 on a baby Cotton Candy. LOL..she had all of her stuff with her.  Still with all her stuff that is too much.  I just wanted her because I had the momma.  I only had three G1 ponies at the time and was determined to get my collection back.  Well the collection I have now is better than the one I had before.  I over pay for my ponies sometimes even still.  The only difference is I know I am doing it.  There may be a reason.  I like the seller and their stuff is usually very well described.  Taking chances with some auctions isn't worth it.  I still have a problem controlling myself with lots in which I just love fixing up ponies and I may pay like 50.00 for lots of ponies just because I love the hobby.  I gotta work on that.
 
Oh and I was going to add not knowing what to ask about and not knowing enough about ponies caused me to make a purchase in which I discovered a pony had cut hair and I didn't know it...silly little things...but they still cost money and can't be resold for what you paid.

[Pangel]

Selling my Seaside baby ponies with floats for $10 each. Sad, sad, times.

[HavACrumpet452]

Customizing a possible G1 Brilliant Blossoms varient and of course it was a present so I can't get it back and wash the paint off. Nobody believes there is a varient of this pony anyway but I swear it had darker body and chartreuse hair.

[Nonnavlis]

Oh no, beginner mistakes. They truly are a bane, but I think necessary to learn. My worst, which I'm still kicking myself for, was throwing out (Yes, literally in the trash! I feel so bad) Duck Soup and Brandy when I was a child not knowing what they were (Got them in a mixed bag of other things at a random thrift store).

At least with that to compare my mistakes to, nothing else I do ever seems that bad .

[PandaBerryInSpace]

The first mistake I ever made... Well, my first real MLP was a Heart-Throb who had a pretty bad haircut. Even though I had barely any experience with rerooting, I decided to go ahead and attempt to reroot her. Looking back on it, it was pretty dumb to attempt a restoration when I had barely any projects under my belt, but there you go. Well, I had no hemostats at the time, and my method of removing pony hair was poking it out with a very thick needle. ;;; The head split right open, and I used SUPER GLUE to put the head back together. >.<;;; Of course the hair couldn't go anywhere near that hole, so I had to work around it. I ended up with a Heart-Throb with very thin hair and a visible bald spot in the middle. T_T

[BrightSide]

One word:

ponyadore.