How patient of a collector are you?

[Flitter]

This applies mostly to G4 collectors I suppose since that is what is being produced right now.
I'm interested to hear about other collectors buying habits when it comes to new ponies. Do you get them as soon as you possibly can or wait?
It seems to me like a lot of people talk about buying off ebay or taobao lately. I like to wait to see if the ponies show up in my local stores before I order anything online, (mostly because I'd rather not pay shipping if I don't have to and also because I just feel better supporting the toy line directly and not a grey market seller or overpriced reseller  ) but lately it seems to take so long for items to be stocked and some things I worry I will not be able to find easily or at all. I feel like I'm starting to get impatient.

[HavACrumpet452]

Store or thrift shop. Fortunately in this area they show up in thrift shops fast and in hoards.

[Jinxxy]

I don't buy many of them, but I do get them when they come out in stores. =3

[Wysteria]

I usually wait until they show up in stores but I did that with star dreams, rainbow dash camping set, and the cherrilee school house and we never got them. So now I at least wait until something shows up on hasbrotoyshop.com before I buy somewhere else. Mrs. Cake and the baby were different though, I had to have them:)

[disturbed-rainbow]

I'm considerably patient when it comes to buying G3's or G1's, and when it comes to customs, trust me I can wait for a very long time.

BUT

When it comes to my G4 brushables, I want NOW! I NEED now! it's like a horrible addiction, of course I've gotten better at waiting for them but I have every release so far.. I do have a few prototypes but I'm more on the official side.. of Course Sweetie Blue and Minty are on my want list but.. *sigh* I can wait I guess for an imaginary release.

[brightberry]

With a few exceptions, I wait until they come out in stores.


I made an exception for baby Molasses and 4th Dimension Twilight.  Twilight would also be an exception to my "no plushie" rule. 

[PinkRosedust]

With G4 I wait until they hit stores for the ones I really want, but there are a lot I have skipped and continue to skip despite wanting them (Cadance and Luna) because I know I'll find them cheaper second hand. I definitely can't justify paying double, triple or more for normal brushables from taobao orders, when most of them will show up eventually.

As for Euro releases, like Rainbow Flash, Starswirl, etc....I might just be patient forever...or perhaps I'll score them in a nice trade in the future, when international members find them second hand - but again, I'm not willing to spend several times what they cost in stores (and what they do cost in most other countries is already nearly too much to me). I really want them but it's just not worth it to me.

[Iris Patch]

I wait til they arrive in stores, unless it's taking an unreasonably long time for my stores to stock it... which seems to happen with blindbags a lot in my area. If i get too impatient waiting, I'll buy or trade it from another collector. I only use eBay if I'm desperate.

[Prince Primbrose]

Well for me... all of the above!
I buy ponies that I'm not sure will make it to stores online- like "Baby Molasses" and Mrs. Cake. I preorder the Toys r Us collector's sets so I'll be sure to get them. Ponies I'm not in a terrible rush to get, like Cherry Berry and Sunny Rays, I'll pick up in-store when they come out. And of course I check clearance aisles and secondhand shops... So far I've rescued a Twilight Sparkle and a few McPonies from the quarter bins.

I do try to be patient and just wait for everyone to hit stores, but it's sure hard to trust Hasbro sometimes... They really seem to like to make gorgeous ponies and then never release them. But generally, if I see the pony in official packaging, I just wait for it to come out. (I hope I don't regret getting Molasses and Mrs. Cake early!)

[blonde2themax]

I've decided to cut down in which ponies I but no more main six for me.

[Lady Starflower]

I'm not patient AT ALL I bought Mrs Cake/Baby and I have Sunset Shimmer coming in a trade. I'm making myself wait for the other Masquerade mane 6 to come in stores cuz I don't want to pay shipping for them.
And stupidly I didn't buy Rainbow Dash Camping set when I saw it in the store *facepalm* and I only saw it the once soooo I'm on the lookout for that.

[scarletjul]

It depends.  With g4s, I can almost always wait at least until they hit stores.  Sometimes, if it is one that I'm not particularly in love with (like Lulu Luck,) I can wait until it hits thrift stores.   

[Stormness_1]

I usually wait for it to hit stores, unless it's crazy exxy (like that darned carousel!), then I wait for clearance or a cheap ebay one... or even loose from somewhere.

[MoonShadow]

Oh gosh, you're so talking about me. jk

If it's something known to hit the US market as a standard release, I typically wait.  Anything else, I buy as soon as I find it for a decent price (whether on Taobao or ebay).  With this said, I'll sometimes add standard releases to an order just because it makes shipping seem more bearable.

With the recent lack of non-repeat releases, I seem to be jumping on anything and everything exhibiting a glimmer of new.  I just ordered four "Vegas Crazy Tinsel" ponies this week that will probably show up on HasbroToyShop.com  tomorrow.

[Violet CLM]

Whatever's cheapest.