Feeling like I need to downsize, don't know where to start...

[Dewprincess]

Now, don't get me wrong...I still LOVE ponies, and I have ponies still on my want list that I'd really like to have!

However, my collection has gotten *massive*.  The G2s and G4s don't take up too much space, but the G3s still take up quite a bit of real estate even after multiple purges, and the G1s take up most of a room!  I'm feeling overwhelmed by how many ponies I have and sad that there is no possible way I can display them all.

At the same time, though, I'm having a hard time figuring out who I can sell off.  There are very few G1s that I don't like (I sold off all my BBE babies, both my Eyelash Princesses and almost all my Newborn Twins this summer) and there are sets that I wouldn't want to break up, like So Softs and Twinkle Eyes.

How do you guys figure out who to weed out without regretting it?

[Lucky_Ladybug]

If you've gotten rid of the ones you don't care for, then I don't advocate getting rid of any of the rest. Perhaps you could rotate your displays so they'd all get a turn?

[Dewprincess]

I originally wanted to do that, but even that is an overwhelming task with how many ponies I have.  The open display space will show quite a few ponies, but I also have the better part of two closets plus a long, under-the-bed container filled with ponies waiting their turn. I'd conservatively guess that I have between 700-800 ponies at this point. My Paradise Estate is dismantled and stored in the closet, and ponies fill each room about 3 layers deep!  My rares are on permanent display in a small glass-doored cabinet. 

One thing I've struggled with is parting with variations of ponies.  I don't collect variations of the same character, but sometimes I'll end up with, say, a mint regular Lickety-Split and a mint So Soft Lickety-Split and debate over who stays and who goes (I picked the regular one...then ended up with another SS Lickety-Split!).  Right now I have regular Sundance, SS Sundance, and TAF Sundance and feel like I really should choose...

[PrincessKelliee]

I wouldn't choose, variations are cool 

[thesugarpuppie]

I think it's based on how you'd feel if that pony weren't there.  Personally, I sold off some that I thought I wouldn't miss and now I do, so take that into consideration.  If it's one that you probably wouldn't really ever display after figuring out who you'd want to display, then get rid of those if that makes sense.  Like, the ponies you've got in storage; if you're thinking "Oh, I'd love to have that out someday" then don't let it go.

[TinyShinyUnique]

When I was deciding on my wantlist sometime ago to avoid getting on a huge shopping spree and obtaining ALL PONIES IN THE WORLD, I started with some ponies I didn't like in my collection too.

Then went the ones that weren't mint, or had no sentimental value. Some of the ponies I used to love - like a mint Baby Susie I got in a swap - just weren't as valuable as a poor regrind and cancer-marked Baby North Star, which I love to no end even with her flaws.
Then I at down and actually asked myself how I want my collection to look like. I don't want to keep ponies in storage, so they all have to be on display. The G2's are almost complete so I don't have to worry about them, I only buy one of G4's, without the babies and a bunch of 'odd' ponies like glitter wings or fashion styles (minus the Rarity one I've got from my parents). The G3's I kept are swap presents or form two mini-armies, so I kept them as well.

But when it came to downsizing G1's.... It got harder. How can you say no to a beautiful Fizzy and to Babies: Tic Tac Toe, Quackers, Lickety Split....? Then there is Masquerade and isn't Mimic just gorgeous? And Chief or my Buttons army? And look at Jenny and Macau Minty and then there is Peru Confetti... But in the end it wasn't a hard decision on finally figuring out which ponies I will feel attached to the most. I only wanted one army for G1's so I picked Confetti over Buttons. Then I set up a limit on 20 baby ponies I will ever want to have and went with other types of ponies the same way. Picked my favorites - and if there are some Nirvana variants I would rather have, I've put them on the list instead of regulars. For example, I'd love to own Greek Baby Minty one day over any other G1 variant of Minty. Sure, I kept changing the list few times until it got the shape it has now and deciding which ponies are going on sale was even easier as some of them had already been in storage. Some of the ones I picked were common ones so if needed I could replace them someday if I missed them (like my baby Quackers which is 100% adorable). Some went because as beautiful as they were, I felt they would be much more loved by someone else (like Diamond Dreams) or even if they were mint and rare, they just didn't fit into my collection (like German Princess Primrose). There are ponies that I don't like the color combos of, though I used to want them badly once (like Baby Billie). And I mostly display my all non-G2 ponies in colors of the rainbow, so it's easier for me to keep myself in check too.

What I'm trying to say is that you should take your time, but go through your ponies. Try to remember each ones story, or if you have a day when you think: "Oh, I want to see X!" - if you do, don't get rid of it, you would regret it. But there are ponies that might surprise you with "Huh, I forgot I had you!" or maybe made you wonder why you had bought them. Maybe there is a pose you don't like all that much, or a color, or maybe you had seen some other collector you know, desperately looking for a pony that you have and you wouldn't mind getting rid of that pony if it meant giving it to someone you like, or someone that you see will love that pony the most in the world.

And with the variants, I would also pick only one But in the end I couldn't decide which Buttons to keep, so I got rid of all of them, telling myself I can only have room for one army. I have a deflocked Wind Whistler which is gorgeous and more pretty than a SS one or NSS one to me, but I haven't been even aware that it would be my favorite until I got it in my hands. Or maybe you are meant to have all variants of a particular pony? Then look at others you might not like as much.

Just take your time when making any decisions I'm sure you'll find the best solution for you in time    

[LittleSpiffy]

Always remember: you can re-collect!

If you feel at a later date you made a bad decision, you can have the fun of hunting them down again

<--- Currently re-collecting

[Shenanigans]

Don't sell anything that would be extremely hard to get back

[ValeofSpring]

My suggestion would be to make a list of your 100 favorite ponies.  If you could only keep 100, who would you keep?  Then think of that as your core collection.  Are there any sets or years in which not one pony makes it into the top 100?  Then you could consider selling all the ponies in that year/set. 

I've collected as an adult for 15 years and I keep a core collection of 15 ponies.  When I want others, I buy them, but once the excitement of having them wears off, I sell them.  You don't have to go THAT small, but I can tell you that it's wonderful knowing you have all your favorites right at your fingertips!

[brighteyes]

My suggestion would be to make a list of your 100 favorite ponies.  If you could only keep 100, who would you keep?  Then think of that as your core collection. 

I have to say this is really good advice and a great way to build a collection without going crazy trying to buy every pony out there- start with a list of your "must haves" and go from there.  Simple but super smart    Especially good for me to try with Christmas around the corner.  I really need a dose of restraint LOL

[Henpatch]

I have been trying to downsize for a while.....it is SOoooooooooo hard!
However, I started with Nirvanas......not only are they easier to part with - cause I an NEVER going to be able to have all ponies from another country e.g. Argentina or whatever  - but they are easier to harden my heart agains (and better prices to sell.......).
I have not broken up any of my G1 ordianary sets......they will stay!  It took me a lots of time and money to get them all.....so they are safe for the moment!   

[Ivaness]

I had this issue with my G3 collection, granted - it was VERY small. Maybe 30 ponies. And honestly... there's only one pony in my current G3 collection (downsized to now maybe less than 10 ponies) that I'd keep. My son got her for me (Scooter Sprite), so I will probably be buried with that pony. Haha.

I'm a closet hoarder, I have trouble getting rid of anything. So, I have this issue with ANYTHING in my house. With us maybe moving soon and downsizing to a one room apartment, I have to get rid of ... a lot.

[ThriftyPony]

Personally, I don't like to have more ponies than I can comfortably display and enjoy all the time. I guess I am a visual person, so just knowing I own it is not enough for me, I like to be able to see it.

However, I am only in the same boat as you. I have decided to limit my ponies to what I can fit on one three-tierd wooden shelf (Four tiers if you count the top) in my craft workroom. It is actually what I am working on right now, or procrastinating actually.

Getting rid of ponies is hard! Good luck!

[hathorcat]

Always a tough thing to do but as others have said, I think the important thing to remember is its not going to be impossible to track down any of the ponies you sell again in the future [unless you have an uber rare OOAK!].

I like Vale's idea; pick a total number of ponies you want to be left with - be that 100 or 200 or 300. Then go through one by one and list your ponies as "keep", "maybe" and "leaving" - after repeating and filtering you should get to a core group.

I would suggest that when you have your "leaving" list - pack them away for a while. A few months out of sight. If you dont miss them then you would probably be safe to move them on. If you miss any in particular then you can always pull them out and add them back to the display.

Its a monster of a task - good luck with it! But if you are feeling like there are too many ponies on display right now you will probably feel better and less cluttered when the you reduce them down.

[Artemesia's Garden]

I created an alternate pony universe with strict rules. No room for all that many ponies and no buildings, for me