Missing the days of pony shopping in stores!

[Scraleos]

When I started collecting G3, I went to get a new pony every time I went to the shop. I loved looking at all the pretty designs, and all the different ponies! There was so much choice, I sometimes couldn't decide. But now with G4, I don't get that feeling anymore. Every time I go shopping, I look at the ponies and it's always the mane 6. The quality has also gone down the drain! If there is a new pony, I'm always searching through each one to get the one with the least black marks or errors.

Who else loved (or didn't love) buying G3's because of just plain diversity?

[Lucky_Ladybug]

I wish so much that I had bought or asked for some G3s when they were around. I absolutely loved walking up and down the aisle and seeing so many different Ponies. It was paradise!

[Majesty]

Yeah I hear ya.  I was born in the 80's so my time period was G3's but I only actually remember going to the store and getting two ponies from my Mom.  The other six or so ponies I got were from friends.  I was in awe every time I went to the stores, because most of the time there was at least a full aisle with G3 stuff.  Lots of stores had sales almost every week--buy one get one free or buy one get one half off, etc.  I think I remember every time I went to the store I always bought a pony or at least looked at them.  I do that now with G4's but it's not exciting anymore.  It hasn't been for a while actually. 

[Lucky_Ladybug]

Yeah, totally. I'm also regretting not buying every non-main 6 Pony I came across. I had no idea we'd end up not being able to find any other characters in stores anymore.

[Trinity]

Oh yeah! I adore all the different themes, shapes, sizes, patters...! And now... It's just the same old mane 6 maybe with tinsel in their mane, a splash of rainbow paint, or a little skirt. *sigh*

[Shenanigans]

I miss it too! Every time I would walk down the pony aisle there would be at least one or two new G3s it seems The only time I remember there was nothing new was with the Divine Shine ponies (they weren't popular in my area apparently. They were always on the shelves ) and then the core 7. Though I only saw the Henna ponies a couple of times

[TwistedRiver]

I miss those days, of course I was lucky enough to be able to walk through the toy aisles and see different G1s for sell. I've only just got interested in looking at G4s in the past few years so even with it only being "the mane six" they're new to me still, though the quality control does make me sad.

[OLumeVaSti]

It is harder too to bring in new ponies in the house. When I would go shopping I could hide them in my car so the boyfriend couldn't see and bring them out when he was gone. Now, I have to get ponies off the net. I can't always bet him to the mailbox. 

[Aquatic Neon]

I grew up when G2 was in the stores new, and G1s were everywhere in the thrift stores I remember walls filled with bags of G1, we got to pick a couple everytime we went, it was amazing.  Anyone have photos of the G1 pony isles?

[goddessofpeep]

I was around for the G1s, and I remember going crazy at TRU and Target.  For many years if I got good grades on my report card, I'd get a little pony shopping spree:)  So many to choose from!

I was around when the G2s came out, but we never got the really good ones here. 

Then the G3s came out, and I kept up with those!  It was an exciting time to collect.  I happened to live really close to a special TRU that would get stuff first.   It was so exciting to go to TRU to check, and then see some ponies that nobody had ever heard of before.  I'd run right home and post pictures!  I don't know why that TRU was so special, but I was the first to discover A LOT of ponies at that place.   G3s had such variety too, and there were just so many ponies.  And the holiday ponies!  Those were awesome!  And there were so many store exclusives to keep track of.  I do miss the excitement of new ponies.  Now the line is just plain boring:(

[Thunderwing]

I remember one trip to a TRU when the G3's were in stores. Usually I had to shop at Walmart, and they were always months behind. I went to TRU, and they had all new stuff... I spent $300 and got all new characters, poses and colors!  It was BLISS.

[ponybanker]

I remember in the late 80s early 90s when G1's were in the stores everywhere, I loved those toy isles! Sooooo many ponies and other 80s toys, what i wouldnt give to go back 26 years with my savings account and buy up all those old toys

[scarletjul]

I didn't do a lot of toy shopping as a kid, so I don't remember shopping for g1s and g2s in store but I remember the days of the g3s.  The amount if variety was so much fun!  I remember walking to my mom with all of the holiday ponies in my hand, trying to determine which one to buy.

Now, the releases so often bore me. . .  I was briefly excited by the start of g4 but they really need to start releasing new characters.

[achab1984]

I remember the G1 days going to Wal Mart, K Mart, Alco And Pamida. I don't think that I spelled that right. I remember asking my mom if I could go back to the toys. She would say yes and I would go running back to the ponies. It was so much fun to look at all of the G1 ponies. I also remember the puppy and kitty sets. But I was not into them so much. I did not get a lot of ponies. But the ones that I did get I do remember I was pretty sad when the G2 ponies started to show up. After that I stopped getting ponies and have to find them at rummage sales. I only lucked out one time and found a big box of them along with a puzzle. I still have the puzzle.

Fast forward...........G3 ponies! I remember walking into a Alco and looking around. I had just moved to a new town. I walked into the Barbie isle and look!!! Ponies!!! I could not believe my eyes! I had to get one. And then I had to get them all. I was not so lucky to get to go to TRU. At the time Alco was the only place that I could get ponies at. When I moved back to my home town I had Wal Mart and K mart again. It was so much fun to walk down that isle and there was always something new! It was so much fun!!! I was pretty sad when the G3.5 ones started to show up after the core seven ones. I left collecting around that time.
Then when the G4 ponies came out I was not sure what to think of them at first. They first came on to me as deer kind of ponies. I did not give in till 2012 on them. So I had a lot of ponies to find and buy. I did miss out on some but its ok. I am not collecting the G4 ponies and G1 and G3 when I find a good deal

[CupidStrikes]

I hear you! And, not only is it always the mane six...it's always such a tiny selection of stock, too. Then I see photos of US stores with whole AISLES of loads of different pony stock and it makes me even sadder to go into UK stores and see the aisle end, or 1/6th of a shelf dedicated to MLP. And then it's always the huge, expensive talking toys that do not sell and the single brushables. It's difficult to even find Fashion Style ponies! I don't even bother stepping into TRU any more as their stock and prices are the worst in the country; compared to US TRU they're a joke.


And, yeah, that quality...When I bought my Fantastic Flutters, I had to go through the entire shelf both times (in two different stores) and then had to settle for the one with the least obvious flaws =/