Where to start?

[BabiChuld]

As a G1 collector, the Nirvana ponies intrigue me but I feel quite overwhelmed by the sheer amount of them from different countries- please tell me, how could I break in to the Nirvana scene, are there particular countries whose ponies are more common/cheaper to buy, or vice versa- which countries would be more difficult to acquire ponies from, either price-wise or due to rarity? I would love to hear from you Nirvana collectors and learn how best to break in to this intriguing side of G1 collecting ^_^

[NovelNerd]

I just started collecting Nirvanas shortly after I joined the forums, so I'm still a newbie. Honestly it usually depends on the pony. I for example like Argies and German rainbow ponies.

I have a few Argies that cost me $15 and some that cost a good deal more. It's the same with my rainbows. I think Mexican and Italians seem to be a bit cheaper sometimes depending on the pony of course. Hope someone else chimes in to give you a better idea.

Honestly when I decided I wanted some I had to think about what amount would be acceptable to me to pay for plastic ponies. Then I looked through My little wiki and founds one in my price range

[goddessofpeep]

I'm not super into the whole Nirvana scene, but I do have my fair share.  Some I've gotten by accident in lots, some I've actually gone after.

It's been my experience that the cheapest Nirvanas tend to be the ones that are pretty similar to their USA releases, and usually the "collectors pose"(Cotton Candy, Blossom, etc).  You can find some pretty cheap Italian, Macau, and "no country"  ponies that are pretty close to the regular thing.

Argentina ponies flooded the market for a while, and some of the more common ones of those aren't too pricey.  These are also REALLY EASY to find MOC most of the time.  There was a flood of Mexican ponies at one point, and several of those can go for reasonable prices.  Some of the collectors ponies(Cotton Candy and friends) from Brazil aren't *too* bad to find for decent prices - as long as they're not complete.  If they've got their outfits, the price skyrockets.

On the other end of the scale you have the ponies from *really* rare countries(India, Columbia, etc), and the ponies that are either really different from the American counterparts, or were never released in the USA at all.   Collectors ponies with weird body/symbol/hair colors usually push up the price.  "Piggy" ponies from Spain are just so weird looking, they always go for the big bucks. Ponies from India and Columbia are always expensive, no matter what they look like.  There are just so few of them out there, and they're so hard to get a hold of.   

Ponies that are completely unique to their country and also very pretty(Ladybird....) can go for astronomical prices.  Depending on how you define "Nirvana", there are some ponies that are unique to their respective countries, but not with the totally crazy prices.  Nightlight and her sister Raindrop from Germany are extremely popular and can be pricey, but they're not totally out of range for the serious collector.  These kinds of ponies attract more than just the hard core Nirvana crowd, so you'll tend to get a bit more competition.  On the flip side, more of these kinds of ponies make it into the pony community to be sold/traded because they're so popular.

Ponies that are sort of on the collector's "I wish they made this in my country!" list also tend to go for high prices.  Baby Minty was only available in Greece, but she's probably the most popular of the collector's ponies, and never got a baby anywhere else.  Brazilian NBBE Baby Lofty is always in high demand because her USA counterpart has those unpopular eyes, and you can't get her anywhere else.   These also attract several different kinds of collectors, not just Nirvana collectors.  These are some of the Nirvanas I tend to collect because they're sort of filling in the gaps in my collection.  If I want a Baby Posey that's not a custom, I have to go to Argentina.  If I want a Baby Minty, it's got to be Greek. 

Personally, I go for the ponies that are seriously unique.  I'm not a hardcore Nirvana collector.  I don't care if that Cotton Candy has slightly different eye color, or the body shade is a *little* off from what I already have.  One Cotton Candy is pretty much the same as any other to me.  I don't do armies, and I don't do slight variations.  I'd rather spend my money on a pony I can't get any other way, and something that you can tell is special from across the room.  I'm big into accessories, so I also tend to go for the ponies that have crazy Nirvana accessories.  There's no right way to collect ponies, including Nirvanas.   Some people collect by country.  Some people collect by pony and have armies of the same pony from around the world.  Some people(like myself) collect ponies to "fill in the gaps" of the ponies I wish I'd had when I was kid.  Some people collect "freaky" Nirvanas.  Start looking around, and see what strikes your fancy!

[BabiChuld]

Wow, thank you both for your help! I like the idea of "filling in gaps" of my collection and looking for Nirvana that are different from the US releases as they are what most appeal to me- my budget right now isn't very high so I will keep looking for that one pony that starts off the addiction in me ^_^

[goddessofpeep]

If your budget is small, and you're looking for something funky, I'd check out the Argentinas.  Almost every Argentina pony out there is colored all crazy, and they actually have some really interesting babies.  Also, since the market was flooded at one point, you can find the more common ones cheaper than a lot of other Nirvanas.  These guys have some quality control issues which can lead to some of their more interesting variations.  The less than spectacular quality is actually a hallmark of Argies, and it's a draw for some collectors with a particular sense of humor:p    They're like the B Movie of the pony world:p

They are also readily available MOC.  If you'd like to get a Nirvana with some funky Nirvana accessories, this would be the place to go.  The packaging can damage the ponies, and can often be found in terrible condition, so if you *really* want to experience opening up a Nirvana, this would also be the line to go to.  There are some hard to find Argies, and a few of them can cost a pretty penny, but there's a lot of fun choices available in the budget section of the line:p  Some of the smaller playsets are not *too* hard to track down, and don't cost *too* much money as well.  Ponywear from this line is also not too hard to come by. 

A few downsides include loose Argies(that were not opened by collectors) tend to be in pretty scary shape.  If it was legitimately played with, a lot of times the ponies didn't hold up so well(particularly the hair and the paint).  Also, if you're buying from someone in Argentina, expect to pay a lot for shipping, and you might run into customs delays.  Most South American countries set off red flags for customs officials. 

I personally like the Argie babies best.  There are some babies that are only found in Argentina(Baby Posey and Baby Confetti come to mind).  They also did some funky things with some baby lines we got in the USA(Fancy Pants, Peek A Boo). 

[TinyShinyUnique]

Also, because you're from Netherlands, it might be quite easy for you to find Italian ponies in random places - from thrift stores to online auctions, many times hidden in lots. Look for blue eyes and you might find that you like some of the Italian variants more than the US counterparts Sometimes it's the subtle differences - like the eyes only. Sometimes it's a wholly new body & hair color combination. Sometimes thanks to the plastic you will find a whitened pony instead of a pink one or a white pony which will be pure white, not creamy and not yellowed. Try visiting the Countries thread in this section of the forum or browse strawberry reef or mylittlewiki to see which Nirvana ponies appeal to you the most And most importantly: have fun!

[pinkkittywinks]

I started by gap filling too! Being in the UK meant that I've been able to pick up nirvanas quiet easily.

I also spent a lot of time reading about nirvanas and looking at pictures

Most people seem to start with Italians as they are quite easy to find and many are not very expensive.

I do suggest you read up on the various countries and find out about the features. Many nirvanas are poorer quality and prone to having poorly printed symbols and eyes compared. If you can live with any of those then nirvanas might not be for you.

Love pkw xxx

[BabiChuld]

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful advice! I have accidentally bought what turned out to be two Italians from local sellers here, so I think Italy is the way to go for me, and to also look for those lovely sounding Argentinians- I'm fine with bad pain and symbols as long as that's the ponies original state haha ^_^

[LadyGuinevere]

Italians are definitely a great place to start - even the ones that are similar to their counterparts can be really pretty When I first started collecting, I often found Italians easier to get than the normal versions! So I gap-filled as well.

Further afield, I agree that Mexico and Argentina are inexpensive countries to look at, and Argentina in particular has some that are very different still. Shipping can be more expensive though, so I often try to buy in batches.

[Tilly]

I agree on the Italy's for you. I live in the Netherlands too, and I have quite a few from flea markets.
We could trade doubles when you get them ;-)

[Dulci]

I really went for price first (cheapest) and it wasn't for a good long while that I really began to focus in on countries / ponies.

Italian ponies are a pretty easy start.  Mexicans too because while they're Nirvanas they aren't overly-expensive (even though they're arguably nowhere near as good quality as the European ones). 

My best advice though is don't buy ponies because they're Nirvanas.  Buy them because you like the pony.  I adore all the Moondancers and Glory(s) out there but unless you're a die-hard collector with a deep wallet you really don't want to go after set completions!

[Loa]

My best advice though is don't buy ponies because they're Nirvanas.  Buy them because you like the pony.

Amazing advice!

[Moonbreeze]

Keep an eye out for French ponies as well. They tend top pop up in lots on Marktplaats and such You can get them relatively cheap that way.

[Princess-Sparkles]

I started with whatever nirvana was cheap And appealed to me. I started off with Italy Bowtie, then I bought Dutch Star. I am really fond of Greek ponies and hope to have them all one day. They're so expensive though.
 

[pinkkittywinks]

My best advice though is don't buy ponies because they're Nirvanas.  Buy them because you like the pony.

Amazing advice!

Seconded!

Love pkw xxx