How to start collection on slim budget?

[TickleMePink]

First off, I don´t know if I´m posting in the right forum, I´m a newbie here :-)

I´m holding on to my childhood ponies, and slowly searching to enlarge my little herd. But where to start? There are so many many beautiful items outthere, but I´m on a slim budget.

So, what´s your best tips?
Try to pick them one by one, or aim for larger lots (but more seldome)?
And how to pick ponies, did you start off by just buying whatever pony struck your fancy, or did you take them down family by family/group/pose?

I´m lost and confused here :-) Please provide tips for a poor ponyloving soul!
 

[brightberry]

I pretty much go with my favorites with the least inexpensive being first.   If you want your collection to grow fast, pony lots are great and usually cheaper in the long run.  But also check out thrift stores, garage sales and craig's list.

My G1 collection is still pretty small.   I usually buy a new pony every few months.  I'm in no hurry.

[Rainbowrific Renia]

I started collecting G1 two months ago and my collection has grown to about 20 ponies at this point.  Still no where near my G4 collection, but I'm taking my time with this one.  I'm sticking to only getting the ones I like best, and then checking eBay and the forums here for good deals on the ponies I want most.  I stay away from lots since I usually only find a pony or two in an entire lot that I actually want.

I set aside a certain amount of money from each paycheck, every other week, for ponies.  This also includes G4 ponies so I don't end up spending a ton. 

I find that it helps to come up with a list of the ponies that you want and then break down the list from there.  I have a "ponies I'd like to obtain before the end of 2014" column, a "top priorities" pony column, and an "army ponies" (the ones I'd like to have multiples of) column.  The other ponies are just sorta in a "I'll get them when I get them" column.  This helps a ton! 

Good luck!

[LightingElectricDream]

When I first started started I went with ebay.

I got Lickity split, Heart throb, and baby hearts N' Dots
For $15

Then I found another lot

Bowtie, Firefly Baby Firefly, Milkey way, Medly, Bouncy
For $15

Then found a craigslist lot of 15 mlps for $15.

Then Found a huge lot of 48 ponies on craigslist for $25
tho I gave her $30
got some nice ones and some rare. traded some sold a few got some more.

I believe I have right about 100 now, I choose my mlp I like I don't collect them all.

here they are
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A bit of ebay lots of Craigslist, trading doubles, selling a mlp then buying another one in it's place ect..

[slyons]

Welcome to the arena!

There is definitely a bonus being able to buy lots, its easy starting out when you don't have many, and the lots are cheaper with less rare ponies and you can usually get more bang for your buck.

That being said, depending on how slim your budget is, saving the money to get a lot can take a while...but sometimes so worth it!

Staying off Ebay is another money saving measure, as there are TON of wonderful sellers right here on the Arena that will have better prices/willing to make a deal sometimes and are super nice to boot!

When you have time start scouring Kijiji, Craigslist, Savers, Value Village, Flea Markets, Garage sales, anywhere that sells second hand toys. Some of us have better luck than others in the thrifting area (just check out the Brag threads for those  ) But it can happen!

Going with what MoonBeam said, knowing what your collecting goals are will help save you money in long run! Do you neeeeed to finish a set? Or you going to be happy just getting the ones you think are pretty? Set finishing can get pricey, some ponies are much harder to find, and can get out of budget range quickly.  Don't like Seaponies? Hate the look of Perfume Puffs?  You don't have to get them! Collect what you want, not what other people want.

Sorry for being long winded, but I hope some of this advice helps! Let the collecting begin!

[ashlyne]

Attend local pony meets, and if you can, go to the MLP Fair     There's nothing more fun than shopping for ponies in person, prices are normally negotiable especially if you're buying multiple things, and you don't have to pay shipping    Not to mention it's a great way to connect with other collectors.   My collection wouldn't be nearly as great as it is without the help of friends keeping an eye out for what I need and contributing with trades and whatnot. 

[Stormness_1]

To be honest, if you're on a tight budget (I really was when I started re-collecting) buying in bulk is the way to go. I'm not talking big pony lots, I'm talking sellers that are selling small lots, or individually and buying a few to combine shipping. When I was buying on a shoestring, I got my own $5 chinese ebay scales (still use them in a pinch haha), and worked out approximate shipping before I messaged a seller, by weighing my ponies and my own packing materials, and using the relevant online postage calculator. That way you don't put a bunch of ponies on hold, PM the seller and then have to back out, or take ponies off. Knowing how many ponies weigh the amount and fit in the packaging that makes it worthwhile from certain countries/places, and choosing carefully.

Classifieds sites and thrift stores as mentioned are great too - you can pick up rather than spending on postage. And I won't neglect to mention pony meets either!

And that's how I've ended up with hundreds if not thousands of ponies in my house.

[Doedeardarling]

Well, I often go through different sites that list ponies with pictures (like Strawberry Reef or Ponyland Press) and write down the names of ponies I would like to add to my collection. Then I look for them in here or ebay. I tend to keep my wish list relatively short, only the ponies that I really want, but it hasn't been empty yet, since I always manage to find new favorites while reading peoples brags and looking at pictures of everyones collections.

[LightingElectricDream]

Collect what you want, not what other people want.

I second this! Getting rare ponies can be fun but alwase get what you want weather it's rare or common Never collect most wanted, rare ect, I did this for a little while and it sucked the fun out of collecting so bad. I don't do it anymore.

But it only can if you let it. 

[TickleMePink]

Thank ALL of you for such nice helpful replys! 
I´m taking all of this to heart and will start working on my wishlist. I already am a regular thrift shopper, but rarely stumble upon ponies. I also live in Sweden, so I can just dream about attending big ,eets and fairs :-)

 And LightingElectricDream, your collection is truly a Dream! *swoon*

[Galactica]

Save up first, then buy. That's my advice.

I actually used to limit my purchases to what I had in my paypal account from selling other things- (of course this had the unfortunate consequence of encouraging me to buy more and more- with the excuse that I could sell some of it later...)

[TickleMePink]

Good advice there Galactica, I tend to tell myself to sell stuff and then never getting around to it. Your trick with only using money earned from selling is really neat. :-)

[zombienixon]

As a massive tightwad, I think I can give a few tips.

Personally, I'd look around eBay, here, or other collector sites for what you want. I know there are a few people here from Sweden, so you may not have to deal with international shipping.  I've recently gotten into G3s, and they're fairly cheap loose.

Also, keep a lookout for clearance sales in stores. I'm guessing Christmas sales start in a few weeks over there.

I also only really get new stuff when it's on clearance. Then I splurge and buy the things I want. This also gives you time to save up.

Also, check for coupons online, and if you have access to multiple computers, you may be able to print as many as you need.

[scarletjul]

My best suggestion is thrift stores, flea markets and trades. 

When I first started collecting, I got a lot of my ponies from the thrift store.  Eventually, any ponies I wasn't in love with I sold off or traded for ponies I did want.  I also did hunt for lots on eBay.

Good luck! 

[Doedeardarling]

Oh, you're from Sweden! Then you should definitely use Tradera, there's always good prices there, sometimes even rare ponies for a bargain *found NBBE baby Heartthrob with accessories for ten euros once* Prices go even lower than normal if the seller is only willing to ship within nordic countries.