Collecting in Australia

[ShannenKenzie]

This is a bit of a rant, but I've been seeing all the awesome thrift shop finds of our fellow collectors in America and I get so disheartened! Australia has hardly any ponies! Our 'thrift shops' (which we call op shops) rarely have any  G3s, let alone G1s. We don't have access to Craigslist here, and eBay postage from elsewhere is astronomical
(read about $50 for one pony)!
Any tips on collecting in Australia?

[pyrodarknessanny]

you know I love  going to  life line and vinnies etc.  and I've noticed a disturbing lack of ponies ,
some times  flea markets and garage sales  turn up stuff  but  its   rare.

[sweetapple]

I feel your pain, $50 for a pony doesn't even sound shocking to me because I'm so used to seeing it xD I don't want to think about the amount I've spent on ponies over ebay.
The only G1 I've found at an op shop in recent years is a tailess parasol and I was very surprised! There are often g4s and 3s about, but practically nothing earlier.
I DEFINITELY have better luck at flea markets though, and even school fetes, so don't forget to try them!!

[Salli]

Sorry If it makes you feel better I've never seen a g1 at a thrift store and it's been years since I've been any g3's. I think so many people are just selling them on Ebay. It's frustrating!

[prancingstag]

Agreed. The only ponies I've seen in op shops have been one well-loved G3.5 Rainbow Dash with super long (super ratty) hair, and in one of those mixed bags I saw two G4 princess fakies. We don't have Craigslist but we do have Gumtree - but even there, the G1-G2 sellers want top dollar, and the parents selling lots of their kids used G3s want way too much.

I think that the vintage toy sellers are all at local markets. I went to a university for an open day around August last year and it happened to be a Sunday, and the local Sunday market was operating in the parking lot. There were stalls with heaps and heaps of old toys - anything from regular teddies to Beanie Kids to licenced stuff like Lion King, TMNT. There were loads of poor old G3s with tinselled ratnests but in one bucket I found Munchy and Braided Beauty for $5! I left behind a SHS Ruby Lips for lack of interest in her (or managing her tinsel nest either ).

[Starfall]

I find there are a ridiculous amount of fakies here! I've found a couple of g1s out in the wild, and lots of g3s (though I won't pay more than $2.50 for them).

We don't have a huge amount of flea markets in Adelaide - the main collectables one at Port Adelaide is full of some really strange characters - and not many collectables!

I would love to see some sales figures for g1s in Australia - I really am puzzled as to where they have all gone!

Also, sun damage. Guh.

[CupidStrikes]

I've yet to find a single pony in charity shops (our "thrift" shops). I've found one single fakie. Nothing else. Even carboot sales have been slim. I've found a handful of G3s but I don't really like them No G1s, no G4s :/

I stopped bothering to look, eventually. The toy bins are always disgusting pits of gross, unwashed toys anyway.

[Tulips]

It's sad but this made me want to laugh hysterically because I feel your pain, we all do!
I have never found a G1 in the wild, the most I've found was a G3 Newborn Baby plush. A co-worker of my mum's once sold me some G3, and I bought some G4 from a primary student at a car-boot sale a year ago... but most of my pony hunting is done online because I can't hunt locally and it's depressing to even try.

I mostly don't buy any generations outside of G4 anymore because I can't afford international shipping costs. I try to buy only from within Australia but even then so many G4 take forever to turn up down here and they're more expensive when they do. In fact, I've had to narrow my collecting down to Fashion Styles and the odd interesting release here and there... but that alone drives me nuts! *shakes fist at Applejack & Daisy Dreams*

(I don't even know if I'm going to bother with Funkos anymore. The horror of the Celestia/Luna wave is making me shy away from them)

However, keep an eye on Gumtree! I've seen some G1s on there that surprised me.

[mopthebunny]

I've yet to find a single pony in charity shops (our "thrift" shops). I've found one single fakie. Nothing else. Even carboot sales have been slim. I've found a handful of G3s but I don't really like them No G1s, no G4s :/

I stopped bothering to look, eventually. The toy bins are always disgusting pits of gross, unwashed toys anyway.

This is exactly what I was going to say 

[Henpatch]

I live out of town anyway - so rarely even go near the "Op shops" As for "Flea Markets" and so on - so - no - have never found ANY ponies in such places!
I have bought most of my G1 Ponies on Ebay and of course here at the Arena.
I don't want to know how much I have spent in the past......but now I have to downsize and it is so hard to choose which ponies should go as I love them all and worked so hard etc. etc. to get them!
Must admit - I have "met" lots of great people throughout my pony buying......many remain "friends" spread all over the world - even though we no longer deal in ponies!
You just have to keep trying, keep looking wherever you can and of course keep buying when you can.....your herd WILL grow - trust me!!   

[Skeen]

I feel your pain.  When I lived in Oz I think I found a grand total of 3 ponies I didn't buy on ebay.  One was a Hopscotch I found in a Salvos and another was a Bride Pony my MIL found in some weird little store when we were on holiday at the beach.  I think most of it had to do with the area.  We lived out in the Barossa in SA so there weren't a lot of places available to look, though I did hit up all the local garage sales and occasionally drove all over looking in the Vinnie's and Salvos in other towns. 

[Babydoll]

I found quite a few G1s in op shops & markets when I lived In Australia (I travelled around over 5 years). I found the most ponies in Melbourne. South Yarra had an awesome Antique/vintage style shop which always had G1 ponies but they were spread around allover the place so you had to have a good rummage for them. I also used to get ponies at Brighton Sunday market as there was a lady there every week who had a toy stall, most of the time she had G3s & Fakies but I did pick up the occasional G1. My sister lives in Sydney & has picked up a few for me over the years too, I don't think I found any when I lived in QLD though!

Babydoll~

[shabbychicdee]

ebay australia looks good......well looking from New Zealand.
however we have the same luck here, all the op shops are high and dry of vintage toys, only find was a fluppy dog and 2 really nice G3's once :/
i have had great luck though from sunday morning markets (car boot sales), if you have something like around, its worth hunting there for ponies

[ShannenKenzie]

I found two G3s from op shops - but that was after I had been to five others!
I don't think I've ever seen a flea market or car boot sale in my area.
Although, I did get about 20 G2s and heaps of merch on Gumtree - and a G1 plush for $5!
I guess we have got to deal with the pony drought living in the best country

[Loa]

Welcome to the Australasian pain!