Collecting Twinkle Eyes for Beginners?

[Leopard_Print_Unicorn]

Not that I am a beginning pony collector, but I have only recently decided that I do want to collect the Twinkle Eye G1's. I have none of them so far. Looking back to when I started my adult collecting, if I had known more about certain ponies and collecting G1's in general, I might have avoided overpaying for some of my earlier acquisitions, or been able to get certain other ponies in better condition.

So I'm looking for tips about the Twinkle Eye set. Things I already know are:

- Mimic is the most expensive, expect to pay at least $100 for a good one.
- Party Time is hard to find without regrind.

And while I would love love LOVE some retail therapy right now, I just had more back surgery last week so I need to sort out my medical bills and make sure I can return to work as planned before I buy any ponies. I will update my want list and bump it on the appropriate forum when actively ready to buy.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Locket has sunken-in eye jewels and her pose has a hard time standing.  Also she gets regrind.

[LadyMoondancer]

The first set of TEs are the easiest to find and tend to be cheapest.  Of those, Fizzy and Masquerade are the ones I most often see in great shape.

[Leave a Whisper]

Fizzy, Whizzer and Masquerade often end up being in very good shape and are common (and stunning)
You can't collect TE without getting a Gingerbread. It's Da Law! j/k
If you wanna catch 'em all but aren't willing to spend a ton for the hard to find ones like Mimic and Bright Eyes might I suggest a custom-replica?
Of all the TEs I find Speedy to be the cheapest

[Baby Sugarberry]

Speedy was issued for two sets/years, so she's much more common than the other 2nd and 3rd set Twinkle-Eyes.  Also doesn't tend to be the most popular of color combinations or poses, poor gal. 

The UK missed out on a number of TE's - Sweet Pop, Mimic, Quackers and Bright Eyes, which pushes all their prices towards the high side, Mimic and Bright Eyes being the most heavily affected.

Gingerbread, Sweet Stuff, Quackers and to a lesser extent, Tic-Tac-Toe are all prone to VDS - vinyl deterioration aka "age spots".  Gingerbread tends to burn if sunfading is attempted, though not all plastic batches for her do so.  Particularly the first set, they're inexpensive to pick up unless you're a very picky collector - the eyes easily wear and lose their shine, plus  the aforementioned body problems. 

[ladybastilla]

This is very interesting. There seem to be some really distinct things to consider when buying TEs. I'll have to keep them in mind when I start looking at one.

I'm surprised people aren't so excited about Speedy. I think she's adorable. But to each their own. Fizzy is by far my favorite, though.

[brighteyes]

Galaxy is especially prone to frizz.  I think maybe she had a thicker kind of hair or something.  I remember my childhood Galaxy never had silky hair like my other ponies, even right out of the box.  Some of the TE ponies don't seem to have this problem though.  Masquerade and Tic Tac Toe for example.

Gingerbread is super probe to pony cancer and yellowing.  A lot of them get regrind too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mlp_loving]

Quackers can be hard to find, especially in good condition. Most of the time she has marks or her white body is discolored.  Bright Eyes can be hard to find as well, and is probably the second most expensive, ranging from $30-$60 from the ones I've seen before.

[LadyMoondancer]

Yes, I had a STUNNING Quackers (with perfect hair, which is not too common for her) and over the years she developed these big, gross discoloration patches.  I was so sad.

Gingerbread can discolor too, I have a completely tan one.  Sweet Stuff and Gingerbread also have fading pink streaks so keep an eye out for that.

Speedy is a beautiful pony, one of my favorite TEs.  The one sold in Germany is a softer, more pastel orange, but personally I prefer the bold US / UK version.

[NoPonySpecial]

Don't forget Party Time! I bet she would be pretty prone to regrind, too.

[Shenanigans]

Gingerbread is impossible to find in mint condition

[flyawayraven]

Gingerbread is impossible to find in mint condition

^This. And when you do find her prepare to pay through the nose. :p

[Artemesia's Garden]

I agree with everything mentioned so far.  Great topic! Galaxy is prone to regrind but often only head giving her a weird pink and purple dappled look. I actually liked it and kept one around for ages like that. The orange streak in her hair tends to go more dry and wiry than the other colours so might be worth watching out for hair condition a bit more with Galaxy, as previously mentioned. 

Urmmm... I have feeling that Masquerade is particularly prone to cancer as well as Gingerbread, but please correct me if I'm wrong.  Maybe I've just been unlucky.  One other thing I meant to say... ugh my memory is terrible today! Tic Tac Toe is fairly common and has the most amazing hair colour combination.  She is wow! in real life so might be a good one to start with. Her baby is amazing too if you like first tooth ponies. 

Eye condition is key because they are very difficult to restore so if chips and paint loss are unacceptable be aware that there's not much you can do to restore them. Sweet Stuff is very prone to cancer, you'll find it hard to get one without.  I have painted white sparkles on both of mine to hide the cancer spots, I just got bored of looking in the end. 

Maybe check on my little wiki or another website which ones have fading pink hair so you can check the relevant stripe before buying  if that would be an issue for you.  If I think of anything else I shall add it later.  Hopefully this saves you some money on postage and upgrades

[Baby Sugarberry]

Masquerade isn't uncommon to find with VDS, but Gingerbread and Sweetstuff are pretty much impossible to track down without it.  Even those that are currently clear are almost guaranteed to develop the condition sooner or later, Quackers too.  The white and pastel colors seem particularly bad in the TE line - I'd guess it has something to do with whatever formula was in the white plastic base. 

Oh, and Galaxy tends to get regrind, but rather than spots, change more evenly to a hot pink. (regrind suspect on the right, proper color on the left).
visitors can't see pics , please register or login

[Leopard_Print_Unicorn]

Wow, everyone, thanks for the great replies! That's why I love this forum 

I do plan on eventually collecting the whole set, but now I can formulate a plan based on all this useful information. I'll start with the most common ones and I can be pickier about the condition they're in, because they're easy to find. Then with the less common ones and ones that are prone to issues, I can watch prices for a while and determine what I'm willing to pay vs. what condition they're in. Like I'd be willing to pay more for a Gingerbread that is whiter, for instance, or a pony that has "fading pink" hair that is still pink.

lovesbabysquirmy, I'm particularly bummed about those issues with Locket you mentioned because I think she may be the prettiest one in the set and definitely the one that convinced me I had to have her. The eye condition is an interesting issue because that is what put me off the set for a long time. The twinkle eyes are a cool concept but since they have jewels instead of eyes with pupils and irises and stuff, it makes their faces look a little "off," like they're just staring or something, IMO and it took me a while to get past.