Would you debox a G1/G2/G3 pony?

[Leave a Whisper]

Boxing, deboxing, it really is that person's toy to do with what they wish. Don't feel bad all ye who debox YOUR pony, don't feel bad all ye who  keep YOUR pony MiB.

[Tiggums6]

I like to keep mine intact but my darling daughter had other ideas when she found she could drag a chair to the wall and reach higher...luckily she missed the G1s and grabbed a G3 instead...everything got moved pretty smartly!

[HoustonCollector72]

Boxing, deboxing, it really is that person's toy to do with what they wish. Don't feel bad all ye who debox YOUR pony, don't feel bad all ye who refuse to keep YOUR pony MiB.

LOL ,sadly true, everyone can do what they want with what they buy with their money ,but even when you own a house in a community ,you have restrictions and a set of rules that are enforced by a homeowners association
If you buy a house isolated from the city and not part of a community then you get to trash your property as you choose ,so we are in a pony community  here, we are all for pony preservation ,yes we are owners of these ponies,but the consensus is to preserve them as mint as possible and be responsible when owning one and act not as an owner but as a guardian ,like the big states who are tied up in trust funds LOL, you get to enjoy it but with restrictions and with the idea to keep it growing and that there is going to be there for the next generation .

[Katika]

A G1, no.  I also would not purchase an MIB G1 at MIB G1 prices.  If I stumbled on one second hand for cheap, I would probably pick it up to "rescue" it from an uncertain fate and sell/trade it to someone who values MIB ponies.  I, personally, prefer the vast majority of my ponies loose, but I understand how rare MIB G1s are and respect them as the collectibles they are.

A G2, most likely.  I still don't know a whole lot about them, but have noticed that there are quite a few of them that are pretty close to the same price MIP as they are loose, so I probably wouldn't think much of it.  Same as with G1, though, I wouldn't pay much more than loose prices for MIP ones, anyway, so it probably wouldn't be an issue.

G3s, I'm sort of weird about.  Almost all of mine are loose, but Bay Breeze, Frisco, Trolley, Rosey Posey and I *think* my TAF Pony Project ponies are still in their bags (there may be one more, but I can't recall her off the top of my head).  One of my birthflower ponies is currently MIB because I'm holding out to find her loose, at which point, I'll sell the MIB girl.  Of course, there's still a pretty decent chance I'll get twitchy and open her before that happens.  All of the Fair exclusives and Limited Edition ponies that came in boxes were carefully removed and boxes collapsed.  I don't understand why I keep the bagged girls in their bags, but open the boxes.  It makes no sense, if you think about it, but that's just how I roll right now, I guess.  I may even end up opening the exclusives that are currently packaged someday.  Don't know for sure yet.

I really, really respect collectors that have the will power to keep their ponies in their packages, but I also really love touching my ponies and brushing their hair and how much easier it is to display them when they're loose.  Not to mention the cheaper price tags   I fully support either method of collecting, but I do typically avoid trying to buy anything MIP if I know I'll be able to easily pick it up loose.

[ladybastilla]

One thing that I have learned over the last couple months is that I actually prefer opening ponies that are part of a swap box to opening them from Hasbro. Opening swap ponies is fun. Opening Hasbro ones is a pain--their hair always ends up a mess, whereas swap ponies are usually beautifully groomed. They've also been picked for you by someone as a gift. Has anyone ever considered the thought that part of the joy of swaps is that we are getting the ponies as it was always intended--by someone choosing that special pony and surprising us with it? Just a thought.

One thing I do wonder is why some kind of online society for MLP (or even vintage toys in general) preservation has not been created. It should have a website that works as a virtual museum that shows how lovely the ponies look all complete and on card. (Which could also provide a great database for accessory identification). It could also have articles and thoughts on why pony preservation is so important and offer a members list and a badge that could be e-mailed to those who signed up so MOC / MIB buyers / sellers would know whether they are buying / selling to someone who has pledged to help preserve the future of MLP. It would be a -lot- of work, but it's a thought.

[Hannah66665]

Boxing, deboxing, it really is that person's toy to do with what they wish. Don't feel bad all ye who debox YOUR pony, don't feel bad all ye who refuse to keep YOUR pony MiB.

[Truly]

To be honest, I have opened one g1 (when I was a newbie collector haha), it was g1 newborn baby Ribbons and hearts, who came in those clear bags, when I got her I adored her curls but noticed there was stuff in her bag (black dirt like stuff). At the time I was so nervous I asked the pony community of whether to open or not. Because I grew up with g3 ponies I never got the chance of opening a g1, and the other collectors recommended opening her and enjoying the feel of opening a g1 pony (and sniffing new pony smell!) It was truly a wonderful feeling and I'm so happy to have experienced that and I've gently put her into a zip lock bag to protect her, her curls are gorgeous and I still love her new pony smell. I do feel so guilty about it though... I do have an additional MIB baby Ribbons and hearts who will stay as such, and has no gunk in her bag lolol
I do feel a little better about it though because I see her so often MIB with one eBay listing having a huge pile of her MIB, and each pony MIB was no more than $15 average, with most at $8 oddly enough. I still feel mad at myself though haha.
On the other hand I have a MIB mail order Bluebelle who has been discoloured by the plastic band around her face, but I am never opening her because if I do she's nothing but a stained bluebelle with accessories. I still think she is utterly gorgeous and I like to think that the stains are from her quickly eating some chocolate cake before jumping into her bag
Though I really really really never want to open another g1 or g2 for that matter! I don't like seeing a rare or a vintage pony being opened if nothing is terribly destroyed or mouldy or whatever, but I do also want others to enjoy an experience they desire deeply, because it really lasts! And I know others out there like me were even too poor as kids to get new toys, but when you do it's such a treasure, I did see g2 ponies in a shop as a kid that were leftover in a toy store much like g3.5 toys I still see occasionally, it was a g2 skyskimmer with the magnetic nose, and a light heart, but when I saved up money over time I could only find g3 ponies, so one year I got a g3 wysteria and a year after I got a g3 tink a tink a too, and they are still so precious to me to this day and for a kid, I kept them in such lovely condition. I did so yearn for those beautiful elegant g2 ponies and to pick things up with that magnetic nose of skyskimmer's. And the boxes had such a charm to them for g2 ponies, the art is too cute! I bet I would've kept that card if I did somehow manage to get skyskimmer!
But then still that feeling is wonderful, but mint ponies are just so special too, It's a really difficult matter...

[Carrehz]

Boxing, deboxing, it really is that person's toy to do with what they wish. Don't feel bad all ye who debox YOUR pony, don't feel bad all ye who refuse to keep YOUR pony MiB.

It's your pony and you have every right to debox it, if that's what you want to do. Ponies do not belong to the community, they belong to whoever buys them, and I don't think anyone should ever be made to feel bad about doing something that belongs to THEM. Sure, I wouldn't decard a Mimic or anything, but I really don't think it's a ~*terrible crime*~ to do so.

[ponycake]

I see it both ways, being aware of the community's feelings on it and doing what you want to do because it's yours. If we became aware of a seller buying a lot of them up and deboxing on a large scale I think a lot of us would be in uproar, although that's an extreme case. Still, all the collectors who are doing just one or two are accomplishing that anyway in a less obvious manner.

[Jordan]

only if the pony's plastic is either really badly ripped or the paper and the plastic is badly seperating

[QueenStarglow]

When I was younger, I bought MOC G1's and opened them... I'm not sure if I regret doing it, because the ponies are all flawless and gorgeous and I adore them. *edit* Should also add that back in the 90's and early 2000's MOC G1's were far less expensive, otherwise I never could've afforded them as a kid AND opened them.

If a card/box is heavily damaged, then I'd open it.

G3's I have no issue with deboxing unless it's a rare pony. I have several MIB G3's, but I also have loose versions so I can still enjoy the pony and protect my MIB collection.

[MidnightMocha]

I would open it for sure regardless of generation, but save the backcard just in case I wanna sell later. It's way too awesome not to take advantage of time travelling to a time when you just pulled the pony off the shelf at the store- why not have that rare moment again?

[Leave a Whisper]

Boxing, deboxing, it really is that person's toy to do with what they wish. Don't feel bad all ye who debox YOUR pony, don't feel bad all ye who refuse to keep YOUR pony MiB.

LOL ,sadly true, everyone can do what they want with what they buy with their money ,but even when you own a house in a community ,you have restrictions and a set of rules that are enforced by a homeowners association
If you buy a house isolated from the city and not part of a community then you get to trash your property as you choose ,so we are in a pony community  here, we are all for pony preservation ,yes we are owners of these ponies,but the consensus is to preserve them as mint as possible and be responsible when owning one and act not as an owner but as a guardian ,like the big states who are tied up in trust funds LOL, you get to enjoy it but with restrictions and with the idea to keep it growing and that there is going to be there for the next generation .

Whoops! Meant to say don't feel bad all ye who wish to keep Your ponies MIB. Fixed it and sorry but no. A pony does not belong to the community. They belong to that individual. 

[HoustonCollector72]

Boxing, deboxing, it really is that person's toy to do with what they wish. Don't feel bad all ye who debox YOUR pony, don't feel bad all ye who refuse to keep YOUR pony MiB.

LOL ,sadly true, everyone can do what they want with what they buy with their money ,but even when you own a house in a community ,you have restrictions and a set of rules that are enforced by a homeowners association
If you buy a house isolated from the city and not part of a community then you get to trash your property as you choose ,so we are in a pony community  here, we are all for pony preservation ,yes we are owners of these ponies,but the consensus is to preserve them as mint as possible and be responsible when owning one and act not as an owner but as a guardian ,like the big states who are tied up in trust funds LOL, you get to enjoy it but with restrictions and with the idea to keep it growing and that there is going to be there for the next generation .

Whoops! Meant to say don't feel bad all ye who wish to keep Your ponies MIB. Fixed it and sorry but no. A pony does not belong to the community. They belong to that individual.

  guess you need to understand what I wrote, I never said it does not belong to the owner or that it belongs to the community
owning something carries a responsibility LOL  in other words  just like kids ,just because you are the parent of the kid, it does not mean you can do what you want with them, you have a responsibility to CARE for them, if you don't they are taken away or at least put you under supervision to ensure that you do  ( I know a pony does not compare to a kid, but is for you to get the idea of what we are talking about here )  ,but we are all free to do what we want with our ponies ,just as parents are  to do what they please with their kids and there fore we get to see some being mistreated and abused at the end, and we will continue to do so,because is what they want to do to them, just as some people here will keep de boxing ponies because they can is their pony
(extreme comparison I know but it conveys my opinion in the topic ) 

[ponycake]

Boxing, deboxing, it really is that person's toy to do with what they wish. Don't feel bad all ye who debox YOUR pony, don't feel bad all ye who refuse to keep YOUR pony MiB.

LOL ,sadly true, everyone can do what they want with what they buy with their money ,but even when you own a house in a community ,you have restrictions and a set of rules that are enforced by a homeowners association
If you buy a house isolated from the city and not part of a community then you get to trash your property as you choose ,so we are in a pony community  here, we are all for pony preservation ,yes we are owners of these ponies,but the consensus is to preserve them as mint as possible and be responsible when owning one and act not as an owner but as a guardian ,like the big states who are tied up in trust funds LOL, you get to enjoy it but with restrictions and with the idea to keep it growing and that there is going to be there for the next generation .

Whoops! Meant to say don't feel bad all ye who wish to keep Your ponies MIB. Fixed it and sorry but no. A pony does not belong to the community. They belong to that individual. 

I don't see why it has to be this closed minded thing like do what you want and don't worry about anyone else. If you're in the community you probably care what other collectors think and it kind of matters what you do if you're a part of that community. There should be some thought process going on at least about diminishing the limited amount left, not only for the community but also if it's just a good decision, like that person on Ebay who went and ripped several off the cards to just turn around and sell them for a lot less recently, taking hundreds and hundreds of dollars of losses. And if that decision is well I really want to open this one again to get that feeling, fine. But they should at least think about it. I think the only person who was hurt or worried was overreacting even when I already said no I don't dislike you I chose the wrong words to say and apologized.