prices Prices - how high shal you go?

[LightingElectricDream]

So this is another inquriry about high prices.
Or rather a let's just chat topic not a complain thred.

So I know that prices will alwase jump around and be a pain and there will alwase be that common sundance that will stay on ebay at $100.

I have fallen over! the past year at the prices I am seeing.
Gusty is one I recall her at the $7 to $14 mark a while ago.
I am seeing her in at the $30 range now!
Lemon Treats $70 $80
Mint dreams $80
Big brother combs and bandannas $20

I look at my collection and wish to downside however I feel like It's getting so expencive to collect that I don't want to let anything go.
I mean I'd love to have sea ponies with swirled shells but I won't pay $400 plus to get them.

I do understand that these are retro and not commly found anymore I have been a collector since 2002 .

I tried not to complain anyway lol!
I think that money has lost its value and that its hard to let something go that we don't commly find. However it's feels like the entire mlp world is made up of value more so by non collectors than enjoyment.

I got ripped off by so many non collectors beacuse they found out that they have a gold mine and wanted $100 when I offer to pay $300 to $500 for this lot. And they took someone elce higher price.

So my point is do you think that these prices are wirth keeping high? And why? Would you change anything? Would you want to? You think it's all correct?

[Mermaid]

Masquerade and bubbles are two who I've always seen around the $7 mark too. I cannot find either now under $20! I had to get both for a swap, but it was nearly impossible! When did that happen?!

[cloud_weaver]

I was thinking the same thing.   I believe I saw a Munchy sell for 200?!  And I sold mine two years ago for $30.

[Leave a Whisper]

Some of them will come back down sooner or later. I found a Masquerade for 11.99 plus shipping last week but couldn't snag her.
I will pay 10-15 for a common pony
20-30 for a commonish
and even though I haven't done it yet I am trying to convince myself to pay 40 for a rare one but no higher unless it includes reasonable shipping

[Sweet_Stuff]

Some of them will come back down sooner or later. I found a Masquerade for 11.99 plus shipping last week but couldn't snag her.
I will pay up to 10 for a common pony
20-30 for a commonish
and even though I haven't done it yet I am trying to convince myself to pay 40 for a rare one but no higher unless it includes reasonable shipping

Those are good price points! I like it!

[daffodil101]

It's so crazy.  It's really tricky... I mean a US$50 pony will cost me $100 with shipping and exchange rates.  Then when I try to sell ponies (not often), I try to ask for higher prices than I would normally for the simple reason that I'm trying (failing horribly) to fund my collection.  And then I feel really bad, and they don't sell anyway... *sigh*  I agree, the wider world seems to have cottoned on that they're collectible so now every man and his dog is cashing in. 

I used to sell all my ponies for under $10.  I haven't done much selling for a couple of years but I think I'll continue to try to keep the prices low just because it's the right thing to do.  I'm not in it for the money.  But I'm keeping the postal system afloat and probably paying off some ebay guy's mortgage, lol.

I also saw an Applejack yesterday for $240. 

[LightingElectricDream]

I hope this won't tick anyone off but I would start a comunity message, to try and get some of these prices down. And please don't think it's beacuse I want something for nothing I am promoting a joy of collecting VS money.

See here's the thing, I totaly understand that a lot of us count on our collection income as a way of extra money, some of rely on it entirely I know I did for some years.
But here is the problem..
A lot of people have lost the joy in collecting beacuse thair dreams are smashed by the fact that they can't justify spending that much on a single pony.

And not long ago we where remanessing about the 90's ebay. How low the prices where and most of all the memories
We didn't know what exactly what we where getting beacuse there wasen't a picture.

Happness and memories..

When I think of mlp I remember the good memories now it just feels like some of us get left out beacuse we can't afford it.

[rosierjay]

the market has more to do with the people interested in it than the rarity of the item.
you could have a super rare item sell for 10$, and a common one sell for hundreds.
it all depends on the people.

i think because ponies has hit a big boom, the prices are rocketing. I attribute a large part of the rocketing price due the "panic" of pony collectors, trying to get the last pony of this set or that one, or because they see it so rarely and this might be my last chance i'll bid 80$ on this pony, so the starting prices just keep getting higher. i know i've fallen victim to that.

yes, G1 ponies are a limited supply, and some are more rare than other, but i guess i think pony fans are the ones driving up the prices not the people selling them.
they are only taking advantage of the situation. and i would do the same if i was them to be honest. not necessarily with ponies, but with other items.

now don't get me wrong. pay what you feel is fair for the ponies you want. doesn't matter to me. i'll be doing the same, but most of them i'm more than happy to wait for the perfect trade or the right deal to come along to get most of my ponies.

[lunar_scythe]

Exactly.  If people are bidding on an auction, how can the sellers do much to stop the prices rising?  And while this may be true for more common ponies, non-US and Nirvana ponies are down overall; Greek collector pose ponies used to go for $100+ in just about any condition, but now you can get many of them for $60-$80 now.  Greek babies, Colombian ponies, Venezuelans, they all have dropped a significant amount in the past few years.

[Snapdragon]

I think a lot of it has to do with the influx of new collectors (which is awesome!), but I do wonder - how much does inflation come into play here?

I mean, the G1 ponies which sold in the 80s for $5 would cost more like $7-10 in today's dollars, right? So maybe we're seeing some of that in the reselling market, too...?

[Taffeta]

I am glad sister and I were collecting innthe late 1990s, before ebay was a big deal, and when we could still get ponues to trade from car boot sales. Ponies for ponies was always my favourite currency exchange rate, esp since mostly both sides paid second hand market prices and both sides got a new pony fromnthe trade.

The Nirvana prices worry me a bit, though, at times. It is the right of any collector to pay what they feel is fair, but when you see four figure prices and payment plans then you have to face the other possibility of the bottom falling out of the market and that investment lost. That is why I say only pay a lot for a pony uf she has a particular value to you. Otherwise it is a big risk. Sone NirvanNirvana ponies appear quite often yet still sell for $150+. That doesn't make sense to me.

I also think that some ponies are priced high because previous collectirs have priced high and therefore that has become the price. We see this with Munchy, Lemon Treats, Mimic, Diamon Dreams, etc. Nobody stops to ask if they are more htf than the ithers in the set. I suspect they aren't...but because they have gained thus aura, they get priced higher.

The most dangerous thing for me, and why always refused to put one on my page, is a price guide, esp one in print. Even if all the research in the world went into it, mlp has always been a market based on the whims of its collectors and this can change radically. I used to get blamed a lot for the high prices of uk ponies when they were the latest thing, because I was the only one with the uk id site, but it was actually the opposite, because I wouldn't make a price guide based on wildly fluctuating ebay activity.

The moment a book or a price guide tells you x pony us worth $50 and that guide never changes is the moment that pony's price is cemented at that level regardless of how many appear. There are some ignorant and greedy non collectors selling, but I think many of the sellers setting prices are only adhering to prices the community set in stone by allowing price guidelines to become an accepted norm. It is no longervjust about what you want to pay butvwhat someone has to pay to get a certain pony. And, once you pay $50 for said pony, it is human nature not to want to see another sold at $25 the following week. So the base line gets set at $50 and it gets set there by us as collectors, nobody else.

In terms of myself, the most expensive pony I bought was Brazil Paradise, but her emotional and nostalgic value to me makes her worth much more. I am willing to pay $150-200 ish for rare mip items that are high on my wantlist, but they have to be special.

My max for a loose pony, including all other Nirvana would be $100 depending on condition and pony. Not many ponies fit this brief-generally MO. For some reason I always think in $ not £  with ponies but the exchange rate is decent.

A good common pony with rare accessories might stretch me to $50 if I really wanted her.

Generalky though, I still prefer the old exchange rate of pony for pony and I miss the days g1 was available enough to do it.

As for g4, I won't pay more than retail for a pony new out.

[Sukey]

I could be wrong, but I think a lot of non-collectors drive up the prices. They know there is a market for these old toys, so they ask for outrageous prices. I know most 80's toys lines prices seem to have increased greatly in the past 15 years. A good example is MIB Moon Dreamers. Sellers are asking hundreds of dollars for them now and 10 or so years ago, I can remember buying them for $20-$25 a piece. I think the prices that they are asking are ridiculous. Makes me wish I had more $ in the past I could've bought a lot more 80's toys!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I think it's partially because they've finally gained status as a collectible with non-collectors. 

I smile a little at this thread because I felt this way five years ago when ponies were starting to reach $15-20 on average for a nice condition one instead of $5-8.  Of course the 90's and their prices were a long time ago - we can't expect to be paying ten cents for a pony anymore.  And yes, prices rise and fall and fluctuate!

Find ways to enjoy what you have and try not to worry about what you haven't bought yet ; in the grand scheme of things, MLP is rather cheap compared to some hobbies. 

[mlp4me]

This is why I avoid ebay and try to purchase from other collectors, and also trading...
I have a hard enough time selling even common ponies for under $5 at times (whether here or FB); even though I know they would sell on ebay for more than that I would rather sell to the community. Jest mah too scents...

[mimicsno1fan]

I actually enjoy the fact that pony prices rise. As with all collections its nice to have some rarer pieces to aim for either by saving, selling unwanted items or trading. Plus if all pony prices were super low i think it would take the fun of out car booting/garage sales etc

Don't get me wrong I would love to own every single MLP from the 80's but if i could just buy 10-15 new ponies every paycheck i think a little bit of the fun would disappear. Sometimes the build up for getting a certain pony is more magical than finally owning one.

For me I always wanted a Mimic , ever since i saw her on the VHS. Once i was old enough to use ebay i quickly discovered that I was going to have to pay quite a lot and she became my goal. It was then i did my research and found the my little pony arena and very quickly became a member of a fantastic community who will support each other in achieving their goals. Thankfully I sold a lot of ponies to you wonderful people and now she sits proudly in my display cabinet. A much better story then logging into ebay and paying $5.

It does get frustrating when non collectors are asking $30 for a peachy as she is 'rare' but at the same time atleast we have the satisfaction of knowing that people no longer throw their ponies in landfill as they are 'junk' but instead help us to save and preserve even more of the vintage ponies, even if it is for their own profit.