Woo wee, it's interview time! (or: Be included in a school paper)

[Strawberry Swirl]

So I just got an assignment in my Journalism class that asks for a story interview from four human sources.
My topic is mlp collecting of course, and I need some people to answer a set of questions! Feel free to help me out if you can
by copying + pasting the text below and putting your answers under the questions.

Hope this is the right category. 

• What got you to start collecting in the first place?
• Why do you collect MLP in general?
• Does your family or friend group know about your hobby? What do they think?
• Did you like ponies when you were a kid?
• Do your ponies have sentimental value? Are there specific ones that stand out? (Probably things like childhood ones or grails etc)

Thanks so much in advance!

[BlueBelle]

I'm game! 

What got you to start collecting in the first place?
I've collected since they first came out in the early 80s when I was about 4 or 5.  Bluebelle was the very first one I picked out when my mom took me to the store. I still remember vividly looking at the huge amount of brand new G1s hanging on the shelves in their packages. And the smell of a brand new pony, fresh out of the package. It was amazing! I picked out Bluebelle because of the color I think. Blue has always been my favorite color. I was attracted to them initially because I've always loved horses and somehow that transferred to My Little Ponies. The variety, the colors, the play sets! What was not to like?

Why do you collect MLP in general?
As a child I collected them because I loved everything about them (variety, play sets, tv show) and of course the tie in with horses. With each year they just got better and better! As I got older I never stopped because by that point it had become a huge part of me, representing some of the best memories I had in my life. I've never stopped, 30 plus years later. Lol
And now I've passed that love to my daughter. 

Does your family or friend group know about your hobby? What do they think?
Oh yes they all know and love everything about it. Always have. I've never encountered negative reactions even from strangers. I've always gotten numerous compliments. My best friend and I had some of the best times playing with them, acting out stories and so forth. So many wonderful memories! It doesn't get much better than that!

Did you like ponies when you were a kid?
Yes! I think I answered that. Lol

Do your ponies have sentimental value? Are there specific ones that stand out? (Probably things like childhood ones or grails etc)
Oh yes! I'd never sell them. I won't even let my daughter play with particular ones. They mean too much to me. I think about 200? are actually from my childhood. The rest I collected since. I have about 1000? plus now I think (mix of all generations over the years). I haven't counted in awhile. Lol
It is my G1s that are my "babies" so to speak. They come before the other generations because of the childhood tie in.
But obviously some of my first ones like Bluebelle and others in the same set are especially meaningful. And also any I attribute to extra special memories. Same with the play sets. I played with them and it shows! And they might not look mint but I like them that way because that represents the fun I had growing up.
My Little Ponies are not just toys, but a representation of the most wonderful memories I've had in my life. 

[mlpkatie]

-What got you to start collecting in the first place?
-I found my childhood ponies in the attic. I got them out just for memories and I wanted to know their names. I googled "My Little Pony Names" and found the MLP Arena. I thought "Hey, this is cool, I could collect them!" That's when it all started. I had always loved MLP before, but seeing there was a community out there of amazing people with the same interest really got me motivated.

-Why do you collect MLP in general?
-I am a kid at heart, a huge smile still comes over my face when I see a pony. They are my getaway from the real world and they just make me so happy. They remind me of the good-worry free times of being a kid. I am so glad I found this community and I have met so many amazing people through it.

-Does your family or friend group know about your hobby? What do they think?
-Everyone who knows me personally knows I have a room full of ponies. I haven't gotten any negativity out of anyone. Some people find it hard to understand at first, but they still support me either way.

-Did you like ponies when you were a kid?
-Yes. I grew up in the G3 age and I had 200 ponies when I was little.

-Do your ponies have sentimental value? Are there specific ones that stand out? (Probably things like childhood ones or grails etc)
-Yes, I have all my childhood ponies on a shelf by themselves and they are my pride and joys. I wouldn't sell or trade them for anything. I have 1100+ ponies total, and all but my 200+ childhood ponies are from the past 5 years of collecting.

[Bekuno]

How fun!

  -  What got you to start collecting in the first place?
I was having a really hard time with life when I started collecting. I found out about the modern MLP after seeing a clip of Friendship is Magic and as I learned more I became really interesting in collecting the toys! They made me so happy, I even learned how to braid so I can give them cute hairstyles. I didn't 'collect' ponies as a kid, I only had a bit of merchandise, so it was really fun to see what I had missed out on when I was younger.

    Why do you collect MLP in general?
To put it simply, they make me happy. I'm also always itching to buy things, and I had stopped collecting manga by this point and I started collecting ponies instead. I already surround myself in toys, it was bound to happen at some point!

    Does your family or friend group know about your hobby? What do they think?
Yes, I'm not very shy about it. My parents seem to switch between annoyance and acceptance, and my mother sometimes goes out of her way to buy me ponies. My friends find it a little weird but they don't dislike it. They also let me know when they see pony things. My boyfriend is also very accepting, he let me design a pony character for him and he'll even watch new episodes with me.

    Did you like ponies when you were a kid?
I did! My Little Pony was one of the few 'girly' things I enjoyed when I was younger. I grew up when G3 was around, and I had a big poster of StarCatcher on my wall and some plushies. I also watched the G1 movie for the first time when I was younger but never really knew much about the 80's series until I started collecting. I was shy about ponies back then though, because I was too busy trying to be a tomboy 

    Do your ponies have sentimental value? Are there specific ones that stand out? (Probably things like childhood ones or grails etc)
Yes they do. As I mentioned above they are the only 'girly' aspect of my childhood I still hold dear. The only childhood ponies I have are a few McDonalds ones, and they don't hold much significance. StarCatcher and Rainbow Flash meant the most to me as a child so they mean a lot to me know. Fun Fact: I only liked Rainbow Flash so much because it thought she was cooler than Rainbow Dash 

[buttonso]

Ha, I love talking about myself. 


-    What got you to start collecting in the first place?
A nostalgic browse through ebay made me buy a pony for the first time since my childhood, and that inspired me to restore my childhood ponies and learn more about the brand and the history and start building a real collection.

-   Why do you collect MLP in general?
I get a happy nostalgic feeling from my childhood when I look at them-- I also enjoy the aesthetics of them- I like the poses, the colors, the softness of their hair (particularly G1).

  -  Does your family or friend group know about your hobby? What do they think?
I don't hide my hobby-- I post updates on Facebook as I clean up/restore my childhood ponies, and most of my family and friends and many coworkers see the posts.  I often have coworkers stop me in the hallway at work to ask about my ponies- they all seem genuinely interested and say they enjoy seeing my posts and photos!  My family enjoys it too, since my parents and sisters get nostalgia out of the deal as well.

   - Did you like ponies when you were a kid?
 Oh yes. 

     -Do your ponies have sentimental value? Are there specific ones that stand out? (Probably things like childhood ones or grails etc)
All of my childhood ponies are priceless to me.  I think if I got tired of collecting or was in a desperate cash situration, I could sell most of my collection but never the childhood ponies- apart from the nostalgia, the childhood ponies also belonged to my sisters and I feel like I kind of hold them in trust for my sisters as well- thus is wouldn't be right for me to sell any childhood ponies as they don't belong ONLY to me.  I have some favorites among the childhood ponies but I wouldn't part with any of them.

[zombienixon]

-What got you to start collecting in the first place?

I started watching FiM sometime in the winter of 2011 (I think). I think my curiosity was piqued when I saw one or two stills from the show somewhere in a Livejournal community, and later I was looking around Knowyourmeme, when I saw they had a whole section for MLP.  I was curious and clicked on a link to a Youtube channel that had all of S1 uploaded.  I figured I'd give it a try, it's not like I was dissuaded by the fact that it was a girl's show. That Livejournal community where I first saw those G4 images? It was about Disney Princesses. I figured if I liked that, I might like MLP.

I was pretty much hooked after seeing the pilot, and I would watch an episode every day.  It kind of fell aside after I finished watching S1, thinking that those episodes were the only ones.  Then I found out they made a second season, and got right back into it around the Summer of 2012, and that was when I finally broke down and got my first MLP toy, a Twilight blind bag.  It kind of progressed from there, until I had a small collection of blind bags and a handful of brushables.  I really took off collecting when I started work last summer, about a month or so after joining up here.

-Why do you collect MLP in general?

They're cute and I like cute things.  They're also cheaper than some other things I'd like to collect (diecast planes, larger model cars) and cuter than other things I like to collect that are the same price (smaller diecast cars, which I am also more picky with).

-Does your family or friend group know about your hobby? What do they think?

As far as family, only my sister and her husband know. My sister is fine with it, and says it makes getting gifts for me easier. Her husband has no particular opinion of it. I did tell my Mom about it a couple of years ago, but I think she's forgotten about it.

As far as friends go, my friends from high school, only one of whom I've seen since graduating, do not know.  I do have a few friends who are/were bronies that know I collect the toys, but I don't really let them know how big my collection is, since by their standards, it's massive.  I also don't want them knowing I collect Equestria Girls. None of them really have much of an opinion, either.

-Did you like ponies when you were a kid?

No, back then I wouldn't have liked anything I thought was girly.

Do your ponies have sentimental value? Are there specific ones that stand out? (Probably things like childhood ones or grails etc)

Some do, like the Twilight blind bag that was the first pony I ever bought, and the Pinkie and Celestia that were my first brushables. Some remind me of something that happened around the time I got them. I'd say the most sentimental wouldn't be a pony, but an alicorn Twilight shirt that I'd wear for special occasions like meetups, the premiere of Equestria Girls, this year's Fair, etc.

[LadyPinwheel]

What got you to start collecting in the first place?

I love horses, and MLP was a way to have many! I got my first pony when I was 5 years old. They became my favorite and only toys and most of my childhood memories include them. During my teenage I stopped collecting them. I was too old to play with toys and well, I was in that age that you have to be "cool and grown up". But I still liked ponies. I remember once I saw a MIB pony at a shop, I picked it up and wanted to take it with me, but I knew my mother wouldn't approve so I left it behind. I did buy ponies for my little sister as birthday presents.
In 2004 (I was 24) I started looking for ponies again in the internet. I took my childhood ponies out of the boxes I had them in and cleaned them and had them near me again. During those years I was suffering several changes in my life, so they helped me focus on other things. In 2006 I joined different communities, such as this one. And since then I haven't stopped collecting.

Why do you collect MLP in general?

They bring me joy. Some times I think I'm addicted and that there like a drug. But I guess the most important thing is to collect with moderation.

Does your family or friend group know about your hobby? What do they think?

Yes they know. My family and most of my friends. I know some laugh at me and they have even made fun of it in my face. They don't take it seriously until they find out the amount some ponies can go for. Some people only see the money.

Did you like ponies when you were a kid?

Yes. The toys I liked the most.

Do your ponies have sentimental value? Are there specific ones that stand out? (Probably things like childhood ones or grails etc)

Yes, they hold a great sentimental value. My childhood ponies are my little treasure. I have memories of how I got each one of them. I also have memories of the ponies I wanted I could never get. I remember when I got my first pony. Or the day my Pinwheel got her horn broken. I remember when and how I got my Galaxy and Fizzy. And all those christmas full of ponies.

I hope this helps!

[hathorcat]

What a great thing to write a paper on! And some really interesting answers

[Strawberry Swirl]

It's been fun reading all of your stories! Thanks everybody!!

[SwiftStar84]

I hope another reply won't hurty especially from a MLP Dad

What got you to start collecting in the first place?

Ok well as a kid I became fascinated with unicorns which led to pegasus and then horses. I started when I was 4 or 5. My grandma went to a yard sale and picked up Peachy for me. She was in poor shape with no tail and her hair was an uneven mohawk. It was all over the place but I love her any way. From there it just snowballed. I ended up getting Twinkler and Star Dancer from the Sparkle pony set later that year. From there I just looked for them at thrift stores and retail stores. I only distinctly recall getting the Dream Beauty Wind Walker and the sweetheart sister Flower Dream. Over the years I tried to watch the cartoon on TV when I could and certain ponies from the show or the first TV special always have stuck out to me. I was 13 when I first found Dream Valley and when I saw so many ponies, well I was floored.

    Why do you collect MLP in general? I collect ponies because each time I find a new one it brings memories back from an earlier time. Even if they weren't one I had as a kid they still bring that memory to me. As many as I have now I kinda look at them as an investment but at the same time I also just look over them and think of how proud I am to have got so many.
    Does your family or friend group know about your hobby? What do they think? Oh yes. My family knows. When I was a teenager they had a big issue with it. Mostly because they thought I was suffering from the Peter Pan syndrome. I wasn't I was just collecting. At that point in my life I would take them and comb their hair and then put them on the shelf. I wasn't taking them to school or anything like that. Now in more recent years my family has got over it. As for my friends they all know. I mean if they didn't they really can't call me a friend. Ponies have been a part of my life for the last 25 plus years. My partner knew about them and he hasn't complained. Not like he can as he's a Trekker. When we moved into our house he actually let me put some ponies in certain rooms in the house besides my toy room. Right now in our bathroom, the Windy and Summer Wing ponies are hanging out because the theme of the room is butterflies.

    Did you like ponies when you were a kid? Yes. I loved them. They were the toy I would try to get the most. A close second would be He-Man but ponies were always my favorite. I even rescued some my mom had bought for the play room she had for her daycare.

    Do your ponies have sentimental value? Are there specific ones that stand out? (Probably things like childhood ones or grails etc) Oh boy there are too many. I guess the first and most important is my childhood Peachy. I still have her and in my displays she has always had a prominent place in front of the others. I've had people ask about her and I always tell them she was my first.  Dream Beauty Wind Walker is another. She was one I had as a child. I remember my aunt buying her for me from Hill's and that memory always stuck out to me. I still remember getting her back in my collection a few years ago and I was so happy about it.  There's also the Sparkle Pony Twinkler.  She is one of my childhood ones and she went through a lot. I pulled out her tail, gave her a haircut and gave her a mud bath which lead to a very dirty inside. She went through so much but I always kept her. As an adult I kicked myself over putting her in the mud  and removing her tail. So I restored her. I managed to secure a tail for her and cleaned up her insides and she still sits on the shelf with my other sparkle ponies. And the last one is my personal favorite. And that is the mail order Star Hopper. When I first got online and found Dream Valley I saw Star Hopper and just lost it. She was gorgeous. A green unicorn with white hair... She was so beautiful. She was the first thing I bought on eBay and I was so excited when she got to my home and she to this day still has a prominent space in between the rest of the Sparkle Ponies.

[BabySunnybunch]

What got you to start collecting in the first place?
I had My Little Ponies as a child. I only had a few to be entirely honest, and most I did not buy new. I must've gotten them from cousins or at tag sales or something. Then in the 90s when they weren't being sold anymore, I started seeing them at Goodwill and tag sales. I started buying them as I saw them. I even had a volunteer at Goodwill save them for me when they came in. I joined the online communities in the late 90s and made my first pony eBay purchase around 1999-2000.

Why do you collect MLP in general?
I always joke because I'm not a big horse fan and I don't collect any other toys. But something about My Little Ponies is not only nostalgic for me, but I like that it's a well established community and Hasbro produced a product that is easily collectable (they came in sets, they spanned out over years, they weren't initially a collecting fad like beanie babies, etc).

Does your family or friend group know about your hobby? What do they think?
Oh gosh, everyone knows and has known for years! I always add this in to any of those "random facts about you" things, and I've flat out told people. I am only a G1 collector, and I try to make that well known because I know people would be tempted to get my G4 things (which I am really not familiar with). But my friends and family are so funny about it. Last week one of my friends posted an MLP thing on my Facebook wall. Everyone gets a kick out of it!

Did you like ponies when you were a kid?
Like I said above, if we're talking actual horses, nope. If we're talking MLPs, I had a few when I was a little kid, but started collecting when I was around 9 or 10 (this was in the mid 90s after G1s stopped selling and they started selling G2s).

Do your ponies have sentimental value? Are there specific ones that stand out? (Probably things like childhood ones or grails etc)
They literally all have sentimental value. I wished I had kept a detailed list of where every one came from. For a long time I was able to remember, but most of my ponies are in storage now and I have SO many I lost track. But I know who my original ponies were (Baby Bows always stands out), and I have a few favorites that I keep around. Baby Starflower I've always called my "lucky pony" and she came with me in my purse when I had an interview for work, exams for school, etc.
The toughest thing for me right now is that I don't have my ponies displayed or anything. I have literally hundreds of ponies neatly packed away. It's sad because I don't want to part with any of them because I am such a sentimental person, but I feel like they would be better appreciated by those who would display them. We'll see what happens.

Good luck in your class! Hope I'm not too late answering =)

[Sweet_Stuff]

Ohhhh.. I love asking and answering questions. haha. Journalism person here    I know I'm super late late to be included, but the topic is pretty awesome.  One of my speeches in college speech class was about '80s toys, and I wrote about vintage Strawberry Shortcake in a college journalism class... 
 

• What got you to start collecting in the first place?
My love of horses as a kid! My mom and grandma (her mom) would enjoying buying me ponies and pony stuff as presents...


• Why do you collect MLP in general?
It is a childhood toy turned adult hobby.  Kinda like what buttonso already said, they bring back happy memories for me....and I find brushing their hair and playing with them relaxing.


• Does your family or friend group know about your hobby? What do they think?
Yes, most of my friends in real life know that I collect '80s toys, including ponies... Some are surprised when they find out but think it's cool.. If they didn't think so, they haven't told me that to my face!  My mom actually encourages my hobby for the most part, and she even gets excited when I get and tell her about new additions to my herd..hehe..not quite as excited as me though.. My ex bfs thought I was .... weird.?  They didn't get it...


• Did you like ponies when you were a kid?
Yes, and I still do! I'm a big kid at heart.


• Do your ponies have sentimental value? Are there specific ones that stand out?
  (Probably things like childhood ones or grails etc)

Yes, all my childhood ponies are special to me in their own way.. In particular, long haired G1 Medley, because she is the first pony I got! Also, G1 TE Sweet Stuff. . . my grandma's nickname for me was "Sweetness" and she bought me that pony for my birthday one year...I love her coloring, symbol and name.  My grandma was a very special person to me growing up; we were super close...She passed away at a fairly young age from leukemia in 1992, and every time I look at /think of Sweet Stuff, I am reminded of her. 

Let us know how the assignment went! Can you post the finished copy?