Saw Thundercloud in a Child's Toy Box Today!!!

[icecreamgirl]

Today I was visiting a family at home through my work when I spotted some G1 ponies in the little girl's toy basket! I was so surprised to see Thundercloud!
I asked her Mum about him and she said they were her childhood ponies and she had the whole set of Mountain boys upstairs and her little girl plays with them in bath! 

[Jorgito93]

I understand that knowing rare ponies like them are being played with in those conditions is kinda hard when you are a collector, but before being rare ponies that collectors want, the mountain boys are toys after all.If a little girl is having fun with them i don't see any problems.But maybe you should stay in contact with the family if later in a couple of years the girl wants to get rid of her ponies.

[Taxel]

Did you give her mother a heads-up about the value of those ponies? Its one thing if they're just being played with, but bath toys are often discarded once they get too moldy and gross.

[Taffeta]

They're toys. I think it's lovely that the kid is playing with them and getting love and enjoyment from them so long after their original owner grew up. Also, possibly they were dear to the mother and that's why she's shared them with the child. It seems unlikely that a mother who knows what you were talking about, knew she had the whole set and kept them for her daughter is going to toss them out without proper consideration.

All the ponies we collect now survived childhoods - ours or someone else's. It's not like this kid is the first to ever play with them in the bath.

I think it's fine like this. It doesn't matter what the ponies are. They were for the kids first.

[NovelNerd]

Agreeing with others. Ponies are toys and to still be loved by a child is an amazing thing since most of them just end up at garage sales or on eBay to bring in a buck. It's nice a child is enjoying those older ponies. They were meant to be used and loved.

[LadyMoondancer]

That's hard to see as a collector, but I think it's sweet that the mother passed her childhood toys along to her kid.

I might warn her about the possibility of the ponies getting interior rust or mildew from being in the bath, though.

[okamigirl64]

Situations like this always reminds me of Toy Story 2.  As a collector, you tend to see something as it's value in terms of either money or rarity. However, you just have to remember that they are in fact toys, and the value of seeing someone happily playing with an old toy is worth much more than the value on eBay. 

[Jorgito93]

Situations like this always reminds me of Toy Story 2.  As a collector, you tend to see something as it's value in terms of either money or rarity. However, you just have to remember that they are in fact toys, and the value of seeing someone happily playing with an old toy is worth much more than the value on eBay. 

Please no, don't make me want to listen to When She Loved Me again, i don't have anything to wipe my tears.
Your last sentence is so beautiful and true.

[SunbeamV]

While I think it's great that old toys are still being loved and played with by kids since they're toys first and foremost, I think there's also valid reason to be concerned about it? 30+ year old toys don't match up to today's safety standards regarding chemicals and I'd be concerned about undesirable things leeching out of the ponies from age related breakdown or heavy play wear and tear and onto the skin of a smaller, more vulnerable human.

[daffodil101]

Eek, what a mixed feeling!  I felt like that when my sister said she was going to give her MIB Hip Hop pony to her little girl to open.  (Hasn't done it yet... there's still hope!)  It's sort of hard to see, but at the same time it's lovely that a little girl adores them.  And it's always possible to restore ponies.  The mum obviously knows what they are, so if she doesn't hang onto them it's likely they'll turn up on ebay one day.

Of course you never know-- the little girl might become a collector herself when she gets older, especially since they've been passed on through her family  

Post Merge: April 19, 2016, 05:15:43 PM

While I think it's great that old toys are still being loved and played with by kids since they're toys first and foremost, I think there's also valid reason to be concerned about it? 30+ year old toys don't match up to today's safety standards regarding chemicals and I'd be concerned about undesirable things leeching out of the ponies from age related breakdown or heavy play wear and tear and onto the skin of a smaller, more vulnerable human.

Wow, I've never thought about this.  Sort of a horrible thought!  Has anyone ever looked into this or done any testing/research?

[Big_Brother_Bufftusk]

Situations like this always reminds me of Toy Story 2.  As a collector, you tend to see something as it's value in terms of either money or rarity. However, you just have to remember that they are in fact toys, and the value of seeing someone happily playing with an old toy is worth much more than the value on eBay. 

Please no, don't make me want to listen to When She Loved Me again, i don't have anything to wipe my tears.
Your last sentence is so beautiful and true.

...Thinking of that scene totally shut the collector in me up *lol* yea, they're meant to be enjoyed, valuable or not.

[Tiggums6]

when I was at my daughter's preschool a couple of weeks ago I noticed a mummy and baby Meadowsweet with the G3 ponies, so interesting seeing where ponies pop up.

[Leave a Whisper]

They're toys. I think it's lovely that the kid is playing with them and getting love and enjoyment from them so long after their original owner grew up. Also, possibly they were dear to the mother and that's why she's shared them with the child. It seems unlikely that a mother who knows what you were talking about, knew she had the whole set and kept them for her daughter is going to toss them out without proper consideration.

All the ponies we collect now survived childhoods - ours or someone else's. It's not like this kid is the first to ever play with them in the bath.

I think it's fine like this. It doesn't matter what the ponies are. They were for the kids first.

Took the words right outta my mouth. They are toys first and foremost, they are sturdy and a much beloved gift passed down from  a mom who was saving them for her own kids.

I passed down my childhood Littlefoot to my daughter, so that she could have adventures with him too.

[Mermaid]

Oy! Mixed feelings too! While I understand that they are toys, it'd still make me go crazy! Haha! I would have left my number and been like "when she outgrows them please let me know if you'd like to sell!"

[icecreamgirl]

Oy! Mixed feelings too! While I understand that they are toys, it'd still make me go crazy! Haha! I would have left my number and been like "when she outgrows them please let me know if you'd like to sell!"

Yep that's kind of how I felt! I did tell her they would be worth some money and I know they struggle a bit financially, but she said as they were her childhood ponies she wouldn't want to sell - which I can totally relate to as I would never sell mine, they are worth more than any money to me. Then she went on to say that maybe when her little girl had outgrown them but they would probably only be fit for the bin by that point!