mint vs. loose

[Khayman81]

I'd never detox a MOC that I was planning to sell later.  but if she's a grail,  and I'm just gonna keep her,  shes all mine!!  out the box you go

Exactly, if she's common she goes next, but if she's not, then she goes outside to have fun...
Sometimes I wonder if there was a Mimic like that, what would I do, keep her or resell her and buy something else.... hard question actually.

[Twilight Pink]

Loose. I like playing with my ponies  not just looking at em.

[Chelsea7]

Definitely loose, but someday when I get an MIB I doubt I'll take it out considering value alone.

I think the biggest thing holding me back from buying an MIB (specifically G1) is fear of age marks appearing on the pony inside the bubble. Then you have no idea whether to leave it in the box or take it out to avoid further damage

[SkyCakes]

All my boys and girls are loose. I perfer it that way. I dont mind mint or just good condition ponies. Though that is the way I like them. I have a few ponies in boxes not very much. In my own personal opinion. I think if it was in a box damaged I would still leave it. I wouldn't chance taking it out.

[cannibalism]

I'd never detox a MOC that I was planning to sell later.  but if she's a grail,  and I'm just gonna keep her,  shes all mine!!  out the box you go

Exactly, if she's common she goes next, but if she's not, then she goes outside to have fun...
Sometimes I wonder if there was a Mimic like that, what would I do, keep her or resell her and buy something else.... hard question actually.

that is a tough question.  I'd probably keep he rin box if I found her...and sell her when I really need money.

[Taffeta]

Bad topic of conversation. Ultimately usually ends up really heated.

I keep old ponies mip. There are only so many left. If I ever wanted to part with them I'd sell them on to another MIP collector. Just because there are limited supplies, I feel very much that those should be protected as they are in the community for collecting as time goes on. We don't need more loose Cotton Candys and the reality is that deboxing in the past has put up prices in the present.

In terms of newer ponies, they're in production so I don't feel any issue about them coming out of packages. I only really feel strongly about G1 because of the real limited number that remain to us now.

And that is all I am saying, because this is a bad subject.

[cannibalism]

Bad topic of conversation. Ultimately usually ends up really heated.

I keep old ponies mip. There are only so many left. If I ever wanted to part with them I'd sell them on to another MIP collector. Just because there are limited supplies, I feel very much that those should be protected as they are in the community for collecting as time goes on. We don't need more loose Cotton Candys and the reality is that deboxing in the past has put up prices in the present.

In terms of newer ponies, they're in production so I don't feel any issue about them coming out of packages. I only really feel strongly about G1 because of the real limited number that remain to us now.

And that is all I am saying, because this is a bad subject.

im not trying to stir anything up. I was just genuinely curious about all points of interest.

[Taxel]

Mint and MIB are very, very different things.

I mainly collect G1. I would never, ever open a MIB, mint in box, or MOC, mint on card, pony unless there was severe damage to the card/box (literally falling apart, not a tiny rip/tear/etc) or it was damaging the pony (mold, stains, wet, burned). I don't think there is ANY reason to open a MIB/MOC G1 aside from those.

However I don't see much point in leaving ponies mint in bag. Bags are damaging in a way and really don't contribute anything to the looks of the pony. In fact, bags make ponies look terrible imo. I bought a bagged November Chrysanthemum to open years ago and it was a wonderful experience (and before anyone jumps on me she's the only G1 I ever plan to open), but the bag hurt her. She has small stains and marks from rubbing up against her card for decades. Her hair is an absolute nightmare (still untouched years later because its so bad). If I got another bagged pony I'd just sell it on to a mint in bag collector but gosh, do I hate those bags.

G2 is the same for me but I don't think any came in bags that I'm aware of? So I'd just leave all G2s alone. G3s are getting to the point where I wouldn't personally want to open them but if someone else did I wouldn't be upset or anything. I've never seen a MIB G3.5 so I wouldn't open one of those. As for G4, I don't care. They're current and their packaging isn't all that pretty and/or they don't look great (what happened to factory curl Hasbro?) so I don't care at all. If I get G4s they're always opened.

[archidraca]

I have a MIB G2 pair and a Mint G2 with mostly intact packaging boy. I have reams of MIB/MOC G3s. I was in a kind of "gotta catch 'em all" mode when I started collecting them. I wish I had any of the packaging from my G1 herd. I'd likely never open a G1. Most ponies that I truly want to collect I have a shelf-double for my own need to touch my ponies (as the pocketbook allows, of course).

I say, you bought it it's your option.

[Sparkle Pony]

I will say, G2s look lovely MIP!  That's the generation that I most understand wanting to collect in package for.

[Shy Violet]

I collect loose G1's because I like to touch my ponies, style them, display them etc. I have 1 MOC Argie and she is staying MOC. I don't actively seek MIB or MOC but if I get any more I will keep them that way. I also believe that they are in such limited supply I would never want to decard a G1 unless there was a serious problem like mold inside the card. If I wanted that pony loose, I would buy her loose and not MOC. I do care about the community as a whole so I'd hate to remove one more MOC pony from circulation. Even if I never plan on selling, when I pass away I want my collection to go on to other collectors.

For G4 I debox because like I said, I like them out to display and touch. I've kept a few rare ones like Starswirl and Rainbow Flash MIB because I have a hard time deboxing such rare and expensive ponies. Everyone else gets to come out.


Edit: I'm not sure if the original question is do people prefer to collect MOC vs Loose ponies? Or do people keep their ponies MOC vs debox them? This might steer how this thread goes because these topics do get heated.   

[telelle_wings]

I want loose ponies because I want to be able to touch them and display them easily.

I did however buy MIB my little kitties and puppies and open the packages, years ago. Long story of losing my collection as a child, then losing an auction for the set, and then winning an auction but the figures had sharpie on them. So then I got the MIB versions so that I would have absolutely perfect figures. I opened the packages halfway so that I could take them out and photograph them and I actually keep them stored in their halfway opened packages. I do feel guilt over it but I will never sell them so it really doesn't matter... I would also never attempt to re-sell them as MIBs.

[cannibalism]

im surprised at how many "i like to hold them" comments are being made. i love it!

[telelle_wings]

im surprised at how many "i like to hold them" comments are being made. i love it!

Yeah, as I was typing it on my reply I was hoping no one would take it a weird direction. lol  You know how cats like to rub their cheeks on things they like or want to make theirs? It's like that. hahahahaha

[josiekat]

If I buy a pony MIB  then that is how they stay. If it is a G1, then I definitely do not open. Though I wouldn't tell someone they were wrong for opening theirs.....even though it would horrify me. lol