Do You Care Where They Go?

[kasin]

When you sell or trade a pony (or any toy really) do you care where it goes or what happens to it?

I was looking at a collection brag of someone I'd traded with a while back and saw a pony I'd sent her on display in the background. It was not a high value pony and had been unappreciated in a cabnet at my home for a long time so it really felt good to see it loved.

It has me thinking, how much do you care about where your sold or traded ponies go. How much is about getting top value and how much is about knowing your pony will be enjoyed? When you see collection photos from people you have sold to do you look for the pony you sent them?

As a buyer, do you take special care of ponies you know came from a special collection or know the seller cared about?

[Leave a Whisper]

In a sense. I love making people happy with something they want, but once they're there its outta my hands.

[Einhornbaby]

I totally care
If I recieve a pony from someone I know that cares for as I do, I will appreciate it even more <3

That all started when I was a new collector in 2004. Someone traded me their childhood Fizzy out of kindness sinc I really wanted one. She had some spots and the hair was super crazy but, ... she was my grail and I was happy to have her. One day then I found a way more decent Fizzy and was about to replace the old one but I still had in mind that the old one was loved so much by her former owner, so I didnt take it lightly to get rid of her.
Some time later I met another collector from my area and when she visited me she asked me about the old Fizzy. Since she had an (for me back then) enormous collection I almost could not believe that she had no Fizzy and happily gave old Fizzy to her believing she would be more appreciated there. When I then visited said collector at home a few weeks later I found old Fizzy on her desk... headless. The head shaved and glued on a ponys body that didnt fit it. I was shocked and asked her what happened... the answer was "Yeah, I wanted to make a custom. It didnt work, ill throw that out next time I clean my desk." Old Fizzy had been destroyed for nothing. I was soo sad her for. Sadly there was nothing left to do, the body and head were already hairless, some color had been tested on the pieces and the head was full of glue. Back then I was unable to fix that. I learned from that story...

Today I sometimes get pretty attached to certain ponies and try my best to get them to live with collectors that appreciate them or at least dont destroy them. I of course try to act like an adult (lol) and I keep telling myself that once they are out of my hands, the new owner can do what they want. Though it makes me happy to see them in their new homes <3

[SkyCakes]

I do care where a pony goes. However once it leaves my hands there is nothing I really can do about it. I just wish the pony luck and let it go on its way. I am just happy it goes to another collector.

[Strandperle]

What a sad story, Einhornbaby! Poor Fizzy

I try to sell to collectors only, because in my opinion G1 ponies in a really good shape shouldn't be played with but one time I sold two G1 to a mother who gave them to her daughter. Some days later she sent me a photo of her sleeping daughter who had taken her two new ponies in to bed with her so cute <3 it certainly makes me happy that they are so well loved in their new home.

[Leave a Whisper]

Oh! That poor Fizzy!

Post Merge: November 20, 2016, 12:13:50 PM

What a sad story, Einhornbaby! Poor Fizzy

I try to sell to collectors only, because in my opinion G1 ponies in a really good shape shouldn't be played with but one time I sold two G1 to a mother who gave them to her daughter. Some days later she sent me a photo of her sleeping daughter who had taken her two new ponies in to bed with her so cute <3 it certainly makes me happy that they are so well loved in their new home.

Aww!

[Ponyfan]

A couple of times I've had sellers ask me for a photo of the pony in their new home to make sure the pony was going to be loved. Here is a photo I took when Bubbles arrived.

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Ponyfan

[Tulips]

I don't sell often so I've never really thought about it, but I guess I care that any ponies I pass on will be cared for and loved in their new homes.

I did once buy a G2 though that came with a surprise though. The seller sent a little handmade book with a story about the pony's past and blank pages to continue its story on if I ever were to sell it. It was pretty sweet

[Artemesia's Garden]

When a pony comes to me, it's identity is primarily about it's MLP character, not the object itself or the setting of the previous collection.  The characters and stories are the most important to me, not individual ponies.  But I do also care about all ponies as objects, hence why I have a small armies of some characters because I can't decide on just one to keep based on the condition.  I look after them in the way that I think most people would appreciate because I am unlikely to be the last owner. 

When they move on I do try to get the best value whilst being completely honest, simply because my financial situation isn't brilliant and I do a low paid job plus voluntary work, so any extra money is much appreciated.  It is nice to know that the next person loves the pony and will take good care of it, and I do appreciate the odd email or picture that someone sent to show me the pony in it's new home or to say how happy they are with their purchase. 

I haven't had to deal with anyone with buyer's remorse because I don't own expensive ponies that someone might seriously overspend on, and on the other hand I rarely have to worry about selling for a throw away price to someone who may not appreciate the object because I tend to only sell G1s in reasonable condition.  Most of the G3s and G4s I've bought have been in great condition and I've not needed to upgrade them or if I have I tend to just donate the old one to the charity shop over the road.  I understand that means they will probably be played with.  But according to Toy Story, that's a good thing, right? 

[Khayman81]

I always try to tell the seller how they got here and that they will be loved. Some of them don't really care. Others love to know how they are now. I have some duplicates that will go to my mother since she loves them and it will be a wonderful Christmas  gift for her.

[Taffeta]

Almost wish I hadn't read your post, Einhornbaby. That's really upsetting!

I don't know how many ponies I have sold and traded over the years. I suspect we're in the range of about a thousand or maybe more which is quite terrifying really. I can't possibly remember or care about the destinations of all of them. But there are some that I do.

Ones I've acquired as a lot from someone knowing they're a childhood collection...that is a biggie. Recently this happened, when I bought two or three lots from someone who clearly had loved their ponies a lot, and they said thank you to me for giving them a new home. Well, some of the ponies stayed with me, and those who didn't I worked very hard to find the right homes for because I wanted them to be in a place they would still be loved. I felt I'd been entrusted with them to do that. I think all of those found homes at the Arena. I still have Tug and his accessories here, though, as well as Dancing Butterflies and her backcard, as I don't want to put them on ebay. I want them to go to collectors and be valued.

Going back more years, when a local collector's parents split up, her Dad threw her and her mother out and sold the collection behind their back at the local carboot sale. I do not know if it was with the girl's knowledge or not, but the collection in  many ways had been more her mother's. She wasn't allowed to play with many of them, but the one she was always playing with when we went over there was a really battered up Truly. She had a bunch of ponies from the US and most of them were mint condition, but this Truly was not. She's threadbare. A lot of this collector's ponies now live in our collection, even more were traded across the world in 1998 and 1999 and I'd be fascinated to know now where all those ponies were, since I know at least one collector who had many of them has since had their collection dispersed.

Truly, however, didn't go anywhere. She lives here, with me. She is the guardian of my Flutter and So Soft Cabinet. She lives atop it, making sure everyone inside is safe and sound. Truly was loved by that little girl, even if the other ponies she had weren't able to be. So even though both my sister and I now have nice, minty Trulys, this one isn't going anywhere.

When I get a new pony in, I like to think about the life they might have had before. It's exciting when they come from another country, and you know they were played with by children who maybe spoke a different language, or took them to see things that I've not seen. Toys carry memories with them, so I think that sometimes it's nice to remember that, even if they can't tell us all the experiences they've had and the places they've been to.

Years ago I had a friend who went by the name of Pillow Talk. I don't know if anyone else remembers her, but she was lovely and we did a lot of trading. In one trade she sent along a couple of stowaways - Rattles and Tattles with hair cuts. She sent a note with them to say they had run away to start a new life somewhere that they'd be loved. I have since bought Rattles and Tattles in mint condition, with their box and all accessories. But the ones that live with my loose newborn twins on the baby shelf are the haircut pair. Because they were entrusted to me a long time ago by someone I no longer have contact with. And they stowed away to England for a better life...so that's how I consider them

So I like to find my ponies nice homes. I really like to find them homes here, if I can. But I can't say it's happened for every single one like that. I just know that if I have ponies from a childhood collection to sell, and I know that they were loved before, I like to try and make sure they stay loved.

Oh, one more example. I sold Baby Drummer to someone on here who lives a long way from where I live. This Drummer used to live atop my parents' bookcase. Years ago they accumulated odd ponies they liked and they lived there, for years and years, till last year when my parents decided they wanted to part with some of them. I was entrusted to find them new homes. I was very happy with Drummer's new home. Not only did he get to go to someone who really loved him, he got to go to the other side of the world, too. That deal made me really happy.

Selling ponies for good money is nice, but if that's all you do, you'd be a dealer. I think as a collector you can't help but think about it from the other side as well. I certainly remember where most of my ponies came from, and which ones can't be parted with because they were gifts, even if I upgraded them.

[Taxel]

I do care where a pony goes. However once it leaves my hands there is nothing I really can do about it. I just wish the pony luck and let it go on its way. I am just happy it goes to another collector.

This is pretty much my feelings. I love when I see photos of ponies in their new homes and will generally avoid serial resellers but whatever happens happens. I only get upset if someone lies about how much they want the thing and then resell/trade it immediately because its incredibly rude.

However I also think the community's definition of "bait" is way too loose and ends up with far more destroyed G1s than necessary for customizing, rehairing, etc. G1s are not an infinite resource and I take the preservation part of collecting very seriously. I will not sell "baity" ponies because I know that odds are they'll end up destroyed.

Lastly, I'll only sell to collectors. Children should NOT be playing with toys from the 80s or earlier; its dangerous because of different safety standards and because plastic breaks down over time.

[Snapdragon]

I care too much!!! It's what makes it hard for me to sell!! Sure, they may sit in bins, but I pull them out and play with them from time to time, and I worry that the rougher, more common ponies in my sales pile might end up baited! (Which is ironic, since I'm also a customizer who baits ponies, but I tend to have a very high threshhold for what makes a bait, so I have a lot of not-mint ponies lying around waiting to be sold!)

[Shy Violet]

That's heart breaking Einhornbaby! That would upset me too!

I care but I've never asked. I don't sell a ton of ponies anyway. I have a hard time letting go of my doubles. I also like to keep collections together and have a hard time splitting them up.

I did buy a NBBE Baby Halfnote that was missing her tail on ebay this summer. The seller was very specific in the description that they wanted her to go to a loving collection and not get baited. I will be giving her a new tail one of these days and then she will have a special place in my collection. It means a lot to me that someone was concerned about what would happen to their pony and I intend to give her a good home.

[scarletjul]

I tend to only sell here, so I assume that every pony I sell goes to a good home. 

That said, awhile back, I got a friend into collecting and would sell her all of my double g3s.  Then, without telling me, she decided she was no longer into g3s and turned around and re-sold them at a garage sale. I was very surprised; I wished she would have told me in advance.  I told her I would have gladly bought them back - and I would do the same if she ever got rid of her g1s.