The first thought I had this morning-

[Leave a Whisper]

i would keep the pony sorry but most kids wreck stuff in my experience i have seen kids come in the shop where i work ( charity shop ) and grab a porcelain doll out of the toy basket and throw it and it broke  and the mum did nothing just walked out didn't even give us a donation for what the little crap broke !!!!

What a terrible pair! I would have made her pay for it. You break you buy! You don't like it then teach your brat to behave!

[Shabi]

I may sound heartless but I wouldn't give it away to anyone. Those small things like super rare ponies in thrift shops are a way this cruel life repays it's debt to me.

[Prince Primbrose]

I would be surprised if that ever happened- me finding G1s in the wild, that is. Anyway, all the kids I run into toy hunting are either very quiet and shy, or excited to see a "big kid" in the toy section.

But  if that situation did arise, I'm not sure how I would handle it... I'm a pushover sometimes. But I would also hate to give up something that I wanted... I guess I might have to make up my fake niece and pretend I'm buying the toy "for her" lol. First come first serve IS the law of the land.

I'm now imagining the reverse situation- what if I walked into a thrift shop and a little kid had a mint Rapunzel in hand... I would cry. Just a little.

[Shabi]

If I saw a kid with a rare pony in hand I'd trick them into having something else instead of that "boring old girly thing" or just bribe them

[Shy Violet]

I would totally keep it. It's a vintage item and a collectable. There are other toys in the thrift store that the child could enjoy just as much without risking a valuable item getting ruined. My own kids are pretty good with their toys because I have drilled into them to take good care of their things but I don't know any other kids (friends kids, family members or school friends) that take the same care and consideration. Most kids treat their toys as disposable and don't bother to take good care of them. So I would feel better keeping it or giving it up to another collector before giving it up to some strange kid that is wanting an item from my cart.

With that said, I think I am a pretty nice person and I gave up a hard to find Skylander once in Walmart because a little boy came in with his birthday money, all excited for a new skylander and there were only a few and he already had them. I overheard as I was walking out of electronics and asked him if he had the one in my cart. He didn't so I gave it to him to buy. So I can't be completely heartless, lol. I think for me the deciding factor is the value of the toy as a vintage collectable.

Post Merge: April 15, 2017, 09:57:08 PM

[quote author=Prince Primbrose link=topic=385765.msg1635098#msg1635098 date=1492300266
I'm now imagining the reverse situation- what if I walked into a thrift shop and a little kid had a mint Rapunzel in hand... I would cry. Just a little.
[/quote]

I have thought of this and I make sure I always have cash on hand so I could try bribing them to let me buy it instead.  Hopefully it never comes to that because I don't know if I'd have the nerve to do that but it would haunt me for life.

[scarletjul]

  Sorry, no, I'd keep it. 

Sure, there's a chance the kid would love and adore it.  But who's to say that I don't love [Mimic/Rapunzel/Tornado] just as much? 

[Carrehz]

Those small things like super rare ponies in thrift shops are a way this cruel life repays it's debt to me.

I love this.

[Strawberry Swirl]

most kids wreck stuff in my experience i have seen kids come in the shop where i work ( charity shop ) and grab a porcelain doll out of the toy basket and throw it and it broke  and the mum did nothing just walked out didn't even give us a donation for what the little crap broke !!!!

Goodness, I can't even imagine running into a parent that lets their kid break store merchandise...I'm a wimp and terrified of confrontation, but ho boy, I don't know if I could keep that up if I saw that.

Those small things like super rare ponies in thrift shops are a way this cruel life repays it's debt to me.

#Relatable

[northstar3184]

I'd probably buy it. While there are exceptions, kids interests in most things tend to change. And a couple years from now (or more frequently in much less time), the kid would no longer care about the pony. Unless of course they're a future collector in the making.

Although with my luck the incident would be a replay of one I had was 9 or 10. I'd picked up a unicorn at a yard sale (it was a cheap rubber one with molded hair, not an MLP). I took it to my mother to buy, and the guy having the sale walked over to me, took the unicorn out of my hand, and said it had already been sold.  Then, he put it back in the pile of stuff for sale.


It was bizarre.

[lostpony]

When we are old that kids gonna be running this place and have the largest army of every G1 and we wont be able to afford any of them anymore ecause he had a bad experience once that drove him absolutely pony-hoarding mad.

I understand the problem...a guy picked up a $3 buildabear twilight sparkle at a thrift store seconds ahead of me and i small talked him about it to see if he was going to really buy it or not (often things just get left elsewhere in the store) and even though he explained his daughter loves my little pony and i already have 5 of them i still felt hunger and greed and i'm just awful.

Confronted with the actual kid is much worse. I would absolutely greedily keep my pony but i'd also try to offer the kid something else to satisfy him/her either that i had or could buy in the store. I'd try very hard to avoid feeling real bad about it later...especially if the kid was well behaved and a good sport, i'd try to bribe him with som g3s (less toxic) or generic stuff or even a modest shopping spree because i'd never want to mess up a childs experiences or my own.

But its also true that first come, first served and if the kid was cranky about it i wouldnt reward that behavior.

Yes, if it came down it i'd play the lead/plasticizer card but in truth its MINE. Back! Hissssssss

I hate that when i trawl thrift i'm competing with kids and it's hard to think about. Maybe i should stop scooping up all the horses. Its dog eat dog out there.

Post Merge: April 16, 2017, 09:26:18 PM

I'd probably buy it. While there are exceptions, kids interests in most things tend to change. And a couple years from now (or more frequently in much less time), the kid would no longer care about the pony. Unless of course they're a future collector in the making.

Although with my luck the incident would be a replay of one I had was 9 or 10. I'd picked up a unicorn at a yard sale (it was a cheap rubber one with molded hair, not an MLP). I took it to my mother to buy, and the guy having the sale walked over to me, took the unicorn out of my hand, and said it had already been sold.  Then, he put it back in the pile of stuff for sale.


It was bizarre.

I hope you kicked that creep in the shins real hard.

[northstar3184]

I hope you kicked that creep in the shins real hard.

LMAO. I was too stunned to do anything, especially when I saw him put the unicorn right back with all the other toys for sale. But in that scenario I was the hypothetical kid.

[lostpony]

Exactly why i wrestle with this scenario. Im still that little kid except the real little kid lacks the opportunity to haunt the store like i do and its not a level playing field.

[biancaferrando]

Depends on the vibe the kid gives me, if I feel like I am dealing with a spoiled little thing, I'd keep it, if the kid looks genuinely nice and truly interested, I would let them have it. If the pony is already in my basket/cart, I keep it, it is already annoying as it is that a kid looked for toys in my pile to begin with.
For me sadly, if a kid doesn't yell, is polite and respectful, they got me... I cannot say no to kids like that, almost whatever the circumstances. If they are so well educated and went as far as asking something I may even have in my pile, they probably really care about it. It is all about the specifics of the situation though...

[Sunset]

If I had the pony in my hands or in my basket unless an adult came over and demanded that I give the pony to their child I would keep it.


Ponyfan

If an adult came over to me and demanded that I give over something I had found first, I would refuse just on principle.  An adult demanding something like that is ten times worse than a child begging for something because the adult should know better and they are setting a bad example to the kid.

For me 1st come 1st serve.  And most kids have a short attention span.  There are plenty of toys they can play with today and throw away tomorrow other than a particular toy that is sought after as a collectible.

[DazzleKitty]

I'm selfish. If I found it first, I would keep it. I would just lie and say it's for my sick little sister or something (which is a lie).

Besides, I guarantee, I will appreciate that pony a lot longer than that kid will. I don't want to sound harsh, but remembering myself as a kid, I got tired of one toy fast and went to another.