Hi collectors local to Alabama! I come with some great news- a local collector has opened up a shop that sells ponies for $0.50 to $2, and my haul from yesterday was MASSIVE, with tons of rare finds including 2-3 Big Brothers, a Sweetheart Sister, several Year 10+s, a 25th anni repro Cotton Candy, and some Twinkle-Eyes (the entire Sundae Best set was there too, but I didn't get any of them)! I NEEDED to recommend this place!
In the Lorna Brook Village shopping mall next to Lorna Rd, there's a place called "Nostalgia" (or "Nostalgia Toys", my memory escapes me) that's next to the Mexican restaurant. It's run by a very sweet woman who is a recovering hoarder and her kid. They were so kind to us!
This place has waaay more than just ponies. You can find anything in there- Disney, Care Bears, Barbie, Pokemon, Garfield, hell this place has dedicated areas for everything! Dolls, plush, you name it! Their oldest stuff is from the 50s.
So if you're nearby, definitely swing by! I know I wiped out most of their pony inventory yesterday, but if you're a collector who isn't picky about condition or isn't afraid of lots of restoring they're great. There are some perfectly mint condition ponies though- one of the Talk-a-Lots was GORGEOUS and her hair was so so soft.
The owner specifically stated she doesn't sell for Ebay prices so that it's easier for local, small, and/or beginning collectors to pick up some of the rarer ones. My haul that was probably worth over $500 (at least $150 with those Big Brothers alone) rang up as $200. They also buy, so if you have doubles, they're likely a good place to go!
10/10 would stop by again!