This week I interviewed my fellow Mod and genuinely nice person, SnorkMaiden!
Personal Interview-Where did you get your user name? Snork Maiden is a character from the "Moomin" books by Finnish writer Tove Jannson. When I was looking for a user name for another forum, I was going to go for Little My, another character from the books, but that name was taken, so I chose Snork Maiden instead. Snork Maiden is not as close to me in character as Little My, as she can be a bit flighty and vain, but she's a loyal friend and can be very brave if her friends need her, and that's what I like about her.
How old are you? I'm in my late thirties.
Do you go to school or work? Work
What are your hobbies? I started horseback riding again last year, and I love it, both the riding itself and just being with the horses. I also love reading, singing, car-boot sales and going for long walks. Oh, and travelling!
Do you have any pets? Not at present, but my mum has a lovely dachshund who's got a special place in my heart.
What do you like/dislike about yourself? I like it that I'm persistent (some might call it stubborn!) and get things done.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? That's a tough question. There are so many lovely places out there. I've lived in London in the past, which is a great city, and now I live in Brussels, which is also very nice, but in a different way.
Do you collect anything other than ponies? Books!
Ponies-How long have you been collecting ponies? I started back in the 80s, when I was a child. I stopped as a teenager, but I'd still pick up a pony if I saw one at a car-boot sale, and thankfully, my mum kept all my childhood ponies, so when I started collecting again in my 20s, they were waiting for me. I'm not actively collecting anymore, but, like before, I'll buy the odd pony at a car-boot sale or in a charity shop.
Why did you start collecting ponies? They were one of my favourite childhood toys.
Who is your favorite pony and why? G1 Bubbles. I like the sitting pose, and Bubbles was the first pony in that pose that I owned. I've even taken her on holiday with me, taking pictures of her in various locations.
Who is your least favorite pony and why? I'm not a big fan of the G1 Beddy Bye Eye Ponies. Like many people, I find the eyes a bit creepy.
Who is your favorite pony from another country? I love all the Mexican Baby Ponies. They're just so cute.
Who is your favorite fakie? There were a bunch of fakies that I had as a child. They looked a little like my G1s, and they were allowed to play together. I didn't discriminate.
Who was your first pony? I don't remember, but I know I had the Show Stable fairly early, so it might have been Lemon Drop.
What pony did you get recently? Shortly before Christmas, I found G1 Firefly in a German charity shop.
What is your favorite generation? G1, hands down. It's both the nostalgia factor and the fact that the ponies most closely look like real ponies.
What is your favorite part about collecting? I don't actively collect anymore, but I love that through collecting, I got to know so many nice people all over the world.
How big is your collection? I've never counted all my ponies, but I'd say upwards of 500.
What do your friends and family think about your collection? They're cool with it.
Do you still play with your ponies? Not really, but if I drop one, I'll say "Sorry!"
What rare or popular pony makes you ask why!? I got G1 Mimic as part of a friend's childhood collection. I like her well enough, she's a pretty pony, but I really don't understand why she's so coveted.
If you had to have a pony symbol tattooed on your butt, which would you pick and why? Probably the cloud and sun symbol of my avatar, Hope. That said, I'm far too sensitive to pain to ever get a tattoo.
What has been the worst part about collecting? Running out of space!
What is your ultimate collecting goal? I don't really have collecting goals anymore, but if I ever found a Pretty Pony at a car-boot sale, that would be really cool.
What is your biggest collecting accomplishment? Despite not spending a lot of money on ponies, I have a fairly extensive collection. That's partly simply because I grew up in Germany, where many ponies that are sought after in other countries were just the standard ponies you could buy everywhere, partly due to luck at finding rare ponies at car-boot sales and in charity shops, and partly because I was lucky enough to take over two friends' childhood collections.
What is your biggest collecting regret? I don't think I've got one, except maybe breaking off all my Flutter Ponies' wings when I was little? I don't think I was particularly clumsy; they were just too fragile for children's hands.
Who is your grail pony and why? I haven't got one.
Do you prefer loose or MIP ponies? Loose
Quick! Close your eyes and grab a pony! Who did you get? Sorry, I haven't got any ponies within reach at the moment.
Are you a customizer? No. I'm not a very crafty person.
What do you think of custom ponies? I love looking at other people's creations. I think it's a wonderful way to express one's creativity.
What are acceptable and unacceptable pony flaws, in your opinion? I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to pony flaws. The only thing I cannot stand is a strong odour of cigarettes - I just dislike the smell.
Would you rather have a bait pony or a fakie? Either - it depends on the pony.
Do you watch pony shows/movies? I watched the G1 cartoons as a child and still think they're very cute. I watched some of the G3 and G4 cartoons and the new movie and liked them well enough. In terms of other horse shows, I've watched some episodes of "Wendy" and "The Saddle Club" (though I much prefer the "Saddle Club" books to the show).
Do you read pony comics? I used to read the G1 comics, which are just adorable.
What is the worst thing you've ever done to a pony? I've always been very careful with my ponies, but there might have been one or two times when I was cleaning one and got a little carried away, taking off a bit of the symbol.
Fill in the blank!"I wish Hasbro would finally make of the G1 that were only every created as drawings, but never produced as toys."
"When I was new to ponies I didn't know that Italians are considered rare in other countries. In Germany, you got them all over the place."
"I think the most underappreciated pony is G1 Floater because not everyone could pull off such a name with so much style!"
"I think more ponies should have fins - I love the Sea Ponies!"
"I don't like the idea that ponies are only for kids / only for girls because ponies are for everyone to enjoy!"
"I love G1 Adult Sea Ponies because they've got such soulful eyes and such a cute expression on their faces"
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