Applejack is One Popular Pony (and Photo)

I'm (obviously) a HUGE fan of all things My Little Pony and articles, photos, and other random Pony related news appear on my new feed daily. When an artist's project from Purple Clover showed up on my feed this evening, I was delighted to see the that My Little Pony was included. The project is entitled: Toy Story: The Later Years and shows depictions of how the artist imagines classic toys would appear if they aged, along with a short description of their current state. The creator of the project included not just any pony, but one of my favorites, Applejack. While viewing the artist's My Little Pony creation, I noticed that there was something familiar about the edited image. The base picture with which the Pony entry was created, was done using my photograph of Applejack that appears in both The My Little Pony G1 Collector's Inventory book as well as in an online article on About.com on my collection that includes photographs of some of my collection items.

Here is my original photograph:

 Here is the altered artist's photo using my photo as a base:

I'll admit that I find the artist's project to be a fun interpretation and an entertaining read, but I was surprised that no credit was given to the original photo image. I assume that since the Pony photo was used without credit that there is a possibility that the other images are also used without permission or credit given.  I'm flattered that someone liked my photo enough to copy it and use it, but at the same time I'm a little surprised that it wasn't credited or linked back or something...

What would your response be if you were in my shoes? Would you contact the artist or website?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Yesterday, as I was moving Pony stuff around in the basement (as part of The Great Ponyroom Overhaul of 2013) I came across my collection of My Little Pony ornaments. I hadn't planned on putting them out this year, but we ended up with an extra 4ft. tree in our living room that needed some love so I brought them upstairs to the delight of my son. He helped me decorate the tree and had a great time. Seeing them all in one place made me realize that I really need to add some more G4 Pony ornaments to my collection. The tree is pretty predominately G3.

In addition to decorating, my family has been going through our holiday movie collection with wild abandon. In the last week, if the television is on, you can pretty much guarantee that it is showing something Christmas related.  I'm pretty sure that these two will make it into the rotation soon!


                                              

My Newest MY LITTLE PONY project: MY LITTLE PONY COLLECTOR Magazine!

 I've been working on this project for a few months off and on. Trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to include was the hardest part, but I feel like it is well on its way to shaping into something worthwhile. Glossi was a great platform to use since this is an experiment of sorts and I have little (other than time) invested in it. This is my first foray into a collector magazine and if you have feedback, I'd love to hear it. I plan on expanding the magazine in the future to include some past generation content, as well as possibly bringing a few other people on board to edit and write content. Plus, I've since learned that it will streamline things if I build the magazine outside of Glossi and simply import the pages and interactive page elements. As it stands, I have a bunch of raw images that can be linked by other users which isn't ideal. I wanted to keep it simple at first since I was on a bit of a learning curve.  MY LITTLE PONY COLLECTOR Magazine seemed like the perfect compliment to my other MLP related endeavors (The MY LITTLE PONY Fair and the Collector's Inventory books.) I have some other fun stuff up my sleeves as well, but they aren't quite ready to reveal. So take a moment, if you will, to read, enjoy, and share the first MY LITTLE PONY COLLECTOR Magazine.

Click to view MY LITTLE PONY COLLECTOR on GLOSSI.COM

The MY LITTLE PONY Mystery Minis Have Arrived!

I placed an order through VNC Toys for the new MY LITTLE PONY Mystery Minis produced and licensed by Funko. I ordered a full case of 12, because each case has all 12 individually boxed ponies. I wanted to be sure to get the whole set.

 

The display box for the smaller individual boxes is really cute. Although, I think it is a little strange that they put Twilight Sparkle on the box artwork when she isn't one of the Mystery Minis. The other side of the display box (and the smaller individual boxes) shows Pinkie Pie.

As you can see, Funko is pretty serious about keeping the Pony inside a mystery! The outside of each box is wrapped in plastic. The small boxes are also sealed shut and to top it off, the pony inside is concealed in a black plastic bag. It is kind of like the MLP version of Fort Knox. Also, unlike the blind bag ponies, there are no codes on the boxes to determine which pony is inside before opening.

There are 12 different ponies in the set and they are pictured on the side of the small box. No names are included, but as all of these ponies have been released previously in some form or other, their names are not a mystery (at least not to collectors.)

Personally, I love the size of the Mystery Minis (they stand a little over 2 and a half inches tall.) When I fist saw the box art for this set, I wasn't wild about the Ponies' bodies being black. However, now that I have them in my hands, I am a fan. They remind me of little chalkboards.

 In addition to the ten "chalkboard" ponies, there are two special "Glow in the Dark" ponies thrown into the mix.

The most exciting feature of the ponies in this set... They have cutie marks on BOTH sides of their bodies! I really hope that the MY LITTLE PONY Mystery Mini Ponies are a huge hit for Funko. I'd LOVE to see another set released (including Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Applejack) as well as some Mystery Minis with the ponies' regular body colors.

Hope you all are enjoying the holiday season!

I am Thankful

While I reflect on all I am thankful for in the spirit of the season, I can't help but include My Little Pony in that list. What an amazing impact these little plastic ponies have had on my life! Throughout the years, they have morphed into more than just childhood playthings. I spent countless hours as a child dreaming up magical adventures and far away places for my ponies to travel and experience. They were my pastime but have since evolved into a passion. 

When I go to the store (and undoubtedly check the toy aisle) and see a little girl fawning over the My Little Ponies lining the shelves it gives me warm fuzzies. I love that a new generation of little girls are embracing the magic of Pony and are creating adventures of their own full of magic and wonder. Then, I smile to myself because there is the tiniest of possibilities that this little girl could grow up and continue to collect and embrace My Little Pony and it could literally change her life, as it did for me.

I've had so many amazing real life adventures and experiences and met so many interesting and colorful people due entirely to Ponies. I've had the opportunity to work doing what I love surrounded by people who feel as passionately as I do about little ponies with brushable manes. For that and for all of you that continue to support me as I plan, write, or create my next Pony project I am thankful.

Have a lovely Thanksgiving!

Summer

The Newest Collector's Inventory Guide Photos and Commentary

Clearly, I need to devote more time to self promotion as my newest book, The My Little Pony 2009-2012 Collector's Inventory, has been available for a few months and yet I haven't yet found the time to write about it! My newest title debuted at the MY LITTLE PONY Fair in Indianapolis, Indiana in July and I was able to not only able to have copies on hand to sell, but I also presented a short book talk where I'm sure I rambled on and on about collecting. Once you get me chatting about ponies, it is hard to get me to stop. Luckily, I don't think my segment was filmed, so I can be spared the embarrassment of watching myself.

The turn out for my talk was great and there were plenty of questions during the question and answer session. Plus, there was a lovely young girl named Elizabeth who had studied my previously released guides intensively. She was able to reference passages and photos while she spoke and was even brave enough to point out a few small typos/omissions she had discovered. I'm not sure why people get so weird about politely bringing those types of things up to me. I do not get offended and in fact, I welcome the opportunity to send the edits to my publisher so those little things can be fixed when they release new editions.

Here's a photo during my signing with Elizabeth. Please excuse the fact that I look mega-exhausted... it comes with the territory of running an event. :)

The My Little Pony 2009-2012 Collector's Inventory is available on Amazon.com and I've been told that both Barnes and Nobel and Books-a-Million are also stocking it as well.

I noticed that Amazon has a fancy "Look Inside" feature for the book, but it only shows the first portion of the book a.k.a. no G4 preview. As I was organizing my files earlier this evening, I came across some of the page mock-up files that were sent to me to review from my editor before the actual publication of the book. These may not be exact pages/ layout that made it into the book, but I figured I'd post a few here so people can get a feel of how the G4 material is organized and presented in the book.

If you have a copy of my newest book (or any of my books) please feel free to submit a review to Amazon. I enjoy reading them. They give me a boost and allow me to get myself motivated to get projects done. :)

Baby, It's (Getting) Cold Outside... and other animated MLP Adventures!

Colder weather and shorter days are on the way for us in the northern hemisphere. So while "Pony Meet Season" may be on hiatus, there are still plenty of other ways to celebrate all things MLP from the comfort of your own warm home.

My tip for today: Catch up on your Pony viewing. Depending on your preference of Pony Generation, there are a variety of options to watch while curling up in your vintage MLP sleeping bag. My favorite collection is this one of the G1 specials and cartoon series, but sadly, it is currently out of print. If you didn't grab the box set in 2004, don't fear. You can still see many of the original G1 episodes on DVD compilations that are bargain priced.


If G1 isn't your thing there are also some G3 options available and or course a slew of G4 Friendship Is Magic titles. Unfortunately, if you are a G2 fan you are out of luck as there weren't any specials of series to accompany this generation.


And... if you're still not clear on the whole Equestria Girls phenomenon, you can watch this:

So grab a cup of warm apple cider, give a plush Pony a hug and let the animated awesomeness begin! I'd love to hear what your favorite Pony episodes are and why, so feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

Zulily has My Little Pony clothing, plush and toys for up to 65% off!

Zulily has launched some My Little Pony deals yet again. Last time they ran their MLP sale, I bought the Funko Pop MLP figures. This time, they have an awesome G1 style travel cup that I'll be purchasing.

 I only wish that this awesome Rainbow Dash zip up was in adult sizes!

In addition to these items, they also have tons of Aurora plush for great prices and the 20' Funrise Plush ponies for $23.

Go check them out here: Zulily Pony Stuff. The sale ends on Monday!

30th Anniversary My Little Pony Postcard Sets Available Now!

Enterplaystore.com has a limited quantity of 30th anniversary postcard sets available for purchase - just in time to include them with all your holiday packages - 12  stunning 6 x 9" high-gloss cards using favorite Backcard art for $18.00 plus $4 S&H.  AND the first 200 orders get an autographed Baby Ponies card from Bonnie Zacherle herself!

These postcards were originally available at the MY LITTLE PONY Fair in honor of the 30th anniversary. I have a set myself, and they are beautiful.

A Little Funrise Love!

Lately, I've been going on about the recently available licensed My Little Pony Plush Ponies, but haven't yet given a shout to Funrise. Their rep, Stephanie, attended the My Little Pony Fair in July and brought with her lots of really great pieces with her to show off to the collectors. Many of these items won't be released until November, but we got a special sneak peek!

In this photo, you can see Princess Cadance, Princess Celestia, a Giant Spike and others!

Look! Cutie Mark Crusaders and special light up laying ponies- they work as a nightlight and project stars and shapes onto your ceiling!

A closer view of the Light Up Plush Ponies, Cutie Mark Crusaders... DJ Pon3 and Princess Twilight Sparkle!

I spy a Trixie Lulamoon and Cheerilee among the other awesome plush ponies. I hope that all of these prototypes make it into production. So Pretty! I'm still waiting (somewhat) patiently for my Walmart stores to stock the 10" Applejack and Octavia. They are really cute and need to join my plush pony collection. I am also still missing the Applejack mini plush and hope that I come across one soon!

Funrise was awesome to work with while coordinating the MY LITTLE PONY Fair. Not only did they bring all of these great products to share with the attendees, they also donated mini plush ponies for the Celebration Dinner Goody Bags and a GIANT basket of overflowing with plush ponies for the game player raffle. The Funrise Plush Ponies can be found at Walmart  stores and at Toys R Us stores.

I also featured their 2013 product line in my newest book, The My Little Pony 2009-2012 Collector's Inventory Guide. Their hair is a unique design that almost looks like fabric streamers. I enjoy this detail because it reminds me of the Rag Doll Plush Ponies from the G3 product line and kind of gives them a homespun feel. I can imagine the ponies themselves carrying one around as their favorite plush.

Writer, Event Coordinator... Jewelry Designer?

Party Pony Glitter and Glam Necklace by Found and Fabulous

 

I've been collecting My Little Ponies for as long as I can remember. I've never stopped adding new items to my collection whether it be a fancy foreign exclusive pony or a tiny aqua colored flower brush. Years ago, I would scour flea markets and log into Ebay and be overwhelmed with the sheer amount of possible purchases. There were usually several items that I desperately wanted, and would have to narrow it down to a few favorite pieces on which to place a bid.

Now, the story is quite different. While I still enjoy going to the occasional flea market, I am no longer looking for collection pieces, but rather for items another collector may need. When I enter "My Little Pony" in the search box of Ebay, I may be lucky to end up with 4 or 5 items on my watch list out of the thousands listed. Of those 4 or 5, chances are that the ending price of each item will hit a triple digit price tag.

I have an awesome collection and part of the fun is sitting back and admiring it, but the other part is the thrill of the hunt and sadly, that doesn't happen too often anymore. Sure, I can still find things that I don't own, but it isn't nearly as fun when you have to lay down three hundred dollars or more to get that awesome collecting high that used to cost you ten bucks. I splurge from time to time, but the purchases are farther and farther between.

To compensate for my lack of involvement in the act of collecting, I've thrown myself into other aspects of the My Little Pony Community including writing five My Little Pony Collector Inventory Guides, and coordinating the longest running My Little Pony Convention in the world, The MY LITTLE PONY Fair, with the help of the awesome marketing team at Hasbro.

Somehow, both of those outlets, while fun, can sometimes become a bit tedious and I find myself looking for other ways to unwind and relax while still surrounding myself with my passion for PONY. The result: designing My Little Pony and retro game inspired jewelry pieces. I started making a few pieces during my downtime (which I had very little of) last spring. I gave my first few pieces away to friends and kept a few for myself to don while at various Pony events. Since then, I've been adding additional pieces to my inventory and have finally decided to open an Etsy Shop to showcase my jewelry and perhaps, other repurposed and upcycled items in the future.

Here are two designs that are on their way to my friends at Aurora Gifts, the makers of those adorable My Little Pony Plush that I keep going on and on about. I was requested to make a design featuring Rarity and one featuring Rainbow Dash and I think they both turned out really cute!

In addition to these sparkly chunky necklaces featuring G4 characters, I've also made a few charm bracelets that are more nostalgic featuring G1 Ponies:

 

It has been really fun putting these pieces together and searching out just the right bead or clasp to complete a design. If you have a spare minute and want to see what else I've created, you are welcome to visit my brand new Etsy Shop: Found and Fabulous. Even if I don't make any sales from your visit, I like watching the page stats. It makes me happy to know that other people at least get to see what I've been spending my spare "Pony Time" doing and maybe it will inspire them to create something special.

 

Cheers Pony Fans!

Make-Your-Own My Little Pony Collection at Build-A-Bear Workshop

Back in April, when Build-A-Bear Workshop launched their Make-Your-Own Pony Collection with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash and special outfits I was beyond excited. I loved the look of the ponies and their brushable hair. After all, as a MLP collector, you tend to get excited if their hair can be brushed.

As I was drooling over the promo pictures released online and planning my trip to Build-A-Bear, I had the brilliant idea of inviting Build-A-Bear Workshop to host a Make-Your-Own Pony Party at the 2013 MY LITTLE PONY Fair. Even though the MLP products are to be sold exclusively in Build-A-Bear Workshop stores, Hasbro gave them the all clear to participate in the Fair. So, while I wanted to go make my Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash right away, I patiently waited until the MY LITTLE PONY Fair and I'm so glad I did.

The MY LITTLE PONY Fair Make-Your-Own Pony Party hosted by Build-A-Bear was a huge success and so much fun. I was able to snap some photos of some of the Fair goers as they participated in the Heart Ceremony.

Cute right?

This past Friday, I took my little guy to Build-A-Bear. He had never been and has recently been begging to go to make a kitty cat after seeing the Build-A-Bear commercial. Of course I was on board since the new Twilight Sparkle and Spike had been released. Plus, I had lots of "Bear Bucks" I had earned from scheduling the Fair BAB party. I invited my Cousin and her little girl to go with us and it was an all around great day. Both little ones made their own animal and I can home with Twilight Sparkle (with her outfit) and Spike.

I really like the large size of the Build-A-Bear Ponies. I had them add extra stuffing since my will be displayed on a shelf in the Pony Room. I noticed that while the Build-A-Bear did have the Rainbow Dash Plush Ponies available (in addition to Twilight Sparkle) it seems that Pinkie Pie has been discontinued.

Here are a couple of photos of my newest collection additions as well as a photo of L and his "New Kitty" just because. Enjoy!

2013 Ohio Pony Meet!

Last Saturday, I was up at 5 am so I could drop off London at my mom's house and drive to Cincinnati for the annual Ohio Pony Meet. Matt and I thought about taking London along with us, but he's still pretty small and to be honest, I wanted to spend my day chatting about ponies and not chasing around a toddler.

We set up our sales table with some of my extras that I managed to get clean and shiny before the meet and a quick display I threw together of my jewelry designs.

I left Matt to man the table and I went to check out the other sales tables. I was able to find a handful of G1 combs and brushes I was missing, a clear Funko Dr. Whooves vinyl figure, and I swapped a few MLP Enterplay cards with other collectors. I'm now a little closer to completing series 2!

This year's theme was "Having a Luau" and the hostesses put together some really cute decorations!

We enjoyed lunch, which included these adorably decorated chocolate covered strawberries.

Games included Pony Trivia, Whack a Fakie, and Bingo. Sadly, I didn't get any photos of the Trivia or Bingo, but here's a fun photo of Mary at bat.

The whole day went by quickly and was a really great time. Thanks to the Ohio hostess crew for putting together a fun event!