Happy Holidays!

I realize that I'm a little late with my holiday well wishes, but I suppose it is better late than never. I hope you and your families had a wonderful Christmas (or Hanukkah) and that you have a terrific time ringing in 2013.

We had a lovely Christmas at our home (which included several new Ponies) and I'm now frantically trying to finish up all the party planning for L's second birthday party this Sunday. We're going with a Mickey Mouse theme this year and while I don't get to decorate with colorful ponies (boo!), I've been having fun planning and making all the decorations and favors.

My husband gifted me a Cricut machine for scrapbooking this Christmas and I'm looking forward to putting it to use for for future pony events and creating fun design elements for my Pony Event Scrapbook. I don't think it has been updated since 2009 and it is in serious need of some attention. I have loads of photos from the past three (eek!) years that I need to add. They really should make a My Little Pony Cricut cartridge. I'd be first in line to buy and it would get some serious use at my house.

Until next time, happy Pony collecting!

Black Friday Pony-Style!

Like much of the country, I set out yesterday to shop the Black Friday deals. It was a little crazy, but isn't that part of the fun? There wasn't anything I felt like I had to have so the day was spent wandering from store to store people watching and finding unexpected things I never knew I "needed" before, such as the first four seasons on Mad Men for $8 and multiple $5 fleece pull-overs from Old Navy.

In addition to random buys, I also purchased this adorable My Little Pony bubble bath set and a Pinkie Pie hand soap dispenser from Wal-Mart. I haven't been too big on buying up the FIM merchandise, but these were just too cute to pass up. They are seriously my favorite bits of merchandise yet (well, besides the Pinkie Pie bubble blower.)

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. I know I did! I'll be sharing some exciting MY LITTLE PONY Fair updates next week so get your calendars ready!

Pony Season 3 and updates!

Are you excited about season 3 of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic? I am!

I've been a little light on the updates, due mostly to getting a ton of things done behind the scenes of MY LITTLE PONY Fair 2013 and my soon to be released newest pony guide, The My Little Pony 2009-2012 Collector's Inventory. Exciting stuff! I'll have some announcements regarding both in the next few weeks and can't wait to share.

It is looking like the 2013 Fair is going to have some awesome additions to our schedule of events as well as some fun surprises for our attendees!

Exclusive Rainbow Dash Hug Me Backpack from We Love Fine!

 

Super cute new My Little Pony Rainbow Dash backpack launched today on the We Love Fine website.

 

 

 

Here's what they have to say about their product:

 

"At WeLoveFine, we are exceptionally proud of our relationship with the My Little Pony fan community, who have not only been incredibly supportive of us but so creative and enthusiastic about their love of the show and the characters; their excitement is infectious! It's in part out of inspiration from the MLP fans' spirit that we decided to create a product brand new to our site. It is not only fun, but fashionable and indeed 20% (or more!) cooler. We are delighted to release it as buzz is reaching a peak for the upcoming debut of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Season 3 on November 10th!

Introducing the Rainbow Dash Hug Me Backpack! This bright, cuddly limited edition Rainbow Dash backpack is exclusive toWeLoveFine.com and features a zippered 5x5" pocket (enough for your phone, keys and wallet), adjustable straps that extend to 35" and will fit comfortably on a ladies' small through a mens' 3XL! For ages 13 and up, it retails for $50."

 

Personally, I love the fact that they sent this promo image of a guy wearing the backpack along as well as the above images.

 

 

 I want to see this guy walking around downtown with Rainbow Dash slung over his shoulders. Bronies are obviously a proud people.

 

New Ponies and Merchandise

It has been ages since I made a post dedicated to what official products have been recently spotted, but I'm having a bit of trouble keeping tabs on things myself so this post is for my reference as well.

Shirts:
This G1 My Little Pony shirt was spotted for sale in the men's section at Target (reported by Derbygirl on the Arena). I've got to say I LOVE it and will be buying this.

There has been an uproar within the Brony community about this shirt found at Wal-Mart. They are up in arms demanding that it be pulled from shelves due to it showing G1 ponies and not G4 ponies. If you are easily offended by anti G1 commentary, I'd avoid the comments section on EQD. They are pretty harsh. Personally, I think the shirt is pretty clever. Mixing the G1s in a Brony reference, whether intentional or not, is a bit of a statement. Looks like G1s are loving and tolerating the Bronies.  I won't be purchasing this one as I've said my piece on message tees, but I can still appreciate it.

 

New Vinyl Ponies look to be on the Horizon for collectors from FUNKO. This Rainbow Dash was recently spotted on Ebay along with some other prototype figures online. I'm just hoping they will be the same scale as the regular Hasbro released ponies with brushable manes. I'd love to display them with their accessories and playsets.

 

A talking storyteller Princess Cadance is shown on Target.com, but isn't available to order at the moment. I recently opened my Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie Storytellers and they are actually really neat.

If you need more Pony ornaments to deck your Christmas Tree, Toys R Us will be offering a FIM set.

 

I am still waiting for these to turn up in the States. If they don't show up soon, I will most likely resort to having them imported.

 

There are tons of other My Little Pony products available at your local retailer and www.HasbroToyshop.com has stocked the most recent wave of pony singles (including Luna and Trixie) so if you haven't found them in your area you can snag them online. Plus, I've heard that this wave is showing up at Big Lots stores as well.

 

Happy Pony hunting!

Lexington Pony Pictures!

A few weeks ago, I attended a Pony collector gathering in Lexington, KY hosted by the lovely Gypsy. It was a smaller group with some serious old school collectors. It was so much fun sitting around chatting ponies all day and seeing what people brought for our collection show and tell. In addition to playing some really fun games, we all brought food dishes to share (which included Ashlyne's unicorn poop cookies... they were super creative and very tasty!)

I debuted my collection of Venezuela ponies, which was fun to finally show off.

 

Lemondrop Wishes brought her collection of Lemondrop ponies and a really awesome Lemondrop toothbrush set. I have the Heart Throb version, but I didn't even know that the Lemondrop version existed!

 

Lady Satine brought these cute custom butterfly wings that she designed and a few custom creations sporting them. Too cute!

 

 

 We also got to take a tour of Gypsy's Ponyroom and I absolutely love her acrylic cases. What a great way to show off those lovely ponies!

 

These were lots of other awesome things that other collectors brought, but I guess I was too wrapped up in them to remember to take photos. I had so much fun and can't wait for next time we all get together!

Pony Meets and Crazy Collections!

I'm heading to Lexington, Kentucky in the morning to meet with some fellow pony collectors. I've known most of them for years and it is always nice to get together. Plus, they are pretty serious collectors so it is always nice to swap stories and information. I don't expect to make any purchases, but I am bringing quite a few Venezuelan ponies to share... and a couple MIB that will be available to buy or possibly trade. I'm also bringing my stash of Princess Pony accessories since I have loads of them and I could use some help verifying that I have everything attributed to the correct Princess before I offload the dozens of extra wands, hats, glitter picks, and metallic ribbons that I've been holding on to for ages. I'm worried that I'll accidentally sell a variant accessory that I actually need so they just accumulate.

 

Also, I'm currently loving Jordan Hembrough's show, Toy Hunter, on the Travel channel and Collection Intervention on Syfy. If you are a toy collector I recommend checking them out. At first I was a little weirded out by the Collection Intervention show because some of the collectors are really "hoardy"  about their collections, like they have everything piled up in boxes in their garages or strewn all over their house and everything is dirty and dusty. I do like how they emphasize display of the collections though.

I really should upload some photos of my current collection. I have a ton of pieces, but they are nicely displayed. Although, at the current time, with the amount of items I'm adding due to the G4 line, I'm debating if I should expand my display space or downsize my collection. I refuse to be one of those "piles of stuff in the corner" type of collectors. Ponies belong in the ponyroom not on the bathroom counter... unless they have recently been washed and are drying.

Do you have designated space for your collection in your home  (like a ponyroom) or is your place a Pony free for all?

Pony Flipping: Okay or No Way!

As a collector, I'm always on the look out for Pony items to add to my collection. I typically search Ebay, check the sales forums on the various collector boards, and do an occasional run to the local thrift store. I've also gone the Craig's List route once and don't have a desire to go down that road again (If you're curious, I did write about that very strange experience.) Plus, for the newly released items I do my weekly round to all the Big Box stores in my area. --I don't think I've been in a Wal-Mart or Target and didn't check the toy aisle since 2003.

My collection is pretty filled out and I find it difficult to find things I'm missing. Plus, what I am after is generally either harder to find or some random accessory and I unusually have to turn to another collector to buy. Which leads me to my topic for today: Pony flipping.

To those who might be unfamiliar with this term, it basically refers to someone who buys Ponies or accessories in "lots" on Ebay and will then split them off piece by piece to turn a profit. Or it could mean someone who takes advantage of a high demand/ low supply situation in the market (an example of this would be the recent TRU Collector Collection with Nightmare Moon where the retail price was $40, yet you could easily resell the set for upwards of $80 overnight.)

There seem to be two camps on the issue of Pony flipping. Those who say it is A-Okay and those who think that turning a profit off of other collectors is to be frowned upon.

 If you've followed my blog for long, you may remember my post about my Goodwill Pony ordeal. I managed to find a beautiful TE Mimic for practically pennies and I ended up sending her to a pony friend as a surprise package to cheer her up since she was going through a rough patch. Now before you pat me on the back and tell me what a generous person I am, you should know that this was the 4th Mimic I had found for under $2 from either a thrift shop, flea market, or yard sale. One joined my personal collection and the other two were sold to fellow collectors through the message boards by taking offers. I ended up making quite a nice profit from the sales and reinvested that money into purchasing more items for my collection.

I know other collectors who frequently buy up large accessory lots or pony lots for a single accessory or pony and then sell off the extra pieces for a profit to cover their own collecting purchases. Personally, I'm grateful to these sellers because I don't typically have the time to sell off items I don't need in a large lot. I'd rather purchase the one item I need individually. This might mean paying premium price, but to me, the time saved is more than worth the money saved.

I've frequently offered to buy hard to find pony sets that I've found locally to other collectors that might not have the product in their market for cost. I look at it as "paying it forward" since I've often needed items from overseas markets and fellow collectors have graciously offered to help me out.  I'm more than happy to do this on the collector message boards.

Ebay, in my opinion, is a whole other playing field. The open market dictates the price of the product and I've been on both sides as a buyer and as a seller. As a seller, it is always wonderful to make a sale that is above and beyond retail price and turn a nice profit, but as a buyer you are always lamenting the soaring prices on items that you want to purchase but can't find in your area. I look at it as a type of tilting scale in the collecting world. You win some and you loose some (money) where collectibles are concerned.

In my opinion, I don't see a problem with Pony flipping as long as collectors are involved. Where it gets kind of muddy is when non collectors jump in the market to make a quick buck and then disappear. It happens. I understand why it happens, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

What are your thoughts on Pony flipping? Have you ever done it?

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Season 1 is available for Preorder!

My husband will be happy about this as I'll be able to clear some episodes off of our DVR.

Driving Miss Pinkie

My husband and I recently purchased a brand new Chevy Equinox LTZ after fighting one too many battles with getting my son, London, in and out of our Nissan Xterra. He weighs close to 30 pounds and swinging him up and into his car seat everyday was a workout. Plus, we wanted to replace my husband's 12 year old S10 truck. So, I get the new car and Matt gets my Xterra (which I am a little sad about since I LOVE that car... except for the car seat workout part). Anyway, after much debate and many test drives I have a new car and I really like it. Which leads me to today's topic:

My Little Pony Cars!

There was a time when I couldn't even begin to imagine a Pony ever driving a car, but thanks to Hasbro's clever marketing, I now pity the Ponies who don't have their own set of wheels.

First, was Rainbow Swirl with her Ice Cream truck in the G3 line. It seemed a little strange that she got to drive around Ponyville in her own truck while other ponies were hoofing it. Business must have been so good and she couldn't possibly have been expected to push all that ice cream around on a cart. If Lickety-Split has taught us anything it is that ponies love them some ice cream.

Then, as part of the the G3.5 Newborn Cuties line, Baby Pinkie Pie and her Mom traveled in style in a pink convertible. Pinkie had her own car seat because when ponies dive, they want to make sure they take all the necessary safety precautions.

A bunch of little coups were available as part of the Ponyville line.
                      


In the G4 line, both Pinke Pie and Twilight Sparkle got their own remote control cars for high speed hands-free driving.
              

And lastly, not a pony car but instead a car with ponies so I feel it is worth mentioning. Mary and I saw this while at the Everfree Northwest Convention and we were puzzled why someone would spray paint their car (badly) just for an event. The car didn't appear to be in terrible shape (before the hack spray job.) We concluded that the owner probably suffers from spray painter's remorse.

 

For the record.... My car will remain Pony free (at least on the outside!)

 

 

Winter Wrap Up (for Realsies!)

Okay, so maybe not the type of winter wrap up you were thinking of, but cold weather is just around the corner and what better way to stay warm and toasty than by wrapping up in a comfy My Little Pony inspired fleece scarf.

         


ABridgesBoutique on Etsy creates made to order fleece scarves that have pony cutie marks (ahem.. symbols) incorporated on them. Too cute! You may know Aadra310, the owner of ABridgesBoutique, from the MLPTP and the Arena as she is a long time collector. Her creations use inspiration from multiple pony gens, so even if you aren't a Friendship is Magic fan, she can make something for you too! Plus, I had the opportunity to meet her at the MY LITTLE PONY Fair and she is a sweetheart so I can't help but promote her and her efforts!

Unblinded "Blind Bags"

I was all set for a day of Pony photography. I set up the studio, rounded up everything that needed to be photographed, and then I grabbed my camera. Unfortunately, the person who last used said camera (that would be me) forgot to charge the battery and can't remember where they put the power cord.

 

Instead of a Pony photo shoot, I decided to open the boxes and packages of "blind bag" Ponies that have been patiently waiting since I bought them last spring. I purchased complete cases because while I enjoy the thrill of the hunt, it just became too much to mess with running around town only to find that many of the packages had been ripped into on the store shelves.  I repeatedly found ponies scattered in the display box, or empty packages with the pony missing completely... no doubt pocketed when no one was looking. To this I shake my head. Petty theft is taking all the fun out of the whole "blind bag" aspect of it. Plus, as a collector it irks me on a whole other level.

Anyway, These sets have been waiting to be opened and admired and today was the perfect day for it. I opened 72 blind bags from sets 2, 3, and 4. I suppose I never really paid attention to their names before and a few are pretty great, my favorite being Sassaflash. Fun stuff!


Now, I just need to track down set 5 and I think I'll be up to date on everything that has been officially released. I really like the blind bag ponies and enjoy seeing all the different characters. I hope that we see more of these characters in regular pony size in the future.

What are your thoughts on the "blind bag" ponies. Have they won you over or do you still typically stick to the regular sized ponies?

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Our family enjoyed a quick trip to the lake on Friday to jet ski before the rain from Hurricane Isaac arrived. While it means no camping trips or picnics to celebrate this holiday weekend, I'm not about to complain. We desperately needed the rain and my flowers and yard are happy to have it.

Happy Labor Day from my Ponies to you!

 

Too Old for Message Tees?

The other day a friend and I were discussing message tees and how she has requested that her husband move on to more suitable age appropriate attire since he is in his thirties. This sparked a whole debate on the appropriateness of message and character tees in general.

I fondly remember the days when I was in high school and I could stroll into Hot Topic and purchase a fun retro character tee (in a junior fit small, no less). Over the years, I've allocated all message and character tees to either gym wear or around the house/ quick grocery run lounge wear, and now I find myself choosing plain boring workout dry fit tops for my workouts. It isn't that I don't find message tees funny. In fact, I find myself giggling at shirts on www.80stees.com and www.welovefine.com all the time, but I just can't bring myself to make a purchase. I think that ship may have sailed.

 When we first got married, my husband bought a message tee that said "Cougar Bait" and it had a graphic image of a cougar printed on the front. We thought it was hilarious...  until we woke up one day and realized that he was now at a respectable age and no one would blink an eye if he ran off with a woman in her 40s. That shirt quickly found its way into the Goodwill pile.

Out of curiosity, I did a tee search on google images of (what else) My Little Pony tees to see if I could find a few to stash in my closet for the occasional collector outing or pony meet and I managed to find a few that I might considering wearing. First off, all FIM tees were pretty much automatically crossed off the list of contenders. Don't get me wrong, I love the FIM show, artwork and characters, but since it has become so mainstream, I find myself looking at shirts sporting Pinkie Pie the same way I look at those tacky decals people paste on their truck windows of Calvin from Calvin and Hobbs peeing on a Ford or Chevy logo.

Then, I decided to look at retro pony designs and was a little saddened to only find a handful of options. Plus, most for these had some message emblazoned across the image like, "Daddy Buy Me a Pony" or "Princess" that would only be suitable if I was 12. After a little digging, I came up with the following purchasing options:

I could possibly see myself wearing this under my powder blue fleece zip up, but it is doubtful I'd wear it by itself. It is kind of intensely girly.

 I can see myself wearing this to a pony outing, or the gym with ridiculously bright neon shorts.

This is probably, my least favorite of the  bunch (because of the word "love" written on it), but I could possibly imagine myself wearing this paired with black yoga pants around the neighborhood.

 I think this one is really funny and a little more subtle than the other options (If there is anything subtle about having My Little Ponies printed across your chest.)

 I really like this one even though it resembles a shirt I had when I was 5. I might wear this around the house or to a pony meet or something.

Also, www.Zazzle.com has some Hasbro submitted retro designs that are a bit more simplistic. They have a few fan favorites including Glory, Gusty, Sundance, and a few others. I imagine I could pair these with jeans and wear one to a pony event.

What do you think about wearing message and character tees, specifically My Little Pony tees in everyday life? Do you think there is an age where you should resign yourself to being message tee free or are you the type of person who will still be sporting Rainbow Dash, "20% Cooler" proudly at  age 79?

Navigating a Brony Convention

I returned home from Seattle exactly a week ago and I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the whole experience. I had never been to a typical convention before, just the MY LITTLE PONY Fair (which I now realize is a far cry from a typical convention) and I had never experienced a "Brony" event.

Mary and I set up our booth on Friday. It was pretty simple with some Fair info, merchandise and books. At the last minute, I threw in some "unblinded" blind bags and my binder of extra FIM trading cards into my suitcase since I had some extra space. By the end of the first day of sales, Mary and I had completely sold out of our "unblinded" blind bag ponies and I had off loaded some extra FIM trading cards, but not much else. It was interesting that when Bronies came to look in the blind bag bin, they were primarily looking for the "Mane 6" ponies and didn't have much interest in any of the other characters. Collectors tend to look for the other characters first, so this was a new perspective for me.

The vendor room consisted of about 30 tables of handmade pony items. Hats, scarves, fan made plush ponies, necklaces, keychains made out of the blind bag ponies, custom tee shirts, and fan art. Official merchandise was offered by WeLoveFine and Enter-Play cards, but other than that everything else was custom/fan made. It was a little strange to be in a room full of pony stuff and none of it be toy ponies or Hasbro produced.

Since we were classified as Vendors, we didn't have to wait in the epic registration line. It seemed to go on forever, but the Bronies seemed more than happy to stand in line for hours to be admitted into the event. We found that standing in really long lines is really typical at most conventions and it isn't considered a big deal or an inconvenience. Mary joked that we would be strung up by our shoelaces if it took six hours to complete Fair registration. I guess collectors aren't as patient (myself included).

We took a little break for lunch and attended a paper pony craft panel where you could make your own paper "bwob" pony, but had to wait for about 40 minutes after the scheduled time because an organizer had misplaced the supplies and they had to go buy scissors, crayons and glue. We actually welcomed the break to sit back and relax, and it was just as well since my first foray into pony themed paper crafts resulted in an epic fail. Poor Pinkie Pie "bwob" pony found her way into the wastebasket after about 30 minutes of struggling to get her pieces to stick together with little success. The finished product that was shown by the host of the panel was really cute. Mine... not so much.

After our unsuccessful go at paper crafts we went back to manning our table. We were able to chat with several Bronies about why they feel a connection with My Little Pony, and what motivates them to band together with other Bronies. The vast majority pointed to the sense of belonging that they felt among the Brony culture. Something that was lacking in their everyday lives. A few noted the quality of the Friendship Is Magic animation originally piqued their interest, but that they identify as a Brony because of the community.

Later that evening, we attended a bit of Ponystock, a showcase of artists who create music inspired by My Little Pony (yes, this is a real thing!) We stayed for a bit listening to Brony musicians sing ballads about rainbows and friendship and some singing about more serious topics like bullying and feeling lost and forgotten, but finding solace with their friends. It was kind of heavy stuff. Then a new artist took the stage and began a version of "Baby Got Back" but with modified lyrics that paid homage to pony "flanks" and hindquarters. I'm sure it was supposed to be tongue in cheek and funny, but it was a little too much for us and we decided to call it a night. We decided to bow out of the festivities on Saturday and Sunday and instead explored Seattle (Awesome city and awesome food!) We did check out Ponystock on Saturday night and witnessed a whole room of Bronies singing "The Smile Song" and Michelle Creber (who voices the character of Apple Bloom) sing some songs from her new CD. She was adorable!

While most of the Bronies were very nice and we enjoyed our conversations with them in small groups and we had fun, the experience was a bit intense and frenzied overall. However, the Bronies seemed to embrace this atmosphere by belting out songs in the hotel elevators and mooning over voice actresses. They had a great time and that's what counts. Everfree was their event and they loved it!

I'll admit that gaining a better understanding of the Bronies was my focus of attending Everfree Northwest (Well, that and having a fun weekend getaway with a friend.) I now tend to think that the Brony phenomenon is kind of a perfect storm that could have just as easily attached itself to any other pop culture icon, Pony just happened to be the catalyst. Without the organization of the community aspect of the Bronies, I seriously doubt that these same teens and 20 something males would sit at home and spending countless hours on  Pony fan art, Pony fan fic, and Pony inspired music. Some maybe... but it definitely wouldn't have the same following.

Also, if I was even remotely interested in getting a doctorate in sociology, I'd so write my thesis on Bronies. There is a gold mine of material at these Brony conventions!

Off to Seattle!

Tomorrow I'll be Seattle bound with Mary to attend EverfreeNW over the weekend. I'll be representing the MY LITTLE PONY Fair at the event. I will also have some copies of my books on hand and am willing to sign and chat ponies with fellow pony fans! We'll have some Fair Exclusive logo trading pins, key chains, and other goodies up for grabs so come and see us at booth #2!

It should be a good time as Mary and I are bound to get into some sort of pony shenanigans.

Now off to pack... nothing like waiting until the last minute!

July Wrap-Up

Yes, I do realize that it is now August and I am way behind in my pony blogging. I'll blame it on the Olympics. Damn you beach volleyball, synchronized divers, and mesmerizing rhythmic gymnasts for distracting me with your pretty ribbons!

I attended the annual Cincinnati Pony Meet at the end of July and despite arriving almost two hours late (I was navigationally challenged that day and it didn't occur to me to use the GPS on my smart phone until AFTER I had gotten myself lost twice) I ended up having a great time. It was really nice to attend a small gathering where I had the chance to actually relax and have conversations with fellow collectors. The Cinci hostesses are a great group and since none of them made it to the MY LITTLE PONY Fair this year, it was nice to see them. Aside from the customary buying and selling, they hosted several games including a Pony version of Trivial Pursuit, Horseshoe Bingo, and a game that involved hitting a Fakie off of a tee with a baseball bat.

I sold and signed a few books, and ended up purchasing  a few accessories, some stickers and both large and small symbol versions of German Nightlight. It was nice to actually check off some ponies from my wantlist.

I remembered to bring my camera along and while I didn't get many photos, the pictures I did take will make a nice addition to my pony event scrapbook.

Pony Pursuit! This game was thought up by Sheena and was absolutely adorable. I want a copy of the questions so I can quiz myself at home!

                                   Wack a Fakie Game         Awesome scene contest entry by Nintendo Steve

Playing Bingo (with fellow pony author, Deb Birge) which I co-won with Mary. What were the odds of that happening?

 A quick Pony memory board I put together for my table including some moments that haven't  yet been added to my scrapbook.

Next pony event on the agenda-  I'll be at the KYPonymeet held in Lexington on September 15th and will most likely be bringing some collection items for display and some freebies for fellow attendees.

MY LITTLE PONY Fair Appreciation Shout Outs!

The 9th annual MY LITTLE PONY Fair happened on July 7th and 8th in Orlando, Florida and was a successful and well attended event. We had double the attendance of past events and tons of fun! The Fair staff and many volunteers worked tirelessly to bring our attendees the best Fair yet! I want to personally thank the following people for all their help:

The 501st Legion (Florida Garrison)- I simply cannot say enough good things about this group. They were amazing. They interacted with attendees, ran games, posed for pictures, and were all around great! Plus, one of their members dressed as a "Pony Trooper!" May the horse be with you 501st!

MLPWhitney- A fellow collector, MLPWhitney, ran both of our Pony Bingo sessions. She added her own pony commentary and made the game fresh and fun. Thanks Whitney!

MustBeJewel- Jewel outdid herself once again by creating an informative and entertaining presentation all about the history of MY LITTLE PONY. Despite having her power knocked out by a crazy east coast storm and subsequently loosing over half of her footage a week before the Fair, she still managed to create an amazing documentary short. Plus, she graciously offered up some copies of her documentary film, My Little Obsession for our giveaways!

PonyDad- This guy, who happens to be Jewel's dad, is seriously the unsung hero as far as supporting the pony community is concerned. He not only provided all of our sound equipment for the event and digital projector, but he also set everything up and jumped in to save the day when we had a few technical difficulties. Thanks PonyDad!

ElfPony- Offered up some pony packs from Canada for our movie night giveaways. Elfpony, you rock!

TraderTif- Sent me a stock of G1 soundtrack records from My Little Pony the movie to use as prizes. If you didn't take home a record this year, don't worry... we'll have more at future events! Thanks TraderTif!

The MLPArena- Thank you for hosting our 2012 Fair forum!

Photographer Paul- You were everywhere with your camera. I can't wait to see the photos and update the Fair website with your images. Thanks for sharing your talents with us!

Snyfez- Thanks for running our contest sign ups. We couldn't have managed without your help!

Sebby and Doug- An amazing clean-up duo! Thanks for helping with the job no one wanted to do!

Jenn and Steve- Thank you for running the door and sitting at the sales desk for hours on end. So glad that Jenn volunteered you for the task and that you were such a good sport about it!

Girlbuffalo, Stevator, and Matt- Great teamwork once again and glad you could join us in the fun this year, Stevator!

Last but not least,

HASBRO- Thank you so much for supporting our event and reaching out to your MY LITTLE PONY Collector fan base. We love all that you do and thank you for creating products, characters, and a brand that we grew up loving and can now share with a new generation!

My Little Pony FIM Trading Cards

I'm into collecting ponies, and playsets, and accessories, and merchandise... and now trading cards! I really didn't need to add another subheading to my collection roster, but they are just too cute to resist! Plus, my friend Kar personally worked on them for Enterplay and I'm all about supporting my pony peeps.

Sold in packs of 5, these adorable cards cover all of Equestria including, characters, pets, favorite moments, and locations. Plus, you can collect pony character standee cards, foil cards to build puzzles, and special gold cards. On the back of each character card is a fun fact sheet and fun trivia questions can be found on the back of each favorite moment card.

I've already seen a bunch of card trading threads pop up on the collecting community boards and I have to say that it brings me back to the early days of collecting when trades were common and brings a smile to my face. In fact, I worked out my first card trade earlier today.

Let me know if you are currently collecting, or have plans to collect the FIM MLP card set. Who knows?  Maybe we can work out a trade.

My Little Pony Performance Art

Dennis Verbeke, who studies fine arts at Gerrit Reitveld University  in Amsterdam, has created a performance art  piece that he calls “Pony Performance.” It includes an original soundtrack, special lighting design, and 212 My Little Pony toys.  He sits on a lighted platform surrounded by the ponies and gingerly picks them up, examines them, and brushes their rainbow colored locks with a tiny star shaped brush.
At this point, I feel it necessary to add that I know little to nothing of performance art other than every time I have experienced it, it makes me feel utterly confused. I’m never sure how I should react.  Should I read into it to discover its deeper hidden truths or should I giggle at its absurdity?...( I usually remove myself from its proximity as soon as possible lest the giggling wins out and I look like a judgmental ass.)  

So I’m watching this clip of “Pony Performance” trying to keep an open mind and I’m wondering, “Should I ponder the greater meaning of the pony selection?” and “Does the direction and frequency of the brushing of the pony hair actually have some significance?”  I continue to watch the full four minute clip and am kind of impressed by the thought and effort that went into this piece. Upon reading a few of Mr. Verbeke’s blog entries it becomes evident that he did not amass a sizable collection for use solely in his performance, but that his performance was instead inspired by his collection.

If I told you I understood what was at the heart of “Pony Performance” I’d be lying, but I do think it is pretty great that this artist was able to create something out of something he loves.

Dennis Verbeke is raising money through a crowd fundraising website to help cover his costs to perform his “Pony Performance” in August 2012 in Stockholm.

A Case of Mistaken Pony Identity

This past spring, while I was in Baltimore at the MarylandPony Meet, I casually started talking to another collector who grew up in northern Indiana. During the conversation she brought up the fact that she wished I had left some ponies to buy at Kokomo Toys.  I was confused by this comment and I’m sure I had a very puzzled look on my face. She elaborated and told me she had visited Kokomo Toys (a small toyshop that specializes in 80s toys) to look for ponies  while on a trip back home to visit her family.The owners of the shop had told her that Summer Hayes had come into their shop and bought over $500 of My Little Pony toys and pretty much cleared out their inventory.  

Aside from the fact that I’ve never laid down that much cash at a toyshop in my life, I’ve also never been to Kokomo Toys. Not to say that I haven’t wanted to make a trip up there to check it out (I follow Kokomo Toys on Facebook and they seem to have some really awesome stuff.) Plus, it would be roughly a 3 hour drive to get there (not to mention the 3 hour drive home.) In college, I might have been all “ROAD TRIP!!”  but now I’m not quite as eager to burn gas and time.

So, I’ve got to say that this kind of bugged me. Clearly this girl had been thinking for months that I swooped down on her pony hunting territory, flaunted my cash and bought every My Little Pony item they had in stock. Even though she was seemingly friendly, I assumed that she has secretly hated on me for months (because that would have been my reaction… not proud of that).  I attempted to explain that the owners must have had me mistaken for someone else, although that seems like such a weak argument when the shop owners used my name. It felt a little like pony identity theft. 

As I’m still reeling from this case of mistaken identity, I turn to my friends Mary and Amber only to find out that Mary (who lives in northern Indiana) had gone to the shop with her husband earlier in the year and had been told the same thing. Then, Mary had called Amber because she was upset that I had been all super-sneaky-secret about going and buying ponies and didn’t invite her along.  What?!?

 Everything turned out in the end as we all laughed it off as a really weird pony story, but I still find myself wondering if there is someone with pockets filled with cash in the Midwest pretending to me and if so, why? Or maybe it was just a mad coincidence of a blonde girl coming into the shop and the owners assumed that it was me because of my author photo in one of my guides (They do use my book to identify ponies, after all.)

Maybe if I ever do make it up to Kokomo Toys I’ll have to ask them. From the looks of their newly posted Facebook photos, they have just added a bunch of new pony items to their store. Road trip anyone?

Collectors Weekly article- My Little Pony Smackdown: Girls vs. Bronies

I was interviewed a few weeks ago for a Collectors Weekly article and it was published earlier today. I kind of love it. It basically sums up everything I've always thought about the whole Brony phenomenon and My Little Pony Collectors. Plus it has lots of shiny pictures of my ponies.

You can see the article on their website here or check it out below.

My Little Pony Smackdown: Girls vs. Bronies

June 28th, 2012

By Lisa Hix

My Little Pony galloped into the world in 1983 on a cloud of pink and purple sparkles, bent on winning the hearts of little girls. Set to a saccharine jingle, commercials showed pigtailed girls admiring these pastel-colored vinyl toy horses, unicorns, and pegasus, lovingly brushing their unnatural neon manes. And love them girls did.
Now, nearly 30 year later, My Little Pony mania has exploded again. But this time, the main drivers of the craze are teenage boys and 20-something men. Known as “bronies,” these bros fell under the Pony spell thanks to a clever new cartoon, “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic,” which airs on children-centered digital cable channel The Hub.

Top: Shaun, a.k.a. Sethisto Scootaloo (left) and Summer Hayes (right) appreciate My Little Pony in completely different ways. Above: Toys at the My Little Pony Fair.

Soon after the show was launched in 2010, My Little Pony references sprang up all over the Internet, particularly on fan sites for anime, comics, and video games. “Friendship Is Magic” fan conventions began to pop up last year, as bronies went wild making custom fan art, from online images tweaked in Photoshop to handmade plush toys. The idea for a documentary about BronyCon—a major brony convention taking place this weekend in Seacaucus, New Jersey—raised nearly $350,000 through PayPal donations and Kickstarter, an online platform that helps artists fund their projects. As of today, the BronyCon documentary is the second highest-funded film on Kickstarter ever.
All of this has more than a few people scratching their heads. But perhaps the most confused are hard-core My Little Pony collectors—largely women in their 20s and 30s—who first developed a starry-eyed mane-combing devotion to the toys back in the ’80s. As many of these women have held onto their childhood treasures for decades, longtime Pony devotees tend to bristle at the fact that only when young men started making noise about My Little Pony two years ago, the world began paying attention.

Rocker Andrew W.K. bridges the gap between bronies and '80s nostalgia junkies.

“It was just so bizarre,” says Summer Hayes, the 30-year-old author of six My Little Pony collecting guides. “Here I’ve been a lifelong Pony fan, and all of a sudden this ‘Friendship Is Magic’ show comes out, and it’s like, what? Where do these people come from and why?
“I know a lot of My Little Pony collectors who don’t care for the bronies,” says Hayes, who lives in Indiana and helps run the only annual U.S. collectors convention, My Little Pony Fair. “They feel that they put so much time and effort into this niche collecting community, and then all of a sudden bronies come out and start getting all this attention. And it’s like, hey, well, what about us? We’ve been here forever, and nobody seemed to care. But now that there are all these guys in their 20s that are crazy about it, it’s suddenly important and it means something.”

The logo for the 2012 My Little Pony Fair recalls vintage '80s advertising.

Despite openly airing her friends’ frustration, Hayes herself feels no animosity toward the bronies. “To the bronies, I say, I think My Little Pony is awesome, so more power to you,” Hayes says. “I love Ponies. You love Ponies. It’s all good.”

“Now that there are all these guys in their 20s that are crazy about My Little Pony, it’s suddenly important.”

Also, Hayes says she gets why people love the “Friendship Is Magic” cartoon, which is tied to the fourth generation of the Hasbro toys, and she appreciates its strong female Pony personalities, as reimagined by Lauren Faust, known for her work on “The Powerpuff Girls” and “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.”
The new cartoon follows six My Little Pony friends: Twilight Sparkle, an earnest, bookish unicorn; Rainbow Dash, a feisty tomboy pegasus; Rarity, a haughty, girly unicorn; Pinkie Pie, a buoyant party-loving “earth pony”; Fluttershy, a bashful, animal-loving pegasus; and the hard-working cowgirl earth pony called Applejack, a character who was in the original first generation Pony line.

The new cartoon, "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic," focuses on Twilight Sparkle (center) and (clockwise from left) Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy.

As much as she likes it, Hayes still can’t get her brain around why teenage boys, specifically, are so drawn to it. So we asked Shaun, a 24-year-old brony who makes a living running his “Friendship Is Magic” fan blog Equestria Daily from Arizona, to explain in an email interview.
Shaun says he first became intrigued by My Little Pony when he saw “Friendship Is Magic” memes popping up all over image-driven sites populated by comics and gaming geeks. Then, he watched the show and became enamored with the look of the animation, the characters, and the references to mythology, and so was inspired to create his fan blog.
Some bronies—who, despite the “bro + pony” origins of their name, can be male or female—even take the ideas presented in the show to another level, Shaun explains. “They turn it into a creed to live by, filled with love and tolerance.” Well, sure, why not?

Some bronies, as this brony convention poster shows, take the message of "Friendship Is Magic" very seriously.

Equestria Daily gets between 80,000 and 100,000 unique page views a day and makes enough money through Google ads to sustain itself. The blog is filled with fan-generated tributes to “Friendship Is Magic,” from images and animations to songs and games, often “mashing up” the fourth generation My Little Ponies with other pop-culture phenomena like “Mad Men” or “Harry Potter.”
“We only get 22 minutes of Pony a week when it’s actually in season, so the custom stuff helps drive it forward between episodes,” Shaun explains. “Crossing it over with other geek-culture things is a good way to get noticed and spread it beyond the current fandom.“

A fan-generated "mash-up" from the Equestria Daily blog spoofs "Mad Men."

Most bronies, Shaun says, have zero interest in the Ponies that came before “Friendship Is Magic,” the first three generations of the toy, or the two girly My Little Pony cartoon series that aired in the ’80s and ’90s.
“A good majority of bronies don’t have anything to do with the older stuff,” says Shaun, who goes by the Pony name Sethisto Scootaloo online. “‘Friendship is Magic’ essentially made Ponies ‘cool.’ Lauren Faust wanted to make something everyone could enjoy, and did an amazing job of it. It’s not too surprising that kids of both genders would be into it. I’ve always compared ‘Friendship Is Magic’ to a Pixar movie: It’s filled with stuff only a more mature viewer would get, but still keeps it carefree and fun.”
But why do bronies get so much attention? Shaun has some ideas. “Traditional media sites love reporting on the armada of young adults who can’t get enough of sparkly unicorns and rainbows. They rarely dig into the actual show, and a lot of them actually link to or play scenes from the ’80s cartoon, which isn’t very popular among us. Still, brony culture does grow at an astounding rate. It’s hard to go anywhere on the Internet without at least catching a glance at some Pony stuff.”

The term "bronies," short for "bros who love Ponies," can be used to describe female fans of "Friendship Is Magic." But most of them are boys and men.

While Shaun and other bronies are uninterested in the Ponies’ origins that first inspired Hayes and other longtime collectors, rocker and motivational speaker Andrew W.K., who’s 33, seems to bridge the divide. In an interview with Dan Solomon at MTV Hive, Andrew W.K. talked about why he will be speaking at Canterlot Gardens, a brony convention happening in Strongsville, Ohio, September 28-30, where he will discuss the party philosophy of Pinkie Pie.
“I remember quite clearly when My Little Pony first came on the scene,” he says. “I was always, always really into the Ponies because, one, they had soft plastic skin. They had chubby feet — their legs get broader and broader toward the base, which I imagine gives them more traction for when they gallop or trot. And they had really nice, fragrant hair. It was mostly girls who liked it, so I was able to spend a lot of time playing with very beautiful girls, some of whom were kind enough to give me their Ponies, or lend them to me for extended periods of time.”

This 1985 Butterick pattern with My Little Pony transfer was posted on Patternpalooza's Flickr. Right, TheVintageToyAdvertiser.com unearthed this vintage French ad.

Of course, it’s likely that multitudes of boys, like Andrew W.K., grew up secretly loving the original ’80s My Little Pony toys.
“They are marketed to girls; you can’t deny that, with the pinks and the purples, the babies and the bottles,” Hayes says. “That’s what little girls are supposed to like, I guess. But then again, they’re just a fun toy.”
At age 2 in 1984, Hayes received her first My Little Pony, and became obsessed. By the time the first generation of Ponies were out of production, she had amassed about 400 Ponies, which lined her childhood bedroom walls. She also had all the play sets, which she would use to build a “whole Pony city.” And as she became a teenager, she put it away but still kept it all.

Summer Hayes in a family snapshot with her My Little Pony collection, 1987.

“Growing up, I had a boy cousin, the same age as me,” she says, “and I remember being with him at my grandmother’s house when we were little. I, of course, had Ponies because that was my thing. So we played with them together, underneath the trees and in the pool. It’s funny because he would make He-Man and his friends ride the Ponies. He’d be like, ‘Whoa, Masters of the Universe doesn’t really have enough horses for guys to ride on, so we’re going to put them on an army of Ponies and charge to Castle Grayskull.’ I don’t see anything wrong with it. I played with his Hot Wheels when I was a kid, and nobody said anything about that.”

The changes My Little Pony has gone through, starting with the first generation in the top left corner to the anime-style G3.5 in the bottom right. Images via Summer Hayes.

Those iconic chubby and doe-eyed Ponies made in the United States from 1983 to 1992 are known to collectors as the first generation, or G1. Under the Kenner imprint, Hasbro reintroduced My Little Ponies with strange new skinny bodies in 1997, and this second generation is unpopular with most collectors, Hayes says.
The third generation, debuting in 2003, was closer to the classic My Little Pony mold. Then in 2009, Hasbro revamped the Ponies again producing only the “Core Seven” characters with a more anime look, a line collectors dismiss as G3.5. But when “Friendship Is Magic” was launched in 2010, the new fourth generation’s anime-style grew more accepted. Hayes has ‘em all. “I’m a completist, and I really enjoy all Ponies. I practice all-generation appreciation.”

This rare vintage My Little Pony called Rapunzel was only available through mail order in the 1980s, and Hasbro didn't make enough to meet the demand. Image via Summer Hayes.

One might think that a collection of mass-produced and widely distributed plastic toys would be relatively easy to complete. But Hasbro produced limited-edition mail-order Ponies, like the ’80s long-tailed Rapunzel Pony, which now goes for as much as $800. And outside of the 600 U.S.-issued Ponies, Hasbro has licensed My Little Pony molds to toy companies all over the world.
“Unknown Ponies keep showing up,” Hayes says. “As recently as six months ago, collectors discovered a whole separate line of Ponies that were produced in Venezuela that we never knew about. Someone found a stash of mint-in-box ’80s Venezuelan Ponies, and of course, they went on eBay and sold them to collectors. We don’t know everything. I’m sure we’ll get to a point where there’s no new information, but it seems like every couple of years we find a new country or a new variation.”

Summer Hayes holds My Pretty Pony, the 1981 predecessor to My Little Pony, in her Pony Room.

Now Hayes has more than 2,000 Ponies and their accessories, which are showcased in their own “Pony Room” at the home she shares with her Star Wars collector husband and their 17-month-old son. Her toddler, no surprise, doesn’t seem to know these toys are meant for girls.
“My gosh, he loves them!” Hayes says. “But I don’t let him go into the Pony Room. Isn’t that sad? I took him in there once. And he’s at that age now where he’s like, ‘Ahh!’ and he’ll just run to the shelves and try to clear them off in one handful, you know, to get all the Ponies on the floor. I’m like, ‘Mmm, this isn’t going to work for me. This Pony goes here, and this one goes here.’
“But I do have a lot of extra Ponies,” she continues, “things that I’ll pick up at yard sales and shops. Even if I have the Pony, I usually buy them to trade with other collectors for accessories or things I might need. So I’ll get those out for him. He thinks they’re pretty great.”

A Portland-area brony flaunts his collection of the current, fourth generation of My Little Pony. Image by Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian.

It’s not especially shocking that little boys like miniature horses, or all toddlers are drawn to pink and purple sparkly things. Unfortunately, according to Shaun, bronies aren’t breaking down the gender barriers much further.

“Traditional media sites love reporting on the armada of young adults who can’t get enough of sparkly unicorns and rainbows.”

“I think brony culture is making specifically My Little Pony more acceptable, not so much the other stuff,” he says. “Kids’ shows marketed toward girls aren’t too popular among bronies when they pop up on the official Hub or My Little Pony social-media pages.”
Indeed, bronies are fierce in their devotion to the show, connecting in real life at conventions, the oldest of which is only two years old. This year, nearly a dozen of these brony conventions are scheduled to take place all over the United States and Europe. The much-ballyhooed BronyCon happening this weekend in New Jersey will feature series creator Lauren Faust; John de Lancie, who played “Star Trek’s” Q; and popular “Friendship Is Magic” voice actors like Tara Strong. With the help of those Kickstarter funds, this BronyCon will be documented on film for ages to come.

Applejack, shown in her first-generation incarnation, is the only original My Little Pony to become a main character in "Friendship Is Magic." Image via Summer Hayes.

By contrast, there are exactly two major My Little Pony collecting conventions. Hayes’ My Little Pony Fair, which is in its ninth year, and its sister convention, UK PonyCon. Even so, the Pony collectors beat the bronies to the big screen: Hayes and other old-school Pony collectors were featured in the 2011 documentary, “My Little Obsession,” which, Hayes says, screened at several brony events last year.
And Hayes has noticed the registration for this year’s My Little Pony Fair, happening July 7 and 8 in Orlando, Florida, has shot up from around 350 to about 450—in all likelihood thanks to the brony movement. Hayes says she welcomes all Pony lovers, but also wonders what the bronies, most of whom don’t collect the Hasbro toys, will bring to the collectors’ table.
“I’m really anxious to see how it will turn out this year,” she says. “Last year, when we had the Fair in Rhode Island, we did get several bronies, but they seemed to be the ones who were already interested in Ponies before this trend hit. These new bronies, the ones that have emerged just last year, they’re really into the show. I don’t know what they’re expecting from the My Little Pony Fair. I would hope that the bronies that are coming to the convention do have an appreciation for the toys. Otherwise I don’t know why they’re there.”

This smaller Blind Bag version of Twilight Sparkle is more appealing to bronies: She looks more like the cartoon character, and you don't have to comb her hair.

Shaun says he does buy smaller plastic Hasbro Ponies known as Blind Bags, because they “come with molded hair that is more true to the cartoon look. I never was into the ones that require brushing. The more show-accurate out of the box, the better.”
So perhaps this tidbit is drawing bronies to the My Little Pony Fair: Hasbro representatives, as usual, will be there, and they’ll be bringing a limited-edition fourth-generation Pony, made specially for the event, with them. The same Pony will be available at UK PonyCon in October.
However, bronies are more likely to collect elaborate fan-made custom plush toys, which are unlike anything Hasbro produces and sell for hundreds of dollars each on eBay. Hayes says customization, the practice of repainting a traditional vinyl Pony and re-rooting its hair to make your own character, has long been a part of My Little Pony fandom, but the bronies have taken it to the next level with their plush toys and memes.

An example of a fan-made plush toy of Pinkie Pie, currently for sale on eBay.

While Hayes and her collector pals may seem dwarfed by the enormity of the brony movement, as an unstoppable viral force, they are actually a part of a much larger pop-culture phenomenon: Gen-Xers who are obsessed their own childhoods. Hayes’ other friends collect Star Wars, He-Man: Masters of the Universe, and Strawberry Shortcake.
“The ’80s were, like, the best time to be a kid, ever, because everything was all about kids,” Hayes says. “I have a 17-month-old, so I’m out looking at the toys today. There are some okay toys, but to me, these are nothing compared to what we had.”

Rainbelle, a custom Pony seen at the My Little Pony Fair. A fan repainted her and rerooted her hair.

But even if you still have your first-generation Ponies—and they’re not totally beat up—it doesn’t mean you’ll get big bucks for them. “I see people at flea markets, who are like, ‘I have this Pony; I’m going to put $20 on it,’” Hayes says. “And it’s a Peachy, which is probably one of the most common Ponies ever. You might be lucky to get 2 bucks out of it. It’s best to do the research before you go slap a crazy price tag on it.”
And those ’80s Ponies are losing their limelight, as the decades-long My Little Pony collectors struggle to hold on to their identity in a world where the bronies seem to be taking over, driving the Ponies into their future.

A poster for last year's BronyCon, featuring Shaun from Equestria Daily. It was designed by Timon1771, an animator at Bronytoons.com.

“A couple weeks ago, I was in Ohio with my friend Mary, who also likes to collect Ponies,” Hayes says. “We were in line at an Old Navy, and she was explaining to her husband about one of the events at the Pony Fair. The cashier by the counter, who was wearing a Star Wars shirt, goes, ‘Are you a brony?’ It was just really random, like, ‘Wow, a cashier at Old Navy knows what a brony is.’ That is wild. But Mary was like, ‘No, I’m not a brony. I’m a collector.’”