G4 Knowing where to draw the line with collecting?

[neptuneness]

Hi all again! This isn't a G4-specific thing, just the most relevant flair to me. Please be kind, this is just how I'm feeling right now!
So I've been cataloguing my collection recently, keeping track of everything in sets and what ponies or accessories I'm missing, but the scope of my collection seems to expand rapidly whether I expect it or not. The main way I've been getting ponies is from eBay/Facebook marketplace bundles or car boot/charity shop finds, but when I get bundles there's usually all sorts of stuff included. I aimed to stick just to G4 brushables, but now I have stuff like fakies, figures from blind bags, Cutie Mark Crew, Guardians of Harmony, heavens knows where else, Equestria Girls dolls, even a rogue G3 pony.
I have a bit of a perfectionist and completionist streak, and it's difficult to resist the urge to go on a pipeline of 'G4 brushables only!' ... 'G4 brushables and the playsets and extra stuff!' ... 'G4 and reboot stuff!' ... 'G4 brushables and figurines!' ... 'Everything G4 related!' ... 'Why not G4.5 too?'
The worst part is, I'm not particularly fond of some of the stuff like the dolls especially, I think the quality of them is awful compared to other dolls I like such as Monster High, the blind bags, even some of the brushable releases. But I feel like I should get everything, so that my collection is complete and I don't miss anything, so that I restore and preserve as much as possible. I also really like the idea of customising dolls and ponies too, so in my dreams not only do I have enough money, space, and time to collect everything from G4, I can also have my own collection of custom brushables and EG dolls. The larger the scope gets, the more upset I get at the idea I will never be finished with my collection.
As well as it eventually impacting my finances and storage space, MLP isn't the only thing I collect but it's certainly my biggest collection right now and the one I'm most focused on, I worry that it'll be far, far too much to keep up with. My one solace is that G4 is over and there won't be new products for me to worry about, and I'm comfortable enough that I don't want to expand into other gens, G5 doesn't really do it for me and while I think past gens have really cute ponies, I don't have the same emotional ties to them, I also definitely couldn't afford it in the same way.
So, I'm hoping someone can empathise with me and give me some guidance on how to manage this, or at the very least some way to get better at keeping track. I watched a video on YouTube recently with advice for doll collectors, which is what sparked this train of thought and honestly overwhelm and hopelessness, and that said to pick out the things you want most and have a wishlist, but I really struggle to not respond to that with, 'well I want to have everything because otherwise it's not perfect'. How do you pick and choose, and how do you stick to your own collecting parameters? How do you not get what I can only describe as collector FOMO? I love to watch content online of other people showing off their collections, but it also makes me feel like my collection will never be as vast or complete.
Thank you for reading!

 

[StormMaeker]

I can understand what you mean, I get you! I have been that way with other collections in the past, I think. I can definitely think of some

The limits I put myself on with my ponies is to collect how I did when I was a little kid. If I changed that, I don’t think my ponies would feel how they did with childhood me. When I was a kid, I’d only get ponies I liked, that I feel more… what’s the word… connected with(?) rather than getting a pony just because it’s a pony.

Because of limited spending money I have, I only buy in person, as in charity shops only. I don’t buy online. I feel it will be too easy to access rather than in person (and also I have things to sort out with bank but that’s another thing entirely). When I come across ponies in a charity shop I have to think “do I actually like this pony? Do I really want this in my collection/possession? Can I fix up this pony? Do I need to save my money for something else I might need?”. I also have very limited space so I have to also consider if I even have the room. One pony I have picked up because “it’s a G3 pony! I haven’t found one of those in a charity shop yet” was a Swirlypop and I haven’t been able to sort of bond with her properly because of it. I keep her anyway because she’s mine now and I can do more pony photography which I enjoy with her but she does have a feeling about her that’s different from the rest

I also don’t like having doubles in my collection either so I never pick up anything I already have. I have turned some doubles into customs though, if I got them for that reason on purpose but I would usually go for a fakie to do that with or HQG1C.

I don’t find ponies at charity shops often so that probably slows down collecting. I don’t mind though, it makes discoveries just that bit more exciting

I think that’s all I can think of to say right now…

TL;DR: I only get ponies I actually like. I am not a “get them all” kind of person. I collect the same way as I did when I was a child and never online. Pretty much always secondhand charity shops

 

[Rebeldream]

The answer for me is always JOY.

What is it about these brightly colored plastic horses that make me happy? For me, completeness for completeness’ sake wouldn’t bring me joy - I don’t want to own a pony JUST to own her or to have a set unless I adore all of them. I want to look at my shelves and feel overwhelmed with happiness and fond memories and little jolts of glimmering delight.

G1 Cascade does that for me. I’m THRILLED to own her. So I’m striving for that feeling with my collection.

Beyond that, I love the excitement of treasure hunting at thrift stores or marketplace ads & I love passing along those finds to others who find joy in them. So I do that, too.

I guess it’s a matter of revisiting your reason for collecting & clarifying where you find your joy.

 

[StormMaeker]

The answer for me is always JOY.

What is it about these brightly colored plastic horses that make me happy? For me, completeness for completeness’ sake wouldn’t bring me joy - I don’t want to own a pony JUST to own her or to have a set unless I adore all of them. I want to look at my shelves and feel overwhelmed with happiness and fond memories and little jolts of glimmering delight.

Yes, yes, yes! That’s what I was looking for when I said about connection!

 

[Flitter]

Completionism can really ruin the fun of collecting. I totally get this. I used to have a huge G4 collection, on top of some other collections, and it got overwhelming. I've gone through a couple cycles of downsizing and re-accumulation. Right now, for MLP, I only collect G4 brushables (one of each character) and have a couple stray Funko ponies.
Choose your favorites, or favorite categories, and make sure it fits within a space you have dedicated for it. That's what I think what works well for me.
Buying lots, things on sale, thrifting has actually had a negative impact on my collecting in the past because I inevitably end up with items I didn't intend. I much prefer focused online or in store buying. Looking back at old photos from when my collection was bigger or looking at other people's collections that are larger than mine can make me think I miss things that I don't really miss, and I try not get caught up doing that, too.

 

[ponyville]

I'm not an expert on the subject but I thought I'd offer my two cents. G4 and G5 are my most serious collections. I wouldn't say I am a completionist but I understand the mindset! And, I watched the same video as you. It actually inspired me to reevaluate what I have in my collection, although it was already something I was thinking about. Excuse my lack of brevity. It has never been a strong point for me, LOL.

When your collection begins to feel overwhelming, which happened to me recently, I feel that is a sign to move some things along. Some tips people gave me were, put the items you are considering moving along into another room or a hidden space (somewhere where you won't see them) and see if you think about them or miss them. Using this strategy I uncovered that I wanted to hold on to my water Luna but not my water Pinkie Pie. This could be done with certain lines you have, to see if you actually care about them or are holding onto them because you *might* like them in the future.

I also realized G3 isn't my favorite thing to collect. There are some G3 ponies I adore, but trying to collect outside of that scope wasn't doing it for me. I think what helped me realize that was when minticat said "1) i didn't want to dedicate space to something i don't really care for and 2) some other collector would appreciate the stuff i had more. G4 is still relatively new, and while the items i had were sought-after, nothing was extremely rare. if i ever wanted them back it wouldn't be hard to do." Ponies take up space on your shelves and in your mind. Even the small Cutie Mark Magic ones! And as minticat said, with G4 lines, it is not that challenging to get an item back if you change your mind in the future. Unlike a rare Euro exclusive G1 pony or the like. If you are worried about the financial aspect of that, that's a valid concern. But the way I see it, if you feel like you are 'losing' money, you actually spent it on learning what G4 things you truly like to collect! And, I can't recall who said this, but collecting is about adding new things and taking some things out. In that way, collecting can be seen as a journey. You don't need to rush it all at once by completing a collection immediately.

I have plenty of space for new ponies with my current room set up. But before I got rid of some extra ponies that I didn't love, even with that extra room, I felt like I was running out of room, when I really wasn't. Because there were ponies I didn't necessarily care for taking up space that could be used for ponies I actually liked. Through thinking about it, I actually removed my one Rainbow Dash brushable from my collection. So now I only have five out of the mane six. But it doesn't bother me because I am not as big of a fan of RD as I am the other ponies! I still like her. The backpack I bring everywhere is an RD plushie with a zipper, LOL. The point of that is, my mane 6 area is "not complete." One day I may add a different Rainbow Dash back into my collection. But, everything is fluid, so I am not bothered by what I'm lacking. It means I have room to grow.

My last point (can you tell I think about this a lot? ) is that I very often see doll collectors with *huge* collections. It is important to keep in mind that a bigger collection has consequences. Cleaning takes longer. It can be difficult to find space for new additions. It can feel overwhelming when you're holding onto things you don't want to hold on to. But if your collection consists of things you really love, it won't feel overwhelming. I also found the idea of a concrete wishlist challenging. Instead I focus on not impulse purchasing and also thinking for a while before I invite a toy into my home.

I think our problems that relate to this ends up coming down to consumerism and all the ways we were and are socialized to 'buy, buy, buy.' Like, maybe this is farfetched, but I think we also have trouble letting some things go because we are so protective over our money and our 'things' due to the current economic system. All in all, I hope some of my musings here allow you to think about what ponies are important to you. What others have said in this thread is super important as well, and said much more briefly, lol. Just know you are not alone with this kind of thing. I think all have experienced it. Moving some ponies along made me feel *so* much better. I hope you are able to evaluate and find what is important! And, apologies for the super long post!!!

 

[neptuneness]

Oh my! This got a lot of replies, I hope it's okay if I just post a reply here because if I replied to everyone I think I would start repeating myself a lot. Thank you so much Storm, Rebel, Flitter and Ponyville, I totally agree with you all, and I'm not bothered by a long post lol it means a lot to me that people care enough to have so much to say. I do think social media especially inundates us with the need to keep having more, more, more, and seeing these huge dream collections online makes me feel honestly envious and inadequate. I am unfortunately very much a victim of consumerism!
I'm excited also that Ponyville knows the video I'm talking about, it was by Darling Dollz and I'm very fond of their content.
I really love all of my ponies, truly, and I don't feel the need to get rid of any of them yet, but in time this might change, and especially with my duplicates I would love to use them for something else [I have a post saved about that to post too] or to learn how trading works here or on Facebook groups! I am learning to be more choosy with what I pick up too, I try and limit how much I check eBay or other online buying sites for example, I don't get to go to the car boot as much anymore but some of my new friends are interested in charity shopping so I really want to try and make it a more regular thing with them! They know I collect ponies, and they weren't weird about it either, so I'm thankful for that.
I think what will also help me be more connected to my collection is starting my spa days and stuff, and I can't wait to be able to share more stuff here too. This is sort of the first forum I've properly been on, so I don't know what I'm doing too well, but I want to have a pretty profile and stuff too :3
I think I've spent too much time with my head in spreadsheets and forgot how happy I can get when I find a new pony or take care of the ones I have. Thank you all for being so helpful and understanding!

 

[ponyville]

@neptuneness I agree that spa days will help you connect with your ponies! Cammy mentioned that in their video as well, that it's important to bond with the dolls or in our case ponies I wish you well with all of your collecting goals! I look forward to more of your posts as well. The MLPTP is a really kind place and I think you will enjoy your time here!

 

[neptuneness]

@neptuneness I agree that spa days will help you connect with your ponies! Cammy mentioned that in their video as well, that it's important to bond with the dolls or in our case ponies I wish you well with all of your collecting goals! I look forward to more of your posts as well. The MLPTP is a really kind place and I think you will enjoy your time here!

Yes that's exactly what I was thinking of! Thank you, that's so kind of you, I've been lurking here for a long time and I love the vibes. It might take me a while to post more regularly between getting the confidence for it and sorting out IRL things, I'm not fully unboxed from the last time I moved and I still really want to put more pony content out there to the rest of the internet, I love Retro Geek Crafts and I would love to make spa day/restoration videos for my ponies too, I think it's a bit of an empty niche when it comes to G4 afaik.

 

[ponyville]

Yes that's exactly what I was thinking of! Thank you, that's so kind of you, I've been lurking here for a long time and I love the vibes. It might take me a while to post more regularly between getting the confidence for it and sorting out IRL things, I'm not fully unboxed from the last time I moved and I still really want to put more pony content out there to the rest of the internet, I love Retro Geek Crafts and I would love to make spa day/restoration videos for my ponies too, I think it's a bit of an empty niche when it comes to G4 afaik.

I love Retro Geek Crafts! And I would totally be interested in your videos! It is an empty niche but as I mentioned G4 is one of my favorite generations so I would LOVE to see more toy related videos of this gen! I look forward to it

 

[shes-so-unusual]

I can never finish watching pony spa day videos cause I end up just going to give my ponies their own spa day lol, but I always think they’re adorable and you’d definitely be fulfilling an untapped niche with G4 ones! Another video about consumerism in the doll collecting community that I really appreciated was the Doll Daddy’s video about it. He had recently experienced a traumatic loss that sent him on a massive spending spree, which I completely related to. It’s really difficult not to fall into the trap of consumerism with collecting, especially while dealing with trauma (in my case losing my entire collection in a fire) so it’s really great that you’re mindful and aware of it! The honesty about this issue is also really refreshing. Trying to make a budget, even per month, helped me curb my spending habits at least a little bit as I found it really difficult earlier in the summer to not try to buy back my entire childhood collection at once and had to set some limits.

I agree with you and Ponyville that spa days truly help you bond with ponies. Having a concrete wishlist hasn’t helped me out much but only getting ponies that I feel truly excited about having has helped slow the growth of my collection. I’ve also started to really focus on getting ponies in baitier conditions. Although I do love inviting a beautiful pretty pony into my collection occasionally, I’ve found I’m more connected to ponies that I’ve restored or cleaned up even minimally and I’m much more attached to them generally. Also, weirdly enough, giving my ponies each their own unique little backstories made me feel much more appreciative of my collection as a whole. I don’t play with my ponies all that much, but I do like having little backstories for them outside of any media personalities they have.

 

[neptuneness]

I love Retro Geek Crafts! And I would totally be interested in your videos! It is an empty niche but as I mentioned G4 is one of my favorite generations so I would LOVE to see more toy related videos of this gen! I look forward to it

I'm all blushy and giggly now, I'm so happy to get my silly ideas validated I will definitely let you know when I start! This has given me some confidence that I should actually go for it

I can never finish watching pony spa day videos cause I end up just going to give my ponies their own spa day lol, but I always think they’re adorable and you’d definitely be fulfilling an untapped niche with G4 ones! Another video about consumerism in the doll collecting community that I really appreciated was the Doll Daddy’s video about it. He had recently experienced a traumatic loss that sent him on a massive spending spree, which I completely related to. It’s really difficult not to fall into the trap of consumerism with collecting, especially while dealing with trauma (in my case losing my entire collection in a fire) so it’s really great that you’re mindful and aware of it! The honesty about this issue is also really refreshing. Trying to make a budget, even per month, helped me curb my spending habits at least a little bit as I found it really difficult earlier in the summer to not try to buy back my entire childhood collection at once and had to set some limits.

I agree with you and Ponyville that spa days truly help you bond with ponies. Having a concrete wishlist hasn’t helped me out much but only getting ponies that I feel truly excited about having has helped slow the growth of my collection. I’ve also started to really focus on getting ponies in baitier conditions. Although I do love inviting a beautiful pretty pony into my collection occasionally, I’ve found I’m more connected to ponies that I’ve restored or cleaned up even minimally and I’m much more attached to them generally. Also, weirdly enough, giving my ponies each their own unique little backstories made me feel much more appreciative of my collection as a whole. I don’t play with my ponies all that much, but I do like having little backstories for them outside of any media personalities they have.

I totally get that! I like watching them kind of like research, to see what works for certain problems, I don't collect G1 but I'm so fascinated by the certain problems they get with age and the names that have persisted for them like smooze, pony cancer, the pink spots. I also love seeing the same content on here and sites like the MLP Preservation Project. But they're always, understandably, G1! But my ponies definitely need some of the same treatment after play, and I'm glad I have that knowledge base because it helps me to recognise how to treat my ponies.

I haven't seen that video! I'll go look it up because it sounds interesting. I'm so sorry that happened to you, losing everything that's sentimental to me like that is one of my worst fears so I can definitely sympathise. Budgeting is something I really want to learn how to do better, especially seeing as I don't really have a lot of money and I can't work due to medical reasons, so while trying to find a way to have a different income I definitely shouldn't spend what I have indiscriminately on ponies I feel really weird being vulnerable on the internet to people I've never talked to before, but in this case it seems to have been for the best and I'm glad everyone was so open and lovely to me sharing these feelings.

That's so cute! I have a similar thing in mind, a project I want to do with my fakies somewhere down the line. I want to customise them into their own characters with stories, while also keeping the stuff I use hopefully play-friendly and giving them a thorough clean, because I would really like to give them a new purpose and be able to donate them to kids, maybe in a hospital or care, or something similar. Outside of that, I like to try and remember how I got each pony too, as I do with a lot of my collections, it makes it more meaningful even just to remember when I got them or where from. I love baity ponies because you can tell they've been loved, even if it's in strange ways like cut hair or caked on dirt. They've served their intended purpose to make kids happy. I'm considering making a wishlist though, and treating it more as a 'these are the top of the list ponies I really like' not just 'these are the only ones I want to have and anything else I have to get rid of'.

 

[StormMaeker]

I love Retro Geek Crafts and I would love to make spa day/restoration videos for my ponies too, I think it's a bit of an empty niche when it comes to G4 afaik.

Me too! Her channel is great! I think it is a wonderful idea especially for G4s. Go for it, if you’re up for it! Down the line, G4 will be someone’s nostalgia and childhood. Someone, like us, will be looking for how to clean them up and probably are too right now just like you are

I like watching them kind of like research, to see what works for certain problems, I don't collect G1 but I'm so fascinated by the certain problems they get with age and the names that have persisted for them like smooze, pony cancer, the pink spots. I also love seeing the same content on here and sites like the MLP Preservation Project. But they're always, understandably, G1! But my ponies definitely need some of the same treatment after play, and I'm glad I have that knowledge base because it helps me to recognise how to treat my ponies.

Same, same! When I came back to collecting and research, I was looking for G3 specific because that’s my childhood gen. Now I’ve just expanded and learning all the time