Is the Cost of My Little Pony Getting Too High? 
Is the Cost of My Little Pony Getting Too High? 
So what happened in between?
Price lists. Rarity guides. Retro collectible stores. E-bay.
But somewhere between the last few Dream Beauties being sold off at a mere $4.99 from Toy Liquidators and hearing about that same Rapunzel pony being auctioned for nearly $400, I was able to find Sniffles & Snookums (Year 5) and about four other ponies for around 10 cents each at a flea market and plush (Hasbro Softies) Glory and Pink Dreams (Soft Sleepy Newborn) for only $2 each. Again, what happened?
Not long ago, I came across an online campaign created to try and drive down the rising costs of second-hand My Little Pony items, which, unfortunately, was no longer running. And after seeing the prices ponies are going for lately, I'd say it's a worthy cause, right up there with UN-censoring animé and defending Pokémon. Whether it's a pony who's been in the attic for 20 years or one who was on store shelves only a few months ago, the cost of any given pony on E-bay or other online auction can be staggering.
So what determines a pony's value?
Is it her year of origin? Is it her white hair? Her flat feet? Her freckles? Her normal eyes? Her non-glittery symbol? Her alternate pose? Body color? Symbol color? Her longer forelock? Her German name? Her resemblance to T.J.? The words Macau, Italy, Brazil, or Argentina carved into her hoof? Perhaps the number of broken pieces of hardened cream perfume remaining inside her medallion symbol? I don't know.
I, for one, cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars for one pony even if she meets any of the above criteria. And every day, I hear from other My Little Pony enthusiasts who also can't. For those working to rebuild a lost collection, those adding to their childhood collection, or those looking to show a new generation of My Little Pony fans what ponies looked like before Pinkie Pie and Sparkleworks, E-bay prices are usually just too far out of reach.
But more disconcerting is what is happening with the newest ponies (i.e. Target Exclusive Easter Ponies, Disneyland Princess Ponies) who seem to disappear from their respective stores and show up on E-bay the next day for triple the original price...ponies who will probably never be held in a little girl's hands, let alone even removed from their packages.
When the new ponies first came out in 2003, I was suddenly asked "Should I open my new ponies? How will this affect their value?" So much so that it became a Frequently Asked Question.
The question we should be asking, however, is when did it become an issue of value? When did we start worrying about resale? When did we become afraid to open our ponies?
Aesthetically speaking, the new ponies are beautifully packaged. Their hair is sculpted and shiny. They look pretty standing against their boxes' Ponyville backdrop. That flower & Easter Egg design would have to be ripped. And those brushes are so hard to keep track of by color once loose. Online campaigns encouraging people to just open and enjoy their ponies began appearing shortly after the 2nd generation of My Little Pony was introduced, when suddenly the word 'collectible' drew the line between opening a toy and assuring the bidder that it has been 'NRFB/P' (Never Removed From Box/Package).
But that didn't stop those of us who began our collection in the 80s from opening and playing with our ponies when we were little. Fortunately, I've also gotten plenty of e-mails from people who spent hours re-curling the manes of Cherries Jubilee, Sparkler, and Sky Rocket whom they pulled from their old toy boxes, just happy to know their names again...and 'value' refers to the fond memories they have of their ponies lovingly reaching that 'played-with' condition.
Now, I know from time to time that many of us wish we still had all of our baby ponies' accessories and were able to recall exactly who came with what or that we would be happy to have just one Flutter Pony with perfect wings or to be able to positively match those last few purple bird brushes with their owners. Actually, that would make our ponies worth more on E-bay, but would our memories be any more priceless?
Since 1997, Dream Valley has been dedicated to helping collectors rediscover their ponies and relive their childhood, without ever having a price or rarity guide. In Dream Valley, Milky Way is no less special than Baby Milky Way, Baby Starflower carries no less sentimental value than Baby Stella, and a green Tootsie no less treasured than a white one.
To this day, I have never paid more than $10 each (excluding shipping) for a loose, second-hand pony with no accessories. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Moonstone or Heart Throb in an antique store display case and was relieved I didn't have to pay their price...probably just often as I've seen Night Light and Surprise Twins Pony on E-bay and was disappointed to learn that I could never afford even the opening bid.
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