Since you're new to ebay, to avoid disappointment like this in the future, let me tell you bout my personal philosophy.

When I buy ponies on ebay I always assume the seller knows NOTHING about ponies. I assume they are idiots who might think ponies are supposed to have no tails and uneven manes and think pink marks and stains are part of the design. Yes, to us these flaws are obvious, but other people can honestly not notice them or not think they're a big deal. Even if I know the seller is a pony person, I still apply my "assume they are idiots" mantra.

Basically, I don't expect people on ebay to understand what flaws are on a pony. I make it my responsibility to ask. Now that doesn't always guarantee a perfect pony, but it does make my chances much much higher that I know what I'm getting. And then if the pony arrives ad has flaws that were not described, I can point back and say "I specifically asked you about this" and you have good grounds for an item not as described case.

ShinyKitsune wrote:

Thanks everyone for the advice.. I will be sure to look closer next time... on an actual screen and not the iPad lol... (Also I won't start placing bids at 3am when *EVERYTHING* looks shiny and perfect!)

Oh well good to hear you are optimistic about your purchase :-)

When I first saw your post my first thought was "Oh yes complain!" but I agree with the others that now that I look at the auction they look very grungy. I would never have bid on that lot as I know that 2 obviously grungy ponies mean the rest are going to be not so good either. But $28 is a good price! You did well! Be proud of yourself, you might even make money on this lot if you decide to sell them off :-)

And it looks like you already have a buyer for one

NoDivision has a great philosophy.

Ebay can be amazing, but it's seriously buyer beware. When buying anything that's a toy, I'd look closely at the pictures before buying. Never buy without a close look. Ask questions! Zoom in on your ipad or use a bigger monitor to view them.

I looked at the picture on my iphone to see what I saw. I can tell that some are missing tails, but I agree that they should should have stated that. Also they photograph poorly against that carpet, it washes them all out. But they did say ask questions... sometimes, pictures don't say it all.

However, you got a GREAT deal. Free shipping plus $28.00 for 24 ponies? That's less than $1.00 per pony and in this community, every pony is a commodity. It can be traded, customized, sold. It can be rehaired, fixed, restored. And your tail-less not-wanted pony might be somebody's wish list item.

Take it as a learning experience! And a big yay to your deal. There's some cute ponies in there.

The initial shock of 'oh crap, this is not what i tout I was getting' was more of a downer than anything... But you're right, in the light of day it's nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. Plus I cleaned them all up last night, and some look lovely, Windy, for instance is nm... Big change from the other lot's windy, which had a fine looking horn in the photo... And arrived with the non display side of the horn completely chewed off. That was no good, but yeah, there are some nice girls in here, and I have been trying to get ahold of a Minty for a while, plus the upgraded Star Catcher, who actually has lovely hair and wings... As opposed to the mess of tinsel and ratty wings on my old one.

Thanks everyone for looking to the positive side and to those who understood the disappointment, and didnt just yell at me for being dumb. It helps a lot more to learn what I'm doing, and be able to look at the positive side rather than beat myself up over being disappointed AND feeling like I can't ask about what to do!

I'm glad you feel a bit more positive about it now sweetie, and that some of those ponies turned out to be nice once they were cleaned

(I think Windy, my smile, and my half-empty bottle of acetone on my side table say it better than words )

Thanks again!!

Wow gorgeous! Both of you.

Derp. Thanks. Windy looks awesome... That's after basically being bathed in magic eraser. Her glitter symbol is perfect! Just a brush and one run with the flat iron, and her hair is awesome. A couple spots need a touch of acetone, one eyelash scuff, and thats *all* thats wrong with her on the outside. small rattle inside,s o I'm debating chopping off her head to check out the tail washer, and scrub out any mold.

The others cleaned up mostly well... LOTS of gunk visible in tailholes, and some are just really really squishy... so I should probably check out their insides >.< More research! I've never opened up a G1 before. G3s, yes, but still have yet to open up a G1

Keep in mind that not everyone who sells ponies is a collector. The details in the auction say "Not sure as to all the exact names - some we had since childhood, others we collected over the years!" which implies that they're casual collectors at best. Also, notice that the seller states that Windy and Sunlight are G2, which isn't true. I suspect that she's someone who had ponies as a kid, gave them to her child, bought some new ponies to go with the old ones, then put them all on eBay once they were outgrown. I don't think it would occur to the average person to check for things like haircuts and missing tails, since they're sold as toys instead of collectibles.

When in doubt, it's always best to contact the seller and ask very specific questions, especially if you're picky about the condition of your ponies. Things like "Do they have any ink marks anywhere on them, even on their bellies or feet? Are any of them missing tails or have short/uneven hair? Are there any chew/cut marks on them? Are any of their symbols visibly smudged or faded?"

As far as opening them up...well, if you can open a G3, you can open a G1. G1s have the added bonus of being sealed with 30-year-old glue, which tends to come apart with just some tugging. I would much rather open a G1 than a G3 any day.

Awesome pic!
Oh and opening a G1 is waaaay easier than a G3, so I dont think you'll have any issues They often just pull open, but if the glue is tough I normally use my hairdryer to warm it up and soften it around the neck seal

I just noticed you look like your pony avatar :-)

I thought acetone damaged the plastic on the ponies?

Hehe, thank you ^.^

If you use too much acetone. It will melt the plastic, but if you just spot treat bad stains, it usually won't do much damage... Just as long as you don't use it near anything with a special finish, any glitter, eyes, blush, or cutie marks. It will wipe those all clean off the pony (which is why it works great for prepping bait for customs!)

I use it as a last resort on ponies in decent shape though, and only if the rest of my tricks don't work on certain stains.

Glad to hear you're remaining positive!