Why ponies?

Why indeed?

I usually get one of three reactions when I tell someone that I collect ponies:

1. Oh, that's cool! (either interested or not)
2. Um, okay? (thinks it's really odd)
3. Why? You can't even use them for anything (totally dismissive)

The third one is the one that bugs me.  I don't mind if people think it's a bit odd or aren't interested in hearing about my collecting.  But dismissing people's collections is annoying.  (I mean, there's a lot stranger things that people collect than vintage toys!)

Useless.  Collect dust.  Can't do anything with them.  Waste of money.

Why do you care, anyway?  I hoard these lumps of colorful plastic with funny names because they please me.  It's basically playing for me as adult, since I don't like playing sports or many video games.  I like to learn about them, to admire them for aesthetic reasons, and to indulge in nostalgia.  I like the feeling of hunting for a new pony on my wish list, the little high when I acquire a new one, the pride when I see how many I've amassed.  It's typical collector behavior, ponies or otherwise, and it makes me feel good.

I always liked My Little Pony.  I don't remember life before them.  I had a modest collection as a child, 23 ponies between my younger sister and myself.  Some of them are older than me — Trickles and Powder came out before I was even born.  I grew out of the brushable toys and played with Petite Ponies for a while until I was around ten or so, then I went onto other toys.  

But I still liked MLP as I got older.  I missed it.  I still used my blue duffel bag that had either the Carousel or Rainbow Curl ponies (I forget which!!) across it as I got older.  Once in middle school, or maybe early high school, my family was on vacation and staying in a hotel.  I turned on the TV in the hotel room...  An episode of My Little Pony and Friends was on.  I hadn't seen it since I was probably six or seven. (It was the one with Posey's garden full of rude flowers.)  I took out my ponies every couple years or so to look at them and remember how much I loved playing with them.  I was disappointed when I saw the G2 line on the shelves.

Finding out that there were thousands of MLPs out there and that there were thousands of collectors just blew my love for MLP back into my life.  And it felt awesome.  I felt like I had come home, I really did.  I'd always wished to collect something but never found That Thing.  I felt like I should've been doing this already!

So yes, I collect ponies for three main reasons:

• the thrill of collecting itself
• I appreciate them aesthetically and like seeing them
• nostalgia out the wazoo

But let's be honest, it's mostly nostalgia gone wild.