My Little Pony Trading Post - View Single Post - Online Buying Tips! (Great for Lurkers needing a pony present too!)

FantasticFirefly · 11-23-2007, 07:07 PM

In time for the holiday season I'm posting some of my buying tips. This is a great reference for people newer to online collecting, or anyone needing a pony present. (Lurkers- I know you're here needing a special present for that pony person in your life!

)

MLPTP:
You can buy ponies here in the marketplace section. Read sales posts carefully, some members prefer an outright sale. Others will only trade. Some members will take "offers" on a pony for a set time period, and then they will sell to the member with the highest offer.

Ebay:
Ebay has both auction style listings, or BIN (Buy it Now) listings. The easiest keyword search has to be "my little pony". (you can also narrow it if you know the name, or type of pony you would like. i.e. "my little pony twinkle eye"

Your Sellers:
Once you see something nice for sale, First thing you do. Check feedback. Read feedback relating to past sales. Do they describe things accurately? charge actual shipping (plus reasonable packing)? Wrap well for transit? On both here and ebay Feedback is displayed in a members profile.

But you can also quickly check for both TP and ebay usernames in the "Trader help and advice" section of the board.

As a Buyer:
Manners and etiquette!
-Make sure a seller is willing to ship to your location.
-Be mindful of where a seller is located.
Sellers across boarders or overseas will need to charge higher shipping because it does cost more! It also takes longer getting a pony from across the world, then across your country - so be prepared for slower shipping too. if you need a parcel sooner you may have to pay more for a faster and more reliable shipping method.
-Read a sellers accepted payment methods. Are you able to pay them?
-Note the sale style!
You can buy a "BIN" listing right away, and it's yours! However it's very bad form to request a BIN from a seller who is running an auction! It's unfair to the seller, and others who are watching and would like a chance to own that same pony as well -besides it's EASY to place a bid!

The Item:
Once you find the ponies you want it's time to ask yourself some questions!
-Determining condition
After looking at a sellers descriptions and pictures carefully - feel free to ask them any additional questions about condition (You can request a photo of a mark they describe, or close ups of the hair, body etc.). Any good seller is more then happy to accommodate polite buyers requests for extra pictures or information.
-Packing for Shipping
Before you buy, be sure a seller is willing to accommodate reasonable packing requests. (NOT using newspaper! Shipping fragile items well cushioned in a box etc.)
-How much to Bid/Pay?
Once you determine the state/condition of the item you want, and how much shipping is, it's time to figure out how much you are willing to pay (or bid). BIN listings at excellent prices get snapped up quickly. For auction listings be careful! If a pony sits at a $1 all week, she may jump to $30 in the last ten seconds of the listing! So with anything, once you know which pony you want it's a good idea to look and see how much past sold ones went for! Then you'll know if your bid has even a chance at winning! (you could also request a "price check" from others here in the general disc forum)

Lurkers!:
This part is just for you! You'll be needing an impressive gift this holiday season and have no clue about anything "pony". (except the gift receiver spends an awful long time here, on ebay and answering the door for more pony parcels

).

Tips:
-If your special someone has an account here, find out the username!
We have a special section here called "the wishing well". Look up the username there. It's where members post lists of ponies they would love most.
You could also check to see if your username started any threads in the "Want to Buy" sections. See anything they still need?

-Is your collector picky about things being in "mint" condition? or just as happy with ponies in good condition?
Remember you can get way more bang for your buck buying lots in "good played with condition" and cleaning them later Vs. a perfect "mint" pony.
If your Collector is a "mint condition" only type, it's a little more difficult finding that perfect gift. Ask questions, check photo's and ask for more, so you know if something is as "like new" as stated. (Ask about: stains, paint scuffs or scrapes (symbols, eyes and cheek blush too!), dirt smudges, pen or ink marks, haircuts, loose heads, fading, yellowing, dry hair, brown spotting, odors like "cigarette smell").

-Does your gift receiver have a favorite seller? or a seller they wish to avoid at all costs?
Find out and note this!

-Avoid SCAMMERS!
Find out the items "worth". Look it up on ebay completed listings, or ask here. It's not a nice thing to think about but "my little pony" is a very popular collectible and people do scam money with them! If a deal is too good to be true, (i.e. offered a $400 pony for $50) it often is! If you feel unsure or fishy about a pony transaction, check feedback, ask here or feel free to PM any of the friendly mod staff.

Happy Pony Buying and Happy Holidays!

~Firefly

11-23-2007, 07:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
FantasticFirefly Moderator Join Date: May 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 2,599 Gallery: 39 Feedback	Online Buying Tips! (Great for Lurkers needing a pony present too!) In time for the holiday season I'm posting some of my buying tips. This is a great reference for people newer to online collecting, or anyone needing a pony present. (Lurkers- I know you're here needing a special present for that pony person in your life! ) MLPTP: You can buy ponies here in the marketplace section. Read sales posts carefully, some members prefer an outright sale. Others will only trade. Some members will take "offers" on a pony for a set time period, and then they will sell to the member with the highest offer. Ebay: Ebay has both auction style listings, or BIN (Buy it Now) listings. The easiest keyword search has to be "my little pony". (you can also narrow it if you know the name, or type of pony you would like. i.e. "my little pony twinkle eye" Your Sellers: Once you see something nice for sale, First thing you do. Check feedback. Read feedback relating to past sales. Do they describe things accurately? charge actual shipping (plus reasonable packing)? Wrap well for transit? On both here and ebay Feedback is displayed in a members profile. But you can also quickly check for both TP and ebay usernames in the "Trader help and advice" section of the board. As a Buyer: Manners and etiquette! -Make sure a seller is willing to ship to your location. -Be mindful of where a seller is located. Sellers across boarders or overseas will need to charge higher shipping because it does cost more! It also takes longer getting a pony from across the world, then across your country - so be prepared for slower shipping too. if you need a parcel sooner you may have to pay more for a faster and more reliable shipping method. -Read a sellers accepted payment methods. Are you able to pay them? -Note the sale style! You can buy a "BIN" listing right away, and it's yours! However it's very bad form to request a BIN from a seller who is running an auction! It's unfair to the seller, and others who are watching and would like a chance to own that same pony as well -besides it's EASY to place a bid! The Item: Once you find the ponies you want it's time to ask yourself some questions! -Determining condition After looking at a sellers descriptions and pictures carefully - feel free to ask them any additional questions about condition (You can request a photo of a mark they describe, or close ups of the hair, body etc.). Any good seller is more then happy to accommodate polite buyers requests for extra pictures or information. -Packing for Shipping Before you buy, be sure a seller is willing to accommodate reasonable packing requests. (NOT using newspaper! Shipping fragile items well cushioned in a box etc.) -How much to Bid/Pay? Once you determine the state/condition of the item you want, and how much shipping is, it's time to figure out how much you are willing to pay (or bid). BIN listings at excellent prices get snapped up quickly. For auction listings be careful! If a pony sits at a $1 all week, she may jump to $30 in the last ten seconds of the listing! So with anything, once you know which pony you want it's a good idea to look and see how much past sold ones went for! Then you'll know if your bid has even a chance at winning! (you could also request a "price check" from others here in the general disc forum) Lurkers!: This part is just for you! You'll be needing an impressive gift this holiday season and have no clue about anything "pony". (except the gift receiver spends an awful long time here, on ebay and answering the door for more pony parcels ). Tips: -If your special someone has an account here, find out the username! We have a special section here called "the wishing well". Look up the username there. It's where members post lists of ponies they would love most. You could also check to see if your username started any threads in the "Want to Buy" sections. See anything they still need? -Is your collector picky about things being in "mint" condition? or just as happy with ponies in good condition? Remember you can get way more bang for your buck buying lots in "good played with condition" and cleaning them later Vs. a perfect "mint" pony. If your Collector is a "mint condition" only type, it's a little more difficult finding that perfect gift. Ask questions, check photo's and ask for more, so you know if something is as "like new" as stated. (Ask about: stains, paint scuffs or scrapes (symbols, eyes and cheek blush too!), dirt smudges, pen or ink marks, haircuts, loose heads, fading, yellowing, dry hair, brown spotting, odors like "cigarette smell"). -Does your gift receiver have a favorite seller? or a seller they wish to avoid at all costs? Find out and note this! -Avoid SCAMMERS! Find out the items "worth". Look it up on ebay completed listings, or ask here. It's not a nice thing to think about but "my little pony" is a very popular collectible and people do scam money with them! If a deal is too good to be true, (i.e. offered a $400 pony for $50) it often is! If you feel unsure or fishy about a pony transaction, check feedback, ask here or feel free to PM any of the friendly mod staff. Happy Pony Buying and Happy Holidays! ~Firefly __________________ Ponies and Acc For Sale! More to come! Last edited by FantasticFirefly; 11-24-2007 at 09:16 PM..