1st time at mlp fair...what to expect

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Trixie Shy

Bushwoolie
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The pony fair is finally near me so my husband said we could go. I'm so excited! I haven't been able to find a list of events so I thought I'd ask others who've been there before.

I know there has been a costume contest in the past, but outside of that...is it ok to just randomly dress up outside of the contest?

I know there are lots of vendors who, I assume sell vintage ponies. Do people trade ponies as well or is that frowned upon?

I saw some things on pajama parties...do they show g1 episodes?

What events have you enjoyed in the past that I shouldn't miss.

cant think of other questions now, just trying to figure out how I'm not going to go broke buying every pony I see :)

Thanks
 
It's been awhile since the fair for me, and lots of fun things have been added since then. I'm totally in favor of dressing up outside the cosplay contest for fun, you might get some picture opportunities that way. And I've done some trading too when I had a booth at the Las Vegas fair. It's up to the vendor what they do with their product, so go ahead and ask nicely if they're willing to trade. :)
 
There's a schedule here: http://www.mlpfairschedule.com/#/schedule :)

So nice that you can make it this year! Last year they handed out a brochure with vendors listed and a brief overview of what they offer. I think they will be doing that again this year as they sent around a questionnaire to vendors (I am one so stop by and say hey! and enter my free raffle while you're at it :) You can win a Funko Discord on Saturday or a "snow globe" Diamond Mint on Sunday.)

It is okay to dress up and not be part of the contest (my son does, to an extent--wears an outfit with a Luna cutie mark)

Many vendors are willing to trade, depends if they need what you have

here's an important tip: IF YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU HAVE LONGED FOR, GRAB IT RIGHT THEN if it's a price you can and are willing to pay. Don't wait thinking you might find it somewhere else, because chances are, unless it's something super common, it will be gone when you come back. It's amazing how many of us are seeking out the same things LOL

I don't think they will be showing a G1 episode at the PJ party this year

Most everything there is fun! The G1 trivia game is something that people really seem to enjoy (I have not taken part myself), and for me, the customs/crafts etc contest room and watching the costume parade are not to be missed.

ETA: oh, and be prepared to be overwhelmed when you first walk into the "marketplace". It is huge and filled with Pony... Pony.... Pony. Even after attending 6 of these things, I still feel that way when the doors open.
 
Expect to spend all your money!! LOL
It is overwhelming and exciting and the greatest place on Earth! When I went I did a quick walk around buying my most sought after or best deals I found, then I started getting a little more picky on my second pass. I just keep going around and around until I'm out of money LOL I'd do a loop, count my money...still have money, ok I'm going around again! LOL I did this until I had no more cash left.
Bring a nice big bag or backpack...or like me, a roller carry-on case. Something to hold all your new ponies!

I so wish I was going this year!
 
Crumpet said:
Sounds like a lot of fun! I'm planning to go to UK ponycon at some point, so I'd assume some of this advice would apply ^^
Click to expand...

I have been considering if some year we might do that instead of the MLP Fair (one big trip per year... FLying to England might mean one big trip for a two year span, though!!). England would be a nice intro to international travel for my kid (although he thinks Japan should be our first stop for all the Precure stuff LOL) and it would be nice to just chill and be a browser one year... Crap. Now I feel like looking up flight information and planning a UK/Ireland trip. LOL
 
I'm glad somepony started this post! It'll be my first time at the pony fair too. I was totally wondering about if trades were considered ok, too.
 
Make a budget and stick to it. Consider splitting your cash into "day one" and "day two" piles so you don't spend it all in the first hour. And if you can afford to, bring a little more cash than you think you'll need.

Bring a want list, because it's easy to get overwhelmed in the dealers room and forget what you have/want.

Don't be afraid to chat. There's a larger than average number of mlp collectors who are introverts/shy, myself included. But we all have at least one thing in common.

Elf
 
Thank you all so much for your input. It's really helpful.

DialgaBritesMom thanks for the link to the schedule, I'm so lame with computers sometimes. Elf, I'm actually really shy so it makes me feel a lot better knowing that I'm not alone there.

Also, how do I decide how much my ponies for trade are worth (eBay recent sales or what the TP & Arena groups say they are worth, because it can be very different)? I also know that sellers at conventions usually want top dollar for their items, although I'm not sure if the pony fair vendors do that or not.

Anyway, thank you all so much & I look forward to finally meeting some of you at the fair.

Trixie
 
Crumpet said:
Sounds like a lot of fun! I'm planning to go to UK ponycon at some point, so I'd assume some of this advice would apply ^^
Click to expand...

I just started thinking about going to UK ponycon in the future. Would be an experience and I could always make it a vacation and then go to the con
:-D Ideas, ideas. Haha.
 
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