Anyone else feel like this sometimes?

Reaperfox

Reaperfox

Dollar Store Baby Fakie
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
553
I've collected My Little Ponies my whole entire life, no exaggeration. Back in 1996 we got access to the internet and I joined the pony communities online - the then-TP (black and pink guestbook style, yo) and Dream Valley chatrooms and such. I've been in the collecting fandom for 13 years - that's longer than some folks here have been alive!

Ponies are probably one of the biggest "parts" of my life. I've thousands of the things. I was on TV talking about them. I was one of the first UK people to inform the world of Mountain Boys and Nurse Ponies and whatever else. MLP is a BIG DEAL to me. I can sit down now and watch the old cartoons and get tearful because I can remember so clearly how much I wanted to visit the darn ponies (and how absolutely JEALOUS I was of Megan who got the chance to do so all the time! And I still hate her, dangit.)

But... I just don't... feel all that active or involved anymore. I've been working on the UK Ponycon poster, which is finally finished, but I've been so busy with other things that I couldn't finish it as early as I'd have liked. Still, that's about the only attatchment I've had to the 'fandom' or community since, well, last Ponycon. I feel so... out of sorts, really.

Does anyone else get this way? And I know when I do get back "into" ponies again I'll be KICKING myself for missing out on all the news and gossip during my 'limbo'. By posting this here I'm hoping to sorta... kickstart my involvement in the community online again. I mean, ****, I doubt hardly anyone even knows who I am here now, and yet the TP is my oldest, nearest and dearest haunt.

It doesn't help of course that I haven't got any way to enjoy my ponies, who are all stuck in boxes up the attic. I don't buy new ones (apart from that MiB factory error princess (Bobbi/Syntax Error) because I don't have any way to display them. I get depressed when I go to people's houses or conventions because it reminds me that I have a REALLY NICE collection and they're all just in boxes and by god do they deserve better.

I just... miss the community and wish I felt the spark. Does anyone else just sort of... flit between pony stuff and other stuff? It's sucky, I'll tell you.

eeeeeeeeeemoooooooooooooo
 
Hey Sel!!!! *HUGE HUGS*
I'm so glad to see you back! I hope you can find your way to ponies again because well ...a lot of us miss you. Don't even think about selling your collection either!

A lot of us have been "there"....not having to do anything with the community. I disappeared for years and came back this year (literally dove right back in). It took a little bit to get the hang of things again but I think I'm doing ok now. You're probably just in that same rut as I was in and hopefully, just like me, you'll jump right in again. Either way- I hope everything is well with you and yes sometimes RL gets in the way, but we have to live our lives don't we?
 
We all get that way. Many though, when they hit that part of the collecting phase, they decide to leave and not come back. At least in some way you are still in the collecting with us. I've seen a lot of members come and go, many short lived. You've been in it this long, don't just up and quit. Pop in from time to time to get your daily pony news with cup of coffee or tea. I understand wholeheartedly where you are coming from. But ponies for many of us, are not just some fad like beanie babies were. Many of us are true collectors (or for some of us in constant training XD). It never hurts to take a breather once in a while, but what I would do is get at least a handful of those ponies out and display them on a shelf. Then occassionally rotate which ponies are on that shelf. Like have a different pony theme each month. :) Space issues stink when you can't show off all of the collection, but there are ways to make good with the stinky situation. It's just a phase and you'll be back with us with both feet. :D Not much pony news really happening except for a few G3 exclusives. Other than that, you haven't missed really much.
 
Yeah, I'm really bad with that. I tend to come and go - I've only come back and try to get into the community because I recently got access to paypal meaning I have nearly no limit to where I can buy the ponies I really want. Give it a month, and my interest would likely die for a while when I get swamped with exams and assignments only to be picked up again. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens to everyone, though I guess the duration of it will vary.

D: Shame you can't enjoy your ponies though - it might help to relight the spark if you went through them again, or at least your favourites. :3
 
Well, interests change, life happens, sometimes you gotta take a break from things that were important to you. Sounds like you miss it though at least to some degree. Pull some of your ponies out and see how you feel about them. Maybe it won't be as big a part of your life as it was, but it can still be a part if you want it to.
 
mine are all in boxes too... i seem to be too addicted to stop though

i have bobbie but your mib one just rules ... ur get back in the loop soon.
 
...I don't know you (like you said), but I'd like to! Come back and play! We can talk Time Lords. ;-)

Even if you don't have space to display your whole big wonderful collection, maybe you could find a spot to put 5 or 6 of them where you'd see them all the time, just to brighten your day. Sometimes I 'hide' ponies around my house...one on the mantle, one by the TV, another on the shelf...not exactly good places to display them, but it makes me smile when I've forgotten about them and then I see one peeking around a corner. --and I get to play with them when I'm in a bad mood. ^_^ <3
 
Yes..I have.And I still am,at the moment..I kinda want to get rid of my ponies,because I collect pokemon stuff,and by selling my MLP's,I would have extra money for pokemon stuff as well..know what I mean??
 
Yes, again I can relate. I left for a while and then came back. I joined the TP back in 02' I think and then left and came back last year. I don't have a nice display but dream of someday making room in my house for it. I think it is normal to have highs and lows in collecting depending on your life and what is happening in it. It takes work checking in to the communities and giving time to this instead of doing something else. I try and balance my life with collecting and not let it take time I could be spending with others. Like when my kids are sleeping and husband has his own hobby he works on. It is all balance. I probably won't ever sell my small collection but pass it on and my daughter can have it someday and do what she wants with it.

Come on back and stay for a while. :img38:
 
Wow, Reaper. You pretty much summed up my story and ponies- from collecting my entire life (I had 80 ponies in my "original" collection) to being jealous of Megan and tearing up when watching the old cartoons! All my ponies are packed in tubs and I have only a very limited part of my collection that I can enjoy as well. I feel pangs of jealousy when I see people post pics of their pony rooms and pony shelves because I miss having that. I was one of the first members to the TP and corresponded with the original pony people like Debbie Birge and Kim over at Dream Valley.

But, life goes on, ya know? I went to college, got married, have a wonderful baby-dog (not ready for a human baby, yet :) ) and on and on. I still do love my ponies and enjoy them. I've gotten into customizing a little to stay connected but, for the most part, my collecting days are over. I thought I'd NEVER sell my collection but as I consider having children and all the things I want to do in life, ponies become less important. So, maybe someday ponies won't be a big part of my life but they will always be special no matter what!

Thanks for sharing your feelings! I know exactly what you mean!
 
Like others have said, you could take a box down out of the attic and store it in a more readily accessible spot, such as a closet. Then only take a pony or two out (or however many you want) and display them on a shelf, nightstand, etc. That way you can still enjoy them, even if it's only a few at a time. Then you can replace them with different ones every few days, and before long you''ll have gotten a chance to see all of your collection!

Also, I have met some great people at the TP, but the arena is also a great place to be a member as well. There's the off topic & whats your problem forums there with tons of different posts on all sorts of non-pony related topics too, which you might like.
 
Hey, of course I remember you!
You know, I have been feeling that way the past year, ever since I got married. Honestly, I think it's just because you had all that time to spend on ponies, and now you're having to spend time on other things like your job, or getting a relationship to work, or trying to spend time with old friends and family, that kind of thing. You're relatively young and just starting out in life, and to be honest, I think some of it has to do with feeling more .... satisfied with your collection?
For instance, once my wantlist got shorter, and once I got all my ponies on display the way I liked them, and once my life really began (busy job, married, new life captivators, LOL) my interests started to wane.

I've see lots of big time collectors just drop off. I'm not sure if it's the same reason or not, but there seems to be a point for some people where they just can't devote the same time to it as they used to.

I hope you get back into it, as I have. Although my time still eats away at the time I want to spend with ponies and the pony community.

I hope I wasn't making too many assumptions, and I hope it helps you feel a little better knowing there are lots of us! ONe more thing I will say is that when something is such a big part of your life, it does hurt to know it's taken a backseat to other things that must be done, even if you don't enjoy them as much. Actually, several months ago I was talking to a coworker of mine about how my job has changed the way I am completely, I'm not as nice or sweet or idealistic. When I realized I had totally changed, I started to cry because I thought I knew myself, and I really liked the way I was. But he said it has to happen. Not saying that you need to move on, but I'm just trying to let you know I understand it really hurts when changes are made to what is really important to/about you.

Don't worry, you'll have time again for ponies. :) Sometime.
 
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It's like you're my twin! Except, well, in the UK and apparently much more artistically creative than I can claim to be. :)

I just got back from a hiatus. Life just gets in the way, and that's totally ok! I have to say, though, what keeps me coming back now is the people. The drama of the TP is in the past, and this incarnation is truly a NICE place for me to go. My story echoes everyone else's...huge collector as a kid, continued through the years, ebbed and flowed...got married, have two fur-children (yeah, no babies for me, either...hey, I'm still a six year-old on the inside!), I'm in college. There are times where I just have to walk away and focus on LIFE. But that's ok, everyone here understands.

I do keep my favorites out to admire on a daily basis, and they never fail to make me smile. I drop a PM to my favorite people here to let them know that I'm still alive, and they seem to not hate me for falling off the face of the planet. You're among like people who seem to be in the same place in life that you are. I, for one, can say that I totally understand and sympathize. You'll always be wanted and appreciated here when you can get here. *hugs*
 
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Man, thanks for all the replies, guys! It feels SO much better knowing other people flit in and out of fandom like this!

I haven't gotten married or changed a whole lot in my 'actual' life but my interests have evolved and changed so much. I go to nerdish conventions and I'm embracing a whole new subculture that I hadn't really looked into before! Ponycon was pretty much my only convention before this, so it's all new and exciting.

I think having a smaller 'want' list is a big factor, too. Time was I could go onto eBay and find TONS of lots with ponies I needed in, but now I have to - gasp - spend money on what I want and it's just so disheartening since they'll all end up in boxes anyway, heh.

I have a few ponies in my bedroom - on the shelves and top of cupboards, and it's nice. It's the most I've had in my room since I was a kid, since the 'herd' has been in the attic for years and years now. (We used to have it 'on display' up there but since we moved house our attic is much smaller so, boxes it is :p)

Anyway, it's great to be back!! I'm gonna try and jump right in again, I think. I missed you guys! <3
 
*here here*

I can totally relate to that.
Many of us are true collectors (or for some of us in constant training XD). It never hurts to take a breather once in a while, but what I would do is get at least a handful of those ponies out and display them on a shelf. Then occassionally rotate which ponies are on that shelf. Like have a different pony theme each month
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Totally agree with SailorLibra here. I know I've collected other things.. such as sailor moon or hello kitty. But I always have come back to MLP and never just stopped completely. But.. I'm not really buying ponies right now because I just don't see it as a priority.

I'm even considering selling a good part of my collection. Which I thought that I would never do.

But I've noticed, now that I have a "pony room" I don't want it anymore. I feel like I have too many. That's funny how that happens, isn't it?

;) Good to see you back on the board reaperfox!
 
*hugs sel* I think recently i've been feeling in a similar fashion purely because the new G3's have just annoyed me so much so i've been devoting time to my other interests (Such as anime....but you know all about that lol) I think you should definately get a few of your ponies down from the attic, (even if it's just 1 or 2) and find a spot for them in your room. And if you want to get more into ponies drawing them is a good way to do it ^_~ You do some brilliant art and it'd be a good way to integrate yourself back into the pony community as you can post your art on the boards and then talk about it to others. I know recently i was looking at my collection and thinking how much i could get for it, but then i started drawing some pics for my stall at Ponycon and i watched some of the TV episodes and remembered just how much i LOVE the little plastic things lol.
 
Glad you're going to try and stay, Sel! It'll be good to have you back! I'd love to see some of your pony art!

sweetiebabyfizzy said:
But I've noticed, now that I have a "pony room" I don't want it anymore. I feel like I have too many. That's funny how that happens, isn't it?
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Gosh, I've felt the exact same way. When I finally got all my ponies displayed in my closet... in January 2008, I felt kind of stressed out. I honestly didn't realize I had that many when they were in boxes. I started to feel kind of overwhelmed rather than happy. It was strange. Now I'm OK with it, but you know, I think that did partially contribute to my buying and the time I spent looking them up. I feel like I have no space for more.
 
I get that way now and then. I can totally go off ponies for a few months and then it comes back and I'm really into it again. Maybe just take a break from MLP for awhile.
 
OMG you are preaching to the choir on having an awesome collection, but nowhere to display them. It makes me want to cry sometimes!
 
Totally Normal!

I think your feelings are totally normal. It's easy to get burned out on a hobby, but the best thing to do is to focus on a different hobby that makes you happy and then later on you'll enjoy your first hobby again. I've been collecting MLP since 1983 when I was 5 years old when I got my first my little pony, Blossom. I'm 31 now and I've taken lots of hiatuses and collected other things. For awhile I collected porcelain dolls, I have over 50 of the most beautiful dolls I've ever seen. Now, I don't buy them much. I moved them to my daughter's room to display so she can enjoy them. I also collect foreign stamps, I have books and drawers and tin cans full of stamps from all over the world from the last two centuries. I have a miniature dollhouse that is modeled after the house I grew up in, that I painstakingly have cared for and decked out with miniature furniture and a porcelain doll family that are just the right size to live there. Each with handmade clothing by me because I couldn't buy that size doll clothing anywhere.

I'm sure you're wondering, why so much?

The answer is simple - Because I get bored easily and I like alot of different things!

You're no different!

I love MLP, but too much of any good thing will bore the pants off of you. Don't worry that you've lost something that you love, I promise you'll never loose your love for My Little Pony. My little pony was a part of your childhood, it will always hold fond memories for you. Heck, I told my husband that My Little Pony was like crack for Little Girls, once you get one you just want another and another and another and once you have them all - you'll be mad at Mattel for not making more of them! LOL And you'll start writing letters to them telling them to get off their lazy butts and make some new ones!

In the mean time, when you've hit that burnout stage - you can do what I do, and just switch up your collecting focus and just cycle through rather than just focusing on one type of collectable. It helps make it easier to enjoy your collections more for a longer time. And just remember, even if you get bored with them, you can aways box them up safely and save them for when you have a little girl who will love them just as much as you did when you were a child. Just recently I got out my old Lullabye Nursery and cleaned it up so my daughter and I could play together with it. It was like stepping back into my childhood and I was so thankful I hadn't gotten rid of that old dusty toy so many years ago. Eleanor, my little one, just adored it, and I remembered how much I had adored playing with it too.

Save your collections and share them with your family someday and you'll see the really joy in collecting is not having a bunch of stuff to display on a wall but sharing it with the ones you love and building new cherished memories.
 
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