First, make sure the pony you are interested in is a genuine my little pony. (See how to spot a fakie) All my little ponies will have a hasbro stamp, a copyright symbol, and a year stamped into its hoof as well as the trademard mlp eye.

Second, know its condition. Ponies, by virtue of being toys, will usually be found loose, without accessories, such as ribbons and brushes and will be in less than mint condition. The four main condition points are, eyes, symbols, body and hair.

• Eyes and symbols, being painted on, can have scratches or loss of paint, called rubs. It is preferable to buy ponies without rubs or for rubs to be minor, meaning very little paint loss.


• Bodies should be clear of unremovable marks such as ink or vinyl discoloration syndrome or ground in dirt.


• You also want the bodies to be whole, and in tact, not missing an ear, horn or hoof and with no gouges or holes in the vinyl.


• Hair should preferably be silky, smooth and free of dryness, coarseness, frizziness or matting.

You will, over the course of your collecting, find ponies in all manner of condition as stated before, have no fear, restoration and cleaning how tos can be found here: How to Clean MLP's

Many people don't mind a few minor flaws such as a slight symbol scratch or minor hair frizziness, while others must find the completely mint pony. This all depends on you as a collector and what you specifically are looking for in your ponies.