A New Addition to My Mane Collection...Bah Gak!

I was born in  the late eighties and often spent hours watching reruns of My Little Pony and the movie rarely left my vhs player. I have always loved every reincarnation of My Little Pony including the new series Friendship is Magic. As a collector, I would probably say that the MLP is one of my main collections if not my focus.

The My Little Pony Fair celebrated it's 12th year this year and is a great place for collectors because the dealer room is full of toys, visitors have the opportunity to meet creators, and voice actors, and the convention itself has it's own exclusives. I have yet to be able to attend it in person but it is on my dream list of conventions to visit. However,  because boyfriends  can also be pretty magical, I received this years exclusive in the mail.

  When I discovered that this years' Pony Fair exclusive was "Chickenpie", I instantly wanted it. "Chickenpie" is from Season two of Friendship is Magic.Luna Eclipsed is my favorite episode of Friendship is Magic. The Episode combines the ponies with my favorite holiday, Halloween, or Nightmare Nights in Ponyville. Did I mention that she comes in a chicken bucket as well?

Usually, a week or so after a convention, the exclusives start to pop-up on eBay. With local conventions coming up I was unsure that I would have the funds to get this one. I had showed Steve an unboxing video featuring chickenpie and a about a week later this showed up in the mail.  Mine is extremely special because it is signed by Andrea Libman who voices Pinkie Pie! I was extremely excited and that excitement grew even more when Steve showed me the Photos of Andrea signing it!

With signed merchandise it is
usually recommend that the seller has photos of the celebrity signing the item. this makes it easier to verify that the signature is real.I am really excited to work this piece into my collection of ponies. I just have to find the right spot.

who are your favorite ponies? What are some of your favorite episodes from Friendship is Magic?

Blinkins Let Their Love Light Shine!

Recently, I was fortunate to attend a smaller convention in San Antonio, Texas. I always enjoy going to conventions outside of the area because the vendor area consists of new faces and new booths to explore. However, I was shocked to see one of my favorite vendors, Toy Tony. He never fails to have something I have never seen before or a rare plushie to covet. This time was no different and I ended up walking away with a vintage Princess Kneesaa Ewok plush, two Munsters Funko Pop! figures, and a Blinkins doll.

To be completely honest, I did not remember Blinkins but instantly fell in love with the cute critter and even cuter packaging.

Meet Baby Twinkle with his lacy leaf cradle accessory! After doing some research on this little bugger, I found that Blinkins were firefly like creatures that lit up at your touch.They were produced by LJN toys in 1985 and had a limited run through 85-86.In addition to larger dolls and play-sets, each of the six posable Blinkins figures came with a comb and accessory or pet. 

I am not exactly sure if these had their own running cartoon but I do know that they have their own TV movie. It is interesting to note that, The voice of Mister Ben(a purple owl and friend of the Blinkins) belongs to Burgess Meredith of Batman fame. 

Naturally, I searched eBay for more of these to add to my collection. I really want Blink with Carrie the Caterpillar! In box, like mine, Blinkins can get pretty pricey. Buying any toy lose may be a cheaper option but then you always have to check for accessories and clothing. Unfortunately, it seems that the lose Blinkins (at least on eBay) are often missing clothing. As a collector, I could live without the comb but it is difficult for me to have clothing missing. Because they are so rare I will probably keep this one in the package although, I seldom leave toys unopened.

One of the reasons I like buying from Toy Tony is because he is also a toy collector and his prices dictate that. He focuses on G.I. Joes, MOTU, Barbie and Little Kiddles but he has a bit of everything.In addition to vending at conventions all over Texas, He has a perminant booth (#P211) at Bussey's Flea Market in Schertz, Tx.

I hope you have enjoyed this spotlight on Blinkins and Baby Twinkle. Do you remember Blinkins? 

Hello There!

Welcome to my new blog internet person,

In case you did read the little blurb on the sidebar, my name is Ann. I am a twenty-something college student/ toy collector/cat enthusiast that currently resides in the Dallas area. I have always picked up toys here and there but I really plunged into the collecting world when I met my boyfriend, Steve.

              (with Peter Cullen and Frank Welker at Texas Comic Con)

Toy collecting is a huge part of our lives. It seems that we are constantly going to Toys R Us, visiting thrift stores, flea markets, or searching eBay for our latest obsession. If you are reading this from the Dallas/Fort Worth area then you have probably seen me at the local conventions with bags in my hands or excitedly digging through toy bins at one of the local vintage toy stores.

The first toy I ever remember owning was a cloth doll of Huckleberry Pie from Strawberry Shortcake. I called him Jaime. He served as my defender from nightmares and constant companion throughout my childhood. The original plush was so well loved that he had to be covered in one of my father's work Polo shirts. I actually own another cloth doll of Huckleberry as an adult. He is now having a berry good time with my cloth Rainbow Brite doll and various other plushies.

I collect a lot of things. Originally, my focus was on G1 and G3 My Little Ponies but that quickly expanded to include Jem and She-Ra. In a house full of toys, I am very fortunate to have a toy room of my own. If you would like to get an idea of what that room is like, just look at the photo below....

Will you join my hunt?