by Kelly Ann Butterbaugh
Spending a lazy evening navigating through eBay listings, a pudgy familiar face with baby-doll eyes smiles from the screen. It looks like a My Little Pony, but Hasbro never made a set of Star Trek ponies. They didn’t make a Chinese unicorn or a set of angel ponies either. What are these ponies?
They’re one of the growing trends in MLP collecting known as customizing. Created from original ponies, these artists’ originals are stampeding their way onto collector’s forums as well as eBay listings. Running the gamut from rock stars to vampires, these custom ponies are more than toys; they’re works of art.
Hobby or Career?
Many customizers choose to sell their customs, and others keep them to display. Yet, almost all customizers build website displays to showcase their creations. Time and creativity are the heaviest investments. Taking anywhere from six to fifteen consecutive hours to complete, the initial monetary investment in the custom is minimal.
Lisa Stanley, a well-known customizer on the MLP circuit, explains that she can spend six or seven hours creating an average custom pony. Those with additional sculpting can require an additional three to five hours. However, the initial investment of $8-$15 for Lisa has been known to triple in the secondary market.
“I normally average about $50-$60 per custom on eBay, but on occasion for some more elaborate customs, I have gotten $150-$200,” Stanley notes.
For most, however, the reward of the hobby is the creation itself. The average custom pony costs $10 to create and resells for $30.
“This is an artful hobby with little profit. While the ponies are very loved by their owners, they are nothing that you could actually live off of even for the most experienced customizer,” explains Krystal Heiserman, a collector and customizer.
A Horse of a Different Color
How are these creations born from the standard pony that can be found on the shelf of any toy store? With the help of acrylic paint, fishing line, a skein or two of doll hair, some modeling compound, and an abundance of patience these magical ponies come to life.
The basis of these creations is the standard Hasbro My Little Pony, known as the “bait.” Some artists search for damaged ponies that need some tender loving care, and others prefer to purchase new G3 ponies to use as baits. Either method is acceptable to pony collectors as long as one doesn’t commit the cardinal sin.
“The cardinal sin refers to using a rare pony as a bait. If you make a custom out of a Mimic, for instance, don’t expect the pony community to give you praise for that,” says Veann Grigajtis an up-and-coming customizer who loves her customs too much to sell them yet.
The advantage of the store bought pony is that the artist can purchase the exact pose and color that the custom creation needs since repositioning is rarely done and an entire body repainting is one of the lesser desired tasks.
“I avoid repainting bodies as they are too easily chipped,” adds Stanley.
In order to complete the custom pony, the original must first be dismantled. Then, body painting or dying is tackled as well as any sculpting of 3D elements which is done with epoxy or clay. All decorative painting such as symbols is done before the hair is rerooted. Finally, the pony’s head is reattached and accessories are added.
All of these tasks towards completing a custom aren’t always desirable. Besides body repainting most customizers agree that rehairing the ponies is their least favorite task, and it has taken some up to twelve hours to complete.
All for the Love of Ponies
The variety of customs is overwhelming. Some customs are new versions of ponies that Hasbro has created such as a baby Medley. Others seem to be the alter-egos of the original MLP, focusing on a darker side of the pony world. Whatever her interests, the customizer creates her own style by adding accessories, sculpted bodies, or even boxes for her ponies.
While the custom pony artist is inspired to create ponies in the images of her interests, she sometimes is commissioned to create a custom pony. From nursery ponies for expecting moms to bridal ponies wearing clones of their owner’s dresses, there is a constant demand for customs.
Heiserman explains, “Custom ponies are more popular than you might think because they are things that would never come out of the factory due to the audience that they are targeting.”
One popular request which some customizers are forced to decline is to restore vintage ponies. Older ponies often incur damage such as flawed symbols and damaged hair which can be repaired, and the customizer is the only person whom people think to ask. However, things like permanent body marks or damage to the body itself often cannot be repaired, leaving the owner with the option to leave the pony as is or work with a customizer to hide the flaws.
Whether commissioned or working to bring an idea to life, the customizer has hours of tedious work ahead of her. So, what’s the draw of customizing ponies?
“I do this more for the love of ponies, not as a business,” adds Amy Davis, another custom artist. “But it’s worth every millisecond because that’s one more millisecond of escape in doing what I absolutely love.”
Photo credits:
TOP The crew of the Starship Enterprise come to life with Amy Davis' custom artwork. Photo courtesy of Amy Davis.
BOTTOM Hufflefpuff, created by Lisa Stanley, is a favorite of Harry Potter fans. Photo courtesy of Lisa Stanley.
