My Little Pony collector
In 1982, Hasbro released a new line of toys – pastel ponies with long, flowing manes and tails.
Decades later, Samantha Warren fell in love with My Little Pony and has amassed a herd of hundreds.
“I’ve never actually counted them,” said Warren, 19.
She started collecting in fifth or sixth grade.
“I collect these because I’m autistic, and autistic people like having things in patterns,” she said. “I just liked them and wanted to collect them all. They are so pretty!”
Rows and rows of artistically ordered, brightly hued ponies line a dresser in her bedroom – some are duplicates.
“More is better,” Warren said. “It’s fun!”
Over the years, Hasbro has halted pony production, only to release new iterations – called generations.
“There are five generations, but a new one is coming out,” said the collector. “It’s all Hasbro’s idea – it’s never-ending!”
Each character has a story and a unique mark on its flank that reveals something about its personality. For example, Sunny Starscout’s is a pink star with a blue-green trail, with two smaller stars on either side of the large one.
“She’s an Earth pony, and if she helps her community, she becomes a princess,” Warren said.
Some of her herd peeks out from a My Little Pony castle, a gift from her dad.
From the tiny Breezie Butterfly ponies to a large plush Rainbow Dash, Warren owns items from every generation. A large binder aids her in organizing all the sets.
Part of the allure of the toys comes from styling their colorful manes and tales, and many of them come with combs or brushes.
“I have a ton of little plastic combs,” said Warren. “The details they put on them are kind of cool.”
The toys spawned a slew of television shows, specials and movies, including 2017’s “My Little Pony: The Movie.”
“I got to see it in the theater. It was the best day of my life!”
While friends and family members gifted her ponies, Warren’s collection grew by leaps and bounds when she began working at Northwest Christian Thrift Store.
“I find ponies on my breaks,” she said, pointing out a few favorite thrift store finds. “This is all my hard work and decorating paying off!”
Warren is especially fond of the third-generation versions.
“They have bigger ears and different poses.”
She picked up a Peachy Pie.
“Some are sassy like this one.”
Her collection isn’t confined to the figures. A rainbow of My Little Pony T-shirts hangs in her closet. She’s got beach towels and beach balls, DVDs, coloring books, markers, and even a set of Early Reader books she found at NWC thrift.
There is a ring -maker, a train without its caboose, a boombox, a Sunny Starscout microphone, and she carries a My Little Pony backpack to Mead High School, where she is a super senior.
Asking Warren to pick her favorite pony is like asking a mom to pick her favorite kid.
“I like Rainbow Dash a lot, but it’s hard to choose,” she said. “I’d like to collect them all, and I ‘m pretty close to it!’
She’s not alone in her love of the ponies. Each year, thousands of people attend My Little Pony conventions, and someday, Warren hopes to be one of them.
Whether they’re in boxes or bins or standing in rows on her dresser, she enjoys each new addition and is always hunting for more.
“I love collecting My Little Pony and plan to make a room for my collection when I get my own house,” Warren said. “It doesn’t matter how old you get, you can still enjoy what you love.”