Why ponies?
Good question. What is it about small plastic horses that makes me so
giddy?
I guess there are several reasons. Some are obvious, others maybe less
so.
Shape
I really think that the toy designers at Hasbro hit on a great thing with
the form of the MLP. They're just *so* perfectly formed (especially the original
ones). Obviously horses, but round and comforting; just the right size
for small hands to hold.
Simplicity
They're not all-singing, all-dancing toys. (Well, with some unfortunate
exceptions. 'I'm Pretty'. No you're not. And you sound like an airhead
Valley girl.) I really do feel that simple toys, like ponies, challenge
a child's imagination far more than a talking Teddy Ruxpin or an interactive
Barney ever could. Down with Tickle Me Elmo! Up with ponies!
Texture
They *feel* so nice. The plastic of regular ponies has just enough 'give'
in it, and they are neither shiny nor matte.
Smell
Mmm, that lovely pony smell. A heady mix of vanilla, sweets and plastic.
Yum.
Colour
What is a world without colour? A simple stroke of genius that transformed
'horses' into these sweet, magical creatures that accompanied me through
a large chunk of my childhood. Which leads me on to...
Memories
Childhood in many ways is one of the most frightful things we put children
through. For me, ponies were an outlet for my creativity and a safe haven. All those happy memories of birthdays -
opening new ponies - and the glorious day when I was given a Dream Castle
(I simply couldn't believe my eyes) - now, that's a part of my childhood
I want to hang on to forever.
No one else collects them
Well, no one I know f2f. [Actually, my corrupting influence means this is no longer true.] Obviously, my fellow collector pony friends do.
It's just something I do.
They can jump on Pony Widower's head
This is the most fun reason.
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