This My Little Pony collection sure ain’t little.
Beatrice Salt, 27, is wild for horses and has spent over $27,000 (£20,000) on her collection of colorful ponies that take up an entire room — dubbed the “pony room” — in her home.
“My collection currently takes up 75% of my study, which I call the ‘pony room’ as opposed to the office,” the British video editor, who lives in Halesowen just west of Birmingham, told Caters.
Salt admitted that she’s spent money on her ever-growing collection rather than using funds for a down payment on a home with her partner, Tijay. However, the pretty-in-pink ponies, made popular in a 1980s TV series, offer her a form of comfort that is priceless.
“I used to get bullied about anything possible at school, so the collection gave me something to focus on,” she said. “It was kind of therapy for me. I never used to tell anyone about it, but now I know it is nothing to be embarrassed about.”
The downside to having such a huge collection? Salt said being this passionate about memorabilia has led her to make some bad financial decisions, like dipping into her mortgage savings and using her student loan funds on toys.
“I have been known to prioritize ponies over things I need,” she said. “Some days are more difficult than others and there’s only one thing that can cheer me up which is a pony.”
While she has been trying to save, she said her happiness comes first.
“When times are tough, I tend to do what makes me happy rather than save money for a house,” she said. “I definitely understand it is important to save for the future but I don’t if it means putting my happiness last.”
Thankfully for Salt, her partner Tijay “is very supportive and doesn’t mind if I use my savings to buy a pony.”
“He often treats me to pony-related gifts, too, which is super sweet,” she said. “I suffer with depression so he understands that buying something every once [in a] while will give me the re-charge I need.”
While she’s invested a lot of time and money into My Little Pony memorabilia, she admitted that she’s spent more than it’s worth.
“My collection is probably worth approximately £12,000 ($16,300),” she said. “I have spent more like £20,000 ($27,000) but that is fine because it’s totally worth it.”
Salt said she has 580 ponies and the most expensive one cost nearly $400 (£290) and, one time, she paid just $6 for a rare pony which is worth nearly $550 (£400).
She’s been hooked ever since 1996, when she said she received her first pastel plastic pony at 3 years old.
“As a kid, I remember thinking they were the cutest things I have ever seen,” she said, noting the toys remind her of her childhood.
“The collection is nostalgic for me as it brings me back to when I was a kid,” she added. “I’ll always remember opening My Little Pony presents at Christmas and birthdays.”
Nowadays, she collects all sorts of My Little Pony branded items, including “shampoo bottles in the shape of ponies, plastic cups, bags and accessories for the ponies.”
“It is everything and anything with a little cute pony on,” she said.
Salt, who continues to buy three to four items per month, has even set up a business called My Little Stable to help people who “share a love for toys from the past” find special items. But it’s also helped her continue her quest for a full collection.
“My dream is to own every single one,” she said. “It would be great to one day own my very own pony museum.”
