Small Pieces - Storage and Display

Lately I've been considering what to do with my smalls.  Currently, I have them all sorted, bagged, and stored in various boxes (many of them MLP lunch boxes, tins, or carry cases - justification for keeping some of this merch).  This is handy when I am setting up displays, but it also means that I don't see these pieces that often.

I also have two different systems of storage going on.  For the G1s and G2s, I have the accessories stored by set (much as they are shown in my Flicker photo catalogue), but for the G3s and G4s, I have them stored by type (food, clothing, etc.).  I've done this for a couple of reasons.  For the G1s, because I've lived with these for 30+ years, I can easily identify which accessory goes with which pony.  When I started collecting G2s, it made sense to store the accessories in the same way.  But with the G3s and G4s, there were so many accessories that were reused and recoloured, that I decided it made more sense to organize them by type.  I was never going to remember whether the pink tiara went with Petal Blossom or Rainbow Flash, and with my Flicker photo catalogue, I didn't need to.  Far easier to keep a bag with all the tiaras together and pull out the one I wanted when I wanted it.

In addition to this, I have the G4s displayed almost exclusively within their playsets, and of course I've added accessories to enhance the display.  This way, the small ponies are filling in the large playsets, I don't have to worry about additional storage, and I can enjoy the accessories all the time.

G4s in a Li'l Woodzies bakery set

This got me thinking about the earlier generations.  Again, all the ponies are photographed with their accessories, so is there really a need to keep those accessories grouped together in storage?  And if I don't keep them grouped by pony, what do I do with them?

I've already started keeping specific hair accessories with the ponies who own them, so I can enjoy looking at the barrettes.  Why not do that with some of the other smalls?  I particularly love the baby accessories, and many of these are easy to sneak onto a shelf near the ponies.  A few are too small or too prone to be lost to feel comfortable doing that (tiny teething rings or xylophone mallets seem made to be lost), so these will likely stay safe in zip bags for the time being.  Also, the larger accessories, like rockers and playpens, will probably be staying in boxes because they'll take up too much shelf space.

I suppose this plan will make dusting in the Geek Cave even more difficult than it already is, but in the meantime I'm enjoying this look.

Elf

Small Pieces

I love most things MLP and, in particular, I love the tiny pieces that come with them.  I am an accessory junkie.

That's not the half of them.

Collectors often refer to the small items that originally came with their toys as accessories or smalls.  These are typically harder to find than the toys themselves, often being lost due to their small size, and are generally not recognized by non-collectors.  What I mean is, while nearly anyone can recognize a vintage Princess Leia action figure, only collectors and toy dealers are likely to spot and recognize a vintage Star Wars laser gun in a pile of toys.

A multi-generational hot cocoa moment - accessories from all 4 generations are represented in this picture.

Smalls are often typically more expensive to add to a collection than the toys that they came with.  This is also due to their small size and penchant for being dropped, mislaid, or left behind somewhere in childhood.  One of the most interesting and frustrating things for me about buying lots of vintage toys from people who are selling their childhood toys is seeing what accessories are included.  I've often received lots that have ponies missing their accessories, while accessories are included but their associated ponies are not.  I often wonder why certain accessories manage to stay with the ponies while others simply disappear.

Pets and Friends

I can go into the Geek Cave and stare at shelves full of ponies all day, any day, but I also love the bits and pieces that came with the ponies themselves.  Most ponies in any era came at least with a brush or comb(often beautifully designed), but many came with other accessories as well, including barrettes, clothing, crowns, jewelry, bibs, bottles, toys, and games.  Many of them even came with pets.

Don't get me started on G1 original ribbons. *bliss*

I am particularly fond of the G1 baby accessories.

Why are these things so interesting to me (aside from sheer level of adorableness)?  I love that I can use these pieces to bring the world of MLP to life. I love that I can set up a playset and populate it not only with characters, but with items they can interact with.  If you've seen any of my display posts, you may have noticed that not all the accessories used are MLP.  I also regularly use smalls from SSC, Calico Critters, Li'l Woodzies, LPS, craft items, and other bits and pieces that I've picked up second hand that I thought would work well with the ponies.  This is part of the reason I don't collect MOC/MIB items - I really do want to play with my toys.

A Halloween party with costumes and accessories furnished by various MLP generations and some Li'l Woodzies playsets.

I also love the attention to detail that was put into these smalls. I'm constantly blown away by the quality of design in most of these toys (particularly the early generations).  Is it any wonder that so many Children of the 80's collect toys from their childhood when their chosen piece of nostalgia is also beautiful and entertaining from a design perspective?

The Party Pack accessories are some of the very few items I still have from my childhood collections.

It's been a little while since I've set up a display in the Geek Cave.  It might be time for a pony party.

Elf