Over 500 My Little Ponies—and a pony tattoo: “I’m that boring aunt whose My Little Ponies aren’t for playing”

“When I was four, I was given a My Little Pony named Apple Jack. That’s when my love for plastic ponies began. Apple Jack has been my favorite from the start, and over the years, I’ve collected every possible version of it. My current collection would be absolute heaven for little Heidi.”

I started actively collecting ponies in the early 2000s, when I began my studies and spent a lot of time at flea markets. One day, I spotted a pony named Sugar Berry, which I had dreamed about as a child. After that, my eyes began to search for ponies, and my collection kept growing.

Heidi often picks up ponies while traveling abroad. She even discovered some in a secondhand shop in Japan. In the photo is Apple Jack, the pony she received as a child, which sparked her love for ponies.

I don’t know exactly how many My Little Ponies I have. I stopped counting at five hundred, when I could no longer decide whether to count each pony separately or treat different versions of the same pony as one. Sometimes a pony differs just in color—or, at worst, by a tiny inscription on the underside of its hoof. That’s why I own the same pony produced in Hong Kong, Italy, Greece, and Argentina, for example.

I mainly collect the original My Little Ponies by Hasbro, known as G1 models, which were made in the 1980s and 1990s. Most of mine come from flea markets in Finland and abroad. Sometimes I buy ponies from other collectors, for example on Facebook. One pony typically costs around 20 euros. You can imagine how much I’ve spent on this hobby. Occasionally, I’ve worked part-time in addition to my full-time job to earn a bit of extra money for my ponies.

Heidi Remes started collecting My Little Ponies after finding Sugar Berry, the pony she’d longed for in childhood, at a flea market in the early 2000s. “I had saved the ponies from my childhood, but that was when I began actively looking for new ones.” Heidi collects all sorts of My Little Pony items: games, mugs, backpacks, makeup, bags… everything from children’s party paper plates to books. “At the moment, my collection includes four display cabinets full of ponies and one display cabinet for everything else.”

Contrary to what many believe, not every My Little Pony found in an attic is valuable. Most are worth around 4–10 euros, and it’s rare to stumble upon a true gem. Once, I had absolutely magical luck: I found a rare little Baby Pony in the gutter under some debris, and no one seemed to miss it. I slipped it into my pocket, and I kept touching it on the walk back to the car just to make sure it was real.

“I could store my collection in a box or a closet, but I want to give this space to the ponies. Their colors bring me joy.”

I’m that boring aunt whose ponies are off-limits for play. I have two reasons for that. The plastic in older ponies can contain harmful substances that aren’t recommended for children. Also, I like to style their manes and tails neatly before placing them in the display cabinet, and I don’t want them messed up. My nieces and nephews have accepted it, but they still like to come and check out the collection from time to time.

These ponies captivate me with their bright, childlike world, where I can’t imagine real troubles. Even if the news talks about war and unemployment, this rainbow realm offers nothing but cotton candy and good vibes. Gazing at all that color can be almost hypnotic.

Heidi couldn’t decide which My Little Pony she wanted as a tattoo, so she created her own: a dreamlike winged unicorn pony. It’s surrounded by magnolia, her favorite flower.

My Little Ponies also show up in my personal style. I have a pony tattoo on my arm, my hair is dyed bright colors, and I often wear My Little Pony clothes that I sew myself. I work as a special education teacher, and my style often delights the children. They’re amazed that a teacher can be so excited about a pony dress she sewed over the weekend.

Now my display cabinets are almost full, and my collection is so large that I only buy ponies occasionally. The last ones I got were a birthday gift from my partner. The ponies have been around as long as our relationship, but they’ve never suggested boxing them up or hiding them. On the contrary—they’ve joined me in the pony hunt.