My Little Pony – Memphis Flyer

The Memphis Cook Convention Center is awash in pastels.

This weekend’s “mane” event is the 2007 Collectors Convention for My Little Pony — MLP for those in the know — where buyers and sellers from across the nation and beyond scope out toy ponies with flirty eyelashes over almond-shaped eyes and stars and hearts accenting their derrieres.

Renee Michel, a collector since age 7, came from California with her grandpa, Dennis McKenzie. “She’s turning 12 tomorrow, so this is her birthday present,” he says.

Like most of the attendees, Michel proudly wears an MLP T-shirt. “They’re just really cute,” she says of the ponies.

Her grandfather smiles and adds, “I’m a collector of watches, so I can understand.”

At another booth, a young girl points to a pony and grins. Her older brother is more vocal. “Do you have any really cheap boy ponies?” he asks the attendant.

My Little Pony fans gather at the Memphis Cook Convention Center

And, of course, she does. In fact, collectors can find every imaginable pony and pony accessory at the convention, along with castles, clothing, “baby” pony bottles, rattles, and tiny pony panties.

Many collectors are hoping to get their hands on the 2007 convention pony: a Delta blues pony. Other MLP enthusiasts scan the booths for ponies customized by artists, including alien and Pokémon ponies.

Coordinator Jen Oakes can relate to the MLP obsession — her own collection is nearing 1,000 ponies.

“Most collectors had them as kids, so they’re very nostalgic,” she says. “They’re very comforting, very sweet and endearing. Some kids collect them, too. It’s quite a diverse crowd.”

At first glance, I wouldn’t expect Tres Donley — a man from Cincinnati with tattoos and a long, red ponytail — to be interested in MLP. “It’s a childhood joy,” he says while searching through a bucket of discounted ponies. “I love anything that involves childhood.”

Mississippian Jenna Thrash plucks a pony from the same bucket. Then, to my horror, she twists the head back and forth. Just when I expect the head to pop off, she yanks on the bright-orange tail, and it “grows” several inches.

Thrash laughs and explains, “It’s a ‘Brush ‘n Grow’ pony. I figure there are worse things I could be spending my money on.”

Now the proud, new owner of a glittery-eyed pony and another with berries on its bottom, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Most girls discover My Little Pony in preschool, but my daughter was a latecomer, eschewing the trend until her early teens when, in a DIY frenzy, she started customizing the pastel prancers. Her passion for the craft was unstoppable, sending her to thrift shops to rescue discarded ponies, to crafts stores for Sculptey and beads, and to online forums for detailed instructions on how to reroot pony manes one strand at a time. To this day, my most treasured gift is a custom garden pony with messenger bag, flower tattoo, and jaunty straw hat. I call her Miss Bloomer. (That’s her to the right.)

If you don’t know that every MLP has a name, then the My Little Pony Fair Collectors Convention isn’t for you. But if your love for the little ponies is, well, a little obsessive, head straight for the Memphis Cook Convention Center for a national gathering this weekend of like-minded enthusiasts. Now in its fourth year, the convention is finally endorsed by Hasbro, which introduced the first generation of ponies (now there are three) in 1982. Andreas Bernhardsson and Maria Wallin, creators of the online Pony Island game, where visitors can raise their own ponies, will give a talk. The convention includes a custom pony swap, pony “Jeopardy,” lots of cool pony merch, and more.

My Little Pony Fair Collectors Convention, Memphis Cook Convention Center, July 28th-29th, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. One-day tickets are $12; two-day tickets are $20. See www.mlpfair.com for more information.