What does custom bait mean?

Posted by Hillary on April 13, 2009

Custom Bait refers to a pony that is significantly damaged beyond repair. Unfortunately, some sellers have confused this term with “played with” and list all used ponies as custom bait so be sure to look at the listing to make sure you know what you are getting. Some ponies listed as custom bait need only simply cleaning or repair while true custom bait are beyond saving.

Ponies that are custom bait are beyond cleaning or repair and may include flaws such as:

• Dirt, marks or other stains or discoloration that cannot be removed
• Heavy haircuts or missing a tail (though, as more and more collectors become skilled in re-hairing, trimmed hair often does not count a pony out)
• Missing and/or broken “special feature”
• Holes, chew marks and scratches on pony’s body

The term custom bait originated because customizers seek out ponies in very poor condition to repaint, rehair or otherwise re-create them into entirely new pony figures called customs.

Custom bait ponies can vary in value based on pose and other features. As a general rule of thumb, Big Brother ponies and earlier poses are usually the most desirable as custom bait.

Here are some examples of bait ponies: