CONTACT INFORMATION:
Hillary DePiano
http://www.HillaryDePiano.com

Kimberly Shriner
http://www.dreamvalley-mlp.com

My Little Pony Fair: Collector’s Convention and Expo
http://www.mlpfair.com

Two New Jersey Authors Named as Special Guests for International My Little Pony Convention
Parsippany’s Hillary DePiano and Hackettstown’s Kimberly Shriner top the list of guest speakers for the second annual My Little Pony collector’s convention

Parsippany, NJ (PRWEB) May 12, 2005- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. On July 8th and 9th, 2005, My Little Pony collectors from around the world will converge on in the Coffman Memorial Union Great Hall, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event is the 2nd annual My Little Pony Collector’s Convention and Expo (MLP Fair, http://www.mlpfair.com), an event which last year brought hundreds of collectors who proudly toted their collections via plane, train or car to show, buy, sell and swap ponies while getting to know other collectors who share their passion for one of the most popular toys of the 1980s.

This year, the MLP Fair has grown and added several high profile guest speakers to the list of events for the weekend and the top two guests are both local New Jersey authors. Parsippany, NJ’s Hillary DePiano will be speaking and signing copies of her book, The My Little Pony Collector’s Inventory: a complete checklist of all US ponies, playsets and accessories from 1981 to 1992 (ISBN: 1411621654) while Hackettstown’s Kimberly Shriner will be there to speak about her website Dream Valley - A Collector’s Guide to My Little Pony (http://dreamvalley-mlp.com).

“I don’t think I have ever met another Pony collector in person,” said DePiano, for whom this year’s trip will be her first My Little Pony convention. “I have had Kimberly Shriner’s website bookmarked for years and in all the times I spoke to her via email, I never realized we were both Jersey girls! She is a bit of a celebrity in Pony collecting circles so I had known her by name only for a while and we connected this year while trying to organize transport to the MLP Fair and found that we had even more in common since we are both writers. I think this is what this whole thing is really about: making friends in the community of other collectors who can actually relate to your My Little Pony obsession!”

Kimberly Shriner, who is also the author of My Marissa (ISBN: 1403373787) and Jaya and Mina (ISBN: 1418405167), the first two books in the Oak Branch Woods series, has already met hundreds of other Pony collectors through her website, which has become known as the ultimate guide to collecting ponies online.

“I began working on the Dream Valley site with the intention of sharing my knowledge with others who loved My Little Pony just the same as I,” says Shriner, for whom this will also be her first convention, “When Dream Valley debuted in January 1997, hundreds of MLP fans and collectors flocked to it, many of whom said that they had also thought they were the only one who still loved ponies! After having run the site for seven years now, I still hear from people who’ve just logged on as well as people who tell me they’ve been visiting for years!”

If you would like to meet DePiano or Shriner at the MLP Fair or just come to see what all the fuss is about, there is still room available. Travel information, including local hotels and direction to the fair, can be found on the MLP Fair’s official website, http://www.mlpfair.com, where you can also purchase admission to the convention and reserve a booth to show or sell your items.

My Little Pony is the exclusive trademark of Hasbro, Inc.