My Little Pony
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My Little Pony is a line of colorful toy ponies aimed at young girls and is produced by Hasbro. The toys were first introduced in 1983, following the related "My Pretty Pony" toy which was introduced in 1982. They became enormously popular throughout that decade. The original toy line inspired several animated specials, an animated feature length movie, and two animated television series. Redesigned toys have been introduced to the market twice since then, one near the end of 1997 and again in mid-2003. Collectors refer to each line as a "generation."
All three My Little Pony lines consist of plastic ponies with brushable manes and tails. They are generally bright-colored and can have multi-colored manes and tails. They have specific symbols on their hips that allow them to be identified. Some ponies have marks that stretch over their backs and sides or can be found on their cheeks and foreheads as well as hips. There are Unicorn Ponies, Pegasus Ponies, and Earth Ponies (which were earthbound). There are even Sea Ponies for playing in the bathtub and a special Pony Pals set based on other types of animals (such as camel, zebra, giraffe and lion).
My Little Pony was one of the most popular collectible toys of the 1980s and is enjoying a successful comeback on the current market.
Due to the brand's recent return to stores the second hand market for the adorable equines has boomed. However, many of the older Ponies are not worth a large amount, due to the fact that many were manufactured in large numbers and were bought by many people, making them common. There are exceptions to this rule, such as in the case of Mountain Boys (not to be confused with the more common Big Brothers), who were furry-footed male Ponies with weather themes who were only released in the United Kingdom. They were only available for a short time, making them highly desirable for foreign collectors and UK collectors alike.
Sadly, other toy companies have chosen to mimic My Little Pony designs (and in same cases use actual My Little Pony molds) and create what are commonly known as "fakies" in the hopes of cashing in on Hasbro's success. Most fakie Ponies are easy to tell from the real thing as they are often made from cheaper materials and are sometimes downright ugly.
Hasbro has lost the rights to the G1 My Little Pony designs, which is why newly released DVDs have G2 My Little Ponies on the covers, and why some merchandise with older Pony designs that have nothing to do with Hasbro have popped up.
Generations
Generation One: Dream Valley
The original line of My Little Ponies (referred to as "Generation One" (G1) or 'Ponyland Ponies') was the jumping point for the My Little Pony line. The ponies lived in a place called the Dream Valley in Ponyland and were ruled by Queen Majesty who lived in Dream Castle. After their original home was destroyed, they relocated to the Paradise Estate. This toy line consisted of all different types of ponies; most ponies were either "earth" ponies with no special marks, pegasi with molded on wings, or unicorns with molded horns. Most unicorns had the power to "wink out" or disappear and were very magical; pegasi could fly but otherwise has no special magical skills. This line served as the foundation for the entire My Little Pony line and later lines to come. Almost every pony came with a molded comb or brush and a ribbon.
Two popular animated television series (My Little Pony and Friends and My Little Pony Tales) were aired during this generation. The first focused on Ponies who lived happy, fairly simple lives in Dream Valley (when they weren't fighting menaces of a mythical or supernatural nature). The second was geared towards a rather trendier crowd, with the Ponies living in a town, going to school, fretting about relationships, running businesses, going on vacation and exchanging currency for goods. Each of the ponies -- Shady, Lickety Split, Wind Whistler, Melody etc. -- had its own personality and voice. There was also a movie and several television specials.
Merchandise included bed and room decorations, plush toys, puzzles, and books. There were also more unusual and interesting items, such as pomanders and toy sewing machines.
All packaging (mostly a bubble attached to a backcard) came with Pony Points. Marked with horseshoes and ranging in value from 1/2 point to 12 points, these could be clipped and used in mail orders. To make an order, a customer could either pay a flat fee or lower the price by sending in Pony Points. Many of the mail orders are hard to find and some are considered rare. One of the rarest, Rapunzel, can go for over $800. Very few Ponies achieve this price.
The line ran for ten years, ending in the US in 1992. Oddly, this year was touted as the celebration year of My Little Pony.
Pre-My Little Pony: My Pretty Pony
First sold in 1981, My Pretty Pony was a plastic horse, roughly a foot tall. She had a lever under her chin that made the ears wiggle and the eyes blink when pushed backwards. She came with a western hat that was white, with a red and white gingham band that had the "ROMPER ROOM" logo printed on it, as well as a red blanket, blue grooming brush and comb, and three ribbons: blue, purple, and red. When My Little Pony was introduced, this brown pony was re-released with a baby that would later be known as Butterscotch.
Another version of her was made in pink with pink accessories. There is also a rumor of a yellow version, but most sellers and collectors of My Little Pony disregard it simply as a discoloration.
Years 1-3
The line started in 1982 (Year 1) with six Earth ponies: Minty, Snuzzle, Butterscotch, Bluebelle, Cotton Candy, and Blossom. Each pony was a single color with monochrome hair and faced forward like the original Pretty Pony. These six have been referred to as the collector ponies. Originally they came with flat feet, but later issues had concave feet which were slightly indented.
Year 2 (1983-1984) released different varieties of ponies: there were four new earth Ponies. Each pony came in a newly designed pose. Two of them, Seashell and Bubbles, came in a sitting pose that was never used again in the line. Unicorns and Pegasi each had a glittery symbol; unicorns had a single strip in their manes. Rainbow Ponies each had hair in pink, yellow, green, and blue stripes and glittery symbols. Sea Ponies looked like seahorses and came with shells; when placed in water, they floated upright. Pony wear, outfits for ponies to dress up in, were released this year. There was also the first release of pony playsets--the Pretty Parlor with Peachy and her cat Twinkles, the Show Stable with Lemon Drop and her dog Brandy, the Waterfall with Sprinkles and her duck Duck Soup, and the Castle with Majesty and the baby dragon, Spike. The first mail order was offered: the first Baby Pony who was later named Ember.
Year Three (1984-1985) was a somewhat slow year. More Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi were released. Rainbow Ponies reappeared with a new pattern of melon, pink, aqua, and chartreuse hair. Baby Ponies -- children to some of the older ponies such as Glory and Cotton Candy -- were also released. Megan and Sundance were matched pair of a human girl and an Earth Pony. Megan was the first human in Dream Valley who arrived in the special "Firefly's Adventure", when she was brought to help save the ponies. Sea Ponies were released again along with Baby Sea Ponies, but adults were no longer released after this year. Mail orders included the Birth Flower Ponies and a reissue of the Collector Ponies (who were offered as mail orders until January 31, 1988). This year continues the Pony Wear line, including outfits for mothers and babies to wear together. The only new playset of the year was the Nursery.
Some of the best known characters from the movies, books, and shows were released in the first three years. These include but are not limited to Megan and Sundance, Gusty, Applejack, Heart Throb, Glory, and the Sea Ponies.
Years 4-5
Year 4 (1985-1986) was one of the largest years for ponies and mail orders. Part of this is because of the My Little Pony Movie, which was was shown in theatres the summer of 1986. Many of the new characters and playsets were featured in the movie and later released. The most notable new characters were the Flutter Ponies, thin small ponies with sheer wings. The wings were tabbed to fit in a device on the back; when pressed, the wings would "flutter". Many Flutter ponies had easily breakable wings and it is hard to find a Flutter pony with wings. Beddy Bye Baby Ponies were ponies that had open and closing sleepy eyes, and the Pretty n' Pearly Baby Sea Ponies were baby sea ponies with shimmery coatings on their bodies. So Soft Ponies--ponies with flocking on their bodies--were one of the largest lines of ponies. Many were releases of older ponies such as Gusty and Posey, but many were new and only came in So Soft Editions in the US. Three ponies - Truly, Magic Star, and Skippity Doo - came in rearing poses that included a stand to keep them upright. The other large line of this year were the Twinkle Eyes who had jewels in their eyes; all of them had multicolored hair, which was unique at the time. Megan and Sundance was re-released with the new So Soft Sundance and Megan's little sister Molly was released with Baby Sundance, a Beddy Bye Eye Baby Pony. Pony Wear continued, with baby pony wear and outfits for Megan and Sundance. The two major playsets of the year were the Baby Bonnet School of Dance and Paradise Estate, which was created in the movie to replace the now smoozed Castle. A Party pack was also released; in the US it had an example of every new pony offered that year and accesories to hold a party. The first boy pony was released this year as a mail order: Lucky the Stallion, a baby boy pony who would later be released in a wedding party.
Year 5 (1986-1987) extended the So Soft, Flutter, and Twinkle Eye Lines for another year and added new lines. The Big Brother ponies--the first adult male ponies--were larger than female ponies and had hair on their hooves that made them look like Clydesdale horses. Twice as Fancy Ponies were ponies who instead of having the standard symbol on both hips had it decorated across their sides and backs and a small one on either their forehead or under one eye. Princess Ponies has raised three dimensional symbols, tinsel rooted in their hair, and came with princess hats and Bushwoolies (in the UK, the Princesses came with baby dragons instead). Baby ponies came in two forms: the maturing First Tooth Ponies who had a little tooth showing, and Newborn Twins, who were younger, smaller and came in pairs. Baby Seas ponies reappeared as Sea Sparkle Baby Ponies, and the Party pack returned as a Slumber Party. The Pony Friends were not actually ponies but different animals with hair: the first four were a camel, zebra, giraffe and lion. Soft Sleepy Newborns were three large baby ponies in bonnets and diapers who had closing eyes. The last Pony Wear outfits were released as well as the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe, the Perm Shoppe, and a board game that used actual ponies as playing pieces.
Years 6-8
Year 6 (1987-1988) continued the Twice as Fancy, Big Brother, Pony Friends (a dinosaur, moose, elephant, and llama), Newborn Twins and Princess Pony lines. (The new Princess ponies varied from the previous year as they now had had a forelock of tinsel, crown shaped clips, and came with no Bushwoolies.) Sundae Best ponies had molded raised symbols and were the first scented ponies, along with the Sweetberry Ponies (who had flat symbols). Summer Wing Ponies, a smaller version of the Flutter ponies, had fastened wings on their backs and long hair. Many of the new ponies had working mechanisms that made them do "tricks" like the Beddy Bye Eye Babies. Happy Tails ponies had tails that would spin when their bodies were gently squeezed. Magic Message ponies had syblos that would reveal different pictures when gently rubbed. The Brush 'N Grow Ponies came with long hair and jointed heads; when their head was turned, the tail would retract and could be pulled back out. Watercolor Baby Sea Ponies changed body and hair color when placed in warm water. Peek-a-Boo Baby Ponies were the first ponies that could turn their heads left and right; this line also released two baby boy ponies with hairy legs like the Big Brothers, Baby Ribbs and Baby Whirly Twirly. There was no Pony wear, but there were Pretty Ups which came with barrettes and extensions to decorate a pony's hair. The two playsets were the Poof 'n Puff Perfume Palace and Brush Me Beautiful Boutique (which was the Pretty Parlor in new colors); they came with no ponies. Mommy Charms were small charms to be worn on bracelets; they were unique ponies. Mail orders were varied and released many different ponies. There was the baby boy Clipper, who sailed to find Glitter Island and the Sparkle Ponies with tinsel in their hair and glittery translucent bodies.
Years 7-8
Year 7 (1988-1989) was a year with no exactly continued lines, with the exception of the store release of the Sparkle ponies. There were a few that resembled previous lines, however. The Princess Brush and Grow ponies were a blend of the Princess and Brush and Grow ponies; Windy Wing Ponies were a variation of Summer Wing ponies; and Newborn babies came out without twin counterparts. The Playtime Baby Brothers were an extention of the Peek a Boo Babies, all of them were male. Baby Fancy Pants Ponies had printed on diapers with symbols all over them. Merry Go Round Ponies had molded on capes that made them look like carousel ponies. Candy Cane Ponies were scented with long curls that looked like candy canes. Sunshine Ponies had a streak of hair that would change color in the sunlight; this was also a trait of the last Megan and Sundance pair (who also had Twice as Fancy Symbols on her body and came in a new pose). Perfume Puff Ponies had poofy hair and smelled like perfume. The Loving Family ponies, a set of three ponies together, were the only US sets that had both a mother and father pair for the children. The mother and father had different Twice as Fancy Symbols that were combined on the baby, either male or female. In the UK both male and female babies were released, but the set was not sold together in one box. Dance and Prance ponies had knobs on the front of their bodies that when wound, would twirl the tail and make the pony "dance". The Sweetheart sisters were a new mold of ponies based on teenagers, with slim bodies and faces. Baby Ponies and Pretty Pals were pairings of baby ponies and other baby animals with matching symbols. Playsets and acessories included Pony Makeup, Rock-A-Bye Bed, Sweet Dreams Crib, Scrub-a-Dub Tub, and reissues of the Castle and Show Stable. The mail orders had some re-releases but included new lines; many of these later lines are hard to find. Pretty Mane Ponies were in the shape of flutter ponies but didn't have wings; the pair had horozontal streaks in their hair. Pearly Baby Ponies were pearly versions of the first six baby ponies. The Baby Sister Ponies were a pair consisting of a Newborn Baby pony and a Peek a Boo baby. Also Satin and Lace's groom Tux and Tails (also Coat and Tails) and five of the playset ponies were released as mail orders.
Year 8 (1989-1990) had all new lines, though most body shapes were traditional. The number in a set lowered from six to four. Instead of individual back card stories, all the ponies in a set shared a story together. Tropical Ponies were bright neon ponies with two-tone eyeshadow. Baby Drink and Wet ponies could be fed water and then would "wet" their diapers. Rainbow Curl ponies combined the curls of the Candy Cane Ponies with the color variation of rainbow ponies; each pony had a unique pattern, but each had long sausage curls. The Sweet Steps Ballerinas were fully jointed adult ponies in leotards who could be posed to dance. The Sweetheart Sister designs continued with the Glittery Sweetheart Sisters, who had shimmering symbols covering their bodies and tinsel in their hair, and the Prom Queen Sweetheart Sister Ponies who were dressed up for prom dates. Baby Sparkle Ponies had translucent glittery bodies like the Sparkle ponies, but no tinsel in their hair. Finally, there were two unique ponies released: Merrt Treat the Christmas Pony and the Pony Bride, a new mold who was dressed up for her wedding day. The mail orders introduced this year are now some of the hardest to find: the two Birthday Baby Ponies, Baby Sugarcake and Baby Gametime; Sweet Scoops who came with a special charm that looked like her; Goldilocks, a Sweetheart Sister mold with golden sausage curls, and the Twice as Fancy Baby Ponies, who were the children of the Year 5 Twice as Fancy ponies. There was an offer through Current, a stationary company, for two Valentine's Day Twins; they have no official names. A Chuck E. Cheese baby pony was offered at their restaurants.
Years 9-10
Year Nine (1990-1991) continued the lower number of ponies per set and the grouped backcard stories as well as the unique line designs. Rockin' Beat Ponies were "rock star" ponies with neon colors, heavy eyeshadow, oddly shaped symbols, and brushes shaped like guitars that could hang around their necks. Secret Surprise Ponies were large large earth ponies with decorative capes and keys; when the key was turned in the lock on their neck, the cape openes to reveal a compartment holding a piece of toy jewelry. Rainbow Baby Ponies, unlike their older counterparts, only had three rainbow colors in their hair. Teeny Tiny Ponies were baby ponies even younger than newborns. Precious Pocket Ponies had raised symbols on only one side and small matching charms on metallic cords; the charms fit in the pockets of the symbol. Pretty ponies were monochrome ponies in Sweetheart Sister molds billed as ponies that led girls along on their first time in Ponyland (new collectors). Glow n' Show Ponies had translucent bodies interspersed with glowing symbols and glowed when exposed to sunlight or under a black light. Baby Ballerinas were like the Sweetsteps Ballerinas, but came with no tutus or symbols. Two Princess ponies with long eyelashes were released with no official names and are identified by their color and symbol. Firefly, one of the first pegasi, was re-released in a new pose with a video of Firefly's Adventure. Pamphlet mail orders were few and generally reissued older ponies. The few unique ponies were the Mommy and Baby pair (a mother and Fancy Pants baby with coordinating symbols) and Rapunzel, a long and tinsel-haired pony. There was an offer through Rice Krispies cereal for a baby Christmas pony; she has no official name, though collectors have called her Baby Stockings to match the older release.
Year Ten (1991-1992) was a dual year for My Little Pony; while it was billed as the anniversary year on all packages and touted as a celebrational year, it was the last year for the line. The line went out with a bang and various unique ponies were released. These were released in smaller amounts; each line had only three ponies and many had only two. The Sweet Talkin' ponies said three different lines when squeezed: "Comb my hair", "I love you," and "I'm pretty." (They were not named in the US, but received the names in the UK.) Colorswirl Ponies were covered in zebra like stripes. Sippin' Soda Ponies came with ice cream sodas and straws that fit into a hold near their mouths and when squeezed would inhale the beads in the straw to look as though she was "drinking" the soda. Sweet Kisses Ponies were Sweetheart Sisters with lipstick tubes that had felt tips. When cold water was applied to their lips (with or without the lipstick tube) "lipstick" appeared on their mouths. This could be removed with either warm water or a kiss. Teeny Pony Twins were matched pairs of the Teeny Tiny Ponies. Paradise Babies were like their adult counterparts and came in the last traditional baby pony poses (two had first teeth showing). Flower Fantasy Ponies had symbols on their hips and covering their entire bodies; they are also unique in that they were the last line in traditional adult bodies. Sundazzle Ponies were like Sunshine Ponies, but came in Sweetheart Sister molds with neon colors and crimped hair. Fancy Mermaid ponies were young ponies in the design of hippocampi (half horse/half fish beasts in Greek mythology). The Bridal Beauty was much like the Pony Bride only with a change in symbol. Finally, the Birthday Pony was a unique pony with stars, hearts, streamers, and confetti covering her body, tinsel in her mane, and streamers in her tail and came with a charm inside a gift box. No mail order ponies were offered this year.
International Ponies
In many parts of Europe, there were European exclusives. These were produced by factories in France, Greece, Italy and Spain. European ponies generally fetch more than their respective counterparts made in Hong Kong or China (where the vast majority of ponies were made). Some are fairly easy to find (for example: a Peachy made in Italy) whereas some are much harder to find (for example: Happy Birthday, a Greek exclusive pony made in the sitting pose with candles as a symbol).
Most ponies released in the United States could be found in Western Europe as well. The majority of domestic mail-order ponies never appeared overseas, though many countries had their own mail-order systems (covered below). Some of the ponies (and even playsets) were given different names abroad (for example: the Big Brothers were known as Adventure Boys in the UK).
1980s
Though many of the countries were producing their own counterparts for US ponies, there were surprisingly few European country exclusives during this time compared to later years.
The first European exclusives turned up in 1984 in the UK. One was Seaspray, an adult seapony. Another was Wavebreaker, a similar looking pony to the US Wavedancer. These poniese were not featured in the TV episodes/specials. This makes sense, as the shows were made for the US market and simply exported to other countries, being dubbed into the country's native language.
Later on, a pony called Confetti appeared. Although the pony had been sold in the USA, the European version had two variations: she was in a different pose, and unlike her US counterpart, she came with a wedding outfit. Although this pony is widely touted as a European exclusive, she did appear in Australia. Later on that year Babies Bowtie and Lemondrop were released to the European market. Although the adult counterparts had been released in the US, the babies (apart from rare releases in individual countries) had not.
In 1985, two ponies were widely released on the European market: Applejack and Bowtie. Like Confetti, they had been released in the USs in a different pose. With the European versions, their heads were pointed forward, whereas the American ponies had heads turned to one side. These exclusives are commonly reffered to as the "Collector Pose Applejack/Bowtie", as the pose was first used on the Year 1 "Collector Ponies". Similarly a European Tootsie was released, who differed by her US counterpart by her white body color (as opposed to green). However, it is worth pointing out that the green US version appeared in Europe as well.
In 1986, another European exclusive set appeared. These ponies were known as Gypsy, Hopscotch, Snowflake and Honeycomb. As mainstays of the European line, they are all somewhat easy to find, though Gypsy is the most popular. Later in the year, more baby ponies appeared, namely Baby Gusty, Baby Heartthrob, Baby Ribbon and Baby Lickety Split. These are commonly known as "non-Beddy Bye Eye ponies". Un the US, these baby ponies were sold with "Beddy Bye Eyes", which opened and shut. Since Beddy Bye Eyes are not very popular with collectors, the European versions are sought after and fetch considerably more than their US counterparts. Further alon in the year, a European exclusive pony called Tutti Frutti appeared with party themed accessories. Although she was European exclusive, the accessories were not, having been included with the US released set "Party Gift pack". Unlike the US release, there was only one pony.
In 1987, a European version of Milkyway appeared. The only difference between her and her US counterpart is the symbols. They were painted on in white, whereas the US counterpart's where glittery silver. This was also the first year a true European exclusive pony arrived. Prior to then (apart from Seaspray) our European exclusives were simply variants of previously released ponies. These ponies were UK exclusives (though recent evidence has appeared suggesting they were also sold in Singapore) and did not appear in any other European country. Based on weather symbols, the Mountain Boys had names like Thundercloud, Lightning, Tornado, Sunburst, Fireball and Ice Crystal. These ponies are certainly one of the most popular (if not the most) of European exclusives and are highly sought after by collectors worldwide. To coincide with the movie, the "Movie Stars" pony set was released later on that year, starring many of the ponies featured in the movie. Unlike their respective US equivalents, which were So Soft (covered in fur), the European versions not. Truly and Cupcake, released as part of the same set, were confined to Scandinavia and did not appear in the rest of mainland Europe.
In 1988, the Brush and Grow ponies arrived from the United States. Like many sets that were released in the US, they did not appear any different (except for the occasional name change). However one pony was changed in this case; Twisty Tail appeared in a trotting (also referred to as walking) pose, whereas in the US she was in a different pose known as the "Quackers Pose" (for the first pony to be made that way).
In 1989, the "Playtime" series was released in the UK. This was an amalgamation of two sets from the US; the Fancy Pants series and the Playtime Brother series. The set was comprised of four Fancy Pants babies (Babies Starburst, Glider, Splashes and Dots & Hearts) and two Playtime Brother ponies (Baby Drummer and Baby Paws). The respective sets in the US were comprised of six ponies per set, though the missing six ponies never found their way to Europe. The other exclusives were the Loving Family babies. Although the Loving Family sets were not European exclusives in and of themselves, an additional baby was added to each family (the Apple Delight having a boy, Bright Bouquet having a boy and Sweet Celebrations having a girl).
In the 1980s there were also several full European playsets. The first was Cascade, who came with a different version of the Waterfall playset. Aside from the pony, the set differed because the base was green, compared to the white version of the USA playset. (Sprinkles and her USA version of the Waterfall did appear in Europe before this was released) Many other playsets got variations also. The first was the Lullabye Nursery. Like many playsets, this appeared in the TV series. However in the US, it got released twice. The first release had a pony called Baby Tiddelywinks and the colours of many accessories were blue. Later on, these were changed to pink and the pony was given Beddy Bye Eyes (eyes that open and shut). It was the second release (pink accessories), but with the first version (eyes that stay open) pony that was released in Europe. Second, the Brush Me Beautiful Boutique was sold in Europe, but with a pony (the one in the USA had none) called Kisscurl. This was a yellow pony that had bows and ribbons for a symbol (either pink bows and green ribbons or green bows and pink ribbons), pink hair, and was exclusive to that playset.
Other playsets to be released in Europe were the Grooming Parlour (Pretty Parlour in the USA), Dream Castle, Show Stable, Perfume Puff Palace (Puff and Poof Perfume Puff Palace in the USA), Scrub a Dub Tub, Crimp and Curl Hair Salon (Perme Shoppe in the USA), Baby Buggy, Paradise Estate and Baby Bonnet Dance School, which did not differ from the USA counterparts, bar the packaging.
1990s
Unlike the 1980s, all the ponies were made in China, as the factories in the respective European countries had all closed down for various reasons. Hasbro had also moved their main factory from Hong Kong to China in 1988, and any ponies made since then have been stamped with China as the country of origin. This factory continues today, as subsequent generations have also been made in China. Due to production costs (and EU working objectives/health and safety), it is unlikely there will be European country variations for any current or future generations.
In 1991 the original line ended for the US, however ponies were still extremely popular in Europe and G1 continued there until 1995.
The year 1990 did not produce that many exclusives at first. This was because Europe was a year (or more) behind the US and many of the late 1980s ponies were only just appearing. Some of the first to arrive that year were the Flower ponies (flower themed earth ponies). The others were the Starlight ponies. These ponies had mostly the same names as a US released set called "Sparkle ponies". Unlike the Sparkle ponies, these had solid-colored bodies (the Sparkle ponies were glittery and translucent) and two of the ponies had name changes. The symbols were the same, though again, 2 of the ponies were coloured differently than US counterparts.
One set released at this time is a source of confusion for many pony collectors. The white and orange ponies were sold under both of the names"Baby Nightsong" and "Baby Mischief". This put collectors in a quandary as to what to name them! Both names are correct for either pony, though most collectors use "Baby Nightsong" for the white pony and "Baby Mischief" for the orange pony. There were two other ponies in the set, Baby Stella and Baby Explorer. They did not suffer from this problem, as they were sold under the same name for each character throughout Europe.
1990 saw another European exclusive pop up. This appeared in the "Rainbow babies" set, however Baby Starbow showed up slightly differently from her USA counterpart. She had a purple streak in her hair and the US version had a blue one. The "Rockin Beats" set also suffered a change. Pretty Beat became a darker purple, and her hair color became another shade of purple. In the US, she was more lavender with blue hair. Whereas the European version of Pretty Beat was sold pretty much everywhere, distribution of the US version was limited solely to its country of origin. To concide with the release of the Schoolhouse, two sets of School themed ponies turned up. The first, named "Schooltime Ponies", was a set of four earth ponies named Musictime (triangle symbol), Sportstime (European football symbol), Paintingtime (palette and brush symbol) and Playtime (jumprope symbol). The second set, named "Playschool Babies", contained four baby ponies. These were Baby Countalot (abacus symbol), Baby Pictures (crayons symbol), Baby Alphabet (book symbol) and Baby Schoolbag (satchel symbol). Rosette and Clover were two more ponies that appeared, each with their own set of accessories.
1991 saw the further introduction of more ponies. To go along with the Kitchen playset, a set called "Cookery Ponies" came about. These had all baking themes and came with their own apron. Like Rosette and Clover previously, Good Weather had a load of accessories, all on a holiday theme. Another set, similar to USA release Sweet Kisses, was the "Romance Ponies". True to the set name, they were all romance-themed, named Love-in-a-Mist, Love Letter, Love Story and Love Token.
1992 brought many more exclusives than previous years. First of all (and widely publicized) were the 7 Characters. Based on the characters in the TV series My Little Pony Tales, these were sold throughout Europe. These are also sought after by American collectors, since the show aired there as well, but the line had been discontinued in the US by then, so there were no ponies to buy. Babies were also a common feature of the 1992 line, the first being Bedtime Newborns. These ponies were smaller than average and were bedtime themed. Another set of babies were the Best Friends. Each came with a plastic friend (cat, bunny or puppy). The Family Friends and Family Babies are also an extremely popular set from that year, with funky vertical striped manes. Each family (there are 3 in all) consisted of a Mummy, Daddy and Baby.
Princess Sparkle was another innovation for that year. She came with a plastic moulded cape, which hid a battery compartment. When batteries were inserted, the bow on her forehead lit up her crown, which glowed many colours. The "Hairdo Ponies" were also rather weird, having moulded hair ties and bows "growing" out of their necks, which were fully twistable around the hair. Another invention was the Rollerskates Ponies set, 3 ponies that had rollerskates moulded to their feet. The idea was that they could skate by rolling back and releasing them. On a similar theme to the Romance ponies of the previous year, another love-themed set was released. The Sweet Kisses ponies were named Candy Kisses, Kiss & Make Up and Kiss & Tell.
1993 was the last year for widely released European exclusives. Although the line continued to 1995, the 1995 ponies were Dutch exclusive (see below). For some strange reason, there was no new ponies in 1994, though ponies were still sold (previous lines simply continued).
The first were Great Hair ponies, crimped hair ponies that were strange (to say the least). From there, the Jewellery ponies were sold. These precious stone themed ponies (Ruby, Sapphire, Diamond) came with a wearable bracelet and ring. The ring contained the respective coloured stone. They are hard to find.
To complement the Bed and Crib set, a set of Nurse ponies were sold. These came with nurse hats and were very similar to the Magic Message ponies, in that if you rubbed the symbols, another one would appear.
Another baby pony set, the Seaside ponies, had seaside themes. They also came with a float so, like the baby seaponies previously, they would float in the bath. The set "Sweetie Babies" were candy themed (named Baby Candy, Baby Licorice and Baby Lollipop).
The "Surprise Newborns" were a particularly innovative idea. They had a washable nappy on their symbol area that, when washed off, revealed one of 2 different symbols. Once washed off, the symbols were permanent. Similarly the Mummy Pony, who was designed to have the Bed and Crib set, was larger than a normal pony, but when the collar was pressed, 2 babies came out. These babies are hard to find (being tinier than Petite ponies they were easily lost) and a working mechanism equally so.
Playsets
Like the previous decade, there was playsets. However, these were completely original playsets, bar the Show Stable. The Show Stable was given a new release in 1990. This varied because of the colour. Unlike the previous worldwide release, it was given a hot pink roof. Lemondrop was made in China and is more vibrant than the previous Lemondrop, who was made in Hong Kong. The colours of the accessories were changed to blue and yellow instead of white and pink respectively. This release is much harder to find than the previous version, especially if complete. The European-only releases included the Schoolhouse (a school themed playset first released in late 1989, but which made a more predominate appearance in the early 1990s), Kitchen playset (a similar looking playset to the Grooming Parlours, but the inside looked like a kitchen) and Bed and Crib set (a hospital themed set designed for the Surprise Twins pony. Unfortunately it was not the best designed playset. The bed is too small for the mother, as it was designed for a regular sized pony and she is considerably larger than one. The accessories designed for the babies are too big for a similar reason.
Mail Orders
The vast majority of mail-orders did not make it over to Europe. Some (for example Baby Crumpet and the Twice-As-Fancy babies) did turn up, but only because they were being bagged and thrown in with playsets. This was simply a way of getting rid of excess ponies once the offer expired in the US. The boxes were not marked that they contained a "bonus" pony, so not everyone got one. The most sought after pony, Rapunzel, never made it to Europe at all.
The only pony that was properly marketed as a mail-order was Ember. Like her US counterpart, she could be bought by using horseshoe points for a discount or buying it outright. Some ponies, such as Magic Message Windy were sold as a mail-order rather than a store. Aside from Lucky, no other mail-order ponies appeared as part of the main line in Europe.
The United Kingdom had its own fanclub, which offered you a pony in return for a year's membership. The first was "Baby Pony", a white symboless pony. The next year was Baby Bridesmaid, a white bridal themed pony. The final one was Baby Fun and Games, a white pony with red hair and red dice. The final pony offered through the club was simply a club mail order pony; Baby Ribbon and Hearts. For a small sum in horseshoe points anyone belonging to the club could order her. As far as it is known, no other country in Europe had a mail order scheme.
The Birthflower series from the US did appear in Scandinavia, but they were wildly different from the US counterparts. Firstly they were not for mail-order and secondly, their colours were different, corresponding with the month, rather than having a white body.
Merchandise
A good lot of merchandise was sold in Europe. The list is too numerous to go into. The most important was the UK line of annuals and comics. The annual is a British tradition, where stories and puzzles were complied and sold at Christmas time. The stories featured European ponies. Throughout the year, comics were sold in the UK (though Germany had their own too) which contained important adverts for a new range and also stories which featured European ponies. Strangely enough, some stories did feature ponies that were not sold in the UK, for example Firefly.
Also much sought after is a plushie (Hasbro Softie) version of Honeycomb. This appears to be a UK exclusive and is harder to find than her other counterparts. Similar to the plushies, the pyjama cases are also a UK exclusive, consisting of many characters, including, Trickles who was never sold in the UK. The bodies were rather hollow as the space was reserved for pyjamas (accessible through a zipper) but the feet and head were stuffed.
Country variants
As previously mentioned, although the majority of the ponies were made in Hong Kong or China, many countries had their own factories.
Africa
Africa is a relatively unknown country for producing ponies and ponies are very hard to find. Not many examples are known, but they tend to be varations of previously known ponies with different coloured hair and symbols. Unlike many countries, the ponies are stamped "Hong Kong", even though they were produced in Africa. This is because (as common with other countries), the moulds are were previously used in Hong Kong. Unlike other countries who usually obscure the Hong Kong part with an extra piece of plastic, the company did not, hence why it still exists. They are poorer quality than their Hong Kong counterparts, and have been previously mistaken for other countries.
African ponies were made by Prima Toys.
Argentina
Argentina also made many ponies. However, many of their ponies are simply not stamped with the manufacturer and country. This makes it difficult for many collectors to identify them as Argentinian. Some are stamped with "Argentina". They also tend to be more brightly coloured than their US counterparts.
A lot of ponies are simply US variants, with similar colours and symbols. They are also poorer quality compared to their US counterparts. However, some exist that do not match up with any USA ponies, either as a symbol, pose or colours, which are thought to be different characters. These are known by the nearest US counterpart - e.g. green Lofty.
It is here that the mysterious Prettybow originates. Thought to be a German Pretty (Grooming) Parlour exclusive, it was discovered that she was actually a Flutterbye variant. She is incredibly rare and was never sold in Europe.
Argentina is the only country not to make the standard ponies (Earth, Pegasus, Babies and Unicorns); they also made Drink and Wets, Dance and Prance, Fancy Pants and Windy Wings.
There are extensive lists of ponies made in Argentina. If you wish to know the specific ponies it is best to visit a site that specializes in "variant" ponies, as the list would be too exhaustive to display here.
Argentinian ponies were made by Top Toys company.
Brazil
Like Argentina, there are several ponies about. Unlike the Argentina ponies, most of Brazil's ponies are similar to US counterparts and very few variants exist compared to them. Their plastic is of higher quality than the Argentinian counterparts, but the ponies have thicker eye linings compared to the US counterparts. Unlike Argentina, the ponies are always marked with copyright information, the manufacturer and the country of origin. Their hair is of a poorer quality than their US counterparts and can frizz easily.
The majority of the ponies are simply US ponies made in different poses, but some do have symbol variations or occasionally colour. There were Hasbro Softie variations; thin ponies made out of fabric. Brazil remains the only country, bar Hong Kong (and later China) to make ponies out of other than plastic.
Brazil made two baby ponies, Baby Cotton Candy and Baby Blossom. They did not differ from their US counterparts, aside from the country of origin. Brazil also made playsets, one being the Waterfall (with Brazillian Sprinkles), the other being the Grooming Parlour (with Brazillian Peachy).
Again, there are many ponies, if you wish to know more, it would be useful to find a specialist's site.
Brazilian ponies were made by Brinquedos Estrela, under licence by Hasbro.
Holland (1995)
Although the Dutch did not make any ponies, they were the only place to sell ponies in 1995. These ponies are commonly referred to as "Dutch ponies". They are generally referred to by their symbols (for example: Baby Cat pony) as they did not have any English names.
Germany
Like Dutch ponies, there was no ponies actually made in Germany, but there ponies released exclusively there. Three exclusive baby ponies were Baby Cherries Jubilee, Baby Buttons, Baby Hopscotch and Baby Honeycomb.
There was an exclusive baby set, known as the Nesthackchen babies. These are known as Schlummerlein, Blubberchen and Würfelchen, which are their original German names. These ponies are very hard to find.
There were other babies, but they were simply variants. For example, Baby Heartthrob previously existed, but this pony has hearts and wings (the previous version just had hearts) as her symbols. Similarly, Baby Lemondrop was remade as in the same pose as Baby Cotton Candy. Baby Moondancer, Baby Firefly, Baby Surprise and Baby Glory was also released, but this time with matte symbols (the USA versions were glittery).
Moonstone appeared, but again, she was a variant of an existing pony. She had a painted symbol as opposed to a glittery symbol. It was not the only variant that appeared of a previously released pony; there are Skydancer (earth pony), Starshine (different pose), Speedy (light orange) and Fluttershy (painted symbols instead of glittery). Princess ponies are also a common variant, usually having different coloured hair when compared to the US counterparts.
Two adult ponies, Nighlight (Nachtlicht) and Raindrop also appeared. Unlike many German adult ponies, these two were actually German exclusives, having never appeared before in any form. Both come in two versions, either with small symbols or big symbols. It is not known why. They are rainbow ponies (multicoloured hair). Nightlight is blue with moon and stars; Raindrop is pink with a raincloud, sun and rain.
Greece
Like Argentina and Brazil, there was a factory in existence in the country itself. Greek ponies are rarely marked, so confusion can occur in determining whether a pony is real or not, since there are fakies (non Hasbro made ponies) in the original moulds used in the 1980s. Some do exist with a delta mark on them, others with a D or a B on one hoof. Greek ponies have thicker eye liner when compared to USA ponies, and poorer quality plastic. Their symbols have a tendency to bleed, meaning that the symbol is very often blurred into the plastic. There hair is also much more finer when compared to USA counterparts.
Both adults and babies were made in Greece. Unlike many countries, there are few Greek ponies in existance. This is due to the fact that El Greco's (the company that made Greek ponies) factory burnt down. Like many European countries, when the factory shut down, they simply imported Hong Kong/China made ponies to satisfy the market.
Unlike other countries, many ponies are just simply colour variants of each other. For example, a Greek version of a pony named Skydancer was available in yellow, white or orange. Many other adult ponies were simply Greek made versions of US ponies, with painted (rather than glitter) symbols where appropriate.
It is here that a good number of Greek babies can be found. Many were simply babies of ponies that Greece made in adult form (for example Baby Minty and Baby Peachy). As the US, there was a buggy made. Similarly, the buggy came with a Greek version of Baby Cuddles, but this pony was available in 3 colour combinations (purple, green with white hair, and white with pink hair). Several ponies were made that did not exist in the US, for example, a blue Baby Glory and a orange Baby Firefly.
It is interesting to note that 2 rare variants were made. Unlike many countries that just made their own sitting versions of Seashell and Bubbles, these were designed for the Greek market only. They are "Ladybird", a peach coloured pony with pink hair and ladybirds for a symbol and "Happy Birthday". "Happy Birthday" is a white coloured pony with pink hair and candles (lighted) for a symbol. Both command high sums of money when they come onto the pony market.
Greece also made one playset (the Grooming Parlour) and unlike many other countries, they made their own set of pony wear. The outfits do not vary from the US counterparts, aside from the material used.
Again it is worth consulting a specialist website to see all the ponies.
France
Again, the country did have a factory. French ponies are easier to identify than most ponies, for they are marked with the appropriate copyright information and "Made in France". Secondly, apart from an unicorn version of Cotton Candy (who is believed to be a prototype), the ponies are merely US ponies made in France. Again, like Greece, a glittery symbol was replaced by a painted one. It is worth pointing out that Italian made ponies and Hong Kong/China made ponies were sold in France, so a pony coming from there is not neccessarily a French pony (French ponies usually came on French cards).
Secondly, the French ponies are usually early produced ponies (Twilight, Moonstone, Glory etc). That is not to say that France did not have their own variants; Blossom, Cotton Candy, Bowtie and Windy were made that did not match up to their US counterparts.
French ponies were made by Hasbro. Like I have said before, it is worth consulting a specialist website to find out more.
India
Indian ponies are very rare. There are thought to be only a few that were made, certainly not as many show up as other countries. Unlike many countries, this was the only country that made its own ponies that had some sort of mail-order system. Very little is known about this mail0order system, it has been only recently discovered that it existed.
The ponies that do turn up are usually US counterparts that are made in India. These are easier to identify, since they are marked on all 4 hooves, including the word India. Secondly they are smaller than the USA counterparts and commonly, their plastic is squishier than normal. Unlike many countries that have had all sorts of pose variants and made unicorns and pegasuses, Indian ponies are always earthlings. In addition to that they are always in the same pose; the one most commonly known as the "Collector's Pose".
Indian ponies were made by Funskool, a joint venture between MRF and Hasbro Inc. USA. Funskool made Indian versions of many Hasbro 1980s toys.
Italy
Italy ponies are one of the most common country varients to turn up and make an ideal starter base for a variant collector. Although many can be picked up for under $10, the variants can easily make $100+. Italy was the only place (bar Hong Kong) to make adult seaponies.
Like many countries, most are simply US counterparts made in Italy. Italian ponies are easier to identify; they are always marked "Hasbro" and "Made in Italy". Like many countries, the pony's overall quality was poorer than the US counterparts. This is more obvious with the eyes on Italian made ponies. However many ponies do not have a US counterparts, for example a brown pony with white hair and white hearts (Macau made a similar pony, though this one is marked Macau rather than Italy), or a white pony with pink hair and pink hearts. Like Greece, many ponies were made in different colours and some ponies appeared in more than one pose.
Some European exclusive ponies were made in Italy; something that never happened with any other country. These include collector's pose Applejack and Bowtie and white Tootsie. However the majority of ponies appear to be Italian made US ponies or non-US counterparts.
Like has been previously mentioned, there were Seaponies. These were only adults; no babies were made. They represented the US counterparts, the only difference being the country of origin. Also, originally they were sold with soap; something that never happened with the US ones.
There were no babies or ponies made in male poses produced in Italy. Also, the ponies were exported to neighbouring countries eg Germany, so its possible to find a Italian pony on a German card. It is also worth pointing out that in 1987 the factory was shut down, so an Italian card does not necessarily prove that it is Italian made pony. However a lot of Italians are found loose, so proving that it is Italian is a fairly easy process.
Italy was one of the few countries to make playsets; the Show Stable and Dream Castle were made there. The Show Stable was simply a US version with an Italian made Lemondrop. The writing on the building was Italian. Dream Castle was also different, the pony matched Majesty (the pony that came with the US counterpart as well) but had Twilight's symbol. This is very sought after. The Grooming Parlour also appeared, but like the Show Stable, the only major difference (apart from the writing) was the pony's country of origin.
Macau
Macau ponies are also some of the easiest to identify. Like many ponies, they are stamped with Macau. They also only appear in the collector's pose.
Aside from Peachy and Lemondrop, the ponies are simply variants of the original 6 ponies. Some are hybrids (crosses of one pony with another). They also have softer plastic than the US counterparts and longer hair. There are very few Macau ponies about when compared to Italy or Argentina, but more than India. Strangely, although Macau is near China, the vast majority of them appear on German cards.
Mexico
Mexican ponies are tricky to identify. Although the majority of them were stamped with "Mexico", a fair amount were not. Similarly, some were stamped with Lily Leby (the manufacturer), again some were not. They do have long eyelashes, long hair or brittle hair when compared to their USA counterparts. They are also Flat Footed.
Unicorns, pegasus and earthlings were the most commonly used. Unlike any other country, they also produced Princess ponies and Sundae best ponies. The Princess ponies are very similar to their USA counterparts. The Sundae best ponies are very similar body wise, but many have different coloured hair. Similarly, like Spain they produced an flutter pony, though with no wings.
Baby ponies were produced, these being variants of pre-existing US ponies. Baby Cotton Candy was just a lighter version of her USA counterpart; Baby Blossom is the same. Another version of Baby Blossom was a pegasus, the colours being the same as her US counterpart. Baby Surprise was yellow and commonly, her symbol was painted. Baby Moondancer had her symbol painted, otherwise she was just the same. Baby Medley was more or less like her Greek counterpart. First Tooth Babies and Newborn Twins were also produced; aside from their country of origin, they were no different when compared to their US counterparts.
Regular ponies also appeared in Mexico, though many variants (pose, colour, etc.) were also produced of them. Like other countries, where appropriate the symbols were painted instead of being glitter.
Like many other countries, some playsets were produced. The Mexican version of the Show Stable came with a variant of Blossom. Similarly the Perfume Puff Palace was produced with an exclusive pony that looked like an earth version of Twilight, and the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe came with a variant of the Sundae best ponies.
Peru
Peruvian ponies are the hardest to find of all variants. Although easily identified (they are marked with MAXI and Hecho en Peru), very few turn up on the market. Although the majority of them turn up to be early ponies, they did make babies. Like Greece, several colour variations turn up, some being the same as the US counterparts, others being completely different. Unlike any other country, these ponies originally had curly hair, though with time many have ended up straight.
Very few are known, thoughmany more are surfacing. The babies are variants when compared to the adult counterparts and even Greek babies. Baby Medley is an completely different colour; Baby Cotton Candy only has 3 abnormally large symbols, Baby Ribbon is unlike her US (or even European) counterpart and Baby Blossom has turned into a baby pegasus.
Peruvian ponies were made by MAXI.
Spain
Spain paints an interesting picture. It is believed to be the earliest factory to start outside Hong Kong, as it first started producing ponies in 1982. These ponies were more pig-like and had Beddy Bye Eyes, so they are commonly referred to as piggy ponies. Although they had Hasbro symbols and are very well made, they were considered fake until someone found them MOC (unopened), showing the Hasbro information. These are somewhat hard to find.
The majority of Spanish ponies are early ponies. Not unlike many countries, early ponies were not marked with a country, though they were marked with Hasbro and the appropriate copyright information. Therefore some Spanish ponies do exist in country marked and non-country marked versions, as later they were marked with Spain.
The majority of ponies are simply Spanish made counterparts of US ponies; as was common with many other countries, glitter symbols were replaced with painted symbols. However, unlike any other country, Spain made their own versions of flutter ponies and big brothers. Many of these ponies are similarly designed with the USA counterparts, however the pose does vary. These are sought after. They also made babies, which were simply US counterparts (and two European) made in a different pose. Unlike the adults, these were never marked with a country of origin.
Many of the ponies were made in different poses. These include Sugarberry. There were also colour varients of ponies, for example a white coloured pony with pink hair and blue hair.
Hasbro made the ponies in Spain and all ponies (regardless of whether or not they have a country marked on them) are stamped with Hasbro on.
No Country
Although some ponies with no country on belong to either Spain, Greece or Mexico, many of the ponies that do not have a country of origin are simply unknown where they come from. These are commonly referred to as "NC" ponies. They do not belong in there because each country's ponies have characteristics, which these do not satisfy for them to belong to specified country. Many of them turn up as USA counterparts of pre-existing ponies, but some are not.
Some are extremely common, however some are not. Common ones include Sundance. Their value can be anything from a couple of dollars to over $100.
Thailand
Although Thailand was solely responsible for only one line in the US, it is still worth pointing out.
In 1988, when Hasbro was moving production to China, the Fancy Pants ponies were brought out in the US. These are clearly marked "Thailand". Thailand was only used as a stopgap to fill the market and was never considered to be a full time producer. When the Fancy Pants ponies came to Europe, they were from the China factory.
Fancy Pants from Thailand are very common in the USA and their value is no different from their China counterparts. Again, like Italy ponies, they make a good starting point for a collector who is interested in ponies made in other countries.
Related Lines
- Petite Ponies
Petite Ponies are tiny pony fiqures that are about the size of a quarter. Each came in sets, some with different traits such as combable hair, shimmery bodies, or glow in the dark bodies. Under the base of each is an engraved hoof. This way the pony can act as a key to the petite playsets. None of these smaller ponies had official names and many shared symbols. These were first released in Year 8 and continued into Year 9.
- Dream Beauties
These are larger figures, made of hard plastic, that were advertised as "grown up" ponies. Unlike the main line, they looked more like horses. All of them were earth ponies except for the three Highflying Beauties, who had large multicolored wings. They were only sold in Year 8 and were often confused with "Fashion Star Fillies" and Barbie horses.
- My Little Kitty/Puppy/Bunny
Generation Two: Friendship Garden
The second line of My Little Ponies (referred to as "Generation Two" (G2) or 'Friendship Garden Ponies') lived in Friendship Garden, and were almost entirely limited to Earth Ponies, although a few Pegasus and Unicorn Ponies were made. They were fairly small, and in slim, long-legged poses. This line was largely popular in Europe, where it continued for several years after it had been discontinued in the United States due to a lack of popularity. There were no television spin-offs for the G2 Ponies., although they did have their own video game on the PC which involved taking care of a Pony and playing games along the way.
In Europe, the ponies lived in Ponyland, rather than Friendship Gardens. The line was much more successful. Unlike the USA, it ran until late 2003, where the introduction of Generation Three ponies brought out the end of the line. A lot of the ponies released in later years are hard to find. Many more playsets were introduced, including a mansion and a castle. There was more merchandise to be found, including beanie ponies (though those were released in the USA), perfume, wrapping paper and colouring books.
Generation Three: Ponyville
The current line of My Little Ponies is referred to as "Generation Three" (G3) by collectors. This has been attributed to it being the third release of ponies, which started in 2003. The G3 line is very similar to the G1 line in construction and design, although they are smaller. They have been almost exclusively earth ponies, but a few Pegasus ponies are also in the line. The ponies live in Ponyville in the shadow of the Celebration Castle. There appears to be no distinct ruler like in the G1 line. Most ponies in the G3 line have shiny or pearly bodies and matte symbols on one side, now referred to as "Cutie Marks". G3 Ponies also have a magnet in one hoof that is used to activate playset items. These magnets are fairly strong and can ruin computer equipment and TVs if prolonged contact is made. The foot where the magnet is found is marked with a small symbol, often a heart. In some early ponies, the heart and magnet were mismatched and the heart was on the wrong foot; this has since been corrected.
2003 Year of the Celebration
The first year was the "Year of The Celebration", heralding the return of the My Little Pony Line. Packages were shaped like plastic purses with white cords at the top, and the background was of Ponyville's meadows. Each pony came with a shiny cord called a "Friendship Ribbon" and a small pony shaped charm that matched the pony's body color; these were phased out by the next year. Also, each package came with Pony Points that were later used for exclusive mail orders. Unlike the G1 line, the pony points had to be sent in to order; a customer could not just pay a flat fee and add points to it to lower the price.
Single ponies were of two main types. Rainbow Ponies had hair that had three or more colors in their mane or tail. The first four were Wysteria, Sunny Daze, Sweetberry, and Rainbow Dash. Glitter ponies has one or two colors in their manes or tails, which was interlaced with iridescent tinsel. The first four were Kimono, Pinkie Pie, Minty, and Sparkleworks. Many collectors do not like the way the tinsel can become ragged and crinkled with play and have clipped the tinsel from the hair; this is called "detinsling." Sparkleworks, Pinkie Pie, Sunny Daze, and Rainbow Dash have since become the trademarks of the line, having been re-released in different poses and/or outfits at least three times each. Later in the year two new Glitter and Rainbow ponies were released, and the four were released in new poses.
Playset ponies and accessory ponies failed to adhere to these guidelines; while some had rainbow hair others did not and none of them had tinsel. The first baby pony was also released: Baby Pink Sunsparkle, who came with the Celebration Castle. (The Celebration Castle has since become a Toys 'R Us exclusive and now may come with Baby Romperooni as well.)
The first mail order offers consisted of a beaded bracelet for 4 points, the video "A Charming Birthday for 8 points (it was later packaged as a bonus with some single ponies), a play mat for 12 points, and Dazzle Surprise for 16 points. Dazzle Surprise was the first pony to embody both qualities of the Celebration line--tinsel and rainbow hair. Demand was high, however, and supplies were depleted quickly.
While the line was simultaneously released in the US and Europe there have been only two non-US ponies, Winter Snow and Sweet Summertime. (Sweet Summertime has since been released in a playset for Butterfly Island, but there has been no news on a Winter Snow release.) Other European ponies made their way over here. Three ponies--Butterscotch, Star Swirl, and Autumn Skye--were released with bonus packs; these bonus ponies did not have brushes or charms like their european counterparts. Butterscotch and Star Swirl were later re-released in Dress Up Sets; Autumn Skye came in a bonus playset. Spring Fever was released in a KayBee Toys exclusive with Applejack. The US had its own exclusives: Target released three Winter ponies that came with accessories and backcards that showed a snow-covered pony land.
One of the rarest G3 ponies so far was released this year unintentionally. A Pinkie Pie with "2003 Licensing Show" integrated into her symbol was used to promote My Little Pony at the 2003 spring Licensing Show. Only three hundred were supposed to be given out at the show alone, but due to packaging error a few were packaged as regular ponies and sold in stores. Because of this, she has quickly risen in value and can go for as much as $400.
2004 Friendship Ball
The second year was the "Year of the Friendship Ball". Ponies in this line had purple cords at the top of the package and "Friendship Ball" on their packaging; the background shows scenes from the Friendship Ball. The specialties of this line were the Jewel Ponies with embedded jewels in their Cutie Marks, Sparkle Ponies who had glitter overlays on their Cutie Marks and forehead, Ballet and Ice Skating Ponies who had glowing crowns and came on stands that made them dance, and Eveningwear Ponies, who came dressed up in costumes. (Two of the Eveningwear Ponies were reissues of Sparkleworks and Sunny Daze.) The large playset of the year was the Twinkle Twirl Dance Studio, which came with Twinkle Twirl. The Studio was featured in the video "Dancing in the Clouds", which came packaged with the G3 line's first pegasus--Star Catcher. Super Long Haired ponies were released; the first four released were packaged with baby ponies as a bonus. So Soft Ponies were different from their G1 counterparts, now as oversized baby ponies that cooed and talked when played with. Pretty Pony Fashions were also released, which dressed up new and old ponies in outfits. Target had holiday exclusives again; three Spring Ponies who each had hats and came on egg-shaped cards, and three new Winter Ponies with outfits. For a while Toys R Us sold a very unique pony, Star Shimmer. $1 of each purchase would go to the Starlight Children's Foundation.
The Glitter Ponies and Rainbow Ponies merged into the "Perfectly Pony" lines; Perfectly Ponies continued to have white cords and the original backgrounds. For a brief time during the summer and autumn of 2004, a set of ponies was temporarily rare. Cupcake, Sweetsong, Shenanigans, and Cherry Blossom were the last Glitter and Rainbow Ponies and came with older ponies as the previous releases had. Many stores either never got a shipment of the four or ordered the newly released Perfectly Ponies instead. One theory has been that since these four came with older ponies that were still on the shelves, stores overlooked the entire set rather than have an overstock of ponies that would not sell as fast. Hasbro later re-released them in both three packs at Wal-Mart and individually at select stores and they have since become easier to find. Disney theme parks released the first four Glitter ponies with capes and hats, each with a different Disney princess theme which could only be picked up at the parks or through catalogs. Later these outfits, the second edition Perfectly Ponies, and various other accessories would be released at Walt Disney World's Build-A-Pony.
Hasbro's handling of the points program continues to have some problems; Sunshimmer (who was originally used as a replacement for Dazzle Surprise backorders) was made avaiable for order for 16 points. They soon ran out of her as well. Love Wishes was sent out as replacement for Sunshimmer and late in the year she was also added to the site for order, but this time in exchange for 24 points. An offer for a three foot plush Frilly Frocks pony was also put up in exchange for 150 points and 2.50 in shipping.
2005 Butterfly Island
The third year has been given the theme "Butterfly Island." Packages now have orange cords, a special butterflies design, and backcard scenes from the beach. The points on the package have been redesigned in a larger, rectangular shape with an image of Frilly Frocks and a prompt to the Frilly Frocks Boutique on the website: www.mylittlepony.com. The specialties so far have been: Dazzle Bright Ponies who have "shimmery" or shiny Cutie Marks; Shimmer Ponies who have metallic, colored tinsel in their hair; Beachwear Ponies who are wearing swimsuits; Wing Wishes Ponies who have fabric wings and antennae headbands; the Pony And Me Sets that include an older pony with accesories, and Scootin' Along Ponies who come with their very own scooters that "drive" when pulled back and released on a flat surface. Avon released four exclusive ponies through their representatives, two adults and two babies. Target released another holiday exclusive set, the Valentine's Day ponies. Several of the older characters have been reissued in these new sets. Toys 'R Us has released twelve exclusive Birthstone Ponies, referred to as Jewel Birthday ponies, which have special jewel symbols that correspond to the month. The next two lines consist of the Sunny Scents Ponies, ponies who will have varying scents, and Dream Design Ponies, which have three dimensional or raised symbols. More Pegasus ponies will be featured in the line this year as regular ponies interspersed into other lines, including an exclusive baby pegasus pony named Honolu-Loo in the Butterfly Island Adventure playset.
The shipping cost for the 3' foot Frilly Frocks ended up being an error and was corrected early in the year to the correct amount of $25, but by then the demand had outgrown the supply and the stock was quickly depleted. The plush was removed from the site to prevent additional orders. The current situation is that those who have ordered the plush before January 18th will have their offers honored; any after will have their points returned. Most customers received a postcard in the mail detailing the understock situation and prompting a toll free call to the Young America Company. A customer can agree to wait and have a plush sent later (but no later than July 15, 2005) Those who either decline the wait or do not call will have their orders cancelled and the points returned.
Other Items
A lot of licensed merchandise has been released for the newest generation. The main characters can be found on items ranging from bedding and home decor to clothing and dishware and school supplies. Some of the main characters were released as large pillow buddies and other assorted plush that are available for sale at most stores. Plush ponies have also been given away as theme park prizes and used in crane machines. The most noted of the plush is probably the 3' plush pony which was first available for sale in Australia (characters including Rainbow Dash, Minty, Sweetberry, and the special Kimono, which was used as a prize by Red Rooster Restaurants and Target). In the US/CAN, a 3' Frilly Frocks was offered in the points program as a redeemable item and a special Star Shimmer was used by the Starlight Foundation to help special children and their families celebrate the magic of My Little Pony. McDonald's has also featured ponies in its happy meal. Eight characters were used in the US promotion, while other countries had only four.
Collectors
Over the past decade, a large number of My Little Pony collectors has emerged. Once a small and relatively unknown market, the numbers of collectors have skyrocketed into the thousands during recent years. Such interest has sparked a rise in regional "pony meets," where collectors gather to celebrate their love of ponies. Recently, collector meets have morphed into huge conventions on an international scale, such as the My Little Pony Fair (http://www.mlpfair.com) which hosts hundreds of collectors from all over the world who gather together for a weekend of pony-filled fun each summer.
My Little Pony Cartoons
'MY LITTLE PONY' TV SPECIALS (1984-1985)
- 1. My Little Pony (1984)
- 2. Escape From Catrina (1985)
These stories were originally self-contained specials of about 22 minutes with three musical numbers. They were later repeated as part of the 'My Little Pony and Friends' series. To fit the new style, each special was edited, removing a song and splitting the story into two parts. Each was given new opening credits and the original special was given a title, 'Rescue At Midnight Castle'. To confuse the issue, it was renamed again when it was released on VHS as 'Firefly's Adventure', sold with the toy version of Firefly herself.
The opening minute to 'Rescue From Midnight Castle Part 2' has become infamous amongst pony fans, general nostalgia seekers and terrified onlooking parents alike, and not without reason. 'Call Upon The Sea Ponies' is an all-singing, all-dancing animation extravaganza, in which what appear to be vast cloned armies of the equine equivalents of mermaids (or perhaps giant shrimp?) simultaneously offer their gracious assistance to, and utterly terrorise, angst-ridden teen Megan and the mare Applejack, whose inexplicably deep, rasping voice that would not be out of place amongst your average group of construction workers. Words simply cannot capture the brilliance of this televisual art form, although one reviewer quite succinctly put it: 'I am left with no idea of what I am supposed to have gained from it, other than the potent knowledge that Sea Ponies are most excellent dancers'.
'MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE' (1986)
Easily the most remembered of the hoofed ones' exploits, this ninety-minute commercial simultaneously convinced a generation that their acquisition of a herd of Flutter Ponies to inhabit Paradise Estate was essential on the same level as oxygen, and scared them out of their wits. Reminiscing on 'the smooze one' reveals that the impact of the wave of terror it unleashed has not been forgotten. Given that the principal villain of the piece is an ocean of bright purple lava infested with eyes that in the midst of destroying all likes to sing with itself like a barbershop quarter, it's not difficult to understand why. Since the advent of DVD, many childhood pony fans upon exploring their childhood viewing are discovering whole new levels to be disturbed on...
'MY LITTLE PONY AND FRIENDS' (1986-1987)
- SEASON ONE (1986; 18 stories in 58 parts)
- 1. The End Of Flutter Valley (10 parts)
- 2. The Ghost Of Paradise Estate (4 parts)
- 3. The Great Rainbow Caper
- 4. The Glass Princess (4 parts)
- 5. Pony Puppy
- 6. Bright Lights (4 parts)
- 7. Sweet Stuff And The Treasure Hunt
- 8. The Return Of Tambelon (4 parts)
- 9. Little Piece Of Magic
- 10. The Magic Coins (4 parts)
- 11. Mish Mash Melee
- 12. Woe Is Me (2 parts)
- 13. Fugitive Flowers (2 parts)
- 14. Would-Be Dragon Slayer
- 15. Baby It's Cold Outside (2 parts)
- 16. Crunch The Rockdog (2 parts)
- 17. The Revolt Of Paradise Estate (2 parts)
- 18. Through The Door (2 parts)
- SEASON TWO (1987; 7 stories in 13 parts)
- 1. The Quest Of The Princess Ponies (4 parts)
- 2. Spike's Search
- 3. The Golden Horseshoes (2 parts)
- 4. Flight To Cloud Castle (2 parts)
- 5. Ice Cream Wars!
- 6. Somnambula (2 parts)
- 7. The Prince And The Ponies
Each episode of My Little Pony ran to ten minutes and contained a musical number, with the notable exception of The Return Of Tambelon Part 2, whose edit for timing leaves a distinctly Monty Python-esque moment as Megan fails to break into song despite the requisite buildup. Episodes of multi-part stories would end on 'cliffhangers', with a freeze-framed and 'To Be Continued...' at a dramatic moment signalling the beginning of an agonising week's wait, by the end of which even the spontaneous removal of limbs would not prove adequate reason to miss out on the ponies' escape from their apparently imminent crushing, burning, drowning, banishment to the realm of darkness, en-masse transformation into stone, glass, ice, or hideous dragon beasts... for Ponyland, far from the safe and happy place it sounds, was truly a land of fear. Though The Movie continues to hog the limelight in terrifying children everywhere (as well as adults, for entirely different reasons); the television series contains the ultimate trump card for insane genius - the musical Bright Lights, in which the principal villain is Michael Jackson in the form of a pony. Though not through lack of trying, none have ever quite managed to attain such giddying heights of surrealism in the substantial volume of fanfic that followed the series.
Much to the frustration of children everywhere, at the ten-minute mark the program would change over to a ten minute 'Friend' segment - a cartoon based around a Hasbro toy line, either Glo Friends, Moondreamers or Potato Head Kids. These less memorable characters are doomed to be remembered solely for taking valuable screen time away from the colourful equine heroines that so outshined them.... the plots have long since been completely forgotten, but the seething hatred remains in many a pony lover's heart.
'MY LITTLE PONY TALES' (1992)
Episode list not yet available
DVD RELEASES
- 'The Complete Season One' available in the US, coded for Region 1. Includes all episodes from 'The End of Flutter Valley' to 'Through The Door' as well as the repeat versions of 'Rescue At Midnight Castle' and 'Escape From Catrina'. 'Mish Mash Melee' is included on the discs, though erroneously not listed on the package. - 'The My Little Pony Movie' available in Australia, Region 0. - Various random collections of episodes are available on DVD in Australia, containg some episodes from Season Two not otherwise released on DVD.
Escape from Catrina
Escape from Catrina was the second My Little Pony special, and differed greatly from Rescue at Midnight Castle. The characters from Rescue at Midnight Castle were gone, and replaced with Ponies from newer lines. The animation style was also vastly different.
In this special, the Bushwoolies were introduced.
This special suffers from poor colouring, and as a result, some of the Pony characters do not match their toys. There are also some Pony characters that don't exist as toys, such as the dark blue unicorn Pony that appears a couple of times.
Characters (in order of appearance)
The Ponies (currently incomplete)
Skydancer: Skydancer is a yellow pegasus Pony with rainbow coloured hair.
Heart Throb: Heart Throb is a pink pegasus Pony with darker pink hair.
Whitecap: Whitecap is a white Sea Pony with purple and blue hair.
Sea Mist (?): Sea Mist is a white Sea Pony with orange and red hair.
Posey: Posey is a yellow earth Pony with pink hair.
Sundance: Sundance is a white Pony with pink hair.
Baby Moondancer: Baby Moondancer is a white unicorn baby Pony with pink and purple hair. She has a crescent and star as her symbol. She differs greatly from her mother.
Sparkler: Sparkler is a pale purple unicorn Pony with purple and red hair. Her symbol is of blue diamonds.
Lickety Split: Lickety Split is a pink earth Pony with orange hair. She has ice cream cones as her symbol.
Powder: Powder is a dark purple unicorn Pony with white and red hair. Her symbol is of silver snowflakes.
Surprise: Surprise is a white pegasus Pony with green hair.
Baby Glory: Baby Glory is a white unicorn baby Pony with purple and blue hair.
Baby Surprise: Baby Surprise is a white pegasus baby Pony with bright yellowish-green hair.
Baby Cotton Candy: Baby Cotton Candy is a pink earth baby Pony.
Other Characters
Spike: Spike is a baby dragon. He is purple with green spines.
The Bushwoolies: The Bushwoolies are small furry creatures that were Catrina's slaves before escaping.
Rep: Rep is a shape-shifting reptillian character and servant to Catrina. He is dark green with a pale green mouth. He wears a gold and black helmet with a small spike on top and a green collar. He also wears a small flask of Catrina's Witchweed potion around his neck. Before Catrina turned evil, it appeared that Rep and Catrina were dating.
Catrina: Catrina is the main villain in the film. She is a tall, cat-like character with long orange hair. She wears gold bracelets and purple robes. She needs the Witchweed potion to retain her powers, but it is steadily running out.
Megan: Megan is the Ponies' heroine. She always seems to know what to do. She has long blonde hair. She wears an orange shirt and red trousers.
My Little Pony: The Movie
During the first generation of My Little Pony (referred to as G1) in 1986, a movie was released. Simply titled "My Little Pony: The Movie", it was a fairly poorly animated romp through Dream Valley as the Ponies triumphed over evil with their Barbie-esque friend Megan.
The movie was re-released on video in 1990, and can currently be found on DVD in the United Kingdom.
The colours in the film are fairly washed out and do not resemble the toys accurately. For example, Gusty (a white unicorn) has a pink streak in her hair in the movie, whereas her toy has a red streak.
The movie suffers from various mistakes, such as Ponies appearing randomly in one shot and then disappearing in the next, then showing up in a completely different place. There are also colour mix-ups, with Ponies briefly swapping colour schemes.
More information forthcoming.
Characters (in order of appearance):
The Ponies:
- Gusty: Gusty is a white unicorn Pony with green and pink hair. She has purple maple leaves as her symbol.
- Sweet Stuff: Sweet Stuff is a pale purplish-blue earth Pony with Twinkle Eyes. She has white, pink and purple hair. Her symbol is of sweets shaped like a semi-circle.
- North Star: North Star is a pink pegasus Pony with purple hair. She has the points of a compass as her symbol.
- Shady: Shady is a pink earth Pony with gold hair. Her symbol is of sunglasses.
- Gingerbread: Gingerbread is a white earth Pony with Twinkle Eyes. She has blue, purple, lavender and pink hair. Her symbol is of blue gingerbread men.
- Baby Lickety Split: Baby Lickety Split is one of the main characters in the movie. She is a pale lavender baby earth Pony with pale pink hair and three ice cream cones as her symbol.
- Ribbon: Ribbon is a dark blue unicorn Pony. She has gold and orange-red hair. Her symbol is of a white ribbon.
- Sundance: Sundance is a white earth Pony with pink hair. (Information about symbol forthcoming)
- Wind Whistler: Wind Whistler is a pale blue pegasus Pony with pink hair. Her symbol is of pink and blue whistles.
- (Yellowish-gold Sea Pony): This Pony has a yellowish-gold body and orange hair.,
- (Pale purple Sea Pony): This Pony has a pale purplish body and green hair.
- Fizzy: Fizzy is a green unicorn Pony with Twinkle Eyes. She has green, pink and white hair. Her symbol is of frothy milkshakes.
- Lofty: Lofty is a pale-yellow pegasus Pony with darker yellow hair. Her symbol is of a hot air balloon.
- Magic Star: Magic Star is a yellow earth Pony with green hair.
- Paradise: Paradise is a white pegasus Pony with red hair. Her symbol is of palm trees.
- Buttons: Buttons is a purplish-pink unicorn Pony. She has blue and red hair. Her symbol is of buttons and stars.
- Baby Sundance: Baby Sundance is identical to her mother.
- Baby Ribbon: Baby Ribbon is identical to her mother.
- Baby Lofty: Baby Lofty is identical to her mother.
- Baby Shady: Baby Shady is identical to her mother.
- Baby Gusty: Baby Gusty is identical to her mother.
- Morning Glory: Morning Glory is a pale blue Flutter Pony with gold hair. She echoes Lickety Split's song that she sings at the well, and is rescued afterwards. Her symbol is of small flowers.
- Rosedust: Rosedust is queen of the Flutter Ponies. She has a pale yellow body and pale pink hair. She has a dark pink lock of hair that sticks out.
The Humans
Molly: Molly is Megan's sister. She is the youngest of the trio. She has blonde hair tied into bunches with pink bows. She wears pink frilly overalls with a red heart on them. Underneath she wears a white shirt. She has red shoes.
Megan: Megan is the oldest of the three humans in the film. She has blonde hair tied back with a pink bow. She wears pale blue frilly overalls with a pink long-sleeved shirt underneath and pink shoes. She is the one who comes to the Ponies' aid when they need her. She has possession of the Rainbow of Light, a sparkly, magical rainbow that overcomes evil and darkness.
Danny: Danny is Megan's brother and is the second oldest. He has ginger hair and freckles. He wears a blue, red and white baseball cap with a 'B' on it, blue jeans and a blue shirt. He has red sneakers.
The Witches
Draggle: Draggle is a tall, lanky witch with red hair. She wears patchy overalls, a pale purple bow with blue dots and a pale blue shirt.
Reeka: Reeka is a short, stout witch with black hair. She enjoys eating a lot. She wears a metal cooking pot on her head and a red and orange dress.
Hydia: Hydia is a short, stout witch and mother to Reeka and Draggle (although she hates being called 'Mama'!). She has red hair and a hat with horns on it. She has large, gold crescent necklace and purple robes.
Other Characters
Spike: Spike is a purple baby dragon with green spines. He befriends Baby Lickety Split.
The Bushwoolies: The Bushwoolies are small furry creatures who live in Ponyland. They used to be slaves under Katrina (See "My Little Pony: Escape from Katrina").
The Smooze: The Smooze is living purple ooze that the witches summon to destroy Ponyland.
The Moochik: The Moochik is a little old wizard with a poor memory who lives in The Mushrump. He has a white beard and wears a large green cap.
Habbit: Habbit is a rabbit/hare and The Moochik's assistant. He doesn't say much.
The Grundle King: The Grundle King is leader of the Grundles. He and the Grundles used to live in Grundleland before it was smoozed. He has pale grey skin and wears a blue locket on a gold chain and a red jacket. He has a pointy, floppy green hat with a small yellow ball on the tip. He has a yellow bow on his tail.
The Grundles: The Grundles are a small race of creatures ruled by The Grundle King. They used to live in Grundleland before it was smoozed, and are now living underground in a cave.
Ahhg: Ahhg is a giant, hairy spider who is the witches 'pet'.
Trivia
Animated Features
- Nancy Cartwright, the voice actor for Bart Simpson from the hit animated series 'The Simpsons', does the voice for Gusty and a Bushwoolie.
- Danny Devito voices the Grundle King in The Movie (though he's been replaced by
- Tress MacNeille plays various roles in the series including Hydia, the cheif witch in The End Of Flutter Valley. She is better known for playing various characters in The Simpsons (most notably Jimbo Jones and Agnes Skinner) and Futurama (most notably Mom).
The Toys
- Many Ponies from the G1 line were manufactured with pink hair that faded to white easily. Sadly, Ponies with this problem tend to sell for a lot less. Ponies that suffered from this include Wind Whistler (pale blue pegasus Pony), Tornado (dark blue Mountain Boy Pony) and Posey (yellow earth Pony). This was not changed in the G3 line; ponies such as Minty, Pinkie Pie, and others with pale pink hair also fade under prolongued sunlight.
- Belonging to the same company, some My Little Ponies shared names with Transformers. For example Beachcomber and Zig Zag were both Ponies and Transformers characters. However, there obviously was no My Little Pony named Skullcruncher.
- During year four of G1 production, Hasbro began using "regrind" plastic. This is where old plastic is ground up finely and mixed in with new plastic. It's a nice theory in that it reduces waste, but the old plastic does not hold the dye as well as the new plastic, and can lose its colour over time. If too much regrind is used then the quality of a toy can suffer. As a result there are now some Ponies with bright pink spots in the plastic where the plastic has deteriorated over the years. There is no way to get rid of this, leaving Ponies doomed to their fate.
External links
- Official site by toy manufacturer Hasbro for My Little Pony (http://www.hasbro.com/mylittlepony/)
- MLP Arena (http://www.mlparena.com/) - The most comprehensive My Little Pony Community on the internet - Forums, galleries, contests and more
- My Little Pony Fair Convention & Expo' (http://www.mlpfair.com) - The world's largest annual gathering of My Little Pony collectors
- My Little Pony (http://www.thetoyshelf.com/mylittlepony.html) - The Toy Shelf: A site for ordering My Little Ponies
- My Little Pony Trading Post (http://www.mlptp.net) - My Little Pony collectors' discussion forums
- Ponytopia's Resource for G3 ponies! (http://www.ponytopia.com/g3_info/g3_index.htm)
- Elite of Ponyland Network (http://www.eliteofponyland.com/) - A database resource providing collectors with links to informative My Little Pony websites and information about trustworthy and reliable buyers and sellers
- UK My Little Pony Convention Homepage (http://www.mylittleponyconvention.com)
- My Little Pony Memories (http://www.doyouremember.co.uk/memory.asp?memID=3440) - Reader's memories of My Little Ponysv:My Little Pony