Question about G2 ponies.

[SuniMoon]

I think many people hated them because they looked noooothing like G1s...
I was five years old, and had every pony from 97, so far as I remember.
I didn't know ponies existed before that, and I remember being young and stupid and scoffing at how odd the G3's looked when I saw them in stores.... Funny thing is, I watched the MLP movie when I was little, and it somehow never phased me that they had nooothing in common with my ponies. I think had I seen a G1 then, or even seen a G1 when I was 13 or so, I would have thought they were knock-offs, or something silly like that. xD

So really? They're hated because everyone had their nostalgia glasses on.
Just like how G3's were NOT my precious little ponies, G2's were not the My Little Ponies for many others out there...

But I think that looking back on it now, people have grown to like them.... I don't like them nearly as much as I did then, G1's kind of own my heart now, with their chubby proportions...
But there's something about those twinkling eyes of the G2's that make me feel warm and fuzzy. And while I have little interest in finding other G2s, I do wish to someday be reunited with Sky Skimmer.


Aaand that's my sentimental fluff answer of the day. xD

[Elisto]

So really? They're hated because everyone had their nostalgia glasses on.

Um, not entirely...like I said in my post, it's not just that they don't look like G1 (G4 doesn't either, but I like them), I really don't think G2s are cute. I thought they looked like fakies not just because they were different, but because I don't think any fakies are cute either. No offense to fan of fakies or G2s...just never been my thing.

[scarletjul]

If I'm not mistaken, a lot of the 90's redesign of 80's toys (Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake) didn't sell too well either.  I think people need a little space between the original toy and a redesign to forget a little about the original and to get used to the new ideas - and also for the first generation to become old enough to be nostalgic for the toy.  By the time g2 came out, I was in middle and hugh school and I definitely wouldn't have been buying ponies - but that's just me. 

G2 ponies certainly have a lot of fans these days and there are some that are really pretty.  Good luck with your collecting! 

[PinkRosedust]

You know, I don't understand how them being totally different than G1 would affect how people, especially young kids, feel about them. I mean, I'm sure there are a lot of (former) kids out there who never even had any G1s to compare the G2s to when they came out.

I actually did have a lot of second hand G1s as a kid, but I still adored G2 when it came out (I was 7 at the time). I liked the slimmer look of Flutters and Sweetheart Sisters, but I also loved a lot of the normal chubby ponies, too.

I personally think it's very basic - if you like the look, you like the look. If you don't, you don't. There's no point in buying a pony you don't like just because it's official MLP, and similarly, there's no point in not buying a pony that's different than your other ponies as long as you still like how it looks.

So I would just assume that most people - be it kids or the adults buying them - simply didn't like how they looked (which is crazy to me because I think they're beautiful lol) so they didn't sell well. Which is very unfortunate. =(

[LadyMoondancer]

Well, if the question is "why weren't they popular in the MLP community?", that's a different question than "why did the toyline fail?".

Remember, they were released in 1997.  There were, like, ten people on the Internet.

Okay, there were more than ten people, but you get what I mean.   There were not enough My Little Pony collectors around for Hasbro to care what they thought.


Ultimately it was parents not buying the toys and/or little girls not liking them (in the US) that sunk the line.   Why in the US and not in Europe?  Again, I must point to my previous answer of "just one of those things."   Like how American football is popular in America while soccer/football is popular everywhere else.

[kellyponyfeathers]

I agree with scarletjul.  I'm not sure how the little kids reacted to the G2's when they first came out (I guess not as well as the G1's).  But a lot of older collectors completely rejected them; I think they wanted more ponies like the ones they knew and loved.  The G3's were much better accepted by collectors because of their similarity to G1, but after years of buying G3's, I think a lot of collectors realized that they would still never be the same as their beloved G1's and got kinda tired of them (which is why they're so cheap now).  So I think they were ready to be more open-minded when the G4's came out; they're certainly different, but have their own appeal (and the well-produced show helps too).

So that's my take on it.  I love and collect all official ponies, but G1's will always be my favorites.  I did buy most of the Amer G2's when they were released, and now I've gotten the majority of the Euro ones too.  (By the way, I'll be selling some of my dupicate G2's in a few weeks; just gotta finish this school term.)  I do like them, and their accessories are great!  Some are quite pretty.  The Copper Glow you mentioned is one of the most sought-after and expensive G2's, so don't worry; most sell for much less than that.

Edit:  And there was a sizeable online collecors' community at the time; I remember quite a backlash agains G2's.  But you're right, LadyMoondancer, the majority of sales would have been for kids and not collectors.

[hilamb]

I always liked G2's alot and like still. Besides them i only collect G1's. I love the diamonds and colors they have.

[oddish]

I hated G2s when they first came out. They were just so different from the ponies that I grew up with and I just didn't like it. They reminded me of the SHS which I also never liked. They just didn't have that sweet, innocent vibe I got from G1 ponies with their chubby faces and all. Since then they've grown on me and I don't hate them anymore, but they're still the only generation I don't own any of. The only G2 thing I ever got was a computer game for Christmas one year.

Though I should note that I also didn't like G3 or G4 ponies when I first saw them, but now I love both. I think when I first see a new generation I immediately compare it to G1 as how ponies are "supposed to look" and dislike how different they are. Then as I see more of them I start appreciating their different sort of cuteness.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

They were SO different - tinier, skinnier, eye jewels that could easily pop out...  At least that was my impression as a child once G2s hit the shelves. 

[Saber-Toothed Crow]

I wasn't even aware of G2 ponies when they first came out. Of course, I wasn't actively collecting either. I did think they were quite odd when I first saw them, but didn't hate them. They kinda reminded me of fakies. I don't actively collect them, mainly since I'm pursuing G1 favourites first. I did find a  Berry Bright though and love her just like all my other ponies.

I guess for me I like G2, but it's my 'lost generation' of ponies. I have fond memories of G1, and was collecting when G3s came out, but G2s slipped under my radar when they came out so I don't have as many attachments to them as I do the other generations. If that makes sense.

[Ivy]

I was around when they came out and was - and still am part of the crowd that hated them.

I hated everything about them - the looked like skinny anorexic donkeys not ponies...
They were too small - their eyed didn't look like the ponys eyes.
They were unimaginative and ugly.

There was a HUGE uproar when they came out collectors either loved them or hated them!

I remember petitions that went around to send to Hasbro about them...

*dodges fakes*

And YES! I was using the name Ivy for my persona, before that skinny little blue and pink donkey came around...

[StarDragon]

To be honest, as I kid, I never even knew they existed.


I grew up watching MLP cartoons, but I was born in the early 90s, so G2s would have been perfect for me if they were marketed better. I never saw one commercial, and even the "My Little Pony" logo was different enough for me not to notice in a toy store, since I could barely read at the time. I think they are cute, now, but their facial expressions just don't convey as much "sweet and friendly" as G1s do. In fact, I think G1s have the only real endearing expressions.

[VanillaBean]

G2s came out the year I started school, & I loved them. I had a herd of them, a few magazines, the pc game, & the odd bit of merchandise. But I agree that they were pretty poorly marketed- the adverts didn't play very frequently, & the magazine only lasted a few issues. When I compare G2s to the other lines now, I have to admit that they look a little off... but I adore the artwork.
As a kid, I also had access to the G1 cartoons, but had no idea the old toyline existed. I wondered why the characters were completely different, & I preferred the G1 world, with all the unicorns & pegasai. Me & my friends called the G1s 'fat ponies' & the G2s 'thin ponies.'  xD
I was 10 when G3 came out, & I loved them instantly, because of their similarity to G1. I guess chubby ponies are where it's at. 

[hathorcat]

I think it's just one of those things, where for whatever reason they didn't sell well in the US but did overseas.

The same thing happened with Keypers, IIRC.  They were kinda-sorta popular in the US, but REALLY REALLY popular in the UK.


They also had really poor, almost nonexistent marketing, and the few US commercials for them featured freaky CGI ponies.   Transformers look good in CGI . . . Ponies, not so much.

off topic but man you are right about Keypers....my mum had to buy one from over 400 miles away in order to "make my Christmas" and that was a big ask in the 80s

on topic...I think it was the style...they just didnt "take" for some reason in the US...and I ll admit I didnt used to be a big fan but last year I followed a topic on the Arena which was almost a "beginners guide to G2" and I am totally in love now...

[oddish]

I think they are cute, now, but their facial expressions just don't convey as much "sweet and friendly" as G1s do. In fact, I think G1s have the only real endearing expressions.

This. Every generation after G1 the expressions seem more youthful, energetic and cheerful. But G1s just look so sweet and gentle. Just comes down to personal preference. For me, as cute as I find the other gens, those sweet, gentle G1 expressions are the ones that really melt my heart.