Identifying Mail Order Lemon Drop - this time w/photos!

[mul-ta]

When I asked for photos of Mail Order Lemon Drop on the Arena last time, I got none! Now I have what I believe to be one in my hands and thought I'd share what I've been able to find out... Your thoughts are welcome. What I'd still like to see is a MIP photo of the Mail Order pony.

Threadography:
1) An old thread
2) A slightly newer thread initiated by me
3) A recent, rather confusing thread

Based on what information I've been able to extract (see especially thread #1 above), the MO version can be identified by hoof stamps and the color of her symbol:
Euro playset: 4 hooves stamped ("© 1982 Hasbro / Pat pending / Made in / Hong Kong"), DARK PURPLE drops
Mail Order: 4 hooves stamped, LILAC drops

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Both my Hong Kong 4-stampers; the light symbol one is what I'd be tempted to call the MO pony. I believe her hair is close to factory settings. Her "squiggly" symbols are identical to the dark ones but much lighter in color.

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A comparison photo of 4 common Lemon Drops. From behind: HK 2-stamper ("© '82 Hasbro Pat Pend / Hong Kong") w/blue drops, China, HK 4-stamper (MO), HK 4-stamper (Euro playset). The MO 4-stamper's symbols are very close to the Chinese version in color. I'd have included the HK 2-stamper with lilac drops, but mine has gone AWOL. I'm positive I had one, but apparently not anymore.

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See the pink spot on MO LD's symbol, like the machine ran out of purple? I talked to gotbunny the other day, she has what I believe to be a factory error MO LD with ample pink spots like these on her NDS symbol.

[Aquarel]

Ooh wow, and I was going mad trying to figure out G2 sky skimmers :p
I'm glad you have some clarity already on the matter.

[spottedslug]

Great comparison!

[mul-ta]

Ooh wow, and I was going mad trying to figure out G2 sky skimmers :p

To each their own ticket to the nuthouse I guess...  To me it's officially Italian collector pose molds.

[Aquarel]

Ooh wow, and I was going mad trying to figure out G2 sky skimmers :p

To each their own ticket to the nuthouse I guess...  To me it's officially Italian collector pose molds.

Ooh, might be able to get you some more nuthousing when I open my box of those again :p

[kitkatvintage]

This is really interesting! I'll have to check my Lemondrops to see if I can add anything. I have 3-4 that all came from lots/thrift stores/yard sales, so they *should* all be US releases. Mail Order Lemondrop is one of the few ponies I've given up trying to properly ID, lol. The others from that set were very difficult for me to find, so I will cross my fingers that one of my LD's matches this description.

Even if there was a mint in bag picture, can we be sure it's not from a playset? Was the play set LD bagged with accessories or alone?

[mul-ta]

This is really interesting! I'll have to check my Lemondrops to see if I can add anything. I have 3-4 that all came from lots/thrift stores/yard sales, so they *should* all be US releases. Mail Order Lemondrop is one of the few ponies I've given up trying to properly ID, lol. The others from that set were very difficult for me to find, so I will cross my fingers that one of my LD's matches this description.

Please do, and be sure to post if you find something. I can't be 100% sure I have ID'd her correctly (which is why I originally hoped someone would pop up with MIP photos they're sure of - call it wishful thinking), but at least this is a dang good guess.

Even if there was a mint in bag picture, can we be sure it's not from a playset? Was the play set LD bagged with accessories or alone?

Good point. Actually I don't know if there is a rule. Here's a recently ended ebay auction for what the seller claims (and I'd believe) to be a MO Lemon Drop, and she seems to have no accessories. Also, I've seen several pink (2nd issue) Euro Show Stables with the Chinese Lemon Drop bagged alone. This Finnish collector has a Euro playset 4-stamper that she got with a MIP Baby Buggy and she's been bagged with a pink ribbon. (Interesting, I thought that as a rule it was the HK blue drops 2-stamper that came with Baby Cuddles' buggy.) Which stable (if any, but I suppose there was one) the playset 4-stamper was sold with and whether she was bagged with accessories in that case remains an open question. 

It could be interesting to ask people about their childhood Lemon Drops, which versions they are/were and how they got them. There's perhaps no perfect pattern to who was sold where with what, but it nonetheless intrigues me.

[Jemofirongate]

I think Hasbro switched to their China factory from HK in about 1987? From which i conclude that the china stamped ponies are most likely to be from euro alt colour show stable ( 1988/9?) or the MO one which was also late 80s. HK ones should be from the regular show stable.

Please can someone confirm if i have my facts straight? ;-)

Jem

[kitkatvintage]

I think Hasbro switched to their China factory from HK in about 1987? From which i conclude that the china stamped ponies are most likely to be from euro alt colour show stable ( 1988/9?) or the MO one which was also late 80s. HK ones should be from the regular show stable.

Please can someone confirm if i have my facts straight? ;-)

Jem

Yes, that's correct about the factory change dates. However, the mail order play set ponies don't fit in properly with this. They are marked Hong Kong (I have a pink Sprinkles who was never released elsewhere). Why they were made in Hong Kong makes no sense considering all other ponies made at that time came from China.

[ValeofSpring]

As a child I ordered the Playset 5-pack with Lemon Drop, Majesty, pink Sprinkles, Baby Tiddly Winks, and NBBE Baby Half Note.  Sadly they are all long gone, but based on memory I'm pretty sure my MO Lemon Drop matched the one you've identified as such.  I feel pretty confident that the MO one I had did indeed have the medium purple drops. 

Also, I now have the bluish drops one, and it seems like she is a bit lighter and brighter in color than my original MO one. 

I do not think any of the Playset MOs came with ribbons, combs, or brushes--ribbons are a possibility, but I am nearly sure they didn't have combs/brushes.

Now if I could only find the pics I took long ago of my childhood ponies, I could show you my MO!

[kitkatvintage]

Well, I checked my Lenondrops & I have 6 that I'm certain came from US origins (I think they multiply while I sleep, lol). Of those I have:
-2 with 2 stamps
-3 with 4 stamps & thinner dark drops
-1 with 4 stamps & wider pale drops

Based on this, I'm thinking the 4 stamp/darker drops was sold in the US at some time. The 4 stamp/pale drops could still be the mail order, but I have no way to tell for sure.

And then there is Lemondrop #7...
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This girl has only 1 stamp reading "Hong Kong".   The other front foot has the marks scratched out as typically seen on Spanish "no country" ponies. I can not say for sure where this girl came from. I got her from a friend who had family overseas, so she could have come from anywhere.

Not that this helps at all, but I thought you might find her interesting.

edit to add: Oh, I see there is a 1 stamp LD on the Finnish collector's site linked above. Based on that, I will safely assume this girl is not from the US.

[mul-ta]

I think Hasbro switched to their China factory from HK in about 1987? From which i conclude that the china stamped ponies are most likely to be from euro alt colour show stable ( 1988/9?) or the MO one which was also late 80s. HK ones should be from the regular show stable.

Please can someone confirm if i have my facts straight? ;-)

I'm going to trust KKV on the MO ponies, but as regards the Show Stable, I think yes, that's the general rule. Furthermore, at least in Europe HK LDs were included as bonus ponies with Baby Cuddles' buggy. In some European countries (at least Belgium and the Netherlands it seems?) an Italy version of the white stable was sold, naturally with Italy LD. Also, No Country LD was sometimes sold with the white stable at least in Germany. This is about what I know about who goes with which.

As a child I ordered the Playset 5-pack with Lemon Drop, Majesty, pink Sprinkles, Baby Tiddly Winks, and NBBE Baby Half Note.  Sadly they are all long gone, but based on memory I'm pretty sure my MO Lemon Drop matched the one you've identified as such.  I feel pretty confident that the MO one I had did indeed have the medium purple drops. 

Also, I now have the bluish drops one, and it seems like she is a bit lighter and brighter in color than my original MO one. 

I do not think any of the Playset MOs came with ribbons, combs, or brushes--ribbons are a possibility, but I am nearly sure they didn't have combs/brushes.

Now if I could only find the pics I took long ago of my childhood ponies, I could show you my MO!

Thanks a lot. Makes me feel a little more confident about my ramblings. Yep, the blue drops one is definitely blue and besides has 2 hooves stamped, while the MO has 4.

Well, I checked my Lemondrops & I have 6 that I'm certain came from US origins (I think they multiply while I sleep, lol). Of those I have:
-2 with 2 stamps
-3 with 4 stamps & thinner dark drops
-1 with 4 stamps & wider pale drops

Based on this, I'm thinking the 4 stamp/darker drops was sold in the US at some time. The 4 stamp/pale drops could still be the mail order, but I have no way to tell for sure.

True, based on this the darker drops 4-stamper is def not an "Euro playset" pony, more like "playset." There could be be 2 versions of her symbol, one with thinner and the other with slightly fatter drops. (See Sunshine's photo - I don't know about hoof stamps here, I should ask Sunshine.) My dark 4-stamper (my only one atm) seems to have the "fatter" drops that are identical to the pale drops of the would-be MO pony.

I know your mysterious Lemon Drop #7. A few Finnish collectors have her, found in flea markets here. She's mentioned on Leikin's LD page (that in general has some errors) as well. I thought there were only about 2 or 3 of her known, but apparently she's a little more common than that.

Post Merge: August 01, 2013, 01:11:52 AM

Sunshine just confirmed my fat & thin drops hypothesis - there indeed are 2 symbol versions of the dark drops 4-stamper. Should update my LD list one of these days.

I typoed "darn drops" at first.