Which G4 ponies are considered 'International' releases? ADDED PICS

[Mlp Sunsparkle]

I bought Trixie and Lyra on the 11th of December, 2012, so very late in the year. I remember that they had just come out, and I had never seen them before. I was so excited!  I have a picture of them below

Here was my collection as of January 5, 2012. As you can see I have snowcatcher, cheerilee (single) and lily blossom by this time. I got snowcatcher mid november 2011 and the other two were bought earlier that year.
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Another thing to note that may be of interest to you is that out of every g4 brushable I own, not one of them were manufactured in 2010 (the 5 digit code should begin with a 0). My earliest g4s were from the first wave and still made in 2011. However, I think the g3.5s were still being made in 2010 here, as many of mine have the 0 code.

I hope this is useful 
Mlp Sunsparkle x

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Taffeta, I think your Celestia with big wings is actually a bit sought after. if it's this one:

Spoiler

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I've never seen her at any toy stores, and although she is on Amazon, she's available through a third party. There are no listings of her loose on ebay, but someone was willing to fork over $20 for her in box. Her value might appreciate over time.
I don't know if she is an international exclusive, but as far as I remember she never appeared in my area.

[Moonbreeze]

Taffeta, I think your Celestia with big wings is actually a bit sought after. if it's this one:

Spoiler

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I've never seen her at any toy stores, and although she is on Amazon, she's available through a third party. There are no listings of her loose on ebay, but someone was willing to fork over $20 for her in box. Her value might appreciate over time.
I don't know if she is an international exclusive, but as far as I remember she never appeared in my area.

Wow, weird! I've seen her in stores here.

@ Taffeta. There's (as far as I know)  only one Rainbow Power release for Daisy Dreams and AJ

[Taffeta]

Taffeta, I think your Celestia with big wings is actually a bit sought after. if it's this one:

Spoiler

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I've never seen her at any toy stores, and although she is on Amazon, she's available through a third party. There are no listings of her loose on ebay, but someone was willing to fork over $20 for her in box. Her value might appreciate over time.
I don't know if she is an international exclusive, but as far as I remember she never appeared in my area.

That's her. She came from a clearance store here and I thought she was cute in the chibi size. She's my only Celestia. Sounds like her distribution was maybe regionally patchy but not specific to one country then? Interesting.

And in that case, I guess my Daisy Dreams FS is from that Rainbow Power release. She's really pretty. I like her <3.

AJ, Rarity and Lily Blossom were my first G4 and that was July 2011 because I got them in Finland. I have pictures of AJ exploring Helsinki xD and she has a reindeer that I got on the same trip which she sits with still on my shelf - he's her buddy I don't remember seeing any G4 before that point, but Feather May and Honeybuzz must have been October 2011, and...yeah. Since then it's a bit confusing as to where specific ponies came in.

[Shy Violet]

The Water Cuties Luna and Twilight Sparkle I seem to recall not showing up in the US, similar situation to Holly Dash. I found these in Canada in very limited supply. I can check the backs of their boxes tomorrow, I only snapped quick pics tonight.

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee63/xstormyx777/Ponies/B1BA72DF-6B62-4C84-B108-3D86267A1814_zpst6z4xzid.jpg

The Luna was definitely available here, she plagued my Five Below for ages after being available in Target.
Twilight though? I haven't seen her, nor Cadance, who was supposed to be in the same wave as Twilight.

Also all the store exclusive sets like the Toys R Us sets and Minty from the Costco set seem to be uncommon.

Another thing that comes to mind is the 3rd wave of Pearlies. AJ, Meadow Flower, Sea Swirl and Sapphire Joy. My 2 closest Walmarts each got 1 box of them each and that was it. I didn't see them anywhere else here. I can't remember if the US got these or not. I know I shipped some to the US

I'd argue that Minty is more common since TRU seems to have re-released the exact same Costco set. Dewdrop Dazzle got a rerelease in this set as well (although I'm not sure if her CM is on the same side). This was at least a year ago that this happened.
We...techinically got them? I know my workplace had a few and I scooped up Meadow Flower and Sea Swirl before they got sold out. I haven't seen them in any other areas, but I'm pretty sure we still have Applejack at my work, but not any of the others? Maybe they had more AJs per box than any others.

Thank you! It was Cadence and Twilight not Luna! I got those mixed up. I have a Cadence too.

Good to know about the 3rd wave of Pearlies. All I know about US distribution is what I hear here and I didn't know they had been found.

[Taffeta]

I have to say I do wonder where all the pearly wave 3 ones are hiding. I mean, if they were patchy in the US...

Here, I remember posting about them when I found them in Smyths on the forum but other people weren't finding them, they were finding Soarin and co instead at the same time, so it's like it was patchy here as well. And there were a lot of them but they all vanished in a few weeks. I don't know if they all sold because of Christmas or got sent on somewhere else o.O It was very odd. AJ was with them, she sold out too. They all just vanished, but Smyths still has pearly Twilight :/

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Good to know about the 3rd wave of Pearlies. All I know about US distribution is what I hear here and I didn't know they had been found.

I feel like they'll end up at Big Lots, who isn't known for being a main pony carrier. Or even at Ollies in a bit, who sells excess stock (I found a Target exclusive there, which was interesting! I thought the Pinkie's Boutique line sold well)
It might just take a hot second for them to become more widespread.

[Shy Violet]

Where does Sunny Rays fit into all of this? I got her with Snowcatcher from the US before Christmas but I have no idea who she is or where she fits in. Also I have a Celestia with big wings that's the same size as a normal brushable? What's up with her?

Sunny Rays is from the wave with Trixie, Cherry Berry and Lyra from the wedding sets. They had a super wide distribution here, they were everywhere.

I completely forgot about that Celestia! She's another one that I found here but I don't think she was found in the US. And here she was only in 1 store in super limited quantities.

Another one that is HTF is the Sweet Slumbers set with Applejack and Star Dreams. Since Star Dreams got a 2nd release later on it seems no one is looking for this set anymore but before that she was pretty rare. Did this set get a wide release? I remember a lot of people not being able to find it.

[Taffeta]

Hrm. I had to google Star Dreams, I didn't know who she was. I definitely don't have her. I have the three rainbow power CMC in their boxes still from when they were on ridiculous discount at Argos and I also have a recent Scootaloo with terrible hair, a Sweetie Belle which I think is one from a set with...Pinkie Pie? And the one that looks like G3 Cotton Candy. Twirly...Treats? Is that her name? No others. Would like more but they seem expensive so I've left it at that for now.

[Breyer600]

Also I have a Celestia with big wings that's the same size as a normal brushable? What's up with her?

The one with the detachable fabric wings?  She and Twilight were released as Shimmer Flutters.  They did turn up briefly in the US at Tuesday Morning but they were very difficult to find here.

[Taffeta]

Yep yep. Here she is with some friends:

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I have uploaded some images and am about to go sort them out and add them to the top post so that people can be more direct in their advice. I am finding this thread super useful and really interesting so I want to make sure I have everyone covered.

 I only saw Chibi Celestia in TKMaxx here on clearance discount. I thought she was cute so I got her, but I never saw her before that. I think Twilight may have been there too so that makes sense.

The more I hear, the more I think bad distribution with G4 is not a new thing. And more in terms of the disparity of what is sold in one part of the US from another which must be really frustrating being that it's such a BIG country.  ><

Edit to add  -totally OT but I just realised Bangles and Bouncy are looking up the skirt of one of my dolls. Bad So Softs!

[Shy Violet]

From rereading your updates on the first post: Buttonbelle and CMM Trixie were easy to find here.

And can I just say how cool it is to have memories of all those European cities attached to each pony that you've bought on your travels Taffeta. 

[Taffeta]

From rereading your updates on the first post: Buttonbelle and CMM Trixie were easy to find here.

And can I just say how cool it is to have memories of all those European cities attached to each pony that you've bought on your travels Taffeta. 

I actually began G4 collecting as souvenirs from cities I'd visited overseas, but then it kind of spiralled a little xD. But it does help in me remembering where certain ones came in because of where they came from It's probably a good thing they can't talk though - as I think there'd be a lot of stuff lost in translation

[Mlp Sunsparkle]

This thread is so interesting!
The small Celestia and twilight with wings were EVERYWHERE here! They sat on the shelves at Sainsbury’s for so long! I got her as a present for Xmas 2016 I think? But I know she’s been in the shops a long time before I got her. It’s so cool to learn about all the wonky distribution of the ponies!

As for star dreams, I have found her at a car boot, but I don’t recall her being on shelves here. Maybe I saw her once in Tesco, but I could’ve also just seen her online, I can’t remember, sorry

I do remember starbeam twinkle being in Tesco, she came in a cardboard castle with shine bright twilight, but I rarely see her come up for sale, only from collectors usually. Mum said £20 was too much for “a bit of cardboard” and now the ponies cost that alone! 
Mlp Sunsparkle x

[Taffeta]

Interesting that the Celestia was widespread here!!

I have shine bright twilight I think. She has a glowing horn? I kept her because she amused me. I stuck her on the Christmas tree last year. I don't know who the other one is though...going to google starbeam twinkle now...

Oh her. The one that looks like she's related to the one from the playset, Twinkleshine and Rainbow Flash. I can live without her I guess if she's expensive. If you hadn;t mentioned her I'd probably just have mixed her up with the playset one (whose adopted name I have already forgotten. Again.)

I am loving how this thread is exposing all the different distribution things. I am absolutely fine if people want to continue discussing that as I've more or less identified and allocated all my uncertain ponies now. I still have creepy wedding obsessive Cadance to date but that's about it I think?

I know I would like to add Plumsweet and Flitterheart one day but I guess only if they come out at a carboot sale...