Confessions of a backcard enthusiast...

[Taffeta]

As many of you guys know, I am a major G1 backcard geek. I have around 200 loose cards in my collection, but the extent of my obsession isn't limited to storing bits of card and box in every available space.

I also collect MOC ponies, with emphasis on mostly aiming for the following three things:
- Ponies from my childhood on their original UK card or at least a card with the same artwork
-UK packaged ponies displaying the correct UK names where relevant
- Ponies packaged in a variety of different packaging styles.

So my collection is basically completely illogical to most people who collect MOC ponies. In the case of many of my MOC ponies, I have them because of the pretty card and the variety, and so rarely worry about trying to get complete sets.

Today I was sorting my MOC ponies as I am trying to figure out better storage so none of them get damaged. In the process, I took a couple of photos which I wanted to share. These really well demonstrate my obsession with the pretty cards, and I'm pretty proud of these xD

My Rainbow Selection
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Sunlight (on UK card, 1984)
Starflower and Confetti (US card, 1985)
Spanish Pinwheel (Molinillo) and Spanish Trickles (Rocio), one on each type of card (one features Starflower, the other Flutterbye)
German Rainbow Pony "Hummelchen"

I realised when I bought Rocio (she's my birthday present to myself this year) that I'd actually managed to get a version of most of the 2nd set Rainbow ponies on different cards. I just need a Tickle now. I don't think I'm missing a card style for the Rainbow set, but I guess maybe I need to look for her on a French card or a German one? An Italian Tickle  might be nice to complete the set.
I still really need a UK Windy for my childhood collection, but I'm pretty happy with all the pretty cards here

My Twinkle Eye Selection
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This probably shows my obsession more than the other. Yes, I have two TicTacToes. Yes, really. Because of the card. Yes. I am that obsessed.
Tic Tac Toe (white card) - UK, 1987
Tic Tac Toe (Trixi - orange bordered card) - Germany/European card, 1988)
Bright Eyes (US card, 1987)
Whizzer and Masquerade (UK card, 1986)
Fizzy - weird mispackaged anomaly on baby sea pony card <3 I love error carded ponies. I so want more of these.

I probably need a first set US card for both TE and rainbow sets but I have some of these loose in my card file so I'm not as worried about those as MOC.

I am still thinking about whether I need an American TicTacToe to complete the trio though. Too much? Maybe..?

[ColdRuru]

A collection needs to means somethin' for the collector, not for the other.
Yours seems amazing, as much as you seems to have great fun with it, so it's the most important thing
I just love MOC and Cards, as I LOVE the old artwork (want an artbook about those so much)... but I have none of them. Also I'm pretty sure a MOC pony should be the worst thing for me, because of the tentation to open it... like a pandore box

So cool, can you show us more??

[Einhornbaby]

Have that Fizzy too, the backcard is sooo pretty <3
Im jealous of your german carded ones <3 super nice collection!

[Mlp Sunsparkle]

That is an amazing collection! It really is fascinating to see all of the differences in cards, even when some were out at the same time. They also look so beautiful! I am particularly fond of the twinkle eyes, as they’re my favourite g1s, and fuzzy on the wrong card is so cool to see!
Thank you for sharing these, and I hope you find a good way to store them!
Mlp Sunsparkle x

[Taffeta]

Have that Fizzy too, the backcard is sooo pretty <3
Im jealous of your german carded ones <3 super nice collection!

The amusing irony for me is that Sunshower was one of my childhood ponies. I don't have my original Sunshower's card. But I do now have her MOC, and also now Fizzy on her card, so I guess I made up for it. I suspect that's why I bought Fizzy rather than Galaxy when they were all up on ebay on their weird cards. I love the 1987 UK cards. I think cards between 1986 and 1988 in the UK are some of the nicest out there.

@Coldruru - an artbook of backcard art sounds amazing! I wish they would do that. I began collecting the cards because I never kept them as a kid, and I regretted it. Then hearing people say they'd just recycled them, or tossed them when selling collections, I started to get a bit obsessive about trying to preserve at least one example from every set that I could. It kind of exploded from then but I am still missing some from the UK which may or may not survive :/ and some which I know do, but I don't have.

@MlpSunsparkle - thank you <3 I love the TE ponies as well. TE ponies, rainbow ponies and the original pegasus, unicorn and earth ponies are my special ones <3

I don't have any other photos that show the card range as nicely, but this little group is kind of special because of Strawberry Fair. I looked for her for such a long time on the UK card <3.

The TAF selection
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Lollipop/Sweet Tooth on the German card
Strawberry Fair/ Sugarberry on the UK card
Night Glider (because if I have just her from that set, I am happy forever <3<3<3)
I used to have a US MOC Sugarberry but the name bugged me too much so I sold her. I have a loose Love Melody card from the US first set so I'm not really looking for the US ones MOC.

And this one on her own because she has in my opinion the best card of any G1 pony, ever.
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Shady (aka 'Incognito' in French) from the movie star set.

(And I love that because of this I know that Wind Whistler's name in France was Sifflebizz So cute!)

[ColdRuru]

Love love love!

And yes, an artbook with the old backcard art, and all the old G1 painted art... I will kill for that. I don't understand why hasbro simply never thinks about doing that

[Ponyfan]

I love your MOC ponies, Taffeta.


Ponyfan

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I also would pay up to $80 for a niiiiiiiiiice artbook with all the backcard illustrations!

[Taffeta]

I also would pay up to $80 for a niiiiiiiiiice artbook with all the backcard illustrations!

They're really missing a trick, actually. Think about all the stuff they've made with using backcard art. There's some insanely expensive stuff on Selfridges' website here at the moment which mostly just uses those kinds of graphics under licence in designer wear. The tags in Primark have the artwork from the 2nd set TAF ponies on. They still have the art, clearly .Why not market it in an art book?

[Shatyr]

Oh, I would be all over that art book. I went nuts for the postcards that were sold at the Fair a few years ago.

Your collection is gorgeous, Taffeta! Have you thought about scanning them at all?

[Uninu]

I am so happy to see pictures of your collection, so many pretty ponies on beautifuuuul backcards! Also oh my goodness that MOC Night Glider is a dream of mine. Thank you for sharing these with us!

G1 backcard art is so stunning, an art book with them would be a dream come true.

[Safflower]

You have such a great collection! Everything is soooo pretty! And an art book would be amazing! Thanks for sharing

[achab1984]

WOW! Your collection is amazing!

[Taffeta]

I am so happy to see pictures of your collection, so many pretty ponies on beautifuuuul backcards! Also oh my goodness that MOC Night Glider is a dream of mine. Thank you for sharing these with us!

G1 backcard art is so stunning, an art book with them would be a dream come true.

She was a dream of mine too. I absolutely couldn't believe it when she came up for sale and I could actually afford her. The seller went to so much trouble to get her to me as well, as she wasn't used to shipping overseas. Apparently she'd been bought by this person new in store and kept like that for years until she came into my collection. I feel very priveleged to have been allowed to adopt her, as she's a pony I never expected to have a chance of getting MOC. <3

Moral of the story is keep dreaming Sometimes dreams come true O.O.

@Everyone -thank you for your kind words! I wish I had a better way to display them more but space is kind of tight. I feel like finally getting Trickles/Rocio on that card with Flutterbye is the completion of a card collecting grail for me. WHen I saw how pretty they all looked together, I wanted to share the pictures here because I knew you guys would understand! I really wanted that card for a long long time, and it was just perfect that it happened to be Trickles, because I was also looking for her MOC as well. Rainbow Ponies are so beautiful and have such stunning cards. Though the US ones have the most detailed stories, I like the artwork better on the 2 spanish ones.

@Shatyr - I don't have a working scanner here unfortunately. I have a scanner in London but no ponies there xD. I have photos of all of the backs of my pony cards and backs/side/tops of boxes which is the best I can do at the moment but not good enough for people to be able to turn into clipart or anything like that. I do have a growing folder of card images as I have more loose cards than carded ponies, and one day I would love to have them all online for people to browse through...but that isn't going to happen till I finish my PhD ><. The only reason I've had time to do this of late is that it's reading week (ie I'm not teaching) and my professor has my last chapter draft to read so I have a bit of a break before I begin writing again.

[Teddy]

Wow, those are some gorgeous MOCs you have!! <3