35th Anniversary Collectors Pony's - Part 2!

[Ponyfan]

I have a question about Moonstones. I went to a different Target and they had 4/6 ponies, 2 of them being Windy and Moonstone, who I didn't have yet. I got Windy (albeit with the neck gap, but that's less of an issue for me), but I left Moonstone because...uh...
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I did mess with the levels to make the problem a bit easier to see (very obvious irl, not so much in my pic), but has anyone noticed this bad mismatch with Moonstone? Or any other ponies?
On another note, the "cherry" that Windy is supposed to smell like smells a lot like grape to me. 

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Here's a pic of my Moonstone. I did notice that Sunlight and Parasol seemed to be missing plugs on the ones I found yesterday.

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Ponyfan

[Haruna]

The Moonstone I found doesn’t have head/body mismatch, but Starshine does. It’s unfortunate that this set has quality issues . . .

Today for the first time ever in my life I saw Windy in a store I had her as my first pony but she was bought for me, so today I saw her in a store for the first time. 

Aww, that’s awesome, Taffeta!

[Ponyfan]

I found the pic of Parasol. That is the same Windy in both pics. Are Sunlight and Parasol's mane's supposed to look like that?


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Ponyfan

[toyjunky]

Part of it is how their hair is in the box. I deboxed all mine today and Parasol and Sunlight came out of the package with a little bit funky hair. The ear sticks through it where the gap is in the above picture and also how the forelock is styled.

Another thing I am going to add here is that no matter how perfect one side looks the other is unknown. When I deboxed Sunlight, there was a black spot on her foot (non display side) that I was able to get most of it off with just water but there is a small black smudge still left (looked like ink or paint drop). I had to take a moment and remind myself it was a $10 "toy" and move on with it since I really did not want to scrub a brand new pony with a magic eraser and it wasn't going to be seen on the shelf anyways. Yes, I know, we are collecting them and we want them to be perfect (so do I trust me) but the G1's were not perfect either. Factory flaws are an unfortunate reality, unless we want them to have a "collectors item" price tag.

[Taffeta]

As important as it is to have a good quality product, I worry a bit about the perfection search as well - and mostly the returning of ponies because of minute manufacturing issues which are a part of most toys in most lines. Too many returns are a threat to the line overall, and really, it's as toyjunky says. These are cheap toys. I don't think it's wrong to scrutinise every pony in every box if it is important to you - but returning items to a shop raises a red flag against the line in general. And given how many flaws from package G1 had and even still have on MOC items...it just seems a bit crazy to me to care about tiny imperfections.

[Ponyfan]

Thanks toyjunky. I’m okay with them having funny looking hair in the box if it’s supposed to look like that.

I do analyze the retro ponies carefully as I know I will be leaving the 1st set I get MIB. I’m hoping to get another set to debox. My budget is limited right now so I’ve only been able to get 3 of the Rainbows so far. I don’t plan on returning any of my Rainbow ponies. My new Starshine has a neck gap but I’d rather have a retro Starshine that has flaws then none at all.   If I’m able to get a 2nd set I will keep the best pony MIB and open the other one.


Ponyfan

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Ponyfan, your Moonstone looks perfect! I'm hoping to come across one that nice.
That mismatch bothered me particularly badly, I'm alright with neck gaps.

[Souffaloufagous]

I found a twilight yesterday in my target! such a nice surprise since I  have barely seen any of the rainbow collection.

[Gizmo]

Another thing I am going to add here is that no matter how perfect one side looks the other is unknown. When I deboxed Sunlight, there was a black spot on her foot (non display side) that I was able to get most of it off with just water but there is a small black smudge still left (looked like ink or paint drop). I had to take a moment and remind myself it was a $10 "toy" and move on with it since I really did not want to scrub a brand new pony with a magic eraser and it wasn't going to be seen on the shelf anyways. Yes, I know, we are collecting them and we want them to be perfect (so do I trust me) but the G1's were not perfect either. Factory flaws are an unfortunate reality, unless we want them to have a "collectors item" price tag.

As important as it is to have a good quality product, I worry a bit about the perfection search as well - and mostly the returning of ponies because of minute manufacturing issues which are a part of most toys in most lines. Too many returns are a threat to the line overall, and really, it's as toyjunky says. These are cheap toys. I don't think it's wrong to scrutinise every pony in every box if it is important to you - but returning items to a shop raises a red flag against the line in general. And given how many flaws from package G1 had and even still have on MOC items...it just seems a bit crazy to me to care about tiny imperfections.

Excellent points, couldn't have said it better.

[LadyMoondancer]

Yeah, I had a MOC Beach Ball who had black smudges all over her back. And while head-body mismatch can be due to fading, it can also be simply because the head and body were made in different batches, resulting in different shades.  It is what it is when you're looking at mass-produced toys.

[Taffeta]

Off on a different topic for a moment, but a question...

Aside France and now the UK, are these showing up (the wave 1 and/or 2) in stores anywhere else in Europe? Germany for example? Since they seem to be part of the autumn/winter catalogue/wave/release thing here, I'm just wondering whether any other European countries have started to see them on shelves?

Also, did France get the Collector Ponies or just the Rainbows? And is it still just that one shop chain that has them aside Amazon?

I am trying to work out what's going on with their European distribution, since we've only had ones in English only boxes, whereas I had expected multi-language as is normal with pan-European packaging since G2.

[PrincessNikki]

I have to share this with you guys...

Today for the first time ever in my life I saw Windy in a store I had her as my first pony but she was bought for me, so today I saw her in a store for the first time. John Lewis had restocked which I see as a good sign

So I bought her anyway. Now I have to decide which Windy to debox - this one or the one at home.

Really still jealous of you guys in the US picking up the uni peg set though. When I find those it will be amazing...

 im so glad you finally found a pony in the store!!

[glitterball]

UK folks -

I popped into our local-ish Fenwicks and asked about ponies...

Nope, they didn't have a clue. However, it was close to closing-time and it looked like the actual manager-type person was not there to confirm.

So, it's a no (for now) for Fenwicks 

[Galactica]

Thanks Taffeta and Haruna. 

I thought the bilingual boxes might have been from a mixed up shipment not meant for the US but since Haruna has also found them in the US I wonder if more will appear? I like the heart shaped cutout better than the 3 dots.   You can see the heart pretty well on Sunlight.


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Ponyfan

The first set of Rainbow ponies that I nabbed still in their brown carton- had the English only boxes.

When I went today, I noticed all of the Rainbow Ponies had the boxes like the above.

I guess they changed the boxes very early on- ?  I predict it will drive some neurotic must-have-every-variation collectors a bit crazy...

Still no Unicorns or Pegasus in sight...

[Taffeta]

UK folks -

I popped into our local-ish Fenwicks and asked about ponies...

Nope, they didn't have a clue. However, it was close to closing-time and it looked like the actual manager-type person was not there to confirm.

So, it's a no (for now) for Fenwicks 

No luck in Bentalls here either, nor Selfridges. Not that I expected it. And nothing in Waitrose here either. I haven't tried House of Fraser. They seem to have their own problems :/