Cherry Treats & Discolouration

[Taffeta]

So this was sort of inspired by a conversation the other day in Shoutbox about Cherry Treats and how hard it was for some folks to find one without discolouration.

This is a childhood pony for me and mine is still extremely white. So I got to thinking about whether this ties into the place of manufacture. My childhood pony is the Chinese made one with no forelock. I also have another one of these with her card/bubble/accessories and she is also still snow white. The perfume in the plastic has apparently had zero effect on either of them in terms of colouring.

I have seen a lot of tannish or beige ones on Ebay when looking for a HK one and it took a long time to get one because I was determined to get a white one. Now I have one, and she is white - but I got to wondering...

If you have a Cherry Treats, is she white or has she discoloured?

Also, if you can or know, can you note if she was made in China or in HK?

Finally, this is something I have theorised about from seeing something on ebay once but haven't managed to prove.

Does anyone have a Hong Kong Cherry Treats (with original hair) that does NOT have a forelock?

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Here are my childhood Cherry Treats and my HK one getting to know each other to kick off the thread and the comparisons...

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Also face on - L-R Hong Kong, China (Childhood) China
It's really clear that they were made with a different type of plastic, so I want to confirm whether this is something that can be directly tied to manufacture location or is also down to environment/batch.

Edit to add: I should mention that all 3 (Childhood, other China and HK) are still scented. I would say the strongest is the other China one as she is very unplayed with and mostly lives in her bubble taped to her card. My childhood one has faded in scent but it is still there. The HK one survived a thorough bath but she is the faintest of the three.

[BlushingBlue]

All the Cherry Treatses (Cherries Treats?) I've owned have had forelocks and were in varying shades of ivory. I can't speak for the ones in the past, but the Cherry Treats I have on my shelf now is marked Hong Kong.

I'm curious about this forelock thing though. Are China-made Sweetberry ponies not supposed to have forelocks?

[Taffeta]

Blackberry Pie doesn't have one at all by dint of being a unicorn I think. I am unsure if China versions exist for Blueberry Baskets and Cranberry Muffins because they didn't get a full European release.

Raspberry Jam made in China also has no forelock, like Cherry Treats. (I'll put pics in spoiler tags so as not to derail):

Spoiler

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CHINA (no forelock)
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HONG KONG (forelock)

I don't think my Strawberry Surprise has one either but I also don't know if she is meant to anywhere as her curly hair makes it harder to tell in photos.

[kissthethunder]

My China Cherry Treats is a bit discolored-

[Nienna]

My Cherry Treats is pretty discoloured (cream to beige) and she was made in China, no forelock. I hope this doesn't immediately disprove your theory

I got her from a friend who had her as a childhood pony, presumably bought in the Netherlands.

[tootie_tails]

I think it's the US ones (hong kong, forelock) that turn yellow or get an uneven brownish discolouration.
The ones sold in europe (china, no forelock) stay white longer and if they do get discoloured it's more often a gray-ish shade rather than typical yellowing.
The european ones seem to have a head body mismatch more often than the US ones. Then one part is white while the other part is that gray-ish shade.

[Shaz]

My Cherry Treats came to me from an English car boot sale, was made in China, and has no forelock. I remember when I found her, I was really impressed by what good condition she was in. She still smells strongly (luckily I like the smell!), and although not blindingly white she certainly has not yellowed. Seems like Europe got lucky with this pony!

[NightGliderSA]

I will follow this with great interest: though sadly I cannot contribute anything of value, sorry! I don't have her, but she is on my list. Thus the interested following.

[Taffeta]

@Nienna & kissthethunder,  I'd rather have accurate intel so it's good to know there are some discoloured Chinese ones as well. The thing is that I didn't have to go looking for a Chinese one, because she was my childhood pony, so I only really noticed when the HK ones were discoloured as I was looking for one.

It seems to be a 100% China/no forelock  and HK/forelock at this point.

And most Chinese ones are not discoloured although a couple are and there's a possibility for mismatch on the Chinese one which is also interesting.

My childhood one isn't beiged and doesn't have mismatch. But when I look at them together, her plastic seems more matte somehow, more dense?

I also wonder if the HK one is made of the same plastic as some Starshines, Quackers and Gingerbreads are, or whether it is the scenting that discolours her. I have heard people talk of scent discolouring ponies but I've never looked into it enough to establish whether it is a major cause of problems or just some unlucky people...

I think at this stage if you're looking for a white Cherry Treats, you're more likely (but not guaranteed) to get one from Europe that's made in China.

And I will be watching my HK one carefully for any sign of discolouration as time passes.

This is a pony I like very much so understanding the processes that damage her is important I think. Has anyone had any luck repairing a beiged or tan one to get her back to white or is she a lost cause once she's started to turn?

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I think the scent has something to do with breaking down the plastic in the browned ones... so I agree it's most certainly something to do with the different plastic batches...

[flutterscotch]

I have never in my life seen a Cherry Treats in person that could be considered a pristine white. The highlights in her eyes and baskets always look whiter.

[KarentheUnicorn]

I'm in the USA and mine was purchased in the usa. Mine is still white; and she has always belonged to me, I purchased mine new back in the 80's. So she's never been played with or put in adverse conditions, other than I don't have my ponies in a cabinet, they're just on open air shelves in my bedroom. So she is exposed to dust, etc but no direct sunlight, etc.

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Post Merge: August 27, 2018, 07:57:40 AM

I have never in my life seen a Cherry Treats in person that could be considered a pristine white. The highlights in her eyes and baskets always look whiter.

Mine is.


I'll have to look when I get home on location, I don't know for sure on that.


Added more pic, whiter than my washing machine

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[Taffeta]

I'm in the USA and mine was purchased in the usa. Mine is still white; and she has always belonged to me, I purchased mine new back in the 80's. So she's never been played with or put in adverse conditions, other than I don't have my ponies in a cabinet, they're just on open air shelves in my bedroom. So she is exposed to dust, etc but no direct sunlight, etc.

Post Merge: August 27, 2018, 07:57:40 AM

I have never in my life seen a Cherry Treats in person that could be considered a pristine white. The highlights in her eyes and baskets always look whiter.

Mine is.

I can say with great confidence that my Chinese ones are as well.

Uni, I am going to put my neck out and say yours is HK, because she has that translucent quality to her plastic as well as the forelock. She is very pretty though *grabby hands* I want to add her to my army now O.O. xD.

My HK one is not discoloured either, although I am not sure she is quite as white as yours is.

[KarentheUnicorn]

$4.99+ tax for a white, cherry treats.

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warning: not for sale :p

[Taffeta]

I'm always amazed when I go through the cards and see some of the price labels on the wretched things!

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I can offer this. This is my third Cherry, the second Chinese one. I tend to keep her like this in order to keep her safe but you can see the card has been taped back. Weirdly she has the wrap still around her face but when I got her her tail was braided with the ribbon in the end. It gives a good idea, though, of what the release looked like and how the ones without forelocks were packed. And she's still very white - the bubble has yellowed a bit but she hasn't.

 Staying in there...I don't know if it has helped her or if it has no effect, since my childhood one has been all over the place. She's been to school with me, she's been out and about and she's probably also hung out of my window on shoelaces because I went through a phase when my ponies bungee jumped.

I am wondering whether climate/humidity/storage conditions are also a factor.