How to tell a BUTTONS PONY is the NSS UK version or only a deflocked ? and PC

[Leikin]

I agree it looks like the real one, and not a deflock, even more, as you are located in Europe.

In Sweden (and rest of Scandinavia too I belive) they where marketed as Film-ponnys, which directly translates to movie-ponies. So I would assume that movie, or movie star are the name intended for them by hasbro.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

Another thing to keep in mind, I think (now I could be wrong) that So-Soft ponies have brighter symbol work so it shows better through the flocking. But of course there are other signs of a deflock (I personally cannot get all of the glue residue off lol)

[Ponyfan]

I love that Movie Star card. Is that supposed to be the Moochick's house in the background on the back of the card?


Ponyfan

I think so. 1987 has some really pretty cards in the UK but they really pushed the boat out with the movie star card. It's almost like they realised a little late that half these characters from the movie weren't sold here, so decided to make a thing out of it...

I think it's one of the prettiest MLP backcards I've seen. I love all the details.


I think how they illustrated the Moochick's house is interesting. It reminds me of the way it looks in the Viewmaster reels of the original speical. I'd take a pic but it's hard to get good pics of the pictures on the Viewmaster reels.


Ponyfan

[Taffeta]

I agree it looks like the real one, and not a deflock, even more, as you are located in Europe.

In Sweden (and rest of Scandinavia too I belive) they where marketed as Film-ponnys, which directly translates to movie-ponies. So I would assume that movie, or movie star are the name intended for them by hasbro.

Yep. I thought that was the case. Thanks Leikin for confirming, since the Scandinavian countries seem to have been a key market for these. With the Argos catalogue here and the Cine-star label in France, not to mention the card art, it's pretty firmly settled. Sadly, I suspect that, until the Wiki changes its information, we're stuck in a world where Hasbro's own intentions take a backseat to what collectors made up when they didn't know stuff.

@Ponyfan, that's interesting, maybe the art basis was the same. I know in 1987 there are also very elaborate 'under sea treasure hunting' cards for the pearly baby ponies that have an illustration that goes all the way down. The Princesses and Mountain Boys have quite pretty art, so do the TAFs, but I don't think it's quite as all-encompassing as a 'scene'. The Newborn Twins have a whole nursery scene on the back of their box, but the movie star card is the most emphatic for colour. It's also interesting that even though this uses all the conventions of the film (the only time character descriptions from the US animated series appear on a UK backcard, ever), Megan is drawn in her UK outfit from 1986. Even while getting all excited about the movie, Hasbro still managed to promote what they were actually selling, not what they weren't

This is also a good reason to consider the Buttons a proper release, since she's drawn here. But then the SS card has buttons and stars as her symbol so yeah. Kind of confused artwork all around. The Hasbro catalogue for this year has Buttons with the three large buttons, not the buttons and stars, so I wouldn't think any large button Buttons found in Europe would be a deflock. Buttons and stars symbol also exists and I've seen her MOC, but the problem is that there are very few MOC movie ponies from the UK that we can actually track back to the UK (rather than coming from Scandinavia) and I don't think that the three large buttons pony came out over there (at least, the conspiracy theory about deflocked ponies with three large buttons originated from someone over there so that was my assumption).

In any case, to take back on topic, and as everyone seems to agree, it is way more likely that the OP's pony is an original movie star (Cine-Star) Buttons from 1987ish and not a deflock.