Big Head / Small Head Tropical Breeze pose flutter ponies

[LadyMoondancer]

The Big Head / Small Head flutter molds are fairly well known for the first set, but there are also variations for the 2nd set of flutters!  Although the head size is definitely more subtle.

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Based on the eyes, the lefthand pony is the equivalent of a "big head" and the righthand pony is the equivalent of a "small head", even though their heads are pretty similar in size.  Like with the 1st set flutters, the white highlight placement makes it seem like the big-heads are staring off into the middle distance, while the small-heads are looking directly at you (and probably judging you).

Also, the big-head (when viewed form the front) leans to the left (or her right) while the small-head leans to the right (or her left).  The small head is also shorter.

The biggest difference is the legs on the left side of the pony, which have the toes touching on the big-head, but which form an open arch on the small-head.  A very easy way to tell which mold you have!

I think the color differences in the body and symbol are just due to one of the ponies fading / discoloring.  That pony had a hard life, lol.

[Leave a Whisper]

Do the "Madonna Eyes" and "Pretending not to see someone you can't stand Eyes" still apply?

[Taffeta]

I only have one of my Tropi Breezes in London, and she has her legs so close together she falls over very easily. I don't have other Tropis to compare with BUT my HQG1C ponies are here and comparing her to those suggests your formula works and she has the larger head. She came from Canada. I think most of the large head ponies from the 1st set showed up in North America...

I don't have a picture of the one that's here with me, but my others, for reference...

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So here's my other Tropis. It;s not the best for this discussion but all of the ones in that picture come from Europe originally except the discoloured one. She came from the US. Without being able to look at them in person though I can't be 100%...it just looks to me like she's the only one with hooves together.


My assumption is both versions were sold in N.America. But I seem to also remember there are 2 ribbon versions for this set too. Is that related..?

P.S my childhood Tropi's wings (front, with frizz) are so dusty and have suffered years of living with  me and play, since I used to shove them in the holders anyway even when they were broken. And they look twice as thick as they ought to..BUT they're still irridescent :/ Are you watching, Basic Fun?

[Leave a Whisper]

I love Tropi. She's one of the prettiest Flutters.

[Mermaid]

Interesting! All the tropis I’ve found in the USA have a more green blue hue and are prone to discoloration. I wonder if that is a difference? Maybe with cloud puff too?

[Taffeta]

Interesting! All the tropis I’ve found in the USA have a more green blue hue and are prone to discoloration. I wonder if that is a difference? Maybe with cloud puff too?

My "childhood" Cloud Puff and my MIB one neither show any discolouration or the main issues CP seems to get but I don't know if that is a fluke or proof there are 2 versions (like with Pinwheel and co, I think this also is true?) My MIB Cloud Puff is in French box, the other came from a childhood close friend so originated in the UK.

@LAW - Tropi is best flutter Now I have a good excuse to continue building an army

[LadyMoondancer]

Hee hee, yes one is still the sad-eyed madonna! 

I assume both versions were available in the US because I've seen both (and bought both) from US sellers; same with the 1st set of flutters.  It's definitely very weird, especially since there are variations of the 2nd set too . . . So it can't be as simple as "Ah, after June 198x they started making Honeysuckle in the other pose" or whatever.  They seem to have concurrently made both kinds of flutters for the entire run (in the US at least). 

My best guess is that they had two different factories pumping them out at once?  And for whatever reason they had subtly different molds.  That would also explain the eye paint differences.

It is certainly bizarre, though.  Even in cases where you have a Brazilian factory making Brazilian Medley, the colors or paint may be different but the pony itself is usually identical to the "usual" mold.  So why not in this case?  Flutter ponies are so mysterious . . .

There's two versions of the Cloud Puff pose too but I can't remember the nuances of it off the top of my head.

[Taffeta]

I think (at least) 2 different factories producing simultaneously too. The release of flutters here was not behind the US one, it was the same time, but the large head ones don't show up here so I wonder if Europe had direct links to one factory whereas N. America had two...bigger market after all!

There are a ton of minor variations in the 1991-1992 line which don't have logical explanations either. There's a possibility of multiple factories there but also changes in materials, the question is really why. There are SO MANY ponies from this year range (of the sets sold in Europe and the US) that it's not a fluke on one or two. It affects all the pocket ponies. All the rainbow babies. At least 3 rockin' beats. All the teeny tiny singles. All the glowing magic ponies. So there's something going on there at least. The only thing those sets have in common is their rough time of release...but there are common threads between them - shades of hair variation, texture of hair, density of rooting, symbol etc that suggest two production styles, not just "we ran out of this colour so let's use this one instead."

And then there are minor variations such as China/HK for some sets (which is to do with delayed release here vs there I think) and the flirting with Thailand at one point...

It seems like there's no real consistent ONE factory rule in MLP production even if the region of production is the same.

I still strongly believe NC Sundance was made in China and not Spain.

Going back to the flutters, the assumption is this also impacts Wing Song and Wind Drifter, too. I've never seen a discoloured Wing Song here although I have seen many images of that online. I wonder if that's another symptom of this.

It's interesting because it exposes details about how plural MLP production is even within the same basic lines and in the same basic distribution areas

What's also interesting about the flutters is that they are 'CHINA' in a time period where MLP is predominately "HONG KONG". Geographically speaking Hong Kong remains controlled by the British until 1997, so these are distinct places during G1 production.

[LadyMoondancer]

Oh yes, I've actually never owned a Wingsong (weirdly I think she's the only one I've never had) but she definitely is in both molds, I've seen both on eBay.   Same with the ponies in the tippy-toe pose.

I was browsing through eBay yesterday and while most Yum Yum flutter ponies are in the small-head pose (Lily's pose), there are a few in the big-head.  I thought maybe she would be immune to the variation, but nope.  Now I'm wondering if there are two versions of Hollywood . . .

[Taffeta]

Oh yes, I've actually never owned a Wingsong (weirdly I think she's the only one I've never had) but she definitely is in both molds, I've seen both on eBay.   Same with the ponies in the tippy-toe pose.

I was browsing through eBay yesterday and while most Yum Yum flutter ponies are in the small-head pose (Lily's pose), there are a few in the big-head.  I thought maybe she would be immune to the variation, but nope.  Now I'm wondering if there are two versions of Hollywood . . .

Oh dear. Not two versions of Hollywood!

I actually have 3 Hollywoods at the moment. When I go home I'll examine them. (Yeah. I know how that sounds. But it was an accident xD)

Also if there is a Cloud Puff pose difference, let's not forget Pink Dreams.

[Ponyfan]

I have a big head Honeysuckle. I didn’t even realize she was a big head Honeysuckle until I found her in a box and posted pics and  a lot of people were saying she was a googley eyed fat head flutter.

Ponyfan

[Crowning_Glory13]

Haha. I am obsessed with flutter ponues... I managed to have all skinny heads..I even have two wing song and they are the same. I want the fat heads soo bad:)

Tropical Breeze is near and dear to my heart.