35 Anniversary Collectors ponies - Thread 3!

[Galactica]

One issue I see with the big playsets is . . . that's sooo much shelf space.  I don't think Target would be willing to stock something that big (especially after the Pretty Parlor didn't move), and Target is the main retailer willing to carry BF ponies.

I'd love to be proven wrong and see them make lots of retro playsets, but from a retailers perspective it seems like such a risk.

Well yes, exactly.   Putting aside the cost of something that huge-  the space factor is a huge turn off.

[Foxtale]

Just jumping in to clarify before rumors begin.

The current news is that the Purple Version of the Pretty Parlor was reportedly not picked up by any retailers. In turn this means it will not be produced at this time. Not necessarily scrapped but not in production yet either. The reason for the initial hesitation to show it off in February was to not get collectors hopes up since it was not confirmed. That being said, it was implied something even better might be in the works for the future instead of that playset. ;D

[Pokeyonekenobie]

If I was making a repro Dream Castle, I would make it an Amazon Exclusive so that there would be no "lack of shelf space" argument. 

[Leave a Whisper]

If I was making a repro Dream Castle, I would make it an Amazon Exclusive so that there would be no "lack of shelf space" argument.

That's not a bad idea.

[Taffeta]

If they dare make a regular Majesty any kind of US exclusive there will be much rantage from this pony geek. You have been warned in advance.

As for DC - I actually would prefer them selling all the playset ponies without playsets. I don't have space or cash for repro playsets when I still have my originals...but I would also like a new Majesty.

Not so fussed on LD unless they do something interesting with her - like change her pose - since my childhood Chinese one is in pretty good shape still and I have a fair few HK ones floating around.

Plus I'd like to see Sprinkles. A nice Sprinkles. Not a ratty one.

[Pokeyonekenobie]

If it was me in charge, I wouldn't make any Amazon Exclusive a country exclusive, since it seems Amazon ships worldwide.  (That might actually make it more available to their target demographic.)  Plus, DC would be expensive enough that free shipping would automatically come into play.   

But I could also see them making playset ponies come just as the pony.  Or maybe a Playset Ponies box set with Majesty, Sprinkles, Lemon Drop, Baby Tiddly Winks, and Baby Halfnote (as an example).

[Wind~Whistler]

But I could also see them making playset ponies come just as the pony.  Or maybe a Playset Ponies box set with Majesty, Sprinkles, Lemon Drop, Baby Tiddly Winks, and Baby Halfnote (as an example).

What if it was a set that included Playset Ponies and their companions with their packaging looking like their respective playset? LD with Brandy, Majesty and Spike, and Sprinkles and Ducksoup? I would certainly shell out the cash for that!

[Taffeta]

But I could also see them making playset ponies come just as the pony.  Or maybe a Playset Ponies box set with Majesty, Sprinkles, Lemon Drop, Baby Tiddly Winks, and Baby Halfnote (as an example).

What if it was a set that included Playset Ponies and their companions with their packaging looking like their respective playset? LD with Brandy, Majesty and Spike, and Sprinkles and Ducksoup? I would certainly shell out the cash for that!

We don't need the pets if they're just going to use SSC moulds. Those aren't pony pets, so personally I don't want any of them. But the ponies on their own - that would work. Even if it's just a normal box with artwork like the playset inside and out.

The problem with exclusives is that the US market is so big it can sustain itself. So basically US companies don't need to care that much about the international market when it comes to exclusive items. So they're not that fussed if international fans have to pay more or get annoyed by it - there are enough US customers and enough interested US stores that it creates the profit they want, so it doesn't matter. And probably they know that some people buy to ship abroad or to scalp but basically it sells more of their items, and puts the export cost on the buyer and not on them, so I don't suppose that's an issue either.

Luckily this community has people who help out so getting the items isn't so hard. I've always been very grateful for that and the fact that ponypeople always support each other like this in a global sense, although these days exclusives on this side of the atlantic are unusual and mostly down to bad distribution, rather than planning (eg Holly Dash).

What is hard to deal with is the double or triple cost of an item that's $10 in a US store because the US companies are geographically myopic.

People say that foreign stores and suppliers can pick up the items if they want to, but having seen some of the UK Hasbro catalogues for G1 and the fact that in those there are a lot of potentially available G1 lines or ponies missing from them, it's something of a fallacy. It's not for sure that international suppliers are offered the full lineup, and it's sometimes pot luck if an exclusive travels or not.

For example, Asda used to be owned by Walmart but in spite of that, we never had Haven Bay. We did have the through the mirror thing with Sunset Shimmer, which I think was a Walmart thing...but it showed up in Smyths, not Asda.

On the other hand, there's no link between Argos/Tesco and Target, but those stores have regularly had Target exclusives through G4 and Entertainer even had some with Target stickers on the boxes.

We had most TRU exclusives in G3, but not the Birthflower G3 ponies. However, although we mostly had no Target G3 ponies, we did get Royal Ribbon (I think she was target?) and Royalette (wasn't she also Target)? And we had Portobella and Lickity Split in Woolworths but not as an exclusive before she even appeared in KB in the States.

*shrug* There really isn't much of a rhyme or reason which  makes the whole thing more difficult. We can't predict in advance what will or won't travel unless someone gives concrete info, so you can choose to import, pay over the odds and then find them in store...or you can wait and miss the item completely.

Amazon would make it global though - providing it was available on global amazon. Right now the mishmash M6 in weird poses are only on US Amazon, even though they ship worldwide. Not that I intend to buy them, but even Amazon isn't universal.

[Shy Violet]

Not MLP, but I spotted a new Basic Fun toy on the retro end cap today:

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They are sooo cute!  And I'm tempted . . . so tempted . . .

I NEED these!! Another thing I have to hope comes to Canada.

[Icey]

Oh my, I think a trip to Target is in order

[Wind~Whistler]

https://www.walmart.com/col/My-Little-Pony-Classic-Collection/515654874?sourceid=csebr03b9c0774d77e241d4b35855362cba6dc5&wmlspartner=bizratecom&affcmpid=4094033938&tmode=0000&veh=cse&szredirectid=15649409762561591340910080302008005
Walmart updated their site to have the Mane Six drawn in the MLPnF style!
Personally, I like these better than the vectors we got for the Retro-styled G4

[Taffeta]

https://www.walmart.com/col/My-Little-Pony-Classic-Collection/515654874?sourceid=csebr03b9c0774d77e241d4b35855362cba6dc5&wmlspartner=bizratecom&affcmpid=4094033938&tmode=0000&veh=cse&szredirectid=15649409762561591340910080302008005
Walmart updated their site to have the Mane Six drawn in the MLPnF style!
Personally, I like these better than the vectors we got for the Retro-styled G4

That is both cute and bizarre in one fell swoop.

[BlushingBlue]

https://www.walmart.com/col/My-Little-Pony-Classic-Collection/515654874?sourceid=csebr03b9c0774d77e241d4b35855362cba6dc5&wmlspartner=bizratecom&affcmpid=4094033938&tmode=0000&veh=cse&szredirectid=15649409762561591340910080302008005
Walmart updated their site to have the Mane Six drawn in the MLPnF style!
Personally, I like these better than the vectors we got for the Retro-styled G4

That's fanart unfortunately, not an official image.

[TheBeatlesPkmnFan42]

https://www.walmart.com/col/My-Little-Pony-Classic-Collection/515654874?sourceid=csebr03b9c0774d77e241d4b35855362cba6dc5&wmlspartner=bizratecom&affcmpid=4094033938&tmode=0000&veh=cse&szredirectid=15649409762561591340910080302008005
Walmart updated their site to have the Mane Six drawn in the MLPnF style!
Personally, I like these better than the vectors we got for the Retro-styled G4

That's fanart unfortunately, not an official image.

Oof, that's a shame that Walmart did that. :/

edit - found the source

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Aha, wow. Seems like all sorts of companies are using fan-made stuff over official as of late.
(By that I mean...the one time Nick used the SpongeBob background.)