Perception of the passage of time between gens

[skyline]

This is obviously a too-hot-to-sleep late night thought, but indulge me haha...

Do you guys ever think about how strange it is that we’re now almost 15 years out from the debut of G3? When I got back into collecting properly in 2003/2004 it felt like the gulf between the end of G1 & the present was totally unbridgeable. 1993 to 2003 was such a leap, and all those ponies felt... gone. I can’t believe an even longer stretch has passed between G3 and today, but there are so many factors that make it feel less remote, I guess: as a kid you don’t have the agency to drive yourself to the store and buy ponies, so they’re already much more precious, and the internet/rise of eBay and collectors’ communities meant that so many more people were consciously buying G3 for the purpose of storing them or selling them on. I feel like we have much greater stock from that generation — a MIB g3 Dazzleglow isn’t the same find as a MOC g1 Dazzleglow. And yet it’s been so long. It’s crazy!

Anyway, just a little ramble. Feeling my age, clearly!

[Zapper]

As a European, ponies never really vanished as a toy because we had G2 in stores pretty much up until G3 replaced it. And then G3 morphed into 3.5 and was immediatly replaced by 4.
What I find stranger is how G4 has been around for almost 10 years by now. It doesn't feel like that to me at all because we always had essentially the same toys in new dresses on shelves. Mane Six for a decade.

I wonder for how long G4 stock will sit around MIB, considering a lot of collectors and scalpers tried to cash in on the FiM craze. And if G5 will stay just as long or if we'll see more MLP gens replacing each other faster.

[Taffeta]

I think the big difference is that after G1 ended, everyone pretty much assumed that was it for MLP. Hasbro even said so, when I wrote to them - that MLP had been discontinued. As a kid I never thought that could happen, but by 1994 MLP had basically gone away in stores and it was down to second hand sales and such. People were offloading them in numbers and that was that.

G2 came out of the blue but was so different it divided the community hugely. And then as Zapper said, the European line carried on a lot longer than the US one - so probably the gap between G1 and G3 felt bigger over there than it did here. The UK didn't run G2 as long as France did, but it did go on into 2001-2 based on what I've found second hand here.

When G3 happened a lot of collectors saw it as a return to G1 type of style and it was warmly welcomed by the community, even those who still rejected G2. Because G2 was unpopular and mostly in Europe, I think it, like G1, is harder to find (although more MIP items probably exist) and thus less connected somehow. G3 on the other hand was quite readily available (albeit US exclusives were annoying, I guess that made it more accessible stateside than it was in Europe in some cases). And since then MLP hasn't really 'stopped', since 3.5 blurred into G4 and the MLP presence has never gone away.

I also find it odd to think of G4 as being as old as it is now, it makes me feel old. It's been 24-25 years since G1 ended, though, and G1 is still the generation that (in terms of toyline alone) has the most stability in the collector market. G4 in terms of show, etc is probably greater overall, but for a toyline that ended a quarter of a century ago to still command so much attention is interesting.

When I realise I first came online in 1997-8, when G2 was just starting out...I really feel old. But what's been interesting each time around has been the community's approach to new generations. I think the reason G3-G4 feels less distant than G1-G3 is because of the internet and such, but also because of product continuity in all areas and the positive reception from fans that G2 just didn't get when it was initially in stores.

But yeah. MIB items from G3 are never going to fetch G1 prices, because they're an intentional collectable bought and kept boxed by adults, whereas very few people did this in G1, and most surviving G1 MOC are from excess stock that didn't sell originally.

The biggest difference is also that now people expect a new generation to happen. Whereas between G1 and G2 nobody did. When G2 happened people wanted G1 back, not a new iteration. Nobody expected G3 till it happened. It's only SINCE then that there's been expectations that we will see G5 and more. I personally don't know if that's smart - but it demonstrates the difference between one toy line that ended, vs a franchise now expected to reinvent itself every few years.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I refuse to think about it  lest it make me feel old.
But really, 10 years of g4??? Wow no wonder I feel exhausted with MLP collecting, it has been the style on shelves for an endless decade...

[goddessofpeep]

I've been in the community since 96/97, so I was here for the start of G2 on, and of course I had G1s as a child.  The end of G1s basically coincided with me entering junior high/high school, so that was a natural point for me to "age out" of ponies.  I discovered them again once I got to college and discovered this new-fangled thing called the internet.  Since there was a lot going on during those years between G1s and G2s, I think that gap felt even bigger than it would have otherwise.  It was still a big gap though!

I eventually became a very big collector of G2s, and while they ended in the USA, they were fairly available through ebay and international trades.  So when G3s came out, it wasn't *that* big a gap for me personally.  I think for most collectors who kept up with G2s, generations just ran into each other a bit.  Because of this, I don't think I've really had a chance to just catch my breath and miss new ponies for pretty much 20+ years.  Over 20 years of scrambling for new ponies!  I'm pooped!

I'm actually a big fan of the idea of a gap between generations.  When G2s came out, the entire community was excited about the idea of ponies being back in stores.  The fact that they didn't turn out the way most people hoped they would didn't lessen the initial excitement at the announcement, and the weeks of speculation that went on before the ponies actually hit stores. 

The same was true about the G3s.  For most of the world, it had been a while since you could just go to the store and buy a pony.  Once they started showing actual examples of the new G3s, the excitement just went up even more.  New ponies!  Back to a more G1 style!  It was electric, and everyone was pumped.  Brand new ponies!  New playsets!  Even ponywear! 

As far as I remember, there was no real excitement for the start of G4.   It just kind of blended into the end of G3/G3.5, and in a lot of places they were on the shelves at the same time.  I don't even remember hearing about them until someone did a size comparison between the new "brushable" G4s and McDonald's ponies.  It eventually turned into a big thing, but at first there was a lot less buzz about it than either G2 or G3.  The fact they carried over the Core 7 idea into the Mane 6 didn't help.  At all.

I really wish they'd do the decent thing and kill off G4, and then wait a few years before starting up G5.  I've basically been at this since 1997, and I'm completely burnt out on new ponies.  And G4 is dying a miserable, wasting death right now.  They're using everything in the Hasbro bag of tricks to squeeze out *just* a little more, and it's going to hurt G5 in the long run.  They've got the stupid gimmicks, the re-design to make things cheaper to make, the terrible distribution, and of course the constant re-releases of *tiny* variants of ponies we already have 12 of.   The only thing I'm looking forward to with G5 is they'll finally take G4 off of life support.  10 years of Mane 6 is more than enough!

[banditpony]

As far as I remember, there was no real excitement for the start of G4.   It just kind of blended into the end of G3/G3.5, and in a lot of places they were on the shelves at the same time. 

Do you mean for yourself you had no excitement?

Because I was on these forums at the time, and I thought people seemed to be pretty hype about it imo. Lots of grumpy people too...

[goddessofpeep]

Maybe I wasn’t paying that much attention at the time.  I don’t remember much talk about it until the ponies actually started hitting stores.  And most of the chatter I remember was about how small they were at first.  I do remember a “thank goodness the G3.5s are over” sediment.  I think the excitement picked up quickly after that, but I don’t remember a lot of hype before the ponies came out.  There was a lot of overlap with the dying gasps of G3.5, and I personally felt G4 blindsided me.   

[brightberry]

I feel weird because G1, G2 and G3 seem like they happened ages ago.  Even the beginning of G4, when I think about what I was doing when I saw them... I can't even remember where I exactly was living at the time.  But to be fair, I wasn't paying attention to G4 at all.

I spotted G2 when it first came out but, in my head, G1 had been over for years.  I didn't know it had continued past year 5.  We had moved, rarely went to big box stores and I didn't watch much TV aside from evening programming.  It's funny because I still had and loved all my G1 ponies.  I just didn't know there were more.

G3 was something I saw at a grocery store.  Again, G2 hadn't continued on for us so, it was a big surprise.  I adored G3 but I didn't have a check list or anything for them.  I picked up the few I liked most... about 7.

G4 did not interest me until I saw the show.  I thought it was clever and cute.  But it started to feel stale and I stopped watching years ago.  I mean, I still think it's a cute show and I would recommend it, but I moved on from the show and toys.

[nessa16]

I definitely think that the internet is a big reason why G1 and G2 feel eons ago compared to G4. Similar in how it seems to shorten the distance between collectors on different continents, it seems to help occupy ones mind with tons of media, info, and discussions amongst collectors allowing time to fly by. It doesn’t feel like it can possibly be 10 years since the beginning of G4 already. Time is relative; it passes quickly when you’re having fun. We spend so much time researching, discussing, watching videos, reading comics/stories, etc. that there isn’t time to let our minds “rest” from the world of pony long enough to really reflect and be “bored” or feel like time is passing slowly. We know about new releases way before they show up in stores and there’s an instant gratification thing going on for many making them spend extra money to be “first adopters” when new stuff comes out. By the time stuff reaches stores, it’s already old news because we’re watching for what’s next. There almost feels like less joy per pony just due to sheer volume but I guess that’s the times we live in.

G1 feels much more isolated to me because the only ponies I knew about were those few I got second hand. I knew nothing about them being in stores or on a show until My Little Pony Tales. I didn’t even know them as MLP but as “Pretty Ponies” because that’s what my cousin and I called them. We never experienced them in stores or getting them brand new as gifts. So, I really don’t even have experience or memories that translates into the “era” of G1 like many here. I don’t remember dressing as them for Halloween, having MLP bed sheets, or pouring over catalog pages of them making my Christmas list.  All I can do is imagine what all these things were like. It makes the G1 era feel unreal and so long ago, like a bygone era.

When G2 came out I only experienced them in my immediate vicinity-local stores. I didn’t know they were coming until BAM there they were on the shelf in front of me. They were different yes but that added to the novelty.  It had been quite awhile since G1 had to have been stores because, hey, I couldn’t even remember that. I was also becoming a tween so my interest was more limited. Then poof, gone again, a blip, a novelty in the US, anyway.

I don’t think I got on the internet the first time until 1999 or 2000 and never even thought to look up MLP.  Then I hit high school and was a bit more experienced with the internet. I actually knew that G3 was coming and eagerly waited for it to hit store shelves. At that point I only bought the first few sets and Celebration Castle as a bit of nostalgia and because I was saving to go to Europe. I got a few here and there as gifts because family knew of my interest in MLP from my childhood. I dabbled with eBay a bit and bought a few G1s there (creating a monster by introducing my mother to eBay in the process). I even figured out that there were forums and MLP could be researched a bit on sites like Dream Valley. This helped me reconnect with G1 and my childhood that felt so long ago.

Then I graduated and went to college. The internet was becoming more familiar, easier to navigate, and more info was attainable, easier to find. G3 was still hanging on by a nail and slid bumpily into G3.5. MLP didn’t really exist in stores for me with G3.5 and ponyville. Senior year I got interested in G1 again, joined the forums and learned G4 was coming. I remember lots of hype about it. I would make multiple trips to Walmart hoping to find the first 6. Now, I cannot believe that has been almost 2 decades since G3 started and almost a whole decade since G4 started. G5 will likely baptize my daughter in ponies and before we know it, maybe G6. It’s been a slow moving steam engine that morphed into a bullet train spanning 3.5 decades.

[Nemesis]

I completely understand what you’re saying...

I think a lot of it has to do with our own age. Childhood has a way of distorting time in our minds. When I was 17, age 7 seemed infinitely farther back in time than age 17 does now that I’m 27. That mindset applies to ponies, too... In the late 90s, G1s seemed ancient... Now, as we enter the 2020s, G3s seem... kind of new, still. I wonder if people who grew up playing with G3s feel differently? I imagine they probably do.

[skyline]

I wonder if people who grew up playing with G3s feel differently? I imagine they probably do.

This is something I’m very curious about! I do think the omnipresence of the internet may make G3 feel different to kids who grew up with them vs how we felt with G1 ten years down the line, but it’s just plain wild to me that kids who grew up with G3 are like...... adults now.

[Ragamuffin]

G3 was my childhood generation, but I still remember watching Twinklewish Adventure when it aired on Disney Junior like it was yesterday (I was 12 at the time). But I think that has to deal more with how time goes by when you're a kid. Months go by sooooo slooooooooooow as a kid, but as an adult, a year is only really a month long.

To the 30yos+ here, are years only a week long for you?

[Taffeta]

I really wish they'd do the decent thing and kill off G4, and then wait a few years before starting up G5.  I've basically been at this since 1997, and I'm completely burnt out on new ponies.  And G4 is dying a miserable, wasting death right now.  They're using everything in the Hasbro bag of tricks to squeeze out *just* a little more, and it's going to hurt G5 in the long run.  They've got the stupid gimmicks, the re-design to make things cheaper to make, the terrible distribution, and of course the constant re-releases of *tiny* variants of ponies we already have 12 of.   The only thing I'm looking forward to with G5 is they'll finally take G4 off of life support.  10 years of Mane 6 is more than enough!

I feel like this too. I feel like there's a danger of killing the franchise completely without a clean break.

On the subject of hype for G4, I remember that at ponycon that year there was a lot of buzz about airing the first episodes there (the special with Luna and stuff, even I've seen that). But they were already kind of out by that point -I guess in the US, not here - because there was a definite anticipation for them here too. At that point I wasn't posting on pony forums much so I have no idea how it was reacted to here. But I do remember that buzz at ponycon for G4.

I remember looking for the toys here from curiosity, but I didn't find them here very early. I know I picked up AJ, Rarity and Lily Blossom (so whatever line she came out in) in July 2011, when I was on holiday in Finland. That was my first time seeing them and I remember getting AJ because AJ, and Rarity because she looked like Glory. I'm not sure why Lily Blossom but I ignored all the others. That September I moved to London for my MA and I remember getting Feathermay and Bumblesweet in Harrods as a homewarming thing (they were more expensive there, but I didn't know at the time I would never see that set again ever so I wish I had shelled out for one more at least :/)  And that was the start of it.

Then the whole brony thing kicked off and I stopped going to ponycon and stuff for a while because this place and there felt saturated - like G4 was the only thing that mattered and the whole hostility thing happened too.

The reaction to G4 and the one to G2 were quite different and yet in some ways had similarly chaotic impacts on the community as a whole. Whereas G3 didn't. It was welcomed.

With G1, I didn't realise it was ending here until it did. I collected ponies from 1984, when I had my first one gifted to me, to 1993ish when I went to secondary school. I think it really kicked off for me around 1987, when I was the perfect pony age, there was the comic, and some really interesting sets like Mountain Boys were out. I got tales Bright Eyes on holiday in Wales, probably in 1992, and Jazzie must have been around the same time. I also remember buying a bunch of baby ponies over successive weeks in Children's World - but when I hit secondary school I felt like I shouldn't play with toys any more (heh) and they went in the attic. I guess a bit like nessa's story?

 In that time period MLP died, and by the time I came back to them in the summer of 1994ish, they were gone from stores. That was why I wrote to Hasbro, as it just didn't ever dawn on me that MLP could end.

All I know for sure is that stores by where we lived never had any ponies from the last year - but some in the wider vicinity must have, as we occasionally found sweetie babies and stuff at the carboot sale.

@Ragamuffin - cheeky whippersnapper

[Moonbreeze]

I started with G2 myself, which is my childhood gen. That was 22 years ago when we just got back to the Netherlands from living abroad (but of course Hasbro likes to forget G2 so no anniversary special or even a mention Shameonyouhasbro)
The G2s were still lingering around in 2004-ish here, alongside a fresh batch of G3. It did feel like they were around longer, but just as mentioned above; the perception of time goes differently for children than for adults.

So I haven't really experienced a break between lines. The start of G4 was pretty nice. Lots of variety, a new show, but I got a bit sick of it after 5 years and especially with the toyline being so incredibly dull. Which means I've sort of been waiting for something new the past few years?

I recall G3.5 being pretty shortlived. The core 7 weren't present throughout the entire G3 line, which kept me interested a bit longer than G4 has managed.

[Sunset]

I agree that time feels different as a child than an adult.  You grow and change so much when you are growing up. My last ponies I got as a child were the Sweet Celebrations family and Seaflower.  Which means I must have stopped asking for ponies at about 9 or 10.  So I completely missed the end of G1.  I got on the internet about 1998 when I was 18 and rediscovered mlp.  It was only 8-9 years but felt like such a big gulf.  Now it feels like every year flies by faster and faster!