Mail Order vs Store Release Differences? (Collectors Ponies/Original Six)

[Taffeta]

@LM, Ponyfan - how does the hair on your childhood CC compare to the MO one in the bag? What I mean is how it's rooted and the texture of the hair in general? It's a minor difference but looking at the two in bag I think it's there (at least for that batch) - a silkier more defined shape to the mane and how it's rooted.

I see a similar thing in TRTL's new Blossom, although because they have so many releases it's hard to know for sure.

Because the UK release is so completely mystifying, I don't try and apply this to ponies I've found here. I'm more than prepared that a lot of our later release ponies especially came from the MO pot originally (like Snuzzle with the parlour etc, who didn't come out here till 1987, after the MO releases had begun).

 BUT in terms of the US, that lot I obtained all had hair with the same silky characteristics and shaping, and that looked much like what I think I can see in those bagged images.

With there being multiple releases it's no guarantee, but I think we have to go beyond body tone, since clearly that's not going to answer any questions.

[Ponyfan]

Comparing my childhood CC to the photo, the hair on the MO one looks much silkier than mine and the mane seems to fall differently. My childhood Cotton Candy also appears to have deep colored eyes instead of the usual light purple but I assume that could be from part of the red part of the purple not being applied properly when CC was made.


Ponyfan

[LadyMoondancer]

@LM, Ponyfan - how does the hair on your childhood CC compare to the MO one in the bag? What I mean is how it's rooted and the texture of the hair in general? It's a minor difference but looking at the two in bag I think it's there (at least for that batch) - a silkier more defined shape to the mane and how it's rooted.

I'll take some pictures of her when I get home.   My childhood one has very silky hair that has that same heaviness / defined shape.  The hair pretty much looks the same as the mint in baggie one.  (The photo is using a bright light source, which will bring out that silky look.  Good eBay tip, ha ha.)

I think my childhood CC also has dark purple eyes, I'll check that too.

[Leikin]

Norrskenljus told me that the mailorderponies has a different tailwasher from the storebought versions. I dont remeber what the difference was though.

[LadyMoondancer]

I still need to take pics of my Cotton Candy, sorry about the wait!  But I do come bearing some news, via eBay auctions.

So I thought I'd search for mint in baggie mail order Collector ponies on eBay because at least with those we KNOW they're mail orders.  And I actually did discover a smattering of them!  I am hoping to save pics of all the ones I saw and will post them later.

But the short version is:  there seem to have been at least two distinct runs of mail order Collector ponies (which makes sense since they were advertised on more than one brochure).  There's a set that has a white piece of paper in their baggie (appears to be folded in half; I'm guessing it is an enthusiastic description of your new pony ).  There's another set that doesn't have the piece of paper.

Here are the two Blossoms I saw:

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What a color difference, right??  Although part of it could be the different lighting.  Or maybe the top one was displayed in the sun and faded.  But it also could be a legit difference.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I wonder if I played w the white balance a bit if I could compare them more accurately. 🤔
That's super helpful, thank you! At least those symbols seem to be fairly consistent.

[Taffeta]

Awesome comparison illustrating the ongoing problem ><

I think that if we are going to make progress on this it has to be forensically with tiny details like print and hair and such (though LM, if your CC from childhood had hair like the mail order ones, I dunno if there really is a rule...))