How to tell difference between SS and NSS ponies?

[divalei]

So, how to tell difference between deflocked SS pony from actual NSS pony? As far as I know, Wind Whistler has different body colours, SS is lot darker than NSS (or was it other way round?) Especially Truly and Cupcake, both are white ponies and I have no idea is my Cupcake just deflocked. I did have deflocked Cupcake but sold her.

Also which ponies are only So Soft ponies? And what to do with Wind Whistler with really bad flock-loss? I think I will deflock first and then reflock. Is there any way to clean up SS ponies? My Truly is more yellowish than white but my Paradise is really white, why so?

Let's talk about SS and NSS ponies, yes. And I would like to see some photos as well. I will post photos of my ponies later.

[Taffeta]

Ah, a UK related topic I can reply, at least from the point of view of the SS/NSS element and variations. I'll leave the care and customising technique questions to someone with skills...

Cupcake and Truly are complicated. They are grey areas, finding actual examples of the NSS ones is quite hard. I remember Joss (I think it was Joss) posting some images of Truly a long time ago, and then someone in (I think) Scandinavia had a backcard with a pony so there are some pictures floating around of the non-flocked ones, but I would guess that it's quite hard to tell them apart. Only with Truly, you'd see fur evidence in the hoof holes, probably. Cupcake...a lot harder I imagine. Though if you're in Scandinavia, which you seem to be, the likelihood possibly goes up of you finding a real one...

With the others, the set were sold as "Movie Star" ponies in Europe or just part of My Little Pony here in the UK. Here's Shady MIP:

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I had Shady as a kid, and friends had North Star, Wind Whistler without flocking, because we didn't properly get SS ponies here. Shady is a very very different pink from the SS. Much more vivid. Much brighter. You wouldn't confuse the two. North Star and Wind Whistler - I think the non flocked are a more pastel body colour under the flocking (you see the problem with Cupcake? White pony...). Both are estimating the ss colour scheme, without the flock. Wind Whistler also has a slightly different symbol colour scheme. Not sure about North Star off hand.

Posey, Cherries Jubilee...in the Uk at least, Posey from the NSS line has a magenta symbol. I think that this is quite similar to the SS version, though I haven't done a direct comparison. Cherries Jubilee - the NSS has naturally straight hair, and a dark symbol. You can see Second Edition Cherries Jubilee (1986 My Little Pony set, UK) mint on her UK card at the bottom of this page:

http://www.etherella.com/scrapbook2/cherries_jubilee.htm

She is different from the original 1985 edition (known in the UK as Groom and Style) because she has not got curled hair and she has a paler symbol. You can probably see the comparison though.

1987/Movie Star Gusty - her symbols are not glittery, I think that the SS is more prone to being slightly cream colour, even deflocked, whereas I think Gusty is more pure white (though she can discolour).

I feel like I forgot someone. Ah, Magic Star. Well, she's a whole other pose completely, so that's quite easy...

OH! And Buttons. Buttons is a whole other problem as there are 2 versions of her. One has the same symbol as the SS and the other has a symbol more like that of Baby Buttons, with buttons and stars. Both were sold at the same time in the same packages so they belong in the same set - the reason for the variation is unknown. It's possible that one was designed for European release, with the more delicate symbol, and the other was from left overs that weren't flocked for some reason. Either way Buttons in the UK was always drawn with the more delicate Buttons and Stars symbol in comics and so on.

SS ponies generally seem to be made of harder plastic - at least in my experience, they tend to be less squishy.

This is the section for them from my site...youc an see some of the comparisons and whatever by clicking on individual pages, as well as the cards and stuff:
http://www.etherella.com/scrapbook2/1987_mylittlepony.htm

Cupcake and Truly were sold on UK design cards, but were not sold in the UK.

Paradise was meant to be sold with no flocking here, there's an advert for her, but she never was. There is a Brazilian one, but I think that's all. Lofty and Ribbon were also in our comics but not sold here without flocking either. None of the second or third sets of SS ponies were sold as deflocked.

[hathorcat]

As Taffeta says, even the very best deflocker will struggle to get every single trace of flocking away. Usually inside the nostrils, under the hooves, inside the ears and at the neckline will have some kind of evidence. Also there is normally a fine scoring to the surface of the plastic on a deflocked pony. Often on deflocked SSs you will see a divot where the hole for the tail should have been punched. The divot is part of the mould but the hole for the tail is punched after the flocking is added. So sometimes the guide divot is missed which leaves the divot in the plastic visible. And the easiest way is the eyeliner. In order to show through the flocking So Soft ponies were given darker bodies, darker symbols and darker eyeliner. So Soft ponies have black eyeliner where as their NSS counterparts have a brownish grey eyeliner

The only ponies which were actual So Softs [assuming we are counting main stream releases only and not nirvanas] are the second set - Crumpet, Bangles, Twilight, Hippity Hop, Angel & Taffy - and then a small amount from the first couple of runs - Paradise, Ribbon, Lofty, Scrumptious, Fifi, Bouncy, Twist & Skippity Doo.

Wind Whistler when deflocked is very different in colour so I am sure if you deflock her you will still enjoy her in your collection or someone will be happy to give her a new home. However unlike some of the ponies which do not have actual non so soft versions, she will not jump in value at all. You ll probably find more value in her if you leave her deflocked than reflocking her

You can clean a SS but you should always test your cleaning method out on a part of the pony which is not visible [under the hooves] because every So Soft can react a little differently. Unfortunately the yellowish colour on a lot of white SSs is down to the glue which holds on the flocking changing colour with time - this tends to mean you cant actually do much with it.

[divalei]

Thank you both. That was very informative. I learned a lot about So Softs.

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Her flocking is even worse on the other side. So yeah, I might try deflocking her.

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It seems that my Cupcake is deflocked one. I checked inside the nostrils, under the hooves, inside the ears and at the neckline, all clean but eyeliner is black and there's divot.

[hathorcat]

Its hard to say without a close up - can you take a photograph of Cupcake's eyes along side another pony? That should let you know for certain. But the divot is a big tell tale as you really dont get those on ponies on which the divot for the tail could be seen.

With a faded mane I would probably deflock that Wind Whistler as well; you will love her bright blue and hot pink colouring.