Please tell me about Thailand ponies?

[kitkatvintage]

Although they're dated 1987, I think they may have actually come out in 1988... I'm sure Taff and I looked into it at some point And came to that conclusion. If memory serves, the dates on the card are often a year earlier? Ooh, Moc Tornado must be gorgeous I adore their card

It would certainly be possible to luck out and get one, particularly if it were in a lot

They appear in a completely different UK catalogue than the Fancy Pants/Baby Brother - a couple of year's apart. Although its always possible that they were perhaps listed but did not make it out to stores until the following year? They don't appear in the 88 catalogue which suggests they were not available. But as KitKat says, what if they did get a short manufacturing run intended for the 88 offerings but it was decided against offering them to retailers - perhaps they were poor sellers or something. That would explain why there are so few of them perhaps?

I'm pretty sure that Thai-made US issue of Fancy Pants babies were sold a year before the China-made version was sold in the UK or Europe, so that would account for the UK issue being in later catalogs. The US release usually was available in stores the year before the same set was sold internationally for all G1 ponies sold worldwide.

[hathorcat]

I ll nosy tonight in the US catalogue for certain as I cant remember off the top of my head the way I can with the UK ones.

However that would make perfect sense. You have a "second run" for the MBs and a "first run" for the Fancy Pants; this would mean they cross over in the exact same manufacture year? That was serious maths for me

[Tiffymh1fan]

Stalking look at that boy! Hes....Im speechless! 

[Epona]

*gasp* ooh that thai ice crystal *swoons*

[Ember1]

The only problem is why have we only found 6 mountain boys total to date... The Thai fancy pants babies were very plentiful as far as production goes.. what happened with the thai mountain boys... Were they test runs for a second production that never went forward?

[hathorcat]

Ok so the FP appear in US catalogues in 89. And the set in the UK in 90. Thats a 3 year gap between the Uk releases and a 2 year with the US Taiwan release. With the mountain boys an 87 release then that actually still leaves an odd gap rather than the obvious overlap it would have been  had there been just 1 year between Us FP and Uk MB.

Makes you wonder if the taiwan boys were a test run of an alternate factory or if perhaps they had intentions for the set to get a Us release but opinion changed at production. As if they were being made at the same time as the FP, then they were too late for a second run release in the UK as  it would have been odd to have a whole years release gap between the same set getting a second run with retailers.

I am coming down on some kind of outsourcing. Its about the time Hasbro were using multiple factories for production with the intention of moving to the cheaper option no doubt. So whay if they tested a taiwanese supplier at the same time and got a run if Mbs. When the move came to china they had no need for additional production until 89 when the volume of sets was so significant perhaps turnaround or totals required drove them to use a previously tested backup supplier?

I know its all speculation, but its an odd one thats for sure!

[Clipper]

I agree with hathorcat. I believe they may have been a second run intended for the USA or maybe another country. I think more will surface over the years. Where have the Thailand boys been found? Only in uk?

[Ember1]

They could have been a test run before the Hong Kong MB production run also.
testing different factories. I vote test run just by the shear lack of these that have turned up.
All that have been found are one of a kind except for tornado.

[kitkatvintage]

Ok so the FP appear in US catalogues in 89. And the set in the UK in 90. Thats a 3 year gap between the Uk releases and a 2 year with the US Taiwan release. With the mountain boys an 87 release then that actually still leaves an odd gap rather than the obvious overlap it would have been  had there been just 1 year between Us FP and Uk MB.

The US "year 7" when Fancy Pants Babies were sold here is 1988/1989. The "year" as we call it in terms of the pony releases doesn't line up to a calendar year. New ponies were typically appearing in stores in the late summer to be available for the upcoming winter holiday shopping season. Fancy Pants babies were definitely sold in the US in 1988... as a child, I got Baby Dots & Hearts when I had chicken pox in the fall of '88. Sorry to "beat a dead horse" so to speak, but I really don't think the production gap between Mountain Boys & Thai Fancy Pants babies is that large.

[hathorcat]

Yes sorry I should have been clearer.

By all the catalogue references I am just going by year. So 88-89 for the FPs in the US; 89-90 for the FPs in the UK and 86-87 for the MBs in the UK. Which still in theory has a 2 year production difference between the Thailand MBs and the US FPs.

I was being lazy and just referring to the catalogue years rather than the whole actual toy year

Edit: However all that being said, there is nothing anywhere saying that there was a full out 2 year manufacturing gap. Its just that that's what the dates imply. Perhaps the FPs were one of the first toy runs in 88-89 and the MBs the last in 86-87 and therefore the gap is shortened to as little as a year. Its just that the implications between the MBs having been manufactured in advance of the FPs or at the same time of the FPs are interesting as they could suggest anything from a factory test, an intended release elsewhere or simply a requirement for extra stock which the regular supplier could not fulfil. There has to be a reason for such a small run right?

Its all pretty wild and wishful speculation And as we don't know for certain any which way of course, I am being a pony geek and finding the conversation interesting For me, the Thailand MBs remain such a mystery as they are almost illogical in any explanation [even though one of them has to be true - even if it turns out to be the most boring one].

[lunar_scythe]

I wonder, do we have any confirmation on *when* the Thailand Mountain boys showed up?  I'm just wondering if they could have been planned for a US or Europe release, then the factory samples were just thrown into packaging later, like the Princess and Happy Tails ones.  Many of those are one or two of a kind, also.

[kitkatvintage]

As far as I know, all of the Thai Mountain Boys were found second hand. If someone had one since childhood, that would be the best (and possibly only) way to pin point an "in stores" date and distribution location.

Cat, I totally agree with you here:

Its all pretty wild and wishful speculation And as we don't know for certain any which way of course, I am being a pony geek and finding the conversation interesting For me, the Thailand MBs remain such a mystery as they are almost illogical in any explanation [even though one of them has to be true - even if it turns out to be the most boring one].

...its one of the great pony mysteries that we may never know! lol

[SeashellnBubbles]

Perhaps they were created by a factory very briefly due to the place burning down, like Lili Ledy in Mexico? Maybe the factory was still in the introduction phase and not officially Hasbro yet...I'd have to think that they may have been down to just a couple of factories vying for Hasbro's stamp of approval, and the Taiwan ones just got the contract for a year or so? Those are my two logical guesses

[Ember1]

Yeh. It's a big mystery.  I hope we find Thai lightning

[Tiffymh1fan]

We need  to find the people that worked at these factories then! Does anyone know how many factories were up & running then in Thailand? And can this be a question asked at a Pony Fair this year to Hasbro?