The MLP Arena

Pony Talk => MLP Nirvana => Topic started by: Shaz on October 03, 2018, 01:57:18 AM

Title: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Shaz on October 03, 2018, 01:57:18 AM: So, I think the general consensus is that No Country ponies were made in Spain.
I know they were sold in the UK, as my girlfriend has some that were in her childhood collection.
But where else were they sold? I recently bought a No Country Applejack (in Collector's Pose) for my Applejack army (yay!) and she's coming from Switzerland. Were NC ponies sold there, or has she travelled? I like to try and guess at my ponies' history :).
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: katrine2309 on October 03, 2018, 05:28:53 AM: NC Sundance was sold in Scandinavia at least. Both me and my sister has her. Now that you mention CP Applejack, I want to check out my childhood CP Bowtie too! Although I think she is HK ;)
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: pinkkittywinks on October 03, 2018, 10:07:42 AM: By NC do you mean Spain NC? There are a number of countries that had NC markings ;)

NC Spain ponies were distributed around Europe, but also "travelled" in peoples suitcases as gifts or treats bought on holiday ;) :)

Love pkw xxx
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Taffeta on October 03, 2018, 02:37:49 PM: Oh no O.O PKW, the pandora box got opened again! Not the NC Ponies!

@Shaz - the only NC ponies that I am 100% sure were sold in the UK are Sundance (both years of release) and some of the parent ponies to the loving families.

But we have some questions about whether they are always made in Spain or not. And there are a lot of other NC ponies not made in Spain, but Sundance and the family ponies are usually associated with Spanish. Even though we really don't know for sure. (Sundance's box for 1986 I think says made in Hong Kong but I can check that if need be. I have the image here somewhere.).

Otherwise I know that some of the NC ponies were sold in France and in Spain. And this is where I hand over to PKW ;)
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: CinnamonOnions on October 03, 2018, 03:01:49 PM: It's.. complicated. First of all, ALL Sundances sold in Europe are no-countries for whatever reason. Apparently also loving families had both nc and hk versions of them sold around Europe. For other ncs, I do not know have they ever been sold outside of France and Spain, but some of them seem quite common. As far as I know though, it's not like with italians that were sold in most european countries beside their "normal" releases.
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Taffeta on October 03, 2018, 03:07:42 PM: Quote from: CinnamonOnions on October 03, 2018, 03:01:49 PM
It's.. complicated. First of all, ALL Sundances sold in Europe are no-countries for whatever reason. Apparently also loving families had both nc and hk versions of them sold around Europe.

Also China, at least here in the UK. But we had the sets from the US imported as well via Hasbro...so I don't know how many Chinese ones were on card.
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: CinnamonOnions on October 03, 2018, 03:25:38 PM: Quote from: Taffeta on October 03, 2018, 03:07:42 PM
Quote from: CinnamonOnions on October 03, 2018, 03:01:49 PM
It's.. complicated. First of all, ALL Sundances sold in Europe are no-countries for whatever reason. Apparently also loving families had both nc and hk versions of them sold around Europe.

Also China, at least here in the UK. But we had the sets from the US imported as well via Hasbro...so I don't know how many Chinese ones were on card.

I don't own any of the loving family ponies so I took a quess in the dark on were they HK or China, whooops. Thanks for correcting.
...actualy I do and I really did forget I have one I could have confirmed with
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Taffeta on October 03, 2018, 03:32:18 PM: Quote from: CinnamonOnions on October 03, 2018, 03:25:38 PM
Quote from: Taffeta on October 03, 2018, 03:07:42 PM
Quote from: CinnamonOnions on October 03, 2018, 03:01:49 PM
It's.. complicated. First of all, ALL Sundances sold in Europe are no-countries for whatever reason. Apparently also loving families had both nc and hk versions of them sold around Europe.

Also China, at least here in the UK. But we had the sets from the US imported as well via Hasbro...so I don't know how many Chinese ones were on card.

I don't own any of the loving family ponies so I took a quess in the dark on were they HK or China, whooops. Thanks for correcting.
...actualy I do and I really did forget I have one I could have confirmed with

I think there are some HK ones. This one is a grey area for me. China is more common in my experience here, but given we had imports and proper Uk release and NC...I really don't know what was going on and I'm not sure if Hasbro did either :/
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Perikoala on October 03, 2018, 03:37:54 PM: Quote from: Taffeta on October 03, 2018, 02:37:49 PM

But we have some questions about whether they are always made in Spain or not. And there are a lot of other NC ponies not made in Spain, but Sundance and the family ponies are usually associated with Spanish. Even though we really don't know for sure. (Sundance's box for 1986 I think says made in Hong Kong but I can check that if need be. I have the image here somewhere.).

Funny enough Sundance was never released in Spain, as fas as I know. There is a Spanish pamphlet in which 100 Megan and Sundances were raffled and the box shown is the German one, but I don't know anyone who got it that can provide some detail :shrug:

Spoiler
visitors can't see pics , please register or login

Both NC and HK Loving Families were released in Spain (and I think all cards say made in Spain). I have an UK card of NC Daddy Bright Bouquet and it says Made in Spain, that may be the reason.

Spoiler
visitors can't see pics , please register or login
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: RoseNoire on October 03, 2018, 03:56:01 PM: I have found three NC Sundance and I own two. I really doubt they are Spanish. Since they seem pretty common in Europe (I found mine in Belgium) and they have blue eyes, I figured they might be made in Italy or simply HK and got their hooves scratched off for some reason.
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: NightGliderSA on October 04, 2018, 12:56:13 AM: I have bought three NC ponies in South Africa, so I think we can say that they were sold here as well. Which makes sense as we also had Scandinavian Truly and Cupcake.

The three ponies I found were: Mommy Apple Delight, Mommy Bright Bouquet and Bubblefish (Wriggle Pocket - just for you Taffeta).

My friend (ZuluSeashell) also bought the Surprise Twins Mommy in South Africa, and she is also NC. However she is the only one we have seen so far, so we are unsure as to whether she was sold here or not.

I also have NC Sundance, who I bought in the Netherlands.
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Leikin on October 04, 2018, 01:34:15 AM: In Sweden we had NC Lemon Drop with the showstable, NC baby Lemon Drop with the stroller (pink stroller), and I think also NC Sundance. I'm not sure about the Family ponies.

I have the swedish sold NC Baby Lemon Drop MIB, and the box says "made in Valencia, Spain". So I'm pretty sure both her and her mother are spanish.
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: katrine2309 on October 04, 2018, 03:59:57 AM: I have a question regarding Sundance and Megan. My Sundance is NC, as posted before. My sister’s is too. But I always thought that they were the US releases. Why you ask? Because of Megan’s outfit. This is my childhood Megan and Sundance:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/katinthewoods/7545166214/in/album-72157630928483042/

So, what happened? Are they US versions or something else? The reason I ask is because I read somewhere recently that the US version were HK...
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Leikin on October 04, 2018, 05:38:35 AM: I think that was the same version we had here as well.
Quote from: katrine2309 on October 04, 2018, 03:59:57 AM
I have a question regarding Sundance and Megan. My Sundance is NC, as posted before. My sister’s is too. But I always thought that they were the US releases. Why you ask? Because of Megan’s outfit. This is my childhood Megan and Sundance:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/katinthewoods/7545166214/in/album-72157630928483042/

So, what happened? Are they US versions or something else? The reason I ask is because I read somewhere recently that the US version were HK...

I think that is the version we had here as well.
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Taffeta on October 05, 2018, 05:52:20 AM: US versions of Sundance are made in HK.

Perikoala, that image is great. Also another great weird. That's TAF Megan and Sundance. I'm not at all surprised that that set was sold in Germany, they had stuff we didn't get, but...in a Spanish advert? And then there's another great weird.

This (from the Wiki) is what the US box for that set looks like:
Spoiler
visitors can't see pics , please register or login

But look! What might this be?
Spoiler
visitors can't see pics , please register or login
Yep, 1986 UK Megan and Sundance MIB.

But hang on, that German box...isn't it the same as the UK box from 1986 (at least the front)? In German? In a Spanish ad? With TAF Megan and Sundance in it? Either they just shoved whatever they had together, or something very odd went on in Europe with that set o.o.

Please note that box says made in China, but that seems to be a stuck on label. I am now going to look for pics of my M&S box to see because I think it's printed on mine, whatever it is, and I don't remember if it specifies difference for doll/pony or not.

Edit to add: My box says Made in China, it's printed on the side flap. It doesn't specify which bits were made in China though. I guess that is meant to imply all of it.

*gives cookies to NightGlider for Wriggle Pocket* ;)

I have never seen a NC Pocket pony in person. Just pictures. My childhood Wriggle P is Chinese. There are a lot of weird variations for that set, but most of them are Chinese. The NC ones...I have seen Chinese ones on Spanish card so I don't totally know how they happened.

On that same note, in my army of Mischief, I have a NC Baby Mischief that came from someone's UK childhood collection.

Re Family ponies - I don't have a card for an adult family pony, only the back of the US box and baby pony cards for 2 of the boys. But I have a feeling I've had this conversation before with people and the cards have said HK or China on them but the pony isn't necessarily matching. I know that we have Baby Buggy boxes here which say baby Cuddles is made in Spain, but she isn't. She's uniformly Hong Kong. And the Kitchen playset was made in Spain, so was Kiss Curl's Grooming Parlour (in some iterations, I don't know if they all were, but there are some variations in the kitten that ask questions about this). Kiss Curl has at least 3 variations, but I'm not aware of there being a Spanish or NC one.
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: katrine2309 on October 05, 2018, 06:35:56 AM: OK, now I’m curious. I found this advertisement from Sweden 1987: https://www.flickr.com/photos/katinthewoods/30177606217/in/datetaken/

Up in the right corner is Megan and Sundance, MIB. She is in the US box, she wears the US clothes and bridle. But Sundance is NC so she is not US. But where is she from then? Was there any other country beside Sweden and Norway that had this release? South Africa? Europe?
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Taffeta on October 05, 2018, 09:26:04 AM: If the HK production of Sundance had finished and they were only making Sundance in wherever the NC factory is, which I personally think is China in this case, then it would make sense that you'd just get what was being made. Sundance isn't being made in HK for the US still in 1987, I'm pretty sure. But she is being made for other markets in Europe at that time in wherever the NC factory is...so it makes sense for you to have her.

It's kind of like the Sweetberry ponies and the forelock/not thing. The same pony, advertised using the US images and stuff, ultimately not quite the same when it comes to production, and made in a different place. Ditto the fancy pants babies. And so on. Why not Sundance? It makes sense to think of her in terms of her time frame not her place of manufacture.

I mean, we've seen French and Italian ponies on card that matches US artwork, right? This isn't really that different...
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: katrine2309 on October 05, 2018, 01:22:25 PM: @Taffeta: yes, that makes sense of course! I am amazed by the knowledge!!
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Perikoala on October 05, 2018, 03:12:39 PM: Quote from: Taffeta on October 05, 2018, 05:52:20 AM
But hang on, that German box...isn't it the same as the UK box from 1986 (at least the front)? In German? In a Spanish ad? With TAF Megan and Sundance in it? Either they just shoved whatever they had together, or something very odd went on in Europe with that set o.o.

Ha! I did notice she was the TAF version but not that she was in a diferent box :lol: I can't find any German box to compare, welp... Its not the only German or foreigner thing MB offered to little Spanish girls. I found two catalogs where they raffled very limited numbers of Paradise States and some Prize Day & Picnic Day ponies (and from what I can see I think they're the German variant). Nonetheless I've never seen these ponies/playset in Spain, nor in second-hand markets. The description to get them, already says it all.

"And even more ... if you send another 2 horseshoes and 175 pesetas (1,05€) on stamps you can get one of these 2 ponies unpublished in Spain.".

I leave them here, I think you'd find them interesting (not my pics, though).

Spoiler
visitors can't see pics , please register or login

visitors can't see pics , please register or login

Anyway, talking about NCs, I'm quite skeptical with the NCs Sundae Best Ponies, Windy Wings, etc are made in Spain. They're exactly the same as the international versions and don't have the typical traits of Spanish ponies apart from the country removal. But they were definitely sold in Spain (and the card says 'made in Spain'...) so I don't know what was happening :dizzy:
Title: Re: Where were NC Ponies sold?
Post by: Taffeta on October 05, 2018, 03:52:50 PM: Very interesting. The PE pictures are the same as the ones in the 1987 Hasbro catalogue with the Paradise prototype :cry: she's so pretty. The Brush & Grow image has the US pose Twisty Tail but they used that promo image here too (that said, we did have the US set here too, sigh, thank you Woolworths for making it complicated).

I think the peach Sweet Clover is continental European, not just Germany. But I don't have that insert in Spanish and I have no idea what was sold there. Also the peach Sweet Clover was also used to promote the set here in the UK where we had the pink one in actual stores.

I think Hasbro are just...nuts in Europe.