Why are they different?

[Faerie-StarV]

This is gonna sound like an odd question and it's been pondering for me for some time but I want to ask if any of you know this.

Why are the G1 pony toys look different from the US counterparts? Or that they're in different colors? Or that they're different breeds(i.e. US Ribbon is a unicorn while her Argentinian version is an earth pony with different colors)? Do the other countries just do their own thing instead of following the US version? Or is it something else?

Any answers will be appreciated. I'm asking this because I was curious when I first saw the Nirvana ponies and I was wondering why are they different from the US versions.

[kellyponyfeathers]

To some extent, I think countries modified pony designs to what they thought would be more appealing and sell better in their regions.  Like Argie ponies are really bright because people like bright colors in that part of the world.  And for the rest of it, I think the foreign companies were either just not following character design carefully because they didn't really care about consistency, or they were using convenient materials they already had on hand (like American unicorn Ribbon became an earth pony in Argentina because the company already had the mold for the turning pose).

That's just my theory.

[LadyGuinevere]

I think you answered your own question! The Hasbros were more autonomous back then, and clearly had the freedom to be more creative with their products. Some also were made under license by other coutries and put their own stamp on it (both figuratively and literally!). Many used different factories, so the materials are also different.

[Dyzarktarzk]

Yup, for example, in Mexico the rainbow haired ponies were a huge success.  And really long hair!

The most important thing is that the ponies were made locally, and not imported from the same place as the US ponies.  Yes, some were made in Hong Kong or China and boxed/carded in the selling place language, but I think this was with the later years (I've seen a really damaged but still MIB Apple Delight Family in 'Mexican' box).

In the end, ponies made locally is what give Nirvanas all this amazing variety =D  (And I kind of miss this...  at least with the G3s there was... maybe an intent? to make some 'nirvanas', or low cost ponies for Mexico (Brazil too?  I can't remember at the moment)), or the 'Babyzillas'.  Still, I saw none of them where I live *sigh*

[Caro:3]

Well... During the eighties, in my country (Argentina), like in many other countries, were fashion bright and fluorescent colors, and this is reflected also in our ponies... Fortunately today we do not use bright colors in our clothes, accessories or toys....
hahahaha

[antares_chan]

I believe all the previous answers to be right, but I think the most important factor is that local manufacturers were "cheap" when making ponies. Master molds were expensive, so -for instance- you don't find all the original poses in versions from other countries.
Also, it's quite noticeable they were cheap with colors too. As Caro:3 mentions with the fluorescent Argie ponies (Buttons' plastic was SO soft she feels SO fake), you can see some ponies are just the same mold injected with the same plastic and just different hair and symbols. In some cases, symbols were printed in just whatever pony they had around, which makes for some unsual colour variations.

Well... During the eighties, in my country (Argentina), like in many other countries, were fashion bright and fluorescent colors, and this is reflected also in our ponies... Fortunately today we do not use bright colors in our clothes, accessories or toys....
hahahaha

Where do you live, Caro? I live in a clothes manufacturing district in Buenos Aires and just last Summer there was a HUGE revamp of the dreaded fluorescence. Everybody swore they hated it, but I saw plenty of people wearing this hideous stuff.
When will we learn? xD