Pony Talk => Pony Brag Arena => Topic started by: Ember1 on February 16, 2017, 01:33:11 PM
Title: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: Ember1 on February 16, 2017, 01:33:11 PM
OK so I am just limiting my collecting to prototypes of all kinds..And I just had to share my recent finds with the community.
I recently was lucky enough to acquire a very cool test color g1. Shes beautiful! I got her from the delaneys collection. She could have been a test color for the romance ponies or the tropical ponies. Thats my guess anyway.
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The next amazing discovery came when a former Mattel toy designer decided to sell these amazing prototypes from the Wonder Woman and the Star Riders Toy line which never went into production. The line was designed in 1992 and when Mattel couldnt reach a deal with DC comics the line was canceled. After much preparation and plans for even an animated TV show everything was scrapped and destroyed.
These two prototypes are named Nightshine (pink) and Cloudancer (blue). They appeared in the 1993 Mattel catalogue and there are over 10 pages of advertisements promoting the line. They even show a pretty amazing playset.. Only a few prototype samples were made for toy fairs to promote the line and to photograph them for the catalogues and these irridesent finishes were very costly. According to my research, no other prototype has ever popped up from this line. According to the seller, the action hero proto dolls shown in the catalogues were converted into disney princess prototypes for another line and there was a Mattel policy to destroy or reuse existing prototypes during the 1990s. The former Mattel toy designer that designed this line quit right after hearing the news that the line was canceled, so she or he must have taken Nightshine and Cloudancer with them.
The seller told me the following:
"Technically speaking, samples are not supposed to leave Mattel as they could end up in the hands of children and they may not be safe. In the 1990's it was ordered that all samples be destroyed after production was complete. But when designers and engineers have worked on products for so long, they tend to see some of those samples as trophies of their work and do not want to let them go. Eventually, some let them go. Some designers have passed away with a house full of samples left behind. They refused to sell or give away "their babies". They also dont understand collectors desires to have prototype pieces. To them these pieces are examples of their portfolio rather than a collectable. "
Nightshine and cloudancer have this iridescent amazing finish to their bodies.. Their hair which still has its original curl is two toned (white and pink or white and blue) with super delicate tinsel. They have buttons on the sides of their necks that are suppose to light up the jewel or horn on their foreheads. They are very high quality and very nicely made. It looks like Mattel was reusing the old Shera molds from the 1980s when creating them. I included a photo of the comparison to a Shera horse. The shera horse says made in mexico while these are stamped made in france.
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Comparison to shera horse
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The next prototype I found was in a Kenner Morgue box that someone was given through an old Kenner connection. The Kenner Morgue was a facility created to store old prototypes Kenner had made through the years. Some boxes have managed to turn up with former employees but most prototypes housed in the Kenner Morgue will never see the light of day. (Can you imagine Hasbro having a facility full of pony prototypes?). Apparently Hasbro was very different than Kenner and ordered all of their protos to be destroyed. Hasbro actually bought Kenner in the early 1990s and ordered a lot of the existing Kenner prototypes to be destroyed. The morgue was downsized to potentially reusable items or ideas for the future and everything else was scrapped.
The prototype that was discovered is a from the very short lived toy line named Princess Vanessa and her Royal Family. This was made in 1991 and is the actual resin prototype shown in the catalogue. The horse and carriage never went into production sadly. She came with her carriage as well which is also resin.
She slightly bigger than a My Little Pony and completely made of resin. There are carved slots for the mane and tail. Can anyone suggest a name for her since to my knowledge she didn't come with one.
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Size comparision visitors can't see pics , please register or login (http://s316.photobucket.com/user/lpponygirl/media/10B4C7AD-9CB0-4842-A10E-DBC10B85A9A8_zpsoxpbvtzi.jpg.html)
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[Edited to remove Caps -Loa] [SECOND Mod Note - Please note the rules - "Moderator's Edited Notes On occasion a Moderator may edit or delete your comments that were posted. These Moderator edits may never be removed. If you have questions, please send a private message to that Moderator and s/he will explain it further with you."]
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: Taxel on February 16, 2017, 04:15:41 PM
Wow, what an amazing group! Those Star Riders horses are absolutely breathtaking.
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: zombienixon on February 16, 2017, 04:59:43 PM
That first one is an almost perfect color match for G4 Scootaloo.
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: Leave a Whisper on February 16, 2017, 05:01:04 PM
They're all so beautiful.
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: josiekat on February 16, 2017, 07:04:06 PM
OH man, where was that girl superhero line when I was growing up?!?! They would have fit in perfectly with my She Ra and Golden Girl dolls!
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: glitterball on February 16, 2017, 08:08:20 PM
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: PrincessTiffy on February 17, 2017, 09:08:42 AM
What great finds! I'm also loving the iridescent girls, especially the white and blue one. How do you come across all these? You have such good luck finding little oddities.
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: Stormy31685 on February 17, 2017, 04:43:26 PM
Beautiful! Congratulations!
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: invaderhorizongreen on February 17, 2017, 06:37:47 PM
wow those are amazing thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: kiwimlp on February 19, 2017, 12:08:26 PM
Beautiful ponies, Ember. That prototype is really unusual :D
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: Shy Violet on February 19, 2017, 08:22:08 PM
They are all absolutely amazing! Those Star Rider horses are especially exciting! Congrats!
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: LunaMoonCustoms1212 on February 20, 2017, 07:35:23 AM
these are some really cool prototypes!!
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: pinkkittywinks on February 20, 2017, 02:35:27 PM
I love those Star Rider horses! What a shame they never made it into production.
It's great to finally see a clear picture of the unfinished orange/pink pony. I saw a poor picture of her years ago in the early 00's on collectors website. There was another pony is the similar, she has a yellow mane instead of pink.
Thank you for sharing.
Love pkw xxx
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: nhal039 on February 21, 2017, 11:13:18 AM
Wow i love those shimmery girls they are impressive
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: Galactica on February 21, 2017, 02:04:13 PM
Wow, some really interesting prototypes indeed! I LOVE LOVE LOVE those Shera horse looking prototypes SO MUCH!
I am also a huge sucker for prototypes- I feel very lucky to own some from Rainbow Brite and the Shimmers.
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: Carebearnmbr46 on February 22, 2017, 08:29:47 PM
:lovey: Those prototypes are so cool!!! :heart: A humongous congrats to you!!! And I think Oleander would be a pretty name for your Star Rider horse. Just a suggestion. :)
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: Ember1 on February 23, 2017, 04:40:22 AM
The star riders horses already came with names. The blue is cloudancer and pink is nightshine. I need a name for the prototype resin royal carriage horse. Im thinking if they had named her it would have been a name that sounded royal.
Any ideas?
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: maycrestmom on February 26, 2017, 05:35:49 AM
oh speaking of amazing prototypes I just stumbled on a blue shy pose bubbles out on wiki = is that girl in our community?? So was that the standard before casting? A wax prototype made? I don't know much about the original pony mold/making process
thanks so much for sharing cool connections to hasbro employees and yay for the artists that think beyond the manufacturing rules and saving history in the making
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: achab1984 on February 27, 2017, 06:53:51 AM
You always have the most amazing finds ever! I also love your pictures!
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: apanda0622 on March 09, 2017, 01:58:53 PM
Wow those Star Riders Horses are awesome!!!
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: HoustonCollector72 on March 09, 2017, 07:57:55 PM
Love the horses :)
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: ladygodiva on March 11, 2017, 10:51:24 AM
Really one does not stop learning!
Title: Re: Amazing Prototype Discoveries
Post by: DazzleKitty on March 11, 2017, 03:40:12 PM
I love those Star Rider horses! They are so shiny! Congrats!