Let's Talk G1 Original Ribbons! PICS

[ValeofSpring]

I love G1 accessories, and one of my biggest loves is . . . RIBBONS.

Beautiful beautiful ribbons! 

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I have been collecting since 1998 (excluding my original 1984-1990 years), and while I have kept my collection quite small through lots of selling, I have pretty much kept all the ribbons I've gotten.  And now I have lots of them!  I do love putting the right (?) ribbon on each of my ponies . . .

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Ribbons came packaged like this . . . they seem so simple, don't they?

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But . . . original ribbons can be a bit confusing.  How can we be sure a ribbon is original?  And is there any way of knowing which ribbon went with which pony?

I'm hoping this post can be a place where members can ask and answer questions about G1 ribbons and/or post pics!

Some facts (?) about G1 original ribbons:

1) Typically, G1 ribbons average about 9 inches (23 centimeters) long.

and

2) They are *usually* cut so that the ends are parallel diagonals (see below).

and

3) They have "beading" along the edges (though the beading pattern varies, it is usually consists of very small beads).

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(These guidelines exclude Princess and Flutter ribbons and other special ribbons (I believe BnG ponies have especially long ribbons--anyone here know how long?).)

4) As there is some variation in length, there is also (perhaps somewhat confusingly) variation in width.  G1 ribbons average around 1/4 inch (6/10 of a centimeter) in width.  In looking at my ribbons, I've found that there are generally three widths.  They are best described as 5/10, 6/10, and 7/10 of a centimeter. 

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Note that the ribbons above have different beading (edges) and weaves (the weave on the bottom one being noticeably different).  Any ideas on using weave as a determining factor?

5) Texture/finish is one of the most crucial elements of determining if a ribbon is original, yet it is hard to describe.  Original ribbons are *usually* matte rather than glossy.  Original ribbons also tend to be soft rather than stiff. 

Some exceptions to the matte rule are Sundance's ribbon, which is glossy AND is also a bit longer than other standard G1 ribbons.  The green pretty parlor ribbon is also glossy (at least the ones I've seen):

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Can you spot the differences?

An original ribbon (top) with ribbons I've concluded are imposters:

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New "original" ribbon?

The kind of ribbon you can buy at places like Michael's (Offray brand) looks a lot like original ribbon . . .

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It is the right width, can be cut to the right length, and has similar beading at the edges.  In fact in this pic, when the green Offray is compared to a yellow original ribbon, they are *quite* similar. 

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What tells them apart is finish/texture.  The Offray ribbon is slightly stiffer and shinier than the original ribbon (which feels more cloth-like).  There may be other brands that match even more closely.

Matching ribbons with ponies

I'm not going to say much about this, but it does come up from time to time in our forums.  Most pinks and yellows are impossible to match because so many ponies came with those colors.  Some ponies I think are fairly easy to match up with the right ribbon are:

Sunlight, Sparkler, and Powder (I *think* they all came with the same deep pink ribbon), Cherries Jubilee (a kind of chartreuse color), Surprise (a medium purple), Sundance (as seen above, shiny, medium blue, and longer than average), and the green Pretty Parlor ribbon (distinctive color and shine).

Of course, ribbons can fade with time, get dirty, etc., AND the same pony did not always come with exactly the same ribbon.  I remember opening up different Waterfall boxes in the store as a child (bad me, I know!) b/c I wanted Sprinkles w/ a green ribbon and she often came with more of a bright yellow-green (I was accessory-crazed even then.  And remember that, unlike today, the boxes were sealed with a single piece of scotch tape).

I'm in the process of selling off many of my ribbons, but I wanted to make a post about them before too many of them fly off to other collectors.  Please share any thoughts/edits/comments/questions!

[Rosette]

Thanks for this!  As a child, I chucked ribbons and brushes in the trash along with all my GI Joe guns.  I thought accessories got in the way of playing.  Funny I've become an accessory nut now, but ribbons still intimidate me.  I'm scared to claim anything is original because I just don't know.  I'll have to look through my ribbons again with more focus on texture. 

[Sunshine]

I love you (And I love Ribbons!!)

[FairyDust]

Along with all that was mentioned the MLP original ribbons are the same texture and matte shine on both sides.  Some imposter ribbons are one sided, but not all of them are.  The texture and shine are the most easiest differences to spot for me.

I like this thread.  I love ribbons too and look over time sometimes to see if there is any differences.  Oddly though I normally don't put the original ribbons on the ponies but keep them in my mlp accessory box.  Maybe some day I'll put some ribbons on some of the ponies.

[QueenStarglow]

Thanks for posting this! I'm a ribbon-nut too and I've used the Ribbon Boutique brand for replacements ribbons, so if anyone can't find the Offray brand, these look great, too.

[Crowning_Glory13]

I hope to see more pictures of ponies with their ribbons:) I regret selling/trading mine:(

[Sunshine]

I actually have to mention there's a weight difference it seems to me between the "imposter" new ribbon (which I use to dress up my sales ponies) and the old ribbons. The older ones are definitely... bulkier, in my opinion. Better made. A sign of the times, lol but, when I have a group of pony ribbons in my hand versus a group of other ribbons, I can always FEEL a difference...

[Einhornbaby]

I love original ribbons putting the right ribbons on a pony is so wonderful! <3

[ashlite]

I've honestly wondered for a while how to tell the difference between a fake ribbon and an original. This is a really good post! Thanks for sharing so much information!

[ValeofSpring]

Thanks for this!  As a child, I chucked ribbons and brushes in the trash along with all my GI Joe guns.  I thought accessories got in the way of playing.

Too bad we weren't friends in the 80s--I would have happily taken all your discarded ribbons and brushes!

I actually have to mention there's a weight difference it seems to me between the "imposter" new ribbon (which I use to dress up my sales ponies) and the old ribbons. The older ones are definitely... bulkier, in my opinion. Better made. A sign of the times, lol but, when I have a group of pony ribbons in my hand versus a group of other ribbons, I can always FEEL a difference...

YES!  You are right about weight.  The originals are slightly heavier.  Actually, when comparing the originals with the Offray ribbon, it looks like the originals have a higher thread count (the weave is smaller), which may account for why they are softer.  Also the originals have a more cloth-like feel, while the Offray ribbon feels slightly more paper-like.  The cloth/paper difference also contributes to weight.  As you know, these are *very* slight differences, but once you handle enough ribbons, you get used to them!

[toyjunky]

I remember my mom cutting the ends of my ribbons when they would get frayed, or even just replacing all together (she sewed, so had lots of ribbon laying around). I have to say that I am probably guilty of throwing out ribbons without even thinking about them (before I was back into collecting ponies or also when cleaning my room as a teenager/kid). Anybody else guilty of ribbon tossing?

Thank you for posting this. I will keep those descriptions in mind (especially length) when going through boxes of "junk" in the future. My family had a bad habit.....if somebody was coming over, quickly grab stuff laying around (or night before) and put it in a box. The problem was, a lot of the time, my mother (or myself even when cleaning) never got around to unpacking the boxes. So over the years there are all sorts of "junk" misc boxes stashed in various places or closets in my parents home.

[ValeofSpring]

Along with all that was mentioned the MLP original ribbons are the same texture and matte shine on both sides.  Some imposter ribbons are one sided, but not all of them are.  The texture and shine are the most easiest differences to spot for me.

FairyDust, I meant to say in my previous post that I appreciate this info b/c I had not realized that before!  Another fact to keep in mind as we attempt to separate the authentic from the non  

You're welcome to all above who said thanks!  I enjoyed putting this together.  It's making parting with much of my ribbon hoard more bearable!

[Sunshine]

Thanks for this!  As a child, I chucked ribbons and brushes in the trash along with all my GI Joe guns.  I thought accessories got in the way of playing.

Too bad we weren't friends in the 80s--I would have happily taken all your discarded ribbons and brushes!

I actually have to mention there's a weight difference it seems to me between the "imposter" new ribbon (which I use to dress up my sales ponies) and the old ribbons. The older ones are definitely... bulkier, in my opinion. Better made. A sign of the times, lol but, when I have a group of pony ribbons in my hand versus a group of other ribbons, I can always FEEL a difference...

YES!  You are right about weight.  The originals are slightly heavier.  Actually, when comparing the originals with the Offray ribbon, it looks like the originals have a higher thread count (the weave is smaller), which may account for why they are softer.  Also the originals have a more cloth-like feel, while the Offray ribbon feels slightly more paper-like.  The cloth/paper difference also contributes to weight.  As you know, these are *very* slight differences, but once you handle enough ribbons, you get used to them!

Yes yes the texture is softer, that's exactly right too! The offray seem like they're paper-weights, like if you drop them, they fall like feathers - the original ribbons have some... umph to them., they fall "heavier".

[hathorcat]

What a fantastic thread Thank you so much for sharing.

As a quick addition, some of the later UK/Euro ribbons also have a shiny finish similar to that from the Pretty Parlour as well just to add some confusion.

[CrazyCatPony]

I think I was a ribbon toss kid, I don't think I knew what they were for. I kinda remember tying them around the neck but I think for the most part they ended up in the floor then the trash.... Probably what happened to the brushes to. Still not to into accessories but I think the ribbons are really cute!