Do ponies and other girl's toys always get the short end of the stick?

[Freeindeed]

It's been bothering me more and more lately that it seems like ponies and other girl's toys just don't get much when it comes to collectibles. I mean, I was just at Toys R Us a few days ago and they had a giant wall of retro Power Rangers stuff for the 20th Anniversary, and there were retro-styled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles too. I have also seen retro He-Man figures recently, and it seems like every time you turn around Hasbro is reissuing retro Star Wars figures.

Why don't they do the same thing with the girl's toys? Why don't we get retro reissues of things like Littlest Pet Shop, Polly Pocket, My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, or Care Bears? My Little Pony turns 30 this year, and as far as I know, there are no plans for any type of retro reissues. But yet, if one of the boy lines was turning 30 they'd be all over that. I just... don't really get it, and I wonder why that is. I don't know, maybe it's just me... but doesn't it seem like we always get the short end of the stick?

I posted a little bit more about this in my new blog if anyone would like to read it:

http://goodboytoys.blogspot.com/2013/08/girls-like-toys-too.html

[June]

Hmm, there were 25th anniversary G1 ponies, but I guess they are more concentrated on G4 now and maybe EQG?
I've read your post and I'm guessing it is because, generally speaking, men have more purchasing power than women, so sellers assume they will earn more money this way? If they are just resellers, it comes to that, sadly I've wandered about similar questions for various things a few times and answers mostly contained some kind of profit behind it.

[BowtieG1]

I am dissapointed that they aren't doing anything for 30 years, but after the 25 years G1 re-releases flop I doubt they're willing to try anything

[Artsy Craftsy]

I agree with Bowtie. Although a really cool thing they could've done was turn some of the G1 ponies into G4s and sold them as a special set

In b4: don't have license to reproduce G1s

[BigHicks1977]

I collect both boy and girl toys and I agree they dont do much of anything for girls retro toys and it does suck BUT what that does do for me is make my vintage girls toys feel that much more important to me

[June]

In b4: don't have license to reproduce G1s

Why is that?

I am dissapointed that they aren't doing anything for 30 years, but after the 25 years G1 re-releases flop I doubt they're willing to try anything

What happened with the re-releases? I wasn't into collecting back then so I don't know. I've only noticed that they aren't worth much.

[LightingElectricDream]

It's likely that they will have to make a replica Because Hasbro doesn't have many G1 Pony molds. for the 25th they made new molds. It takes time money effort. And they probably don't want to deal with with it this time around. However they may keep the tradition of doing it every 25th 35th 45th ect.

[achab1984]

I thought the released 25th ponies old well. They sold out fast in the places that I had seen them in.  But I do agree girls toys do not get much love

[BowtieG1]

I am dissapointed that they aren't doing anything for 30 years, but after the 25 years G1 re-releases flop I doubt they're willing to try anything

What happened with the re-releases? I wasn't into collecting back then so I don't know. I've only noticed that they aren't worth much.

They just sort of flopped. They didn't really sell and a lot of people complained about low quality and not being accurate enough. I never bothered getting any.

In b4: don't have license to reproduce G1s

Why is that?

The copyright ran out, thats why Faust couldn't use G1 ponies for FiM.

[Freeindeed]

Hmm, that's a good point about making the vintage girl toys seem all the more special... I never thought of it that way! But I admit I still get a little jealous when I see all the other retro toys coming back but nothing again for us ladies.

What I don't understand is... Hasbro always says they destroy their old molds. But yet, they reissue things like Star Wars and G.I. Joe in old molds. They must recast them somehow if they really don't keep them. Why are they willing to go through the expense for the guys but not for us?

[elish2]

Hmm, that's a good point about making the vintage girl toys seem all the more special... I never thought of it that way! But I admit I still get a little jealous when I see all the other retro toys coming back but nothing again for us ladies.

What I don't understand is... Hasbro always says they destroy their old molds. But yet, they reissue things like Star Wars and G.I. Joe in old molds. They must recast them somehow if they really don't keep them. Why are they willing to go through the expense for the guys but not for us?

And it is not like they can't buy one off of ebay or a collector and make a mold from those ones lol 

[scarletjul]

I don't know, I think the idea that a re-release wouldn't sell is because they didn't sell last last time is short-sighted - whether or not that is actually Hasbro's belief.  The retro re-releases were 5 years ago and the vote for how much people would pay for them was even before that.  The. Collecting community has to have changed since then.  There's certainly more collectors, with a big influx of people who came on board with FiM.   With the continued, and in my opinion, increased popularity of retro-themed, licensed merchandise, I'm sure there's a pretty big market out there for some actual toys.  I can't believe Hasbro just keeps looking at 5 year old data and goes "Nope.  They didn't like it last time.  We will never try anything again." 

I mean, it wasn't like it was New Coca-Cola  or something. 

[minamarie]

just what i thought when i browsed collectors apps- for every kind of actionfigure but no for pony  neeeeeeeed

[Rosencrantz]

I'm guessing it is because, generally speaking, men have more purchasing power than women, so sellers assume they will earn more money this way?

This is actually false. Women do most of the household buying, but men are treated as the better demographic and you can see this disparity in a lot of advertising and products. So you're half right.

[starrypawz]

I think its just a bit of a stigma.
Stuff that tends to be aimed at boys is always sort of in the collectivness of pop culture of being 'cool' like superheroes and whatever, but stuff that is aimed at girls tends to be 'cute' and doesn't have such a pull.

Like why it seems okay for a guy to have a comic book collection and action figures but a woman with say a doll collection is considered weird.