Princess Ponies and Variants

[BabyTaffeta]

Hello Pony peeps

it’s been a while that I posted here but I am again getting into the pony spirit and just got through my collection and of course I went through my favorite set, the Princess Ponies
When I started collecting I had no idea that there are differences with their hoof prints and that the German variants have the Pat Pend scratched out! I think back then when I started this wasn’t known.
Now I looked under all the hooves of my princesses and found out I have a few Germans here! Who wonders because I live in Germany 
I kept a second Serena next to my collection one, I always wondered why she still has such bright pink hair and now I am sure she is the German variant with the bubblegum pink hair because she has the scratched out Pat Pend.
My Sparkle also has the scratched out Pat Pend, also my Starburst, but both have the normal hair color.
So…I am getting into these different releases and variants and are totally not sure what to do with these. I normally don’t collect variants just want my ponies in lovely condition.
Does it make sense to sell them? Or just keep them? Are there people outside who collect these?
Thank you for reading my long story
Please let me know what you guys think?

[Leave a Whisper]

Hi, nice to meet you.

[BabyTaffeta]

Hello
thank you and nice to meet you, too!
I think I need to do a new introduction…it’s been a while since my last post

[pinkkittywinks]

They are German release, you can read about the German Princesses and their variants here:

https://mlparena.com/index.php/topic,400573.0.html

Love pkw xxx

[BabyTaffeta]

They are German release, you can read about the German Princesses and their variants here:

https://mlparena.com/index.php/topic,400573.0.html

Love pkw xxx

Thank you so much!!
That is really a lot of information about the German variants! I always thought that there were only the ones with the different hair colors.
So…still not sure what to do with the ones I have here.

[Taffeta]

All you can do is post and see if people are interested, but, aside the hair colours, I think the pat pending variation is a bit of a niche collecting thing. It's probably more to do with the slightly delayed timeline of release vis a vis the US release, but it's hard to know for sure.

[pinkkittywinks]

Yes Taffeta! That is what I believe, that Germany was slightly behind in the releases compared to the USA and other parts of Europe

There are other very small differences, such as thickness in tinsel and medallion colour as well. There are some great details on Shelti's Princess website too:

http://www.princessvariants.com/PPCATALOG/PPCatMain.html

Love pkw xxx

[BabyTaffeta]

Yes, after reading all these great informations ( thank you so much @pinkkittywinks ) I think I will keep my Princess Sparkle and Princess Starburst in my collection as these two just have the missing PatPend. But my double Serena with the bubble gum hair is maybe something a variant collector would appreciate 
I think I should make some good pictures of her and show her.
Still need to figure out how adding photos here is working

[Carrehz]

there's a guide to uploading photos over here

[Taffeta]

Yes Taffeta! That is what I believe, that Germany was slightly behind in the releases compared to the USA and other parts of Europe

There are other very small differences, such as thickness in tinsel and medallion colour as well. There are some great details on Shelti's Princess website too:

http://www.princessvariants.com/PPCATALOG/PPCatMain.html

Love pkw xxx

The German released princesses were sold on 1988 style cards, unlike here in the UK where they had boxes from 1987 (they were rereleased in 1988). Like the TEs, they were part of the 1988 release over there, not 1987. I think that's definitely a factor in the pat pending being removed.

[BabyTaffeta]

Yes Taffeta! That is what I believe, that Germany was slightly behind in the releases compared to the USA and other parts of Europe

There are other very small differences, such as thickness in tinsel and medallion colour as well. There are some great details on Shelti's Princess website too:

http://www.princessvariants.com/PPCATALOG/PPCatMain.html

Love pkw xxx

The German released princesses were sold on 1988 style cards, unlike here in the UK where they had boxes from 1987 (they were rereleased in 1988). Like the TEs, they were part of the 1988 release over there, not 1987. I think that's definitely a factor in the pat pending being removed.

Yes! All ponies were released one year later here in Germany. I can remember when I was a child my father always brought me ponies from his work in the US and I was always so proud because I had ponies my friends didn’t have because they weren’t released yet here.
So, what about the TAF ponies from the 1987 release? Like Dancing Butterflies and the others? If this is the reason for the missing Pat Pend they should also be TAFs around with the Pat Pend missing?

there's a guide to uploading photos over here

Thank you!!!

[BabyTaffeta]

Ok, I checked most of my childhood ponies and non of these that are bought in Germany have the PatPend on the hooves. I checked my Italian Ponies like Bow Tie, the TEs like Galaxy and also my TAF Dancing Butterflies.
So, the carved out Pat Pend isn’t a think of the date it is a thing of Germany in general 

[pinkkittywinks]

Ok, I checked most of my childhood ponies and non of these that are bought in Germany have the PatPend on the hooves. I checked my Italian Ponies like Bow Tie, the TEs like Galaxy and also my TAF Dancing Butterflies.
So, the carved out Pat Pend isn’t a think of the date it is a thing of Germany in general 

The idea that if there is "no PAT PEND mark, then it must be German" isn't always true. The "rule" applies to only certain ponies and certain releases: most notably the Big Brothers and Princess Ponies. I am sure that there are other ponies that lack a PAT PEND stamp because they were intended for the German/Austrian/parts of Europe market but I don't know them off the top of my head since regular issue ponies are not my area of expertise

The patient for MLP was granted in around 1987, so everything made after this date should have the PAT PEND stamp removed/missing. Also at a similar time manufacturing was moved from Hong Kong to China, via Thailand and "No Country" (a place we have yet to identify, but know if not Spain or any other place we know of, it is possible it is China before the China stamp was used).

So, between 1987-1989 there are a whole variety of hoof marks including; China, Hong Kong, Thailand, No Country and all variations in between with and without PAT PEND stamps. The "Loving Family" ponies have a crazy number of hoof stamp variants and it is something that collectors go out of their way to find.

Italy ponies are their own "thing" since they were made for the market within Italy, but also manufactured for export. They were made between 1983 and 1987, when manufacturing cease and and DAG started distributing imported HK and China ponies. There were several factories and several locations and there is a great variety of versions and variants.

https://mlparena.com/index.php/topic,398994.msg1819791.html#msg1819791

I know I have seen Italian ponies with and without PAT PEND stamps, but have not ever fully looked into it as as regards tracking a release pattern. Though I would imagine that ponies lacking a PAT PEND stamp would be later issue/release ponies

Love pkw xxx

[BabyTaffeta]

I got the thing with the patent after 1987 but my childhood ponies bought in Germany have all the Pat Pend carved out, even the ones my parents bought me before 1987. Even the Babys like Baby Cotton Candy and including the German exclusives like Lemon Drop. And they all were released in Germany before 1987.
So I don’t know but I find this quite interesting.

[pinkkittywinks]

Ahh yes Baby CC with no PAT PENDing is an interesting one, what a neat find in your collection along with Lemondrop They were sold on a card rather than boxed with accessories such as a play pen or buggy in Lemondrops case?

https://www.etherella.com/scrapbook2/germany_babyponies.htm

I still get super confused with those Babies and have to check Taffetas page and my notes and I am still sure there is some information missing

Love pkw xxx