Odd G1 Schoolhouse Play set?

[nemubones]

So I'm kinda confused and curious as today I finally got my European Schoolhouse play set and it came with a MIB Lemon drop with it. Were there some countries that included her in this play set? From what I've seen and read there was no pony included with this but my box has a sticker with "pony included" and was still sealed when I got it. Any thoughts on this?

[Einhornbaby]

Never heard of this before. Do you have any pics?

[nemubones]

Yeah I do, I felt bad to open it but I was curious to know which pony it was.
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I was still sealed both sides:
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and a minty Lemondrop
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[misskindle]

I've heard that near the end of the G1 years Hasbro sent overstock ponies from the US to be sold on the UK market in plastic baggies cheap. Maybe that's what happened here? They got a lot of mail order ponies and other exclusives this way.

[nemubones]

That makes sense, still funny she got thrown in but she is nice.

[daffodil101]

How beautiful is that box!  The playset must be amazing.  I'd have found it tempting to open, too!  Congrats on your new addition and sweet little Lemon Drop 

[Juliepants]

What a lovely play set! I'd love this!! I'd heard the same thing about them sticking random spare ponies in play sets towards the end of the line in Europe. Think it was pot luck who you'd end up with!

Jules x

[LadyGuinevere]

I do seem to recall that surplus MO (and gift pack) ponies were used in schoolhouse and kitchen playsets at th  end of th  line. Hadn't heard of LD being o e of them, but since she is China, it seems likely she was MO overstock

[SkyCakes]

I think what everyone said is probably what happened extra stock and all. I just would of liked to imagine myself as that kid when they find a different pony instead of what is on the box.

[nemubones]

Thank you everyone  for the help on solving this little mystery. I'm super happy to own this play set finally as its super cute and having the box too! I wonder if they did this with the Kitchen play set too?

[LadyPinwheel]

Wow! Nice find! May I ask from what country did this play set come from? Is that the box is so different from the ones I usually see.

[hathorcat]

Yes it happened a lot with the School and the Kitchen. Sometimes it was random MIP ponies (ponies that had been packed MIP in their original release...so they were no doubt spare stock) or occassionally they were actual MOC ponies. My MIB Kitchen came with a MOC Sweet Delight! The MIPs were the more common type of pony included.

[Taffeta]

Thank you everyone  for the help on solving this little mystery. I'm super happy to own this play set finally as its super cute and having the box too! I wonder if they did this with the Kitchen play set too?

 They did it with surplus ponies a lot. I have a Baby Nightcap from a Kitchen set in this way.

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 I thnik I heard the twins from that Slumber set also appeared in this kind of release and with Kitchens.

Also, UK stores liked to do their own combination offers. I remember Argos with Snuzzle and Baby Bow Tie's Stroller (go figure) and with the Kitchen, Woolworths did an offer in 1992 whereby they physically folded and shoved a Teeny Weeny pony ON CARD inside the playset, because I got my Little Rattles (Whiskers) that way with my kitchen. Such an inappropriate choice of pony but I guess she was small enough.

Isn't the MIP Spring Song also from one of these kinds of releases?

Like LadyG, I didn't know Lemon Drop was one of those used but it doesn't surprise me since the School was out at the same rough time as ShowStable II with CHinese Lemon Drop. Lemon Drop was a very popular pony in Europe, apparently >.> at least Hasbro thought so. Show Stable II is often called the German Stable or Pony Haus, because some websites have called it that, but it's actually a pan-European issue under the original playset name so it's not at all odd there'd be Chinese Lemon Drops in circulation in UK boxes.

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I know Mum and Dad got my Lemon Drop from Hasbro around this time to go with my 2nd hand stable and she was Chinese, too - I imagine they had a lot of them, especially since the 2nd stable is a lot less common here than the first. So Lemon Drop isn't a US import like some of the otherswhich honestly makes a lot more sense than Baby Nightcap (who didn't get a proper release here but a lot of end of like releases ><)

The box is the normal UK box. It's the same as the one I had from childhood, only less abused (which is probably why it looks different!)

One question: Nemubones, does your playset come with a bell pull rope? For some reason mine never had one from new although it was listed on the box.

[hathorcat]

The MIP Spring Song was from a special release - it was an actual boxed set featuring Spring Song, Sunnybunch and Sky Rocket - not so much an "added extra"

[Taffeta]

The MIP Spring Song was from a special release - it was an actual boxed set featuring Spring Song, Sunnybunch and Sky Rocket - not so much an "added extra"

Interesting. I have heard about these kinds of issues but this is one I haven't seen. Do you remember if it was store specific or just at the end of the line in some areas of the country?