Taffeta yes Cotton Cany has Blossom's sticker.
I honestly hadn't spotted the Rainbows all have the wrong stickers, I was too busy looking at Windy's symbol :P
Love pkw xxx
You'll like Greek Windy then as the symbols are almost identical :)
http://mlparena.com/archive/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=384353
I do wonder if the Italy factory got this image as Windy and Moonstone are in the walking pose :)
Love pkw xxx
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I also wonder whether that prototype image was somehow inspiration for the Italian production when they were looking at what they were making....
I also wonder whether that prototype image was somehow inspiration for the Italian production when they were looking at what they were making....
I wonder if early US prototypes were the basis for some international variations.
Euro Movie Star Wind Whistler and Buttons have the same symbols as the prototype So Softs (http://www.shortpacked.com/images/misc/ToyFair1986-MLPpage02.jpg) shown in the Hasbro 86 toy fair catalog, while the actual produced so softs have different ones. Although this could have been done mainly to make the euro editions look more like the animated counterparts.
I also remember that the packing numbers were uneven for this group, with Moondancer being the most short-packed one (only two per box) whereas I think Twilight had six. This makes me a bit suspicious of these numbers b/c Moondancer clearly sold better than Twilight and Sunbeam (even if you count out the Year 3 reissue).
It is completely believable that there were more Cotton Candys than other ponies in the packs.
I also remember that the packing numbers were uneven for this group, with Moondancer being the most short-packed one (only two per box) whereas I think Twilight had six. This makes me a bit suspicious of these numbers b/c Moondancer clearly sold better than Twilight and Sunbeam (even if you count out the Year 3 reissue).
It is completely believable that there were more Cotton Candys than other ponies in the packs.
Maybe they flipped the names by accident? Just going by what I've found over the years, Moondancer is more common than Twilight - while neither is rare, I've seen more or as many Moondancers as Glorys, and more of either one than Twilight. Which is odd, given she's pink and we know how much Hasbro loved offering pink ponies.
The UK catalogue photo prototypes for this set have the US symbols, and Buttons here had both big buttons and buttons and stars symbols. The backcard of the US card has the European buttons and stars symbol, whilst the card of the European release has the US big buttons symbol. There is so much WRONGness in the relationship between the SS and Movie Star sets that it makes my head hurt. I really, honestly don't know what happened with the Buttons thing, either. It would make sense that the Euro ones were designed after original images from North America, but it doesn't explain why we had two versions of Buttons...and nothing, probably, ever will...
I used to have the Year 2 sellers page with the regular Unicorns/Pegasi (sadly did not scan it!) and what was so odd was that the prototypes for the unicorns had some of the head molds switched . . . I can't recall which ones, but basically Twilight, Sunbeam, Glory, and Moondancer were all a bit different from each other b/c they used the Glory-type head mold on the Moondancer-type body mold and vice versa for two of them. So odd! Wish I had the pic to share.
Not the whole of the 1987 year, as some ponies, like Mountain Boys and Princesses, had nothing to do with the movie, but definitely the characters we didn't have already from the movie, and Megan and Sundance seem to have been to cover those gaps. So probably you're right. They didn't even give them backcard stories, just movie promotion in the case of Shady's set. That said, they do appear in the same catalogue as the MBs and co - I just assume they were done first and out first, as their cards are dated 1986, not 1987.
I think you've mentioned in another thread, the theory that the UK 1987 line was thrown together quickly in order to coincide with the release of the movie in the UK?
Hmm, interesting! Could Hasbro have switched things up partway through the run after seeing how well Moondancer was selling? It would make sense that they wanted Twilight to be well represented, because she is "the pink one" of the unicorns, but she's also the one I come across the least.
Moondancer and Glory were also sold in Year 3, which would also explain why there are more of them, but at the same time I also see a lot more Sunbeams than Twilights.
I don't think the script writers knew which ponies were shortpacked. I think Hasbro was like "So, these are the ponies for the year" and they were able to choose whichever ones they wanted to use.
I think in Year 2 the Hasbro people also told the script writers "We are designing Rainbow Ponies, not fully worked out yet, let's just include a generic rainbow-haired pony, no one will ever think about it" and voila that strange rainbow-haired creature with Twinkles on her back was born.
I've also wondered how Hasbro decided who got babies. Did they pick the ponies that sold the most or they thought was more popular?It was most likely a combination of different factors that determined how the baby sets were put together. Hasbro knew which ponies had sold well previously, hence a large portion of every baby set is made up of adults from the previous year. But Hasbro also wanted to advertise the new adults of the current year, which why they also get at least one baby for each set. Then they need to choose ponies in colors that add variety and look good together as a group. Also some symbols may have worked better on a smaller area than others. Maybe the designers also had their own favorites which could influence the choices.
In the switch from Year 3 to 4 US, it's interesting that Hasbro chose Cherries Jubilee to continue into Year 4 considering that the more obvious choice was Sparkler (to match the pairs that moved forward: Posey/Lickety-Split (earth) and Heart Throb/Surprise (pegasi). But I'm guessing CJ sold better so they put her in alongside Gusty.This is an interesting thought! I would have loved to see a so soft Sparkler! I'm not sure if this was because CJ sold better though (of course it could have been in part). It could also have been because they thought CJ was a better fit for the set. It adds some more pose and color variety to the group. Plus there was already a blue unicorn in the set (Ribbon), and it seemed like Hasbro wanted to tone down the presence of unicorns in year 4, in favor of more pegasi (which there were less of in years 2-3).
I think in Year 2 the Hasbro people also told the script writers "We are designing Rainbow Ponies, not fully worked out yet, let's just include a generic rainbow-haired pony, no one will ever think about it" and voila that strange rainbow-haired creature with Twinkles on her back was born.
Of course, I can't say what the logic was in the UK or Euro lines, where some babies were sold even though their parents weren't. XD
There is no logic. Simple :)
A while ago on another board (maybe the TP, if someone wants to check?) someone had a product catalog of the porcelain ponies Extra Special made, and the First Born porcelain matched the mystery rainbow pony. The porcelain's hair colors and symbol were eventually altered before release so that she looks the way First Born looks today. In the prototype image, the porcelain's symbol went over just the rump instead of the entirety of the back like it does in the final version.
A while ago on another board (maybe the TP, if someone wants to check?) someone had a product catalog of the porcelain ponies Extra Special made, and the First Born porcelain matched the mystery rainbow pony. The porcelain's hair colors and symbol were eventually altered before release so that she looks the way First Born looks today. In the prototype image, the porcelain's symbol went over just the rump instead of the entirety of the back like it does in the final version.
I hope someone can find this picture.
Does anyone else think Blossom puffy sticker looks funny? :P
Love pkw xxx
I'm kind of confused about the distribution numbers thing though. Did they sell all of them together or something? I thought you chose which ponies you wanted when ordering?
Oh, I get it! That's kind of weird still though, that they'd have different amounts of each pony in a box? I'd think they'd all be the same amount. Weird.
Maybe Hasbro was biased towards Cotton Candy or something lol.
Pink sells...But Who's Buying?Oh, I get it! That's kind of weird still though, that they'd have different amounts of each pony in a box? I'd think they'd all be the same amount. Weird.
Maybe Hasbro was biased towards Cotton Candy or something lol.
Absolutely! They still use this today. If a retailer orders a box of 6 fashion styles, you would get 4 Pinkie Pies and only 2 Coco Pommels. Their convinced that pink sells.