Mail Order Applejack on eBay??

[frevill3]

I just saw someone listed a mail order version of Applejack on eBay for $1500. I messaged and they said she was ordered through JC Penny using horse shoe points. That doesn't sound like anything I've heard of. Any idea if this is real?
Thanks!
Marilyn

[princessluna11706]

Hmm.. I've never heard of this personally. 

[LadyMoondancer]

I don't know about horseshoe points, but you could buy ponies by mail order from JC Penney's and similar stores.   They came in a box, and inside the box they were mint in bag.

They are not quite "mail orders" the way the TAF babies are mail orders--not specially created to be mail orders.  They were ponies who were currently in stores, only you could order them through a catalog instead.

Is it the $1500 auction?  She's not worth that much, lol.  But she does appear to be genuine.

[Ponyfan]

I don't know about horseshoe points, but you could buy ponies by mail order from JC Penney's and similar stores.   They came in a box, and inside the box they were mint in bag.

They are not quite "mail orders" the way the TAF babies are mail orders--not specially created to be mail orders.  They were ponies who were currently in stores, only you could order them through a catalog instead.

I was going to mention this also. I think someone had a box from a catalog ordered pony once and it had the ponies on the top but no story?

Ponyfan

[LadyMoondancer]

Yeah, I think those were Sears ponies.  Looks like the JC Penney's ponies didn't get such a nice box, just plain white.

[princessluna11706]

I don't know about horseshoe points, but you could buy ponies by mail order from JC Penney's and similar stores.   They came in a box, and inside the box they were mint in bag.

They are not quite "mail orders" the way the TAF babies are mail orders--not specially created to be mail orders.  They were ponies who were currently in stores, only you could order them through a catalog instead.

Oh wow, I had no idea.  You learn something new everyday

[frevill3]

Wow!! Very cool! Thank you for that information! I thought that price seemed a bit high. I had not heard of this way to get a My Little Pony!! I will have to find one for my collection! 

[lunar_scythe]

The boxed catalog ponies (I don't know if it was just JC Penny, or if other stores did them too?)  are pretty rare, I got a FF Blue Belle(shocking, right?) off ebay a year or two ago for like $50? Maybe less but I am certain it wasn't any more than that.

[LadyMoondancer]

To add a little more context, imagine you live in a small town and it's a long drive to get to a store.  But every year you receive in the mail several big, inch thick catalogs coming in the mail, full of clothes, furniture, electronics, and TOYS TOYS TOYS.  (And even food!  I remember being mesmerized by the pages advertising petit fours with "MERRY CHRISTMAS" written on them in icing.)  You can get your family members to make up Christmas lists and then shop for them without ever leaving home.  It was sort of the precursor to internet shopping.    Except you had to wait six to eight weeks for delivery!

Off the top of my head, I know the following stores had wishbooks:

Sears
Montgomery Ward
JC Penney

Sears had the best one, without a doubt.

Here are some links to some of them:

Montomery Ward 1984 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/wishbook/sets/72157604389330948/

Sears 1983 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/wishbook/albums/72057594058700769/page6\

Page from JC Penney 1986:  http://lh6.ggpht.com/_CKBuVYqo2Sw/Syj4GIolY2I/AAAAAAAABqI/47c-cz7i6FI/SearsChristmas_1986_P398_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800

Also a blog post that perfectly sums up the magic of looking through the wish books:  http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0969/

[Ponyfan]

Here's a couple more scans featuring ponies.

Spoiler

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I saved  these off of Wishbook web. I know I saw a page with Dream Castle and the early ponies on it but I guess I didn't save that one.   


Ponyfan