Collector Pose Ponies - Regular Version v. Mail Order

[millenium0chi]

Hi, everybody!

Is there a good way to tell the difference between one of the regular store versions of the original collector pose ponies (i.e. Cotton Candy) and the ones that were available via mail order?  Obviously, the ones that are mint in their package (bubble card v. mail order plastic bag) are self-explanatory.  But are there physical differences, different markings or color differences that might tip off a buyer?  Are there any differences in value of a loose pony either way?

[LadyMoondancer]

Not as far as I know.

Some people will tell you that the darker pink Cotton Candy is a mail order, but I can definitively say that is not accurate . . . because I still have my childhood concave Cotton Candy, who is dark pink, and she was the Year 2 carded version.  (I still have her backcard too!    )

The thing is, Cotton Candy was released as a storebought concave pony in two different years--the end of Year 1, and in Year 2--and those ponies might be different.  Then, in addition, she wasn't released as a mail order just once, she was released as a mail order multiple times.  (The Collector ponies were like Hasbro's go-to mail order set.)  And there may be differences between different mail order sets as well.

There really isn't any price difference between the various concave Cotton Candies.  It's just personal preference.

[millenium0chi]

Thank you!

I ask because I have a very nice concave foot Cotton Candy that I recently purchased from another collector over on the MLPTP.  She's really beautiful and her colors seem to be brighter than what I'm used to seeing in the abundant pics that are out there on ebay and, really, all over the place.  So I wasn't sure if she's just in REALLY great condition, or if there are actual variances.

I guess that leads to a follow up question, though.  Would I be able to definitively know if she's actually one of the later 25th anniversary repros that were made?  The hoof on my CC says 1982.  Did the repros have a different year marking?  I hope I DON'T have a repro, but when I saw how pretty she was in person, that fear crossed my mind.  LoL

[Skeen]

Yes, you'd know if she was a repro. 

[LadyMoondancer]

The 25th anniversary Repros have bright pink hair and their hooves are completely different--stamped with the year they were released as a repro set.  (I can't remember exactly the year, but in the 2000's.) 

This is what repro Cotton Candy looks like:

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[millenium0chi]

Thank you, ladies!  Mine is definitely NOT a repro, then.  You're the best, thank you!

[LadyMoondancer]

No problem!  Enjoy your lovely Cotton Candy!