Rainbow Baby Ponies and their curious variations.

[Taffeta]

Hi all.

So I'm making an annual tradition now of buying a US released Rainbow baby from ponycon, and I thought I'd make a post about it because I'm curious to know whether this really is about US/Europe and the timings of the releases vis-a-vis when Hasbro were having issues with their old hair supplier, or if it's just another random coincidence.

So I don't have the alternate version of Brightbow yet, and exchange rates are very bad at the moment so I guess I'll be looking for her next year at ponycon But now I have the other three, I can make some observations about what I have and would love to hear other people's about what they have. Especially if they know where they were originally sold and if they had them as a kid. Would especially love to know about people with these in Australia or New Zealand and surrounding areas as I literally know nothing about their release down there.

I know a lot gets said about Starbow so it's almost not worth mentioning, but I think it's pretty much for sure that the one with purple hair is much more common in Europe and the one with blue is much more common in the States and Canada.

Spoiler

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Purple hair streak (bought in the Uk from new, had UK backcard in English)
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Blue hair streak. Bought at ponycon, probably 2011, believe originated in the US

Not so much gets said about the others, but...

Sunribbon:

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Bought from a carboot sale in the UK
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 (Pony on the left) bought at ponycon 2015. Believed to originate in the US but I think from a UK collector

Rainribbon:

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Childhood, bought new in the UK, on English language UK backcard
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Bought from ponycon from US collector, origin confirmed as the US

Brightbow

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Childhood, bought new in the UK, on English language backcard

So of my ones sourced from the UK, 3 out of 4 were bought new here and the fourth turned up second hand here at a general carboot sale.

What I noticed about the ones I have variations for.

-Those sourced in the UK generally have thicker rooted hair and it is of poorer quality, more prone to frizz.

-There are sometimes slight shade differences of body tone and hair colour, especially the peach in Sunribbon's hair and the blue/aqua in Bright Bow and Rain Ribbon. Of course, the purple/blue streak counts here too.

-Those sourced in the UK occasionally show curly hair. I don't remember Bright Bow ever having curly hair though the others all do to a minor extent in one colour streak.

-All babies are made in China.

Would love to know about rainbow babies in other collections.

[Haruna]

Interesting! I think others will be able to help you out more since mine are mostly in storage right now, but I remember them pretty well since they were grails of mine. I purchased them all from U.S. sellers in the early 2000s and I'm pretty sure they're all U.S. ponies, since there wasn't as much crossover back then. All have very straight hair (straighter than most baby ponies) and it's very smooth, with the possible exception of Sunribbon; I remember her mane as being very thick and a little coarse, but not too bad. I don't have any pictures, unfortunately, and can only get to Rainribbon, who was made in China.

[Mainsail]

They look really pretty with curlier/poofier hair! Suddenly I want to collect the rest of the Rainbow Baby ponies.... I only have Rainribbon but her hair was chopped before I got her. Her hair is straight, though.

[Taffeta]

It's a delicate balance between pretty and slightly curly and frizzy. Both Rainribbon and Bright Bow from my childhood have some frizzies now, unfortunately.

They're all made in China so I'm sure it must be to do with the changes in hair and the fact we had them a bit later...that's all I can think of.