Prototype ponies

[sweetie_pie_48427]

Hello everyone. I've been trying to do some research, but I can't really find an answer. How can I tell between a g1 prototype pony and a pony that someone was making into a custom, but for some reason was unable to finish? I know prototypes are rare, but they do pop up occasionally. There is someone somewhat local to me who is selling some that she swears they are prototypes. I can tell when it's a poorly executed custom, but I know there are some amazing artists who can make it look like the real deal. Thanks for any info.

[pinkkittywinks]

This is difficult.

Where are you located? I believe (from memory) most of the prototypes have come from around the Rhode Island area and the owner has some sort of connection with Hasbro.

There are some pictures of known prototypes here in the MLParena Nirvana Gallery.

https://pinkkittywinks.wixsite.com/mlparenagallery

Without seeing pictures it is hard to advise.

Love pkw xxx

[LadyMoondancer]

Can you describe what the ponies look like?  Does she have pictures?   And did she say what the origin of the ponies was?  And, yeah, does she live in Rhode Island, where Hasbro's headquarters is?

Like, if she had a relative who was a Hasbro toy designer then, okay, it's possible she has a bunch of prototypes.  But if she says she found them all at the thrift store . . . then that's very unlikely.

The only other way I could think of someone having a bunch of prototypes would be if they were a hardcore collector who bought them off eBay.  But hardcore collectors tend to sell online, not locally.

[Carrehz]

It is possible for someone outside of RI to have stumbled across a proto... I remember a UK user on here finding a proto Paintingtime (I think? It was one of the school ponies) at a car boot sale years ago - was it Lancer? But it'd depend on what pony it was of course, in that instance it was a UK pony so makes sense it was found there. Like, I'd be wary of someone claiming they found a prototype (pulling random name/place out of a hat here) Nachtlicht in the middle of Brookyln, for example :p

Without pictures or more info it's hard to say either way... but I agree it'd be unusual for someone to be selling protos locally instead of putting the word out online.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

The ones that we know are prototypes so far, have been documented within the MLP community.  It's a peer review sort of thing.
So it all depends on which ponies she is talking about, and if she is willing to share lots of photos!

[Taffeta]

I admit I'm wary of prototypes that lack a convincing provenance. There are a couple which are nominally accepted as prototypes by the community which I don't think actually are. There has been some drama over a couple. The provenance is really important. It has to make sense and be possible.

My rule is to start out sceptical and make the person prove that the pony is a prototype, rather than starting out optimistic or credulous. There have been quite a few scams over the years. At the same time, there have been ponies that started out doubtful but which have later been authenticated by whatever means.

There's also a question over what is a prototype - this term gets used as an umbrella, but some of the ponies we're talking about might be test samples, others might be promotional...and they're at different stages in production, making it hard to generalise or find common characteristics across the whole range of what exists. With ones that might have been made as production samples, there may be more than one in existence. Others may be OOAK.

I would ask questions, ask a lot of questions and pictures. But be prepared to be sceptical...in a polite kind of way.

As Carrehz mentioned, there's no reason for a pony sold in Europe not to appear as a prototype in the UK, since Hasbro UK was key in a lot of the European market, especially at the end of the line. Finding a prototype in the UK for a pony sold in the US first is much less likely though, and vice versa. For example, there are some folks who believe every pony that the UK had originated in the US but was never sold there - but there is zero evidence for this.

[sweetie_pie_48427]

Thank you everyone. I showed someone who is knows more than I do, and she agrees that they probably aren't prototypes. I was 99% sure they are unfinished customs, but I just wasn't sure. Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply.

[mlp4me]

There is a Facebook group that helps to identify customs and their makers. One of the few times I'd recommend heading over to social media for assistance. Good luck with your search!

[Barnacle_lady]

There was also a time Argentinian prototypes showed up. White, walking pose, no hair holes and sometime came with a tail.