Taobao :muffin: Pony Confirmed Fake

[Bee-chan]

*Cries!!!*

I really want one, but I don't have $200 to spend :-(  I'd make a custom but I'm not good at doing the full body repaints :-(

Dunno if you're interested but there is a custom FS Pony for sale on eBay at the moment, bidding price starting under $100 and BIN price is $100 US. She even comes with a little mail bag... $100 is still a bit high but it's cheaper than the ones coming from people who got her from TaoBao.
I'd nab her myself but I still hold out the hope that she will be a legit release one day and I only ever buy G4 ponies MIB, if she's never genuine I'll just sigh and move on.
(ebay listing 'Giant 15 cm Styling Size Pony HOOVES')


Also, could it possibly be because of all the wedding stuff that ponies haven't appeared as legit releases. She might be scheduled to release after all the hype over the wedding stuff has died down.
I don't know what to think anymore but I'm still fingers crossed!

That's Kara Red Roses' custom Pony! ^W^

Actually, $100 is a great price for a well made custom, especially from Kar ( I WILL own one of her suagr skull ponies one day! I already happily own one of her giant shrunken pony heads and have it hanging on my door frame ).

[xkappax]

I read the article on Equestria Daily this morning, and Hasbro's response reminds me a lot of what video game companies say when something from an upcoming game gets leaked that isn't supposed to be available to the public yet...

In the video game industry, there is something called NDA (non disclosure agreement) ... if you're working on a video game that hasn't been announced to the public yet, you get in BIIIIIIIG trouble if you leak something. And sometimes you don't just get fired. Sometimes you just get sued.

I would imagine that toy companies probably have a similar agreement. If something gets leaked by one of the chinese factories, and someone asks about it, they legally CANNOT say if it's real or not until the NDA is lifted. So the response that was posted over at EQd is pretty much what anyone who asks is going to get.

[JoshsPonyPrincess]

One - I don't think the person who answers the phone would know if it were a real release or not. Generally in a corporation of that size the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. ALso the person answering the phone goes off of a script - if someone mentions something not on the script they say that bs line that they always say. Also the person answering the phone gets paid to answer the phone - that's all.

Two - About the uproar about Pony being mentally incompetant or ditzy. Doesn't anyone remember Dopey from the seven dwarves? This was a character that was portrayed as stupid and was accepted by all types of people with open arms. It is probably the most popular seven dwarf character there is.

I am sure she will be released it is just a matter of when and where really.

[rtattles]

I'm skeptical about Hasbro's response too. Did the guy mean simply nope it's not a legit product- full stop, never ever - or did he mean it's not a product because he got the MLP department to flip the catalogue and it is not one of the ponies listed for this season of release?

[bladed]

Dun' care. Want Pony!

[sd_dreamcrystal]

One - I don't think the person who answers the phone would know if it were a real release or not. Generally in a corporation of that size the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. ALso the person answering the phone goes off of a script - if someone mentions something not on the script they say that bs line that they always say. Also the person answering the phone gets paid to answer the phone - that's all.

Two - About the uproar about Pony being mentally incompetant or ditzy. Doesn't anyone remember Dopey from the seven dwarves? This was a character that was portrayed as stupid and was accepted by all types of people with open arms. It is probably the most popular seven dwarf character there is.

I am sure she will be released it is just a matter of when and where really.

What she said. Pretty much this is a case of where they should have said 'I'm not permitted to say this or that' kind of thing but yes they follow whatever script they are given and those who answer the emails are giving instruction on what to give for an answer... generally it can be another form of a script answer. Either way, I wouldn't say the rep was wrong or right, they are just doing their job really.

[Cool.Breeze]

Actually, they were all being sold in price ranges from 32 to 48 Chinese Yuan. Pony was the highest priced pony out of the lot at 48.
I can't say whether the seller was the one who made it, if it was someone selling somebody elses creation or a factory prototype/reject, but they knew that she had the highest value for whatever reason.

Pony was cheaper than Celestia when I ordered them. In the right hand ride of my screen-cap of my order form for Taobao Spree, Top item "灰蓝色飞马 气泡" 大号" is (according to Babelfish) " Cold color Chonma air bubble " Large size ( Pony) and 2nd item "白色独角兽飞马 太阳图" 大号" is (also according to Babelfish) " White unicorn Chonma sun chart " Large size (Celestia). Pony was only $5.55 Canadian compared to Celestia at $7.60 Canadian. Also- people seem to think there were only 14 listed. There were actually 22 when I found the listing, with 3 already sold that I could see in the history.
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[Chi]

Actually, they were all being sold in price ranges from 32 to 48 Chinese Yuan. Pony was the highest priced pony out of the lot at 48.
I can't say whether the seller was the one who made it, if it was someone selling somebody elses creation or a factory prototype/reject, but they knew that she had the highest value for whatever reason.

Pony was cheaper than Celestia when I ordered them. In the right hand ride of my screen-cap of my order form for Taobao Spree, Top item "灰蓝色飞马 气泡" 大号" is (according to Babelfish) " Cold color Chonma air bubble " Large size ( Pony) and 2nd item "白色独角兽飞马 太阳图" 大号" is (also according to Babelfish) " White unicorn Chonma sun chart " Large size (Celestia). Pony was only $5.55 Canadian compared to Celestia at $7.60 Canadian. Also- people seem to think there were only 14 listed. There were actually 22 when I found the listing, with 3 already sold that I could see in the history.
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Oh, how strange! Mine was listed at the price of 48.
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Looks like either you got a good deal or I got the priced upped on me.

[Elisto]

Because I'm curious, if it's a prototype, is it normal to make more than a few? I honestly have no idea.

Also, I'm suspicious of the legality of Taobao to begin with, whether they are selling prototypes or factory-customs, I hope asking Hasbro about it directly doesn't result it problems for everyone. Personally, I wouldn't have risked it and asked at all. As for the selling price, from what I understand, the average salary of a Chinese factory worker is under $1/hour, so $5-8 for one toy is quite a lot.

[Tropical_Sunset]

I am not taking what Hasbro says at face value. They often give people the runaround with information they are not allowed to give out. Namely the blind bags before they showed up in the US. People were told we were getting them, then told Hasbro didn't know what they were talking about.. then they weren't coming out here at all.. then they showed up in the US.

This, exactly.   

[banditpony]

Because I'm curious, if it's a prototype, is it normal to make more than a few? I honestly have no idea.

Also, I'm suspicious of the legality of Taobao to begin with, whether they are selling prototypes or factory-customs, I hope asking Hasbro about it directly doesn't result it problems for everyone. Personally, I wouldn't have risked it and asked at all. As for the selling price, from what I understand, the average salary of a Chinese factory worker is under $1/hour, so $5-8 for one toy is quite a lot.

We will never know the answer to this. But I really maintain the belief that it was a corporate order.  They have to mix dye for the pony, have to make decals for the symbol, eye color, etc etc.

Also I doubt it would be the average Chinese worker would be the ones selling. (I am sure they work long hours and have no internet, among other terrible things), but more some sort of supervisor.

[Elisto]

Also I doubt it would be the average Chinese worker would be the ones selling. (I am sure they work long hours and have no internet, among other terrible things), but more some sort of supervisor.

That is a good point

[Starbright]

I don't buy it. It's a prototype and they're trying to keep it quiet, I think.

[Eternia]

I don't buy it. It's a prototype and they're trying to keep it quiet, I think.

eeeeeyup

Hasbro reps don't know jack. "the US will not get blind bags" "We will never make a white Celestia" riiiiiiiight

[lilgryphon]

I find it interesting that every seems so convinced that none of these ponies could be fakes. There are fake electronics, jewlery and designer clothing (some of it VERY convincing) all over the web. I'm not saying these aren't prototypes, but I have to admit I feel like we want to believe they are real because they are ponies we can't find on the shelves.