Different versions of G1 Spike?

[partypony566]

I've always wanted the cartoon eyed version, but I think they are all cute

[Filthy]

You can check with a UV light. If I recall correctly (old pic), the regular Spike glows and the lavender castle version doesn't:
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[partypony566]

You can check with a UV light. If I recall correctly (old pic), the regular Spike glows and the lavender castle version doesn't:
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For real!?

[Filthy]

You can check with a UV light. If I recall correctly (old pic), the regular Spike glows and the lavender castle version doesn't

For real!?

Atleast mine look like that. My UV light broke so I can't check which one was the lavender one, but I'm fairly sure he was the non-glowing. I forgot to check MO Spike, but the eyes are  obviously the easiest way to recognize him.

[Breyer600]

Well, I just checked the three I have under a black light and it was the faded one that glows.  Neither of the two brighter purple ones glowed.  Since one of those brighter ones is definitely the pink castle version that doesn't seem to be a good test either unfortunately.

[sparkleset80]

Well I just tried the blacklight trick and my childhood one (the one on the right, pink Dream Castle) did glow and the other 2 didn't. Also I turned them around and the tails are interesting!
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[ChipsteRJ]

I do NOT have a black light to test with, but here are some back side photos of mine:
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The 2 on the right may be 2nd edition?


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[Breyer600]

I tried to get photos with the blacklight and here's how they came out.  It's still the one on the far right that's my childhood pink castle version (the other two are yard sales finds; so, I can't be certain on them).

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[hathorcat]

Hmmm....I am thinking the UV light simply shows us different plastic batches. Dream Castle was released so many times and in so many countries, it could even have been made across different factories so perhaps the black light is just different plastics.

I guess the different eye shape is also the same thing...just different manufacture batches.

[Breyer600]

I agree that the UV thing must be batch related.  I was hoping the eye thing would be a good indicator but I guess not. 

Before I got my original out to compare, I thought the brighter of the two yard sale Spikes might have been a lavendar castle version.  He certainly looked about the right color from the pictures I'd seen and most of them were being compared to ones that looked like the faded/different batch one.  It was only when I thought to get my own out that I figured it was really just a pink castle version.  It actually made me wonder how many of what people believe to be "lavendar" versions are just unfaded "pink" versions.  Since I have never seen a "lavendar" in person to compare, it's hard to tell just how much difference there is just by pictures (especially if they're comparing the "lavendar" one to the "faded" one).

[Filthy]

I tried to get photos with the blacklight and here's how they came out.  It's still the one on the far right that's my childhood pink castle version (the other two are yard sales finds; so, I can't be certain on them).

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Wow, I could have sworn the 2 on the right are from the lavender castle. All of the pink castle Spike's I've seen (no matter where they came from) have been much darker like the one on the left.

But yeah, obviously it's a plastic batch thing. So not all pink castle Spikes are dark and not all lavender one's light? Damn, now I can't be sure my other one is actually from the lavender castle ('cause I didn't get him with the castle).

[hathorcat]

I agree that the UV thing must be batch related.  I was hoping the eye thing would be a good indicator but I guess not. 

Before I got my original out to compare, I thought the brighter of the two yard sale Spikes might have been a lavendar castle version.  He certainly looked about the right color from the pictures I'd seen and most of them were being compared to ones that looked like the faded/different batch one.  It was only when I thought to get my own out that I figured it was really just a pink castle version.  It actually made me wonder how many of what people believe to be "lavendar" versions are just unfaded "pink" versions.  Since I have never seen a "lavendar" in person to compare, it's hard to tell just how much difference there is just by pictures (especially if they're comparing the "lavendar" one to the "faded" one).

I am kind of starting to be of the same opinion. Are we perhaps just reading into the whole thing to much? Yes, there was a time difference between the pink version no longer being available and the lavender version turning up - but that being said it wasn't a massive difference as the pink version was available for several years on the trot. So as much as we are saying the pink castle versions of spike, in their different colours, are different batches or fading...perhaps the lavender Spikes are not a specifically different colour either but just a minor batch colour difference

[BabyIceCrystal]

I have often wondered where the information originally came from. How do we know for sure that the two castles had different Spikes? Was it just an assumption originally that caught on as fact or was there some sort of proof back in the day? I honestly don't know, but with all the various hues of Spike floating around I have debated if all of them are just due to different batches and not necessarily different versions. Does anyone know how the information that there are two castle versions entered the community?

[hathorcat]

Personally I have always just gone with the mainstream opinion - simply that its been "pony knowledge". Maybe its a myth however?

[Breyer600]

It wouldn't be the first time.    When I first got my collection out of storage and tried sorting and ID'ing all the accessories, I couldn't for the life of me figure out why every site I looked at listed the Nursery accessories I had as being from the BBE version when I had the NBBE version. 

We probably need someone with the lavender version from their childhood collection to help clear things up.  Even then, it may be difficult to tell for sure without having enough that are confirmed to be one or the other to compare in person.