Ok... I have to ask....

[Taffeta]

There are quite a lot of ponies out there sealed on cards with the wrong name. I have seen a few Baby Night Song/ Stella mixups, and since 1993 ponies here had sticker nametags, it isn't so rare. I think there are also misprinted Rollerskate boxes. I also havecFizzy mint on the UK card for Baby Sunshower. None of these are prototypes but they still made it past UK quality control. And lets not forger Bobbie and friends in US Princess pony boxes!

With all that said, though, I agree that prototypes in packages in stores are peobably unlikely.  And it is possible she would keep her accessory, but the odds are pretty astromical.

[Endocat]

Wow Ember you have some treasures.  Ember do you have a German Skydancer?  if so, can I put in a request for a photo of her with your new Firefly?   

[Ember1]

aww thanks Endocat. I only wish I had a german skydancer so I could make a pretty picture for you.. Sadly she is not in my collection.. I use to have one years ago before I did some drastic downsizing.. She is beautiful Is she one of your favorites?

[shelvesofwhimsy]

I've really enjoyed following this thread so far! I'm new to Nirvana ponies but from all the information Ember1 has provided, and all the photos, and comparisons to Painting Time, I really believe she is the real deal. I'm not familiar with the timeline that would bring her to the UK, but I think no matter how she ended up there, I'm really happy she's part of the community. It's so cool to watch everyone play detective and figure out where she came from, its like a real life mystery! 

[MLPforever]

If there is one thing I know, it's that there are so many oddball ponies out there...it's amazing how many there are! Strange prototypes, ponies sold in the wrong packages...all sorts of things.

I've bought a few oddball/OOAK ponies on the arena myself--a few of them from Ember1 (like my lovely pegasus prototypes, which are in an entirely different pose than any prototypes I've ever seen before!) I'd definitely call Ember1 an expert when it comes to OOAK ponies. I'm even in the process of purchasing a OOAK never-officially-released Takara playset from her. 

I remember a while ago when I bought a Mexican Factory error Firefly with no tail hole...I had no idea if she was real or not really, but i took a chance. When I bought her it became apparent that yes, she was 100% real. I've since sold her, but that always stuck with me. I bought her thinking "eh, she will likely turn out to be fake" but she wasn't! You just never know how many rare, completely unique ponies are floating around out there after all this time.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

... a OOAK never-officially-released Takara playset...

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh how delightfully dreamy!  Please share with us when the happy Opening Day comes?

[LadyMoondancer]

I used to have Fizzy on Sun Shower's UK backcard too--well, Fizzy is supposed to be "bubble-headed", but not that literally, ha ha!

One of the Toy Fair catalogs showed a MOC Sherbet, except the name on the card was "Cherry Berry".

http://mylittlewiki.org/w/images/9/9d/213.jpg

But then when it showed the ponies "loose", she is labeled as Sherbet.  It makes me wonder how they got so far with the name Cherry Berry, only to scrap it.

Now there's a G4 named Cherry Berry, so everything came full circle I guess.

[Taffeta]

Cherry Berry is the UK name for Crunch Berry. And, unless I completely miss my guess, there is also a UK insert with the names for several of these ponies reversed. Probably Sorbet Surprise (Sherbet) is labelled Cherry Berry on that leaflet.

I'll see if I have it scanned, but possible, because of the error, I don't.

Edit: Apparently I do:

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Mystery solved Sorbet Surprise, Chocolate Chip (Coco Berry) and Cherry Berry all had their names mixed up on this pamphlet. I think the UK card and the US card for this set is pretty close. I have a feeling the only major difference, aside from the names, is the colour of the bubble in which the name is written...but it's been a while so I might be wrong.

The proper UK insert with the right names is also on here:

http://www.etherella.com/scrapbook2/1988_sundaebestponies.htm

The first one is technically the 1987 insert, so it must have been right back at the start of release, when those names were still in that order. The US image looks to have a couple of reversed names too.

[ringwraith10]

I just spent about... an hour? reading this whole thread. It's as thrilling as a mystery novel! I almost think someone should publish a series of My Little Pony Mystery books (or a tv show).

TV Show Voice: "Next time, on MLP Mysteries, we explore the strange case of the CP Sundance. Is she a prototype, or will she just turn out to be a custom? Tune in Wed. at 8 p.m. to find out!"

(And then, for my own personal amusement, I would add to that, "Same bat-time, same bat-channel!")

[Princess Sparkle]

Wow that purple baby pony!!! That is so frustrating that we don't know if she is a genuine proto or paint job. Interesting though that the ring the seaside baby is wearing is not the right colour to be baby diamonds ring?

One of the most frustrating things ever for me has always been how hasbro photographed for their pamphlet the MO twin ponies Baby Game time and Baby Sugar Cake and they're BOY ponies! They went all the way through to photographing them before deciding 'nah they're better as girls'. I would love to know if the two boys in the pamphlet below are still out there in some lucky collectors hands they are just gorgeous.

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[Taffeta]

Hm, it is pinkish in the pic but then Diamon's ring is pinkish too

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It is hard to see but I am not convinced it is the wrong ring.

[Princess Sparkle]

I know what you're saying I just think the ring in the photo looks very pink and like there is no stone in the middle. Whereas diamonds looks more purpley and has a clear/white stone in the middle. But that being said you're completely right it is very hard to see, and what are the chances of one person have multiple prototypes 

[banditpony]

I'm even in the process of purchasing a OOAK never-officially-released Takara playset from her. 

Eh, I'm intrigued. What makes this "never officially released." Ooak, sure

Because as far as I know, we don't have that much solid info on what has been released. Unless there are some sort of toy vendor books in Japanese with ordering information.

[Taffeta]

I know what you're saying I just think the ring in the photo looks very pink and like there is no stone in the middle. Whereas diamonds looks more purpley and has a clear/white stone in the middle. But that being said you're completely right it is very hard to see, and what are the chances of one person have multiple prototypes 

Unfortunately we will never know for sure. I have seen them lose stones with wear which would match the poor pony condition. I don't rule out possibilities but I like to be sure before something is labelled a proto


I had a Takara pamphlet scan years back but my Japanese wasn't as good then as it is now. I don't know much about them really but if anyone finds such stuff, I'll happily translate it

[banditpony]

I think a good chunk of it has been translated on the wiki. I think... Too lazy to check.