Friendship is Magic Collection wave 2 (blind-bag sized character/story figs)

[zombienixon]

Love the new poses, they're so cute! I also like how they are actually tying the toys to the show made to advertise them. What a concept!

However, as much as I'd like to see new brushable poses, molded hair is really the better look for some of them. Especially the new sculpt for Pinkie, it looks much better than the old one.

[Galactica]

I love the new poses.

I guess this means more VERY high priced mini sets instead of new brushable ponies.  Is this the future of pony ?

[TornadoTwist]

Please we have Explore Equestria coming as well. I'm sure they make new brushable characters. G3 also had Ponyville I don't see difference imo. Im still happy they produce new things ^^

[Deep Purple Crystal]

I don't collect mini figures (haven't since 2013), honestly Hasbro is paying way too much attention to them recently, probably because bronies want 'show-accurate' stuff, which is easier to achieve with a mini figure (especially with hair molds), and they're worried that a certain fan base will be angry if otherwise. Sigh...

[Al-1701]

Is this the future of pony ?

I hope not.  Though, I've compared them to the one-step Transformers which seem to be becoming the rigor over there.  Why, Hasbro?  We you so cheap with your toys?

[Violet CLM]

Wow, okay, I'm kind of regretting posting this now. Do we really need the same copy+pasted complaints people have been posting for the last four years in a news topic?

I guess this means more VERY high priced mini sets

But most of them are cheaper than the actual blind bags.

On another note, has anyone noticed that most of the new poses are Earth pony only? I realize that the apple family is pretty much all earth ponies but I don't think I've seen new poses for the other two species lately...

Eh, as you say, the minifig line has been very focused on the apple family lately. Judging by the Amazon listings, though, seeing all this Pinkie Pie stuff first is just coincidence. Maud and Mrs. Cake are likely from the "Pinkie Pie Pack," and there'll be other figures for the rest of the main characters, like the "Rainbow Fash Winning Kick."

[Wardah]

I don't collect mini figures (haven't since 2013), honestly Hasbro is paying way too much attention to them recently, probably because bronies want 'show-accurate' stuff, which is easier to achieve with a mini figure (especially with hair molds), and they're worried that a certain fan base will be angry if otherwise. Sigh...

I think they are also popular with the target audience. Kids tend to like to act out their favorite scenes and all the accessories and playsets are good for that and because they are smaller they are more affordable than a huge plastic castle. If anything is to blame it's toy trends favoring tiny stuff again.

[Al-1701]

Except Hasbro's not Micro Machines.

[LadyMoondancer]

Is this the future of pony ?

I hope not.  Though, I've compared them to the one-step Transformers which seem to be becoming the rigor over there.  Why, Hasbro?  We you so cheap with your toys?

With Transformers, I've heard it's because the audience has shifted younger, due to kids losing interest in toys earlier.  For really young kids, a one-step transformation is easier that remembering a set of directions.

All I really want out of Transformers is a show-accurate Knock Out someday.

I agree that the mini-figures are probably popular with kids.  I had tons of plastic animals as a kid . . . Not really any different from blind bags, except they weren't licensed characters (and weren't pink or purple, ha ha). 

I don't mind the blind bags being around, I'm just disappointed that Hasbro STILL has not expanded the poses for the brushables.  Apparently they realize that creating new poses for the blind bags makes them more exciting and interesting, so how come they don't realize that creating new poses for the brushables would also make them more exciting and interesting?

[CupidStrikes]

I think they are also popular with the target audience. Kids tend to like to act out their favorite scenes and all the accessories and playsets are good for that and because they are smaller they are more affordable than a huge plastic castle. If anything is to blame it's toy trends favoring tiny stuff again.

This. Most popular toys at the moment have several sets of blind bags (Moshi Monsters was almost exclusively made of tiny figures, as are Shopkins, etc, Pokemon was HUGE on this too, and Disney's Tsumtsums work on the same logic - for a canon that has a LOT of characters, small and cheap is the best way because most people will want all their favourites). Plus, it's likely easier to get people to spend more via lots of little purchases than one large one.

I think these new blind bags look great! I'm pretty much done with collecting them personally, but I love the playsets and really hope they'll continue to bring them out until you can have a whole miniature Equestria 

[Galactica]

Yeah, I actually like the little plastic figures, and really like the sets- I just think they are overpriced. But I am sure they are selling well, and the cost of production is certainly less than it would be for the brushables.

I also agree that younger kids often like the tiny figures.  I did when I was small- I had mountains of "little people" and their animals. 

But not all kids.  One of my nieces really REALLY loved MLP and when she was 4-6 (alas she is losing interest now at 7) preferred greatly the "princess" size- bigger than brushable but smaller than fashion style.  I think they just fit in her hand best.  The other kids weren't much into MLP. None of the kids have been particularly interested in the blind bag ones for whatever reason. My sister says they get played with for 5 seconds and then are lost underfoot.

[Rainbowrific Renia]

I just find it funny that we finally get something new but "This isn't what I wanted so it's terrible" is the general feeling I'm getting from a lot of comments.  It's okay not to like it, but I see the same comments all the time any time something new is posted.  It's getting a little stale, guys.  Also, I dislike the term brony, but when are we going to stop blaming everything on them?  I highly doubt that group has very much to do with the fact that Hasbro is putting out more blind bag ponies with better poses and more accurate looks.

To each their own though, right?

I've been in the pony aisle plenty of times and have seen little kids going through the boxes of blind bag ponies, seemingly excited about picking a few out.  When I went to get the Apple family barn playset, a little girl begged her mom to get one for her while she kept pointing at the one I had in my hands.  While this may not be true of all kids, there is certainly an audience for them.  Many of my collector friends enjoyed the Apple family sets and, I'll admit it, when I spoke to the Hasbro reps at the Fair this past June, I told them that I'd love to see these tiny figures expand to include all of Equestria. *dodges fakies*

Also, correct me if I'm wrong (I'm just sick and tired of seeing this statement) but where does it explicitly state that My Little Pony toys are only meant to be brushables and anything else "isn't a real pony"? 

When I was younger, I loved having tiny figures to play with. Polly Pocket was my favorite thing, I had so many sets!  I didn't care about brushing hair or anything like that, I just wanted some toys to use to act out the stories I came up with in my head.

While I agree that it would be nice to see more diversity in the brushables, it's not like they're ignoring them completely.  Coco Pommel is absolutely gorgeous in person and they've done a great job with her show-accurate hair style.  But yes, I'm just as disappointed as the next collector that we haven't seen anything new in the standard brushable lines.

Anyway, I think these new figures are cute.  The poses are great and I can't wait until we're able to purchase them in stores!

[Sunset]

I hope this means each of the mane 6 are going to get a series of playsets based around them.  I got tired of the blind bags and the 3 pony sets pretty quickly.  But I love the elaborate playsets with lots of accessories and even more poses.  When Target's cartwheel had them 25% off, I gave in and bought almost all of them.

Grant you, I would still prefer brushables.  But I like these playsets better than most of the brushable sized playsets.

[DazzleKitty]

All I have to say is that I'm resentful that the blind bags have so many more poses than the brushables.

I'm resentful that there are so much more blind bags in general.

[otocolobus_manul]

I just find it funny that we finally get something new but "This isn't what I wanted so it's terrible" is the general feeling I'm getting from a lot of comments.  It's okay not to like it, but I see the same comments all the time any time something new is posted.  It's getting a little stale, guys.  Also, I dislike the term brony, but when are we going to stop blaming everything on them?  I highly doubt that group has very much to do with the fact that Hasbro is putting out more blind bag ponies with better poses and more accurate looks.

To each their own though, right?

I've been in the pony aisle plenty of times and have seen little kids going through the boxes of blind bag ponies, seemingly excited about picking a few out.  When I went to get the Apple family barn playset, a little girl begged her mom to get one for her while she kept pointing at the one I had in my hands.  While this may not be true of all kids, there is certainly an audience for them.  Many of my collector friends enjoyed the Apple family sets and, I'll admit it, when I spoke to the Hasbro reps at the Fair this past June, I told them that I'd love to see these tiny figures expand to include all of Equestria. *dodges fakies*

Also, correct me if I'm wrong (I'm just sick and tired of seeing this statement) but where does it explicitly state that My Little Pony toys are only meant to be brushables and anything else "isn't a real pony"? 

When I was younger, I loved having tiny figures to play with. Polly Pocket was my favorite thing, I had so many sets!  I didn't care about brushing hair or anything like that, I just wanted some toys to use to act out the stories I came up with in my head.

While I agree that it would be nice to see more diversity in the brushables, it's not like they're ignoring them completely.  Coco Pommel is absolutely gorgeous in person and they've done a great job with her show-accurate hair style.  But yes, I'm just as disappointed as the next collector that we haven't seen anything new in the standard brushable lines.

Anyway, I think these new figures are cute.  The poses are great and I can't wait until we're able to purchase them in stores!

I agree completely! And I'm not too keen on new brushable poses - they'd be harder to display, and we'd probably see a full year exclusively of ponies we've already seen in the newer poses.

But anyway, I agree with pretty much everything said in this post, and I'm very excited about these new figures! (That leaning Pinkie is absolutely ADORABLE).