MLP G1 Vinyls Coming Soon

[Al-1701]

The problem is probably the marketing department in terms of them acting on G1 to G4.  The marketing department seems to think that only the Mane 6 and the token "New" pony sell.  That is why we're only getting 8 or so ponies a set anymore (six of them being the Mane 6).  They see collectors buying the customs, but can't visualize a child picking up a G1-based pony from the store.  Shortsightedness on their part.

And the fact G4 would take any of the variations of G1 well is a problem.  You're right that so many of the kinds would either not be done right if at all.  They would probably just do the basic ponies and so softs minus the flocking.

Frankly, the main line needs an overhaul.  They need to go back to looking more like ponies.  Perhaps take the original G1 designs and scale them down to playful size.

And looking at these ponies, they're better than the articulated ponies Hasbro is putting out themselves.  They don't look like demented marionettes.

[Moonbreeze]

What is with these akwardly agressive comments?  Sometimes it feels some G1 fans will only be pleased with ya know...old G1 toys. No current merch will be good enough.
I'm just happy G1 is getting some love during this G4 borefest.

Because... opinions? I have no problem with G1 getting more attention. Like the playskool figurines, the anniversary sets and such. But sometimes G1 squeezed into a popular style is something that just doesn't work for people.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

And looking at these ponies, they're better than the articulated ponies Hasbro is putting out themselves.  They don't look like demented marionettes.

Yeah they do look better. Posable G4s actually need to go back to the drawing board.

[bluerose9978]

Eww, they're hideously out of proportion.
But, you know... It's G1. We're getting new G1 stuff. Ugly or not, I'm happy about these

My thoughts exactly!

[Hervoyel]

Why did fans say $5?  They never considered inflation and the fact it was going to be a limited release?

IIRC, a lot of people said "If I can buy a brand new G3 for $5, I should be able to buy a new G1 for $5" and also "I can get a good condition Cotton Candy for $5, so why should I pay more than that."  If you poke through the MLP Arena archives you may be able to find the original thread with a link to the poll (which is obviously long gone now) and people talking about it.

This was my thinking at the time, and in a way still is.  I could buy an original in good condition for the same or less than new in the store.  And as a collector, why would I buy a lower quality" retro" version when I could get the real thing for the same price?  (I did in fact buy the year 1 ponies because I didn't have most of them at the time, but I skipped the rainbow ponies.). This is why I have always said they should have made them in alternate poses or used more sought after ponies like Mimic or mail order ponies instead of some of the most common ponies of the generation.

These are jointed though, aren't they? So even if there were quality issues (and since they're not released yet, how would we know at this point?) they're clearly a different product.  Maybe it's because I'm more of an action figure collector (and I like the Loyal Subjects Transformers figures), but I've never thought it was strange to have dozens of different versions of a character on the market at the same time, so I don't see why having the originals on the market at the same time would mean a new jointed version of a pony would be a hard sell (in a market sense rather than an individual one, obviously no one toy is going to appeal to every collector as individuals).

Personally, it's not about the durability of the original toys (although it's true that my Transformers from the 80s are trashed while my ponies are still in good condition), because they action vinyls are such a different product.  So personally I really like the idea of them, and if they made one of a character that interested me I'd totally pick it up. That said, since the four we've seen aren't Surprise or Snuzzle (my interest list is short  ), I won't be picking them up - but if they expand the line to include those characters I'd totally be purchasing them.

[LadyMoondancer]

I think what really sunk the remakes was that it was big 3 packs.

It was probably to keep production costs down.  Three ponies in one package is cheaper to make than three ponies in three packages.  But I agree it made for unwieldy display.  The art on the back was genuine G1, though--it was from the brochure for the collector ponies, the birthflower ponies, and Satin 'n Lace (first version).

[Broken Irishwoman]

First of all; I think they're really ugly... Second; I don't see the point? Because technically ponies are "vinyls" already. 

[achab1984]

Those are kind of cute.

[Sunset]

This is why I am a supporter of the idea of g1 to G4 toys.  Remakes of the originals would be a hard sell if they aren't done just right and would only appeal to us collectors.   But I think g1 characters as G4 toys would fly off the shelves.

I'm not a supporter of G1 to G4 toys, for a few reasons. We would never get actual TEs is one of those reasons. The best we would get is Faceted painted eyes on the G4. We would never get a true TAF pony, Hasbro only seems to want the symbol on one side. Quality would not be good, G4 quality in various ways has went down hill with various ponies. Flutter ponies would not be the same if they were made, G4 wing gimmicks do not really look right imo and would not translate for G1 flutter ponies.

Pretty much they would only stick to the basic earth, unicorn, and pegasus ponies from G1 who didn't have any special needed to be done to them (like TEs). The designs for G4 just doesn't fit with G1s to me. If any hasbro reps have been to the Pony Fairs during G4 they would have seen G1 to G4 customs by now and might get some ideas, but they haven't seemed to even bat an eyelash.

I think it's good that at least someone is throwing G1 lovers a bone. I have to wonder what the original creator of G1 would think of these I think she would have liked them for what they are and that at least some one is -trying-.

But my point is we aren't getting those things now.  So what if we wouldn't get true twinkle eyes or flutters?  At this point we aren't going to get them in their original form regardless.  And if there is anything that the retro ponies proved its that the quality is not going to be like the original g1 either even if it is in a similar mold.

And if Hasbro did G1-G4 that doesn't preclude them or other licensees from doing retro versions if they wanted to.

Post Merge: February 08, 2016, 09:51:25 AM

Why did fans say $5?  They never considered inflation and the fact it was going to be a limited release?

IIRC, a lot of people said "If I can buy a brand new G3 for $5, I should be able to buy a new G1 for $5" and also "I can get a good condition Cotton Candy for $5, so why should I pay more than that."  If you poke through the MLP Arena archives you may be able to find the original thread with a link to the poll (which is obviously long gone now) and people talking about it.

This was my thinking at the time, and in a way still is.  I could buy an original in good condition for the same or less than new in the store.  And as a collector, why would I buy a lower quality" retro" version when I could get the real thing for the same price?  (I did in fact buy the year 1 ponies because I didn't have most of them at the time, but I skipped the rainbow ponies.). This is why I have always said they should have made them in alternate poses or used more sought after ponies like Mimic or mail order ponies instead of some of the most common ponies of the generation.

These are jointed though, aren't they? So even if there were quality issues (and since they're not released yet, how would we know at this point?) they're clearly a different product.  Maybe it's because I'm more of an action figure collector (and I like the Loyal Subjects Transformers figures), but I've never thought it was strange to have dozens of different versions of a character on the market at the same time, so I don't see why having the originals on the market at the same time would mean a new jointed version of a pony would be a hard sell (in a market sense rather than an individual one, obviously no one toy is going to appeal to every collector as individuals).

Personally, it's not about the durability of the original toys (although it's true that my Transformers from the 80s are trashed while my ponies are still in good condition), because they action vinyls are such a different product.  So personally I really like the idea of them, and if they made one of a character that interested me I'd totally pick it up. That said, since the four we've seen aren't Surprise or Snuzzle (my interest list is short  ), I won't be picking them up - but if they expand the line to include those characters I'd totally be purchasing them.

Just to be clear, I was talking exclusively about the Hasbro retro ponies released about 10 years ago, not these current licensed versions.

[Leave a Whisper]

Why did fans say $5?  They never considered inflation and the fact it was going to be a limited release?

IIRC, a lot of people said "If I can buy a brand new G3 for $5, I should be able to buy a new G1 for $5" and also "I can get a good condition Cotton Candy for $5, so why should I pay more than that."  If you poke through the MLP Arena archives you may be able to find the original thread with a link to the poll (which is obviously long gone now) and people talking about it.

This was my thinking at the time, and in a way still is.  I could buy an original in good condition for the same or less than new in the store.  And as a collector, why would I buy a lower quality" retro" version when I could get the real thing for the same price?  (I did in fact buy the year 1 ponies because I didn't have most of them at the time, but I skipped the rainbow ponies.). This is why I have always said they should have made them in alternate poses or used more sought after ponies like Mimic or mail order ponies instead of some of the most common ponies of the generation.

These are jointed though, aren't they? So even if there were quality issues (and since they're not released yet, how would we know at this point?) they're clearly a different product.  Maybe it's because I'm more of an action figure collector (and I like the Loyal Subjects Transformers figures), but I've never thought it was strange to have dozens of different versions of a character on the market at the same time, so I don't see why having the originals on the market at the same time would mean a new jointed version of a pony would be a hard sell (in a market sense rather than an individual one, obviously no one toy is going to appeal to every collector as individuals).

Personally, it's not about the durability of the original toys (although it's true that my Transformers from the 80s are trashed while my ponies are still in good condition), because they action vinyls are such a different product.  So personally I really like the idea of them, and if they made one of a character that interested me I'd totally pick it up. That said, since the four we've seen aren't Surprise or Snuzzle (my interest list is short  ), I won't be picking them up - but if they expand the line to include those characters I'd totally be purchasing them.

Snuzzle is there. Someone posted a pic and a vid a few pages back into this thread and there was also, Sundance, a purple mystery Unicorn, Minty and Gusty.

[Wardah]

I think what really sunk the remakes was that it was big 3 packs.

It was probably to keep production costs down.  Three ponies in one package is cheaper to make than three ponies in three packages.  But I agree it made for unwieldy display.  The art on the back was genuine G1, though--it was from the brochure for the collector ponies, the birthflower ponies, and Satin 'n Lace (first version).

In my observations genuine G1 art doesn't tick the same nostalgia buttons that accurate packaging does. Also making them singly packed makes them more attractive to regular buyers. There were plenty of people who bought the 35th anniversary SSC repro who weren't collectors. The big 3 packs tend to only be bought by collectors.

[Malicieuse]

What is with these akwardly agressive comments?  Sometimes it feels some G1 fans will only be pleased with ya know...old G1 toys. No current merch will be good enough.
I'm just happy G1 is getting some love during this G4 borefest.

Because... opinions? I have no problem with G1 getting more attention. Like the playskool figurines, the anniversary sets and such. But sometimes G1 squeezed into a popular style is something that just doesn't work for people.

Still think it is silly to sound angry over a sideline of toys. People want G1 to get some love but i never see no complaints when the line actually does get some love. The quality is too bad, the art is too G3, the heads are too big, they don't look like a full blown copy of the original....
People don't seem to get that it is pretty much a wonder these are getting made in the first place.

[Leave a Whisper]

I personally don't care about the packaging. It goes into the recycling bin with me. These are Retro toys,  not the real deal.

Perhaps pony clothing can help disguise the joints? Dye shouldn't bleed into the plastic of these new ones.

[ponycake]

The idea of pony clothing on them is cute!

[Al-1701]

The idea of pony clothing on them is cute!

There's an interesting question.  How will these ponies compare to original G1's?  Will pony wear fit them?