Retro rereleases and how to do them right

[Wardah]

The Retro SSC doll Bridge Direct released last year was successful enough that they are expanding on it and adding more character. I find it amazing that a small company can do better on a retro rerelease than a big company. They are not just popular with collectors but with parents too. Too bad the G1 MLP rereleases never caught on with parents but perhaps it was just too soon. I think a lot of people who grew up in the 80s and put off having children until they were more financially stable are buying things for their kids now. And these nostalgic parents have more money at their disposal than parents who had kids right out of high school or college. Of course that is just my observation and I wish Hasbro would give retro rerelease brushables a try or at least license them out to someone who will since even tho I like the MLP G1 Action Vinyls, they are not the same.

[WingsOfMasquerade]

I agree.
Seen Puppy Surprise in stores lately?
That one, as far as I can tell is EXACTLY the same as original Puppy Surprise. Not updated, not future-puppy-ized, not slimmed down & fashionabled, its actual Puppy Surprise just as you remembered her. This, to me, is the way to do it. Same toy, same box type, similar to equivalent price point, THAT is what will evoke the nostalgia.

I also don't believe it was 'too early' that they retro re-released. They did too many things wrong for it to have worked.

1. Couldn't match the same soft pastel colors
2. LACK of nostalgic packaging.
3. Only sold in sets of 3 (MLP rarely sold in sets)
4. Different eye
5. Different quality of plastic, very hard, head-heavy toy that falls over
6. High starting price
7. Can't choose the pony you want

So it's like...These WERE NOT the "original ponies" in any way. They couldn't evoke nostalgia buys. People remember a soft pastel pony & you give them that loudly colored Cotton Candy, they remember the bubble-carded single toy & the joy of selecting the one they want at ok cost...you give them multi packs where they pay a lot to not choose.

The things that succeeded like puppy surprise, the strawberry shortcake...those gave the people the original thing in the original package. Making zillions of changes does not create nostalgia.

And then, I think Hasbro blamed the fans for not liking what they did, which was the rotten cherry on top.
I completely agree with 'license out g1 brushables' if they're so frustrated and fan-blaming for their own mistakes. All these other brands doing well with same-look products...even care bears I think, are proof that if the company respects the original source it does well in this new day.

[Wardah]

I agree.
Seen Puppy Surprise in stores lately?
That one, as far as I can tell is EXACTLY the same as original Puppy Surprise. Not updated, not future-puppy-ized, not slimmed down & fashionabled, its actual Puppy Surprise just as you remembered her. This, to me, is the way to do it. Same toy, same box type, similar to equivalent price point, THAT is what will evoke the nostalgia.

I also don't believe it was 'too early' that they retro re-released. They did too many things wrong for it to have worked.

1. Couldn't match the same soft pastel colors
2. LACK of nostalgic packaging.
3. Only sold in sets of 3 (MLP rarely sold in sets)
4. Different eye
5. Different quality of plastic, very hard, head-heavy toy that falls over
6. High starting price
7. Can't choose the pony you want

So it's like...These WERE NOT the "original ponies" in any way. They couldn't evoke nostalgia buys. People remember a soft pastel pony & you give them that loudly colored Cotton Candy, they remember the bubble-carded single toy & the joy of selecting the one they want at ok cost...you give them multi packs where they pay a lot to not choose.

The things that succeeded like puppy surprise, the strawberry shortcake...those gave the people the original thing in the original package. Making zillions of changes does not create nostalgia.

And then, I think Hasbro blamed the fans for not liking what they did, which was the rotten cherry on top.
I completely agree with 'license out g1 brushables' if they're so frustrated and fan-blaming for their own mistakes. All these other brands doing well with same-look products...even care bears I think, are proof that if the company respects the original source it does well in this new day.

The new Puppy Surprise is not exactly the same. It's a timeless concept tho that still appeals to kids.

I think MLP could have gotten away with some slight differences like 1 and 4. With #5 there was no way to know they were like that unless you bought them so I don't think 5hat affected it. #2 I think is a big part of it. I get that cards are not the best way to display things but wasn't there a box style packaging for some of the G1s? I do think 3, 6, and 7 were the main reason but it's because it ties into what I was saying. Being in a better financial position loosens the pursestrings and allows one to buy a set "just because".

[LadyMoondancer]

They weren't really a high starting price.  They were $15 for 3, so $5 each.   The low price is what fueled the poor quality hair and the hard plastic.  But you can't blame Hasbro for the price, they literally asked people how much they'd be willing to pay for a retro MLP and the collective answer was "$5".

Well, for $5 you get thin hair and cheap plastic.

The colors were altered so that the retro ponies wouldn't be mistaken for original G1s on the secondhand market.  Many collectors requested this.

Hasbro has never blamed fans. They've never said anything about the retro releases.  They just stopped making them.

That's not to say Hasbro did everything perfect.  IMO they should never have rereleased the Collector ponies; they're sort of a boring set.  (On the bright side it could be worse, at least Hasbro didn't rerelease the BBE ponies, LOL.)

I think one of the difficult things about MLP for a retro release is that there are hundreds of characters, and no easy way for Hasbro to guess which ones are actually popular.  Normally this is easy, you just look at the TV show.  But with MLP a lot of non-show characters are more popular than show characters.  Ask people to choose between Dancing Butterflies and Cherries Jubilee and I think Dancing Butterflies would win.  The BBE babies were on TV, but most people prefer the TAF babies.  And most of all, people prefer the ponies they personally grew up with.  But this varies from person to person.

[Wardah]

I do think if they single packed them, made them decent quality, and had them in nice retro packaging, even collectors would be willing to pay up to $10. Because yeah you might be able to get an original for less but you can't get one MIB for less.

On a side note didn't they come in boxes at one point? I didn't grow up with G1, I just find 80s toys to be fascinating. I think boxes would work better because they can be reused to display it even if you take it out. With backcards once it's open there is no putting it back.

[scarletjul]

Personally, I don't believe there was anything wrong with the packaging, which referenced the g1 art or selling three in a set.  TRU did a similar concept for Strawberry Shortcake around the same time - I think the set contained Strawberry, Orange Blossom and Raspberry Tart - and it sold just fine (and it still seems to sell well on eBay.)

In my opinion, the main problem was the lack of quality.  Those ponies just look don't look as good as the originals, IMHO.  I didn't even mind the brighter colors on them.  But their hair is thin; their bodies are heavy and tip over easily.  When you could literally buy the original pony for about the same price secondhand, most people were going to go out and buy the originals.  In fact, most people already owned the originals, so why buy a semi-duplicate that didn't look quite as good?

I appreciated that Hasbro tried.  I wished that the Rainbow set had a better distribution, because I thought they looked a little better.  But I wished they'd ignored the price point that collectors told them.  Clearly, not all collectors could've answered them (I didn't, because I wasn't on the boards yet) and I was certainly willing to spend more than $5/per pony.  And I wished they'd tried harder.

[Sunset]

They should have chosen different characters.

I agree that even though the collector ponies were the first, I also find them a little boring.  And the rainbow ponies also aren't the most exciting set to choose.  And all of them as common as dirt.

If they had released the TAF babies for example, we would have been beating down their door.

Post Merge: February 15, 2016, 07:43:14 PM

I do think if they single packed them, made them decent quality, and had them in nice retro packaging, even collectors would be willing to pay up to $10. Because yeah you might be able to get an original for less but you can't get one MIB for less.

On a side note didn't they come in boxes at one point? I didn't grow up with G1, I just find 80s toys to be fascinating. I think boxes would work better because they can be reused to display it even if you take it out. With backcards once it's open there is no putting it back.

Single adults almost always came on cards, at least for the first several years.  Boxes were used when there were lots of accessories included like for the baby ponies or for flutter ponies because of the delicate wings.

[Sapphire-Light]

The Retro SSC doll Bridge Direct released last year was successful enough that they are expanding on it and adding more character. I find it amazing that a small company can do better on a retro rerelease than a big company. They are not just popular with collectors but with parents too. Too bad the G1 MLP rereleases never caught on with parents but perhaps it was just too soon. I think a lot of people who grew up in the 80s and put off having children until they were more financially stable are buying things for their kids now. And these nostalgic parents have more money at their disposal than parents who had kids right out of high school or college. Of course that is just my observation and I wish Hasbro would give retro rerelease brushables a try or at least license them out to someone who will since even tho I like the MLP G1 Action Vinyls, they are not the same.

Wish SDCC repro doll?

I was just ranting about this the other day haha, but I think a really crucial thing they failed to realize is that repros can be really successful to non-child non-collector buyers, but it needs to be an impulse buy.

If people say "I'd pay $5 for it," saying "ok here's 3 or $15!" is NOT the same thing. A mom or college kid at the store is going to feel much more stupid indulging herself in a massive box closer to $20 than 5, with three ponies in it - and in the case of the Collector Ponies, three nearly identical ponies. It just can't be justified.

I really can't believe they didn't just test the waters and put out, say, Firefly by herself on a backcard.

I also can't believe, with the gorgeous original-packaging Jem repros hitting comic con to please collectors, we've never seen like a Princess Pony or more astutely a Flutter Pony repro hitting the con. And then as in the pre-brony days they'd probably have extra stock for Hasbro Toy Shop, so all the collectors who wanted them would get them and they'd undoubtedly sell out.

They are doing JEM REPROS??? 

Personally, I don't believe there was anything wrong with the packaging, which referenced the g1 art or selling three in a set.  TRU did a similar concept for Strawberry Shortcake around the same time - I think the set contained Strawberry, Orange Blossom and Raspberry Tart - and it sold just fine (and it still seems to sell well on eBay.)

In my opinion, the main problem was the lack of quality.  Those ponies just look don't look as good as the originals, IMHO.  I didn't even mind the brighter colors on them.  But their hair is thin; their bodies are heavy and tip over easily.  When you could literally buy the original pony for about the same price secondhand, most people were going to go out and buy the originals.  In fact, most people already owned the originals, so why buy a semi-duplicate that didn't look quite as good?

I appreciated that Hasbro tried.  I wished that the Rainbow set had a better distribution, because I thought they looked a little better.  But I wished they'd ignored the price point that collectors told them.  Clearly, not all collectors could've answered them (I didn't, because I wasn't on the boards yet) and I was certainly willing to spend more than $5/per pony.  And I wished they'd tried harder.

True, the rainbows are better, the hair colors are the same match but the difference in the hair is the order of the blue and green, I have report Sunlight that I got from a flea shop and she's better than the original 6, she doesn't have standing issues and the plastic is not that hard 

[LadyMoondancer]

The Rainbow ponies looked better from pictures, but I never saw them in stores.  :/   I assume the stores had trouble moving the collector ponies (which I did see / get from locally) and were like "No thanks."

The Rainbow ponies also seem like their poses would be less tippy than the Collector ponies.

[FantasticFirefly]

They weren't really a high starting price.  They were $15 for 3, so $5 each.   The low price is what fueled the poor quality hair and the hard plastic.  But you can't blame Hasbro for the price, they literally asked people how much they'd be willing to pay for a retro MLP and the collective answer was "$5".

Well, for $5 you get thin hair and cheap plastic.

The colors were altered so that the retro ponies wouldn't be mistaken for original G1s on the secondhand market.  Many collectors requested this.

Hasbro has never blamed fans. They've never said anything about the retro releases.  They just stopped making them.

That's not to say Hasbro did everything perfect.  IMO they should never have rereleased the Collector ponies; they're sort of a boring set.  (On the bright side it could be worse, at least Hasbro didn't rerelease the BBE ponies, LOL.)

I think one of the difficult things about MLP for a retro release is that there are hundreds of characters, and no easy way for Hasbro to guess which ones are actually popular.  Normally this is easy, you just look at the TV show.  But with MLP a lot of non-show characters are more popular than show characters.  Ask people to choose between Dancing Butterflies and Cherries Jubilee and I think Dancing Butterflies would win.  The BBE babies were on TV, but most people prefer the TAF babies.  And most of all, people prefer the ponies they personally grew up with.  But this varies from person to person.

This is interesting. Is there somewhere that discusses this?

When I saw them in stores, I had felt it was such a wasted opportunity. They shouldn't have polled us, for $5 per pony, of course it's going to be crap. I remember being shocked as a young child when an adult couldn't tell the difference between a cheap knock off and the real toy, and bought their kids the "cheaper one". Just like trying to sneak your kids store brand froot loops- kids know. I wanted real ponies because they were pretty, and didn't look thin/hallow with shoddy paint, awkward poses and half balding hair.

they should have taken a look at the collectible doll market. an expensive, well made figure in a beautiful package normal people buy in a nostalgic moment as an "heirloom" for their kid to keep on a shelf and not touch. Hasbro is in possession of some beautiful G1 artwork scenes and could have made something fantastic. I'd pay that for a beautiful package (which is why I only want some MIP) Changing up colours of the ponies a little for us (so no mix ups with vintage) and had an assortment of 3 classic characters together in a gorgeous art covered box for $60-$75 (I'm in Canada. the CP packages were about $20each if I remember correctly)

[Baby Sugarberry]

I don't own any of these myself so i can't check, but did they use the FF mould as a base, instead of the revised collector pose?  That would explain the tipping; the original FF's are only semi-stable because of their very heavy tail washers - without them, they go nose down at the slightest touch. 

Agree that the three pack and choice of a set that pretty much every collector already has at least some of wasn't really the best choice - not to mention none of the collector ponies are all that iconic for the brand.  They'd have been better served by doing Firefly-Medley-Glory-Moondancer-Applejack-Bowtie.  Packaging also counts!  A lot of G1's shelf-appeal was the artwork and since these were intended for the collector market and more likely to stay MIP, reproducing the original packaging would have been far more nostalgic.

I passed on the Collector sets, and never saw the Rainbows in store as well.

[SunbeamV]

I don't own any of these myself so i can't check, but did they use the FF mould as a base, instead of the revised collector pose?  That would explain the tipping; the original FF's are only semi-stable because of their very heavy tail washers - without them, they go nose down at the slightest touch.

The collectors pose repros were flat footed, yes. I tried opening one once to try and weight down their back legs and found that they had plastic washers, too. So that explains the tipping over all the time. 

I think more accurate to original packaging would've been a better hit with the repros too, though. I was only 12 or so when they did the collector pose rereleases, but by that age I'd already read about previous generations online so I was super excited to be able to "buy old ponies from the store just like kids in the 80s would have!", so I think there's a market for slightly older children with repros as well? I was so incredibly disappointed when stores here never got the rainbow ponies, so I really wish Hasbro has tried a little harder to make them more accessible, like packaging them singly to make them easier nostalgia-impulse buys for adults. $15 on ponies at once was a lot as a kid 

[LadyMoondancer]

I think they were based off the Flat Foot pose, they seemed to have the lower head.  I know that they had to remold them, as the original molds had sadly been lost or destroyed.  (Unfortunately this happened with a lot of 80s toy molds.)  That's probably why their eyes look a bit odd / small.

[SunbeamV]

The repros are actually noticeably different from the original FFs as well? They're smaller and their head is even lower.

Here's a couple pics of an original FF, a 2007 repro, and a concave foot pony side by side for comparison:

Spoiler

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Probably not enough of an appearance difference to bother people, but the repros have significantly worse balance than the original FFs which can make them frustrating to own/play with/display. Mine used to topple face first off my shelf in the middle of the night They could've been made much better, imo.

[Pokeyonekenobie]

If Hasbro had re-released the Big Brother ponies instead I think they would have sold better, not only because they're hard to come by as it is, but customizers would have gone nuts and used them as bait.  I know I would have stocked up on them just to have them for future projects.