OK so why are these guys not fakies...

[maycrestmom]

Oh Sosilver :-) you so can never leave the nirvana community ! I declare you and PKW, LadyG and KKV please stay forever as like the collective MLParchivers here

so huge thank you KKV to add to the discussion regarding Peru - yes, that's what I was curious about for the italian ponies as in that example when you have like a Mattel vs Hasbro tussle that then translated as a contract to subcontracter in-country

I wasn't sure where Furga fit into the timeline of MLP production

oh and I would love to see  pics of an italian Pretty Pony - did they do the same colors and style?

[SoSilver]

Here i am with the pics ^_^

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As you can see, everything is identical to the "US" release, except from a detail.
Furba has been the greatest doll maker in Italy, starting from 1870 (!) and the brand was well known for the quality of their dolls, especially... the hair!

So, in this pic you can tell the different quality and texture of the italian release of My Pretty Pony.

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On the box there is no sign of any Hasbro references, but i am in contact with a person here in Italy who is the historical memory of this brand and i will get some news soon.

There is also a very important detail about Furga's My Pretty Pony and My Little Pony releases: they literally translated their brand names.
My Pretty Pony became Il Mio Bel Cavallino (pretty= bel) and My Little Pony became Il Mio Piccolo Cavallino (little=piccolo).

That's it for now

Hugs!

[Galactica]

Oooh, gorgeous!

I am keen to know more, it is always so interesting trying to piece together what was going on in various factories in the 1980s...

[LadyGuinevere]

It is fascinating to find out more about the different factories! I really wish we had access to more people that worked on the projects back in the day, but sadly they seem hard to come by.

Another difference in this particular instance between these and Venezuela, is that although Furga had the MPP license before this, these would have been the next step and not related to a previously used mould. In Venezuela it seems the company had the license for a time, then lost it, but continued using the same mould for other things.

[princessluna11706]

Very cool about the my pretty pony!

Not to be a pest, but I don't think it got answered? What makes these guys authentic? Super curious. Thanks!

[maycrestmom]

squee!!! awesome eye candy and yes that is super cool with furga having the rep for doll hair to snag the Pretty Pony contract and make what looks like a much better quality Pretty Pony frankly . 

So if I am understanding and  correct as to timeline for production maybe furga was one of the original italian MLP manufacturers? So that blank flat/bubble footed trio would be equivalent to the first run of mio mini ponies, well piccolo translated, in Italy?

That's cool if that is the case>  So then other manufacturers joined with Hasbro afterwards? With italy we all know and love how that led to so much variety sometimes (AB eyes, stamp eyes, dwarf, alt mane colors, etc.) through the years ;-) that's the fun with collecting italians

thanks so much for 'splaining and sharing the pics !

[hathorcat]

Very cool about the my pretty pony!

Not to be a pest, but I don't think it got answered? What makes these guys authentic? Super curious. Thanks!

Authentic because they were produced under licence from Hasbro. Licenses move(d) depending on agreements (who offered more $$, who had the better infrastructure to sell the brand, a licensees market decisions, etc). We will probably never know the actual reason but it will probably have been some kind of combination that moved the licence for MLP from Furga to DEG.

[lunar_scythe]

I know there was one run of MPP that came with a FF Butterscotch, like maybe they had planned on doing the same, but with different colored Cotton Candys?

[maycrestmom]

that's what to me it seems as well... remember the part about that "prototype" or early blue/grey CC?  It makes me wonder if those in the US might have talked with Furga reps in providing and idea for their FF line - because we have today mio piccolo blue CC, yellow CC and (the one we all know and love as the  "regular") pink CC

man what I wouldn't give for a time machine, right?  it's cool the puzzle's been put together at least to this point :-) thanks nirvana pony peeps!

[princessluna11706]

Thanks Hathorcat!