In 2008 My Little Pony toys celebrated 25 wonderful years of whimsicality and celebrity status. Conceived and manufactured by Hasbro, My Little Pony toys have brought enjoyment to millions of children all over the world throughout several decades, and they continue to do so today, for adults and children alike.
These pastel coloured ponies have a long and varied history but their fundamental characters remain in tact, whimsical and playful, just as Hasbro intended and promoted through their marketing.
Almost every little girl dreams of owning a pony and My Little Pony Toys help to make that dream come true. Especially for little girls born in the 1970’s, growing up in the 80’s, as My Little Pony toys inspired pretty much a whole generation. The same little girls that were around during the first generation of ponies are now grown ups who still love My Little Pony toys just as much and they have become very collectable.
Of course My Little Pony toys continued to be hugely popular after this first generation of children grew up but their shapes and designs changed, and copycat products came onto the market to compete with them. Before any such competition, when they were first introduced in 1983, My Little Pony toys became so popular that they outsold the infamous and massively successful Barbie doll at one point.
The inception of My Little Pony toys followed the closely related My Pretty Pony toys, their American predecessor, that had been introduced to the marketplace in 1981. My Pretty Pony was made by Romper Room, a division of Hasbro at the time. My Pretty Pony was bigger than My Little Pony and her colour was more earthy in tone than the pastel colours of My Little Pony that followed.
There were initially only only six little ponies and the first generation of ponies was between 1983 to 1995 (1992 in the US). These original six ponies were all Earth ponies, that is they had no wings or horns, unlike later little ponies. They had soft, silky manes and tails that you could brush, and each one had their own symbols on their behinds. Each pony came with a comb for grooming and a ribbon for decoration.
One of the first My Little Ponies released also came with the Grooming Parlour (Pretty Parlour in the US), launched in 1983. The Grooming Parlour was a blue rectangular case that opened out into a parlour, where you could groom a little pony. It came with accessories like a comb, ribbons, a saddle, a bridle and nametags that could be used to display a pony's name on the stage in the centre. It also came with a tabby cat and a pink basket that could be strapped to the pony’s back.
My Little Pony toys then changed in appearance over time, although they retained their pastel coloured bodies with a different colour mane and tail, and individual symbols on their flanks. Following the original Earth ponies came Unicorns and Pegasus ponies, and baby ponies became available in all three models – Earth, Unicorn and Pegasus forms. The earliest baby ponies were like their mothers in looks but smaller and in lighter, softer colours. Later baby ponies were created with more individual identities, different to their parents.
In 1997 the My Little Pony brand was re-launched by Hasbro (1999 in the US and globally in 2003) and made a massive come-back, although for some people it had never really gone away and remained an icon of their childhoods. The second generation of ponies were made in totally different poses. They were a different shape to the original first generation ponies, slimmer and smaller in height, with longer legs and turning heads. They were mostly Earth ponies, but some unicorns, and no Pegasus ponies and only two baby ponies.
The Generation 2 My Little Pony toys ceased to be manufactured in 2003 and the new generation, the current one, was released. The third generation of ponies includes the re-release of some of the original generation ponies, but standing in different poses and with shiny bodies instead of matte, and matte symbols on their flanks.
From 2003 to 2005 only Earth ponies were released, then in 2005 Pegasus ponies were released and in 2006 Unicorn ponies. In 2008 Hasbro narrowed its My Little Pony toys down to seven ponies and no new ponies will be released, although some older models will be re-released.
Whatever happens in the future of My Little Pony toys, they will always retain their charm and appeal to millions of little girls and adults worldwide and they are sure to have a long, magical life ahead. Their magical, whimsical nature will continue for future generations fo little girls and their near legendary status will hopefully remain in tact.
Related Articles