So I’ve been holding on to two concave foot Cotton Candies because I can’t figure out if the coloration differences are just the general weirdness we’ve been finding with our toys from the 80s, or one coloration is more supposed to be the Mail order version, while the paler one is supposed to be the ones that were found on backcards once flatfeet ponies were phased out. Does anyone have a definitive answer?
I’ve heard tell that the eyecolor might be a sign, but I don’t see any difference. Obviously my picture taking and your monitor might vary. But one is definitely more of a pale peachy pink and the other one is more of a pink pink.
So Cotton Candy (and Blossom) are very confusing because they have sooo many releases:
Flat foot store version, Year 1
Concave store version, Year 1 (Collectors used to think all the Year 1 ponies were flat-foots but then people found MOC concave-hoofs on the Year 1 backcards. This change was probably made once Hasbro realized the FF poses are really tippy.)
Concave store version, Year 2, where Blossom and Cotton Candy were rereleased with Applejack, Bubbles, etc.
Concave mail order set, which was released for multiple years so there could also be variations between THOSE
I have a Year 2 store bought Cotton Candy from my childhood and she has the darker coloration. I think all the Year 2 Cotton Candies are that color, as that was the most common version in thrift shops in the late 90s, and the Year 2 was THE most popular G1 year, and in addition Cotton Candy had more units per case than any other Year 2 earth pony.
However, I've seen mint in baggie mail orders that have the same coloration. Basically identical.
So by process of elimination, my guess is the paler CF is the one from Year 1. Which would make sense because FF Cotton Candy is also paler than the Year 2 version.
and scans. So many scans.