G1 Basic Fun Retro Ponies: A Collector's Guide

[StormMaeker]

Maybe they did a quick google search and discovered the issue with their wings breaking if you look at them funny, lol. I love the flutter ponies, I had three as a kid, but they have a bad design in terms of durability. One topple off a shelf and the wings have had it.

I wonder if Basic Fun had made them more durable this time round, I can imagine them improving on that part but if they wanted to go for authenticity, I guess not. I can see that being a reason the retailers turned them away though. Such a shame…

I only have one flutter pony and it’s a wingless Wind Drifter. She likes to fall on her face sometimes. I guess that’s why I found her wingless if all it takes is a topple

 

[Tak]

The blue Pretty Parlor was a shelfwarmer, so that's probably why stores didn't want the purple one. It's a shame, because the blue Pretty Parlor was great--lots of accessories, came with a pony and pet, VERY reasonably priced ($20 or $25 iirc). But the Pretty Parlor just sat there for MONTHS while the individual ponies sold. There's really nothing Basic Fun could have done differently IMO, people just didn't want it.

Not sure why the retailers didn't like the flutter ponies . . . Maybe they did a quick google search and discovered the issue with their wings breaking if you look at them funny, lol. I love the flutter ponies, I had three as a kid, but they have a bad design in terms of durability. One topple off a shelf and the wings have had it.

That pretty parlor and the g3 remakes were a flop here. Almost all went on clearance at target before they finally sold.

 

[Leave a Whisper]

The blue Pretty Parlor was a shelfwarmer, so that's probably why stores didn't want the purple one. It's a shame, because the blue Pretty Parlor was great--lots of accessories, came with a pony and pet, VERY reasonably priced ($20 or $25 iirc). But the Pretty Parlor just sat there for MONTHS while the individual ponies sold. There's really nothing Basic Fun could have done differently IMO, people just didn't want it.

Not sure why the retailers didn't like the flutter ponies . . . Maybe they did a quick google search and discovered the issue with their wings breaking if you look at them funny, lol. I love the flutter ponies, I had three as a kid, but they have a bad design in terms of durability. One topple off a shelf and the wings have had it.

Little Girl: Flutter ponies yay! They're so pretty-
*Flutter pony wings break*
Little Girl: Oh c'mon! I didn't even touch you!
30 years later... *cue scowling retail manager*

 

[bluerose9978]

I wonder if people petitioned these retailers if there was a way we could somehow convince them that the flutter ponies wouldn't be a waste of space?

 

[Stellaluna]

I bought the Pretty Parlor for my niece and she still loves it. I didn't get one for myself because it's kinda big and doesn't show the pony on the outside, and I have very limited display space.

It's a little strange to me that they're planning on the Flower Fantasy pones next. For one, I expect they're more costly to make due to more paint applications, and for two I wasn't aware they were even on demand at all. Did they just pick it randomly or have people been asking for them?

If they're going to do ponies with more symbols, I would've though Twice-as-Fancy would be next on their list. But either way, I guess I'm just happy they're doing well enough to plan more ponies at all!

 

[Leave a Whisper]

That pretty parlor and the g3 remakes were a flop here. Almost all went on clearance at target before they finally sold.

Huh. I didn't see hide or hair of the G3s, but those who got them did have good things to say on their quality and prettiness. Maybe if they had made an effort to look into what the gen had to offer instead of Hasbro demanding they be tied to the Mane Suxx...

My daughter and I split the Pretty Parlor, she wanted Peachy,Twinkles and some of the accessories. I got the playset and some of the accessories. Its actually a pretty good lil playset. Though I could understand why retailers wouldn't want it again. Now if they'd done the Show Stable with Lemon Drop like they should have, that might have been a different story.

 

[LadyMoondancer]

I'm sure the retailers would never want the Show Stable. If shoppers rejected the small $20 playset the retailers would have no reason to think they'd spring for a bigger, more expensive playset.

Does anyone else feel like it used to be more common for playsets to be really big? My family, and a lot of my friends' families, had a "rec room" or "play room" filled with all these huge playsets--the She Ra castle, the pony castle, the G.I. Joe vehicles, the He-Man castle etc. I feel like the average parent has less space these days.

I think the Baby Buggy might have a shot at being made because it's small and cheap (or at least it was cheaper than the other playsets back in the day, I think . . . I should check those old Sears catalogs!)

Edit: Well, I looked them up and it turns out the Pretty Parlor and the Baby Buggy cost exactly the same amount back in the day, so never mind about it being cheaper, lol.

Little Girl: Flutter ponies yay! They're so pretty-
*Flutter pony wings break*
Little Girl: Oh c'mon! I didn't even touch you!

So accurate! I got Peach Blossom and Honeysuckle for Christmas and broke one of Peach Blossom's wings off that same DAY . . . and I was a very careful child. IIRC I accidentally dropped her and her wing snapped when she hit the tile floor. I think the only way to fix the problem would be if the wings were made of something entirely different, like flexible rubbery plastic. But would pony collectors have liked that? I guess it's a moot point . . .

 

[Leave a Whisper]

I'm sure the retailers would never want the Show Stable. If shoppers rejected the small $20 playset the retailers would have no reason to think they'd spring for a bigger, more expensive playset.

Does anyone else feel like it used to be more common for playsets to be really big? My family, and a lot of my friends' families, had a "rec room" or "play room" filled with all these huge playsets--the She Ra castle, the pony castle, the G.I. Joe vehicles, the He-Man castle etc. I feel like the average parent has less space these days.

I think the Baby Buggy might have a shot at being made because it's small and cheap (or at least it was cheaper than the other playsets back in the day, I think . . . I should check those old Sears catalogs!)

Edit: Well, I looked them up and it turns out the Pretty Parlor and the Baby Buggy cost exactly the same amount back in the day, so never mind about it being cheaper, lol.



So accurate! I got Peach Blossom and Honeysuckle for Christmas and broke one of Peach Blossom's wings off that same DAY . . . and I was a very careful child. IIRC I accidentally dropped her and her wing snapped when she hit the tile floor. I think the only way to fix the problem would be if the wings were made of something entirely different, like flexible rubbery plastic. But would pony collectors have liked that? I guess it's a moot point . . .

Sorry to hear it.

 

[StormMaeker]

Does anyone else feel like it used to be more common for playsets to be really big?

I surprisingly had quite a few play sets when I was a kid (G3 days) and I say “surprisingly” because how pricy they seem, they were usually presents for Christmas and birthdays.
The one play set I begged the most for as a kid was the Rainbow Princess Castle with Rarity. It was hard to get apparently according to my parents and my Nan managed to get it for me. Rarity is still one of my favourites to this day and the castle is in the loft

I remember the building play sets were around quite a bit too. For example, the Wonder Waves Surf Shop which I also had, Butterfly Island and Rainbow Wishes Amusement Park we’re also really fun too. Will we not see many of these kinds again if retailers are turning them away?

 

[Leave a Whisper]

I surprisingly had quite a few play sets when I was a kid (G3 days) and I say “surprisingly” because how pricy they seem, they were usually presents for Christmas and birthdays.
The one play set I begged the most for as a kid was the Rainbow Princess Castle with Rarity. It was hard to get apparently according to my parents and my Nan managed to get it for me. Rarity is still one of my favourites to this day and the castle is in the loft

I remember the building play sets were around quite a bit too. For example, the Wonder Waves Surf Shop which I also had, Butterfly Island and Rainbow Wishes Amusement Park we’re also really fun too. Will we not see many of these kinds again if retailers are turning them away?

Dunno. How well did Seaquestria sell? That was massive (and awesome). Furthermore, have you seen how big some of the doll houses can get?

 

[StormMaeker]

Dunno. How well did Seaquestria sell? That was massive (and awesome). Furthermore, have you seen how big some of the doll houses can get?

I had no idea about Seaquestria until now, I had a look at it and I bet I would’ve had so much fun with that too as a little kid. I can imagine myself putting some of my Gogos Crazy Bones in there as a kid

I’ve seen the huge dollhouses. They look amazing but also ridiculous with prices. In the Smyth’s Toys Superstore catalogue I saw, there was a massive one and on the next page, one about the same size but it was more expensive because it was Barbie’s. I wouldn’t be able to say which exactly It was. I suppose some retailers would take bigger playsets if they specialised in selling those kinds of things?

 

[Leave a Whisper]

Don't wanna be a Debbie Downer, but with the number of retailers willing to carry them dropping, and with the fact that Lemondrop, the Flutters, and Baby Ponies never even made it into production, I'm kind of taking a "I'll believe it when I see it" stance.

BF has done a remarkable job mind you.

 

[SoSoftClaire]

Just FYI I’ve been back to the Cracker Barrel where I found the TE ponies, and they didn’t restock them yet.

I also went to another nearby Cracker Barrel and they only had Gusty, Surprise, and Sparkler. I asked an employee (it was not busy at the time) if she had the TE in the back and she checked but no dice.

I’ll keep looking for everyone.

 

[Sassarazzmadazzles]

The worst thing about these ponies is that i have a couple that have two different boxes and then that means i have to keep both of them

lol

 

[LadyMoondancer]

To people with a Meijer's nearby, I've heard they're having a "Buy One, Get One Half Off" sale that applies to the Basic Fun ponies!

I don't know how long it lasts, but worth checking out!

 

[MustBeJewel]

Here's a little hope for more availability in 2022!

Jay Foreman, CEO of toymaker Basic Fun, is one of them. Foreman told The Los Angeles Times that he's expecting a "huge" January as shoppers spend gift cards on things they couldn't find before Christmas.

A US toymaker says it's prepping for a 'huge' January as shoppers cash in gift cards for products that didn't make it onto shelves before Christmas

Gift cards have become a safe bet for shoppers over the holidays as supply chain issues cause continued product delays and shortages.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[JungleLeaf (removed)]

My local CB finally got in the twinkle eye ponies. They had all 4 but I only got Gingerbread and Fizzy. Just a warning that they might not be in their system yet because it took me around 10 minutes to get them cause they weren’t ringing up by their barcode.

 

[Pumpkin_Pie]

I purchased Fizzy from an online store and her hair is so disheveled from the packaging...specifically her tail. Has anyone else seen this too? She is in curlers right now!

 

[summerbird]

Does anyone else feel like it used to be more common for playsets to be really big? My family, and a lot of my friends' families, had a "rec room" or "play room" filled with all these huge playsets--the She Ra castle, the pony castle, the G.I. Joe vehicles, the He-Man castle etc. I feel like the average parent has less space these days.




So accurate! I got Peach Blossom and Honeysuckle for Christmas and broke one of Peach Blossom's wings off that same DAY . . . and I was a very careful child. IIRC I accidentally dropped her and her wing snapped when she hit the tile floor. I think the only way to fix the problem would be if the wings were made of something entirely different, like flexible rubbery plastic. But would pony collectors have liked that? I guess it's a moot point . . .

The paradise estate was certainly big! I think kids today get a bigger quantity of presents so if they have lots and lots of small things it takes up all the room for playsets? Are toys are seen as more disposable? Bigger sets take up more shelf space and maybe there is a size physical store retailers don't want to go over? So many questions, lol.

As long as they had some semblance to the original flutter pony wings I'd like one, if Basic Fun ever got some interest from retailers. I might even pay international post prices since as the cost of postage for original looking replacement wings from abroad is pricey anyway and I might as well get the rest of the pony thrown in. I fear their fragile wing reputation precedes them!

 

[Leave a Whisper]

The paradise estate was certainly big! I think kids today get a bigger quantity of presents so if they have lots and lots of small things it takes up all the room for playsets? Are toys are seen as more disposable? Bigger sets take up more shelf space and maybe there is a size physical store retailers don't want to go over? So many questions, lol.

As long as they had some semblance to the original flutter pony wings I'd like one, if Basic Fun ever got some interest from retailers. I might even pay international post prices since as the cost of postage for original looking replacement wings from abroad is pricey anyway and I might as well get the rest of the pony thrown in. I fear their fragile wing reputation precedes them!

Collectors make sturdy wings and BF was gonna make them with sturdy wings.