Why Do the 2018 Retro Pony's Feel Weird?

[hedgie_doll]

I now have two 2018 reproduction g1 ponies, gusty and sparkler, and one 2021 reproduction, sweet stuff. All three of them are very hard compared to all my original g1s as well as my 40th anniversary ones. The plastic is clunky and and feels thicker I'm wondering if other people's are like this and why?

 

[CharmsPonies]

Yes, the plastic is harder than the vintage plastic on all of mine. I think they wanted to make the toys sturdier. On my Celestials it was noticeably softer than the older reproductions, almost like a nice balance between “too soft and too hard”.

 

[Neelah]

Yeah, I have a few and they are harder. I don't know what type of hair they used but I don't really like the feel of it! I might like my repros better red-haired lol

 

[hedgie_doll]

Yes, the plastic is harder than the vintage plastic on all of mine. I think they wanted to make the toys sturdier. On my Celestials it was noticeably softer than the older reproductions, almost like a nice balance between “too soft and too hard”.

Ya the celestials as well as the 40th core line are really soft for some reason!

 

[ChocolateStarfire]

I'm not sure if the hair on the repros is polypropylene instead of nylon? Maybe the nylon is really low quality? Which explains the slickness/strangeness of the feel. There is definitely a difference in the vinyl too.

 

[MonsterIceCream]

I do wonder if it's because some of the chemicals that they used to make ponies soft and squishy in the 80s are linked to health issues now? I believe the plasticizers and phthalates that were used back then (which are what leak out of vintage ponies and make them sticky) are seen as health risks for children now! So maybe it's just a safety issue. I don't love rock-hard ponies but I do like ponies who won't send me to the doctor!

 

[kedaiyun]

I do wonder if it's because some of the chemicals that they used to make ponies soft and squishy in the 80s are linked to health issues now? I believe the plasticizers and phthalates that were used back then (which are what leak out of vintage ponies and make them sticky) are seen as health risks for children now! So maybe it's just a safety issue. I don't love rock-hard ponies but I do like ponies who won't send me to the doctor!

I was wondering the same thing, too... just got a repro Firefly from a pony friend and she told me before that these ponies are weirdly hard. I have a celestial pony Nova that feels softer and similar to the vintage ones and I was surprised when I touched Firefly. It may be because the reason you mentioned, they can't use the exact same materials now, but there are a lot of other toys that are made of softer and a bit rubbery plastic.l, like dolls or ponies from other manufacturers. Interesting.

 

[MintamenaPie]

Maybe it’s also intentional to help differentiate them from vintage in a more tangible way. The HQGICs also feel similar. I don’t like the material as much, but that’s mostly nostalgia goggles.

Makes it harder to take their heads off for whatever purpose is needed. I have to get a cheap blow dryer one of these days for softening the vinyl to avoid…unfortunateness.

 

[N0vaDulcet]

I'm not sure if the hair on the repros is polypropylene instead of nylon? Maybe the nylon is really low quality? Which explains the slickness/strangeness of the feel. There is definitely a difference in the vinyl too.

I heard it's actually Nylon, but some come with hair gel out of the box so it's really crunchy

 

[CharmsPonies]

I heard it's actually Nylon, but some come with hair gel out of the box so it's really crunchy

This! I remember having a discussion about this when the celestials came out: Half of mine had the weird hair gel in their hair but the other half didn’t. It washes right out with water. I’ve never had an issue with hair on any of the reproductions to be honest, only the plastic bodies being harder than you’d expect but that’s normal for the reproductions.

 

[N0vaDulcet]

This! I remember having a discussion about this when the celestials came out: Half of mine had the weird hair gel in their hair but the other half didn’t. It washes right out with water. I’ve never had an issue with hair on any of the reproductions to be honest, only the plastic bodies being harder than you’d expect but that’s normal for the reproductions.

I had a problem with one one time, i ordered a G1 Gingerbread through Amazon and she had pony cancer (mold), she was dirty, the box was broken and she had a mark on her leg, i ordered a replacement but it came even worse minus the pony cancer and one of her hair plugs came off entirely, i returned her and they took 2 months to return my money, so yeah read Amazon's reviews, someone's Fizzy had pony cancer too, i think they kept the Twinkle Eyes ponies on a moldy/wet storage or something

 

[Flicksi]

The hair gel is annoying. Cotton Candy only has it in half of the streak. Blossom has one loose pony strand.

 

[ChocolateStarfire]

I heard it's actually Nylon, but some come with hair gel out of the box so it's really crunchy

Thanks for clarifying that! I appreciate it--I forget the difference between hair types sometimes

 

[Glory the Magic Unicorn]

The hair gel is annoying. Cotton Candy only has it in half of the streak. Blossom has one loose pony strand.

I cannot STAND the hair gel! In my opinion, it never makes the pony look better. And it just makes more work for me because now I have to spend time getting it out! However, I take my ponies out of the boxes, and I can see how someone who doesn’t might like the gel if it keeps their hair in place.