My Little Pony

My Little Pony

Current logo
Type	Figurine
Inventor(s)	Bonnie Zacherle
Company	Hasbro
Country	United States
Availability	1982–present
Materials	Rubber
Official website

My Little Pony is a brand of toy ponies marketed primarily to young women and children and produced by the toy manufacturer Hasbro. These ponies can be identified by their colorful bodies and manes, and typically a unique symbol or series of symbols on one or both sides of their haunches. Accordingly, the ponies are named after the symbols on their haunches.

Following the related My Pretty Pony toy, introduced in 1981, My Little Pony was launched in 1983. The line became popular during the 80s. The original toy line ran from 1983 to 1995 (1992 in the U.S.) and inspired animated specials, including an animated feature length movie and three animated television series. The brand was relaunched between 1997 and 2003 (1999 in the U.S.), and then fully relaunched globally in 2003. My Little Pony celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2008.

Generation One: Dream Valley

File:My Little Pony.jpg

Fizzy and Galaxy the unicorns

The original line of My Little Pony began with Earth Ponies in 1982. The Ponies were later followed by Pegasi and Unicorns. Flutter Ponies were much smaller and thinner than Pegasus Ponies and had fragile wings that featured a "fluttering" action. Windy Wing and Summer Wing Ponies were even smaller in size compared to the Flutter Ponies, but were proportioned in a similar way, and had larger wings. Finally, Sea Ponies resembled seahorses, and were produced as both adults and babies. There were also male ponies ("Big Brother Ponies") that had slightly larger bodies and feathered hooves like Clydesdale horses.

Many different sets of Little Ponies were produced, starting with the Rainbow Ponies (which all sported rainbow-colored manes and tails) in 1983. Other variations included the So-Soft Ponies (which were entirely covered in flocking), Twinkle-Eyed Ponies (with small rhinestones in place of the eyes), Twice As Fancy Ponies (with patterns covering most of the body), Brush n' Grow Ponies (which had a longer-than-usual tail stored inside the body that could be drawn out through brushing), Pony Friends (which were other animals for the ponies to play with, such as a giraffe, lion, camel and zebra) and Baby Ponies, some of which were smaller versions of previously released adult ponies (their mothers).

The first generation of My Little Ponies ran in the U.S. for ten years, ending in 1992, but continuing internationally until 1995. The final year of sales in the U.S. was marketed as the celebration year of My Little Pony.

Mail-order ponies

All packaging (typically a blister pack) came with Horseshoe Points which could be used to obtain discounts on special ponies available only through mail order. The Horseshoe Point scheme ran in the US and UK, though the items available for purchase varied with country. Mail order ponies were generally reissues like Majesty, first available only with the Dream Castle Playset, or unique ponies such as the first boy pony, Lucky the stallion. Another example of exclusive mail-order ponies was the line of Birthflower ponies, one for each month of the year. All of them had white bodies with pink hair and tails and featured Carnation, Violet, Daffodil, Daisy, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Water Lily, Poppy, Morning Glory, Cosmos, Chrysanthemum and Holly. Special babies, such as the Pearlized Baby Ponies and Twice As Fancy babies, were also available through mail order. Some collectors actively seek out mail-order ponies oh and they are really awesome to play with and a select few, such as Sweet Scoops and Rapunzel, are highly valuable.

International ponies

European exclusives were produced by factories in France, Greece, Italy, and Spain. European ponies generally fetch a higher price than their respective counterparts made in Hong Kong or China (where the vast majority of ponies were produced). Some are fairly easy to find whereas some are much harder to find, such as Greek ponies.

Most ponies released in the US could be found in Western Europe as well. The majority of US domestic mail-order ponies never appeared overseas, though many countries had their own mail-order systems. Many of the excess ponies offered as mail orders in the US were bagged and carded and sold overseas. Some of the ponies and playsets were given different names abroad (for example, the Big Brother Ponies were known as Adventure Boy Ponies in the UK).

Some variations came from different countries and were variations on Ponies released in the US or UK, while others were unique to their country or region.

When the cartoon My Little Pony Tales was airing on television in the United States and Europe during the early 1990s, toys based on the series were sold only in Europe. Since they were not sold in America, many little girls were disappointed when they discovered that the ponies in the cartoon were not sold in toy stores.

The second My Little Pony generation was sold in Western Europe as well as in the United States. Since the second generation was more popular in Western Europe, Hasbro continued to produce them and sell them in Western Europe after the year 1998 when the American production was discontinued.

Related lines

• Petite Ponies

Petite Ponies are tiny pony figures that came in sets. Some have different traits such as brushable hair, pearlised or glow-in-the-dark bodies. Under the base of each is an engraved hoof that allows the pony to function as a key to the Petite Playsets. Most of these smaller ponies had no official name and many had the same symbols. They were sold from 1989 to 1991. Only Earth Ponies and Pegasi were made.

• Dream Beauties

Larger figures, made of hard plastic, were advertised as "grown up" ponies and called Dream Beauties. Unlike My Little Ponies, they looked more like real horses, with a line of plastic "beads" along the bases of their manes. All of them were Earth Ponies except for the three Highflying Beauties who had large multicolored wings. They were sold from 1989 to 1990.

• My Little Kitty/Puppy/Bunny

Cat, dog and rabbit sets were sold under the Hasbro MLP logo in the early 1990s. Each Li'l Litters set consisted of a mother, two babies, and a plastic comb. All of the mothers had flocked bodies and the babies were miniature plastic figures. Kitty mothers had cottony tails, Puppy mothers had either silky or cottony ears and Bunny mothers had cottony tails and silky forelocks. There were also Nursery Family sets featuring the puppy and kitty characters.

Merchandise

Apart from the ponies themselves, merchandise included children's bedding and room decorations, plush toys, puzzles, books, and a number of playsets such as "Dream Castle", "Paradise Estate" and the "Baby Bonnet School of Dance". There were also more unusual items, such as a pomander and toy sewing machines. Two animated television series were aired during this generation and a cinematic release movie. In 1985 the My Little Pony "Seven Songs and a Story" Picture Disc was released. It was recorded at AIR Studios in County Durham with singer Tony Markey.

• On the 25th anniversary of My Little Ponies, Hasbro reproduced the original 1983 My Little Pony Collection. The names of the reproduced ponies were Blue Belle, Butter Scotch, Cotton Candy, Snuzzle, Blossom and Minty. Hasbro also reproduced some generation 1 rainbow ponies.

• Old My Little Pony keychains of reproduced generation ponies were sold exclusively in Japan. The ponies that were sold as keychains were Milky Way, Dancing Butterfly, Sugarberry, Starbow, Rainribbon, Sunribbon, Baby Stockings (came in red or green). They have combable hair and came with a small comb. They are very hard to find.

My Little Pony Tales

My Little Pony Tales was a cartoon that premiered on television on July 3, 1992. The main characters were female ponies named Starlight, Sweetheart, Melody, Bright Eyes, Patch, Clover and Bon Bon. Many of the episodes featured these characters as attending school, having fun with friends, and dating. Most people who grew up watching the original My Little Pony cartoon (1986) and played with generation 1 My Little Ponies do not like this My Little Pony Cartoon series. However, there are some people who like My Little Pony Tales. The last episode that aired on television in the United States was on December 25, 1992. There are no My Little Pony Tales DVD's sold in the United States. However, My Little Pony Tales DVD's are sold in the United Kingdom and Australia. Also, some of the My Little Pony Tales episodes or at least segments of the cartoon have been uploaded to the website YouTube.

Generation Two: Friendship Gardens

The second line of My Little Pony was introduced in 1997. They are colloquially referred to as "Generation Two" (G2) or "Friendship Garden Ponies". They were made in completely new redesigned poses, and compared to the original 1982 line they were smaller, slimmer, and longer-legged, with jewel eyes and turning heads. In the U.S. the line was not successful and was discontinued in 1999, although it continued overseas for a few years afterwards.

Most were Earth Ponies, but a few unicorns were made internationally. Although no official Pegasus Ponies were made, some adults had clip-on wings. In the early 2000s, several unicorns with clip-on wings were made, called "The Magic Unicorns". Only two baby pony poses were introduced. None of the baby ponies were ever sold in the U.S.

In Europe, the ponies lived in Ponyland, rather than Friendship Gardens, and were discontinued with the inception of the G3 line in 2003. Many ponies released in the last years of the line are quite rare. A number of playsets were introduced, including a mansion and a castle.

Some of the licensed merchandise released in Europe included beanbag plush, magazines, clothing, perfume, wrapping paper and coloring books. A PC CD-Rom game was sold. The title on the box was My Little Pony: create and play with your own pony! It involved taking care of a pony and playing games along the way.

• Some of the generation 2 ponies were sold as key chains. Those sold as key chains were Morning Glory, Sundance, Light Heart, and Ivy. The pony came with a comb attached to their neck by a string and ponies could be detached from the key chain. The back of the package that they come in says "My Little Pony Logo and Pony Names are Trademarks of Hasbro INC. Copyright 1998". At the bottom of the package at the center is a light pink cloud and in that cloud is a rainbow with clouds. Underneath the picture it says "Hoof mark of a real My Little Pony." They were produced under license by Fun-4-All Corp. and were made in China. They are very hard to find.

Generation Three: Ponyville

The third incarnation of the My Little Pony line began in 2003, and is generally referred to Generation 3 (G3). Hasbro released only Earth ponies from 2003-2005. They released Pegasus ponies in 2005, and Unicorn ponies in 2006. The ponies live in Ponyville which is centered around Celebration Castle. Many of the original ponies have since been re-released in different poses or outfits.

Most ponies in the line have shiny or pearly bodies and matte symbols resembling tattoos on one side, now referred to as "Cutie Marks". Early G3 Ponies also have a magnet in one hoof that is used to activate playset items. These magnets are fairly strong and can damage some electrical equipment and appliances if prolonged contact is made.

Until late 2005, packaging came with Pony Points that were later used for exclusive mail orders. Unlike the G1 line, the Pony Points had to be sent in to order; a customer could not just pay a flat fee and add points to it to lower the price. Some of the ponies available with the Pony Points Program were Dazzle Surprise, Sunshimmer and Love Wishes. Other merchandise included posters or a Ponybut play mat for you to put your buildings on. The points program ended on 31 January 2006.

While the line was simultaneously released in the U.S. and Europe, there are a few Ponies unavailable in the U.S., such as Winter Snow and some Breezies (small, fairy-like ponies who first appeared in The Princess Promenade).

One of the most uncommon ponies released so far in the G3 line was actually released by mistake in 2004. A Pinkie Pie with the words "2003 Licensing Show" integrated into her symbol was used to promote the My Little Pony toy line at the 2003 Spring Licensing Show, and were intended to be released only at that show in a limited edition of 300. Due to a packaging error, a few were packaged as regular ponies and sold in stores. Other limited edition ponies have been the Pony Project promotional ponies and Rosey Posey, who was given to attendees at a charity dinner held by Hasbro.

Recognizing the older fans of its line, Hasbro has released special collector ponies that are noticeably different from the regular G3. While some had a general release as "Art Ponies" many are available through special events such as the annual My Little Pony Collector's Convention and the San Diego Comic Con. These ponies are elaborately designed, such as the underwater themed art pony which has fish and sea creatures printed all over its body and come in matching display boxes. The most recent SDCC pony (2011) is black and pink and has a kawaii skull theme instead of a typical Cutie Mark. There is also a blank white pony that is available to customizers.

Despite the G6 redesign as "Core 7" and the advent of the G4 line Hasbro has continued the collector-themed G3 ponies in their original pose.

Core 7

In 2009 Hasbro redesigned the My Little Pony characters. The ponies' bodies were shrunk, their heads became larger, and their eyes took on a more innocent and childlike appearance. The hair styles of these ponies were also changed and many relationships were altered a little. For instance, Cheerilee is now Scootaloo's older sister. This was done in an effort to give the ponies 'more personality.' However, the Core 7 line is widely criticized by veteran collectors due to their design and theme.

Ponyville Figurines

The Ponyville Figurines are fully molded plastic and much smaller than the main G3 line and had their own playsets and accessories, however many of the characters were the same.

Merchandise

A large amount of licensed My Little Pony merchandise has been released for the current generation. The characters can be found on items ranging from bedding and home decor to clothing and dishware and stationey and school supplies. Plush ponies have been given away as theme park prizes and used in crane machines. There is a 3 ft. plush pony line which was first available for sale in Australia (characters including Rainbow Dash, Minty, Sweetberry, and the special Kimono, which was used as a prize by Red Rooster Restaurants and Target, among others). McDonald's has also featured ponies in its Happy Meal promotions on more than one occasion, as have other fast food chains. Eight characters were used in the first U.S. McDonald's promotion, while other countries' chain restaurants had only four.

My Little Pony merchandise aimed at young women have also appeared, including T-shirts depicting G1 ponies, featuring slogans such as "Livin' in the 80s" or "I Love Rainbows".

Hasbro sold the digital gaming rights based on their various properties (including My Little Pony, Magic: The Gathering, Tonka, Playskool, and Transformers) to Infogrames for USD$100 million in 2000, buying back the rights for USD$65 million in June 2005.

Generation Four: Equestria

Launched in 2010 and featuring seven ponies tied-in to the TV show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic airing on The Hub; Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Spike the dragon and Princess Celestia. Set in the magical land of Equestria, the show centers around the unicorn pony Twilight Sparkle as she learns lessons about friendship. Most of the ponies on the show were designed by animator Lauren Faust, who also developed the show for television. Faust has also developed other cartoons, most notably, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and The Powerpuff Girls. Both of which were extremely well-accepted. Faust believes in making cartoons enjoyable for all that watch or can watch, and because of her strategies, the show gained massive popularity online, particularly with older teens, not just females, often called 'bronies.' Each of the Generation Four toys were divided in several groups.

Playful Ponies

The first line of the Generation Four toys were the Playful Ponies. These includes a smaller pony mold with brushable hair, a saddle or wagon, an animal companion, and comb. This is considered as the "Basic" release of the series. The first 6 ponies released were Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity. There are also Promotional packs which were two-packs released in Europe. There is, as of yet, no word if the two-packs are scheduled to arrive in North America or if the two exclusive ponies (Rainbow Flash and Daisy Dreams) will be made available as singles. Event Singles were also released in a certain month, which includes a Valentine's Day Pinkie Pie (Released in February 2011) and an Easter Fluttershy (Released on April 2011).

Hasbro later announced the second wave of toys, and is intended to be released in March 2011. But due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, it was postponed and released later in April 2011. The second wave omits Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to make way for two new characters: Cheerilee and Lily Blossom. The third wave was released in May 2011, introducing 4 new characters: Cupcake, Lulu Luck, Dewdrop Dazzle and Blossomforth. Wave 4 will be released in July 2011.

Story Packs

Story Packs were the special playsets of the franchise. Like the previous generations, these playsets includes at least one pony, one large playset piece, and numerous accessories. They were released during each wave just like the Playful Ponies. Some of the exclusives on the Story Packs includes Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Star Swirl (Europe only).

Ride Along Ponies

The Ride Along series were special versions of the Playful Ponies, each having a scooter and an animal companion. These are announced to be released in July 2011 alongside Wave 4.

So Soft Newborn

Like the Generation 3 So Soft Newborns, these versions were identical in design to their G3 counterparts. Only 3 ponies were in this line: Sunny Daze, Sweetie Belle and Pinkie Pie. Each of them includes a pacifier.

Shine Bright Ponies

The Shine Bright Ponies were special ponies in which their primary gimmick is a light-up section when their saddle is pressed. These are slightly bigger than the Playful Ponies and their legs are poseable. Only 3 variants were released (Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash) normally, with Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna being released as Target Exclusives. And unfortunately Applejack didn't call for this line.

Fashion Ponies

The fashion ponies are larger versions of the Playful Ponies, each sporting a unique dress and several accessories. Only two were released each wave.

Jumbo Plush

Several Jumbo Plush of the Pony Characters were also released as Toys 'R' Us exclusives. These are similar to the Generation 3 Jumbo Plush line except for the updated design.

Ponyville Singles and Surprise Bags

In addition to the larger toys, Hasbro also released several Ponyville singles of the main characters. Similar to the Generation 3 Ponyville Figurine line, these fully sculpted toys were either sold in singles or in a special 4-Pack. In Europe, there are also 24 smaller "surprise-bag" fully sculpted toys. They are sold in opaque packaging without noting which toy is in the bag, hence the "surprise". As of July 2011, these bags have only appeared in European markets.

Animated features

Television and theatrical (1980s to present)

The first My Little Pony cartoon was the prime time special Rescue at Midnight Castle in 1984. It was followed by a similar special in 1985, Escape from Catrina, in which Tammy Grimes voiced the titular character. In 1986, the ponies appeared in their first full-length feature film, My Little Pony: The Movie. Directed by Michael Joens, it starred the voices of Rhea Perlman, Madeline Kahn, Tony Randall, and Danny DeVito, among others. It had a mediocre box office performance, grossing almost $6 million in the United States, and received mostly negative reviews from critics.

It was followed by the more popular My Little Pony TV series. The series promoted a great many of the toys available in 1986-1987, featuring a large regular cast of Earth, Pegasus, and Unicorn Ponies with guest appearances by new lines such as the Flutter Ponies and Princess Ponies. It also used the theme song featured in TV advertisements for the brand (as did other series based on Hasbro properties).

The TV specials, the movie and the TV series were all set in the same continuity. They were set in Dream Valley, a land inhabited by witches, goblins and other magical creatures with whom the ponies, their human friend Megan, and their dragon friend Spike would often interact.

A later program, My Little Pony Tales, was set in a completely different continuity. This series semi-anthropomorphised the Ponies — they lived in a human-like town where they went to school, ran businesses, went on vacation and exchanged currency for goods.

In 2004, the first season of the original My Little Pony television series was released on DVD. The four-DVD collection features the two prime-time television specials and 50 episodes from the original series. Some songs from the original airing of the two specials have been cut, leaving the specials as they appeared when syndicated as part of the cartoon series. The ten-episode miniseries "The End of Flutter Valley" was released on a single-disc DVD in 2005.

2006 brought the release of episodes from the second season, with two single-disc DVD releases: "Flight to Cloud Castle and Other Stories" and "Quest of the Princess Ponies and Other Stories", in addition to a DVD of "Two Great Pony Tales", with "The Magic Coins" and "The Glass Princess" available as 8 episodes.

In 2010, an entirely new TV series, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, debuted. The show has become notable for its success outside of its target audience and has become a cult phenomenon on the Internet.

Direct-to-video (2000s)

Movie Poster for My Little Pony: The Runaway Rainbow.

Between 2003 and 2009 (prior to 2010's Friendship is Magic) the Ponies appeared in a series of direct-to-VHS/DVD movies began production. These are set in yet another continuity, and star the G3 ponies. So far these have included:

1. "A Charming Birthday" (2003) - A direct-to-VHS release, it was not sold on its own, but instead was packaged with some of the early G3s.
2. "Dancing in the Clouds" (2004) - This was a VHS packaged along the first Pegasus pony of the G3 line, Star Catcher.
3. "Friends Are Never Far Away" (2005) - A DVD that was packaged with a new Pegasus named Hidden Treasure.
4. My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas (October 25, 2005) - The first video sold by itself, was available in both VHS and DVD. It included "Dancing in the Clouds" as a bonus episode. Was re-released in October 2008 with a bonus Minty toy.
5. My Little Pony: The Princess Promenade (February 7, 2006) - Featured the debut of a re-design of Spike the dragon, who originally featured in G1 (this makes Spike the only character in the franchise to appear in both the G1 and G3 cartoons). It also included Breezies — small, fairy-like ponies. It was available on VHS and DVD and included "A Charming Birthday" as a bonus episode.
6. My Little Pony: The Runaway Rainbow (September 12, 2006) - Featured the new G3 unicorn, Rarity. This was only released on DVD. It included "Friends Are Never Far Away" as a bonus episode.
7. My Little Pony: A Very Pony Place (February 6, 2007) - 3 All-New Pony Tales which include: "Come Back, Lily Lightly", "Two For the Sky", and "Positively Pink". Each story features the debut of Lily Lightly, Storybelle and Puzzlemint.
8. My Little Pony: Pinkie Pie's Special Day (2008) - Packaged in a set of the same name with Pinkie Pie in an outfit resembling the one worn in the episode.
9. My Little Pony: Meet The Ponies (2008) - A DVD containing several mini-episodes featuring the Core 7 Ponies that were first available online. Packaged within the first wave of the Core 7 Pony toys.
10. My Little Pony: Starsong and the Magic Dance Shoes (2008) - Packaged in a set of the same name with Starsong in an outfit resembling the one worn in the episode.
11. My Little Pony: Rainbow Dash's Special Day (2009) - Packaged in a set of the same name with Rainbow Dash in an outfit resembling the one worn in the episode.
12. My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Adventure (October 13, 2009) - Released by Shout! Factory in collaboration with Hasbro, Inc., this DVD includes a feature length movie, sing-a-longs and other bonus material.

My Little Pony Live

On 19 June 2006, Hasbro and VEE Corporation announced a live touring production of My Little Pony.

My Little Pony Live is a 90 minute musical starring the main favorites of Ponyville: Pinkie Pie, Minty, Sweetberry, Sew-and-so, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Spike, Thistle Whistle, Zipzee, Tra La La, Tiddlywink, and Wysteria

The "World's Biggest Tea Party" show opened at October 2003. A Spin Off is called Meet the Ponies

Imitations

During the 1990s, there were other toy companies that wanted to cash in on the popularity and success of My Little Ponies. The imitations were produced and sold after the discontinuation of the generation one My Little Ponies in the year 1991 and before generation two My Little Ponies were produced and sold in the year 1997. Due to the fact that there are hundreds if not thousands of imitations, it is impossible to list them all. But the first four imitations listed below were very popular and highly sought after by little girls in the early to mid 90s and were available at various toy stores. However, these toys had similarities to both the My Little Pony and Dream Beauty lines. In the My Little Pony collecting community these are known as "fakies". However, some are sought after in their own right. Some of them were:

• Secret Wish Horse

These were colorful, plastic horses with rooted eyelashes and a bejeweled saddle that would open up to reveal a surprise (earrings, bracelet, or a ring). They also came with a necklace that was similar to a magic 8 ball that were said to make a girls wishes come true. They were made by Tyco. These were sold at but not limited to Toys R Us and KB Toys.

• Fantasy Fillies

These were colorful plastic horses that were produced by Empire/Marchon. The designer of this toy line also designed Fashion Star Fillies by Kenner in 1987. They came as pegasi, unicorns, Earth horses, and mini fillies. They even had some with hair that could grow called princess growing hair and had a filly sold with a carriage. These were sold at but not limited to Toys R Us and KB Toys.

• Magic Touch Pony

These were made of plastic and came in different colors. They had symbols on their back sides like My Little Ponies and Dream Beauties. The only difference was that some had hooves that would light up, a necklace that lit up, plastic flowers in mane that would light up, and some even played music. These were sold at but not limited to Toys R Us and KB Toys.

• Cabbage Patch Ponies

These were made by Hasbro. They were made of rubber, came in different colors, and some had glittery bodies. They also had hair that could be combed while others had yarn for hair. There were unicorns, pegasi and Earth ponies. These were sold but not limited to Toys R Us and KB Toys. These were sold at but not limited to Toys R Us and KB Toys.

• Princess Rinse & Spit

Their body was in the same mold as Posey. They have a jewel on their forehead. Their unique trait is their large teeth-bearing grin. This one is also a popular imitation among those that collect imitations. It is made of cheap material.

When Hasbro discontinued the generation one My Little Pony line in the year 1991, some of the pony molds got into the hands of other toy companies. These other toy companies that obtained the molds used them to make their own pony toys. There are very few imitations based on the second My Little Pony generation. Most likely due to the fact that the second generation wasn't popular in the United States. More recently there have been sightings of generation 3 imitations. There are many more out there but like any product, some are made of better quality than others. It also depends on the individual as far as likes and dislikes are concerned. Also, there are websites that help people identify genuine My Little Ponies manufactured by Hasbro and assist in recognizing imitations. Many imitations are sold at but are not limited to dollar stores.

Custom ponies

Another feature of the recent pony collecting scene is the making and selling of custom ponies. This is an art form in which common or poor condition ponies (called bait) are redesigned according to the vision of the artist. Customizers may paint new symbols on the pony, change their body color, paint their eyes, re-thread their manes and tails with a different color of nylon hair, or dye faded hair. Some customs can become very elaborate, using sculpted parts, specially made wings, unicorn horns, rhinestones, and/or detailed painting all over the pony. Some websites dedicated to My Little Ponies offer advice on how to go about customizing and suggest what to use. Customs have found a sizable market on eBay alongside regular pony sales - while this is typically not a profitable enterprise, some of the more popular artists make a fair amount. Some customs on Ebay have gone for more than $170. Websites that assist customizers sometimes sell products such as paint and hair. Artists are often commissioned by collectors and non-collectors alike to make a unique pony.

Collector Guides

Several books have been published to help My Little Pony collectors. They are:

• The World of My Little Pony: An Unauthorized Guide for Collectors by Debra L. Birge
• My Little Pony around the World by Debra L. Birge
• The My Little Pony Collectors Inventory: A Complete Checklist of all U.S. Ponies, Playsets, and Accessories by Hillary DePiano
• The My Little Pony G1 Collector's Inventory: An unofficial full color illustrated collector's price guide to the first generation of MLP including all ponies, playsets, and accessories released before 1997 By Summer Hayes
• The My Little Pony G2 Collector's Inventory: An unofficial full color illustrated guide to the second generation of MLP including all ponies, playsets, and accessories released from 1997 to 2003 By Summer Hayes
• The My Little Pony G3 Collector's Inventory: An unofficial full color illustrated guide to the third generation of MLP including all ponies, playsets, and accessories released from 2003 through 2007 By Summer Hayes
• The My Little Pony 2007-2008 Collector's Inventory By Summer Hayes

My Little Pony in popular culture

My Little Pony, being among the most popular toy lines of all time, is regularly referred to in various media.

Perhaps most prominently, the ponies have had several "cameo" appearances in movies and TV shows, including two Robot Chicken shorts, several appearances in the Cartoon Network show Dexter's Laboratory, and Veronica Mars. My Little Pony toys also make an appearance in The Cosby Show, G4's show Action Blast!, Cartoon Network's The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Boy Meets World and The OC. In the 2007 Transformers film, a My Little Pony toy appears as a reference to Hasbro, who owns the license for both the My Little Pony and Transformers franchises. The toys are also mentioned in the films Meet the Robinsons and Nickelodeon's original movie Spectacular!, which includes one actor, Venus Terzo, who also does voiceovers on the My Little Pony TV series. References to My Little Pony also appear in the Backyard Sports series of video games.

Nicknames and gags related to My Little Pony have been created that refer to several prominent people. Radio talk-show host Laura Ingraham refers to former Senator John Edwards as "Silky Pony" and plays the My Little Pony theme music when discussing stories about Edwards. Jonathan I. Schwartz, the CEO of Sun Microsystems, has been given the nickname MLP by Daniel Lyons. In 2005, when US President George W. Bush nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court of the United States, political cartoonist Steve Sack drew a cartoon depicting Bush brushing a pony toy with false eyelashes under the title "My Little Crony", since it was recently after the dismissal of Michael D. Brown for failing to handle the Hurricane Katrina crisis.

Wizards of the Coast, Something Positive, Slashdot, Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi, and Sister Claire have all referenced My Little Pony in gags and April Fools jokes.

A Nick at Nite ad for Mister Ed says he's no "My Little Pony".

In the seventh book in the Artemis Fowl book series, The Atlantis Complex, the antagonist Turnball Root refers to the centaur Foaly as "My Little Pony".

A June 2011 article in Wired.com focused on so-called “bronies” (“bro ponies”) — generally defining adult men who happen to be fans of the 2010 television series.

Logos

• 
  The Generation Three logo (2003-2009, but still used in some countries as of 2011)
• 
  The Generation Four logo (2010-present)

Further reading

• Summer Hayes (May 1, 2008) The My Little Pony G1 Collector's Inventory: an unofficial full color illustrated collector's price guide to the first generation of MLP including all US ponies, playsets and accessories released before 1997 with a foreword by Dream Valley's Kim Shriner. Priced Nostalgia Press. ISBN 978-0-9786063-1-2
• Summer Hayes (2007) The My Little Pony G3 Collector's Inventory: an unofficial full color illustrated guide to the third generation of MLP including all ponies, playsets and accessories from 2003 to the present. Priced Nostalgia Press. ISBN 978-0-9786063-5-0
• Hillary DePiano (2005) The My Little Pony Collector's Inventory: A Complete Checklist of All US Ponies, Playsets and Accessories from 1981 to 1992. Priced Nostalgia Press. ISBN 1-4116-2165-4

External links

• My Little Pony on Hasbro.com, the official site.