How popular was My Little Pony in earlier times?

[FirePuppy 626]

Before 2003, there was virtually no My Little Pony anywhere. And before 2010, we did have G3 media, but they didn't air on TV until G4's presence.

[Steve Piranha 28,768]

There where two G1 TV shows, and some movies of the first. It was back to the 80s and the other one didn't get past half the 90s, I think. G3 had many specials, and I think they where aired in children networks. MLP has been popular to it's intended target audience, but FIM is the one which expanded the demographic 

[KarentheUnicorn 218]

1 hour ago, FirePuppy said:

Before 2003, there was virtually no My Little Pony anywhere. And before 2010, we did have G3 media, but they didn't air on TV until G4's presence.

hum, are you talking cartoon only? Considering there was pony before 2003.

Ponies overall yearly:

G1 - 1982-1995

G2 -1997-2003

G3 - 2003-2010

G4 - 2010 - present

So technically, MLP has only taken one year off, 1996.

 

[Leave a Whisper 703]

Incredibly popular.

 

The 80s mlp toyline went on for ten years, spawned tons of toys and merch, a large loyal fanbase, 2 specials, 1 movie and 2 shows. 

 

I can't speak with any authority on g2.

G3's toyline was also insanely profitable for Hasbro and was very popular with kids and collectors, again spawning a ton of toys and merch. I'm unsure how the episodes faired with kids.

MLP has been one of best selling girls brands for years. It wasn't some obscure line that barely limped by and suddenly soared into popularity in the 2000s. Anyone who says otherwise is full of it.

1 hour ago, Steve Piranha said:

There where two G1 TV shows, and some movies of the first. It was back to the 80s and the other one didn't get past half the 90s, I think. G3 had many specials, and I think they where aired in children networks. MLP has been popular to it's intended target audience, but FIM is the one which expanded the demographic 

Incorrect, there have been long time fans since the beginning who have grown up with it, seen new generations, and introduced their own kids to it. G2/G3 fans are now adults and teenagers and many either never stopped collecting, or rekindled their love and childhood memories. If it exists, there are fans of it. There have  also been guys who enjoy girl's franchises, just as there have been girl's who have enjoyed guys franchises for longer then some of you have been around.

That's just as ridiculous as believing that there's never been a large adult or teen fanbase of any other long- running franchise.  That is both an arrogant and willfully ignorant statement. 30+ years worth of mlp fans say hello.

Edited May 12, 2018 by Leave a Whisper

[Steve Piranha 28,768]

22 minutes ago, Leave a Whisper said:

Incredibly popular.

 

The 80s mlp toyline went on for ten years, spawned tons of toys and merch, a large loyal fanbase, 2 specials, 1 movie and 2 shows. 

 

I can't speak with any authority on g2.

G3's toyline was also insanely profitable for Hasbro and was very popular with kids and collectors, again spawning a ton of toys and merch. I'm unsure how the episodes faired with kids.

MLP has been one of best selling girls brands for years. It wasn't some obscure line that barely limped by and suddenly soared into popularity in the 2000s. Anyone who says otherwise is full of it.

Incorrect, there have been long time fans since the beginning who have grown up with it, seen new generations, and introduced their own kids to it. G2/G3 fans are now adults and teenagers and many either never stopped collecting, or rekindled their love and childhood memories. If it exists, there are fans of it. There have  also been guys who enjoy girl's franchises, just as there have been girl's who have enjoyed guys franchises for longer then some of you have been around.

That's just as ridiculous as believing that there's never been a large adult or teen fanbase of any other long- running franchise.  That is both an arrogant and willfully ignorant statement. 30+ years worth of mlp fans say hello.

Not claiming there weren't, but compare the adult fandom of previous gens, with this one. 

[Leave a Whisper 703]

13 minutes ago, Steve Piranha said:

Not claiming there weren't, but compare the adult fandom of previous gens, with this one. 

So millions of fans who've been invested in this franchise long before you people are automatically disqualified as adult fans?

I suppose in your eyes, little kids who have been DC or Marvel fans long before the current generation don't count as adult or teen fans either?  Wow. That's some logic there pal.

Here's a news flash, g4 fans are just the most recent fans of a long running kid's franchise. You are Not the only ones who count. Why you people seem to think that you are somehow the only adult fans is beyond the rest of the mlp fandom at large.  

Again arrogant and willfully ignorant statements being made. 

Edited May 12, 2018 by Leave a Whisper

[Steve Piranha 28,768]

47 minutes ago, Leave a Whisper said:

So millions of fans who've been invested in this franchise long before you people are automatically disqualified as adult fans?

I suppose in your eyes, little kids who have been DC or Marvel fans long before the current generation don't count as adult or teen fans either?  Wow. That's some logic there pal.

Here's a news flash, g4 fans are just the most recent fans of a long running kid's franchise. You are Not the only ones who count. Why you people seem to think that you are somehow the only adult fans is beyond the rest of the mlp fandom at large.  

Again arrogant and willfully ignorant statements being made. 

Again, you are taking this out of contest. I've never ignored the existence of adult fans of previous gen horses, but they've always been under the radar, while we provoked a culture boom, and we are WAY more open for our love of these horses with pastelis coloritis 

[KarentheUnicorn 218]

16 minutes ago, Steve Piranha said:

Again, you are taking this out of contest. I've never ignored the existence of adult fans of previous gen horses, but they've always been under the radar, while we provoked a culture boom, and we are WAY more open for our love of these horses with pastelis coloritis 

LOL's! Are we under the radar or is it that we generally hang out at the same places? I've often wondered about the ego of it all.

Plus I don't know how much the G4 male centered Brony fanbase really considers the 5 year old who likes MLP, they're not exactly coming on forums to type well thought out opinions on the toy or the latest episode or do the G4 centered fans, would they consider someone like me who is more of a MLP brand fan, am I considered part of what you call a 'cultural boom'...I don't know? Is it just that a bunch of dudes like MLP now that suggests this 'boom' and that gets the attention, while the rest of us who've been around forever just keep on keepin on? Ignoring the boom cause a lot of the nonsense doesn't interest me.

I'll put my 30+ years being into MLP up against any of the 'cultural boomers' any day. Is G4 even 10 yet?

Edited May 12, 2018 by KarentheUnicorn

[alex_ita 13]

I was a little girl when G1 came out. 
Of course is not like nowadays... the merchandise in italy was not so spread, but for that time, I remember LOTS of dolls and school stuff with ponies on it!
Now I'm lucky enough to see thet the G1 is back again on several clothing brands (like moschino and tezenis here in italy).

I could even be able to fin a little e-commerce that sells G1 stuff!
https://www.redbubble.com/people/hellolen/collections/860619-my-little-pony-80s

Other seller in that website sells newer generations too.

[TransitPony 219]

Here's my take on each generation summed up. 

G1: Toyline became a massive commercial success. Millions of ponies sold, franchise and fanbase is born, and the first incarnation becomes a symbol of 80's childhood. 

G2: Never really any massive attention or commercial success, but they did make a virtual pet game. Ends right near the middle of what I call the Era of the New Millenium in 1999 (1996-2006). 

G3: Toyline targeted to a younger audience. It has direct-to-video animated shorts or movies and a ferris wheel car on the famed Toys-R-Us Ferris Wheel in the Times Square store (which closed in 2015). I can recall my sister owning some G3 merch when I was a kid. 

G4: Current version becomes a massive hit thanks to FiM, grossing over a billion dollars by the middle of the 2010s. The presence of bronies make FiM become a Internet phenomenon and a pop culture icon (ex. Numerous references in an episode of Parts Unknown). 

Correct me on some things I may have gotten wrong.