Non-canon FiM merchandise: how do you feel?

[autumnalone 21]

I used to lurk a lot in FiM merch communities, and something I often noticed was the wide range of reactions toward the Hasbro pony waves. Of course, MLP is a toy franchise first, and it always feels weird to consider that the TV show we love so much was originally intended to be a huge advertisement for an old toy line!

 

I personally collect the G4 ponies shamelessly. I get really excited for each new release, no matter how much pink is involved, because I've caught the pony collecting bug! The fact that Hasbro's also finally listening to their older fans is super exciting, and when Zecora, DJ-P0N3, Nightmare Moon, Whitelestia and company show up at Toys R Us, it will be a day of big spending indeed.

 

So. How do y'all feel about the G4 Hasbro ponies? Or even about previous-gen ponies? Do you buy them? If so, do you buy them all or do you just purchase canon ponies? I want to know!!

[Key Gear 6,662]

I never even buy toys, but I have purchased a few of the G4 ponies. As you say, Hasbro is a toy company first and foremost. I know that they probably look at where the sales numbers are going as one of the indicators for how long they will keep this thing going. From that angle, I consider it to be something of a civic duty to collect ponies.

 

I do try to not think so hard about the fact that I am buying things with... Brushable manes..... Two months ago, if anyone had told me that I would be doing this, I would have laughed in their face. Now, here I am. Buying ponies.

 

I really don't care about previous generations at all. I'm familiar with them, and I respect the people that liked them. But, I personally can't stand anything about them, so, no, I don't buy them.

 

I'm also really looking forward to raiding Toys R Us for the new toys. I find it reassuring that the fan community is building a positive rapport with Hasbro. Hopefully, in the future, this will lead to Hasbro rolling out some show accurate plushies.

[Jadefire 2,796]

I'm still waiting for plushies. I don't care much for the plastic brushable things, but I have a soft spot for plushies. x3

[DJ MUFF1N D3RP 322]

If they make show accurate plushies, I'll buy more merchandise than what I have(4 shirts and a Derpy satchel bag). The brushables look nothing like their show counter-parts, so I can't really stand to look at them.

[Maxey 13]

I would love a realistic rainbow dash plushe. Im not really a fan of the plastic models.

[Emerald Flame 380]

I'm like you autumnalone, I plan on buying every brushable released. Pokemon drilled the "Gotta catch 'em all!" mentality far too deeply into my brain to be satisfied with a collection missing even one pony.

[RockinRarity 1,605]

By non-canon merchandise, do you mean the recolors? Like Lily Blossom and Feathermay and Blossomforth and Lulu Luck and Dewdrop Dazzle and Snowcatcher (etc)?

 

I think they're cute but if would be nice if they could make an appearance in the TV show, even if they only became background characters.

[Stoner Spike 185]

I'd buy the brushables if I could fix their manes.

 

However, I'll pay a fortune for show accurate plushies.

[Ezynell 2,036]

I, like everyone else in this thread, am more excited and hopeful for MLP plushies over anything else. However, I really honestly prefer the McDonalds molded versions over the brushable mane ponies...

[Apple Bloom 2,915]

When I first got into the show I thought to myself, "I will watch it but I will NOT buy the toys". I mainly felt this way because I was a closet brony at the time, plus I thought toy collecting was just pointless spending. All they're going to do is sit on a shelf and collect dust. Well, I eventually gave in and bought one. It was a blind bag Rarity from Germany (before they were released in the US). After that I wanted the rest of the mane 6 so I got them. At that point I was satisfied and thought my collection was complete. How wrong I was. Some time after that I saw a thread on another site about styling brushables to look more show accurate and that made me want to try it, so once again I thought, "I'll just get ONE" so I got Rarity. Of course it wasn't long before I was dissatisfied again. One by one I started buying the rest of the mane 6, but I was still not satisfied. They were too small. I found out about the Fashion Style ponies and just had to have one, so I bought Rainbow Dash, but of course I had to have the other 5 to make my collection complete. At this point I had, as autumnalone stated, caught the "pony collecting bug". I started looking for pony related merchandise every time I went shopping and, with the addition of Cheerilee, started buying other ponies outside of the mane 6. Now, after buying so much stuff and not getting the first weird look or comment, I'm no longer the least bit embarrassed to walk down the pink aisle.

 

Um, yeah, I kinda got carried away there. As far as non-canon ponies, I assume you mean ponies that aren't in the show. In that case I have started buying non-canon blind bags and I'm thinking about buying some brushables. I only buy G4 merchandise though. I have seen some of the previous generation and I actually kind of liked G1 but I don't collect the merchandise.

Edited February 25, 2012 by Duchess Apple Bloom III

[Arylett Charnoa 4,919]

For the most part, I do not collect much of anything (ponies or not) due to lack of funds and lack of motivation. Just not the collecting type of person, you know what I mean?

 

I might purchase one pony-related thing in the future, but most of the merchandise does not interest me. The brushables don't resemble the show at all, so I obviously don't have any interest in them. I think they look abhorrent, yet strangely fascinating. I am more interested in the McDonalds ones though. Plushies? Eh, still no interest. I don't have interest in things like t-shirts or the like either. Maybe scarves, maybe.

[SailorCardKnight 84]

I'm cool with the idea of non-canon pony toys, I just wished Hasbro got a bit more creative rather than pallet swapping with the Mane 6. I would like to get all the non Mane 6 brushable ponies, but I simply lack the space, so i've been fairly selective. I like the idea of having some of the non-canon ponies because that way it won't bug me that they aren't "show accurate", and I can freely style their hair however I want. My favorite of the non-canon ponies so far is Blossomfourth.

 

As for past generations, I still have my older pony toys, and I have been thinking of getting some of the older pony toys (not G3.5, those terrifying things can go burn in a fire), thanks to the "collecting bug" I got from getting the G4 toys. Unfortunately it goes back to lack of space. The only pony I really want of the past generations is this one particular G1 unicorn pony I had as a kid, i'll get it off ebay one of these days, as I have seen it on there.

[Ra1nbowCrasH 271]

I really love the blind bags. I don't care much for the brush-able mane and tail toys though.

[MVC NVMXD JVRXD 2,406]

The only merch I have (or consider buying) is the blindbag canon characters. The brush-ables, I dislike. They don't resemble the characters they represent.

[Colon Leftbracket 971]

I might buy the toys eventually. I almost got McDonald's toys a few weeks back, but I'm very picky on what I buy.

 

NO BRUSHABLES! I just don't like how they look. Sadly the Mcdonald's toys were half brushables with mold manes and brushable tails

 

I prefer for the ponies to be close to accurate. I can deal with small details being off, but another thing that killed my want for McDonald's toys was when my sis got her Rainbow Dash toy I thought it was hideous! (Sorry Rainbow ) Aside from bland cutie mark and brushable tail, the mold mane was just bad looking in general!

 

So the blind bags seem promising which I might but a few of those. I already bought a few Hot Topic shirts that I don't really like. (Both Rainbow Dash themed, but one has black Rainbow Dash and the other is just an outline of her mane ). So I plan on buying more Pony clothes from other retailers. (I need me a "Dumb Fabric" shirt).

But most of all I want a Plushie! So far the only good way to go about it is custom ones which are expensive. Luckily, I made a friend on Tumblr who makes some good Plushies that agreed to warn me ahead of time when certain Ponies are being made by him so I can save up

[Sugarcube 213]

I don't like the brushable ponies at all, their heads are all....weird

 

I really enoyed the mcdonalds toys, and I like the blind bag ones. I would love to see more show accurate figures the size of the brushable ponies (seriously, their heads freak me out...)

 

As for plushies, I want it to happen but the plushies I already own take up enough space in my limited space apartment, if there were plushie ponies...I may just have to move and my bf would be swallowed up by the sea of pony plushies

[Goodra 530]

I prefer canon stuff over fanon stuff. I currently have a Fluttershy and Rarity brushable and Mcdonalds AJ and Twi. Ide kill for a canon show accurate plush tho (well... maybe not kill... maybe maim, or seriously injure... um if that's alright with you...).

[Arashi Takamine 121]

I admit my BFF and I had a rage face moment when we saw Pinkie Pie didn't come with Gummy.

 

Besides that? "If it fits it ships." Basically if it's not G3 and G3.5 then I don't really care since I can customize. A little boil perming here, some rerooting here and you got it canon.

 

Though I wish Twilight was a darker purple and AJ had her hat. That's all otherwise?

 

I don't get why everyone whines about it. It was a little girl's show first why whine when you can get off your butts and customize. It doesn't take forever to cut RD's hair to it's real style and if you mess it up custom fodder and get a new one to try again.

 

I know I sound kinda harsh but I only have a Blind Bag RD so it doesn't bug me....Of course now I want moar.

[The Awesome One 1,314]

The problem is I hate to look at the toy versions.They look ugly to me.