1986:

"My Little Pony"

"My Little Pony" this year was the simple collective term for a mish-mash of styles from earlier years rolled into one. The set consisted of six - two old favourites, Posey and Cherries Jubilee were modified and re-released. Cherries Jubilee now had straight hair, and she and Posey both had darker symbols. These reissues joined four brand new ponies whose issues were as complicated as their special features. They retailed for between £2.85 and £2.99 each.

SNOWFLAKE in the 1986 ARGOS CATALOGUE

Snowflake and Hopscotch were widely released across Europe, but not in North America. Hopscotch was an average Earth Pony, but Snowflake had a glittery symbol and freckles to mark her out. She is the only original style earth pony to have a glittery symbol. In Scandinavia and South Africa at least, Hopscotch was also sold in a set including Shady, Truly and Cupcake. In France and probably Germany and the Netherlands, she and Snowflake were sold in a set including the white version of Tootsie.

The other two members of the set, Honeycomb and Gypsy, appear to have had a more limited release. They were not sold in most of Europe or in North America, but they were sold here in the UK. Honeycomb was an average pegasus pony, with a glittery symbol. She bore a resemblance to Surprise, though her symbol was different and her hair was straight (this seems to have been Hasbro's directive for the set, as all the ponies had straight hair). Gypsy was an unusual unicorn, however. She had no streak of colour in her hair, and freckled cheeks. Hasbro UK were not, for whatever reason, able to release the unicorns and pegasus ponies from the North American year 2 and 3 lines, so, instead, they designed their own unicorn - one which did not meet the conventions of the American release. I don't know whether that was coincidence or not, but it does seem like a bit of creative rebellion.

"My Little Pony" 1986 UK insert

All were sold with combs or brushes, ribbons and stickers. In the case of the reissued ponies, their accessories differed from the year before. (The Jewellery set is something separate, and isn't anything to do with the pony set).