1988: Sparkle Ponies

SUNSPOT

Store release: Orange glittered earth pony with pale pink mane and tail streaked with gold tinsel, symbol of a smiling yellow sun with pink flares. NO symbol on cheek.

As has already been mentioned, the Sparkle Ponies are a confusing breed, and keeping the store issue and the mail order release on the same page seems the easiest way of preventing further confusion about these releases!

Sunspot is often confusing to collectors due to the fact she is more often than not found on the second hand market with pure white hair (or even on occasion with a white mane and a vivid pink tail). The reasons for the latter remain unclear, though occasionally ponies are found mint in package with a more vividly coloured tail than mane. However, the ponies found on the second hand market with white hair are faded - Sunspot is meant to have that beautiful but delicate pale pink that is so often sun-destroyed (as can be seen by my Mint on Card pony, above).

Sunspot's first comic appearance was in comic 100, though she did not make an active appearance. Instead she was mentioned in Star Hopper's explanation of how they both became sparkly!

One important note to make of Sparkle Ponies is that the normal rules are sometimes suspended. In many stories - backcard and comic - the Sparkle Ponies were able to fly through one means or another - even the ones who did not possess wings!

Mail Order Edition: Orange glittered earth pony with pale pink mane and tail streaked with gold tinsel, symbol of a smiling yellow sun with pink flares. repeat of symbol on cheek.

As can be seen by the above image, it is more difficult to tell from photographs which Sunspot is which. Observant people will have noticed that the mail order version has a more densely orange body (a feature of all the mail order Sparkle Ponies I have seen so far!) and of course, there is the symbol on the cheek (I have taken the picture from this angle so that you can clearly see this).

As with the store sold version, Mail Order Sunspot's hair is delicate pale pink that often fades to white.

Officially, the mail order versions were not sold in the United Kingdom. Unofficially, there have been claims that some were found sealed onto cards both here and in North America, as if Hasbro were getting rid of surplus stock.

Such claims remain unverified, but may explain the small number of mail-order Sparkle Ponies that have been found in the United Kingdom.