Toys like the Cabbage Patch Kids and Tickle Me, Elmo are no match for My Little Pony.
•First introduced by toy manufacturer Hasbro in 1982, My Little Pony (MLP) has three generations of fans. The toys were discontinued in the late 1980s because of waning sales, but were reintroduced in 1997 and 2003.
•At the peak of the MLP craze (the mid-1980s), the ponies were more profitable than Barbie.
•Collectors differentiate the generations of MLP as G-1, G-2, and G-3. The first ponies introduced in the G-1 line were Blossom, Blue Bell, Butterscotch, Cotton Candy, Minty, and Snuzzle. These ponies looked the most like real horses—despite the rainbow colors.
•The four most common MLP names: Ember, Cuddles, Sniffles, and Snookums.
•MLP accessories are available to suit many activities. There are bumper cars; wedding veils, engagement rings, and garters; lipstick and hoof polish; boom boxes and Walkmen; rollerskates, tennis rackets, and skis; and tea sets.
•The toys inspired one feature-length animated movie, two television series, and seven straight-to-video movies.
•A stage performance featuring live-action versions of MLPs toured the country between 2006 and 2008. Billed as the “World’s Largest Tea Party,” the show included songs like “Positively Pink” and “Shake Your Cutie” (sung to the tune of “Shake Your Booty”).
•Fans of the ponies can join the MLP Birthday Club. Benefits include an e-mail birthday greeting from the ponies and a newsletter filled with party ideas (“Pin the Tiara on the Pony”) and party recipes (“Sparkleworks Silly-Face Pizza” and “Cotton Candy Funfetti Unicorn Horns”).
•Since 2004, collectors from around the world have gathered to trade ponies at a two-day annual convention called the My Little Pony Fair. Workshops teach fans how to customize and restore ponies . . . like how to “re-hair” manes and tails and how to spot “fakies” (counterfeit MLPs).