Buttons #1 = pinkish purple w/blue/dk.pink streak, three large pink buttons Buttons #2 = pinkish purple w/blue/dk.pink streak, several small pink buttons & stars. North Star = pink w/purple m&t, compass & star Wind Whistler = pale blue w/pink m&t, pink & blue whistles. Gusty = white w/dk.green/red streak, painted maple leaves, green eyes. Magic Star = yellow w/green m&t, magic wand, standing pose. Shady = Bright pink w/fl.yellow m&t, sunglasses. Posey = yellow w/pink hair, dark pink tulips	Whilst people in the USA were enjoying the experience of fuzzy ponies, here  in the UK we were deprived of such a set almost at once. Although released  in the UK for a short period of time, the So-Soft Ponies were withdrawn  almost immediately and replaced, at least in part by these plastic versions.  Please note that Non-So-Soft versions of Truly, Cupcake, Ribbon, and Lofty   were not a part of the UK range at any time, although  they were probably sold in other countries world wide. A Non So Soft Paradise may have been issued with Paradise Estate briefly in this country, but it is more likely that the Paradise which did according to Hasbro come with the Estate was a quickly withdrawn So-Soft version. Of the six ponies sold here it was Buttons who seemed to have an  identity crisis. Her 'cousin', So-Soft Buttons had a symbol of three  large pink buttons but in the UK the Non-So-Soft version was marketed with  two different symbols. Most people recognise Buttons as having a  symbol of several small pink buttons and blue stars, and indeed this is the  one most commonly found second hand, but there is also a version sold with  So-Soft Buttons' symbol. This too is evident on one of the regular issue  Poseys (image coming soon) who had a darker symbol when in So-Soft form. Gusty, though issued as an 'original' unicorn in year three of the  United States' program was different when sold in the United Kingdom.  The american Non-So-Soft Gusty has a classic glittery symbol and also aqua coloured eyes, whereas the UK version, derived as it is from So-Soft Gusty  has a painted symbol and green eyes.  Shady & North Star are the two Non So Softs most like their So-Soft cousins - Shady's body colour is much darker, which is to be expected but  otherwise there are no major differences. Wind Whistler & Magic Star on the other hand have striking differences. The So-Soft Wind Whistler has all  pink whistles and is a much darker colour under her fur than the Non-So-Soft version.   She also has a pink & blue whistle symbol, whils the So-Soft version only has pink whistles. Magic Star, though retaining the characteristics of the So-Soft stands in the different, more traditional pose  also shared by Cherries Jubilee and Tootsie.
Sunburst = yellow w/red/orange streak, sun & cloud Tornado = blue w/pink/blue streak, tornado. Ice Crystal = pale green w/white/dk.green streak, ice chips Thundercloud = purple w/dk.pink/blue streak, cloud & rain Fireball = dk.pinkish purple w/dk.purple/yellow streak, fireball. Lightning = orange w/yellow/white streak, cloud & lightning.	The Mountain Boy Ponies were also a new venture for 1987. A year before the Adventure Boy/Big Brother ponies were issued in the United Kingdom this set were introduced onto the British market. Being the very first of their kind in the UK, each had special new combs and brushes, and their names were all on the theme of weather and the elements. All the Mountain Boy Ponies had freckles on each cheek - Tornado having eleven on each side like Bow Tie and Applejack. However, they were only available for one year, and so are not too common second hand.
Sea Star: pearly yellow with purple hair, pink fin tips Tiny Bubbles: pearly light blue w/yellow hair, yellow fin tips Ripple: pearly white w/dark pink hair, dk.pink fin tips, head forward SunShower: pearly gold w/gold hair, orange fin tips, head forward Water Lily: pearly coral w/aqua hair, aqua fin tips, head forward	1987 merited the start of some rather strange differences between US and UK issues of ponies. The second set of Baby Sea Ponies, the Pretty & Pearly Baby Sea Ponies were the last Baby Sea Ponies to ever be formally issued in the UK, and despite the fact four of the ponies were sold in the USA there are a number of differences between the two sets. Whilst the USA chose Surf Rider and Sea Shimmer to pearlise, two ponies in the same pose, the UK chose Sea Star and Tiny Bubbles, and these two were in different poses. As all Sea Pony sets comntained three ponies in one pose and three in another the UK was forced to remain with the early Baby Sea Pony poses and use these for Ripple, Sunshower and Water Lily. In the USA, however, there was a new pose introduced for these three. Of the two sets, only Beach Comber remains exactly the same in both countries.
Flash = yellow w/orange spines (Princess Amber) Fiery = red w/yellow spines (Princess Pearl) Prickles = all green (Princess Aquamarine) Smokey = all blue (Princess Sapphire) Spiny = lavender w/purple spines (Princess Amethyst) Sparks = pink w/reddish spines (Princess Ruby)	Another odd difference this year was the issue of the Princess Ponies, with baby dragons instead of bushwoolies. These dragons featured extensively in the UK comics and showed an independence in Britain for devising their own accessories. These dragons, companions for Spike were extremely popular when new but got lost or damaged easily and very few are now found second hand. All the dragons stood in the same pose as Spike but instead of his rather slitty eyes had big eyes, a feature repeated in the later reissue of Majesty's baby dragon in the USA. It seems that the wands for the Princess Ponies may also have been different too in the UK, as it is reported in the USA Princess Sapphire/Royal Blue had a purple wand, wheras in England it was aqua. <Any info on UK wands would be gratefully recieved>
NB: Kiss Curl is also available with her symbol colours reversed (see below) yellow w/pink, pink & aqua kiss curls.	Kiss Curl was a new UK pony for 1987, although she would go on to be released for the following years as well. She was issued with an updated version of Peachy's Grooming Parlour, now in purple with a mint green base. In the USA this building was released with a different label on the back and without the pony. Here it was known as the Brush Me Beautiful Boutique. Kiss Curl's cat, Snowball was also released in the USA under the name Catnip.

Thanks to Ivy's Free Pics Page for some of the graphics on these pages and to Tess for the background image.

Baby Gypsy's, Bright Eyes' and Nightlight's  images are my own <copyrighted to Princess Taffeta> and are not  to be used on any other page without my prior permission.

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