Brush & Grow Ponies

BRAIDED BEAUTY (Green pegasus pony with dark green, yellow, white and pale pink mane and tail, braid symbol)	RINGLETS (periwinkle pony with yellow, pale pink, dark purple and blue mane and tail, hairband symbol)	TWISTY TAIL (USA) (Blue earth pony with red, green, yellow and white mane and tail, brush and comb symbol)

Brush and Grow Ponies THIS SET: UK ISSUE MIP What next? The Brush and Grows were ponies whose tails 'really grew!'. Operated by an internal mechanism, turning the head from side to side pulled the tail in, whilst a gentle tug on the said tail would make it grow to full length again. And that, for the record, is LONG! The most important thing where these guys are concerned is to note that, although all six were sold worldwide, the UK/Euro issue had Twisty Tail in the walking pose (left), whilst the USA had her in the more austere mould used by Princesses Amber and Sapphire. The very first time that the Brush and Grow ponies were inroduced to the UK kids was via an offer to win one of them in that year's MLP club paraphernalia - the photograph showed Twisty Tail in her US pose. This is yet another example of Hasbro UK using the US issue to promote the range to come :) When the Brush and Grow ponies did enter the comics, they played a big part in stories. I remember distinctly that Bouquet's rather odd hat symbol was explained by the fact she had a hat she flew around on (erm, yes. I am being serious.) Curly Locks had a magic trick whereby when she blinked, she could turn flower petals into hair ribbons, and Ringlets had a magic hairband. Braided Beauty, meanwhile, was friends with a starfish called (I think) Sally, and would spend much of her time at the beach. Of late there has been some discussion about the Brush and Grow ponies and whether they were sold on card or in boxes over here. The confusing part seems to be that they were issued in both manners - some in boxes and some on cards. My own Braided Beauty came in a box (I remember that very clearly and so does my mother). This would be around January of 1990, so it might be that that year's issue came in boxes. Some other collectors had carded B&Gs as kids and it's possible to link these with issue in 1989, though what the logic behind this is I do not know. I cannot be sure that the boxed issue of B&Gs were not US end of line stock shipped over for clearance - this might explain it. Nor can I judge if the carded ponies were shipped over from somewhere like Scandinavia. It does not seem to be regionally associated and the cards are more what I would consider "UK style" than the boxes. Yet more collectors than just myself remember them in boxes. I am, therefore, desperately seeking anyone who has a UK bought brush and grow box from their childhood that they can scan for me! If you can help at all with this dilemma please get in touch!!

What next? The Brush and Grows were ponies whose tails 'really grew!'. Operated by an internal mechanism, turning the head from side to side pulled the tail in, whilst a gentle tug on the said tail would make it grow to full length again. And that, for the record, is LONG!
The most important thing where these guys are concerned is to note that, although all six were sold worldwide, the UK/Euro issue had Twisty Tail in the walking pose (left), whilst the USA had her in the more austere mould used by Princesses Amber and Sapphire. The very first time that the Brush and Grow ponies were inroduced to the UK kids was via an offer to win one of them in that year's MLP club paraphernalia - the photograph showed Twisty Tail in her US pose. This is yet another example of Hasbro UK using the US issue to promote the range to come :) When the Brush and Grow ponies did enter the comics, they played a big part in stories. I remember distinctly that Bouquet's rather odd hat symbol was explained by the fact she had a hat she flew around on (erm, yes. I am being serious.) Curly Locks had a magic trick whereby when she blinked, she could turn flower petals into hair ribbons, and Ringlets had a magic hairband. Braided Beauty, meanwhile, was friends with a starfish called (I think) Sally, and would spend much of her time at the beach.
Of late there has been some discussion about the Brush and Grow ponies and whether they were sold on card or in boxes over here. The confusing part seems to be that they were issued in both manners - some in boxes and some on cards. My own Braided Beauty came in a box (I remember that very clearly and so does my mother). This would be around January of 1990, so it might be that that year's issue came in boxes. Some other collectors had carded B&Gs as kids and it's possible to link these with issue in 1989, though what the logic behind this is I do not know. I cannot be sure that the boxed issue of B&Gs were not US end of line stock shipped over for clearance - this might explain it. Nor can I judge if the carded ponies were shipped over from somewhere like Scandinavia. It does not seem to be regionally associated and the cards are more what I would consider "UK style" than the boxes. Yet more collectors than just myself remember them in boxes. I am, therefore, desperately seeking anyone who has a UK bought brush and grow box from their childhood that they can scan for me! If you can help at all with this dilemma please get in touch!!