The My Little Pony Scrapbook: G1 in the UK and Europe

Baby Heart Throb

Play & Care Set, 1986

Pale pink baby pegasus pony with dark pink mane and tail, pink hearts OR winged pink hearts symbol.

pink baby pony with wings
Pony Data
Set Play and Care Set Baby Ponies (1986)
UK and Europe
Asst. Number 4951
Accessories  purple duck comb, ribbon (possibly light blue)
Yellow playpen, pink edged heart print mat, nappy in snugfit box, white and pale pink BABY necklace (blue and white in Spain), bottle (probably aqua topped)
pink feeding dish with blue spoon.
Sticker: round and puffy.
Pose Baby Firefly
Distribution UK, France, German speaking countries, Nordic countries, Spain (made in Spain)
 
Other Versions Beddy Bye Eye Babies (North America, 1985)
Play & Care Set versions with and without winged hearts symbol both exist

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Ponies Sold in 1986 in the UK Twinkle Eyes (Set One) | Play & Care Set Babies (Set Two) | 1986 Pony Asst | Grooming Parlour |Baby Sea Ponies (Set One) | Wedding Bells Confetti | Show Stable | Lullabye Nursery | Baby Lemon Drop | Megan & Sundance | Dream Castle | Baby Lucky | Snuzzle (Concave - Argos)| Flutter Ponies

Other 1986 Ponies Twinkle Eyed Ponies (Set Two - UK:1987)* | So Soft Ponies (Set Two) | Pearly Baby Sea Ponies (UK:1987) | So Soft Megan & Sundance | Beddy Bye Eye Babies | Molly & Baby Sundance | Fable Ponies | Rainbow Ponies (Set Two - Europe, not UK) | Earth Ponies (Europe) | Birthflower Ponies (Scandinavia/Aus)| Birthday Party Gift Set | Hollywood | Satin & Lace | White Tootsie | Stockings | Baby Blue Ribbon | Baby Bonnet School of Dance (UK:1987)| Baby Sleepy Pie and Purse

*Partial set had later UK release.


Baby Heart Throb in the United Kingdom.

Baby Heart Throb was sold in the UK in 1986 as part of the second Play and Care set. She was the first baby pegasus pony to be officially sold in the United Kingdom, and was sold with an array of accessories to help her new pony guardian take care of her. She was sold in a light blue box, which featured her and Baby Lickety split on the front.

Baby Heart Throb MIB
Mint In Box Baby Heart Throb, UK 1986
Image from Babydoll

The back of the box featured all four baby ponies, and included stories for the whole set, rather than just for Baby Heart Throb. They were illustrated with their accessories. Each story describes an element of each pony's character but, probably because in 1986 the only adult version of any of these characters on sale in the UK was Lickety Split - none of the stories mention parental ponies. This is in contrast to the stories on the US Beddy Bye Eye baby boxes.
Play and Care Set Box back
Play and Care Set Box back
UK, 1986
Her accessories were the same in the UK and the US, except that the North American releases came with a flat sticker instead of a puffy one. She was sold in France, German speaking countries and Nordic countries in this format - versions sold in Spain were made in Spain.


Hearts and Winged Hearts

There is an odd anomaly with Baby Heart Throb's Play and Care Set release, relating to the pony's symbol. In the UK, Baby Heart Throb's symbol matched the Beddy Bye Eye release, with just three hearts (shown at the top of the page). In Europe, however, she was sold with winged hearts instead.

Baby Heart Throb with Winged Hearts
Baby Heart Throb with winged hearts symbol
Europe, 1986
Why this anomaly happened is hard to discern, but one possible reason may relate to how other ponies were being sold at the time this set was released. The Beddy Bye Eye baby version of Baby Heart Throb was modelled after the So Soft adult Heart Throb, whose symbol was also just hearts without wings. The UK had no release of adult Heart Throb, so there was no need to modify her symbol. But across Europe, in around 1986, a version of Heart Throb was on sale (made in Hong Kong, or Italy, or Spain, but all with winged heart symbols). It made more sense, therefore, to make the baby match the adult that was on sale. This is just speculation, but it seems the most logical answer.

Baby Heart Throb symbols
Play & Care Set Baby Heart Throb
Comparing symbols, Europe and UK

While there are always possible batch shade differences, the symbols are different shades between the two ponies. The wings show through the hearts a little on the European version, making them look darker, but the UK one has a more magenta pink symbol. There is also a slight difference in body tone - which may indicate a slightly different production schedule.

For some unknown reason, all the artwork for Baby Heart Throb - including in the UK comic and on the Play and Care Set Box - shows Baby Heart Throb with a winged heart symbol. Not to be confusing or anything.


Baby Heart Throb's character

Baby Heart Throb's UK backcard story describes her as having a skill for making valentine cards, and birthday cards, which she would get up early and deliver to the recipients on their special day.