Braided Beauty was one of two pegasus ponies
made available in the Brush and Grow Pony set. The set was
originally sold in North America in 1988, but reached the UK
and Europe in around 1989. Here, they were officially sold on
cards. The cards had their own European art on the back, which
was unusual for packages in 1989. The carded releases do
not seem to have come with combs, but did come with everything
else. The wide ribbons are not visible in the picture below,
but were folded underneath the brush (thanks to LadyG for this
information).
Braided Beauty Mint on Card
UK style packaging, (Benelux release) 1989
Image from Lady Guinevere
Braided Beauty Mint On Card
(Spain)
Image from Shivhae
The above packaged Spain release of
Braided Beauty shows pink ribbon folded in the slot for
one of the clips, and only one clip included. The card is
not perfectly sealed at the bottom but it does not look as
though this has been tampered with, so it is possible that
this is an accessory variation for Spain or for some
releases of this pony. More evidence is needed to be
certain about this.
While the cards advertised ponies made in China, the
majority of Brush & Grow ponies available in the UK
second-hand market are made in Hong Kong. Chinese versions
do exist, but most of them are found on the European
continent, and may indicate a slightly later release here.
My Chinese Braided Beauty has 'China' printed across her
hoof - I don't know if one exists with it printed in a
circle.
Chinese Braided Beauty
(Pink streak has faded)
In around 1990-1, the now-defunct store
Woolworths, which often carried My Little Pony toys
through the eighties and nineties, imported boxed versions
of the Brush & Grow Ponies and sold them as 'store
exclusives'. I bought my Braided Beauty this way in
January 1991. Both my mother and I remember that she was
in a box, because the cellophane was damaged. My mother
was worried that it may be incomplete, but I insisted on
buying her (as far as I know she was not missing
anything!). That pony is the loose pony pictured at the
top of the page - she is made in Hong Kong.
Braided Beauty, Mint in American box
UK release, 1990-1 (Woolworths Exclusive)
The American boxes stated that ponies were made in Hong
Kong. These boxed versions were probably surplus stock
purchased by Woolworths from an American supplier as
clearance, and this may explain why Hong Kong Brush &
Grows are so common here. I actually never saw a carded
Brush & Grow in stores where I lived, so it is
possible not all store chains in the UK carried them.
The carded versions are known to have been sold in the UK,
the Benelux (on English cards with import labels), German
speaking countries, Spain and France (translated). It is
likely they were also sold in Italy, but the method is not
known.
