The My Little Pony Scrapbook: Flutter Ponies (Set I)

Introducing Flutter Ponies

In 1985-6, Hasbro did a thing. It's still debateable whether it was a sensible thing, but it was a much beloved thing by collectors.

The thing I am referring to are the Flutter Ponies, which had extremely pretty but very delicate wings. The set in France is known as Poneys Libellules, which means 'Dragonfly Ponies', and that seems appropriate given that the wings were see through and glazed with an irridescent sheen.

Flutter Pony Wing (from Honeysuckle)
Note: This wing is original but has been repaired.

This would have been enough, but, as the set name suggests, the ponies were also designed to 'flutter'. Each pony had a little shell-shaped button on her back between her wings, and pressing it would allow the wings to 'flutter' up and down.

How to Flutter a Flutter
(UK Box, 1986)

This gimmick, however, was also the toy's greatest weakness. The wings were very delicate at the base where the mechanism was, and it did not take much for them to break off.

First Year Wing Fixing (enclosed)
(Please note, the wing shown is a repaired second year wing - first year wings have coloured tabs that match the pony's wing socket)

The first release, with the original wing fixings, are especially delicate and susceptible to damage. It is hard to find flutter ponies in the wild with their wings intact.

A side-note - while most responsible custom wing makers either create completely different wings for ponies to wear, or make their wings distinctive with white tabs or other methods, there do exist replica wings which are difficult to tell from the originals. Buy with care.

The ponies themselves were also a unique size compared to other ponies already in the line. They were smaller than adult ponies, but taller and more slender than the babies, with long, elegant legs. Although the flutter pose would be amended later in the line for a mail order release, the flutter pony size and pose was almost unique to these characters. Some slight variants on these poses exist with larger head dimensions, known as 'fat head' Flutter ponies, though their explanation is a bit vague. The Flutter Ponies were generally stamped China rather than Hong Kong, and were one of the earliest, if not the earliest set to be Made in China. (Although today Hong Kong is part of China, this was not the case when Generation 1 was in stores, and so Hong Kong and China are considered separate manufacture locations by collectors).

Alongside the two sets from 1986 and 1987, there were three other flutter ponies released - one, Hollywood, via Mail Order and two, Yum Yum and Pink Dreams via playset packs. These three were never sold in the UK officially, though Pink Dreams did get here as surplus stock at the end of the pony line.

Rosedust, Mint in Box, UK
1986
Image from Babydoll

The Flutter Ponies did not arrive in the UK until 1986, and then they were with us for two years. The ponies released in 1986 were the same as those in North America, although their boxes were not quite the same. (I'm biased, but ours are nicer!) Each flutter had a little rhyme beginning "Flutter Ponies bring good luck," in the UK release, which was written on the side panel of the box. The front of the box also stated that Flutters were 'good luck'.

Morning Glory Mint in Box
USA, 1986

The six characters were predominantly pastel colours and on floral themes. Two Flutter Pony poses were introduced, and two of these characters, Morning Glory and Rosedust, would be re-issued in the UK in 1987 (probably because of their prominence in the My Little Pony Movie). In the North American release, Rosedust and Lily were re-issued in 1987.

Each first year flutter came with a two-tone floral comb and a metallic ribbon in either gold or silver. They also had a round puffy sticker (in the UK) or a flat scented one (in North America).

Flutter releases did also happen across Europe. France certainly still had a Flutter release in around 1987-8. In Spain, some of the first set were sold on card (a daring venture given the wings) and these ponies were also made in Spain. Those released seem to have been the ponies in the Forget-Me-Not walking pose, perhaps for ease of packaging. It seems that they were sold across Europe in various places and ways, but the packaging style varied (and Italy probably had it's own). They may not have been sold in Scandinavia but this is still under review.

Flutter Ponies

Set I

Search the Scrapbook

Introducing Flutter Ponies

Flutter Ponies (Set I)