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

1988

Newborn Twins

Another round of newborn twin madness!


Newborn Twins, UK

Newborn Twins
1988 Insert, UK

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Ponies Sold in 1988 in the UK Twice as Fancy (Party) Ponies | First Tooth Baby Ponies | Adventure Boy Ponies | Birthday Party with Tutti Frutti | Princess Ponies (Set 1) |Kiss Curl's Grooming Parlour | Summer Wing Ponies| Magic Message Ponies | Happytails Ponies (Import) | Newborn Twins (Set II, Partial) | Pretty & Pearly Baby Sea Ponies (UK Release) | Crimp & Curl Hair Salon | Lullabye Nursery | Baby Buggy | Sundae Best Ponies | Baby Bonnet School of Dance

Other 1988 Ponies Speedy (Europe) | Regenbogen-Ponys (Germany/Austria) | Baby-Ponys (Germany/Austria) | Princess Ponies (Set II) | Princess Ponies (Germany/Austria) | Brush & Grow Ponies | Peekaboo Babies | Pony Friends (Animals) Set II| Sweetberry Ponies (UK: 1990)| Watercolor Baby Sea Ponies (UK: 1989) | Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe | Brush Me Beautiful Boutique | Slumber Party Gift Set | Perfume Puff Palace (UK: 1989) | Twice as Fancy Ponies: Set II | Clipper | Satin 'n' Lace (Magenta) |Sparkle Ponies (Mail Order)

Newborn Twins in the United Kingdom: Set II

1988 saw the introduction of another set of Newborn Twins. In total, there were six new pairs of twins. The whole six were sold in North America in 1988. The UK and Europe saw half of the set in 1988. The UK did not see the rest of the set on sale here, but continental Europe had the remaining three pairs released in 1989. Australia also seem to have had the full set of six pairs, all released in 1988.

This seems a bit unfair, but there we are.

These sets of twins also had a range of accessories, like the first set. New playthings were introduced, such as a see-saw, and a sandpit, along with the snail rockers from the year before.

Unlike in 1987, the 1988 twins had different names in the UK from the release Stateside. They appeared extensively in the pony comic (after the dubious moment in which Fluffy and Fleecy were found hiding under a bush) well into 1989, suggesting that the same three sets might have continued to be sold in this year as well.

The back of the North American box featured all six sets of twins, but the box sold in the UK - and in Europe in 1988 - was amended to show the three sets actually available here. The stories are mostly the same as the US, but with names and some vocabulary edited.
Twin Box, 1988, UK
Newborn Twins box back
UK, 1988

The front of the box, however, appears to have been the same as in the US, and featured Big Top and Toppy under the rainbow, despite their not actually being sold here.

Front of Box from UK Twin packaging
Front of box from UK twin packaging, 1988
Unfortunately I do not have the whole box, so am unsure whether the front artwork was amended or not to reflect what was actually available. Based on the French release, however, it seems that the packaging was not edited. That must have confused the kids!

With that in mind, the box front of the UK release for Tuggles & Toddles probably looked something like this - only with the names amended, and the assortment number in the top left hand corner of the flap rather than the bottom front.
Tuggles & Toddles mIB
Tuggles and Toddles Mint in Box
(North America, 1988)
It is hard to be sure about the accessories. This twinset in particular is known to have variations on the see-saw colours mint in package in the US release, and it is unclear if the same is true in the UK. Other potential options are pink/aqua or yellow/pink. The UK insert pictures them with a yellow/pink seesaw, whilst the UK box with an aqua/pink one, suggesting that the same inconsistencies probably did happen here as well as across the atlantic.

The UK to US names for the 1988 twins are as follows:
Tickles and Giggles (UK) = Jebber and Jabber (US)
Fleecy & Fluffy (UK) = Speckles and Bunkie (US)
Tuggles and Toddles (UK) = Sticky and Sniffles (US)

In France, the sets of twins released in 1988 were called
Baby Twins in France
Tickles and Giggles =  Mic & Mac
Fleecy & Fluffy =  Flip & Flop
Tuggles and Toddles = Tim & Tom

1989 French Twin Set
In 1989, the three sets of twins in France were named
Sandcastle and Shovels = Tic & Pat
Puddles & Peeks =  Plic & Ploc
Big Top & Toppy = Am & Stram

In German speaking countries, the three sets of twins released in 1988 were called:
Tickles and Giggles =  Dicki & Gicki
Fleecy & Fluffy =  Locki & Flocki
Tuggles and Toddles =  ?
The names of the three sets released in 1989 were as follows:
Germany 1989 twins

Sandcastle and Shovels = Sandi & Sindi
Puddles & Peeks =  Lucki & Gucki
Big Top & Toppy = Tip & Top
(Thanks to Chrissytree for the insert picture, Germany 1989)
According to a promotional catalogue from Australia, all six sets were sold down under. The names in the catalogue are the same as the UK release for those we had here, whilst the others were Puddles and PEEPS, Bunkie and Binkie (Big Top & Toppy) and Freckles and Speckles (Sandcastle and Shovels). Whether they were ever sold with those names is unclear, but it IS known that Puddles and Peeks were sold under the name Puddles and PEEPS in Canadian language packaging.

The existence of the UK names in at least one other catalogue indicates that they may have been the original names for the release, but changed at the last minute. We will probably never know.

I am not sure how these sets were sold in other places, if indeed they were (but would love to know, if anyone has information!)


Ponies in this Set: UK/France/Germany/Austria, 1988