Snowflake in the United Kingdom
I have a moment of nostalgia here, because I grew up with
Snowflake (the pony pictured at the top of this page was one of
my first ponies as a small bean). As an adult, I appreciate
afresh the uniqueness of this particular pony. Snowflake was one
of four earth ponies released in the 1986 pony assortment, and
one of two new earth pony characters. Unlike most basic earth
ponies of her vintage, Snowflake has a glittery symbol. She also
has freckles; one of two ponies in this set to do so.
In the eighties, it was common for the catalogue store Argos to
stock only one character from a set, and in 1986, Snowflake was
listed for sale in their catalogue. She retailed there at £2.85.
Snowflake in the Argos Catalogue, 1986
I may have mentioned elsewhere on the site that 1986 was an
odd year...and it was. On the pages for the 1986 ponies, I've
tried to highlight some of the card differences between regions
and releases, but I can do this best here with Snowflake. If you
didn't think 1986 was odd before, you soon will...
The differences in cards in 1986
MOC Snowflake (European Card, pony made in Hong Kong)
(1986)
MOC Snowflake
(UK, 1986)
MOC Snowflake (Made in Italy, German card) (1986)
As you can see, something very odd was going on in this year.
The card in the centre was the normal release for the UK, with
Snowflake's name under the rainbow on the white ribbon. The back
illustrated the full set, including a short story for Snowflake
in particular. In the case of the card on the right, the basic
art template is very similar to that used in the United Kingdom,
but changed to incorporate the different characters in the
continental set. This pony is made in Italy, but Spanish
versions also exist. This card is in German, but was also sold
in France in the same way, with ponies not made in Hong
Kong.(Thanks to Shivhae and Straightdealstoys for the MIP images
above)
The card on the left was part of the European Earth Pony set
sold in 1986 in places like Sweden and Norway. Snowflake was
also sold in this assortment on an American style card in the
Benelux (translated to Dutch and French, 1985 earth pony card)
and in Denmark (translated into Danish, no name of pony, 1985
unicorn and pegasus card art).
Snowflake's Character
Snowflake appeared often in comics in the winter. She was once
cast as 'Pony Christmas' and responsible for delivering the pony
presents. Unsurprisingly, she was associated with snow and
winter, much like Powder.
Snowflake as Pony Christmas (left) and as a
paper doll (right), Cadbury's Selection Box, 1986
