Did you know that not all 1980s My Little Ponies were made in Hong Kong? That’s right. Even though most of us remember our little friends coming from this region, there were many other countries that also produced official Hasbro ponies. Today, collectors call these (rarer) toys “Nirvana ponies“.
Many My Little Pony collectors love nirvana ponies because although they tend to be quite hard to find (and let’s be real, they cost much more than HK ones!), they can look VERY different from their counterparts. So, they are an excellent addition to any pony hoard, especially if you enjoy a particular pony and you want to have variants of it. I thought it would be interesting to talk a little more about Nirvana ponies, so I created this guide with basic info and some links to help you understand the different origins and how to chase down your favorite ponies.
What is a Nirvana My Little Pony?
Nirvana ponies are ponies that were made or sold exclusively in certain countries. This usually made them quite limited in distribution. For example, most ponies we came across growing up were made in Hong Kong or, in some cases, China. You can see this origin if you look at the bottom of the pony’s feet. But if you look at the hoofs and you don’t see anything, or you see a different country, you might be in front of a Nirvana Pony.
How Can You Identify a Nirvana Pony?
As I briefly mentioned above, the easiest way to see whether a My Little Pony is a nirvana pony is to look at its hoof markings. But there are other ways, too. Nirvana ponies will say, for example “SPAIN”, “ITALY”, “ARGENTINA”, etc. Some ponies, however, were not marked in any way. Unmarked hooves usually mean nirvana, but you will need to check the color combination (hair, body, and symbols) in the database to make sure.
There are two main online resources to check nirvana variants. These are:
- My Little Wiki 🔗 (a community site for all MLP generations): Each pony has a list of which countries produced it. For example, the page for Peachy 🔗 lists all nirvanas, including Peachies for Argentina, Brazil, Greece, Italy, Mexico, and Spain.
- Strawberry Reef 🔗 (a reference guide also for all generations). The advantage of this site is that it has TONS of pictures, so if you have a pony you can’t identify, you can scroll until you find it! For example, you can use this page to explore by color 🔗!
My Book: The Unofficial Vintage My Little Pony Companion
I love Nirvana ponies, so I made a book about them! Well, not just about them, but they are ALL included. The book is called “The Unofficial Vintage My Little Pony Companion” and contains 400 pages of images and descriptions for international and foreign releases of My Little Pony generation One (MLP G1)
The Countries of Nirvana Ponies
Ponies made in Hong Kong or China are not considered nirvana. Some ponies were made in these countries, then exported to others and packaged in different languages. These are not considered nirvana ponies, either. For a My Little Pony to be a nirvana pony, it needs to come from one of the following countries:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Netherlands
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Italy
- India
- Japan
- Macau
- Mexico
- Peru
- Spain
- Scandinavia
- South Africa
You can use the links above (in progress!) to explore each country in a little more detail, but I will show you a few examples so you can see how each country adapted the brand to their local production capabilities and design choices. I picked the following countries based on rarity (countries with several original variants) or quantity (countries with a large number of variants).
Example #1
Ponies from Argentina
Argentina was a large market for Generation One My Little Ponies. In fact, the partnership between Hasbro and the local company Top Toys released over 100 original ponies, which were sold throughout South America! Top Toys was founded in 1977 by Hector Mondrik, and it licensed dozens of toy brands, including Star Wars, Masters of the Universe, Glo Friends, and Barbie. The company secured the My Little Pony license in 1986 and began producing the toys locally, using imported mechanisms and materials.
Argentinian ponies are particularly attractive to collectors because of their bright colors, which can be very different from the more traditional pastels we see in ponies sold in the United States and Europe. It is said that Top Toys received copies of the Hasbro manuals but decided to try some of their own combinations as well, inspired by cultural preferences. This is why Argentinian ponies can be anything from blue and green to neon orange and bright fuchsia. Their hair is equally unique, with many ponies sporting rainbows consisting of three colors.
Argentina – MLP G1 Heart Throb II “Corazón/Amor“
Argentina – MLP G1 Snuzzle “Perlita“
Argentina – MLP G1 Flutterbye “Inquieta“
Argentina – MLP G1 Buttons, “Botones“
I actually do A LOT of restorations for Argentinian ponies, because that’s where I come from! :) I also share information on these ponies, where they come from, why they look the way they look, etc. You can see all the videos in my channel (RetroGeek Crafts).
Example #2
Ponies from Colombia
Colombian ponies were made by local toy manufacturer Kico, a company founded in Barranquilla in 1928 by Polish immigrant Carlos Kalusin. From the start, Kico had a clear vision: to bring cutting-edge technology to Colombia and produce locally what had once been imported. Kico was the first company in the country to use plastisol, a plastic-like material that allowed for brightly colored, durable toys.
Colombian My Little Ponies are a bit of a special case when compared to those produced in other countries. Instead of a large selection of characters, and due to the company producing them using Italian manufacturing molds, the ponies that come from this country are all variations of just five adults and four babies. Like other regional partners, Kico used the Hasbro molds but introduced large variations in symbol and body color. As a result, these ponies are particularly difficult to find in good condition, so the color can vary considerably. Oh, and it’s also likely that many variants haven’t been registered by collectors yet!
Example #3
Ponies from The Netherlands
There are Dutch variants released in 1995, after the G1 line had ended everywhere else. These ponies from the Netherlands are based on previous characters but had different color combinations.
The figures were distributed with bilingual Dutch and German packaging, indicating their availability in the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria. The collection includes both baby and adult ponies, each with unique themes and accessories. For instance, the Dutch Baby Ponies feature characters like the Cat Pony (Poesjes-Pony), Dolphin Pony (Dolfijn-Pony), and Flower Pony (Bloemetjes-Pony), and the Adult Ponies include the Butterfly Pony (Vlinder-Pony), Candy Pony (Snoepjes-Pony), and Diary Pony (Dagboek-Pony). Here are some pictures:
The Netherlands – MLP G1 Star
The Netherlands – MLP G1 Diary Pony (Dagboek-Pony)
The Netherlands – MLP G1 – Heart Pony (Hartjes-Pony)
The Netherlands – MLP G1 – Butterfly Pony (Vlinder-Pony)
Example #4
Ponies from Greece
There are at least 35 My Little Pony characters made in Greece, and each can have more than one variation. Because Greek-market ponies were sold only locally, they are harder to find outside the country. The toy factory that partnered with Hasbro for producing Greek My Little Ponies was called El Greco. Founded in 1962 by Georgios and Fifi Vakakis after they returned to Greece from gaining toy manufacturing experience in Italy, El Greco quickly achieved success both domestically and internationally.
The line features exclusive ponies like Lambaditsa or “Birthday Pony”, which were both Easter Ponies—the latter actually came inside a plastic egg! In many European markets at the time, especially where Orthodox Christian Easter traditions were strong, Easter candles were a cultural and religious item used by many households. Toy manufacturers and distributors often packaged small gifts or free toys with church-related or seasonal items, especially during religious holidays. El Greco’s Easter candle giftsets are one documented example of this practice.
Example #5
Ponies from Italy
Up until 1987, Italian Ponies were first made by Furga under the moniker “Mio Piccolo Pony“ and then by DAG as “Mio Mini Pony”. Furga only produced three ponies—all in Collector Pose and all with Cotton Candy symbols. DAG, on the other side, continued the line with several unique variants that have become highly collectible.
Italian ponies can have stamped or airbrushed eyes, but they are always blue (albeit not the same shade! A limited number did not use the typical cyan but light blue or turquoise green) and the ITALY stamp on the hoof. They don’t have forelocks but do show two plugs of hair on the forehead instead of one initial row. Some of them also show three lower lashes, and others can be slightly different in size. These ponies are incredibly popular amongst collectors, as they are available in a large range of prices and designs.
Example #6
Ponies from India
Funskool was founded in 1987 as a joint venture by Hasbro and multinational tire manufacturer MRF Ltd. With headquarters in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, most production is done in Ranipet and Goa. The company had its own brands (as well as an American counterpart, Playskool), but also manufactured and distributed licensed toys from Hasbro, Disney, Takara Tomy, and others.
In the 1980s, Funskool released a set of six ponies exclusively in India. All of the Indian Ponies were created in the Collector Pose and look relatively similar to those made in Hong Kong, although there is some color variation that makes these ponies particularly collectible.
India – MLP G1 Cotton Candy
Italy – MLP G1 Butterscotch
Italy – MLP G1 Bluebelle
Italy – MLP G1 Minty
Example #7
Ponies from Japan
If you come across a Japanese My Little Pony, you probably won’t realize the toy belongs to the same large G1 family because Takara, the company in charge of the license there, went for a completely different mold. The Takara ponies were designed as poseable dolls, with an emphasis on dresses and hair play. The line had eight main characters (twin sisters Pinky and Milky, four “Ochame Fashion” adults with different hairstyles, and younger twin sisters Lily and Popo). There were also at least eleven outfits that were sold separately. It’s believed that a lot of the Takara My Little Pony lineup never made it to the market, staying as prototypes. This includes ten additional small animal twin sets and some playsets.
You can see them in detail in this article: Japanese Takara My Little Pony
Example #8
Ponies from Spain
Spanish nirvana ponies were first introduced by manufacturers Brekar and Milton Bradley under Hasbro licensing. These ponies have a piggy pose and the hooves are not marked. They also have blinking eyes like the US Beddy-Bye-Eyed baby ponies. Referred to as Spanish Piggy ponies, they are considered very rare and valuable. After the piggy ponies, regular Spanish ponies were made and sold in Spain. They are sometimes marked as “SPAIN” on their hooves, though not always. Many variations and types were made.
Spain – MLP G1 “Fresita“
Spain – MLP G1 “Menta“
Spain – MLP G1 “Cielete“
Spain – MLP G1 “Pinky“
(My!) My Little Pony G1 Guides
The world of My Little Pony is… huge. We’re talking thirteen years of collections featuring all sorts of figures and toys! So, I’ve been working on creating smaller guides to help you navigate this wonderful pastel-colored world. Below, you will find (some!) pages with ponies sorted by year, collection (such as Birthflower ponies, Spanish Piggies, etc), country, and much more. I hope they help!
With 400 pages of G1 ponies, The Unofficial Vintage My Little Pony Companion is a deep dive into the world of My Little Pony and the people who created the line. The book includes custom-made images of thousands of pony variants, graphics, beautiful illustrations, and, for the first time, a comprehensive list of ALL Nirvana (foreign) ponies shown and described in detail—as well as previously unknown details about how ponies were manufactured and distributed all around the world.
Restoring My Little Pony is the result of almost three years of restoring and customizing My Little Pony toys for my channel RetroGeek Crafts. The book contains 86 pages full of detailed step-by-step guides, project features, material and technique comparisons, and much more. The book is mostly focused on My Little Pony Generation 1 (MLP G1). However, these techniques can be applied to all other generations, including MLP G2, G3, G4, and even G5.
My Book: The Unofficial Vintage My Little Pony Companion
I love Nirvana ponies, so I made a book about them! Well, not just about them, but they are ALL included. The book is called “The Unofficial Vintage My Little Pony Companion” and contains 400 pages of images and descriptions for international and foreign releases of My Little Pony generation One (MLP G1)
