My Little Pony got its start in the 1980's and early 1990's. These original ponies are known as Generation 1, or G1 ponies. Let's look at some common characteristics of G1's, using Gusty as a model!
Gusty is a typical G1 My Little Pony. As you can see, she is chubby and her design is nice and simple.
G1 eyes are fairly large (but not as large as G3 eyes) with a round, expressive design. They have two eyelashes on top, and two on the bottom, and the irises in their eyes are always one solid color.
Another feature common to G1's are their simple symbols. Some early G1's such as Gusty here, had glittery symbols, but most G1's have painted symbols. Symbols tend to be only one or two colors, with straightforward, uncomplicated designs. And most importantly, symbols are on both sides of the body.
Next we have the Generation 2, or G2 My Little Ponies. These were produced from 1997-1999 in the US. They were unpopular in the US, so the line was cancelled, but they continued to have success in Europe, where they were produced until 2002. Now we will look at some common G2 characteristics, using Sky Skimmer as our model:
Sky Skimmer is a typical G2 pony. As you can see, she is smaller and skinnier in comparison to Gusty. Some G2 ponies are more "gimmicky", with moving heads, moving legs, magnets in their noses, etc. But Sky Skimmer is a nice, simple pony very similar to a G1 if not in looks than in execution!
If you look at Sky Skimmer's face in comparison to Gusty's, you will see lots of differences. The nose is more rounded and less defined, and the ears are smaller. But the big difference is the eyes. All G2 eyes have (or should have had-- sometimes they fall out!) a small, round crystal in them. They are also shaped differently than G1 eyes-- round on the top and straight on the bottom, with three lashes on one side and two on the other side. They also have only one solid color in the irises of their eyes.
G2's also tended to have simple symbols, such as the G1's, with only one or two colors. Also, like the G1's, G2's have their symbols on both sides.
And then there are the Generation 3, or G3 My Little Ponies. These are much more popular with collectors, because they look very similar to the original G1 ponies! They were produced from 2003-2009. We will be using Cherry Blossom for our G3 model:
Cherry Blossom is a typical G3 pony. As you can see, she looks very similar to a G1, although there are some slight differences. G3's often have more elaborate designs, with multi-colored manes, and detailed symbols. Their heads are usually a little larger than a G1 , and their bodies are a little smaller and thinner than a G1. Another common characteristic of G3's is their pearly body, although this became less common in later years of the G3 line.
Again, G3's have a facial design very similar to the G1's. Their ears are a little more rounded and defined at the tips, and their eyes are larger than a G1. However, the design of the G3 eye is very similar to the G1 eye, except that G3's have three lashes on top and two lashes on the bottom. Also, the irises of G3 eyes tend to have multiple colors in them. And they often have stars or hearts in the black part of their eyes.
G3's are the only generation of ponies which have only one symbol instead of two symbols. Their symbols tend to be more detailed and elaborate than either G1 or G2 symbols, with multiple colors used.
Another defining characteristic of G3's is their hoof heart. If you have an earlier G3 like Cherry Blossom, she will have a magnet underneath one hoof. Most G3's have their hoof heart on the same hoof as the magnet, although some of the very first G3's did not follow this rule. Later G3's did not have the magnet, because they were discovered to be a choking hazard, although they did retain the hoof heart. The last G3's released had a coat hanger symbol on their hoof instead of a heart, but that is a different story for a different post! :)
In 2009, Hasbro created a "new look" for the ponies, with a new mold design. Collectors call these ponies Generation 3.5, or G3.5, because they still use the same characters as the G3's. Unfortunately I don't have any G3.5's in my collection, so I can't show you pictures, but these are the ponies that are currently in stores. They have larger heads and smaller bodies than the original G3's. Like the G2's, they are also more unpopular with collectors, because they stray further from the "original" G1 design.
Well, I hope this post helped to clear up any confusion between the 3 (and a half! :) ) generations of ponies! It may seem confusing at first but looking at the pictures of the different generations will help. In no time, you'll be an old pro at telling the different generations apart!
Did you know? Did you know that Noodles is the only Newborn Twin who is a boy? And he is also one of the only G1 boys who wasn't in a "typical" boy-only mold!
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