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Post by radish on Sept 18, 2020 10:39:46 GMT -6
Inspired by talking to Jenna briefly on instagram (hi!) about how we had a hard time finding IMPs in the states in the 90s: who else from the US struggled to find many in stores? Wondering if this was regional/store-specific or everywhere. Tell me how it was for you, I'm curious!
My experience was that when Hasbro was the distributor, they were VERY scarce. I remember going to a Toys R Us and asking for Puppy in My Pocket, and the employee didn't even know what that was, but eventually led me to the one (1!!) set they had in stock - the puppy show playset with Rook and Sugar. Later, I found Mo at a KB Toys. I do remember also seeing the Kitty window seat set and the blind bags in a store before I collected IMPs. But that was literally ALL I could find until Irwin took over! However, my best friend had quite a few of the series 1 kitties and series 1 and 2 puppies, so they were clearly around. Was it just that some toy stores had better stock than others? Or did it have more to do with the fact that she started collecting earlier than I did ('94 vs '95 - was Hasbro starting to phase out IMP)?
When IMP changed hands to Irwin, there were suddenly TONS on the shelf at Toys R Us. They re-released the series 1 kitties and a bunch of series 2 puppies, as well as putting out the Love N Sparkles. But then the available sets didn't change for a long time, to the point that I started buying doubles and customizing them! I actually had my mom call Irwin and order IMPs directly from them - that's how I got the Secret Heart sets and one or two of the Magic Vet Care sets. Then at the very tail end of original IMP (1999/2000) Magic Vet Care, some families, and a few playsets appeared (by the way, do we know when IMP actually ended for good? I know I got my last sets in 2000).
I hope this is interesting to anyone else - I've always wondered about this and figuring out the history of IMPs feels like putting together a puzzle. I guess based on card types, we can tell that most IMPS were actually available in the US, right? Yet distribution must have been very spotty since I never saw many of them. Anyway, please tell me what you found in the US in the 90s!
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Post by Jenna on Sept 18, 2020 19:41:11 GMT -6
I remember it similar to you! First they were easy to find, then difficult, then easy again.
Most of mine were birthday/Christmas presents, so I don't really remember where mine were from. I remember seeing them at big box stores, specifically K-Mart (RIP!) and Walmart. I rarely got to go to Toys R Us, but I know that's where I bought my Secret Heart puppies. I feel like I remember seeing Teddies and others there too.
I bought the Display House with #48 inside with my own money. It was the Hasbro(?) bright pink box with the weird card. I think MEG must have been in talks with Irwin to produce all of series 3 and the series 2 moms, but it must have fallen through. The Display House box is where I saw the series 3 puppies and I wanted them sooo bad. I cut the picture out of the box and kept it!
I had no trouble getting most of Series 1 and 2. If I had been more spoiled, I could have gotten all except for the sendaway offers.
Love n Sparkle and the Mary/Buddy/Jeremy set were easy enough to find. I don't remember seeing the rest of Series 4 or Animal Hospital. I remember seeing all of the Series 3 moms except for Susan, too.
I would love to be in contact with someone who could give us the inside scoop!
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Post by radish on Sept 18, 2020 20:26:12 GMT -6
Oh my gosh, yes, I used to cut out the photos from the back cards too! It was so exciting when there would be a photo of sets I'd never seen before (and it was also proof to me that they actually existed).
Yeah, it would be so neat to know all the details from someone who was involved. In the MLP collecting community, we know SO much now about all the nitty gritty details of the franchise because of the size of the fandom, but with IMPs it feels like we're kinda in the dark. I keep wondering why IMP was so much more successful in the UK, too - I'd love to be able to hear about how they handled the different markets and if it was a cultural difference or something else that made IMP do less well over here.
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Post by piddy on Sept 21, 2020 13:18:52 GMT -6
From what I have seen over the years of keeping images of MIP puppy in my pocket sets, the ones issued in USA seem to be By Hasbro Pups 1-47, family sets 51-54 (all type E cards) (49/50 being send away offer but not a type E card) 48 Type P card (49/50 being send away offer a type C card UK issue seems to be only version seen)
55-74 these don't seem to officially been issued, have one set but from somebody who worked there, as you don't see any it would seem to be true, these would of been type type P cards 75 76 78 not seen, but have seen a 77 but may be not officially released? Type P cards 79-80 Type P these seem to be more readily available (the ones with an extra pup)
By Irwin Issued in Canada (Dans ma poche) Type L cards, these may of been available in some US states as well? 22/24 Set, 28-47, 55-74, 75 (not seen), 76-80, 81-97, 98-102 (not seen), 103-115, 116-117 (not seen)
Issued in Mexico (En mi bolsillo) Type M cards, these may of been available in some US states as well? 22/24 Set (not seen), 28-47, 55-74, 75-106 (not seen), 107-110, 111-113 (not seen), 114-115, nothing after that?
Issued in USA Type N cards 103-115 (including bonus 38 and 41), 75 and 78 (as Mom & New Borns), 124-125, no others seen
Then Irwin issued these Magic Vet Care Type T cards 120-122, 127, 133-135, not seen any others Magique Vet Care (Dans ma poche) Type U cards 120-122, 127, 133-135, not seen any others Secret Heart Type Q cards 129-132 Secret Heart (Dans ma poche) Type R cards 129-132
Not sure why 76, 77, 116-117, 118, 119 not issued, although 119 was issued in the boxed set but with UK Type cards.
Also 98-102 never issued in USA? no cards for any of those other than UK (but nothing for 99 or 102)
Not sure if any 136 and above issued in USA.
If anybody does have any that I have as not seen that would be good to see!
Thanks
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Post by radish on Sept 21, 2020 17:04:18 GMT -6
Oh wow, thank you for your expertise! I'm not up on all the card types, so I've been paging back and forth between your post and the ID site trying to understand, haha. I can confirm that "En My Bolsillo" cards were included in US sets - I have a LOT of them. Funnily enough, I grew up in Connecticut, so it had nothing to do with proximity to Mexico (and I have no "Dans Ma Poche" cards from Canada, which is practically next door). Interesting!
Edit: Oh, also - not sure if this is already known or not but I got the mail order Animal Hospital duo (Puppy #126 and Kitty #76) in the US and they came with the UK cards.
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Post by piddy on Sept 22, 2020 11:44:14 GMT -6
Yes it seems most mail order ones you got a UK card, except 26 and 27 which had both versions.
Also the Kitty send away offer was for a #16 card called Pollyana, but not seen that so far, only ones with Danny as the name?
So with the issued in Mexico (En mi bolsillo) Type M cards did you have any of these numbers?
22/24 Set (not seen), 75-106 (not seen), 111-113 (not seen)
Thanks
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Post by Jenna on Sept 22, 2020 19:46:20 GMT -6
Puppy 48 also has a type E card, does it have a matching box?
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Post by radish on Sept 23, 2020 7:06:56 GMT -6
Piddy - nope, unfortunately I don't have "En Mi Bolsillo" cards of any of those.
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Post by piddy on Sept 23, 2020 10:40:03 GMT -6
Thanks for that, so not missed any yet, hard to know if they issued those?
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Post by piddy on Sept 23, 2020 10:45:08 GMT -6
Jenna
Never seen a USA box for 48 in the old style, only the one that came with the pink card. It may be that they issued 48 in the single packs/blind bags?
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Post by clover on Sept 25, 2020 20:31:08 GMT -6
Ahh, memories. This was my collection before I joined this site ( and I thought it was big then...ah, bless 2011-me.) Most were acquired at Bradlees, a department store that was heaven on Earth and should've been kept in business by my grandma, mom, and me alone. It felt as if we practically lived there. (It's a Target now--also a great store, but just not the same. Most of the G2 flocked ones came from there, I believe.) Each visit I'd head for the end of the girl-toy aisle and pick out a new Polly Pocket and pack of pups. (Plus Lisa Frank stuff, Pokemon cards, tapes & CDs, clothes, whatever--they had a brilliant selection of pretty much everything. And an Icee machine for on the way out! #1 on my sizable list of "places I wish I'd walked around with the camcorder before they were totally changed.") So anyway, a few had other origins. Dachshund Herman (Bradley's brown-eyed twin) was an early "blind bag" pup found in Arnold Bakery up in the lovely northern part of the state on one of our many weekends spent at & around the RV campsite. They also had Spice Girl lollipops and watches near the register; I still have the watch case & a sticker from a lollipop in my "Happy Meal toys" bag. The Love 'N' Sparkles, including some of my absolute favorites, were a Christmas gift...I remember learning how to pronounce "Zsa Zsa" that wonderful morning, and being thrilled by the collectafile full of other puppies who never turned up here. Seems indeed that past that certain point, we got certain sets only (such as Mary/Jeremy/Buddy, which my mom wound up accidentally getting me two of)--and I had to discover the full line later, online. Some along the line simply never showed up; I may have been able to find them since, but others still nope. Especially later ones and particularly rare ones. (Think Jo & pink!Blanche are my most-wanted dogs.) The checklists show the pattern. 8\ As for cards, I got the standard common American yellow ones. And while they too have absolutely exploded in recent years (thanks to this site), filling a Trapper-Keeper with IMP papers...I decided not to quibble about card types as I would've driven myself absolutely insane. xD Most are so similar, except the ones with that distinctly different art style (and I much prefer the one I have more of anyhow.) A few had gone missing and I'd tried (very poorly) to recreate them myself on cardboard...only I forgot Rottweiler Cliff's name and called him Rufus. Also shamed my slightly-older, name-interested self by just giving Blanche's grey Poodle puppies painfully cheesy, unimaginative names that were later replaced with Dorothy, Sophia, Rose, and Meg. xD I tried to do a video of the card binder, but YouTube turned and cropped and ruined it for some reason I can't figure out.
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Post by Jenna on Sept 26, 2020 8:35:51 GMT -6
Oh, the nostalgia, clover! What I wouldn't do to go back in time for a day just to browse the toy aisles! I have a question that I have been meaning to ask... what ARE MEG/Hasbro/Irwin, etc? Brands? Manufacturers? Distributors? Can anyone explain?
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Post by radish on Sept 26, 2020 12:34:26 GMT -6
Clover, I love your flickr! Seeing people's toy collection photos makes me so happy. I remember Bradlees, I mean, vaguely - I think it had already shut down in my area by the mid 90s. Now I wish I'd known that it was a good place to find IMPs. And I also learned how "Zsa Zsa" is pronounced because of IMPs! I remember opening the cards and saying to my mom, "What kind of name is Zz-ss-a Zz-ss-a?? You can't pronounce that!" and that's how I learned about the actress, haha. Thank you for sharing your memories!
Jenna, I believe MEG is the brand (or the... brand holder? Honestly not sure the right terminology. But I mean that In My Pockets are their intellectual property). Hasbro, Irwin, etc. are distributors. I don't know enough about the toy industry to know why major toy companies distribute brands from other companies, though!
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Post by Jenna on Sept 26, 2020 12:37:36 GMT -6
Thanks radish! My mom also taught me how to pronounce Zsa Zsa after I got her in the Love N Sparkle set!
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Post by radish on Sept 26, 2020 13:53:38 GMT -6
I wonder how many kids out there learned how to say Zsa Zsa because of IMPs? That so funny (and cool!) that we all shared that same experience.
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