Ribbon Information
ValeofSpring's Ribbon Information
I love G1 accessories, and one of my biggest loves is . . . RIBBONS.
Beautiful beautiful ribbons!
Beautiful beautiful ribbons!
I have been collecting since 1998 (excluding my original 1984-1990 years), and while I have kept my collection quite small through lots of selling, I have pretty much kept all the ribbons I've gotten. And now I have lots of them! I do love putting the right (?) ribbon on each of my ponies . . .
Ribbons came packaged like this . . . they seem so simple, don't they?
But . . . original ribbons can be a bit confusing. How can we be sure a ribbon is original? And is there any way of knowing which ribbon went with which pony?
Some facts (?) about G1 original ribbons:
1) Typically, G1 ribbons average about 9 inches (23 centimeters) long.
and
2) They are *usually* cut so that the ends are parallel diagonals (see below).
and
3) They have "beading" along the edges (though the beading pattern varies, it is usually consists of very small beads).
Some facts (?) about G1 original ribbons:
1) Typically, G1 ribbons average about 9 inches (23 centimeters) long.
and
2) They are *usually* cut so that the ends are parallel diagonals (see below).
and
3) They have "beading" along the edges (though the beading pattern varies, it is usually consists of very small beads).
(These guidelines exclude Princess and Flutter ribbons and other special ribbons (I believe BnG ponies have especially long ribbons.)
4) As there is some variation in length, there is also (perhaps somewhat confusingly) variation in width. G1 ribbons average around 1/4 inch (6/10 of a centimeter) in width. In looking at my ribbons, I've found that there are generally three widths. They are best described as 5/10, 6/10, and 7/10 of a centimeter.
4) As there is some variation in length, there is also (perhaps somewhat confusingly) variation in width. G1 ribbons average around 1/4 inch (6/10 of a centimeter) in width. In looking at my ribbons, I've found that there are generally three widths. They are best described as 5/10, 6/10, and 7/10 of a centimeter.
Note that the ribbons above have different beading (edges) and weaves (the weave on the bottom one being noticeably different).
5) Texture/finish is one of the most crucial elements of determining if a ribbon is original, yet it is hard to describe. Original ribbons are *usually* matte rather than glossy. Original ribbons also tend to be soft rather than stiff.
Some exceptions to the matte rule are Sundance's ribbon, which is glossy AND is also a bit longer than other standard G1 ribbons. The green pretty parlor ribbon is also glossy (at least the ones I've seen)
5) Texture/finish is one of the most crucial elements of determining if a ribbon is original, yet it is hard to describe. Original ribbons are *usually* matte rather than glossy. Original ribbons also tend to be soft rather than stiff.
Some exceptions to the matte rule are Sundance's ribbon, which is glossy AND is also a bit longer than other standard G1 ribbons. The green pretty parlor ribbon is also glossy (at least the ones I've seen)
Can you spot the differences?
An original ribbon (top) with ribbons I've concluded are imposters
An original ribbon (top) with ribbons I've concluded are imposters
New "original" ribbon?
The kind of ribbon you can buy at places like Michael's (Offray brand) looks a lot like original ribbon . . .
The kind of ribbon you can buy at places like Michael's (Offray brand) looks a lot like original ribbon . . .
It is the right width, can be cut to the right length, and has similar beading at the edges. In fact in this pic, when the green Offray is compared to a yellow original ribbon, they are *quite* similar.
What tells them apart is finish/texture. The Offray ribbon is slightly stiffer and shinier than the original ribbon (which feels more cloth-like). There may be other brands that match even more closely.
Matching ribbons with ponies
I'm not going to say much about this, but it does come up from time to time in our forums. Most pinks and yellows are impossible to match because so many ponies came with those colors. Some ponies I think are fairly easy to match up with the right ribbon are:
Sunlight, Sparkler, and Powder (I *think* they all came with the same deep pink ribbon), Cherries Jubilee (a kind of chartreuse color), Surprise (a medium purple), Sundance (as seen above, shiny, medium blue, and longer than average), and the green Pretty Parlor ribbon (distinctive color and shine).
Of course, ribbons can fade with time, get dirty, etc., AND the same pony did not always come with exactly the same ribbon. I remember opening up different Waterfall boxes in the store as a child (bad me, I know!) b/c I wanted Sprinkles w/ a green ribbon and she often came with more of a bright yellow-green (I was accessory-crazed even then. And remember that, unlike today, the boxes were sealed with a single piece of scotch tape).
Matching ribbons with ponies
I'm not going to say much about this, but it does come up from time to time in our forums. Most pinks and yellows are impossible to match because so many ponies came with those colors. Some ponies I think are fairly easy to match up with the right ribbon are:
Sunlight, Sparkler, and Powder (I *think* they all came with the same deep pink ribbon), Cherries Jubilee (a kind of chartreuse color), Surprise (a medium purple), Sundance (as seen above, shiny, medium blue, and longer than average), and the green Pretty Parlor ribbon (distinctive color and shine).
Of course, ribbons can fade with time, get dirty, etc., AND the same pony did not always come with exactly the same ribbon. I remember opening up different Waterfall boxes in the store as a child (bad me, I know!) b/c I wanted Sprinkles w/ a green ribbon and she often came with more of a bright yellow-green (I was accessory-crazed even then. And remember that, unlike today, the boxes were sealed with a single piece of scotch tape).
The originals are slightly heavier. Actually, when comparing the originals with the Offray ribbon, it looks like the originals have a higher thread count (the weave is smaller), which may account for why they are softer. Also the originals have a more cloth-like feel, while the Offray ribbon feels slightly more paper-like. The cloth/paper difference also contributes to weight. As you know, these are *very* slight differences, but once you handle enough ribbons, you get used to them!
Other observations from Chrissytree
Of course there are exceptions to the rule. For example in Europe some later years ponies came with shiny ribbons which are glossy to the touch and of a slightly lighter weight.
There are also some single sided ribbons - I've noted these for the European Precious Pocket ponies among others. I'll be adding a note to the photos in the section to show if the ribbon has any distinguishing features.
As mentioned above the length of a regular ribbon is approx 230mm or 9 inches long with three widths of 5mm, 6mm or 7mm. Here I've shown a random ribbon.
Brush 'n Grow Ribbons are much longer and wider. The length is approx 290mm and the width is approx 11mm.
Thanks to Fantastic Firefly I've been able to see My Pretty Pony Ribbons MIP for the Pink version. She came with 5 ribbons: 1 long wide purple ribbon, 1 short wide purple ribbon and three regular ribbons in blue, yellow and white.
There are also some single sided ribbons - I've noted these for the European Precious Pocket ponies among others. I'll be adding a note to the photos in the section to show if the ribbon has any distinguishing features.
As mentioned above the length of a regular ribbon is approx 230mm or 9 inches long with three widths of 5mm, 6mm or 7mm. Here I've shown a random ribbon.
Brush 'n Grow Ribbons are much longer and wider. The length is approx 290mm and the width is approx 11mm.
Thanks to Fantastic Firefly I've been able to see My Pretty Pony Ribbons MIP for the Pink version. She came with 5 ribbons: 1 long wide purple ribbon, 1 short wide purple ribbon and three regular ribbons in blue, yellow and white.
Being a Ribbon Detective
There are occasions when you can match ribbons with their owners with reasonable certainty. If you're lucky enough to find a lot of someone's childhood ponies that includes ribbons then you have a good chance that they'll match up with the ponies.
Your first step is to try and see if there are any imposters. Any ribbons which are too long, too short, too wide or too narrow. Of course ribbons can be cut and there are some that are longer but if you put the different ones to one side for now you'll have an easier time figuring out if they're real later.
Note where the lot has come from. Some European ponies came with ribbons when the North American ones did not. So if you've bought a lot from, say, the UK then you may have ribbons for the Teeny Weeny / Tiny babies, Precious Pocket ponies or Rockin' Beat ponies.
Next would be the research phase. It's easier to start with the more distinctive colours so all dark shades, oranges or greens. I've added a list of ponies that probably come with each colour so that'll be a good start point but while I'm hoping to have a display of ribbons on here it's unlikely to ever be complete so I'd recommend you go to your favourite search engine and do an image search.
Say you have Paradise and want to check for her ribbon - put a phrase into google such as "my little pony Paradise MOC." Hopefully you'll find a nice clear image of the ribbon with the pony on original card. If it matches one of the ones in your lot - i.e. a nice dark green one, then you can be reasonably sure it belongs to Paradise. Carry on searching and getting potential matches. There will be some shades you'll be unable to tell apart and white ribbons will be impossible to distinguish from one another but hopefully you'll have given some of the ponies their original ribbons.
Your first step is to try and see if there are any imposters. Any ribbons which are too long, too short, too wide or too narrow. Of course ribbons can be cut and there are some that are longer but if you put the different ones to one side for now you'll have an easier time figuring out if they're real later.
Note where the lot has come from. Some European ponies came with ribbons when the North American ones did not. So if you've bought a lot from, say, the UK then you may have ribbons for the Teeny Weeny / Tiny babies, Precious Pocket ponies or Rockin' Beat ponies.
Next would be the research phase. It's easier to start with the more distinctive colours so all dark shades, oranges or greens. I've added a list of ponies that probably come with each colour so that'll be a good start point but while I'm hoping to have a display of ribbons on here it's unlikely to ever be complete so I'd recommend you go to your favourite search engine and do an image search.
Say you have Paradise and want to check for her ribbon - put a phrase into google such as "my little pony Paradise MOC." Hopefully you'll find a nice clear image of the ribbon with the pony on original card. If it matches one of the ones in your lot - i.e. a nice dark green one, then you can be reasonably sure it belongs to Paradise. Carry on searching and getting potential matches. There will be some shades you'll be unable to tell apart and white ribbons will be impossible to distinguish from one another but hopefully you'll have given some of the ponies their original ribbons.