The My Little Pony Collector’s Inventory: a complete checklist of all US ponies, playsets and accessories from 1981 to 1992, Hillary DePiano’s new book about vintage My Little Pony collecting is part of a recent trend of new interest in toys from the 1980s. As vintage sets are released, collectors are becoming reminiscent for the toys they had as children.

Parsippany, NJ (PRESS RELEASE) March 23, 2005 — As VH1’s popular I Love the 80’s program has deftly shown, America is feeling nostalgic for their not so distant past. A walk down the toy aisles today is a trip back in time, with many old favorites such as My Little Pony, He-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rainbow Brite, Weebles, Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears making a comeback in a big way.

For My Little Pony (MLP) collectors, this comeback is long overdue. Having besieged Hasbro with petitions for years, loyal MLP devotees have been eagerly awaiting the comeback of their favorite brand.

My Little Pony, which enjoyed a 10-year reign as one of the most popular brands of the 1980’s stopped production in the United States in 1992 and, besides one short-lived comeback in 1997, was gone from stores until 2003. As the new My Little Pony toys attempt to regain their top selling status, their release has made some nostalgic for the originals. Summer of 2004 marked the first My Little Pony convention while the second international My Little Pony convention is planned for November 2005.

“It’s wild! Ever since Hasbro released the new ponies, the vintage ponies have been selling like crazy on eBay!” says Hillary DePiano, eBay PowerSeller, My Little Pony collector and author of a new book on My Little Pony collecting called The My Little Pony Collector’s Inventory: a complete checklist of all US ponies, playsets and accessories from 1981 to 1992 (ISBN: 1411621654, Lulu Press). “It’s a very exciting time to be a pony collector. With ponies back in store, you have the thrill of new ponies with the added benefit of an increased value to your vintage ponies. I think a lot of people take one look at the new ponies and think ‘those are nice, but how cool were the old ones’ and that’s why the price jump.”

DePiano knows better than anyone the value of memories. Her own company, Priced Nostalgia, has been selling vintage toys from the 60’s to 90’s since 1997.

“That feeling you get when you hold something you loved as a child that just takes you back into the past is a lot of what drives collecting of any kind,” DePiano says. “That was how I came up with the name for my company. Suddenly eBay allowed you to essentially price what a particular piece of nostalgia was worth to you.”

With the release of her new book, DePiano is hoping to introduce a new generation to the wonders of pony collecting. “The book is a very detailed inventory of every pony, playset, accessory, brush, ribbon, comb, you name it that was released between 1981 to 1992. If you are a new collector, it gives you an idea of what you should be looking for, while if you already have an extensive collection, it will help you to organize it.”

As for her own collection, DePiano has room in her heart for both the new and vintage ponies. “I have been buying nearly all the new ponies. I’m trying to be good, but I cannot resist them! With all the new ponies and all my vintage ponies, storage space is definitely becoming an issue.”

My Little Pony is the exclusive trademark of Hasbro, Inc.

DePiano, Hillary. The My Little Pony Collector’s Inventory: a complete checklist of all US ponies, playsets and accessories from 1981 to 1992 (ISBN: 1411621654).