Fairy Tails
Fairy Tails is a short-lived toyline consisting of My Little Pony-esque birds, which are the titular Fairy Tails. The line was in stores from 1986 to 1987, corresponding with Year Five of Generation 1. This Year saw the release of the Pony Friends in the My Little Pony line, making it a distinct possibility that they and Fairy Tails were part of the same investigation into an expansion of My Little Pony that offered more than only ponies. Neither concept went very far, but the Fairy Tails toys have become a popular extra to the collections of My Little Pony enthusiasts.
Like the Little Ponies, the Fairy Tails are a species of multi-colored, slightly deformed animals with a pronounced tail and head plume and a unique symbol on each of them. As with their more popular peers, they were sold with ribbons and combs to do their hair with, but they also each came with a perch. Fairy Tails toys possess limited articulation in their feet, which can clasp around something, like their perch or a finger, open and turn. Naturally, this means that the feet are the part most easily broken on the average Fairy Tails toy.
Contents
Fiction
Faiy Tails fiction is limited to the toys' backcard stories and the few commercials produced for the line. According to the commercials, the Fairy Tails were once normal birds who got their luxurious tails and head plumes from a fairy.
Toyline
Originals
The original Fairy Tails set comprises twelve toys, two color palettes for each of the six poses. Unlike the other sets, there is no theme or unity to their symbols. Each bird was sold with a bird-shaped comb, a perch, a tulle and a satin ribbon. In the UK, some also came with a 3-pack of bow-shaped hair clip.
- Taffeta Tails
- Tasty Tails
- Tattle Tails
- Tickle Tails
- Tinsel Tails
- Tippy Tails
- Tricky Tails
- True Love Tails
- Tulip Tails
- Tu Tu Tails
- Twilight Tails
- Twinkle Tails
Fuzzy Tummies
The Fuzzy Tummies essentially are the Fairy Tails variant of the My Little Pony So Softs. Each bird came with plush patch of fur on their chests, which counted as both their gimmick and their symbol. Because the patches are glued into a depression in the birds' chest, the edges can peel up due to the glue aging. Another potential problem of the Fuzzie Tummies is that the fur patch is suspectible to becoming filthy, moreso than the plastic body. Each Fuzzy Tummy was cast in a different pose from the original set and came with a bird-shaped comb, a perch and an extra long satin ribbon. The European versions came with longer fur and in completely different colors.
- Bouncy Tails
- Cloud Puff Tails
- Downy Tails
- Fluffy Tails
- Huggy Tails
- Snuggle Tails
Tropicals
The Tropicals are brightly colored birds with their symbols cast in 3D. Three poses were released in two color palettes per pose. Because the symbols are 3D, each symbol corresponds to a pose. Likewise, each pose comes with a molded piece of headwear, either a fruit hat, sunglasses or a visor. Each Tropical was sold with a palm tree-shaped perch, a transparent and glittery ribbon and a comb.
- Hula Hula Tails
- Pina Colada Tails
- Sea Breeze Tails
- Sunny Tails
- Tootie Tails
- Top Banana Tails
Baby Flyers
- Teddi Tails
- Tidbit Tails
- Tiddly Wink Tails
- Tinker Tails
- Toddler Tails
- Tubby Tails
Fan Tails
- Daisy Tails
- Fancy Tails
- Flutter Tails
- Frosty Tails
- Love Bird Tails
- Sparkle Tails
Jewelry Birds
Playsets
Three playsets were released for the Fairy Tails line, a fourth never leaving the prototype stage.
- Curly Q Boutique - an egg-shaped beauty salon. Included in the set were Tiffany Tails, two curlers, two ribbon-shaped hair clips, a bird-shaped comb, another comb and a tulle ribbon.
- Love Bird - a heart-enshrined perch. The set included two nameless Fairy Tails as a couple, the male being marked with a blue bow tie. It also came with a long satin ribbon to either decorate the perch with.
- Sunshine Gazebo - a two-level house with elevator in the center. The set included Tea Rose Tails, a table, a chair, a mirror, a bed, two teacups, two plates, two bowls, a teapot, an umbrella, a comb, ribbons and hair netting.
- Home Tweet Home - a bird house with attached whistle and chirp mechanics. The set was to include Baby Tippy Tails, a mirror, a swing, a large perch, a bird-shaped comb, another comb, flower-shaped hair clips and hair netting."
