How to check a G4 My Little Pony
G4 figures were produced in huge numbers and copied in huge numbers. Most bootlegs get the shape and the colour close, because those are the easy parts; the moulding and printing details are where they give themselves away.
A G4 record is scored against these five markers.
The five markers on a G4 record
Cutie mark quality
G4 cutie marks are tampo-printed, sharp and centered; fakes are often smudged or off-center.
Eye printing
G4 eyes have layered printing with a reflective highlight; fakes often miss the highlight.
Hoof markings
G4 hooves carry a molded Hasbro logo and country code; fakes usually lack both.
Body plastic quality
G4 plastic is matte and consistent; fakes show gloss variation and mold lines.
Mane & tail texture
G4 hair is fine nylon; fakes use cheaper fiber that tangles and loses crimp quickly.
What a failing G4 looks like
- A hoof with no moulded Hasbro logo and no country code.
- Cutie marks that are smudged, off-centre, or noticeably the wrong size for the pose.
- Eyes without the reflective highlight, or printing that spills past the eye shape.
- Glossy patches and visible mould lines across a body that should be uniformly matte.
- Hair that tangles straight away, or loses what crimp it had after a single wash.
- Sets where one figure is visibly lighter, softer or more cheaply printed than its set-mates.
Questions collectors ask
Are fake G4 ponies common?
They are the most common copies in the hobby, sold loose and in sets, often in colourways that were never released. Because so many look convincing at a glance, the hoof and the eye printing are usually what settle it.
My cutie mark is a little off-centre — does that make it fake?
Not on its own. Judge the marker alongside the others: one odd print is ordinary, three markers failing at once is not.
How should I photograph a G4 for a check?
Daylight, close in and straight on: the underside of one front hoof, the cutie mark on the flank, and each eye. Flash flattens the printing and hides the highlight.
Does a missing highlight always mean a fake?
It is one of the stronger signs, because the layered eye print is hard to copy — but a photo taken at the wrong angle or in poor light can hide a highlight that is really there. Re-shoot before deciding.
Check your own figure against the database
A PonyProof account is free, and every record shows the same checklist scored for a figure someone has already examined.
More guides
How to tell if a My Little Pony is fake
The five checks collectors run on any figure, the warning signs that point to a copy or a repair, and how to keep a doubtful pony out of your collection.
Read the guideHow to check a G1 My Little Pony
Figures from the 1980s and early 1990s are the most repaired in the hobby, so a G1 record checks originality as carefully as it checks identity.
Read the guideHow to check a G2 My Little Pony
G2 was sold mainly in Europe, so fewer examples have been photographed and compared. The slim mould and the small symbol are what a record is measured against.
Read the guideHow to check a G3 My Little Pony
Chunky moulds, big multi-colour symbols and wide, stable legs. G3 copies still circulate loose and in sets, and the printed symbol is usually where they give themselves away.
Read the guideHow to check a G5 My Little Pony
The current generation: new moulds, large glossy eyes and figures that arrive mostly in sets. Most G5 copies are cheap loose figures — and the same five markers catch them.
Read the guide
