Although the
Littlest Pet Shop toy line was based in the United States, it
was also released in many countries outside the US, where it was
distributed by subsidiaries of Hasbro. Some of the non-US
sets were strikingly different from the original US releases -
others simply differed in packaging. This page provides
general information on the international release of Littlest Pet
Shop toys.
Information and
photos that are specific to particular sets are provided with those sets in the
ID Reference section of LPSC.
If you have any
additional information or images related to international
releases that you would like to share with LPSC, or if you
notice any errors here, pleasee-mail me!
Our knowledge of non-US LPS releases is growing all the time
thanks to the worldwide community of online collectors.
I've divided these
"release regions" based on each country's location and the
similarities between its LPS releases and those of other
nations. The information here is incomplete...if you know
of additional countries where LPS was distributed, please e-mail me!
North America
(Including Canada, the United States, and Mexico)
The North American LPS sets were identical, although the
Canadian packaging was printed in both French and English, while
the Mexican packaging was printed in Spanish. Trilingual
sets were also released, which featured packaging printed in
French, English, and Spanish.
Europe
(Including the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, France,
Belgium/Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, & Greece)
» Littlest Pet Shop toys were distributed in most
European countries, and although the packaging differs slightly
from one European nation to the next (i.e., the text on the LPS
logo), these European variants of US releases are generally
identical to one another despite their different national
origins.
» The European variants feature different
packaging from their US
equivalents; the LPS logo, in
particular, is different. The European logo varies from
country to country, although its appearance is always
recognizably European (it is pink with yellow text, and there is
either a paw print or a Assortment of animals at the top of the
logo).
» Many European variants also included a "Family
Album" - a brochure that provided illustrations and
photos of sets/pets, as well as names and information for some
of the pets.
» Any stickers or
cardboard items that had printed text in the US
releases instead had either blank spots, paw prints, or
illustrations of animals in their European variations.
Some stickers that did not have text in the US releases, such as
the illustrated background for the
Toddling Turtles'
terrarium, still differed slightly in appearance when released
in Europe.
» Miscellaneous pets
differed from their US equivalents. The
Garden Tag Pets,
for instance, include an additional bluebird with its wings
folded by its sides.
» The European variants of the
Zoo Wilderness Pets are
noticeably different. Two variations of this Assortment were
released in Europe. One variant Assortment includes the
Zoo Baby Bobcat,
Zoo Honey Bear,
Zoo Desert
Parakeet, and
Zoo Playful Sea
Lion, although the coloration of the pets (and some
accessories) differs from their US equivalents, and their zoo
signs, playmats, and stickers do not have text. The other
variant Assortment includes the
Zoo Baby Bobcat,
Zoo Honey Bear,
and Zoo Slippy
Seal (renamed from "Playful Sea Lion"), as well as the
Zoo Fearless
Falcon (rather than the Desert Parakeet). This latter
Assortment again features pets (and some accessories) with
colorations that differ from the US releases; sets released in
this variation also do not include zoo signs.
Australia
The LPS sets released in Australia were identical to the US
releases, although the European variants of the
Zoo Wilderness Pets (Zoo Honey Bear, Zoo Baby Bobcat, Zoo
Slippy Seal, and Zoo Fearless Falcon) were also available.
Although collectors in Australia were able to send away for the
Mail Order Pets and the Charm Bracelet, the Paw Print Club
remained a US-only mail offer.
Japan
Sets released in Japan had unique packaging. The most
striking feature of the Japanese releases is seen in 1992's
sets: all of the pets from that year had small black dots as
eyes.
Credits:
Australian release information - Unicorn4484
The design of the
Littlest Pet Shop logo varied depending upon the country in
which sets were distributed. All sets were still made in
China.
Note: LPSC needs images of the LPS logo used on
packaging that was distributed in Greece and Portugal (and any other country that distributed
Littlest Pet Shops!). If you have images you'd like to
donate, please e-mail
me!
UK
UK
UK (Zoo Collection)
UK (Zoo Collection)
Germany
Germany
Spain
Italy
France
France
and/or
Netherlands/Belgium
France
and/or
Netherlands/Belgium
France
and/or
Netherlands/Belgium
France
and/or
Netherlands/Belgium
(Zoo Collection)
Canada
Canada (Zoo Collection)
Mexico
North America
(Canada, US, Mexico)
Japan
Japan
Image
Credits:
Logos from France/Belgium, Mexico, and North American trilingual
logo -
zuse German logo
with animals - sparkling_feline
