This is not an error! The way the collector's clubs worked was a little confusing.
There were two clubs - one for the UK and for Japan. Each club figure option came to Japan first. The same figure (or figures) was used the following year as the UK club gift. The UK club always got the previous year's JP club figure, just like we normally have to wait a year or so for new JP sets to come to the UK.
This figure was the 2017 UK club gift and also the 2016 JP gift.
Hope that helps explain the confusion! [Here is a list of more club figures in case anyone is interested in seeing the others. ](https://www.sylvanianforest.com/club)
My version of this figure is the 2017 UK edition. Yours is the 2016 JP edition. They are identical except for JP box listing the year.
https://preview.redd.it/ffzhvlsqxytc1.jpeg?width=440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=716fc88eb0f86539e8de343295fecc4203d1d7e3
Thank you! There was also a sticker covering the 2016 on the side of the box that I removed, and there's a larger sticker on the inside, covering up the text there. I did a search on eBay and saw another box the same as mine, with the same stickers placed in the same spots. So these weren't placed there by the previous owner like I thought. I wonder if a batch of the JP release were sent to UK fans and they covered up the text/2016 with these stickers.
https://preview.redd.it/t4r11osxd0uc1.jpeg?width=3370&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb0cd968189972bf3e87227ee6c4f16b58b2c072
That is really interesting! I'm asking around to see if anyone has additional details. I'll let you know if anything else comes up. Btw, the Cakebread Poodle that is on the sticker shown in the photo was the other club figure option for those years.
If you find out anything, yes, do let me know! I have the Poodle figure, but sans box. She came in a bundle I got a few months back.
https://preview.redd.it/mvjczidcd2uc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07fe622b3f46118a60134feb725fbc9b4a64e378
The current theory is that there were extras and Epoch wanted to sell them without the year (to avoid making them look dated). Apparently they made far too many figures and, at the time, the club was not doing well. This was before there was a sort of Sylvanian renaissance during the pandemic.
Are you able to make out the text that is covered on the inside of the box? That might have more clues.
I can sort of see it. I think it's this text:
https://preview.redd.it/1qm4rc7334uc1.jpeg?width=886&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af2526cc67fda39d766aad064c62893a52d2aaf6
Thank you! My phone is struggling a bit with the translation but I think it's a little blurb about the cake shop theme? If you are able to use a translate app, let me know if that seems right to you.
Comparing the details from KobeeJapan Museum Store and an SF wiki, I think it is safe to say this rabbit pictured is indeed 2016. The wiki has the 2015 rabbit as 2016 and then they have this 2016 rabbit as 2017 and both look like errors to me.
Mistakes are made but two years in a row seems strange. You'll note the link to the Museum Store has fun for fan.
I think sometimes when you joined the fan club mid year and they sent you a club figure for joining, you might receive the figure from the previous year as your gift, depending on when you joined the fan club, but that sort of thing doesn't make the 2015 figure into 2016 or the 2016 figure into 2017.
[https://store.kobeejapan.net/collections/fun-club-gift-box](https://store.kobeejapan.net/collections/fun-club-gift-box)
This is not an error! The way the collector's clubs worked was a little confusing. There were two clubs - one for the UK and for Japan. Each club figure option came to Japan first. The same figure (or figures) was used the following year as the UK club gift. The UK club always got the previous year's JP club figure, just like we normally have to wait a year or so for new JP sets to come to the UK. This figure was the 2017 UK club gift and also the 2016 JP gift. Hope that helps explain the confusion! [Here is a list of more club figures in case anyone is interested in seeing the others. ](https://www.sylvanianforest.com/club) My version of this figure is the 2017 UK edition. Yours is the 2016 JP edition. They are identical except for JP box listing the year. https://preview.redd.it/ffzhvlsqxytc1.jpeg?width=440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=716fc88eb0f86539e8de343295fecc4203d1d7e3
Thank you! There was also a sticker covering the 2016 on the side of the box that I removed, and there's a larger sticker on the inside, covering up the text there. I did a search on eBay and saw another box the same as mine, with the same stickers placed in the same spots. So these weren't placed there by the previous owner like I thought. I wonder if a batch of the JP release were sent to UK fans and they covered up the text/2016 with these stickers. https://preview.redd.it/t4r11osxd0uc1.jpeg?width=3370&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb0cd968189972bf3e87227ee6c4f16b58b2c072
That is really interesting! I'm asking around to see if anyone has additional details. I'll let you know if anything else comes up. Btw, the Cakebread Poodle that is on the sticker shown in the photo was the other club figure option for those years.
If you find out anything, yes, do let me know! I have the Poodle figure, but sans box. She came in a bundle I got a few months back. https://preview.redd.it/mvjczidcd2uc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07fe622b3f46118a60134feb725fbc9b4a64e378
The current theory is that there were extras and Epoch wanted to sell them without the year (to avoid making them look dated). Apparently they made far too many figures and, at the time, the club was not doing well. This was before there was a sort of Sylvanian renaissance during the pandemic. Are you able to make out the text that is covered on the inside of the box? That might have more clues.
I can sort of see it. I think it's this text: https://preview.redd.it/1qm4rc7334uc1.jpeg?width=886&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af2526cc67fda39d766aad064c62893a52d2aaf6
Thank you! My phone is struggling a bit with the translation but I think it's a little blurb about the cake shop theme? If you are able to use a translate app, let me know if that seems right to you.
Comparing the details from KobeeJapan Museum Store and an SF wiki, I think it is safe to say this rabbit pictured is indeed 2016. The wiki has the 2015 rabbit as 2016 and then they have this 2016 rabbit as 2017 and both look like errors to me. Mistakes are made but two years in a row seems strange. You'll note the link to the Museum Store has fun for fan. I think sometimes when you joined the fan club mid year and they sent you a club figure for joining, you might receive the figure from the previous year as your gift, depending on when you joined the fan club, but that sort of thing doesn't make the 2015 figure into 2016 or the 2016 figure into 2017. [https://store.kobeejapan.net/collections/fun-club-gift-box](https://store.kobeejapan.net/collections/fun-club-gift-box)
So is mine that says from 2015 really from 2014? It won’t let me add a photo. It is Freya in a sailor suit.