(From Breyer History Diva, July, 2011)
There’s been some controversy over what distinguishes a "Sample" from a "Test Color." In the case of the pieces in the Tent this year, most of them would be considered "Samples," which are pieces identical to the production run, made prior to full production for minor corrections and approvals. "Sample," basically, is just another term for "Preproduction." (There are some minor differences, I guess. I’m still in no mind to finesse these.)
Prior to the introduction of the VIN numbers, Reeves Samples/Prepros were almost indistinguishable from Regular Run items. Occasionally you’d see some dating and notations on some - "VQS" meaning "Vendor Quality Sample," for instance. Sometimes you’d see some minor change or correction to the piece, added detailing on the hooves or eyes, etc. The kind of little subtleties even most nerds wouldn’t pick up at first glance.
Because the differences are so subtle, provenance is absolutely essential with items like these. Sadly, in the case of many of the Samples thrown into the Pit in prior years, their specialness has been lost to the ages.
Showing posts with label test color. Show all posts
Showing posts with label test color. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
White Jumping Horse
(from Breyer History Diva, February, 2012)
For your viewing pleasure, pictures of the White Jumping Horses mentioned in the previous post. First, the QVC SR Gem Twist, in a semi-chalky finish:
He’s not super common; one of the many QVC Special Runs that flew under the radar, due to a lack of promotional support. He was one of those weird reissues - like the San Domingo "Traveler" - where they put the paint job distinctive of the original release on a completely different mold.
It’s an interesting, and a not unappealing idea. Five-Gaiter Sorrel on a Clock Saddlebred? Yellow Mount on the modified Stock Horse Stallion? The old Leopard pattern from the POA, on a Bouncer? I would buy most of these.
I suspect others would, too. Especially the Sorrel on the Clock Saddlebred; I think he’d look great in that color. (Semi-gloss - with eyewhites, of course!)
Here’s the Jumping Horse that I found in the Bentley Sales dump bins at Model Horse Congress, back in the Dark Ages. He originally came with a factory unpainted jump, which I still have; when I do display him, I usually put him on one of my spare painted jumps, for a dressier look.
I’d actually classify him as a borderline Test Color/Cull, since he doesn’t have a lot detail on him, outside of his head, and there’s a little roughness to his body texture that suggests he may have spent some time in a cull bin. I still think he’s pretty darn cool, regardless. He was one of my earliest Tests/Culls, so I have a lot of sentimental attachment to him.
Most of my Jumping Horses are not out for display right now, because like a few other molds that shall remain nameless, he takes up way too much shelf space. I used to have a substantial number of variations of the Bay - whose sock variations verge on the countless - until I realized that I’d never be able to display them in a way that would do them justice.
For your viewing pleasure, pictures of the White Jumping Horses mentioned in the previous post. First, the QVC SR Gem Twist, in a semi-chalky finish:
He’s not super common; one of the many QVC Special Runs that flew under the radar, due to a lack of promotional support. He was one of those weird reissues - like the San Domingo "Traveler" - where they put the paint job distinctive of the original release on a completely different mold.
It’s an interesting, and a not unappealing idea. Five-Gaiter Sorrel on a Clock Saddlebred? Yellow Mount on the modified Stock Horse Stallion? The old Leopard pattern from the POA, on a Bouncer? I would buy most of these.
I suspect others would, too. Especially the Sorrel on the Clock Saddlebred; I think he’d look great in that color. (Semi-gloss - with eyewhites, of course!)
Here’s the Jumping Horse that I found in the Bentley Sales dump bins at Model Horse Congress, back in the Dark Ages. He originally came with a factory unpainted jump, which I still have; when I do display him, I usually put him on one of my spare painted jumps, for a dressier look.
I’d actually classify him as a borderline Test Color/Cull, since he doesn’t have a lot detail on him, outside of his head, and there’s a little roughness to his body texture that suggests he may have spent some time in a cull bin. I still think he’s pretty darn cool, regardless. He was one of my earliest Tests/Culls, so I have a lot of sentimental attachment to him.
Most of my Jumping Horses are not out for display right now, because like a few other molds that shall remain nameless, he takes up way too much shelf space. I used to have a substantial number of variations of the Bay - whose sock variations verge on the countless - until I realized that I’d never be able to display them in a way that would do them justice.
Test Color
(from Breyer History Diva, March, 2012)
I will cut to the chase and present y’all with a picture of one of my favorite Test Colors, the actual (I think) test piece for the original Phar Lap, done on the Traditional Man o’ War mold:
Isn’t he beautiful? I can’t believe nobody else saw him the Bentley Sales dump boxes at Model Horse Congress way back in 1986. I saw his head poking out of one of the "six dollar" dumps, noticed his star was different, yanked him out and saw the two little socks he was sporting - score!
(Yeah, six bucks for a Test Color. Now you know why I'm such a cheapskate about those sort of things.)
I don’t know the actual circumstances of his creation, other than the assumption that the Phar Lap mold was likely not available when he was made. He could have been a sample made as a proposal prior to the mold being commissioned in the first place, or he could have been made for a sales presentation or meeting while the mold was still in the process of being made.
Or it could be something else entirely (painters goofing off at the factory, a mold mix-up, etc.) All I know is that he did come straight out of the factory - as did all of the assorted goodies in those Bentley Sales dump boxes - and that I think he’s beautiful.
I will cut to the chase and present y’all with a picture of one of my favorite Test Colors, the actual (I think) test piece for the original Phar Lap, done on the Traditional Man o’ War mold:
Isn’t he beautiful? I can’t believe nobody else saw him the Bentley Sales dump boxes at Model Horse Congress way back in 1986. I saw his head poking out of one of the "six dollar" dumps, noticed his star was different, yanked him out and saw the two little socks he was sporting - score!
(Yeah, six bucks for a Test Color. Now you know why I'm such a cheapskate about those sort of things.)
I don’t know the actual circumstances of his creation, other than the assumption that the Phar Lap mold was likely not available when he was made. He could have been a sample made as a proposal prior to the mold being commissioned in the first place, or he could have been made for a sales presentation or meeting while the mold was still in the process of being made.
Or it could be something else entirely (painters goofing off at the factory, a mold mix-up, etc.) All I know is that he did come straight out of the factory - as did all of the assorted goodies in those Bentley Sales dump boxes - and that I think he’s beautiful.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Donkey
(from Breyer History Diva, 2010)
It’s a little hard to tell from this picture, but this little Donkey is a test color. He’s the same color as the #376 Brighty, the 1991 re-release in that quirky gray-brown dun color with the white belly and muzzle, and shoulder striping. Being that it is an undatable "newtoymens" piece with no real provenance, I don’t know if he was a test color for Brighty, a rejected test for the 1992 Election Donkey with the Brighty paint job, or even a test for another release entirely.
Some molds have lots of test colors floating around, and some have almost none, and the old Donkey mold is one of the latter. I’ve seen more test pieces on the Brighty mold - and even the Kitten - than the old Donkey. Part of the reason is that there haven’t been that many Donkey bodies lying around to experiment with: aside from his brief return in 1992, he’s basically been out of production since the mid-1970s.
Why the Donkey mold has been missing for so long is a matter of debate. I think a lot of collectors just assume that, like the Fury or the old Racehorse, he’s an old, dated mold that has been superseded by newer, more popular donkeys. We have the Brighty, the Companion Series Miniature Donkey, and now the cutie-pie Stablemates Donkey to fill in the gaps of the donkey-loving collector’s heart.
There may have been some damage to the mold that prevented or limited his return, too. According to former Breyer employee Steve Ryan, the Donkey mold was allegedly damaged in the aborted attempt to move production to Mexico in the 1970s. I don’t know how much truth there is to it; my interactions with Mr. Ryan did not inspire confidence in his grasp of Breyer History.
While real-life donkeys don’t come in quite the same color range as their cousins do, they certainly come in more colors than the old Breyer Donkey has: gray, gray, gray … and gray. There’s a lot of variation in that boring gray paint job, though, and one could amass a nice-sized collection of its many variations, from pale gray to near-black.
There are a few bay and Five-Gaiter Sorrel Donkeys from the 1960s floating around, too, but their color is sometimes so dark and muted that they are sometimes mistaken for just another shade of gray. And they may well be, as we have no documentation of it being a separate release or special run item.
There have also been rumors of Woodgrain Donkeys. I’m willing to entertain the notion of their existence, possibly as another Special Run item for the Ranchcraft Lamp line, but so far I haven’t seen one that passes historical muster. Red Mill - a company that manufactured figurines out of a crushed pecan-shell composite material - did make a fairly good copy of the Breyer Donkey, and that might be fueling the rumor.
It’s a little hard to tell from this picture, but this little Donkey is a test color. He’s the same color as the #376 Brighty, the 1991 re-release in that quirky gray-brown dun color with the white belly and muzzle, and shoulder striping. Being that it is an undatable "newtoymens" piece with no real provenance, I don’t know if he was a test color for Brighty, a rejected test for the 1992 Election Donkey with the Brighty paint job, or even a test for another release entirely.
Some molds have lots of test colors floating around, and some have almost none, and the old Donkey mold is one of the latter. I’ve seen more test pieces on the Brighty mold - and even the Kitten - than the old Donkey. Part of the reason is that there haven’t been that many Donkey bodies lying around to experiment with: aside from his brief return in 1992, he’s basically been out of production since the mid-1970s.
Why the Donkey mold has been missing for so long is a matter of debate. I think a lot of collectors just assume that, like the Fury or the old Racehorse, he’s an old, dated mold that has been superseded by newer, more popular donkeys. We have the Brighty, the Companion Series Miniature Donkey, and now the cutie-pie Stablemates Donkey to fill in the gaps of the donkey-loving collector’s heart.
There may have been some damage to the mold that prevented or limited his return, too. According to former Breyer employee Steve Ryan, the Donkey mold was allegedly damaged in the aborted attempt to move production to Mexico in the 1970s. I don’t know how much truth there is to it; my interactions with Mr. Ryan did not inspire confidence in his grasp of Breyer History.
While real-life donkeys don’t come in quite the same color range as their cousins do, they certainly come in more colors than the old Breyer Donkey has: gray, gray, gray … and gray. There’s a lot of variation in that boring gray paint job, though, and one could amass a nice-sized collection of its many variations, from pale gray to near-black.
There are a few bay and Five-Gaiter Sorrel Donkeys from the 1960s floating around, too, but their color is sometimes so dark and muted that they are sometimes mistaken for just another shade of gray. And they may well be, as we have no documentation of it being a separate release or special run item.
There have also been rumors of Woodgrain Donkeys. I’m willing to entertain the notion of their existence, possibly as another Special Run item for the Ranchcraft Lamp line, but so far I haven’t seen one that passes historical muster. Red Mill - a company that manufactured figurines out of a crushed pecan-shell composite material - did make a fairly good copy of the Breyer Donkey, and that might be fueling the rumor.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Marney Walerius
(Breyer History Diva, 2009.)
All tests are not equal: I’m still wrestling with the various definitions and categories of tests and how to best present the subject to you. The biggest problem is overlap; some models can fall into more than one of my categories, and I’m not entirely comfortable with that, for a variety of reasons I won’t go into today.
Nothing illustrates this problem better than the Palomino PAM that I discussed earlier. A few other hobbyists have informed me of the existence of other Palomino PAMs; I don’t doubt their authenticity. That's why I alluded to the possibility of others existing, before: the whole problem with Marney and the models that passed through her hands is that we still can't - and may never fully be able to - know what she had, what she did, or even begin to classify them properly.
First of all, I think we should add some nuance to our definitions, and distinguish the difference between a test color and a test run. A test color is a model with a unique (or nearly unique) paint job. A test run, on the other hand, consists of a small group of identically painted models: the quantity is usually in the single digits (5 to 7 are the most common quantities I hear about.) There may be some small variation in the run - color a little lighter or darker, or markings might vary a bit - but they are basically the same.
Marney distributed a lot of these small test runs in the 1970s and early 1980s. They were either sold directly to other hobbyists, or distributed as prizes at live shows, given away as gifts, etc. Nancy Young described a few of the more famous of these test runs in her book Breyer Molds & Models, including the Traditional Dapple Gray Man o’ War and the Shaded Dapple Gray Cantering Welsh Pony. (The Black Adios she mentions is another thing, and another topic altogether!) I have documentation for at least a couple more, including this heartbreaker from Marney’s album:
(The Appaloosa Performance Horse Proud Arabian Stallion - five pieces reputedly exist.)
Marney didn’t merely have access to the factory in Chicago, and whatever goodies it contained, she also had access to the painting booths and the painting equipment. While some of the models she acquired, either for her own collection or to sell, were actually test colors or test runs - done on behest of the management to test paint jobs, painting techniques, or to generate orders in advance of production - others were not.
Are these particular models actual test runs, or mini-special runs that Marney concocted herself? Honestly, it’s hard to tell. Marney passed away in 1992, and other than her photo album and a few letters, the only information I have comes from the memories of other hobbyists - and memory is not always reliable, especially after so many years have passed.
It’s possible that the Palomino PAM may have been a small test run, rather than a unique test color. These various Palomino PAMs could also simply be random models Marney made up over the years. Or a mini SR she made for whatever reason. It’s really hard to say at this point, until more evidence surfaces.
(Needless to say, if you have any paper documentation you'd be willing to share, let me know!)
All tests are not equal: I’m still wrestling with the various definitions and categories of tests and how to best present the subject to you. The biggest problem is overlap; some models can fall into more than one of my categories, and I’m not entirely comfortable with that, for a variety of reasons I won’t go into today.
Nothing illustrates this problem better than the Palomino PAM that I discussed earlier. A few other hobbyists have informed me of the existence of other Palomino PAMs; I don’t doubt their authenticity. That's why I alluded to the possibility of others existing, before: the whole problem with Marney and the models that passed through her hands is that we still can't - and may never fully be able to - know what she had, what she did, or even begin to classify them properly.
First of all, I think we should add some nuance to our definitions, and distinguish the difference between a test color and a test run. A test color is a model with a unique (or nearly unique) paint job. A test run, on the other hand, consists of a small group of identically painted models: the quantity is usually in the single digits (5 to 7 are the most common quantities I hear about.) There may be some small variation in the run - color a little lighter or darker, or markings might vary a bit - but they are basically the same.
Marney distributed a lot of these small test runs in the 1970s and early 1980s. They were either sold directly to other hobbyists, or distributed as prizes at live shows, given away as gifts, etc. Nancy Young described a few of the more famous of these test runs in her book Breyer Molds & Models, including the Traditional Dapple Gray Man o’ War and the Shaded Dapple Gray Cantering Welsh Pony. (The Black Adios she mentions is another thing, and another topic altogether!) I have documentation for at least a couple more, including this heartbreaker from Marney’s album:
(The Appaloosa Performance Horse Proud Arabian Stallion - five pieces reputedly exist.)
Marney didn’t merely have access to the factory in Chicago, and whatever goodies it contained, she also had access to the painting booths and the painting equipment. While some of the models she acquired, either for her own collection or to sell, were actually test colors or test runs - done on behest of the management to test paint jobs, painting techniques, or to generate orders in advance of production - others were not.
Are these particular models actual test runs, or mini-special runs that Marney concocted herself? Honestly, it’s hard to tell. Marney passed away in 1992, and other than her photo album and a few letters, the only information I have comes from the memories of other hobbyists - and memory is not always reliable, especially after so many years have passed.
It’s possible that the Palomino PAM may have been a small test run, rather than a unique test color. These various Palomino PAMs could also simply be random models Marney made up over the years. Or a mini SR she made for whatever reason. It’s really hard to say at this point, until more evidence surfaces.
(Needless to say, if you have any paper documentation you'd be willing to share, let me know!)
Test Colors
(Breyer History Diva, 2009.)
I had to sell a test color out of necessity a few weeks ago. It was one of those odd things that came via the mysterious eBay toy trafficker by the name of "newtoymens": a solid black Proud Arabian Foal. I was able to let him go partly because he wasn’t the kind of test color I prefer to collect.
"Test color" is a generic, catch-all term that is used to describe a lot of different kinds of models created for a lot of different purposes. Not all of these models labeled tests are truly tests in the strictest sense of the term. And not all are equally desirable (more on that in a moment.)
In the loosest sense, the term "test color" refers to any model that was either made in advance of production, as a regular run item or a special run, or one that never made it into production at all. A test color can vary either in finish, markings, or color scheme; rarely it is used to describe a model with significant changes either in the mold itself or the selection of accessories it was packaged with.
I’ve made several attempts over the years to categorize all the different subcategories of "test colors" that exist, with varying degrees of precision and nuance. It’ll drive you crazy, I swear, trying to determine where the lines exist. What distinguishes a "production test" from a "color test?" What do you do with all of the models Marney Walerius was responsible for creating? Some are clearly test colors, but so many of them …aren’t. Maybe.
Here’s a case in point: it wasn’t unusual, back in its Chicago days, for the company to produce multiple tests of a single color - usually in quantities of five, but it varied. This was done for a variety of reasons - for sales meetings, meetings with the painters, to test the viability and consistency of the paint job in production, that sort of thing. Test colors were rarely unique, at least not the way we now think of them.
Nowadays, just about everything gets a production number, regardless of the quantity produced: the VRE Specials are a recent and infuriating example. The lovely and completely unattainable Stretch Morgan "A Night at the Oscars" was labeled and sold as a special run - of 4 pieces. Less than many true vintage test colors.
See what I mean?
As far as desirability goes, it goes without saying that some test colors are more desirable than others. For most collectors, it’s about the rare combination of a well-executed paint job on a favorite mold. An Indian Pony will go for more than a Lady Roxana, and an intricately mapped pinto will go for more than a plain, undappled bay.
For me, it’s a little bit different: it’s the historical quality that takes primary consideration. I already had other test colors from newtoymens, and at least two of those actually appear to be tests for models that did end up in production, albeit on different molds. And you know me, I’m all about the history.
I had to sell a test color out of necessity a few weeks ago. It was one of those odd things that came via the mysterious eBay toy trafficker by the name of "newtoymens": a solid black Proud Arabian Foal. I was able to let him go partly because he wasn’t the kind of test color I prefer to collect.
"Test color" is a generic, catch-all term that is used to describe a lot of different kinds of models created for a lot of different purposes. Not all of these models labeled tests are truly tests in the strictest sense of the term. And not all are equally desirable (more on that in a moment.)
In the loosest sense, the term "test color" refers to any model that was either made in advance of production, as a regular run item or a special run, or one that never made it into production at all. A test color can vary either in finish, markings, or color scheme; rarely it is used to describe a model with significant changes either in the mold itself or the selection of accessories it was packaged with.
I’ve made several attempts over the years to categorize all the different subcategories of "test colors" that exist, with varying degrees of precision and nuance. It’ll drive you crazy, I swear, trying to determine where the lines exist. What distinguishes a "production test" from a "color test?" What do you do with all of the models Marney Walerius was responsible for creating? Some are clearly test colors, but so many of them …aren’t. Maybe.
Here’s a case in point: it wasn’t unusual, back in its Chicago days, for the company to produce multiple tests of a single color - usually in quantities of five, but it varied. This was done for a variety of reasons - for sales meetings, meetings with the painters, to test the viability and consistency of the paint job in production, that sort of thing. Test colors were rarely unique, at least not the way we now think of them.
Nowadays, just about everything gets a production number, regardless of the quantity produced: the VRE Specials are a recent and infuriating example. The lovely and completely unattainable Stretch Morgan "A Night at the Oscars" was labeled and sold as a special run - of 4 pieces. Less than many true vintage test colors.
See what I mean?
As far as desirability goes, it goes without saying that some test colors are more desirable than others. For most collectors, it’s about the rare combination of a well-executed paint job on a favorite mold. An Indian Pony will go for more than a Lady Roxana, and an intricately mapped pinto will go for more than a plain, undappled bay.
For me, it’s a little bit different: it’s the historical quality that takes primary consideration. I already had other test colors from newtoymens, and at least two of those actually appear to be tests for models that did end up in production, albeit on different molds. And you know me, I’m all about the history.
Misty - Test Color
(Breyer History Diva, 2009.)
My hand-airbrushed Misty: she’s one test color that’s definitely staying put. Isn’t she lovely?
There’s more to my attachment than the fact that she appears to be a preproduction, pre-mask test piece: I found her on eBay last year, and I needed something rare, beautiful and tangible in my life at that very moment. I had to have her: price wasn’t really an object.
In Nancy Young’s book there’s a mention, and a photo, of a similar piece: a hand-airbrushed San Domingo. He had been up for auction - and sold for an outrageous price - not long before the Misty turned up. That probably influenced my decision, too. It wasn’t necessarily proof of her authenticity, but it didn’t hurt, either.
You don’t see too many hand-airbrushed, unmasked pintos in the regular run Breyer line. They’re labor-intensive, hard to keep consistent, and easy to mess up. A couple notable exceptions would be the ever-popular chestnut pinto Indian Pony, and early versions of Jasper, the Market Hog. On the early Jaspers, you can even see that they "drew" the outline of his spot first before filling the rest of it in.
In other words, what I’m trying to say is that hand-airbrushing is generally a good indicator of something being either a very early, or very rare. (And occasionally, both.) It’s a good thing to look out for, if you’re looking for something special.
My hand-airbrushed Misty: she’s one test color that’s definitely staying put. Isn’t she lovely?
There’s more to my attachment than the fact that she appears to be a preproduction, pre-mask test piece: I found her on eBay last year, and I needed something rare, beautiful and tangible in my life at that very moment. I had to have her: price wasn’t really an object.In Nancy Young’s book there’s a mention, and a photo, of a similar piece: a hand-airbrushed San Domingo. He had been up for auction - and sold for an outrageous price - not long before the Misty turned up. That probably influenced my decision, too. It wasn’t necessarily proof of her authenticity, but it didn’t hurt, either.
You don’t see too many hand-airbrushed, unmasked pintos in the regular run Breyer line. They’re labor-intensive, hard to keep consistent, and easy to mess up. A couple notable exceptions would be the ever-popular chestnut pinto Indian Pony, and early versions of Jasper, the Market Hog. On the early Jaspers, you can even see that they "drew" the outline of his spot first before filling the rest of it in.
In other words, what I’m trying to say is that hand-airbrushing is generally a good indicator of something being either a very early, or very rare. (And occasionally, both.) It’s a good thing to look out for, if you’re looking for something special.
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