It occurred to me after my first informative post that it would probably be less confusing to start at the beginning rather than trying to jump into the middle and be stuck adding explanations and asides that could be covered in a more coherent manner with chronological posts. So I pulled The Evolution of the 2006 Target Special Run Sport Horse and Foal Set and replaced it with this, a bit of an outline of the types of posts you should expect to see here and an explanation of some of the terms I'll be using.
Also, I'd like to explain a bit about some of the language you may notice in the posts to follow - I equivocate, a lot. This is not from any desire to deceive or cause confusion, on the contrary, because variations are so rife within the Stablemate line and due to certain blank spots in its history, it is often impossible, or just unwise to make an unqualified, declarative statement of fact. With Stablemates the best motto to have is "Rarely say Never"
I do not know everything about the Stablemate line and have seen only a minute sample of the models produced, so I cannot claim to know every variation of shade and markings in which a model may be found. Therefore, the use of qualifiers will abound when describing a colour or other issues. If you find you have a model which contradicts a statement I have made or a conclusion I have drawn, please use the email on this site to contact me, I'm always interested in adding to my knowledge base.
Terms:
Molds, Runs, Models:
- A Mold is: A. the form used in the factory to cast pieces (also: injection mold, tool, production mold), B. the style of body produced by a particular injection mold which is then painted a particular colour to create a run. Molds all have a name and number, generally that of the first run. (ie. #885 Rough and Ready run uses the #50 Adios mold).
- A Run refers to the colour produced on a particular mold over a period of time. Runs are referred to by a run number and usually a name (ie. #885 Rough and Ready run was chestnut dun and available from 1993-1995).
- A Model is an individual within a run (ie. this #885 Rough and Ready is mine and I named him Steve). Just to be extra confusing, Model can also refer to a run (ie. The Classic series consists of a group of different six models instead of The Classic series consists of a group of six different runs). Context is important in this case.
Variation:
- A model that deviates from the catalogue (or accepted standard) model. Missing or extra markings, light or heavy shading, and differences in patterns, colour, or finish are all considered variations. These differences can be slight or major, it depends on how closely you look.
Post Types:
Rather than updating this old post every time I add a new category, I've decided to simply link the title to a separate page which is regularly updated. The same link can be accessed via the link bar in the header of any page.
This is going to be such helpful information. Woohoo!
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