Birthday Week: Variation Spotlight - G2 Thoroughbred #5981

Gift Set #5981 Stablemates Horses Gift Pack 2002-06

The G2 Thoroughbred from the #5981 Stablemates Horses Gift Pack is a particularly fun model as so many of them stray from the catalogue image. Variations in shade, quantity of roaning, patch placement and shape can easily be found. The only hard part is not snapping them all up.

Birthday Week: Variation Spotlight - G2 Clydesdale #59197

Play Set #5910 Medieval Play Set 2003-05

While variations aren't as prevalent in these days, they can be found; I purchased the bottom model as a body, but had to keep him OF as he was so different from my first model. He's a little battle-scarred, but look at that shading!

Variation Spotlight: G2 Warmblood #5204

I haven't seen much in the way of variations for the various Horse and Rider sets until this one. Dapple grey and leopard appaloosa models - those with a randomly applied pattern - are more likely to provide variations than other colours and patterns.

Variation Spotlight: G2 Horse and Foal Sets

Last week we covered the G2 Mare and Foal sets, as a little bonus I thought it would be fun to see some of the variations which can be found in these sets.

#59976 Warmblood Stallion and Foal 2000-02

Variation Spotlight: #710897 Quarter Horse Stallion

JCPenney Special Run

#710897 12-pc. Parade of Breeds

1997

Variation Spotlight: #5047 Quarter Horse Stallion

Regular Run Assortment

#5047 Quarter Horse Stallion

1976-87

Variation Spotlight: G1 Citation #710695

JCPenney Special Run

#710695 Set of 12 Miniatures

1995

The splatter technique used to put spots on the blankets of these appaloosas ensures that each model is slightly different from the others in the run.

Variation Spotlight: Draft Horse #5180

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5180 Draft Horse

1989-94

Like other randomly patterned runs, each #5180 is unique. Variations in shade and dapple placement and quantity are completely random, but within this chaos two distinct dapple types do exist. Older models will have 'splatter' dapples which are created through a grease-resist technique. Newer models were painted using a water-resist method which results in 'bubble' dapples.

Variation Spotlight: G1 Morgan Mare #5185

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5185 Morgan Mare

1995-97

Though the box and dealer catalogues show #5185 with a near-hind stocking, models with four solid legs were found right off the bat. I don't know what the production break-down on this particular variation is, but both seem fairly easy to find.

Variation Spotlight: G1 Citation #495092 & #711094

Sears Special Run

#495092 Stablemate Assortment IV

1992
&

JCPenney Special Run

#711094 12-Piece Stablemates Set

1994

Last month we saw the chestnut leopard appaloosa G1 Quarter Horse Stallions from this set, this week we have the dapple grey G1 Citations.

Variation Spotlight: G1 Quarter Horse Stallion #495092 & #711094

Sears Special Run

#495092 Stablemate Assortment IV

1992
&

JCPenney Special Run

#711094 12-Piece Stablemates Set

1994

There isn't too much to say about these guys. Breyer's splatter appaloosa technique results in a unique pattern every time, so every model produced for these two runs will be a variation. Let's just sit back and enjoy the spotty goodness.

Variation Spotlight: G1 Morgan Mare #5038

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5038 Morgan Mare

1976-87

Considering #5083 saw twelve years in production and was that oh so variable bay colour, the surprise isn't that I have four of these models, it's that I only have four of these models.

Variation Spotlight: Native Dancer #5178

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5178 Appaloosa

1995-97

Yet again we have a pair of variations that seem to follow an early/late pattern rather than being completely random.

Variation Spotlight: G1 Arabian Stallion #5181

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5181 Arabian Stallion

1995-97

Whether you call him bay or chestnut, there's something not quite right about one of these #5181 Arabian Stallions.

Variation Spotlight: G1 Citation #5175

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5175 Standing Thoroughbred

1995-97

Unlike most variations which tend to be random fluctuations depending on the whim of the painter, the darkening of #5175 seems as if it might have been a systematic progression.

Variation Spotlight: Morgan Stallion #5036

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5036 Morgan Stallion

1976-88

How much variation can there be in a run of black horses? If that run is #5036, the black Morgan Stallion, the answer might be surprising. Unlike most of the Stablemate variations, the sock variations of this run are unusually well documented.

Variation Spotlight: G1 Thoroughbred Standing and Lying Foals #5702 & #5701

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5702 & #5701 Thoroughbred Lying and Standing Foals

1975-76

The Thoroughbred foals came in scads of variations even though they were only in production two years. Leg markings and variations in colour and finish are most common, but a few rare examples have facial markings. Mine are of the less dramatic variety, but still super cute.

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment #5702 Thoroughbred Lying and Standing Foals 1975-76

Variation Spotlight: G1 Draft Horse #5055

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5055 Draft Horse

1976-88

The long life of #5055 made it a fun model for variation hunting. Light to dark colour variations, stockings, facial markings, flaxen or self coloured mane and tail, this run had it all.

Variation Spotlight: G1 Citation, Silky Sullivan, Swaps #5650

Regular Run Gift Set

#5650 The Saddle Club Stablemates Set

1996-97

Both of my Saddle Club II sets were bought new in box, but there was about a decade between their purchases. My first set was made from the usual plastic, but my second set was a bit strange. Like the SR Citation from last Monday's Profile post, the models in the second set I purchased were made from that odd translucent plastic.

I didn't include the G1 Arabian Mare from this set since we saw her recently in the Look-Alike post and I don't own a "normal" version of the run for comparison, but she too is made from the same translucent plastic.

Variation Spotlight: G1 Thoroughbred Mare #770198

Sears Special Run

#770198 12-pc Stablemates

1998

As the 1990s progressed, the colours of the Stablemate releases started becoming more and more consistent, but variations still popped up now and again. A fine example of a later-days variation are these 1998 SR G1 Thoroughbred Mares.

Though the picture of the set in the catalogue showed what looked like a steel grey mare with a bald face, the production model turned out a bit different - a liver chestnut-going-grey; her body colour was generally a slightly brown-toned charcoal grey, but could be a shade or two lighter or darker.