Thursday, December 25, 2014

Footnotes: It's All Just a Popularity Contest - Breaking Down G1 Mold Usage

The graphs are back! This time we're having a look at which molds are the most commonly used, and breaking down the regular run and special run numbers.

Total Mold Usage:


Friday, December 19, 2014

Conga! G1 Silky Sullivan

The original ceramic Hagen-Renaker mold, #30 Mini Silky Sullivan39, was sculpted by Maureen Love Calvert, and leased from the company by Breyer for production in plastic. The Silky Sullivan mold was released in 1976 and was discontinued along with the other Generation One molds at the end of 2005.

During this time, Breyer released five regular runs and nine special runs on this mold, putting him in a three-way tie with Citation and the Thoroughbred Mare for the third least used G1 Mold.

Friday, December 05, 2014

Footnotes: Not Just for Blackboards - Chalky Stablemates

If you've been around collectors for any length of time, you've likely heard someone mention finding or looking for chalkies. No, they're not searching for sidewalk art, they're talking about a special class of variations. Chalkies first appeared during the oil-crisis of the 1970s when Breyer was experimenting with different plastics. Modern chalkies (post-1970s) are either intentional or the result of further plastic experimentation. There are two types of models which fall under the chalky umbrella: base-coat chalky and chalky plastic chalky.

Identifying chalkies, especially from pictures, can be difficult. Even for experienced collectors there's a certain amount of guesswork and luck involved. The Virtual Chalky Museum has a brilliant FAQ to help with identification. A model with any of the following characteristics may not be a chalky while conversely, a model without them might be chalky. If your model ticks more than one box, there's a better chance of him being a chalky. Characteristics to look for include:


Models and pictures owned by Sharon Walbridge and Damaia and used here by permission
White "halo" around rubs & speckled "roaning" effect to coloured paint