Evaluating Your Collection

One of the most debated parts of OF model horses is condition. I have see a lot of models listed for sale is in "great" condition that were in rather poor condition. One should look at the individual model with a critical eye. If a collection is rather large one should make a spread sheet listing every model they have along with condition, unique features, dates of production and any accessories that came with each model. The reason is that it is a great way to prove that you have each model for insurance purposes. An example I have of uniqueness for an individual model is my Breyer black appaloosa lying down foal. Every description I have come across is that it has black hooves. Mine has gray hooves even the hoof that the foal is laying on is gray. This makes it unique and possibly more valuable. I prefer the 5 point scaling with a + and - add on for more precise grading.

I would like to add a personal note here. I am extremely over protective of my models probably to the point of OCD. When I get one that comes out of the box with 0 damage I quickly wrap them up and pack them away (I don't have a safe place to display my collection as of yet) and have been known to chase away small children and dogs with a crop (That was a joke!). Seriously though if you are collecting to show or you are Polish and are genetically predisposed to collecting (aka hoarding), as is my case, then the best place to store your collection is safely wrapped in bubble wrap, newspaper and Rubbermaid containers. Compulsive! you say? Well there are a large percentage of models in my collection that are genuinely mint. I took them out of storage to take all these pictures and was surprised at how many really are mint and near mint. You may say wack-o, I say I like mint.

In a perfect world or with at least a lotto win I would have a special wooden display shadow box lined with a custom foam cutout with hinged windowed lid for each of the valuable ones. They would have there very own marble floored room with vault door and temperature controlled atmosphere. It could happen!

NIB Condition Varies:

When a model is listed as NIB or New In Box this is really not a statement of condition but rather a statement of being. A model horse can have various types of damage and still be NIB. The range of boxed damage can be from paint damage to bent legs and even breaks or seam splits. Back when I started collecting Breyer horses they came in a cardboard box that was sealed with plastic wrap, the model itself was in a plastic bag and free to bounce around in the box. Sometimes the model's finish was not that great. For example I bought the #52 Sorrel Saddlebreed when I got home and opened the box the plastic was severely dripped and wrinkled from the chemical that is used to fuse the sections of the model together. I had to walk back to the toy store and return him. They didn't have any more of that model so I had to choose a different one and was quite disappointed. Other times when you would get them opened they would be rubbed or otherwise damaged sometimes even broken.

Mint (5+) :

True mint condition models are rather rare. Mint means that the model is in absolutely perfect condition. That means 0% damage. This should be the strictest of all the grading as these are the most valuable of the collectable's. If you look at your model and think that it might be mint than it is surely not. If you look at the model and can say without a doubt that it is mint and you would pay top dollar for this model if you were at a store than yes it is mint.

5 :

A 5 is almost perfect or almost mint. Limit your grade 5 models almost as strictly as you do your mint models. Look at the damage spots and if the combined surface area is about the same as or less than the tip of a used wooden pencil led than this is a 5 grade model.

4 :

This grade of condition is used when a model has the usual ear tip, nostril, hoof and tail end rubs.

3 :

3 grade models are what are considered as "lightly played with". Their condition is a bit more rough and include the 4 grading points with some very minor and correctable rubbings on their sides with minor leg rubs on the knees and hocks as well as other raised areas. Included in a 3 grade would be some yellowing of the plastic. They may not be a good selection for an OF collectors class.

2 :

Number 2 grade models are a sad bunch. These are most definitely "played with". They should still be unbroken but destine for your remaking workshop none the less. This grade should include scratches on the barrel, severely bent limbs, slight chips in the ears, hooves and nostrils.

1 :

A grade 1 model would have all of the above imperfections plus cuts deep into the plastic anywhere, broken ears, sever nostril gouging, cracked limbs and split seams.

0 :

The 0 grade model is strictly for remaking. This poor soul may have broken limbs, ears, tail, holes not related to the injection molding process, deep gouges, flat spots as if the model was slid along a sidewalk, seriously split seams

The + and - add on's :

These grading add on's are a nice way to more closely describe the exact condition of a model. If you have a less than mint model for example but the model is truly better than a 5 then you can reasonably call the model a 5+. This grade means that the model is as near to mint as possible. For example your # 584 Black Andalusian Stallion has one rubbed ear tip and a very light rub on one nostril and both rubs are smaller than a pencil lead. He can't be called mint but if the 2 small imperfections take up less space than the size of a pencil lead it is reasonable to call him a 5+.

Grading and the Aged Model :

Very old models have a slightly more lenient grading with the exception of mint. These models include any of the original decorators, wood grains, any version of Breyer that would have had the blue ribbon sticker, hoof pads etc. the true vintage model. The common thought is that a model of age greater than 30 years may be graded with a more relaxed system as most of them fall into the 4 grade yet are still desirable to collect. For example a Florentine running mare with a bit of yellowing and rubbed ear tips, nostrils and hooves will still sell in an auction setting for over a hundred dollars.

Condition Notes and Oddities :

Yellowing: is when a model of age begins to turn a slight to extreme yellow hue. Alabaster, white markings and dappled horses tend to start yellowing after about 10 years. This yellowing can be corrected to some extent. A method I find helpful is to get a 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full of water, 3/4 cup bleach, white dental floss, a brick and a bright sunny day. Tie the dental floss to the hooves tail and neck then to the brick. Submerge model on the bucket and leave out in the sun for the day. I have never had paint fade due to this and have done it to probably 15 or more models of various colors including chestnuts and black. I would not recommend doing this with a metallic painted horse such as a Florentine or gold as the metallic paint should react with the bleach. Do not do this with a Breyer that has the blue ribbon sticker or hoof pads however because this will ruin the vintage-ness of these items.

Just below this paragraph are invisible mystery pictures that show up in my web site maker program but like many other pictures taken with the same camera, on the same day and loaded in the same place, at the same time, mysteriously just don't show up on the web. If you look really closely and maybe do a little VooDoo you could see the before and after shots of my #108 Five-Gaiter who was really yellowed that I bleached and made sure I could have before and after shots for the site to show you. Unfortunately I did not check my lighting and the before picture is darker due to lighting. He is an example that the bleaching process doesn't hurt the paint, again another mystery. He has been bleached twice now.

Mold: Check your old chestnut, black, rose gray, some palomino, and red roan Breyers. Look for little dots and remove them ASAP. The spots will be slightly raised, vary in color from white to a dirty brown color. To remove them you can carefully flick them off with your nail or give them a good bath with a fungicide shampoo for rain rot that you can find ad a tack shop or farm supply store. This mold will ruin the paint on your OF models guaranteed! If it has been allowed to linger and is flicked off you can see that the paint is up to 4 shades lighter than the unaffected area.

Glossy: The glossy models have the highest survivability of all the finishes. There are a higher percentage of them found in the 4 and 5 condition category. The glossy finish protects the paint the best.

 

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