(As you can probably tell, I love to do research. I'm also aware that not everyone else does, so just a note to let you know that we are nearing the end of this series!)
Sande Schneider, notes from email conversations
Sande is a long time collector with a special fondness for Breyer's Western Horse. Noted for her depth of knowledge about Breyer models, Sande contributed a lot of information to Nancy Young's books and now is the caretaker of all of Nancy's notes from that project - about 40 binders full!
It is my personal belief that Breyer's palomino paint is no more prone to fading than are Breyer's other colors of paint. I've seen, and even own, multiple color hues of models that are palomino. I attribute their differences to the fact that they were painted at varying times from separate batches of paint. I've never noticed any fading of their colors.
I still have a dark caramel colored 5-Gaiter that I've owned for decades. Plus I also used to have a pale honey colored one as well. I haven't seen any changing of the palomino color of my 5-Gaiter(s).
I've not seen any evidence that Breyer's palomino paint is fading.
Nancy Kelly
Another long-time collector, Nancy has published several books on Hagen Renakers as well as one about hobby history. Knowing that she also collected Breyers, I invited her to share anything that she could regarding the theory of fading polomino color.
Nancy Falzone (left) and Nancy Kelly (right)
I never owned a palomino FAM so I guess I'm not much help. My first Breyer, given to me as a gift in the 1960s, was the Fighting Stallion in palomino. He is the treasure of my Breyer collection. My most recent Breyer palomino is the Vintage Club "My Girl" cantering Welsh pony. I took a photo of them side by side to show the difference in their two colors, but I'm afraid it has nothing to do with your lemon yellow question. :)
Nancy's two palominos - look at how pink the CWP looks next to the Fighting Stallion!
Lynn Isenbarger
While I have been around the hobby a long time, I do not consider myself an expert on Breyers. Having said that, I have been collecting since 1963 and still have some early palominos from those days in my collection. All are a beautiful carmel color, the color I remember them always being. I never would have bought them had they been orange - orange may be my favorite color, but not on a model horse. My models have always been carmel.
Last thought for today.
A takeaway for me today was a comment that Sande made in her remarks. "I've not seen any evidence that Breyer's palomino paint is fading."
That's what I am looking for - evidence that the color did indeed change. And in rereading back through all the experts' comments, none of them have seen that evidence, either. In fact, the evidence that they have seen suggests otherwise - that the paint did not, in fact, change or shift.
More tomorrow. Stay 'tooned!
Was Breyer's original palomino color an orange shade that later shifted to a lighter yellow color? Or, was it originally a carmel tan that has remained mostly the same with the passage of time? What documentation can be found that supports one or the other position?
I'm loving this series.
ReplyDeleteI have direct evidence that Hartland colors could change. But Breyer's colors? Only on a shrinkie, and even then very mildly. I think the "change" from carmel to orange paint was Breyer changing batches for its painters. I do love an orange Palomino; garishness is native to a carousel and ragtime lover. :) I've collected since the early 60s. When I first saw a bright orange 5 Gaiter, I had to have him.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any of my old sixties and seventies palominos, so I can't speak to fading. But I can say that every one we owned at our house was caramel.
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