Schleich WWF 15003 Wild Horse (Przewalski's)

Just a few days ago I was browsing the Model Horse $ales Pages and noticed a very familiar horse.

It didn't "click" right away, though I had a good idea.
I was sure the one I thought it was wouldn't be this cheap. Nowhere close!

But sure enough, when I went to the SchleichTiereSammler website, that was the horse!!    

Now I got all excited, and emailed the seller immediately, in all possible ways, to make sure she did get at least one of the emails.   
Oh, I needed this horse to still be available!


I waited and waited (somewhat impatiently, I admit ) and a message landed in my inbox! He was available! I paid immediately, and waited for him to arrive in my mailbox.

And today, guess what was in the mailbox?       

It was so exciting to open this package! I don't think I've ever been so excited for anything before!
He was wrapped in toilet paper then in bubble wrap, and literally WRAPPED in shipping tape. It was not fun getting him out of there!   

Well, suspense no more - look, look!         

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With his newer-Przewalksi friend

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I am just so happy to have this guy in my collection!

He has no markings whatsoever, except for the carved in "CE" on his hind foot.

He has no glue or anything on his feet either. I got the impression from the seller that this is how she purchased him in Germany when she visited about 25 years ago.

This makes me believe that this model was also sold without a base, despite the evidence we now have that they were all sold without the base except this model. It doesn't make sense to me that if this guy was attached to a base at one point, he wouldn't have the CE carved into his foot, which would be hidden by the base anyway, and no glue on the feet.   


Yes, he's seen his days, but I'm still very proud to have him.




Now, I will tell you I got him very cheap Bragging rights to the person that guesses how much I spent!!

Big congratulations, that is really a very good catch       

Thank you Andreas!

Congrats! You are all exited and happy, love to see that :3
He is a charming fella, and happy with his new friend   

WOW !!!   WOW !!!   WOW !!!   WOW !!!   WOW !!!   

What a FABULOUS, UNIQUE find   

I think it is THE model, that 99,99 % of all Schleich collectors can only dream about    

CONGRATULATIONS ! CONGRATULATIONS !  And a big hurray-hug     

         

Thank you so much Susanne and Karin!

Not that I'd ever think of selling him, but what would he be worth, do you think?

Animal_Figures_4U wrote:

Not that I'd ever think of selling him, but what would he be worth, do you think?

The only one I have seen sold on Ebay, was with the wooden stand.
It went for 716 EUROS, - over 1000 USD, isn't it ?  

So even without stand, it must be quite pricey   

Holy Toledo, huge congratulations! I'm so happy for you, this must be hugely exciting! Congrats x1000!

HUUUGE CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I just found one on eBay with an asking price of 500 euros plus almost 7 euros to ship: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

They could have at least given free shipping   

Thank you friends!

I paid much, much less than all of these Any guesses?

Hmm.. $15?

AlienMantis wrote:

Hmm.. $15?

  LESS!   

 You paid less than 15$ for him! Even bigger congrats! What a feat to manage, this rarity for such a cheap price... I don't dare guess for fear my heart will give up when I see it.  Anyways, congrats again, I can hardly believe it. Incredibly lucky girl you are.  

Great find, but are you sure this is not a knock-off (copy)? I compared your figurine to the photo of the 15003 on Torben's reference site, and the scupt is clearly different. The paint job is very different. It's possible that this is one of the stand-alone Schleich WWF's, but I wonder, especially since the catalog photo provided by Jürgen showed that the other five WWF's were released this way, but evidently not this one...

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I considered he would be a copy, but I believe he is authentic. All of the information provided to me by the seller lined up exactly. The time they purchased it would have been in the timeframe this figure was produced. She also purchased him in Germany. The coloring is also similar - it doesn't have the dark outlining, and yes, maybe the paint isn't so detailed. However, possibly there was a variation between the ones on the base and the ones sold without the base. This isn't a very good point without having both in hand, but the texture appears to be the same in Torben's photo as is on mine. We also know that Schleich used many different plastics in their earlier productions, which would account for the darker color (it also appears the lighting is darker in Torben's photo, making the horse appear darker than he really is). I conclude there are enough reasons to make this guy genuine, thus this is what I will believe.

It is obvious that you're really happy with that horse and of course it is good!
That is a very rare and wanted collectible and it seems you've fouhnd it almost for a symbolic price.
Interesting that he is long necked as modern Schleich releases and przwalski's have relatively short necks. But that is not an important detail considering how beautiful is the figure and mainly, how happy you are!

It is even better than winning in the lottery       

I only have had the WWF Orang Utan.
There was no CE sign on it.
And i think the CE sign from your horse looks not like a stamp. It looks like handmade with an hot pin.
But i think it is a very great find for your collection.  
On the Orang Utan was a "D" on it.
I don`t know why, but it was on 5 WWF Orang Utan wich i saw.
The przwalski horse i have never had for my own.
So i couldn`t say if there is an letter on it.

Hello, Peter

Interesting !!!
There is a "D" on my orangutan ( which I got from you some years ago ), but no mark whatsoever on my panda.  
I can't say if there is marks on the buttom, as they are the variations with a wooden base, and can't be removed.

SUSANNE wrote:

Hello, Peter

There is a "D" on my orangutan ( whick I got from you some years ago ), but no mark whatsoever on my panda.  
I can't say if there is marks on the buttom, as they are the variations with a wooden base, and can't be removed.

Schleich was always strange for me. I know D goes for Denmark and G for Germany but I never thought a Schleich orangutan could be so sophisticated.

Animal_Figures_4U wrote:

I considered he would be a copy, but I believe he is authentic. All of the information provided to me by the seller lined up exactly. The time they purchased it would have been in the timeframe this figure was produced. She also purchased him in Germany. The coloring is also similar - it doesn't have the dark outlining, and yes, maybe the paint isn't so detailed. However, possibly there was a variation between the ones on the base and the ones sold without the base. This isn't a very good point without having both in hand, but the texture appears to be the same in Torben's photo as is on mine. We also know that Schleich used many different plastics in their earlier productions, which would account for the darker color (it also appears the lighting is darker in Torben's photo, making the horse appear darker than he really is). I conclude there are enough reasons to make this guy genuine, thus this is what I will believe.

Your own appreciation of the figurine is, of course, what is most important.  You like (or love) it, and that is great.  However, this figurine was, based on the information supplied in the 1991 catalog, never produced nor sold by Schleich.  The other five WWF's were sold as figurines without the base (please see link below).  

The sculpt of the head is clearly different than with the 15003.  It is true that there are variants of Schleich figurines which vary slightly in size and pose.  However, the paint job on your figurine is very different, and with all due respect, appears to be a hand-custom paint job.  Peter is absolutely correct, I believe, that the "CE" mark on the underside of the hoof was made with a hot pin or an equivalent by hand.

Unless further new information is revealed, this is surely not an official Schleich figurine - it is either a copy or a discarded prototype.  If it is the latter, then it is even more remarkably rare and valuable than the 15001-15006 WWFs.  You are, of course, free to believe what you wish, but whether or not this is an official (or unofficial) Schleich figurine is based on fact and qualitative analysis, not what you, I, nor anyone else wishes to believe...  

Maybe you can gather additional information from the seller. It may not provide any revelations about the identity and origin of this figurine, but it is possible that there are still unknown details that might strongly suggest that is a discarded prototype. I suspect that is what you have, and if so, it's a fascinating artifact from the actual creative process at Schleich which resulted in the 15003. To the most serious (deranged!) Schleich collectors, it would potentially have immense value...  

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Roger wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

Hello, Peter

There is a "D" on my orangutan ( whick I got from you some years ago ), but no mark whatsoever on my panda.  
I can't say if there is marks on the buttom, as they are the variations with a wooden base, and can't be removed.

Schleich was always strange for me. I know D goes for Denmark and G for Germany but I never thought a Schleich orangutan could be so sophisticated.

'D' for Denmark? That's a new one to me, Roger. Maybe you were making a joke I didn't catch, or you know something that I do not...   

schleich61 wrote:

Roger wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

Hello, Peter

There is a "D" on my orangutan ( whick I got from you some years ago ), but no mark whatsoever on my panda.  
I can't say if there is marks on the buttom, as they are the variations with a wooden base, and can't be removed.

Schleich was always strange for me. I know D goes for Denmark and G for Germany but I never thought a Schleich orangutan could be so sophisticated.

'D' for Denmark?  That's a new one to me, Roger.  Maybe you were making a joke I didn't catch, or you know something that I do not...   

Just a silly joke, of course! I was only noticing that Peter from Germany had seen all orangutans marked with a "G" and sold one of them to Denmark and now it is marked with a "D". I don't think "G" or "D" are related with countries or places and "D" is surely not Deutschland and "G" also not Grönland.
Though it has surely any meaning that may be interesting to Schleich collectors.