Misterious mold number: solved!

Hey guys!

I know the meaning of the numbers that some Schleich models have! I wrote to Schleich asking for this, and I got a very fast answer:

"Dear Silvia,

Thank you very much for your mail and attention. The secret of this little numbers is not a real one.
We can produce with on injection in on mold more than one figure. Sometimes 2 pieces, sometimes 4 pieces.
To find out with which cavity the figure is made, they have this little numbers 1, 2, 3, 4.
This is needed if, for excample anything on a figure is not OK and we have to revise the mold. By the help of this little number, the moldmaker knows, which cavity he had to check.

We wish you furthermore fun with our figures."


So the mistery is solved ^

That's really interesting!

Yeppeee !!!!

Great, marvellous, mystery solved

Like all good mysteries it is SO obvious, - when first we know

Splendid initiative, Sylvia !!!!!
And thank you also to the associate of Schleich who is so friendly and fast

Thanks! Poor moldmakers, putting the nose in the wrong cavity!
Hurray for the numbers!!!

SUSANNE wrote:

And thank you also to the associate of Schleich who is so friendly and fast

Sure!!

Wow, I was completely wrong about this... Great detective work, Sylvia, and a big thank you for clearing up this mystery once and for all...

schleich61 wrote:

Wow, I was completely wrong about this... Great detective work, Sylvia, and a big thank you for clearing up this mystery once and for all...

Hehe thank you ^^

Great info. Thanks for finding out.

You´re welcome ^^

Hello I am being a little thick and slow. Can someone please explain what numbers we are talking about and what Schleich's response means? I dont understand, help!

I can`t find the place where it was discussed now, but some - both old and new - Schleich has a little number moulded , like 1, 2 or 3 somewhere.
Like here the old croc has a 2:

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The answer I received means that the number indicates with which holethe figurine was made, because some times the same mold has 2 or 4 holes to do 2 or 4 figurines at the same time. If the figurine doesn´t have a number, the mold was only for a single figurine I supose :)

This topic is so great, I am happy to have found it again after having searched for a long time

With all due respect, I think this is misinformation from Schleich (you know, the same people who continue to insist that only a few hundred special pintos were ever made - baloney!).

Check your early classics, or later regular issue figurines which were in production for a long time, and follow the progression of "numerals" from variant to variant. I guarantee that you will come to a different understanding than what the Schleich rep has asserted.

According to Schleich, none of their figurines has any different value than others, regardless of the relative scarcity of them or their consistent auction prices on eBay. They might as well tell us that the moon is made of green cheese and that there is a wee old fellow who inhabits it...

If they are correct about this, I truly look forward to acquiring a special beagle for the 5-10 euros I can get one of the non-special ones for.....

I don´t really understand you schleich61... do you mean numbers tell us which variant is the figurine?

About the special editions and their numbers I think it´s possible, they are "normal" molds with different painting, so they could fit the explanation :)

SyLoBe wrote:

I don´t really understand you schleich61... do you mean numbers tell us which variant is the figurine?

About the special editions and their numbers I think it´s possible, they are "normal" molds with different painting, so they could fit the explanation :)

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. I'm not sure what you mean by "special editions" - are you referring to the sonderedition stuff like the Mueller Drogerie figurines? If not, then I assume you mean that they use different molds in different years, sequentially numbered, with some being painted differently, and others not. If so, then I think you may well be absolutely correct about that... :)

I meant sondereditions :) What I think is that molds are not eternal, and I supose they have to be re-done after being used x times; in that case I think letters may vary (for example, the text shown in the horses barrel is longer and with smaller letters than older molds, even in "new" models that in fact are old molds with different painting)

SyLoBe wrote:

I meant sondereditions :) What I think is that molds are not eternal, and I supose they have to be re-done after being used x times; in that case I think letters may vary (for example, the text shown in the horses barrel is longer and with smaller letters than older molds, even in "new" models that in fact are old molds with different painting)

Oh, okay, I understand now. Thanks for explaining it to me. Yes, I'm sure the molds have a limited life and must be redone every so often, especially with figurines that have been in production a very long time. You're absolutely correct about the subtle changes in the writing on the undersides of some models over time.

My first thought was, when i read this tread, that it was real news we saw here...
After a few seconds i realised that it was bulls#hit what Schleic hwas telling again, as Phil said before...
Schleich will never open their secrets to us!
The numbers under the previous models are only related to the several versions of a model IMHO!
And when you compare the models with the different numbers, you can see that there is always difference in them or in the painting, or even in the mould!

The story with the rare pinto is a different story, as collectors brought this story in the world that there are only 200 made of them...
When this was the real case, they wouldn't pop up so much on e-bay, and the price would be in the thousands for one of them i guess...

I certainly agree with you about the pinto !
Several years ago the "talk of town" was, that there were 5000, then later 2000, then last year suddenly 500 and then 200.
I think we had a funny thread about how many pintoes critters and kids could eat, and there would still be a lot left of the 5000


About the numbers, you have not convinced me.

For instance my wolverine has a no 5, and the pinto mare has a no 1, even if both were launced this year.

Some of the ones where I suppose they did not expect to sell very many don`t have numbers, - like my yak and okapi, they don`t