Schleich colour variations

Hi all, I was at a Fred Meyer store over here (USA) and found they had a few Schleich figures 30% off. Decided to purchase a Rhinoceros. Of the 7 on the shelf one was darker than the rest. Most of them were a light grey. So I purchased the darker one. Is it normal for there to be such a colour difference? I also was looking at the white tigers and found one where the stripes were not on the inside of the legs like the others - because it is a little different does that make it special or not as valuable? I would be interested in a collectors input on these differences and how they would relate to value. Of course the real value is in liking what you buy and enjoying it, but it doesn't hurt to have it worth more too! :)
Oh, and yes my name is Sue - how do you-all do! :)

The rhino female has received a different colour to fit with the new male and baby.
It isn't worth more if it's darker.The lighter one is ''retired'',so rarer.
The tiger stripes are something common.

Many animals have different patterns depending on the country they are made in.
(China,Germany,Portugal)

Retired animals sometimes have at least 2 or 3 different styles,sometimes reaching 6 or 7.Those are extremely rare and only the best collectors manage to get all the variations!

I apologize in advance if what I ask next is just basic to others but I am a little confused. I thought that Schleich was German made, but hand painted in China. Is that just the newest figures or are they all made in China and hand painted in China by a German corporation? Are you saying each style of figure could have been made in one of three countries; Portugal, China or Germany? Or are you talking mainly about the retired figures? So when I turn my figure upside down and read Schleich and it says China was the whole thing made in China? Can you tell I'm a newbee :)

At the beggining,Schleich had few exporting routes and their figurines were handmade and handpainted in Germany.With time,they introduced molds to mass-produce their series.

The toys were only marked with ''Germany'' because that was the only country to produce them.No ''made in'' thingy.
The tags were thin,with the logo in a round bubble,at the very end.

As Schleich choose Portugal for the marine life scale series,the country became their second outpost.Elephants,deer,bears,rhinos and many more were also produced there.That's why the company adopted the ''made in'' style.
->made in Portugal
->made in Germany
Both details were written with large letters(very large).
Because the electronic price tracking wasn't in vogue,the toys received a colourful dot on their feet,for the sellers to know in which size-price category they fit.

In 2006,the company was 80% bought by the British company HG capital.
The main production spot moved to China,where people wanted small salaries and learnt quickly how things worked.The rest(20%) remained in Germany and Portugal.

Some figurines weren't retired in 2006.That's why they got different colour variants,besides the German-Portugal ones.They're bellies were marked whit tiny letters,the ''made in China'' inscription & also the word Germany(the first country to produce them)!

Thank you so much for taking the time for this information. I really appreciate it.

Thanks WH! for providing this information.

That was a good and decent explanation WH!
In these days, most of the figurines are made in China indeed.
When you order your figurines from a German retailer, most of them will have made in Germany under them, with a few exeptions.
And there are still figurines made in Portugal, like the grey donkey from last year, and the yak and tapir.
Between the different countries of production, there is always a difference in painting or colouration, sometimes more, sometimes less...

Hi everyone, today was another good day in my life :) I went to walk the dog this morning, opened the mailbox when we got back home, and ta-daa! there was the Hanoverian foal of year 1995 that I've been waiting for and which has been one of the hardest ones to catch for me. She isn't in a perfect condition but I couldn't let her go since that was the very first time I ever saw someone selling her, and it didn't even cost me half a fortune. Oh, and I'm referring to her as "she" because it seems like she's a mare. I'm probably going to call her Afrodite, I mean what choice do I have since I've already named my two -95 Hanoverian mares Hera and Artemis?

Here's a picture of her. I really like the colour and the position.
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Mother & daughter :)
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Comparison with the newer Hanoverian foal Eagle Eyes
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All my Hanoverians!
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Congratulations, beautiful colt. You would have to release him from his parents for a photo session in the autumn outdoor.

Congratulations Matilda, what a lovely addition!! And lovely names too

Congratulations, she is really nice.

I simply adore this foal, i bought one last week, it is shiped from a town nearby but it is has not arrived yet. I am afraid that mine will never come

Congratulations ! And thanks for the lovely pictures.
I think that foal is one of the nicest, cutest ones that Schleich has ever made

Congratulations. It looks great with the family. Great addition.

I was taking my Schleich sheep out and noticed the ewes I had were different colours, I didn’t realise this before. The older model is the darker one; this is the first one I bought. I wonder why the changed the colour.
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Hi HK,

have you checked the manufacturing country, there are some differences between the ones made in Germany, POrtugal or China.

Also from time to time the paintings vary.

regards,

atabini wrote:

Hi HK,

have you checked the manufacturing country, there are some differences between the ones made in Germany, POrtugal or China.

Also from time to time the paintings vary.

regards,

Thanks Alejandro, although they are both made in China, I guess it's what you said last, just over the years they changed the colour. It's nice having variations!

that's really interesting! I only got the darker version and prefer it to be a lighter colour. you are lucky with two version!!!

ken yeo wrote:

that's really interesting! I only got the darker version and prefer it to be a lighter colour. you are lucky with two version!!!

Thanks Ken!

I agree with ken, the lighter version looks better. I only have the darker version, and I don´t think I´ve ever seen the lighter version anywhere.

I think I have the darker version too.

I don't set out to collect variations in colour intensity but they seem to find me Yesterday I got the Ginger cat made in Germany and it's quite different from the china made one.

I love your flock of sheep :) Who is the one in the front and the one next to the first ewe ?

Rio wrote:

I think I have the darker version too.

I don't set out to collect variations in colour intensity but they seem to find me Yesterday I got the Ginger cat made in Germany and it's quite different from the china made one.

I love your flock of sheep :) Who is the one in the front and the one next to the first ewe ?

Thanks Anna and Rio, it's interesting that no one has seen this lighter version!

The sheep that you mentioned Rio, are the old Schleich Ram and Ewe, I don't know their item numbers, here is a better picture of them...
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You'll have to post pictures of your German and China made ginger cat Rio.
It would be understandable if that was the case with mine, but they are both made in china.

Arrakai wrote:

I agree with ken, the lighter version looks better. I only have the darker version, and I don´t think I´ve ever seen the lighter version anywhere.

I only have the lighter version

SUSANNE wrote:

Arrakai wrote:

I agree with ken, the lighter version looks better. I only have the darker version, and I don´t think I´ve ever seen the lighter version anywhere.

I only have the lighter version

Ah, so mine isn't a rare colour oh well

HKHollinstone wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

Arrakai wrote:

I agree with ken, the lighter version looks better. I only have the darker version, and I don´t think I´ve ever seen the lighter version anywhere.

I only have the lighter version

Ah, so mine isn't a rare colour oh well

Sorry, sorry I was wrong ! It is the older version that is light !
Yours is still tje only one !!!!!

SUSANNE wrote:

HKHollinstone wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

Arrakai wrote:

I agree with ken, the lighter version looks better. I only have the darker version, and I don´t think I´ve ever seen the lighter version anywhere.

I only have the lighter version

Ah, so mine isn't a rare colour oh well

Sorry, sorry I was wrong ! It is the older version that is light !
Yours is still tje only one !!!!!

oooohh