Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Little Bits Reissues

I’ll follow up on the unexpectedly popular Texture post next time; I had some minor legal matters to take care of today. Also, because it was court and you are asked to dress appropriately, I decided to wear "real" shoes and not slippers/slip-ons for the first time since I got back from Kentucky.

I quickly came to the realization that my left foot is still a few days away from that. (More ache than ow, though.)

Reissues are not a new thing; it now appears, for instance, that many (or the majority) of Woodgrains found on the Dunning Industries Ranchcraft line of lamps were probably manufactured after the formal/official production had stopped on them.

It’s definitely the case for some Woodgrain Running Mare and Foal lamps that have the USA stamp. The Running Mare and Foal were discontinued in 1965, but the USA mark didn’t appear until ca. 1970.

There have been other more recent, and less heralded Reissues, too.  I found a couple of them at the flea market the Sunday before last:


These were part of a small series of Little Bits/Paddock Pals that were sold at Kmart in 2007; except for their packaging and issue numbers, they are identical to the models that were released in 2006. Here’s the formal list of Reissue numbers:
1668 Spotted Drafter - Black Pinto
1669 American Saddlebred - Pinto
1670 Unicorn - Pearlescent Green
1671 Arabian - Blood Bay
1672 American Quarter Horse - Buckskin
1673 Sport Horse - Appaloosa
Because they are identical to the 2006 releases, this is another case where the packaging makes all the difference in identifying them.

Kmart wasn’t the only store to receive Reissues; Target, Walmart and even Big Lots did, too. Most of those Reissues, unlike these Little Bits/Paddock Pals, were sold in packaging that was virtually identical to the original packaging save for their item numbers. (Not always, but that’s Reeves for you. Always keeping us on our toes.)

Like these guys above, most have lost their "identity" as Reissues; they were released not long after their first formal production releases, and the differences between the two tend to be negligible.

I purchased an example of this packaging back when it was first released in 2007, so I’m unsure if I’ll be keeping these two yet.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

An editor would red line the first two paragraphs. They are not necessary for the rest of the post. The rest of your post is actually on topic with your title and about Breyer trivia. Wish all your posts stayed on topic without the personal filler.

Anonymous said...

Well said!! I wish you would also leave out the personal drama and just stick to Breyer History and Trivia.

Anonymous said...

Come on, people. This is a personal blog, not a series of articles in an official venue. It's ridiculous to say she can't write about her own life in her own blog.

RowanMorgaine said...

Exactly! Andrea, please keep writing whatever you want to write. People can just skip over the sections that don't appeal to them.

RowanMorgaine said...

PS - I for one sympathize with your foot problems. My friend had foot surgery recently and I have a far greater appreciation for feet now.

Anonymous said...

Name of Blog: Breyer History Diva

Dedicated to the obscure yet fascinating history of Breyer Animal Creations and its models

Anonymous said...

So -- she's supposed to give you all the interesting trivia and history that you can't get anywhere else, for free -- but you won't let her mention her dog, her foot, or anything else -- ON HER OWN blog? And you have the nerve to tell her what to include and not include?

Wow, entitled much?

Corky said...

Name of Blog: Breyer History Diva

The first two words are indeed "Breyer History," but then comes the Diva, who is a person with her own life, concerns and problems. She spends a great deal of her own time collecting, collating, and making sense of this information, not to mention writing these posts, and so she has every right to discuss her own doings as well. As with anything else in life, you're welcome to ignore anything you don't find relevant.

Denise said...

Personally, I like the tidbits of Andrea's life she inserts in her posts. That way I get to know more about Andrea as well. I only see her once a year at Breyerfest, an even then it's so hectic don't really have a chance to say much more than "Hi". It's nice to get to know our fellow collectors and in my opinion is one of the best parts of our hobby-the friendships we make.

Anonymous said...

Andrea can write and share whatever she wants to on her blog. It is hers to do as she likes. That being said, it is a public blog for all to read. She has no control over who will read her writings. It is in Andrea’s best interests to showcase her writings as professionally as she can and keep her personal drama just that, personal to be shared with whom she chooses.

LostInAn80sFog said...

Did I miss the part of the free blog full of interesting information about plastic horses where the author requests career advice and/or paying gigs from her readers - particularly those readers who fail to provide a name, let alone professional references and credentials?

(FTR, Andrea knows exactly who I am and how to reach me)

bubbasmom said...

@LostInAn80sFog: if you missed that part, then I did, too. I don't see any of the anonymous critics writing their own blogs. I also notice that all of the critics continually post anonymously.

That said, I've never paid much attention to the Little Bits. It's interesting to note all the reissues that fell under the radar.