Collectability Corner: Modern Chalkies

 Welcome to a new segment on the blog - Collectability Corner! Here, I'll attempt to demystify aspects of collectability that appear in the hobby. Today, we'll be looking at what makes a modern model chalky. 

First, what is a chalky? 

Chalkies date back to the oil crisis of the 1970s. There was a plastic shortage, and models were molded in plastic that wasn't necessarily white. As the OF painting style leaves whites unpainted, this obviously would be a problem. To mitigate this, Breyer gave models a thick white basecoat before painting the model. 

Chalky Clydesdale Foal (foreground) compared to a non-chalky. Note the thick white paint on his socks!

Modern chalkies are somewhat along the same lines. Essentially, the models are base coated before painted, although unlike vintage chalkies, often white markings are still masked off as usual. The basecoat adds depth and dimension to shading in my opinion, and I seek out modern chalkies at every opportunity. Modern chalkies can be found on any run, and any size - Regular Runs, Special Runs, Traditionals and Stablemates. Here are a few examples from my collection: 

Jesse was a 2015 Tractor Supply run - some of the run was base coated, making them modern chalkies! In this photo, the modern chalky is in the foreground - see how his color pops and has more depth compared to his non chalky brother. 

The regular run Hwin on the Mustang Mare mold also had a chalky variation - while I don't have the non-chalky version, you can see how crisp her mold details are compared to the similarly-colored Forever Saige. You can see it in her mane and in the vein on her face. 

The Premier Club release Adonis is also an example of a modern chalky - his whites are all painted, not bare plastic. Compare his blanket to Forever Saige - note how stark white it is compared to Saige's bare plastic. 

A recent example of a modern chalky - the braided mare variation of the Premier Club Rowan is base coated, while the stallion version is not. It's tough to tell in this photo, but you can see the crispness in her details compared to his. 

So, the best ways to identify modern chalkies: 

• Additional depth of color in shading (particularly compared to a non chalky version if one exists)
• Crispness in mold details such as manes and tails, wrinkles, and veins 
• Whites are painted instead of bare plastic (less common, often markings will still be masked off and bare plastic)