Problems with Old Western Horses: Vinegar Syndrome Redux?

The subject of Breyers with vinegar syndrome (aka shrinkies/oozies) comes up regularly on social media, and my post here on the subject is the second most viewed post I've ever written. The TL;DR version of it is that in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Breyer unknowingly used some bad plastic that is now spontaneously breaking down. It results in models that shrink, ooze, discolor, and slowly collapse. This problem seems to be akin to vinegar syndrome in old film. The vast majority of models affected by vinegar syndrome were made between about 1987 and 1992 although a handful of slightly earlier outliers have been found (from about 1984-1985, but they are very rare).

That said, Western Horse fans have been aware for a while now of some problematic models from the very beginning of Breyer's history. They are the early chalky plastic palomino and alabaster Western Horses with black hooves made from about 1950-1952. Thankfully, only a small percentage of these early models seem to be affected, but it's sad to see all the same. 

I first encountered one of these problematic Western Horses about 10 or 15 years ago when my mom discovered that one of our palominos mounted beside a Mastercrafters clock had strange filmy, discolored paint where his hind legs connected to his body. The damaged area was about an inch wide and had deep grooves etched into the plastic. The horse had looked completely normal when we bought the clock some 15 year earlier, and we wondered if it had been touched up by the somewhat unscrupulous dealer from whom we had purchased it. My mom had planned to just throw the horse away since fixing him would be more trouble than it was worth, but I rescued him and took him home with some thoughts of customizing him. I put him in my body box and forgot about him for a while.

At some point, while rooting around in the box looking for another body, I realized that the cracks in one of the Western Horse's hind legs had gotten so deep that his leg had completely separated and fallen off. A few years later, the other hind leg fell off as well. Since then, the horse has developed the same weird filmy deposits where his front legs meet the body. They will undoubtedly fall off at some point, too.

The current state of the Western Horse. My sister dubbed
him Pick Up Sticks.

This model has been out in the open since I brought him home years ago (the body box was not covered), so whatever ooze has leached from the plastic has evaporated quickly leaving behind the weird white-ish film. It's definitely become worse and more extensive over the years, but interestingly, the body, head, neck, and tail show no signs of shrinking or warping unlike the later shrinkies from the '80s and '90s. His lumpy back is (I think) partly a known mold flaw and partly the result of this horse having been intended to stand over a Mastercrafters clock when he was first made. He has the typical belly depression to accommodate the clock, but he must have been made just as Mastercrafters switched to horses standing beside clocks instead of over clocks. The depression on this one is deeper than on either of our Western Horses standing over clocks (which, knock on wood, do not seem to be vinegar syndrome victims). Interestingly, you can see the weird filmy dried ooze in his belly depression, too.

 

This photo shows the very opaque nature of chalky plastic.

For years, the hind legs showed no signs of disintegration except in the area between the rump and hocks where they ultimately split. Now, the detached hind legs feel powdery all over and have started developing pimples on the pasterns.

The front legs have warped inward as well as forward (see the first picture above for the latter). I imagine the front legs will fall apart at some point in the next few years. I'll be curious to see what if anything happens to the body.

When I was visiting my family a few weeks ago, while going through boxes of show horses to photograph and inventory, I sadly found a second vinegar syndrome Western Horse victim, this time an alabaster. Only a few years ago, this model was absolutely pristine. He looked practically new from the factory despite being almost 75 years old. He was stored in a clear plastic bag, and as soon as I pulled him from the box, I saw that his formerly bright gold bridle and breastcollar had turned green, and the reins were corroded and rusty-looking. I wondered briefly if we'd accidentally gotten the model wet at some point, resulting in the unsightly tarnished paint and damaged metal reins. As soon as I pulled the horse from the bag though, I caught the tell-tale whiff of vinegar. I also quickly realized that the model was actively oozing from the bottom of his hind feet. Yuck!

Ooze in the bottom of the storage bag

Ooze leaking from the bottom of the feet. (I'm not sure if
the seam split is new.)

You can see the hind legs starting to curl forward a bit and the
faint discoloration beginning between the rump and hocks.

As with the palomino, the legs
have warped together.

 

 

All of the gold paint has become badly tarnished.

 

 

The reins are now badly corroded.

 

 

The ooze from the horse has turned the old show tag into little
more than tissue paper, and all of the ink has been eaten away.

 

 The hind legs on this model are just starting to show signs of discoloration and pimpled plastic. It's harder to see the discoloration on a white model, but it's definitely there.

 

 

I'm pretty bummed this formerly lovely old Western Horse is doomed to disintegrate. Needless to say, my sister and I went through all of the rest of our early black-hooved Western Horses to check them, and thankfully they all seem to be fine. Fingers crossed they stay that way!

 

Sadly, early Breyers do not seem to be the only models affected. Collectors on Facebook have reported  two models by other manufacturers that seem to have suffered a similar fate. One was a brown Superior Plastics horse whose legs fell off but the rest of the body was otherwise apparently unaffected. And the other was an early palomino Hartland Champ with the peg hole saddle that shrunk as well as disintegrated. (The Hartland may be a separate aberration.) All of these models date to the early 1950s, and all three companies may have sourced their problematic plastic from the same manufacturer (quite possibly Tenite from Eastman Kodak). It was early days for the plastic toy industry, so it's not entirely surprising that some of the kinks had not been worked out.

The good news is that so far, these non-typical shrinkies (disintegraties?) are not common. I've only seen a few examples of black-hooved Western Horses that are falling apart; the vast majority of them seem to be unaffected. Sarah and I have about a dozen of them between us---on clocks, on lamps, and freestanding---and only the two shown in this post have become problematic. I'm hoping that if any of the rest of our early Western Horses were made of problematic plastic that they would be showing signs by now. Only time will tell.

Vinegar syndrome victims

(Updated 6/25/21)

The subject of Breyer shrinkies and oozies is going round on Facebook again, and I thought it might be handy to post a list of models identified as prone to vinegar syndrome. Long story short, ANY model made between 1987-1992 has the potential to be a shrinky. You can look at catalogs from these years on Identify Your Breyer here to check which models those might be. Here is a quick refresher on what vinegar syndrome is and its symptoms:

1) So far, only models made from about 1987-1992 seem to be affected. Not all models made between those years have gone bad. Presumably, some will remain unaffected.

2) Models affected by vinegar syndrome (VS) shrink and slowly warp inward. VS models that are kept wrapped up usually ooze a liquid that smells strongly of vinegar. Models kept in the open, such as on a shelf, are less likely to ooze, but they will sometimes smell of vinegar. Some will just shrink and will not develop the smell. Models that are not outwardly oozing are still doing so inside. Shrinkies and oozies are therefore two names for the same problem.

3) Many VS models develop a chalk-like film on their surface as they start to shrink.

4) The paint on most VS models usually begins to fade and white areas become yellowed. The areas that tend to fade first are thick areas where liquid can pool, such as where the legs meet the body.

5) Vinegar syndrome in Breyers does NOT appear to be contagious despite early reports to that effect. Many collectors have normal models that have been shelved or stored with VS models for years that are completely unaffected. If it were contagious, this would not be the case.

And below is a list of models that have been observed as shrinkies/oozies. Not all copies of these models are affected, but some are. I am listing them by mold followed by specifics regarding which examples of that mold have been documented as affected. Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list as more shrinkies turn up all of the time. I will update this list periodically. For more information on shrinkies, please see my post here.


Action Stock Horse Foal (#225 Buckskin, #237 Bay Pinto, #238 Grey Appaloosa)

Adios (1987 JCP SR Chestnut Appaloosa, 1987 BHR SR Dapple Grey, 1987 BHR SR Palomino, #51 Yellow Mount, #830 Black Roan, #705 Red Dun)

Appaloosa Performance Horse (1990 Sears SR Black Appy)

Azteca/Foundation Stallion (#85 Dapple Grey, #710 Red Roan, 1987 JCP SR Liver Chestnut)

Belgian (1987 Mail Order SR Bay)

Black Stallion (#401 original release, 1988 JCP SR Bay, #811 Leopard Appy)

Buckshot (#416 Chestnut Pinto Spanish Barb)

Clydesdale Foal (#826 Light Bay)

Clydesdale Mare (#825 Light Bay)

Clydesdale Stallion (#824 Light Bay, 1987 SR Dapple Grey)

El Pastor (#116 Precipitado Sin Par aka Cips)

Family Arabian Foal (#6 Palomino, #816 Light Bay)

Family Arabian Mare (#5 Palomino, #815 Light Bay)

Family Arabian Stallion (#4 Palomino, #814 Light Bay)

Family Arabian Stallion (#4 Palomino, purchased in 1988)

Fighting Stallion (#709 Leopard Appy)

Five-Gaiter (#109 Dapple Grey, #117 Project Universe, 1987-1989)

Halla (1989 JCP SR Fleabit)

Hanoverian (1987 Your Horse Source SR Alabaster, 1987 YHS SR Bay, 1987 YHS SR Black, 1987 YHS SR Chestnut)

Indian Pony (1987 BHR SR Bay, 1987 BHR SR Dapple Grey, 1987 BHR SR Grey Appaloosa, 1987 BHR SR Leopard Appaloosa, 1988 JCP SR Red Dun)

Justin Morgan (1988 JCP SR Chestnut)

Lady Phase (#711 Breezing Dixie, 1988, 1990 JCP SR Dapple Grey) 

Man O' War (#47 original release, 1990 Sears SR Glossy)

Mustang (#118 Chestnut, 1988 SR Ruby)

Pacer (#819 Dan Patch)

Phar Lap (1988 Your Horse Source SR Red Bay, 1988 YHS SR Liver Chestnut, 1988 YHS SR Dapple Grey, 1988 YHS SR Sorrel)

Pony of the Americas (#821 Rocky)

Proud Arab Foal (#806 Rose Grey)

Proud Arab Mare (#840 Chestnut, #805 Rose Grey)

Proud Arab Stallion (#213 Dapple Grey, #804 Rose Grey, 1987 BHR SR Bay, 1987 BHR SR Black, 1987 BHR SR Light Chestnut)

Quarter Horse Yearling (#103 Bay Apploosa, 1987-1988)

Roy (original release)

Running Foal (1987 Sears SR Dapple Grey)

Running Mare (1987 Sears SR Dapple Grey) 

San Domingo (#67 original release, 1987 JCP SR Bay, #703 Grey Appaloosa)

Secretariat (regular run, 1990 Sears SR Glossy)

Sham (1990 Sears SR Glossy, #411 Fleabit Grey, #812 Palomino, 1989-1991)

Sherman Morgan (#430 original release)

Shetland Pony (#3066 Black Pinto from Our First Pony set)

Stock Horse Mare (#230 Bay Overo, #222 Buckskin)

Stock Horse Stallion (#221 Buckskin)

Stretch Morgan (#702 Buckskin variation, 1988-1989)

Stud Spider (1990 Sears SR Blue Roan Appy, #823 Chestnut Appy, 1990-1991)

Touch of Class (#original release, 1986-1988)

Classic Arabian Family (1987-1988 UK SR Dapple Grey, 1990 JCP SR Black)
Classic King of the Wind Set (1990-1992)
Classic Arabian Foal (#3066 Bay Pinto from Our First Pony set, purchased in 1987)
Classic Black Beauty Family
Classic Black Stallion Returns Set
Classic Mustang Foal (#3066 Black Pinto from Our First Pony set, purchased in 1987)
Classic Quarter Horse Family (original release, 1991 JCP SR Liver and Alabaster)

Variety of Stablemates and Little Bits made between 1987-1992
Many of the 1989-1992 SR SM models from the Sears sets
 
Black Angus
Brahma Bull 
Deer Family
Hereford Bull

Melty Monday: Vinegar Syndrome Revisited

(Last year's adventure with vinegar syndrome for those unfamiliar with shrinkies/oozies: http://modelhorsecollectibility.blogspot.com/2013/01/vinegar-syndrome-breyer-shrinkies-and.html )

Melty in terms of plastic horses. Not so much in terms of the weather here. With temps in the -14 range with -43 windchill, the snow here in Chicago isn't going anywhere fast. Would that it was the snow melting and not the horses though!

I spent some time over the holidays again working on inventorying my collection, and I was alarmed to see the continued disintegration of the shrinkies and oozies I pulled out of storage in the last few years. My BHR SR sorrel/orange PAS has shrunk dramatically in both height and width in the last year, and his paint has radically lightened. He looks like he has a film of chalk dust all over him now. And worse still, one of his back hooves had started to melt to the plastic shelf he's been sitting on.

I didn't get a chance to check on the shrinkies/oozies that had been relegated to the garage (I'm sure they're practically soup by now), but I was both interested and horrified to see what had become of my dapple grey Five Gaiter. He has been lying on a styrofoam meat tray on a shelf in  climate-controlled room for several years now, and he has shrunk even more...

How he looked a few years ago:

He's smaller and even more curved now. He no longer stands.

His head doesn't seem to be shrinking at the same rate as his body, and it's not quite proportional anymore. His hind leg reacted with the styrofoam tray and has melted through it partially:

I flipped him over and was startled to see that the vinegar syndrome process had eaten a hole through the styrofoam:

And he's reached the point where he's beginning to develop "warts." I'm not sure what causes them---bits of good plastic mixed in with bad? Or plastic decaying at a different rate?

My mom wanted to throw him away, but for the sake of scientific observation (and because he's a sentimental favorite (::sniffle::)), he's been sentenced to life in the garage for the time being. I'll check on him in July when I'm home again for BreyerFest to see what exposure to a Georgia summer has done to him.

(And in the meantime, if anyone has a non-shrinky dapple grey Five Gaiter for sale, I sure would love to own one. Mine didn't survive nearly long enough.)

Vinegar Syndrome: Breyer Shrinkies and Oozies

Over the Christmas break, I flew down to Atlanta to visit my family. Between delicious meals slathered in gravy, my sister and I started inventorying our collections. They have been in storage in my parents' basement for more than 10 years now, and given that I've been collecting since the early 1980s and my sister since the late 1980s, we knew we were doomed to find some shrinkies/oozies.

What exactly are shrinkies and oozies? Both names are used to refer to Breyer models that are beginning to disintegrate from a problem that seems to be akin to vinegar syndrome in film. Like some kinds of film, many Breyers were made of a kind of plastic called cellulose acetate, and they are likewise starting to break down on a molecular level. The problem has only cropped up in the last few years, and so far, the only models that seem to be affected are those that were produced from around 1987-1992. (It is certainly possible that models may crop up from outside that range of years, but let's hope not many.) Not all models from those years are affected though, and it stands to reason that the affected models were made from a defective batch (or batches) of plastic.

Symptoms of vinegar syndrome include shrinking of the model in height and width, warping, slow implosion of the body cavity, legs that warp inward, paint discoloration (it gets lighter), a whitish film on the model that feels like chalk dust or soft powder, a strong vinegar smell, liquid oozing from the plastic, yellowing of white plastic areas, and in extreme cases, bubbling and collapse of the model.

Unfortunately, at this time, there is no known method to stop vinegar syndrome. So far, models that have been kept out in the open air tend to just slowly shrink and warp without any of the uglier symptoms. But as this is a recent development for Breyers, we don't yet know exactly what will eventually happen. Models kept in storage and models exposed to heat and humidity are much more likely to ooze and frequently go through the full gamut of symptoms.

My sister and I found more affected models than I would have liked, all in varying stages of decay. None of them are especially valuable (other than my red bay 1988 Your Horse Source SR Phar Lap), but many of them have sentimental value. Here are a few of the victims:

These two Mustangs are both examples of #118, the "American Mustang," made from 1987-1989. I purchased the one on the right on sale at a Breyer signing party in 1990. The one on the left was a flea market acquisition, and at the time I bought him, he was not overtly affected by vinegar syndrome. He was lighter in body color and mane and tail color, a common variation of the run, but he was not nearly so light-colored as he looks now. In person, he is a textbook shrinky/oozy. He is smaller than his normal counterpart and starting to curve to one side, he is leaking goo from various places, and he has the tell-tale paint fading that is so typical of vinegar syndrome horses. From what I've seen, the lighter discoloration often seems to start where the model's legs meet the hollow body, as evidenced here.

Sadly, my awesomely eye-scorching neon palomino FAS is also a shrinky (purchased 1987 or 1988). He was signed by Peter Stone in 1990, and as you can see, the decomposition of his plastic has turned the once crisp signature into a blurry grey haze. His delightful lemon yellow color has also faded.

The bag he was in is full of oozy droplets.

And here's a close up of my sister's #702 buckskin variation Stretch Morgan (1988-1989). His paint hasn't faded too much yet, but you can see he's oozing and the plastic is starting to crinkle.

Sadly, he was one of my sister's favorite models. I was going to give her my own buckskin variation as a replacement, but alas, he is a shrinky, too.

For some reason, the #821 Rocky (1990-1992) pony is one I have seen several times over in spectacularly bad shape. This example, provided by longtime collector Penny Lehew, is bubbling and showing signs of crystalization. (My own Rocky has not reached this stage, but he was bad enough that I didn't even dare to open his bag.)

When removed from storage or from hot and humid conditions, affected models generally seem to stop oozing. My #109 dapple grey Five-Gaiter (1987-1988) was found swimming in brown goo in his bag when he was removed from storage several years ago. His white areas had yellowed and he had begun to shrink. He was then washed thoroughly and left on a tray on a shelf in the open air to see what would happen. Interestingly, he has stopped oozing, and his white areas have brightened up. He has continued to shrink, however, and as you can see in the picture below, he is beginning to curl sideways.

Happily, not all models from 1987-1992 are affected, and contrary to some early reports, vinegar syndrome is not contagious from model to model. For example, my Cips has turned out to be a shrinky, but my sister's Cips is fine. My Sears SR Black Blanket Appaloosa Performance Horse is oozing like mad, but the other two horses from that set who were stored in the same box are still normal.

It's taken around 20 years for these models to begin to manifest symptoms of vinegar syndrome, and there's no way to predict whether or not the currently unaffected models from those years will remain thus. Certain models do seem to be more likely to be affected, such as the 1987 Black Horse Ranch SR Proud Arabian Stallions, but because they were small runs of only 500 pieces per color, it stands to reason that many were made from the same batch of bad plastic. Because this is such a new issue with the 1987-1992 era Breyers, only time will tell which models will be affected.