Hi!

I recently came upon this YS (Yiannis Sagiadinos) Castings, as I found a small card from them at the bottom of the box containing my last (hopefully legit) Pegaso Models bust (that Sioux Warrior) .

The small card says "High quality resin castings", lists a P.O. box in Greece, a telephone number, and a couple of email addresses.

It also lists a website address, this one: http://www.ysmasterpieces.com/#/home

The box seems legit, like other Pegaso Models I bought before.

But the bust itself doesn't look like others I have, be it from Pegaso or others.

One thing that I find different is that the main piece of the bust (head and torso together) is much lighter than most other resin busts I have.
The color of this resin is also different from some pics of this bust I've seen posted for example here: https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/sioux-warrior-pegaso-models-bust-series.30432/ . Mine is more of a greenish color.
Another detail that differs from the pics on the thread linked above, is that I can see 12 feathers on those pics, but my bust only comes with 10 feathers.

I bought it as a legit piece, from a legit source.

Maybe I'm just beeing a bit paranoid, with so much crying wolf about fake figures and busts on this hobby that I've been reading on this Forum (I've been on phaleristic for quite a few years, where some pieces can cost thousands of dollars or euros, and indeed fakes exist on that field, because obviously it pays off, but I had no idea, before returning to the modeling hobby, that there are fakes on this hobby too!...), but these small differences pushed me to at least ask the questions.
Hopefully others who have this same bust will help reassure me that everything is perfectly normal, nothing to worry about (from what I can count, it seems I'm still missing two feathers on my bust) .

Thanks in advance for any info and clarifications on this.

Cheers!

Dolf

Well, when we visit his site and drill down into his catalog, we find some figure kits, like the Hellenic Revolutionary and Ottoman Warrior in 90mm, both showing attribution as to the sculptor-Carl Reid sculpted the Greek, and Ulrich Puchala the Turk. I see similar entries in the 75mm range-two of the figures are attributed to Alan Ball.

If they're pirated, it's pretty ballsy to show that info.

But just looking at the site and seeing the other things he sells, like Revell kits, I suspect that it's legitimate. We'll have to see what others think.

Prost!
Brad

I do know and it says on his website, that he does contract moulding and casting. Maybe that will shed some light?

Yes, I've read that too, that they have contracts with among others Pegaso Models, for casting their models.

That implies that Pegaso, among others, doesn't cast their own models and instead sub-contract others for doing that?...

I'll have to check if on the Pegaso website they mention the weight of this particular Sioux Warrior bust, and then check how much mine weights (even thought that's not that much accurate, as I don't know if the weight listed on the Pegaso site - if there's one - is including the box, or just the busts and its parts... It's definitely much easier to do that, weight, measurements, and many other almost undetectable details on a Order or Medal or Badge...), because from the feel of it, it feels quite light. And then there's the 2 feathers less than on that other review thread posted 10 years ago.


Thanks!


Cheers!

Dolf

Thanks Brad!

Yes, I noticed the Revell kits, but hadn't gone through the lists of figures and busts. Indeed, the mention the sculptors and painters in most of those I just checked.

Hopefully it's legitimate, which will make me very happy to know

Maybe some of our fellow members here, from Greece, will be able to confirm the legitimacy of these guys


Cheers!

Dolf

I dont think that brands sub contracting moulding and casting is that unusual - it happens in all other areas of manufacturing, so the figure industry is just one example....

Ok, thanks for that info. I'm still learning how this works in/on/around the modeling (particularly figures and busts) industry. Guess I tend to forget that it is indeed an industry, like so many others in all other areas of life, hence following the general rules of the market.
Probably some old romantic view of some artisanal small firm run by a couple of skillful craftsmen, sculpting, molding, casting their work... Born in the middle of the XXth century, I guess sometimes I kind of forget we are well into the XXIst century... with all we may have improved, as well as all we lost in this process...




Cheers!

Dolf

Hi,

I don't own any Pegaso Model kits but i do have a couple of kits in my collection that contained that very same piece of card with "YS Castings" details on it, for the life of me i cannot remember which kits they were but i am 100% sure they were genuine kits. Based on that i would feel fairly confident to say YS Castings were contracted to produce the castings for Pegaso..

With regard to the colour of the resin at one point everybody was using cream coloured resin but alot of casters are now using other colour's such as grey. I recall a set of genuine Maurice Corry Arnhem figures i had were a light green and another set i had was cream. I don't know whether the colour difference is down to cost or its stronger or cures faster but the colour can no longer be used as a key indicator that the item is a recast.

The picture on the review shows x12 feathers laid out but how many holes are there in the headdress in the same picture and on your casting? I can't quite see but looking at the spacing i'd guess there was only x10 holes, also if you look at the painted box art pictures depending on the angle i only counted 8, 9 or 10.

Could it be they added an extra x2 feathers by mistake or just in case they broke?

Anyway that's my thoughts..

Hope i helped.
Ian

This is perfectly legit. YS Castings do contract casting for several manufacturers, including Pegaso Models. They are a serious and reputable business. And yes, they have their own range of busts. So you have no need to worry. The kit IS an original.

Thank you very much, Ian and ElGreco, for clarifying this and confirming that I have a legit kit, from a legit casting manufacturer

Ian, on that piece that goes on the back of the bust, where I believe all the feathers go, I just counted 10 holes. So you're probably right, and those 12 were either by mistake, or 2 extra, just in case.

You definitely helped!

And then having the confirmation from ElGreco that YS Castings is perfectly legit...

Case closed

Cheers!

Dolf

YS has its workshop a few hundred metres from where I work.Have visited in the past.Serious man and runs a serious business.As stated above he holds contracts with many companies for providing casting services.No worries there.

Oda.