Windstone Frequently Asked Questions

[Jennifer]

Windstone Frequently Asked Questions

What are Windstones made of?
Windstones are cast in gypsum hydrostone. The exceptions are the Rock Dragons, which are cast in cement for outdoor use.
Windstones are painted with very high quality artist’s acrylics and sometimes automotive paints. They are sealed with a clear acrylic sealant.

How do I clean my Windstones?
Generally the safest way to clean Windstones is with a microfiber cloth, a soft clean duster, and/or canned or forced air blown into crevices to get dust out. You can also use a soft, clean brush (a paintbrush or unused makeup brush works well) to brush dust out. Whatever you use, it is safest to use soft, clean and dry dusting methods!
If you have very stubborn dust or other buildup, you can try using a little clean water on cotton swabs, however you should use water only at your own risk. Most Windstones do not react with water however, with exception to the outdoor cement statues (Rock Dragons) they are not ‘designed’ to get wet. Always try to keep the bottom and the felt pad (if there is one) dry as the undersides of gypsum are the most absorbent and most likely to react with water.
You should never use chemical cleaners on Windstones as they can have unknown reactions with the sealant and paints.

Special note: You should never use water or anything other than a soft cloth on RUBY or RED FIRE Windstones! Some of the Ruby paint has been known to come off with water application and this may possibly effect some Red Fire pieces as well.

Do Windstones require any special care?
Keeping your Windstone dust free is usually the best way to care for it, as sometimes years of dust buildup can adhere in the crevices of your figurine. Another consideration is light- it is best to display your Windstones away from direct sunlight. It is a known issue with some of the red paints (e.g. Ruby and Red Fire) that they do not seem to be as light-fast. If you own a red Windstone it is best to keep it away from strong natural light as UV light seems to fade the reds.
Windstones are heavy and breakable. It is common sense, but display them someplace where they will not be easily bumped, or will fall.

Special note: Cats love Windstones– to eat! It is unknown why, but some cats seem to really enjoy chewing on Windstones. Melody has an entire collection of collector-returned pieces where cats have eaten snouts, beaks, wings, feet, hats… off of Windstone pieces. If you are unsure if your cat has a taste for Windstones, extra care might be taken to put your pieces in a place that is inaccessible to cats (easier said than done!).

I have a Windstone piece but I don’t know anything about it. How can I learn more? When it was made? What it is worth?
In the world of collectible art pieces, it is often important to a collector to know more about a piece.
Astral Castle Windstone Encyclopedia- A visual encyclopedia of Windstone pieces, past and present. You can find most information here. http://www.astralcastle.com/windstone/wsframe.htm
eBay Prices Database- A database of known eBay ending prices for Windstones. This can be used to help determine an approximate value of your piece. http://ravnheart.com/windstone/
List of retired pieces: http://www.windstoneeditions.com/retiredpg2.htm

What does the year stamped into my Windstone mean?
This number, usually accompanied by © Peña or © M. Peña, is the year that the original sculpture was completed. This number is not the year that your piece was made. For example, every Father/Male dragon Windstone created has the stamp Peña © 86 no matter what year the piece was actually cast and painted. This is because the original sculpture, which all molds and casts were pulled from, was initialed Peña © 86.

Who created my Windstone?
Any Windstone marked with Pena or M. Peña was cast from an original sculpture by Melody Peña, who is the backbone artist of Windstone Editions. Depending on what piece you own, there are many different origins for who actually painted it. See the next question to learn about who painted it.

What is Normal Production? Limited Production? Limited Edition? Artist’s Edition?

Normal Production – This is where the bulk of Windstone Editions figurines have originated over the years. These pieces are cast and painted in production to supply dealer stores across the world. If you purchased your Windstone at a physical store, it is most likely normal production. The most numerous production Windstone colors (for dragons) include: Peacock, Brown (old), Green (old), White (pearl), Ruby, Rainbow, Black Gold. Others are Red Fire, Gold, and Emerald-Peacock.
Normal production pieces are cast and then painted by workers at the Windstone Factory. It is nearly impossible to guess which individual person painted a production piece for most of the years that Windstone has been producing Production pieces. At one time Windstone had many, many production painters! This also means there might be slight variations in markings as many different people painted them.

Limited Production– These pieces, as the name implies, are the same as normal production but numbers are limited. There are many reasons- sometimes they are a test to see if a color does well, or they are a pain to paint and thus cannot be produced in great numbers, or they are the last of a color before it is retired, or any number of reasons a set might be limited. These can be discontinued at any time and are nearly always only available through the online Windstone store or from re-sales from individuals. They can be painted by any production artist unless specified that they are painted by Melody Pena.

Limited Edition– As the name implies, these pieces are limited to a set, numbered, and signed limited edition. They are usually painted by a specific artist and are only sold through Windstone’s online store or through Windstone’s eBay auctions.

Artist’s Edition– These are special Windstones. A Windstone artist paints a Windstone piece in a very specific way that is usually too complex for production. These, to date, are offered only though Windstone eBay auction. They are signed and numbered by the artist– only the artist decides if they will make more or not. They are painted one at a time with great care and attention to detail and as such are very rare (most occur only as single pieces, however more might be made in the future).

Help! My Windstone is broke/chipped/etc. Can someone fix it?
Windstone Editions does not have an official repair service. You might consider contacting some of our talented forum members who often have great success with repairs. Check out who is doing repair work here: http://windstoneeditions.com/forums/windstone-editions/repairs


Can I put my Windstone outside? In an aquarium? Someplace else weird?
What you do with your Windstone is up to you! However, with exception to the cement Rock Dragons, Windstones are not designed to take elemental abuse! If you put it outside/in your fish tank/etc it is at your own risk and they will almost certainally show signs of wear by the sun and weather (or water, as it were).

I have a question for Melody Peña!
Go ask her here! http://windstoneeditions.com/forums/windstone-editions/ask-melody

I have a question or problem about my Windstone order from the online Windstone Store or eBay listings.
For the Windstone Store or auctions, contact Susie and Pam at: service@windstoneeditions.com
Or, call the factory at: 800-982-4464 (U.S. and Canada) 541-752-0404 (International)

I want to sell Windstones as a dealer. Can I?
Maybe! Go check out the dealer requirements on this page: http://www.windstoneeditions.com/dealer%20requirements.htm

I want to sell my Windstones as an individual. Can I?
Sure! You can try the Windstone Classifieds here: http://windstoneeditions.com/classifieds
Or eBay: http://www.ebay.com
As a starting point!

I’m looking for (a specific Windstone). Where can I buy one?
You have many options! If you have a local dealer, you can contact them and ask if they can order it for you. http://www.windstoneeditions.com/Dealers/dealers.htm
If you don’t have a local dealer, you can shop on the Windstone online store.https://www.windstoneeditions.com/shop/
If the piece you want is retired (see here to find out! http://www.windstoneeditions.com/retiredpg2.htm ) or limited production/edition/artist’s edition then you can search the Flea Market here, or eBay http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=windstone&_sacat=See-All-Categories. If no one has it, try posting a ‘wanted’ ad in the Windstone Classifieds! http://windstoneeditions.com/classifieds

I am worried my Windstone might be a fake. How can I tell?

The biggest give-away to fake Windstones are:

1.Weight. Gypsum hydrostone is heavy! Many fakes are cast in resin or other lighter materials. If you have another Windstone to compare, fake Windstones often feel much lighter.
2.Eyes. Real Windstones have fine glass eyes glued into place. Many fakes have eyes that are part of the cast and have been painted. They lend to a bug-eyed or wall-eyed expression. Plastic eyes are also signs of a counterfeit.
3.Lack of felt pad OR lack of Windstone stamp. Fake Windstones usually do not have a grey felt pad on the bottom (stamped with Windstone Editions). However very early Windstones did not have felt either! They did, however, have a black stamp that said “Windstone Editions” on the bottom of the sculpture. If your piece lacks either of these then it may be fake. Many fakes have a solid color painted on the bottom.
4.Lack of Copyright © mark. All Windstones have a small copyright © carved into them, usually near the bottom.
5.Candles, ceramics, etc. Windstones are cast in either Gypsum hydrostone or cement (rock dragons). Candles, ceramic, resin and other materials indicate a fake!

If you find a retailer / distrubutor selling fake Windstones, please contact John at john@windstoneeditions.com or call Windstone at 800-982-4464 (U.S. and Canada) 541-752-0404 (International). Fake Windstone sales not only are illegal but they hurt Windstone as a company. Your help is appreciated!

Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.com

[Jennifer]

Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.com

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