I had previously written this and posted it on Laughing Giraffe. I said I would put it on here and here it is.
Steck Identification and Comparison Guide
With the rerelease of some olde Steck buildings and parts I think it is important for collectors and enthusiasts to be able to identify what is what. Is it really an original Olde House or is it something some unscrupulous money-maker put together to sell as an original in order to satisfy his satanic temptation to greed?!
To start, we shall look at stone wall pieces.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6532567429_3bc3f498c7_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27296563@N06/6532567429/)
The piece on the left is the 2nd Generation of Steck and the piece on the right is the 1st Generation of Steck. What is the most obvious is the “bump” on the connecting tabs. The old piece does not have them. This “bump” helps increase the width of the piece ensuring a tighter fit. The 1st Generation pieces become loose after a while and will just fall apart with slight pressure.
(NOTE - as you are looking at them – I will use this method of “right” and “left” for all my subsequent pictures)
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6532568805_0c8b4ac9ae_z.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/27296563@N06/6532568805/)
Here is a close up of the tabs. You can see the “bump” in detail.
Another key point to note is the ENTIRE mould has been redone! It is not just the connecting tabs but the whole piece. This is true for all the Steck stone wall pieces.
You can see the stones themselves are more square at the corners, the surface texture is different, with the 1st Generation ones being a rougher texture.
The dimensions of the pieces are the same so they are interchangeable. Something Playmobil needs to be commended for – it is one of their guiding principles – to have pieces from one set work with pieces from another.