Featured JAH - 12/21/2024, May/June 2005

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured JAH! This week we're covering May/June 2005, so let's get started! 

On the cover, a beautiful palomino Morgan looks nothing like the Kennebec Count in the box. 

In the Editor's Desk, Natasha talks about the Middle Ages, relating to the upcoming Breyerfest 2005. 

On page 3 we have Letters to the Editor. 

On page 4 is the first page of an article about Morgans! 

The Morgan article concludes on page 5, along with an article about Kennebec Count and photo of his model. 

On page 6 is another Breyerfest 2005 preview, including reveals of the beautiful Gwendolyn and Arthur. 

The Breyerfest preview continues on page 7. 

After skipping a how-to article, on page 10 is the first page of an article about Breyer portrait horse Ideal! 

The Ideal article concludes on page 11. I was unable to find a date of death for Ideal, but he has to have passed on by now, considering he was born in 1985. Cripes, that means he was older than I am! 

On page 12 is the reveal of the first Connoisseur gambler's choice, Jokers Wild! While I kept subscribing to JAH until 2006 or so, I wasn't paying much attention to the hobby during my college years and thus, didn't enter for any of the Connoisseur releases. I probably should have tried for this one, though - imagine how exciting it was for whoever got those two Joker models! 

After skipping Breyer jr., an article about jousting, another how-to article, a judge's clinic, Horse Trader and a book review, on page 26 we have this week's Vintage Club featuring the G1 Drafter! 

The Vintage Point article concludes on page 27. 

On page 28 we have a listing of Breyer Fun Days from 2005, featuring that year's Tour Model, Tristan (the Tour Model has since been discontinued, along with the Breyer Tour). 

After skipping the Calendar of Events, on the back cover we have the beautiful Wapasha, the 2005 Mid-States special run. Mid-States special runs are also now a thing of the past, but we probably have enough other special runs to replace it. 

And that's it for this issue! Check back next week for July/Aug 2005! 

Courchevel and another Premier Club sneak peek!

 Good news, everyone! My Courchevel model arrived today! Behold:

He's definitely more purplish than the promo photos, but still not really that purplish, if that makes sense. They should have used color-shift paint on this one, honestly. 

Like many others, I didn't get the shipping notice for this guy until after he'd been delivered, but UPS MyChoice was still up-to-date, so I knew he was coming. Christmastime is always a busy time for Breyer, but lots of people have had issues with being shipped the wrong items or their orders taking a long time to ship - I don't remember it ever being this bad before. Maybe Breyer will finally give CCG the boot? I hope so. 

Quality-wise he's pretty nice, despite being wrapped in un-accordioned paper. Like come on, guys. How are they not getting that they have to stretch out the paper first? It's like popping bubbles on the bubble wrap. Get with the program already! 

The only flaw I noticed was a mangled back edge of his right ear, which must have happened during the production process as it's under the paint. Oh well. 

In other news, Breyer defied tradition and posted a preview sketch of the third Premier Club release for next year!

Looks like something Spanish? I generally like the Spanish horses, and/or a nice Roman nose, so I'm sure I'll like whatever this turns out to be. Dare I hope they show him to us? 

I'm sure I'll post again before or on Christmas, what with the inevitable Christmas Day surprise model (they must have decided to go back to revealing it on the actual day), but in case I don't - I hope everyone has a good Christmas! 

Wow, Breyer is really upping the ante next year

 I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Breyer is coming out with so much cool stuff for next year, since it's the 75th Anniversary, after all. One can only wonder what they'll do in 25 years (if we're all still around by then) for the 100th Anniversary! But anyway. The optional release for next year's Stablemates Club was revealed today! Say hello to Harbinger! 

Harbinger of what, you may ask? Someone online joked that he's a harbinger of doom for our wallets, or something along those lines. It's great to see a Stablemate with actual, permanent wings! The only other Stablemate-sized Pegasus I remember is this one, and those wings are removable. So this is a bit of history in the making! And for some reason, although Harbinger is the wrong color, he makes me think of the TriStar pictures logo, so mine might end up being named TriStar...But anyway. We only have two reveals left for the club, so hopefully they get that wrapped up this week! 

Whoa! I wasn't expecting this!

 Wow, we actually get to see what color the Rowans are going to be next year! That's right - I said Rowans, plural. Take a look! 

There are two of them! And they don't just have different manes/tails! From the webpage:

In honor of Breyer's 75th Anniversary, 2025 Premier Club members will have some fun surprises and additions in store for their club experience. These will include the ability to choose between two versions of Rowan the pony – members can select a picturesque Highland Pony stallion or a British Riding Pony mare with a lighter build, less cresty neck and clean legs that suit her breed perfectly.

I'm super-excited for this release! I think I like the braided/mare one better, but they're both pretty nice. Can't see the mare's tail in that photo, but I'm guessing it's also braided in some way. I think I'll order a braided one, since it seems the stallion version may be easier to find on the secondary market. No need for a second Premier Club account here...yet. I'm super-happy that we got to actually see this release! I wonder if signups are down, or if it's just a 75th Anniversary thing. Maybe a little bit of both? Dare I hope we get a peek at the third release, too? I can tell it's going to be hard to wait until August or later to get these two in my collection!

Also, if you haven't gotten a Courchevel yet, they're now available to the masses, and Breyer added the production quantity to the description - they made 2,000 of them. Seems like a bit of a high number for the price - oh well. 

New Premier Club Preview!

 Wow! Good news, everyone - we have a really good preview of another release in next year's Premier Club! 

According to the email, he's a Highland Pony and his name is Rowan. He's sculpted by Kelly Sealey, with the color yet to be revealed. Kelly Sealey also sculpted the Copperfox Cob, which I used to have a small conga of. And I like what I see so far! Definitely a good indicator that I should join next year's club, but I'm going to wait until the last minute (as usual) and see if we get any other hints or previews. I'm kinda surprised (but not complaining) that we got to see almost his full body - this is the first time we've seen so much of the model in a preview. Keep it coming, Breyer! 

Featured JAH - 12/14/2024, Mar/Apr 2005

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured JAH! We're getting into the springtime with Mar/Apr 2005 this week, so let's get started! 

On the front cover, Paul Revere makes his famous ride. 

In the Editor's Desk, Natasha talks about her career prior to working for Breyer and then previews the upcoming issue. 

On page 3 we have Letters to the Editor and fan art!

On page 4 is the first page of an article about search and rescue dogs. 

On page 5 is the rest of the search and rescue article, and a reveal of the Search and Rescue set with black Lab! 

On page 6 is a preview of Breyerfest 2005 featuring the Celebration Horse (and Model), Fire Magic, a rare red Friesian. As an aside, Fire Magic died relatively recently, having passed away in 2020 according to this article. I had thought he was older than that, but clearly not. 

On page 7 is the rest of the Breyerfest preview, featuring several models, including Thor (who turned out to be an auction model), Oliver and Sherwood. 

On page 8 is the first page of an article about National Show Horses and the beautiful Madison Avenue on the Rejoice mold. 

The NSH article concludes on page 9. 

On page 10 we have an article about saddleseat riding. 

The saddleseat article concludes on page 11. I won't lie - I was originally going to skip this article, until I noticed that Rejoice in the lower right hand corner. I'm pretty sure that's a test in the Puttin' on the Ritz color scheme, and she isn't pictured on IDYB. I wonder where she is now? 

On page 12 we have an article about Paul Revere and reveal of the model set, tying in with the cover of the magazine. 

After skipping Breyer jr., on page 17 is the beautiful Reverse Polarity! I don't see these for sale very often, although he's one of the less-popular Connoisseur releases. I wish they'd do this color again sometime. 

On page 18 is the first page of an article about medieval costume types. 

The medieval costume article wraps up on page 19. 

After skipping a how-to article, a judge's clinic, Horse Trader and a book review, on page 26 is the first page of this issue's Vintage Point, featuring the Classic Black Beauty! 

Vintage Point wraps up on page 27. 

On page 28 we have a news roundup featuring Flash and a Capella update. 

After skipping the Calendar of Events, the back cover of the magazine features a number of new spring/Easter-themed releases for 2005. I still need that Cottontail Express set, incidentally. And that brings us to the end of this week's issue! Check back next week for May/June 2005! 

Courchevel! And other things

 Well, readers, I was busy at work last night and didn't have time to get this posted yesterday, but Breyer's winter decorator model has been revealed! Meet Courchevel! 

From the website:

Nestled in the French Alps, Courchevel is one of the premier ski destinations in Europe. Awash in luxury, Courchevel is no stranger to those seeking a winter paradise, attracting everyone including professional athletes and royalty. This mountain oasis has even hosted the Winter Olympics!

Our breathtaking stallion Courchevel, named for this beautiful resort, has a unique metallic coat, which was inspired by the glow of the resort and mountains when viewed at twilight. Pastel shades of blue, gold, pink, and purple flow over his body, and are accented with flecks of gold. Courchevel’s enchanting look is completed by a high gloss finish, and a "Courchevel 2024" gold stamp on his belly.

I'm not seeing a whole lot of purple in that paint job, but maybe it's more evident in person. I think he's pretty! It's always great to see a new release on the Moody Andalusian. I'm wondering if he's also clearware (although I think they would have mentioned it if he was). There's a matching pin as well! The Collector Club discount can be used on the pin, by the by, but not the model, who ships for free (yay!). Interesting that they're saying up front that the pin is a limited edition of 500, but nothing on the run number for the actual model. 

Apparently Breyer is trying a new method for distributing these, rather than as a random-draw web special. Instead, they're being offered to Collector Club members on a first-come, first-served basis until Tuesday, and then they'll go up for sale to the masses. So does this mean the "Web Special" as we know it (limited to some number between 350-1,000, offered by random draw) is now a thing of the past? I'm not sure how to feel about that. Disappointed, I guess? I mean, it is fun to be able to get something that's relatively rare for your collection. I guess we'll see how this release goes - they haven't sold out yet, nor has Breyer told us exactly how many were made. There's speculation online that there could be as many as 2,500-3,000, but that number seems high to be based on the price of the model. I'm thinking the number is probably closer to 1,000. Hopefully Breyer tells us at some point. 

In other news, there was a new reveal for the 2025 Stablemates Club today! Huzzah! Say hello to Javier:

 

Yes! I've been waiting for them to use the Peruvian Paso in the club! Unfortunately, it's another 50/50 gloss/matte split, so I guess I'm going to have to buy two of them. Oh well. 

In other, other news, the latest Young Rider magazine has a couple of 2025 Breyer reveals! 

Presumably that Lonesome Glory is one of the 75th Anniversary releases hinted at previously. See the little horses in his blanket? Cute design! Nothing I need (anymore, sadly), but hopefully the rest of the 75th Anniversary releases are just as clever! 

Sorry the image is so small, but those models are the G3 Highland Pony and the mini Emma as unicorns! Woohoo! Well, if I get that set, my daughter will probably claim the truck and trailer pretty quickly. 

That's all I have for today! Let's hope we get more exciting reveals next week. And stay tuned for Featured JAH later today!