Featured Model - 12/30/2016, Milton

Hello, readers, and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model from my collection, give some stats on it and make some commentary about it. This week's model is... Milton!



This model, item #1232, was produced on the Big Ben mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. His production ran from 2004-2008. He was a portrait of the real Milton, a famous show jumper from the '90s.

This model really appeals to me - there's just something about a white horse, isn't there? Or gray-turned-white, in this case. I wouldn't mind seeing this Alabaster-ish color on a lot of models. It's a simple paint job, but still alluring.

The mold itself, I think, is one of Kathleen Moody's more underrated molds - he doesn't have the wild, flying hair of most of her other sculptures. But he's supposed to be a warmblood, horses that aren't exactly known for having abundant amounts of hair. Despite his doofy grin and horn-like forelock, he's very handsome. His original release, in 1996, was one of my first Breyer models, and he was one of my favorites! He's one of the few models from my "carpet herd" still in my collection.

Unfortunately, this particular individual has seam splits on the belly and withers - hopefully those don't progress any further than they already have. I can't have my pretty white horsey splitting in two!

The mold's last appearance in the regular line was the RCMP Musical Ride model, retired in 2015. Let's hope he shows back up soon! I wouldn't mind seeing him as a Web Special, either. Maybe in a color similar to this? He was one of the models at this year's Breyerfest live auction - that color is to die for!

Well, that brings me to the end of today's post. I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year! (Good riddance, 2016.)

2017 Premier Club sneak peek!

Breyer sent out an email begging looking for more subscribers to the 2017 Premier Club, and they included a sneak peek of the Mindy Berg sculpt! And they even used "peek" correctly. No more sly, crafty mountains at Breyer! Well...hopefully. Here's the pic!



Interesting. Looks like a standing Andalusian stallion, maybe? We could definitely use one of those. I'm already a member of the club, though, so they don't need to entice me much more - though I wish they'd post the free Stablemate for next year. Maybe they're waiting until New Year's Eve?

Woodland Splendor and New Classic Gretel!

Hello, readers! Not much new to report here, but I did snap some quick photos of the Woodland Splendor model I got for Christmas, as well as the new Gretel.

I'll start with Woodland Splendor. I like this color on him, although the one I got wasn't quite the best, quality-wise. But I'm not terribly picky - I don't show, and I'm not sure what breed I would show this one as if I did. So, here are his photos!



Off side:



And here's a closeup of his face:



You can see his eye is sloppily painted, and he's got some gold stuff in his mane. Ah well, to the shelf he goes.

Next is the new Classic Gretel, the Bay Pinto Pony:


And here's a shot of her off side:


She at least was painted better than Woodland Splendor, and my bay pinto Hansel finally has a mother! Can't wait to get my hands on the Hansel from the new Heroes of the West set! Hopefully those, and other new Classics, start showing up soon.

Sales and Promotions Galore!

I hope everyone had a good Christmas! Luckily for us, Breyer has more deals going on! Firstly, the End-of-Year Sale:
































Collector Club members: The code "Clubplus17" is now the current code to use to get 20% off + free shipping on your order (Thxsanta16 won't work with it, but it doesn't matter because Clubplus17 gets you the same thing and the extra 10% off). This sale ends at 11:59pm tomorrow.  I used it to order the new Svali Icelandic, Sweet Pea and Bryants Jake yesterday! More ponies to join the herd, whoo!

Secondly, I got another email from Breyer this morning - they're doing another Collector Club Appreciation Day, featuring...Glossy Julien and Sophia!



The "CCLUV16" code does NOT stack with the Clubplus17 code to get 20% off, so you'll have to choose carefully. You'll still get free shipping on orders of $50 or more. The unfortunate thing with this new promotion is that you don't get to choose whether you get Glossy Julien & Sophia or Glossy Cosette. So...I guess it's a roll of the dice!This promotion ends tonight at 11:59, so choose quickly!

Also, the end-of-year sale email states that Breyer's warehouse will be closed for inventory starting 12/28 and lasting until 1/5, so any orders placed in that time period likely won't ship until 1/6 or later.

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh!

The surprise is up - it's three new Sherman Morgans! Because nothing gets you in the holiday spirit faster than repeatedly hitting "refresh" on Breyer's website on Christmas morning.



They are Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh! It's a gambler's choice, so you won't know which one you got until you open the box. Order quick before they sell out! There are 350 of each model, so there should be plenty to go around, but you never know. My husband and I both ordered one (I like Sherman Morgan in decorator colors, not so much realistic ones), so I'm hoping to get green and gold, myself. Good luck to everyone that orders!

And before I forget - Merry Christmas, everyone!

Merry Christmas from Breyer!

I got a mysterious email from Breyer about an hour ago!



Looks like we've got another Holly/Ivy situation on our hands. Wish I could remember what time they popped up on the website last year. So, we'll all have to keep checking Breyer's website all morning, instead of the usual Christmas morning activities. I suppose that's part of the mystique.

I wonder what the surprise is? Different possibilities flit through my mind - Holly/Ivy's color on Marabella, or another mold that doesn't get used very often? Red/Green Charm on the new Fell Pony? Some type of red and green variant of the Xavier unicorn in a run of 40, my worst nightmare? Or maybe something not holiday-colored at all, to throw us all off track.

Guess we'll have to wait and see. Good luck to everyone haunting the website tomorrow! Be sure you' re signed into your Collector Club account - it will most likely show up on the CC home page.

Featured Model - 12/24/2016, Enchanted Forest

Hello and welcome to yet another edition of Featured Model - the weekly blog event where I pick a horse from my collection, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's victim is...Enchanted Forest!



A mid-year release from 2010, Enchanted Forest is item #1423, on the Newsworthy mold sculpted by Sue Sifton. He was retired at the end of 2010, a pretty brief run. Not sure why; he's certainly handsome enough. The mane seam on mine is pretty prominent, but I don't know if they were all like that. I don't remember them having any terrible quality issues, either.

Whatever the reason for his retirement, I'm glad I have mine. This model is a portrait of a real pony, and they certainly did a good job on him. The mane seam issue was the only problem I spotted on mine.

I like this mold; he has a lot of personality. My husband likes it because he thinks it looks like our dog, which it kinda does. Something about the expression on his face. And he's the only updated jumper we have; I wish Breyer would come out with another one.

The stand is a bit of an issue; I'm never sure which way it should be facing. I have all of mine like in the photo above; if it's wrong, oh well. I think it looks better that way, like the model is cresting a wave or something.

The mold has had several regular run releases with braided mane/tail since its original run in 2008; aside from the Golden Boy Connoisseur, it took until earlier this year to get the loose-mane version of this mold - first with the web special Persimmon, and then the buckskin/dun Connemara. But that release is due to be retired at the end of the year. Let's hope they come out with something fun again soon!

2017 Holiday Horse, Winter Wonderland

A few days ago there was a rumor on Blab that next year's Holiday Horse was a palomino Totilas. The rumor was true, and here he is: Winter Wonderland!



I've been waiting what seems like forever for a palomino Totilas! I still die a little inside every time I remember the 2014 Breyerfest volunteer model not being this guy. Total devastation (although Here's to You looks very nice on my shelf, don't get me wrong).

Anyway, Winter Wonderland is a definite must-have for next year. My husband usually gets me the Holiday Horses for Christmas, though, so I'll have to wait a year to get mine (presumably they'll be available at Breyerfest first).

I definitely like what little I can see of the paint job that's not being blocked by all the trappings. His color looks very similar to Noelle, if a little darker. Should be interesting putting the two next to each other to compare.

 I do kind of wish they'd tone down the outfits, though - they keep getting more and more elaborate every year. Pretty soon we won't even be able to see the model under them (use this space to imagine a giant cotton ball with horse legs sticking out of it, in lieu of my nonexistent Photoshop skills). I'm especially mystified by the owls.

Can't we just have a nice blanket with matching leg wraps or something? I used to get out all of my Holiday Horses and put the tack on them every Christmas, but the outfits have been getting progressively more complicated to put on and take off; this year I didn't bother. And I'm always worried about accidentally damaging the models while dressing/undressing them. Thoughts of the Snowflake MFT with his simple blanket seem quaint now - Bayberry and Roses and those ridiculous things on his legs are enough to make you (well, maybe just me) tear out your hair.

Interestingly, my searches on IDYB for this post led me to the realization that next year marks 20 years of Holiday Horses. I feel like Breyer should do something to commemorate it, but I have no idea what that would be (set of 20 Mini Holiday Horses on the Stablemate molds, a la the Breyerfest 20th Anniversary Commemorative Set? Sans costumes, of course. Way too small to be practical.) Well, it's an idea, anyway.

2017 Vintage Club SR - Cypress!

Breyer finally announced next year's Vintage Club extra model, Cypress, in an e-mail yesterday! Here she is:


I am incredibly relieved by this release. Despite what I said about the Connemara Mare yesterday, I don't have any desire to buy this one - and more importantly, my fears about the Vintage Club extra being on Othello were clearly misplaced. Now I can go back to worrying about him being used as a Breyerfest Volunteer, glossy prize or other super-limited release!

As I suspected, it looks like Breyer held back on releasing this so they could use it as a last-minute enticement to sell any remaining subscriptions - and it worked. The Vintage Club is now sold out for next year, although you can still get on the wait list to replace anyone who drops out down the line.

Actually, I think Croi looks pretty nice as a Woodgrain, although we'll have to wait and see how well-executed the graining is - from a distance she looks more chestnut than anything else. I'm not really tempted to buy her like I am with Banks Vanilla, though. There's just something about a white (or mostly-whitened gray) horse...

Interesting that the Connemara Mare is getting used so much lately. Since her 2014 release, she's now been a Breyerfest SR, a regular run, two web specials, next year's flagship release, and now Cypress (and a crystal, if those count). I suppose it's easy enough to pull a few hundred models aside if the mold is already in production. Part of me hopes they give her a rest soon, and the other part hopes they keep using her so I don't have to buy her. It's good for my wallet in the long run!

2017 Flagship Horse, Beachcomber!

Next year's flagship model is out, and it's...this girl!



She was unveiled on Chelsea's Model Horses' Facebook page yesterday. She almost looks like a pinto version of the WEG chestnut Esprit. As the 2017 Flagship Horse, she'll be available only through Breyer's flagship dealers.

Her name is Beachcomber (which seems a little silly), and she's intended to be a Chincoteague pony (At least they didn't name her Desertcomber?). I'd have named her Seashells or something.

The release being a Chincoteague pony begs the question: why didn't they make her a portrait of Misty instead? 2017 is the 70th anniversary of the original book's publication; it would be the perfect time. I'd definitely be more interested in buying this if it were a Misty portrait. As it is, I'll probably pass. I'm not really that interested in the Connemara Pony - I have Sugarloaf, but that's it. I've thought off and on about buying a Banks Vanilla, and possibly a Chanel. I don't have the urge to buy every release on her, though, which usually means she'd probably be the first up for sale if I needed money for something else.

I do like the shading on this release, though; we'll have to see how she looks in-hand.

Entries are open for BreyerWest 2017!

Breyer is now taking entries on their website for the BreyerWest show! The show was brought back earlier this year at the Northwest Horse Expo in Oregon to great success, and they're going to do it again next year! BreyerWest will take place March 24-26, 2017. Get your registration in now before the show sells out!

And, BreyerWest Volunteer applications are now available as well! The application deadline is Jan. 16, so don't dawdle!

Featured Model - 12/17/2016, Two Step

Welcome, readers, to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model from my collection, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is... Two Step!



Two Step, model #711162, was a Breyerfest special run way back in 2013. He was a run of 1,200 issued on the Desatado mold sculpted by Kristina Lucas Francis. This was the first time the Desatado mold was used after making its debut as a Premier Club model in 2012 (although its real debut was as the porcelain Roy Rogers' Trigger in 2002).

I like this release, although frosted dun is a color I wouldn't mind seeing on just about anything. I wish the frosting on his mane had been executed a little better, however, and I like to see a little white on a model. But I guess they can't all have chrome.

As for the mold itself, I like it as long as I don't look at his stifles from the front. Someone on Blab pointed out that they make his legs look like chicken legs, and now I can't unsee it (And now you can't either! Mwahahaha!). His tail is also a little odd-looking, but they kind of have to be to hold up the horse, and it does look more realistic than either Silver or the Fighting Stallion.

I have all but one of this mold's releases (I will find a glossy Picasso for a price I like someday...), although he's only been available in plastic for four years, so he hasn't built up a large variety of colors yet. I wonder what's in store for him next - perhaps as the 2017 Holiday Horse? We'll have to wait and see.

More New Releases - and Classic Black Beauty!

Greetings, readers! I have a bunch of new releases to post about - lots of fun new Stablemates items! If I try to post all of the photos here, the post will be really long, so I'm going to link to them on Modellpferdeversand and talk about the ones I like. So, here they are!

Fantasy Horse Paint Kit, featuring an assortment of blank Stablemates to paint in a rainbow of colors (sort of).
Paint Your Own Farm, with an assortment of Stablemate-scale farm animals to paint in a rainbow of normal colors.
Classic Spring Creek Stable (no photo yet)
Paint & Play Morgan (Paint your own Stablemate, in a variety of single-packed blank models!)
Paint & Play Arabian
Paint & Play Drafter
Paint & Play Warmblood
Truck and Gooseneck Trailer (Not actually sure if this is new?)
The Same Shadowbox Stablemates as Before, But in New Packaging

Western Play Set
English Play Set
Horse Crazy Stable
Limited Edition Barrel Racing Tack Set

There's also some new Pocket Box stuff, but I have no interest in that at all. So, of all the new items, I'll need to obtain:
The Fantasy Horse Paint Kit, the Paint & Play Morgan and Warmblood, and the G2 Appaloosa from the Western Play Set. And probably the foal from the Paint Your Own Farm set. So, not actually all that many of the new items. I was really hoping for a new shadowbox set, though. Why retire the old one, only to reissue it as the exact same models and colors in more-different packaging? Grr...

Oh, well. In happier news, my classic Black Beauty on the Liam/Stock Horse Gelding mold arrived today. Behold!



He's quite nice - I didn't see any flaws, which is a pretty good accomplishment for a $14 model. I suppose it's hard to screw up a black paint job.

My husband's Django arrived today too, and while his legs are better than the one I got, the front legs are closer together than mine and he has a rub above his left eye. Has anyone else noticed his left front/rear feet are bigger than his right front/rear feet? What is going on with Breyer lately? It seems like a lot of their new sculpts are getting messed up in the moldmaking process - i.e. Bobby Jo's chest, Croi's chest, Shannondell's narrowness, and the unfortunate mess Imperador turned into. Hopefully they can get a handle on it, because I thought I liked Imperador, but every time I see his sad squished self, I think a little harder about selling him.

Yasmin and Django are here!

A box arrived at our house today - and inside were my Django and Yasmin models! Firstly, Django:

 I like him a lot, but I wish he wasn't so narrow in the front. His right front leg has an indentation on the forearm and the leg itself is twisted slightly - but it's not as bad as others I've seen on the Internet. The rest of him is perfectly fine - at this point I'm going to wait until my husband's Django gets here so I can compare them.

Interestingly, this insert came with Django:

Mirado's head looks better on the actual insert; the scanner lost some detail there. I really like that sculpt, though; too bad we have to wait a year to see it in person. And it's a really nice color, too, although I'm wondering why they put grulla on seemingly every new release lately.


Now for the other model in the box - Yasmin!

She's mostly okay and stands pretty well - the only issues she has is blurred markings in a few places (the worst area being right behind her right elbow). I don't think it would be worth sending her back, so to my shelf she goes. Yay!

And here's the insert that came with Yasmin:




So our other two sculptors for next year are Mindy Berg and Brigitte Eberl, with Eberl doing a "dynamic set." I wonder if this will be a long-awaited new draft mare and FOAL? We can only hope.

Collector Appreciation Glossy Cosette

I can't believe I forgot to mention this. Breyer is doing a Collector Appreciation Day deal on the website right now:


For one day only, spend $100 on the website and get a glossy Cosette! I'm pretty meh about the whole thing (how many of the things did they pump out that they could gloss 500 of them?), but if you were planning on buying stuff on the website anyway, you might as well go for it. It's definitely an improvement on last year's Collector Appreciation event, which only had a chance of giving you a glossy item or one of the new 2016 releases (I got a chestnut 75th Anniversary AQHA, bleh). We'll see if Breyer can move enough product to sell all 500 glossy Cosettes by the end of the day. The offer ends tonight at midnight.

A Flood of New Releases!

Wow! We got a lot of new release photos today. I can't wait to see them all in person! Modellpferdeversand has them posted. Here's an official photo of Hwin:



I cant wait to get her! Forever Saige looks great in gray.

Another release is a new Action Stock Horse Foal, apparently named Van Gogh:

 

He won't be joining my herd, sadly. But that leaves more money for other things! 

Another one is Paint Me a Pepto, a portrait on Bobby Jo:

 I won't be buying this one either, but Bobby Jo sure looks snazzy in black and white!

Next is Fantasia Del C, who we saw on the cover of JAH...and she comes with a foal! 

His name is Gozosa, apparently. I'm going to have to buy them...the only question is when. Maybe I can get my husband to buy them for my birthday.

Next is...the return of Foalzilla, as "Espresso."

Color me surprised...I thought this was another one of those things that would be labeled "Failed Experiments" and quietly disappear, never to be seen again. I suppose they want to get some more use out of the mold to justify making it in the first place. I didn't buy any of the Camilas, as the mold didn't appeal to me and I didn't see the point of introducing a new scale we likely won't see any adults in, simply due to sheer size. Who knows; maybe they'll expand the line if this release does well.

But I digress! Next is a new Classics set, Heroes of the West:

Harper fans, rejoice! That's a really nice color on her. But...is she being used as the stallion for this set? That's odd. Looking at the in-box photo, maybe the Standing Thoroughbred is the stallion? Confusing. Oh snap- I just noticed that's a new Hansel I'll need to get my hands on.

Next is a palomino "Morgan" and foal, featuring Liam again!

 

Can't say I'm the biggest fan of those palomino paint jobs, but whatevs (and the foal is going to look very similar to the Springtime Frolic one). That's a lot of releases for Liam in one year, but I'm not complaining! I may have issues clearing shelf space, though.

Next is a new Classics Arabian set, featuring Sagr and the Trotting Stock Horse Foal!

They look similar to the liver chestnut Cl. Black Beauty I posted about a couple of days ago. Interesting. Neither will be coming home with me, however.

Next we have another Arabian set, this time in gray:

The Black and the Morgan Foal look a little greenish...dare I say, Green Eggs and Sham greenish? This is most apparent in the in-box photo. Hopefully Breyer can get that cleaned up. They won't be joining my herd either way, however.

Lastly, we have Starry Night, on the Cl. Morgan Mare:

 

I see Breyer is trying to get in on the "Galaxy Horse" customizing craze that's been sweeping some parts of the Internet. That's not a bad thing, if only they'd put it on a mold I collect.

There's also a page entry for Bandera, the bronze Geronimo, but no photo. Hopefully they get that fixed soon. EDIT: The Bandera photo is now up!



I like Geronimo, and I like a bronze Geronimo, but I'm not sure how I feel about the brands. I'll most likely still buy one, but it seems a little odd. Oh well.

That seems to be it for now, but I also heard murmurings about a new Connemara Mare for the brick-and-mortar SR - I'm probably safe on that front. Sugarloaf is the only Connemara Mare in my collection, though I've been thinking about buying a Banks Vanilla. We'll have to see what color the SR is. I'll be sure to keep the blog updated!

New Classics: More Official Than Previously Thought

Okay, clearly I didn't do enough research when I heard about those new Classics. They're available for sale on the Toys "R" Us website right now! So I snagged some photos. First off, the chestnut Liam:


He's currently out of stock, but presumably they'll get more soon so I can get one.

Next, the bay pinto Gretel:


She's pretty! I ordered one as soon as I saw them. Finally, my bay pinto Hansel will have a mother!

Next, the palomino Morgan, and other Classics molds I don't collect:

Next, the bay Appaloosa Mesteno:


Nice color, at least.

Next, the Chestnut Sport Horse, on Black Beauty:


And lastly, the Grey Arabian, on the Black Stallion:




In addition, Toys "R" Us is doing a 15% off promotion that applies to all of these models when you order them from the website! And with free shipping to boot! So make sure and order them now before they go out of stock! Hopefully we get to see some more new Classics models soon. Happy hunting!

Featured Model - 12/10/2016, Kalahkaari

Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model from my collection, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's pick is...Kalahkaari!



This handsome guy was the second release in the 2012 Premier Club! Sculpted by Brigitte Eberl, around 750 of these models were produced. I had to re-photograph this model for the blog, and he's spent so much time on my shelf I forgot how much I liked his paint job. He's gorgeous!

The first thing I liked about him was his head, though - I just like his head and expression. So handsome! And of course, this was the first Marwari model Breyer had ever produced, with the curly ears. I knew right away he was going to stay with me forever.

Of course, the big question with this model was whether it would always have the curled ears, and even how the ears are curled in the first place. I've heard conflicting stories about whether the ears are an alternate mold or if they do it in the factory with heat guns, but either way it makes this mold unique.

I did have an ulterior motive with picking this model to feature this week - I happened to be lurking on the Breyer website last night, and noticed the Breyerfest ticket photos have been updated (look in your order history, if you've ordered tickets in the past) - and look what I found!



It's a thumbnail, but I like what I can see of the chestnut Marwari! It looks like he has the original mane, too - there was some speculation on Blab that Breyer might mix and match his mane and tail from the 2015 Breyerfest release, Haute Couture - but I'm going to guess they'll leave him with the original mane/tail. Can't wait to see more updates!

The Classic Liam is getting some love!

Looks like some of the 2017 new releases are starting to show up! Breyer's website has a new Classic Black Beauty on Sir Buckingham/Liam!


He certainly looks dashing in black! There's been some murmurings on Blab about 2017 being the 140th anniversary of the novel's publication; perhaps he was produced to commemorate that? I guess we'll see. He's very reasonably priced ($14.95!), which comes to about $20 with shipping. Not bad! I ordered one - too bad he wasn't on the website yesterday so I could bundle him with Yasmin and Django. 

There are also rumors/photos floating around of a couple of other new Classics releases - a chestnut Liam and a bay/roan Appaloosa Mesteno. I'll refrain on posting more of those until we get official announcements - but the chestnut Liam has me excited! I'll definitely be tracking him down. I hope we get a new Gretel and/or Hansel, too!

Finally, Yasmin is available to order!

I knew it was a good idea to wait on ordering Django! Yasmin is finally available now:



I'm looking forward to getting this girl - every time I look at her I like her a little more. Hopefully she looks just as nice when I get her unboxed! And I'll get my Django at the same time. Looking forward to seeing the final 2016 Premier Club release in the flesh (as it were)!

Definitely still crossing my fingers for a new draft mare and foal next year, though!

Django is now available for purchase!

Django, the last release in the 2016 Stablemate Club, is now available on the website!



"Meet Django! Sculpture and decoration design by Josine Vingerling, exclusively for members of the 2016 Breyer Stablemates Collectors Club! This lovely Friesian cross is a beautiful mahogany bay tobiano pinto and will be an exciting new addition to your Stablemates collection."

I can't wait to add this handsome guy to my collection - he's so stately and dignified! And I like his paint job, too - pinto, but minimal. He'll be a popular one, I bet. I wonder if he'll be one of the single-day Stablemates at Breyerfest next year? That would be pretty cool.

So,  this release wraps up the inaugural year of the Stablemate Club. I didn't have many complaints about the club other than the lack of releases I wanted to keep - but that was always the risk, given the large number of Stablemate molds available and the also-large number of molds I don't collect. A heads-up last January about Primrose being delayed to February would have been nice - we'll see if that happens again. So, here's hoping next year's SMC is a success! All I want from it is more releases I'll keep.

I'm going to hold off on ordering my Django - hopefully Yasmin comes up for order soon so I can combine shipping on them, because sheesh. At this rate they'll be shipping out the bonus Stablemate before Yasmin, and mine will get sent to the wrong address because I presold my Shannondell.

Hopefully it doesn't come to that, though. Crossing my fingers that Yasmin will be available soon!

Special Run Longhorn Bull - Olaf!

There's a new special run on Breyer's website - Olaf, an "alabaster" Longhorn Bull:



"Beautiful Olaf has delicate body shading, tan hooves, subtle growth ring shading on his horns and a rich high gloss finish!
Limited to just 350 pieces, this glossy alabaster bull is a rare Breyer livestock special run.
Get Yours Today, While Supplies last!"

I don't know if I'd really call that color alabaster - at least, not in the historical Breyer sense. Interesting that it doesn't appear to be limited to Collector Club members, nor do you have to enter to be drawn for it. The price is about average - $145, but the fine print says this guy is excluded from all discounts. I don't collect the animal molds, so I won't be buying one. The piece count is high enough that most everyone who wants one will likely be able to get one - and I wonder if this means Breyer is planning a larger run on the Longhorn sometime in the near future. Time will tell!

New 2017 Classics posted!

Finally, something new and exciting to report! Two new Classics releases for next year were revealed today! Firstly, the 2017 Classics Horse of the Year, Bella:

And secondly, a Unicorn release named Forthwind:



I am...ambivalent about both of these releases. Bella, sculpted by Kathleen Moody, looks like an upscaled G2 Thoroughbred, and her right foreleg looks weird to boot. Forthwind is a nice color (despite his name, which makes me feel like someone meant to type Forthwith and hit the wrong keys), but I've never been into the Mandrake mold. Swing and a miss, I guess.

Featured Model - 12/3/2016, Rachel Alexandra

Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model from my collection, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's victim is...Rachel Alexandra!




This model, item number 1429, was a regular run from 2010-2011. She was a portrait of the champion racehorse Rachel Alexandra, on the Ruffian mold sculpted by Sue Sifton. Rachel Alexandra is one of my favorite racehorses, so I was happy to add her model to my collection! I enjoyed following her daughter Rachel's Valentina's racing career and was sad to hear of her retirement this past July. But, at least she retired sound and healthy!

I really like the Ruffian mold - she's another one I wish I had a few more of (though she is a little too big to fit comfortably in my photo tent). She's a fairly popular mold, as evidenced by the high eBay  prices of most of her releases, and she's been used as a web special an unprecedented three times.

There does tend to be some degree of variability in how she sits on her stand - some are tilted forward or backward more than others, and the metal peg in her planted foot can bend rather easily, as I found out when I put my new Rags to Riches on the shelf and noticed how much she was leaning compared to the others. But I don't think this mold will have the same degree of "droop" that I've noticed with my Show Jumping Warmbloods (a subject I addressed here), because the model's weight is distributed better.

As I said earlier, this model gets used with some frequency - along with the three web special releases, she was also this year's Halloween model Poltergeist, and is currently being used in the regular line as American Pharoah (and was Black Caviar before that). So she's definitely gotten plenty of love in the last few years! All the same, I wouldn't mind seeing her used at Breyerfest next year - the more Ruffians in my house, the merrier!

Grab Bags (yawn) and Free Shipping Weekend!

Another month, another round of grab bags!



This time they're Collector Club grab bags. There are three different grab bags - each containing $219 of items, all for the low, low price of $135! I won't be buying one - grab bags haven't been worth it in years, IMO - but good luck if you do!

Breyer is also doing another free shipping weekend on purchases over $25 - and the grab bags count toward it! So there's that, I guess.

That's it for this week - hopefully we get some exciting announcements next week!

More new arrivals!

The Bravo I managed to snag from the early Black Friday sale is here!



I was a bit nervous that my order would be canceled, so I didn't want to say anything until he showed up. Yes, I took off the blue ribbon sticker; it would have eventually peeled off his glossy finish anyway, and I'm not really into stickers on models. He's really nice quality, though - I didn't see anything warranting a return. Yay!

Another recent arrival is the one splurge I allowed myself after selling Dixon (the rest of that money went to pay down my credit card):



One of my goals this year was to increase the number of Susecion/Le Fire sets in my collection, and I'd say that's been a success so far. I had two sets at the start of the year; now I have seven. I'll have to start thinking about what next year's goals are going to be! In the meantime, the Susecions and Le Fires will always have a place on my shelves.

I'm still waiting to hear when Yasmin will be available for purchase...I would really hope it's this week, since Breyer appears to have missed their "November" goal. Hurry up and release her already!