Mini Fireheart is here!

 Good news, everyone - my 2021 Premier Club Stablemate, Mini Fireheart, is finally here! Behold! 

I just couldn't resist putting him on his full-size counterpart. And they're a pretty decent match! 

He does make a good Stablemate, that's for sure.

I've seen a lot of reports of bad mane masking, and mine has decent masking on his left side, but not-so-good masking on the right side. His tail is reasonably well-masked, though. 

Quality-wise, the paint job isn't bad other than the masking, but the bigger issue is...this.

His chest is so pinched he's practically caving in at the shoulder, and his whole left front leg is angled outward as a result. These photos aren't in focus (apologies), but you can still see how bad that shoulder/leg are.

I'm tempted to request a replacement for him, but considering Breyer still hasn't fixed that issue where the Stablemate gets shipped to the address the last release of the year shipped to, no matter how fast you delete the address from your account, and I had to leave a message with Breyer to get the address changed (kudos to them actually doing it without my having to call them again), I'm not sure it would be worth the effort. So I'll have to think about it for a while. These pinched chests have been a problem for a while (I'm reminded of the pinched Alborozos from the Stablemates Club a couple years back), so it would be good to bring a little more awareness to the issue. 

Premier Club Stablemates, Sandman and Robin and Nestling!

 Exciting news today, everyone - first off, if you were a member of last year's Premier Club (and completed all your purchases), check your Collector Club account, because the freebie Stablemates (mini Fireheart, if you remember) are starting to ship! Be sure to check that they're using the correct shipping address, because pretty much anyone who sold their Firefly and Hawkeye sets and had them shipped directly to someone else, is now having their Stablemate shipped to that address. Including myself...so I attempted to call Breyer's customer service today, but only got an answering machine. Hopefully I can get ahold of them before my Stablemate ships! Good luck, everybody! 

In other news, the next Vintage Club release has been revealed - but won't be available to purchase until later this month. If you're a member of the Vintage Club, check the VC blog for more information. In the meantime, here's Sandman! 

Smoky was used as the silhouette in the advertisements for this year's VC, so seeing him here isn't too surprising. That's a nice color, though - too bad I'm just not a Smoky fan. Now, if they'd just tell us what the rest of the releases are so we can stop wondering....

In other other news, the selections for Robin and Nestling went out today as well! Congrats to everyone that was picked - I didn't enter, so they won't be coming here. Hope they get shipped out soon! 

Whoa! Did not see that coming.

 Well, the optional (or bonus) model for the 2022 Stablemates Club has been revealed, and...what a doozy! 

Say hello to Helios! Though with that paintjob, he should have been called Hades. I'm definitely going to have to get my hands on him! I'm not crazy about his horn for some reason - I feel like it's not differentiated from his forelock enough. But that could just be me. I'm still rather conflicted about whether I want to actually join the club, because if it turns out I don't like whatever the new mold is, that means I'll be selling off all of them except the Fjord, and waiting almost a year to buy Helios. Bleh. I suppose I should just join and get it over with. 

Speaking of getting it over with, the final release in the 2021 Premier Club is finally available to purchase! 

We have until 1/12 to purchase them, so don't feel pressed for time. I'm glad they gave us a long purchase window, so we can have a chance to recover from Christmas. 

And lastly, my Chalice is here! 

Well done, Breyer. If the Premier Club models were this quality, no one would have anything to complain about. He's pretty much flawless and the amount of detail in his paint job is incredible. He's beautifully shaded, his masking is very intricate and perfectly applied, and he even has teeny eyewhites! 

I'm happy that he came with a satin bag, as well - I wish the Stablemates Club would go back to the bags. 

Too bad we have to wait a year to see the Deluxe Collector Club Stablemate for next year. Oh well - he'll have some pretty big (or small?) shoes to fill, going by how Chalice turned out. 

Astrid is here!

 Greetings, readers! I hope everyone had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. It's been pretty slow around here for the last few days, arrivals-wise - I didn't buy Brunhilde or enter for Midas, but I do have one more new arrival - Astrid! Not sure what, if anything, else is going to be arriving in the near future. 

There's been a lot of commentary about this one on The Internets, mostly centering around how narrow she is through the chest (horribly narrow for something as beefy as Fjords tend to be) and just how small she is (though Fjords aren't huge, they're usually a little bigger than this). 

I haven't managed to get my hands on a matte one yet, but I'm sure there's one out there somewhere. Her paint job is, of course, more simplistic on the plastic models than it was on the resin prototype - story of our lives, really. 

Quality-wise she's quite nice, although that eye does leave something to be desired. I really like the way her tail flows, though, and it'll be interesting to see what Breyer does with her next. I'm sure she'll probably be a raffle model for next year's Breyerfest - and there have been some mutterings around the seams around her mane - perhaps she's rigged for a mane change? I wouldn't be too surprised if she is, considering there are only about five shades of dun out there, which kind of limits Breyer if they want to do more than that handful of colors on this mold and then call it a day. Ha! 

Anyway, not much else to report around here - I did get my winter catalog, but there's nothing in it we haven't already seen. I got my yearly JAH as well, and aside from one small tidbit (next year's Ideal AQH is a palomino), there wasn't anything new in that either. I guess we'll have to go back to pouncing on whatever scraps Breyer is willing to throw us over the next couple of months. Hopefully we get some exciting new reveals soon! 

It's a Christmas miracle!

 Exciting news for your Monday, everyone - we have an announcement about Brunhilde - check her out! She's the second Collector Club special run for 2021.

Okay, this isn't a full-body shot, but there's one in the yearly JAH, I promise. And in a stunning turn of events, she isn't actually available yet - this is from a heads-up email from Breyer! She'll be available tomorrow at 1pm EST. Now if they could just start doing this for all their releases (maybe stagger the timing a bit, though)! I'm not a Wixom collector, and mealy bay is one of my least favorite horse colors, so I'll be sitting this one out - but good luck to everyone who wants her! I wish I had the space for some Wixoms....but anyway. 

In another stunning turn, Astrid, the second Premier Club release, is finally available! We've been waiting so long I'd almost forgotten she was coming at all! 

Unfortunately, the glossy one looks a  bit freakish in the above photo, but don't let that stop you from ordering - Breyer's promo photos are notoriously bad, and the matte one in this photo is pretty clearly the resin prototype, with the prototype paint job. I'm sure they'll look fine when we get them in hand (at least, let's hope so). Can't wait to see my glossy girl! And I need to get my hands on a matte one, as well...

The news is coming fast and furious!

 More exciting news today, everyone - firstly, there's going to be a Breyerfest second-chance sale for All-Access ticket holders after all! Huzzah! 

According to the email, the remaining SR horse are the 7 Arts Surprise, Gran Cavallo, Peche Merle and Tassili. But quantities are limited, so if you want to buy any of these models, you'll have to enter a lottery to have your name drawn. I'm hoping to buy another 7 Arts Surprise model just for the heck of it, so hopefully I get drawn to buy one. Especially since my VIP second chance Ansel came today and was the regular blue roan one...bleh. Good luck to everyone! 

Secondly, and possibly more excitingly, this year's third Premier Club release has finally been revealed! Say hello to Firefly and Hawkeye, sculpted by Morgen Kilbourne: 

I wanted to like them, but...as I've said before, I'm not really into stock horses...

I like the foal more than the mare, but not enough to want to split up the set. For reasons I don't want to get into here, I need to be looking for excuses to keep the herd from growing, if not outright shrinking it, so these guys are going to have to move onto another home. 

I guess I was really hoping this set would be a draft mare and foal instead, so the poor Clydesdale Foal could finally have a playmate after 52 years (going on 53 now, since we're not getting one this year). But, it's good that I don't feel the need to add these to my collection - my wallet will thank me. 

Lastly, the same email that announced this pair said Astrid is going to be available to ship shortly! I can't wait to see mine! I ordered a glossy one, so I'm sure I'll be on the hunt for a matte one eventually. Let's see her, Breyer! 

Fireheart Delayed

 Welp, it looks like the first Premier Club release of the year, Fireheart, has been delayed per an email I got from Breyer this afternoon. They don't expect to get Fireheart in stock until mid-June, so we can all put our pocketbooks away for a while (only to get them right back out for Crane, if drawn). Darn it, that gives the model more time to grow on me and possibly find a place in my collection. Nooooo....

Astrid: matte or glossy?

 As I (and many others) suspected, Astrid will be released in matte and glossy finishes when she comes out later this year! Behold: 

(We'll just pretend it's an actual photo of a glossy model and not an iffy Photoshop...)

I'm attempting to trade my Fireheart for an Astrid since I only have one Premier Club account, so I'm not sure which finish I'll get on my account. I wonder if matte would be the better choice? Seems like most of the chatter I've seen says they're getting a glossy. I guess I still have a few days to decide. Anyway, I'm excited to see this girl in person! 

Old Glory and Astrid!

 Whoa, I guess I hit the post button too fast on my previous blog entry. The reveals are coming fast and furious today! This year's spring decorator model has been announced - say hello to Old Glory! 

Huh, interesting. I'm sure any resemblance to Homelander or some character from Watchmen is purely coincidental...or maybe I'm just being influenced by my own recent TV escapades. In any case, I couldn't order one fast enough! He isn't going to be limited like previous spring decorators - similar to what Breyer has been doing with Sassy and Lafayette, there will be an initial batch arriving soon and then more later. I'm excited to see what this guy looks like in person! 

Our other exciting reveal is this year's second Premier Club model, Astrid! 

My impression: ooh, me likey. 

I definitely like this one. The website says there will be an exciting update on Astrid later this week - I'm guessing we'll get to choose a matte or glossy finish for this one. I'll probably opt for the gloss on mine - anyone want to trade a matte Astrid for another Fireheart? Surely there's someone out there that would be interested...

The last few sneak peeks!

 Good news, everyone! If you're somehow still on the fence about joining next year's Stablemates Club, Breyer put out a couple more sneak peeks today! (If you already rejoined, you won't have gotten these emails). Check out next year's optional release - it's actually two models! 

Yes - those are the two new foal molds that made their debut with the new Mystery Foal Surprise and Suncatcher Stablemates sets this year. Cute! I'll definitely need them for my shelves!

There's also a sneak peek of the new mold for next year! 

Looks promising so far! Kinda looks like a mini Ashquar, really. I bet this one would make a good companion for Darley! 

There's also a new view of the first Premier Club release for next year, Fireheart:

Oh boy...this mold is really trying to grow on me. No, I must resist! I like his back end but not his front end! I don't have enough shelf space! I could presell him for a lot of money! I...whew. Okay, I think I'm over it. 

He's really got an attitude, doesn't he? Rawr. 

But anyway...happy New Year! Don't let the door hit you on the way out, 2020. Sheesh! 

Just a small update

 So an email went out from Breyer yesterday about next year's Premier Club. The subject line said it contained a new hint about the club! Turns out there's a mare and foal set in next year's club! Huzzah! So that means it was sculpted by either Maggie Bennett or Morgen Kilbourn. I like mare and foal sets, but I don't generally like Morgen's style (Bristol is the exception), so I hope Maggie sculpted them. Nothing against Morgen or anything. 

Also, I guess next year's Kid's Club horses are being sent out after all! I saw a picture of one on Facebook. Well, I definitely need to get my hands on one eventually! 

2021 Premier Club memberships, and more fun stuff!

 Oops...well, I forgot to make a post about the 2021 Premier Club yesterday, so here it is today instead. Membership in the 2021 Premier Club is now open! Here's another look at Fireheart, the first release in the club: 

Okay, this angle is making him grow on me a little bit...but I don't think it'll be enough to save him. I'll join the club regardless, though - can't miss out on those new releases. Anyway, you can join the Premier Club here (must be a 2021 Collector Club member). 

In other news, there's a series 4 of the Unicorn Crazy blind bag series at Walmart! More blind bags...ugh. Can 2021 be the last year of the blind bags, please? And most of the molds in it are the same ones being used as before - the G2 Clydesdale, Alborozo, Mini Magnolia and the G3 Arabian. Yawn! I don't have any photos of these I can use yet, but I'll find them eventually. However, the exciting thing about these unicorns is the chase piece! I don't have a photo of him either, but it appears to be a Stablemate version of Prince Charming, a resin from Breyerfest 2011: 

While I'm not personally a fan of Prince Charming (of the three resins from that year, I prefer Avalon), I've always wondered why those resins were a one-and-done deal - surely they could have put those molds to use somewhere else? Well, wonder no more! I wonder if we'll get a full-size version of him or the other two? I guess we'll find out eventually! In the meantime, I have more blind bags to search for...

Intuit is ousted, 2021 Premier Club and Collector Appreciation!

 Okay, first things first: Intuit has been withdrawn by the Bradshaw family as the 2021 Breyerfest Celebration Horse. I think I made my concerns known in my post on Wednesday, so I'm happy that he will not be involved with next year's Breyerfest. While my feelings on the matter have not changed, I do not condone or endorse any of the nasty behavior that happened yesterday, and I hope Breyer puts a little more thought into their next choice of Celebration Horse. Even if you put aside the purposefully-bred terrible conformation of halter horses, Intuit is positive for PSSM and should not be bred. In addition, while Intuit is N/N for HYPP, the Bradshaws have several stallions on their website that are N/H. These horses should not be bred either, and using Intuit as the Celebration Horse would be a tacit endorsement of these kinds of breeding practices. Breyer's official statement on the subject can be found here.

So, what comes next? Clearly another Celebration Horse will have to be selected, but who? My first choice would be Endo the Blind, using the Valegro mold. However, if Endo wouldn't work out, I was intrigued by these Akhal-Tekes I found while searching around for possible alternate Celebration Horses. Check out this stallion, Amadei-Geli (top of the page). Can't you see him on Altynai? His color might be a little too similar to Altynai, though, so there's also this mare, Aykyssa, owned by the same farm (2/3 of the way down the page). She'd certainly qualify as a horse of a different color, and could also be done on Altynai with a little gender modification. In any case, I'm interested to see what Breyer will do next. 

In happier news, we have a reveal of the first release of the 2021 Premier Club. Say hello to Fireheart! 

He's a sooty palomino blanket appaloosa Mustang sculpted by Rayvin Maddock. Here's his other side! 

Honestly, I'm kinda lukewarm on this one, but that's okay - it had to happen sometime, and I can't collect everything. I definitely still plan on rejoining the club, though - and maybe next year's PC Stablemate gift will be in this color, eh? I guess we'll see! 

Oops, I almost forgot. People's Collector Club Appreciation boxes started showing up today, and so far we've seen Dominante and Truly Unsurpassed among the glossed appreciation models. So that means I'm looking for Winx and Dominante! Mine should be here sometime next week.