Javiers and a Rowan

 Greetings, readers! My Javiers and Rowans have arrived! Well, okay, they've been here for a few days now, but it took me a while to get a chance to write this post. Alas, one of the Rowans (the stallion) went back to Breyer because of an unfortunate paint issue, but the other one is here to be admired! Behold!

As usual, she's not as yellow in real life as she is in the photos. 

She's so pretty! 

I definitely like the mare version better than the stallion version. 

My stallion Rowan had to go back because it turns out you shouldn't be able to just scratch the paint off the horse with your fingernails. Who knew, right? Anyway, hopefully I get a new one in a reasonable time frame. 

Anyway, let's move on to my Javiers! I got a matte one from my Stablemates Club membership, and then the second one I bought turned out to be glossy! Woohoo! 

They look great together.

I'm also super glad they finally used the G3 Peruvian Paso in the club. Seems like this mold is kinda underused? Only one Breyerfest release and I don't think he's ever been a unicorn either. We want more Pasos! 

Quality-wise they're both pretty nice, although the glossy one has more prominent eyewhites. He looks like he's seen some things, man. Well, he can have a nice life with me from now on. 

Breyerfest Closeups: Madonna

 Greetings, readers! Today I bring you another Breyerfest Closeups post - this time featuring Madonna, this year's final Stablemates Club model! Behold: 

As a reminder: while Madonna looks like the PAM, she technically isn't a PAM. She's a scan of the original Hagen-Renaker Zara that the original PAM was based on. With permission from H-R, Breyer scanned a Zara and then shrunk her down to Stablemate size. 

While I do like the PAM, and had a few examples of her at one time, I sold them off for shelf space eventually. So I'm thinking about keeping my Madonna, since shelf space (probably) won't be an issue with her. 

I hope the legs are less warped on my example, though. The PAM is known for having a warped left front leg upon her return to the Breyer line in the 1970s, but I don't think Zara had the same issue (or did she?). But that left rear leg looks wonky too. 

I'm interested to see what other colors Breyer is planning to put on this mold in the future. Just as long as they don't use her or the mini Othello for a best custom prize or something...

That's it for today, but tune in again soon for another Breyerfest Closeup! 

Javier is now available!

 Attention, Stablemates Club members! Javier, the next release, is now available to order! 

They're doing the gambler's choice matte/glossy thing again, so you won't know which finish you got until you open the package! I'll be looking to buy an extra one so I can try to get both of them! I'm going to hold off on ordering mine for a few days though, in case the next Premier Club release pops up too. 

Breyerfest Closeups: Remaining Stablemates Club Models

 Greetings, readers! It's time for another Breyerfest Closeups post! Small side note: The Breyerfest 2025 second chance sale was today! Congrats to everyone that managed to snag something - I was too slow for a YOLO and the Ties that Bind that was in my cart got yanked out before I could pay for it. Par for the course, I guess. Also, turns out Breyer wanted that extra Shindig back after all, so I sent that back yesterday. Anyways, let's get started with the closeups! 

I'm starting with Javier, because I'm pretty sure he's going to be the next release and he should be available any day now. I can't remember if we knew he's being released in matte and glossy? Probably randomly shipped, as per usual. Anyone want to trade their extra one for a Spencer? 

They look pretty nice, all things considered. 

I can't remember the name of the gambler's choice release, but here they are! I don't want any of them, but the blue Appaloosa one is pretty cool. Maybe we'll see it on something else someday. 

The gambler's choice is usually the second-to-last release, so we'll probably see these guys sometime in October. 

I'm ending things here for now, but make note of that Madonna in the photos (the mini Pam/Zara) - she'll be featured next! Tune in next time for more Breyerfest Closeups! 

Whoa, lots of stuff today!

 Lots of exciting new things to announce today, people! Firstly, if you're a Vintage Club member, the next release has been announced! It's the Classic Mustang Family in three exciting colors! 

The three colors are old-style gray Appaloosa, old-style red roan and charcoal. I like the charcoal set the best, though I'm not planning on buying this set. They'd better be careful - that Appaloosa mare and foal both have a little bit of Sharpieloosa going on with their spots. Maybe the actual production versions will look better. Naturally, these sets will be randomly shipped, so you won't know which one you get until you open them up. Isn't blind-bag everything fun? 

Secondly, the third release of the 2025 Stablemates Club is now available! Say hello to Spencer! 

The color is nice, but once again this isn't anything I need to buy, so if you'd like to purchase him from me, let me know. 

Lastly for today, there's another sneak peek on the blog! Behold:

I've seen speculation of it being Fireheart, Hamilton, Llywellyn and a few other molds, but nothing definitive - and I don't have a good guess myself either. It's probably the live show grand prize model, and since they used the Clydesdale Stallion for the reserve grand, I'd guess it's another less-popular mold, but who knows for sure. We'll find out tomorrow! I hope we get to see more auction models tomorrow too! 

Lastly, Breyer answered someone's question on Facebook about this year's first Premier Club release with "next week," so if you're in the Premier Club, you'd better start getting your wallet ready! I know I'm eager for those Cosimo models to be released already! 

Alana is here!

 Good news, readers! My Stablemates Club model, Alana, arrived today! Behold:

Isn't she pretty? 

I love her soft white basecoat and the contrast with her black markings. And the shading in her tail! Wish her braids were less-slightly-sloppy, though. 

I have no idea how they pulled off that itty-bitty blue eye, but I love it! 

Quality-wise, her planted front leg is slightly warped and she's got some minor booboos, but nothing major. Slightly fuzzy edges of markings and things of that nature. I'm tempted to show her, but I'm sure there'll be 50 others at my next show, so maybe sometime in the future. 

Alana and River City Live show report!

 Attention, Stablemates Club members! The second release in this year's club, Alana, is available for purchase! 

What a beauty! I can't wait to add her to my collection. 

In other news, I attended the River City Live model horse show in Indiana last Saturday, and here's how I did! 

The show awarded mugs and Stanley cups instead of rosettes, so just imagine that that mug is a rosette. Huzzah! This was probably my most successful show so far. Here's one of my happiest moments: 

I've been doggedly bringing my Via Lattea to almost every show I've attended for the last year, and prior to Saturday she'd placed anywhere from third to sixth almost every time, but never better than third. I thought about changing her name to Old Reliable because she usually was at least in the ribbons. But on Saturday she got second in her class! Huzzah! 

Other highlights:

• I've been trying to put a little more thought into my breed assignments, because my collection of green NAN cards is/was sorely lacking, and one of the fruits of that labor was my glossy Namid winning her class as a Murgese! Okay, I'll admit Cosimo is the only reason I know the Murgese breed exists, but I'll take it. 
• I almost didn't bring my new Mallorca, but stuck him in his box and took him along and he not only won his class (for collectibility), but got reserve champion for the Spanish/Gaited section! 
• My Churchill won his class as a Norwegian Dole, which has happened before, but this time he got reserve champion in the section and got his name (Ricky Spanish) announced out loud. The judge recognized the reference and whispered it, which was pretty great. 
• I entered my no-stand Fight Song (I refuse to type out that entire name) as a Mustang and he also won his division! This was totally unexpected. 

All in all, it was a pretty great show, other than my Stablemate show string almost completely flopping (again). Starting to think about giving up on showing them as they don't seem to do very well most of the time. Back to the drawing board, I guess! My next show will be Bluegrass Live on May 10, so I have a lot of planning to do! 

A plague on both your houses!

 Hark, readers! The first Stablemates Club release of the year, Mercutio, approaches! 

Gird thy wallets and head over to yon website to purchase! But don't dally too long - the purchase deadline is 2/21. 

December 2024 Collector Club Newsletter and more reveals!

 Hark, readers! The December Collector Club Newsletter approaches! If you’re a Collector Club member, check your email for more. There’s a giveaway of a full set of 2023 Premier Club models, a preview of some of Breyer’s offerings for next year (all stuff we’ve seen except for the Western Horse, which we haven’t officially seen yet but was part of the leaks earlier this week), and this sneak peek:

The photo appears to be something mildly scandalous the new Longhorn Bull for 2025, according to Facebook. Speaking of the 2025 releases, word on the street is that Breyer has decreed that they not be released until Jan. 1. So presumably I’ll have a lot of things to talk about that day! Huzzah.

In other news, the gambler’s choice model for the 2025 Stablemates Club has been released! Say hello to Chickadee(s)!

The colors are nice, but I don’t collect the Dungaree mold, so this means I can get away with one Stablemates Club membership for yet another year! It’s a Christmas miracle. I was sure they’d pick something like mini Fireheart or Georg for next year, since they seem to be going all out for the 75th anniversary. 

In other other news, another silhouette has been revealed on the Breyerfest Blog!

Yay, the customized G2 Thoroughbred isn’t going to disappear into the ether, never to be seen again! I’m pretty sure this is another Stablemate single-day model. What are they even called now that single-day tickets aren’t a thing anymore? I don’t have my Breyerfest programs handy to check. Anyway, this is another one I’m going to have to pick up, so I’m 2 for 4 so far. Watch the next two turn out to also be things I want, to make up for not wanting any of them in 2024. Well, bring on the reveals!

Another Stablemates Club reveal, Cosimo and Christmas surprise (oh my!)

 Well, it’s been a crazy weekend of reveals! Quite a lot of things have been revealed, actually - like next year’s regular run releases, but those will supposedly be officially revealed tomorrow, so I’m going to wait until then to talk about them. But in the meantime, we also got to see another 2025 Stablemates Club release! Say hello to Alana, who can be seen here. I’m not at home and my tablet isn’t cooperating, so you’ll have to view the links to see the models. Anyway, Alana is very promising! Another release I’ll have to join the club for. I love her turquoise braids! So that just means we have one more reveal to go - the gambler’s choice for next year. I’ll wait on joining until we see what that is. Hopefully it’s on a mold I don’t want so I can just get one membership like I’ve been doing for the past few years, but we’ll see.

We also got an unprecedented third Premier Club reveal! They teased a sketch of the model yesterday and then revealed a cropped photo today, which can be seen here. I definitely like what I see! But I do like a nice Roman nose on a horse, so it’s not surprising. I also like black horses! So he’s probably going to stay with me. Dare I hope we get to see the Stablemate next? Hahaha. I’ll hold out on joining until he very end of the year, just in case. I don’t think we should necessarily expect to get this many reveals next year, though - I suspect it’s a 75th Anniversary thing and we’ll be back to normal at the end of next year. I hope I’m wrong, though! It would be great to be able to see all the releases in advance every year.

Lastly, Breyer sent out an email today that this year’s Christmas surprise will be revealed tomorrow at 1pm EST! So I’ll have to haunt the Breyer website tomorrow to see what it is. My guess is some type of Fell Pony, but who knows. I think I guessed her last year and it turned out to be Huck. Guess we’ll find out tomorrow! Good luck to everyone! 

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! 

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! 

Lots of things to post about today!

 Well, we had a little bit of a dry spell the last few days- but it was definitely broken today! First off: 2024 Stablemates Club members can now order Augustus, the last release in the club: 

I'm excited for this little fellow! The optional release, the Hadley and Holden set, is also available:

I'll be ordering both of these releases, though I only want the Standing Foal version of Holden. Let's hope my luck is in with that one. 

In other news, we got another reveal for the 2025 Stablemates Club today! Behold, Spencer:

Pretty color, but I'm not interested in the mold, so he'll be for sale. 

Lastly, registrations for various BreyerMidWest activities will go on sale this Wednesday at 1pm EST! I'm tentatively considering attending this year so I can get a glossy Marc of Charm, so I may end up reporting from the event just like Breyerfest! We'll see. 

That's it for today - let's hope we get more exciting reveals soon! And the last Premier Club release! 

November Collector Club Newsletter!

 Good news, readers and Collector Club members! The 2024 Collector Club newsletter is out in the wild! If you're a Collector Club member, check your email to read it. Firstly, the feature story is "A Closer Look at 2025 Specialty Clubs," which offers, among other things, a turntable video of Winnifred, the first Premier Club release of 2025. Here's the thumbnail:

Ehh...I'm thinking, "Nah," on this one. I like her head from certain angles, but that's about it. The rest of her doesn't really appeal to me, nor does the mealy/pangare coloring. Better luck with the next one, I guess. 

Excitingly, there's also a turntable video of Madonna, the PAM/Zara release in the 2025 Stablemates Club! Here's a more-different angle of her: 

I'm toying with the idea of keeping her just for the novelty - and really, she's one Stablemate, so it's not like I don't have room for her. I'm somewhat irritated that it turns out she's the "new sculpture" for 2025's club - I thought she was the first release! So we won't even get her for another year. Happily, there's a reveal of another 2025 Stablemates Club model! 

Cute! He's almost like a mini version of Churchill, though the whites are different. I was already planning on joining the club, but this guy definitely makes it easier! 

That's about it for the feature story, but there's also a giveaway of a Hot Cocoa and this sneak peek: 

At first I thought it was something 75th Anniversary related, because of the blue and gold, but then someone pointed out it appears to be some sort of color-shift paint (see the red/purple in the bottom left). So, I have no idea what this is. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long to find out! It's probably the winter decorator web special, but who knows. 

2025 Stablemates Club is now open, and 2025 JAH!

 Good news, readers! Well...some good news...anyways...the 2025 Stablemates Club is now open for enrollment! Behold, a full-body photo of the shrunken HR Zara! 

I don't think I've seen such extensive bloody shoulder marks on a horse before, but I'll assume Lesli Kathman knows what she's doing. Nothing I need to buy, but at least she'll be easy to sell! I'd hold off on joining the club just yet, though - Breyer needs some encouragement to show us the rest of the releases in the club. 

Also, the 2025 JAH is showing up in the wild! If you're a Collector Club member for this year, keep an eye on your mailbox! Here's some pertinent info from it (Photos from Facebook.) 

Clues about the 75th Anniversary Traditional Assortment. I'm assuming this is in the same vein as the 70th Anniversary assortment, with four common models and one chase piece. I'll think about it more later, but I'm going to guess the five molds in question are the Western Horse, Moody ASB, Lonesome Glory, SCO and Esprit. Esprit will be the chase piece, naturally. 

There’s also an ad for next year's Vintage Club! They're getting an actual Clock Horse! This makes a lot of sense. That's a nice color on the...Western Pony? Hmm. Aww, the Fireheart family is on the clock. 

We finally get to see the Premier Club Stablemate! Another matte/gloss split, groan. Apparently the sculpt is a Mindy Berg resin called Dewdrop (or Doolittle?) It’s cool that we’re getting a lying-down model, but doesn’t look like anything I need. It looks like she has Tigerlily’s coat color with Firestorm’s pattern. Neat! 

Y’ALL READY FOR THIS??

 Well, clearly I used the above title too early when I ordered my Tigerlily and Firestorm. Today we have reveals for next year’s Premier and Stablemates Clubs! Apparently these were pages in one of the holiday catalogs that’s being sent out. Are you guys excited yet? I’ll start with the Premier Club:

That’s right, we’re getting a mule! It’s about time we had a new one, though I’m going to reserve judgement on this one until we see some better photos. 

Zomg! It’s a shrunken PAM with a turned head! Or at least that’s what I thought at first, until a particularly astute Blabber pointed out how similar she is to the original Hagen-Renaker Zara that the PAM is based on, using this photo from an eBay listing…

They’re pretty much identical! But how did Breyer get the rights to use Zara? Will they be coming out with more officially-licensed Hagen-Renaker stuff in the future? I believe the company (or what’s left of it) is owned by sometime Breyer sculptor Kristina Lucas Francis, so I’m thinking we may see more in the future. Exciting!

There was also a blurb about the 2025 Vintage Club, but Breyer seems to have an aversion to previews of that club, so no photos. The only pertinent information is that membership numbers are being increased to 1200, which seems like a mistake - most of the releases sell well below cost on the secondary market, and increasing the numbers won’t help that situation.