Close, but no cigar

 Well, I was partially right - I thought the model's name was a reference to them reusing a mold for a Breyerfest Live prize. I got the mold wrong, though. But anyway, say hello to Oops, I Did It Again (ugh). 

What a beauty! He's a little plain-looking, but handsome nonetheless. Goffert was previously used as a live show prize in 2007 when Niagara was the live show grand prize. That was 17 years ago, so I suppose I can forgive them for reusing a mold. 

I'm a little confused by the blog post saying it's the last of the prize model reveals, because theoretically they still need to reveal the sectional glossy prize models for the show? ...Right? We're still getting those? Well, maybe we'll see them next week. Crossing my fingers for anything but a glossy Marc of Charm, because I just don't need that devastation in my life right now...at least until next year when I am definitely going to try to enter the show myself. 

Featured Model - 6/18/2022, Gooitzen fan Teakesyl

 Hark! Featured Model returns, after a 3-week hiatus! Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model I don't own (but this one I do own) that has an interesting story behind it, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is...Gooitzen fan Teakesyl! 

This shiny black pony is item #711177 and was a run of 7,000 (approximately) produced on the Goffert mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. 

While this model is rather common in the model horse world, due to the sheer number of him produced, I picked him because when he was first introduced to the world as the Breyerfest 2014 Celebration Model, he wasn't originally glossy - the promo photo showed a matte black Friesian. This, of course, led to an outcry from collectors, because the mold had already been issued in solid black as its original release, Goffert (never mind the fact that as a portrait of a Friesian, one might expect it to be issued in black more than once). Anyway, this outcry led to all of the Celebration Horses being glossed to make them stand out more (although the original Goffert models were semigloss anyway, plus Goffert was used as a glossy prize model in 2006...so there are a lot of glossy Gofferts out there, from one release or another). I guess this story is only mildly interesting, so I'll have to come up with something better for next week. I am not sure what happened to the original matte Gooitzen, though it was probably glossed. It was also humorous to see the alternate names people came up with for Gooitzen - I was a volunteer that year and the Breyer people just called him Gootz. I remember seeing such names as Gluten von Tinkerbell, or Teakettle. Haha! 

As for Goffert, he was an auction model for last year's Breyerfest...could he be this year's surprise model? I'm leaning more in his direction now that several other molds have more-or-less been ruled out. It's definitely a possibility! Not sure where else I'd expect him to pop up in the near future, except maybe as the next web special (probably not the animal or holiday web specials, though). I guess we'll find out in...less than a month now! Gulp! 

Finally, some auction models!

 Good news, everyone! (Happy 4th!) We have some amazing auction models to drool over! First up, this amazing Ruffian! 

She's described as a, "Glossy Neon Tiger with Blue Interference." Jaw-dropping! Do we have a sale-topper here? I think it's very likely. 

This Lady Phase looks like a test for Pima, am I right? Or maybe the Appaloosa Hero's Welcome? I imagine she'll go high too. 

We finally get an auction model on Vermeer! He's pretty, but I wish we had a different angle to look at - this is pretty much my least favorite angle of his. 

Another Weather Girl auction model! She's definitely a wild color. She almost looks glossy, though I think it's just a trick of the light. Another one I wouldn't mind having in my herd! 

Ooh, a Goffert! He reminds me of a shinier Java. His eye looks like he's scared of something on the ground in front of him. Haha! 

And lastly...

Be still, my heart. It's been a long time since we've had a Susecion/Le Fire release. These may also be sale-toppers. Look at the amount of detail on the mare! This pair makes me wish I could find a money tree behind my house! Alas...

That's all they've shown us for today - I hope we get more tomorrow! 

Featured Model - 4/11/2021, Star Fairy

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model I don't own but would like to, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is...Star Fairy! 

This model was an auction model at Breyerfest 2011. He was produced on the Goffert mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. 

While I'm still not a pink fan, I can make an exception for this one. He has a lot of detail for something that looks so simple at first glance. I love his pink shading and the subtle pink dapples on his barrel and hindquarters, plus the painted spiral on his horn. And then the gloss on top! Someone worked hard on this one! It makes me wonder why we've never seen Goffert as a more-attainable unicorn - the horn certainly fits on him. 

Speaking of Goffert, he's been rather absent from the Breyer lineup lately. His most recent releases were a web special in 2018 and a Breyerfest auction appearance in 2019. Where will we see him again? Dare I speculate that he might be this year's Breyerfest surprise model? I would be simultaneously happy and sad about that, since that would be a ton more Gofferts I'd have to get my hands on...but with the artsy theme this year, I'm excited to see what colors Breyer could put on him! 

Florian and Cystalline and Fabio, oh my!

Greetings, readers! My Crystalline model has arrived (as well as Florian and Fabio)! Hooray! Okay, they've all been here for a few days now,  but I've been too busy to post about them until now. First, let's take a look at Florian!

I love that he has the tiniest of blue eyes! It's amazing the kind of detail they can get on Stablemates these days.

He's definitely a handsome guy! He makes a good addition to my G2 Warmblood conga. But this release leaves me wondering which future one is going to be the matte/glossy - the decorator? Or maybe the G2 Arabian? Hmm, that might make all of mine easier to sell. I guess we'll hopefully find out in June.

Next, let's look at Crystalline!

Did anyone else notice Crystalline's box design is identical to Prism's? I thought that was neat. As for Crystalline herself, this one is another home run as far as I'm concerned. She's beautiful!

I love the color transition from blue to purple on her mane. Can we see more of that, please?

I like the way her pink tail fades out to white, too. You know, now that I think about it, it would be fun if Breyer brought some actual "decorator" horses to Breyerfest some year. You know, just take a white (or white-gray) horse and some non-toxic paint/dye and just go to town on it. I'd love to see a real-life Crystalline! Make it happen, Breyer! Maybe that's easier said than done, though...

Anyway, let's move on to Fabio!

Hubba hubba indeed. Splash pinto is definitely a knockout on this model, and he's not nearly as orange as the prototype! And, I love his slightly-pearly tail! Wins all around.

Part of me just wishes he'd been glossy, but I guess we can't have glossy everything. They'll probably gloss one for the Breyerfest silent auction just to spite me.



Florian and Crystalline were both pretty nice quality-wise, but Fabio has a few booboos. Nothing major or worth sending him back over (and the point is moot, because there aren't any replacements left). Lots of things have been selling out lately - is Breyer just that on point with the new releases, or are people just bored at home and looking for things to buy? I guess we'll find out if/when the stay-at-home orders are lifted. In the meantime, keep coming out with the incredible releases, Breyer!

Wow, where do I start with all these reveals?

There have been a ton of new reveals today - maybe Breyer decided to stop holding back on information since the winter doldrums are now over? Well, anyway, I'm not going to complain - I always love the new reveals! I'll start with Crystalline!

In case you don't recognize her, this is the sneak peek that was in last month's Collector Club Newsletter, and I love her! Breyer has really been on a roll with their decorators lately, and this girl is no exception! They're limited to 4,000 pieces (a bit of an increase from the usual 3,000 or 3,500) so it shouldn't be too hard to get your hands on one eventually if you're so inclined. I reserved mine from Golden Oaks, so I can't wait to see what she looks like!

Next, there's a new spring release - Winx!

So we finally get a reveal of that blurry Winx photo from a while back! I'll have to get my hands on one eventually, but I didn't order one just yet - I can wait until later for this one.

Next, we got a reveal of one of this year's Breyerfest raffle models - say hello to Order of the Thistle!

My reaction: be still, my heart. Ugh - I knew this mold had "raffle horse" written all over it - I should have stuck with him as one of my raffle model predictions. He's basically the same color as Champagne Wishes. Hope I can win one...

Lastly, and most excitingly (or devastatingly...) we have the special runs for the now-canceled Seattle Soiree event! First, here's Puget, the Stablemate included with every ticket:

Whew, nothing I need. Wish I could say that about the rest of it. Well, here goes - I'll start with Bellevue and Nirvana:

They are runs of 104 and 96, respectively - ugh! A braided Idocus! If only he were the loose mane and tail, I wouldn't need him! Since his piece count is so high, maybe it won't be hard to get one later...

Next, here's Pinchot and Storm:



Their piece counts are 60 and 52. Ughhhhh, I'm never going to be able to afford Storm. He sure is pretty though! Pinchot is stunning too - I wonder if he's glossy? At least I don't need that one...

And lastly, here are Duwamish and Olympia!



Their piece counts are 48 and 40. I don't need Olympia, but I love Duwamish! Unfortunately, he'll be about impossible to find for a decent price too, but I can always hope.

So I believe the way it works is that the attendees will send in their preferences for Group A (Bellevue and Nirvana) and Group B (the other four). Then they'll be assigned numbers in their respective color groups, a number will be drawn, and then the line "starts" and their preferences will be selected according to their spot in line. Sounds complicated, but maybe this is how the Breyerfest special runs could be distributed if it comes down to it? I suppose I could live with that...maybe. Anyway, congratulations to the lucky would-be attendees! I know I'd love to have had a shot at these. Maybe next time...

More auction goodness!

Exciting news - we got more auction lots on the blog today! Check out lot 16!



Wow, he's stunning! The blog says he was inspired by Labyrinth, the raffle model from 2005 - but in blue! I love his silver mapping and hooves.

Next, lot 17 - a Semi-Rearing Mustang!



The blog says he's yet another liver chestnut. Sheesh, this has to be the fourth one in the auction so far - what's with that? He is really nice, though - I could see him going really high. It's going to be hard to predict this year's top seller with so many great models, though!

Lot 18 is the Live Show Reserve prize Triumph, which we've already seen, so I'll skip to Lot 19 - a Legionario!



I think that's one of the nicest red dun paint jobs I've ever seen. The blog says he was designed by Sommer Prosser, so that would explain why he's so nice. Now if Breyer could figure out how to put that color on a larger release without mucking it up!

Those are all the auction models for today - I wonder if we'll get more on Friday? They have to save something for next week though, don't they?

Featured Model - 11/24/2018, Kashmir

Hello and welcome to yet 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...Kashmir!



This, uh, interesting girl was the second model in Breyer's now-defunct Big Cats web special series, making her debut on the website in 2014. She's item #712112 and was a run of 275 issued on the Goffert mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. Interestingly, the model is a mare, when the original Goffert was a stallion.

The Big Cat series was always, well...I don't know if controversial is the right word. People either loved them or hated them. Kashmir was no different, if I remember right; I don't think she was terribly popular, but I wasn't drawn for her all the same. Fortunately, I was able to snag one later on for close to her original issue price, so I can't complain too much.

I think she turned out pretty well, although I personally would have used Goffert to portray a lion with all his hair. Wouldn't it have been crazy if the molds for Kashmir and Leandro had been switched? Like I said, Goffert would have been a pretty good representation of a lion, where Silver is slimmer, has less hair and would portray the smaller snow leopard pretty well.

Oh well. What we got is what we got. I do like the black tips of her mane, her dark shading, and her green eyes (but how cool would it be if her eyes were even greener?).

Goffert's mold got a lot of use in 2014, what with being used as the Breyerfest celebration model, this release and that year's Halloween model, Night Mare. He was also used for 2016's collector event and popped up as another web special with this year's Gettysburg. Where will he appear next? I suspect he's being given a bit of a rest, but I wouldn't protest if he was used at the 2019 Breyerfest. Hopefully we see him again soon!

Gettysburg is here!

Surprise surprise, Gettysburg has arrived! I wasn't drawn for him at first (but then got pulled from the waitlist), and managed to find one at cost from a kind Blabber. Here he is!



I really like this model! His color is really nice - I like how he isn't just gray all over, but has lighter areas in his mane and tail and lots of shading, and of course his white foot (though I personally would have liked to see a blaze or star, but that's just nitpicking).



I love the stripey, contrasting areas in his mane. He's beautiful! His dapples aren't as soft as some of the other models I've seen photos of, but I can live with that.



Too bad they weren't a bit more subtle, as they definitely have that chicken-wire look going on. Oh well. Here's his face!

His eyes are nicely detailed! He does look like he's got something going on with the tip of that left ear, but otherwise I didn't see anything wrong with his quality (other than the dapples, but that was a foregone conclusion). So, into the collection he goes! Or rather, he'll probably just go into a box, because we're moving again next month (we're buying a house! Yay!). I can't wait to see what web special we get next!

Gettysburg!

Greetings, everyone! We already have our next web special release - Gettysburg!



While I love Goffert, I wonder why they used another dapple gray for the second release in the series? No matter which way you slice it, he's always going to draw comparisons to Wailua. He does have darker points than Wailua did, though, and he isn't glossy of course.

From the website:

Gettysburg's dark dapple grey coat pays homage to the many hues of grey present in Gettysburg National Military Park: from the stone monuments and memorials, to the iron artillery. His belly is marked with "Gettysburg 2018," and he comes with a clear base.

Ah, shades of gray, that makes sense...I guess.

Enter to win him here! He's a run of 350, as usual, and costs $175. Hope I get drawn!

Featured Model - 1/20/2018, Red Carpet Royalty

Hello, readers! 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 model is...Red Carpet Royalty!



This handsome fellow was one of the special runs for Breyerfest 2010. He's item #711115 and was produced on the Goffert mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody in a run of 1,100.

I LOVE this color on Goffert. It's so pretty! How often do we see that rich, glossy red bay on models? Not often enough, in my opinion (and bay isn't even one of my favorite colors). I remain mystified as to why this model isn't more popular. I found mine in the NPOD in 2012, and I'm fairly sure I saw others there for at least a couple of years after that. He's a Moody mold, and 1,100 should have been sufficiently limited. So what gives? Taking a quick look at sold eBay listings, the average price he's been selling for lately is around $75.

The only thing I can think of is that the Goffert mold is considered to be especially cartoonish even for a Moody sculpt, and perhaps he got overshadowed by other things. Among the other special runs were Stage Mom and Child Star, the first time Giselle and Gilen were offered in plastic, and Star Studded, issued on the ever-super-popular Silver mold (and in bay appaloosa, which I swear showed up as a SR line item for like 7 Breyerfests in a row). Other special runs included Technicolor, with his nifty color-shift paint, and Tinseltown on the popular Lonesome Glory mold.

With that kind of competition, I still shouldn't be surprised that Red Carpet Royalty apparently fell by the wayside...and yet he did. It'll have to remain a mystery, I guess. But hobbyists can be fickle, so it may be nothing more than that. In the meantime, he's a welcome addition to my collection, and I look forward to seeing Goffert again (hopefully) soon!

Featured Model - 2/18/2017, Shenanigans

Hello, intrepid readers! 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. The long march of time between Breyerfests is slowly grinding its way onward; join me as I continue my trek through the wastes, buoyed only by the occasional nuggets of information doled out from our cold, unfeeling overlords Breyer headquarters. Why, just this morning I received a missive an email from Breyer promoting the literal dog-and-pony-show coming to this year's Breyerfest and providing a large clue as to the identity of Thursday's teaser photo! But, I digress (sorry, I'm feeling a little dramatic today). This week's Featured Model is... Shenanigans!



This handsome boy was produced in 2006 as one of that year's Connoisseur models, in an edition of 350. He's item number 90136, issued on the cartoony-yet-endearing Goffert mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody.

All jokes aside, Goffert really is quite cartoonish, with ridiculous amounts of hair, but I like him anyway. This color in particular is quite handsome on him, other than the unfortunate greenish tinge to parts of his mane. His rock-star looks lend themselves well to pretty much any paint job; he's practically the definition of "go big or go home." Taskin, Red Carpet Royalty and Labyrinth are all particularly nice -not that any of Goffert's paint jobs have been bad. Of course, my ultimate grail on this mold would be the Star Fairy auction model from 2011, despite my dislike for pink. The mold got a lot of use in 2014, but has only popped up once since then, as Mason from the Chasing the Chesapeake event. Let's hope he gets another regular run release soon, or even shows up at this year's Breyerfest!

And speaking of Breyerfest, the email I got earlier introduced audiences to the "Dynamic Duo" of Dally and Spanky, guests at this year's Breyerfest. Seems like I already knew they would be there, but that wasn't the surprise. The email said Dally and Spanky would have "their very own special model set (to be revealed soon!)." So that would explain the S on Thursday's teaser photo. I'm guessing it will be on one of the mini molds, probably either Midnight Tango or the Shetland Pony (accompanied by the JRT companion dog, naturally). The real question is, will they be a tent SR, or something in the pop-up store? We'll have to wait until at least Monday to find out. I won't be buying them either way as I don't collect any of those molds, but it'll still be fun to see what they are! Let's hope they don't make us wait longer than sometime Monday.

Chasing the Chesapeake Day 3: Success! (Mostly)

Whew! We're home from Chasing the Chesapeake. It's been a long day - but totally worth it!

After we finished having breakfast in the restaurant, we packed up our stuff and then headed downstairs to wait for our time to go through the boutique line. I'd been fretting for the past two days that we would get another terrible draw and end up with four Masons like last year...but that didn't happen! I ended up being toward the middle of the line, and my husband was 10 people behind me. He did get stuck with two Masons, but one of them will stay here, so...yay! More importantly, I was able to grab a Black-Eyed Susan and Raven. Sagamore Rye was #1 on my list, so I was sad not to get him, but definitely happy I was able to get the other two.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take individual photos of my models before we packed them back up and gave them (happily) to the UPS people who were in residence. Very handy of Breyer to have them there, as it saved us the bother of finding an open UPS location to ship everything back before we went to the airport. So, anyways...here are some group photos I took of the special runs that were on display. Firstly, the two I didn't get:

I used to collect the Shire Mare mold, but sold my three examples of her last year needing more space.

Next, the three SRs I did get:

And lastly, a moderately-better photo of Dixon, my centerpiece raffle model:

While we were buying models today, a Breyer staffer confirmed that these models were made from the last of the old Halla whiteware they dug up in the warehouse. So, that makes her pretty special! I don't collect Halla/Bolya anymore either (again, needed more space), so she will probably be for sale at some point.

After we were done buying ponies and having them shipped home, we headed back to the airport and our two flights home. So, it was definitely worth the trip! I hope I can attend the next one of these events!

More detailed analysis of the event models will come when they arrive here and I can provide better photos. Stay tuned!

Chasing the Chesapeake Day 1 - Special Runs are Revealed!

Hello all! The first day of Chasing the Chesapeake has arrived, although I've been spending it on planes. Currently we're in traffic trying to get to the hotel, but never fear! The word is out about the special runs for this event! Photos courtesy of Julia on Blab:

Writing a blog post on a cell phone is maddeningly frustrating, so if the formatting on this post ends up weird, that's why. So our special runs are not at all what I thought they would be; I don't think a single one really relates to the theme other than Chesapeake and the Stablemate. Speaking of the Stablemate, here he is (his name is Cecil):

While he does somewhat fit the theme, I don't collect this mold, so both of ours will be for sale. 

So, of the available special run options, I will be after Mason, Sagamore Rye, Raven and Black-Eyed Susan. If I'm remembering correctly, the quantities of these models are the same as the ones at Sweet Home Chicago this year. I really, really hope Breyer limits people from buying all the rare ones first, because if we get bad line draws again and end up with four Masons like last year, I am NOT going to be pleased. Maybe I'm just grumpy because I haven't really slept in the last 24 hours? Who knows. 

So those are the only updates I currently have. I will try to update again when I hear what tonight's raffle models are, if I don't suffer a rage-induced coronary from Blogger's total failure to make its software work on the mobile site. Argh!