Featured Model - 3/17/2018, Best in Show Arabian

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 provide commentary about it. This week's model is the Classic Best in Show Arabian!



This model was introduced in 2009 as part of Breyer's Best in Show line, which featured Classic-sized models that sported mohair manes and tails and glass eyes, along with painted horseshoes and a little base to stand on. It was a regular run model (#901), and although IDYB doesn't have info on the sculptor, I seem to remember reading somewhere that it was sculpted by Kathleen Moody.

This was certainly an ambitious undertaking by Breyer (and not a particularly successful one, as we haven't seen any more models in this vein other than the do-it-yourself kits). Mohair has its fans, but hairing models mostly went out of fashion years ago. I can see why people wouldn't like the mohair: it looks like it'd be a pain to keep styled the way you want it, plus it'd be a huge dust magnet (and personally, I just think it's ugly. Same goes for flocky models: ugh). I've seen photos of people's haired models on shelves with plastic bags over them to keep the dust off, but that kind of setup makes me question why you'd even want a haired model. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

So why do I own this model if I don't like mohair manes and tails, you may wonder? Well, as I wrote about in a previous Featured Model, I only started collecting this mold last year after Marigold's debut, and yes, at first I had no plans on adding this particular one to my collection because of the mohair.  But then I started looking at prices on eBay, and well...the models in this series can be obtained pretty cheaply. So I bought one.

He really isn't that bad - his paint job is pretty nice, at least. He definitely has that '80s-style big hair - I named him Fluffy because of it! It'll be interesting to see how the mohair job ages, and his glass eyes are definitely, shall we say, "intense." But that just gives him more character, I guess.

I do like the mold, even if the regular plastic mane it would later be given makes me want to snap it off every time I see it (it just sticks out in a really enticing way). Hopefully we see a fun new release on the mold soon; the fact that it was used at Breyerfest last year gives me hope that we'll see it used for something else soon!

New Arrivals: Indu, Glossy Indu and Marigold

The Breyerfest blues are still going full swing in this household. I can't believe we left for Breyerfest two weeks ago, and we've now been home for almost a week. Where does the time go? I guess time really does fly when you're having fun.

In happier news, I was fortunate enough to be drawn for Zion and Moab, so they'll be on their way here soon. In the meantime, I still haven't had a chance to dig out my camera's battery charger (darn work!), so I took some quick cell phone photos of some of my Breyerfest acqusitions. First up is Indu!

 

There has been a lot of variation within this run, which was to be expected. Some of the models have really obvious, chicken-wire looking dapples, while others (like this one) are more subtle. Shading variations also exist, with lighter and darker models reported.

 

I'm happy that I got a model with subtle dapples (I had 3 at one point in my quest for a glossy), but the quality isn't the best, unfortunately (and this seems to have been common throughout the run). Mine isn't too terrible, but does have some issues.

 

Somehow I didn't even notice that left eartip until I was taking these photos - ugh! Other than that he isn't too bad, he just has some little bits of debris embedded in his finish here and there and his shoes could have been painted a little better. Not anywhere near as bad as that silver splotch on my Acadia, though.  Next: Glossy Indu!

I always try to keep my expectations low for glossy models like this, since they're essentially just taking half the run and spraying some gloss on afterward, flaws or not. But other than his very prominent dapples, this guy actually isn't too bad - some lint in the gloss in a couple of spots and the edge of his left ear looks like it didn't get sanded down very well, but overall he isn't bad.





His shoes are also decently painted, if a little more sloppily than the matte Indu's were. But this model could have been much worse, so I'll take it. The Internets are saying this model was one of many that sold out on Sunday, so clearly he was popular with someone!

And lastly, Marigold!

I love the colors on this little guy, and it sounds like I wasn't the only one - he sold quite well from what I heard, though I don't know if he sold out or not. Even my husband liked him!

Quality-wise, this model is very, very nice. I don't see a thing wrong anywhere on him, despite all those big decals. Someone took their time with this one, and it shows! He's gorgeous.



That's all I have for today - I'll try to get some more photos of my other purchases up this week. Until next time!

Marigold!

Breyer uploaded a gorgeous new special run on the blog today - Marigold!

 

According to the blog, he'll be available in the Breyer Bazaar, aka the pop-up tent, aka the Tent of Despair. I love almost everything about this model - the design, the colors, the nearly-white tail...everything except the mold it's on. And I almost like it enough to want to buy it anyway! He was designed by longtime Blabber Lauren Hoeffer.

 This mold has never really appealed to me before now, and I doubt I'll spend any time waiting in the pop-up tent's (shadeless, and usually terrible) line... but if these show up in the regular Breyer Store at the end of the weekend, I can't guarantee one won't come home with me. So pretty!