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! 

Featured Model - 3/26/2022, Decorator April Fool Khemosausages

  Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model that I don't own but has an interesting history behind it, give some stats on it and provide commentary on it. This week's models are...the April Fool's decorator set of Khemosabis! Behold the awesomeness:

They were produced on the rather infamous Khemosabi mold sculpted by Pam Talley Stoneburner, and were sold as a set at the Breyerfest silent auction in 2014, selling for the princely sum of $2,000. So, $500 each. Seemed about right at the time, but who knows...with today's prices, even these guys would probably sell for an eye-popping amount. 

So what's the story behind the decorator Khemos? They were the focus of a truly epic April Fool's joke in 2014. Breyer posted this photo and jokingly announced that these would be the surprise model at that year's Breyerfest. Everyone (well, almost everyone) had a good laugh about the ridiculous notion that they could possibly be the surprise model (still a bit of a silly notion now - it would probably be the first time in history that almost no surprise models sold at all). After the joke was revealed (APRIL FOOL!), the four sad decorators faded into history - until they showed up at the Breyerfest 2014 silent auction. To be fair, Khemosabi tests are really, really rare, so if you're into collecting those rarities, they might just be somewhere near the top of the heap - but I was perfectly happy to ogle them from a safe distance that year. 

As for poor unloved Khemosabi himself, he's only had three attainable releases since his debut in 1990, and three test models other than the above set, so it's probably safe to say he won't have a new release anytime soon. Now, to be fair - I do like his head and neck, and maybe the shoulder area there (looking at the wedgewood one above). The rest of it though...ehh. I'll also admit that I wanted a Khemosabi when I was a small child, so he clearly did appeal to a few people. Maybe if they gave him a flashy enough paint job, it'd hide all his flaws? Something like Auld Lang Syne, or perhaps one of the coveted rainbow paint jobs? Rainbow, my only weakness! I don't remember if any Khemo tests popped up in last year's Breyerfest broadcast - I hope they go back this year so I can watch for them. There's gotta be at least one, right? 

Featured Model - 1/22/2022, Jump for Joy

 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...Jump for Joy! 

This handsome guy was item #711464. He was a run of 10 and was issued on the Newsworthy mold sculpted by Sue Sifton. 

Jump for Joy was the reserve grand prize for Breyerfest 2014's open show. One was also auctioned off in the live auction and sold for the grand total of $1,100. You know what, I'm not going to complain about how comparatively low the prices used to be; let's just move on. His roan paint style is the one I like the most because it makes the model look like it's made of candy. Mmm! What a handsome boy. The only way to improve him would be if he had the loose mane and tail, but that combination didn't come into wider usage until later on. Still a model I'd love to have in my collection. 

As for Newsworthy himself, he was used in a really great shade of buckskin for Breyerfest 2020, to great effect (especially in glossy!). One wonders if he could be this year's surprise model, though I personally doubt it. We've seen that they'll use models on stands, but we've yet to see a pony as the surprise, and he really wouldn't make any sense with the hint (not that that's stopped them before). He'd make a decent sparrow in the Birds of a Feather web special series, if they could figure out how to make a brown coat interesting - lots of shading, or gloss, or some belly spots or something? Food for thought. Though if they used this photo for inspiration, maybe a liver chestnut or seal bay with splash white? Seal bay would be more dramatic. Sheesh, now I really want one! 

Featured Model - 12/5/2021, 2014 Auction Make a Wish

 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. Oops...I guess Featured Model has been on hiatus a little longer than I thought it was. Carry on, I guess...with the 2014 Breyerfest Auction Make a Wish! 

This model was a OOAK offered at the Breyerfest Live Auction back in 2014. She was done on the Make a Wish mold (head down, loose mane/tail version) sculpted by Kathleen Moody. 

What a beauty! Bay isn't my favorite color, but I do have a bit of a soft spot for red bays with a little bit of white like this. For a comparatively "plain" paint job, she has a lot of attention to detail, and I really like her thin blaze. A quick check of the records shows she sold for...$1800. Too much at the time, but a pretty good bargain now, huh? Let's hope those auction prices get back to a more realistic figure in the future. 

As for Make a Wish, her last appearance was as the brick-and-mortar SR Raia, in a color not too dissimilar from the above auction model. She hadn't been used for a few years before that, so it may be a few years before she's used again in any capacity, but you never know. I hate to sound like a broken record here, but I think she'd make a good Holiday Horse, too. Or perhaps next year's equivalent of Ambrose or Midas? She hasn't been a web special since 2010, so that's a possibility, too. As long as it's something I can get my hands on, I'll be happy! 

Featured Model - 6/12/2021, 2014 Auction Ashquar

 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...the 2014 Auction Ashquar! Before I get started, though, let's have a moment of silence to mark the passing of Janice Cox, the owner/operator of Identify Your Breyer. From what I've heard, she had been in the hospital for the last couple of weeks and passed away yesterday. Her site has been an invaluable resource to me and many other hobbyists and she will be greatly missed in the hobby. I didn't know her personally, but did sell her a Carinosa PAM a few years ago. 

This handsome boy was a OOAK sold at the Breyerfest live auction back in 2014. He was issued on the Ashquar mold sculpted by Brigitte Eberl. 

He's described as a "Metallic Smoky Black," but he's basically an updated charcoal (not that that's a bad thing). He reminds me of an old toy horse (not a Breyer) I had as a kid - it was black with a white mane and tail and may have had articulated legs. I remember when this model was first revealed, because it was the first new release on the mold since his Premier Club debut the year before, and then it took until the end of 2014 for Chamonix to be released. So the Ashquar release was a bit lonely for the first 18 months of existence! They've made up for it since then, of course. He's only been an auction model twice, though - maybe he'll get another one this year? Speaking of auction models, when are we going to start seeing the ones for this year? I hope it's soon. 

Ashquar is being used as one of the store specials for this year's Breyerfest, and he was one of the special runs for the Seattle Soiree last year, so it's hard to say where we'll see him next. I suspect he'll get a rest for a while, but I suppose it's possible he could be this year's surprise model. I wouldn't be opposed to that, though I think Forever Saige is more likely. Maybe Ashquar will get a web special? He hasn't had one of those for a while, and with those long, spindly legs he could easily pass for a flamingo. Here's hoping! 

Featured Model - 4/24/2021, Dapple Gray Pinto Auction Brishen

 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...the 2014 Breyerfest auction Brishen!

I remember this one well because Breyer showed him to us way ahead of time as part of their promotional materials for that year's Breyerfest. What a stunner! He was a OOAK produced on the Brishen mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. 

What can I say - star dapple gray looks great on Brishen! This is one of those models I wish I could find for sale now, though he'd probably cost a lot more than the mere $1,000 he sold for originally. Those were the days...when auction models were much less expensive, but still too expensive for most people. That year's most expensive model went for "only" $4,400! Maybe someday those prices will go back down, eh? I hope so. 2014 was a great year for auction models - not just this guy, but the rainbow cheetah Smarty, the heartbreakingly beautiful palomino Totilas, the Appaloosa Performance Horse Esprit, the to-die-for pearly dapple gray PAM, and many more were all up for grabs that year. I think this particular model got a little bit overshadowed by the others, honestly. 

As for Brishen, he was the special run Cheesecake for last year's Breyerfest, and he really hasn't had that many releases in the past (even fewer if you don't count his noodly-legged Andalusian alter ego). Could he be this year's surprise model? It's very possible. He didn't appear in last year's auction lineup, but I don't know if that's really even a rule anymore - they broke it for 2019, and last year had a truncated number of auction models due to the pandemic, so who knows if any of those will end up being the surprise. I think Brishen is a strong possibility! 

Featured Model - 7/20/2019, Bonne Fete

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. After last week's Breyerfest hiatus, we're back this week with...Bonne Fete!



It's pretty fitting to feature Bonne Fete this week, since he was a special run at the 25th Breyerfest back in 2014. He was a run of 1,425 and was item #711183 produced on the Carrick mold sculpted by Sue Sifton.

I love the color on this model! Extended blanket appaloosa is always hard to turn up your nose at, and he just looks so good in bay! His paintjob is quite detailed for a Breyerfest special run - I like the contrast of the white areas on the legs that would normally be black. I wish they'd use this pattern on him again, honestly. Well, who am I kidding - he probably has a few tests in different colors that weren't used in the Breyer archives.

Carrick is among my favorite of the molds introduced through the Premier Club, so up until last year I had impatiently been waiting for him to be used as a portrait model. Seriously, how did it take 5 years for Carrick to be used to portray a real racehorse? At least he got two portraits in the same year (Brass Hat and Justify). I guess he had been used as Cortes C before that, but even that took 3 years. What gives?

Anyway, I wonder where we'll see Carrick next? He'll probably get a bit of a rest after being used as the Breyerfest Celebration horse and as Justify (and I don't think Justify will leave the RR line anytime soon), but I wouldn't say no to a web special on him. Or maybe a Collector Club special run? I guess that won't happen soon either, since we're getting the one on Valegro soon and the first one for next year will presumably be whoever wins the Making a Splash contest. But I can hope for someday!

Featured Model - 7/6/2019, Glossy Palomino Pinto Pop the Cork

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. In honor of Breyerfest being a week away, this week's model is...the Glossy Palomino Pinto Pop the Cork!



This shiny fellow was a run of 155 and was item #711181 on the Nokota mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. He was one of the possible colors that could be obtained as part of that year's Pop the Cork surprise run.

Although I like palominos, I'll admit there are some shades of that color I don't like. Fortunately, this guy isn't one of those shades. He looks like caramel! Mmm. And his blue eye is so striking! If I'm going to be nitpicky, I'd like to see a little bit of darker shading on the mane and tail (to set them off from the white markings a little more), but it's no biggie. He almost looks good enough to eat!

The Nokota himself has been used in many ways, but we haven't seen him at Breyerfest since his 2014 appearance as the surprise model. He was the big cat Java in 2017, as well as the limited edition Illumination, and was the event model at the 2018 Scottsdale Stampede, so I wonder if Breyer's giving the mold a bit of a rest? Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing a new regular run on him, despite his odd shape negating a wider-than-usual box. More regular run Moody molds is never a bad thing!

Anyway, I hope we see a new Nokota soon - as long as it's one I can get my hands on!

Featured Model - 7/7/2018, Champagne Toast

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 model is...Champagne Toast!



Not to be confused with the other Champagne Toast, this Champagne Toast was a special run for Breyerfest 2014. He was item #711186, and 1,500 models were produced on the Adios mold sculpted by Chris Hess. An additional 25 models were produced in silver charm for Breyerfest's 25th anniversary and randomly scattered amongst the rest of the run. This was done for all of the Breyerfest special runs that year.

Those silver charms were practically the death of me - I wanted almost all of them, so when the Breyerfest leftovers went up for sale on the website after Breyerfest that year, I bought a ton of them. I think I ended up with seven or eight extra Champagne Toasts at one point? I never managed to get a silver charm, sadly, but it was fun to keep trying for a while.

As for the model itself, his color and pattern are both really nice, and it does a good job of illustrating how far Breyer's painting techniques have come in the last 50-odd years. Take a look at the original Yellow Mount release, and then look at Champagne Toast. The complexity of Champagne Toast's paint job is mindblowing compared to some of his early releases, but we take it totally for granted. He's beautiful (not that the previous releases weren't), and I thought he made a worthy addition to that year's lineup.

Adios himself was last used as the regular run Cherry Creek Fonzie Merit, and will be released in a few days (!) as the Breyerfest 2018 autograph model. Hopefully I can get my hands on one! I wonder where else the mold will show up in the future; he was a web special way back in 2009, so I wouldn't complain if he was a web special again. Either way, we'll see him again eventually.

This is probably as good a time as any to announce that Featured Model will be on hiatus next week due to Breyerfest. I can't wait to go to Kentucky!