Featured Model - 10/16/2021, Live Auction Yasmin

 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 2017 Breyerfest Live Auction Yasmin! 

This model, as stated above, was one of the live auction models for Breyerfest 2017. She was a OOAK on the Yasmin/Shagya Arab mold sculpted by Brigitte Eberl. 

This model is amazing, but the star-dappled models always are. This is what the Premier Club Duende was supposed to look like - unfortunately, this style of paint job is difficult to mass-produce - due to the nature of manufacturing, it's never going to come out as nicely as a model like this, where I imagine whoever painted it was given all the time they needed to finish her. She's stunning! One wonders what she'd look like glossed...but I digress. I like her one white sock and the contrast of her light-colored tail against the mostly-dark rest of her body. She sold for $3,800 - too expensive then, but practically a bargain now. Although I didn't attend the auction that year anyway due to being pregnant at the time. But I digress again.

Yasmin is another one of those molds that could use a little more love. Her non-decorator RR appearance only lasted a couple of years, and her unicorn iteration only lasted one year. She was a Breyerfest special run in 2017, a Breyerfest prize model in 2019, and a Vintage Club special run last year, so she's had at least one release every year since her debut, but it still feels like we're a little light on releases for her. Maybe she'll get a web special? I imagine she'll be a TSC special run at some point, since she isn't terribly Araby and might be able to pass for something Western-ish. I'm going to hope for a web special - as long as I can get drawn for it, anyway. 

Edit: Derp, I forgot about this year’s Omega Fahim release. I have him in my collection, so there’s really no excuse...but anyways. Let’s see a web special release anyhow!

Featured Model - 8/7/2021, Blue Tiger Ruffian

 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 Blue Tiger Auction Ruffian! 

This model is a OOAK produced for the 2017 Breyerfest Live Auction. She was produced on the Ruffian mold sculpted by Sue Sifton. 

We all know Breyer likes to do some crazy decorators sometimes, so it was no big surprise that they'd do a variant version of a tiger for the live auction. If I remember right, this was one of the hidden lots for that year's auction. Anyway, she sure looks good as a blue tiger! And if you had a regular Padma, they'd complement each other! Good stuff. They used the tiger template on Ruffian again this year to great effect, so I imagine we'll see more decorator tigers on her in the future. 

As for Ruffian, it's been a little while since she had a new release - maybe she'll be one of this year's Tractor Supply special runs? We should be finding out about those soon. She was a Mid-States special run back in 2008 (back when those used to be a thing) but hasn't been used for TSC yet, so you never know. She last appeared at Breyerfest in 2018, so it might not be a stretch to imagine her being used there next year, maybe - I'm sure Breyer could find a way to shoehorn her into the Germany theme. Maybe she'll be the surprise model? I guess we'll see! 

Featured Model - 4/17/2021, Rana

 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...Rana! 

This handsome guy is item #711269. He was a run of 26 on the Desatado mold sculpted by Kristina Lucas Francis, and was the Breyerfest Saturday raffle model back in 2017. 

I like this guy because he reminds me of this "Chocolate Roll" test that was sold through Breyer's website. He's got the same crazy amount of stuff going on with his color, and I love it. Another raffle I didn't win - par for the course, I guess. Fortunately, Desatado isn't the most popular mold out there, so I have hope that someday I might find one for sale for a not-ridiculous price. You know, once the current boom goes bust...if it ever does. But anyway. 

Desatado's last new release was Lightning Ridge back in 2019, so I'd say he's due to be used again. Maybe he'll be one of the True Blue Breyer releases? He was last used for a Collector Event in 2015, so it's probably not too soon to use him again. I suppose I should hope they don't use him, then...I'll hope for a mid-year release instead, or perhaps a web special. Whatever they use him for, I hope it's a pretty color! 

Featured Model - 2/27/2021, 2016 Auction Valegro

 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 2016 Breyerfest Auction Valegro! 

This unique model was offered at Breyerfest 2016. He was a OOAK model done on the Valegro mold sculpted by Brigitte Eberl.

I decided to talk about this handsome guy because he looks really similar to the 2019 Breyerfest prize model Victory. His pattern is a bit different, but otherwise they look a lot alike. It would be fun to see them next to each other! Maybe someday at a live show, eh? I like how the Valegro has darker shading on his legs and head - it gives his paint job a little more depth. He looks reasonably detailed, but his eyes look like plain black - maybe it's just the angle. You'd think an auction model would get special eye detail, but maybe not. He sure is handsome though! 

As for Valegro himself, he's appearing as the already-popular Pollock for this year's Breyerfest, so I'm not sure that we'll see him anywhere else for a while. He's also been a Collector Club special run and a web special in recent-ish years, but I wouldn't protest if he got another web special or a regular run model, since the original release was retired in 2019 and he could use another RR appearance. Let's hope he gets something else new soon! 

Featured Model - 1/1/2021, 2017 Auction Idocus

 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 (Happy New Year, by the way)! This week's model is...the 2017 Breyerfest Auction Idocus! 

This guy was a "Dark Bay Reverse Brindle," produced on the Idocus mold sculpted by Sue Sifton. 

Isn't his color interesting? Due to the complexity of painting brindling, we don't get brindle models very often - the only mass-produced one we've ever had was the brindle variant of Diesel back in 2016, and his paint job still left a little to be desired. So it doesn't seem likely that we'll get a mass-produced brindle model in the future...but never say never, I guess. 

This model is also one of the handful of releases that have featured the braided version of Idocus - and I don't know what it is about this hairdo, but I find him infinitely more attractive with the braided mane. Honestly, if they just did him with the mane on the other side of his neck, I'd probably like him more - I think the issue is with having his mane lay on his show side rather than the off side like usual. I'm also not a fan of banged tails, so that doesn't help either. But that's just my personal preference. 

Anyway, when will we see another Idocus? He had a (braided) special run for the Seattle Soiree last year, but isn't currently being used for anything else. He's never been the most popular mold, but maybe he'll get a web special this year? It may be a while before we see him pop up again, honestly. I don't anticipate seeing him used for Breyerfest or as a Collector Club special run, so your guess is as good as mine. In any case, I hope he still has a braided mane/tail in his next appearance! 

Featured Model - 12/12/2020, Glossy Chalky White Marwari

 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 glossy chalky white Marwari from the Breyerfest 2017 silent auction! 

This handsome model was a OOAK on the Marwari mold sculpted by Brigitte Eberl. As mentioned above, he was part of the Breyerfest 2017 silent auction and came with a costume made by Didi Hornberger (I think). 

Sigh...there's just something about a white horse, isn't there? Plus he's glossy to boot! Another model to die for. The Marwari just looks so good in white! He looks a tad bit pearly, too - that makes his paint job a little more interesting than just plain white. 

As for the Marwari, I feel like he's a slightly neglected mold - he's had a number of auction appearances, but only one regular run and a small handful of special runs. Give us a new Marwari! I suppose the slightly-older, slightly-less-popular molds like him tend to slip under the radar when the new hotness comes out. Maybe next year he'll get a web special or something - though I don't think the Khalid release was terribly popular, so that doesn't bode well for new releases in the future. I can still hope, though! 

Featured Model - 6/13/20, Indu

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...glossy Indu!



This handsome guy is item #711259. He was a special run for Breyerfest 2017, and 1600 total models were produced (800 matte and 800 glossy). He was produced on the popular Valegro mold sculpted by Brigitte Eberl.

I picked this model because when I was looking through photos of my models, I noticed this particular individual didn't get much shading on his face compared to my matte one (who, incidentally, is quite a bit darker than the one pictured on IDYB). My glossy one's dapples are also quite a bit more defined than my matte one's. Okay fine, here's a photo of my matte one for comparison:

So, you can see my glossy one's face is quite a bit lighter than the matte one. Not that it makes him particularly special or anything (at least to my knowledge); he's just an interesting variation. Although now that I look at him a little closer, especially his hind feet, he almost looks like they missed painting the last layer of shading on his whole body! Interesting. But variations like this are pretty common, especially with gray models. Just part of the allure, I guess.

Anyway, since Indu was a special run in 2017, I wouldn't have expected to see him at Breyerfest this year, but you never know (I still stand by my Cleveland Bay guess). I suppose it's possible he could have been the volunteer model, but I'm not sure Breyer would use a model on a stand right after last year's volunteer model (Man of the Hour) was also on a stand. I don't expect him to show up as a web special anytime soon either, and he was a collector club special run last fall, so it's hard to say where we'll see him next. Maybe he'll get a regular run release? Or something for Breyerfest next year? He's pretty popular, though, so I'm sure we'll see him again soon enough! 

Featured Model - 8/10/2019, Glossy Saffron

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...Glossy Saffron!



This handsome guy was a special run for Breyerfest 2017. He's item #711260G on the Geronimo mold sculpted by Kitty Cantrell. 800 of these guys were matte, while the other 800 were glossy, for a total of 1600 models.

While I'm not usually a stock horse fan, Geronimo is one of the exceptions. His mold didn't make much of an impression on the rest of the hobby, but I like him a lot! Too bad he doesn't get used more often, eh? Well, I think Saffron is one of the best examples of the mold so far - I like him better than just about all the releases, other than Cloverleaf. He's just a really nice color! I'd like to see it on a lot of other molds someday.

As for Geronimo himself, he's had a bit of a vacation recently - other than the Cloverleaf from last year (just 11 made), he hasn't been used since 2017. Where will we see him next? Maybe we'll get a web special, since he hasn't been used for that yet. I doubt he'll be used at next year's Breyerfest, so maybe we'll get him as a web special next year, or perhaps a collector club special run. Or maybe he'll get that mythical RR release at long last? I guess we'll find out!

Enter to Win Breyerfest Banners!

So Breyer is running a rather odd promotion - you can enter to win one of six banners from this year's Breyerfest.



Seems kind of odd, but whatevs. I'm not sure what I'd do with a banner that big (they're 4' x 8' or 2' x 5') but it would be an interesting bit of memorabilia! Enter here.

Breyerfest leftovers are now on the website!

A whole 10 days earlier than last year, Breyerfest 2017 leftovers can now be purchased on the website by 3-day ticket holders!

 

Available special run line items are Saffron, Kaalee, Diwali and Darjeeling, and pop-up tent items include both of the plushies and Holi. I'm a bit surprised about Darjeeling showing up here, as I thought I'd heard he sold out, but evidently not. I'm also not surprised about Kaalee, as they made a ton of her and she didn't have the bonus advantage of being half matte/half glossy. I was also surprised that neither of the plushies sold out - that elephant is cute! Not cute enough for me to buy him, but still.

Also available are things like the journal, Tervis cup, coordinates bracelet and some other stuff. I'm thinking about ordering the Tervis cup, but nothing else really interests me. I halfheartedly hoped they'd have leftover items from previous years like they did last year, but no such luck this time. Oh well! I'm just glad they put the leftovers on the website in the first place.

Breyerfest Closeups: Mirado (And Bollywood Surprise Numbers)

One of the other items on display at the Collector Club tent was Mirado, the upcoming sixth release in the 2017 Stablemate Club. I definitely wanted to see him up close!

 

Mirado was sculpted and painted by Maggie Bennett. He'll be the final release in this year's Stablemate Club and I'm really looking forward to getting him!

 

I'm still a little hesitant about his face - I think it's his markings that are making his muzzle look really narrow. I can see a little chin in that picture, though, so clearly it's just an optical illusion.

 

Here's a different angle. Is he supposed to be grulla? Somebody at Breyer must really like grulla; it's everywhere these days. I wish I'd been brave enough to flip the model around and get a photo of his other side, but I tend to err on the side of "look, but don't touch" with this type of stuff (and I think that sign right in front of him said Do Not Touch). Oh well.

So that's Mirado. Unfortunately, he won't be available until December, so we'll all just have to wait.

In other news, Breyer released the Bollywood Surprise numbers yesterday:

A - Dark Bay Tobiano (1225 Matte, 175 Glossy)
B - Buttermilk Buckskin (800 Matte, 175 Glossy)
C - Chestnut Overo (650 Matte, 175 Glossy)
D - Grulla Pintaloosa (425 Matte, 175 Glossy)

I'm a little surprised that they made quite so many of the matte bay tobianos, though it seemed like they were everywhere. I thought their numbers and the buckskin's would be more in line with each other. Here are our personal statistics - from 7 surprise models, we pulled:

2 matte bay tobianos (one of which was immediately traded for an accidentally glossy pintaloosa)
2 matte buckskins
1 matte chestnut overo
1 glossy bay tobiano
1 glossy buckskin

So, we got incredibly lucky this year. That figures, since these aren't even on a mold I collect. The last time I got two glossies in one year was 2014 with the Pop the Corks - I've never gotten three before. But I'm not complaining! I traded the glossy pintaloosa for the volunteer model, and selling the other two glossies helped immensely with paying for my other expenditures.

On a closing note, I think this year's surprise models were excellent, other than being on a mold I don't collect. I liked the pintaloosa the best, followed by the buckskin, bay tobiano and chestnut overo. If only I collected Latigo! I'd love to see that buttermilk buckskin on Othello, Forever Saige and a host of others. Same with all the other colors! I hope next year's surprise models are just as exciting!

Breyerfest Closeups: Duende

One of the things I wanted to make sure I got at Breyerfest was up-close photos of some of the upcoming Breyer releases. Now that I've finally gotten my photos onto my computer, I'll start with Duende, the second 2017 Premier Club model.

 

This model was sculpted and painted by Mindy Berg. Of course, this is the resin prototype, so the plastic ones won't look quite the same, but I like what I see so far.

 

He certainly is a handsome guy! I really like his regal face.

 

I wish I could have gotten some photos of his other side, but we've all seen that already, I guess.

 

If I have any nitpicks about this sculpt, it's that I wish he was set up a little better. But I guess he's not in a show ring.

 

I'm really looking forward to purchasing this guy! He should be available later this month - the sooner, the better! 

New Arrivals: Navya, Vivaan and Mishti

This will be my last Breyerfest New Arrivals post! Yay, I'm finally done! Next week I'm hoping to post some photos and commentary about things in the Collector Club tent, if I can find the time. But time is short, so let's move on and take a look at Navya!

 

I was a little apprehensive about this guy's color in the promotional photos, but in person I love him. He's glossy and flawless and his colors go together really nicely - and he's translucent to boot! Excellent all around.

 

This pretty much proves that Breyer could release Django in any color and I'd be all over it. Hmm...I think we're due for new Stablemates next year. Dare I hope Django is one of the new releases?

 

Sorry for the blurriness of that photo. If I have one nitpick about this model, it's that I wish the eyes had been a little more detailed. The rest of him is too detailed to have those black dots for eyes! Oh well.

Next: Vivaan!

 

I really like this model, but I really like silver bay, so I may be biased. I love how pearly his mane and tail are - he looks like a mini Jubilee! 

 

 I didn't see any flaws on this guy, either - I love it when Breyer does a good job on their Stablemates, and the Breyerfest ones are usually pretty nice. I definitely wouldn't protest to see Django in this color!

And finally, Mishti:

I'm not as enamored with this model as I am with Vivaan, for some reason. I think her lack of pearliness is kind of a letdown after Vivaan, and she isn't as eye-catching as Django either. Hmm.

 

Maybe I just need some time to warm up to her. She's definitely a pretty girl!

 

I almost hoped this model would have a blue eye or two, but I suppose that would have been too much detail even for Breyer. The eyewhites are nicely done, though.

And that brings me to the end of the Breyerfest 2017 models. I had a blast at this year's Breyerfest (as usual) and I hope to attend again next year. Can't wait to see what they have in store for us next year!

New Arrivals: Nazruddin, Repeat the Beat and Volunteer Model

I'm almost done taking quick cell phone photos of my Breyerfest 2017 models! Huzzah! More photos of things from the event, like the sneak peeks in the Collector Club tent, will have to wait until I've dug out my camera card. I've been extremely busy with work since we got back, and that's not going to change anytime soon, so it might be a while until that happens...oh well. Let's take a look at one of my Nazruddins!

 

Unfortunately, all I've been hearing online (and seeing, amongst all of my Nazruddins) is that somebody at Breyer really screwed the pooch with these models.  I'm not usually one to complain about poor quality models, but I got 8 Nazruddins and all of them have nasty flaws. These models are the model equivalent of Scrubs' HFFA.

 

Now, don't get me wrong - this color is really nice, and and it looks really good on the Marwari. They also looked good being carried around by all the little kids at the Horse Park all weekend - like they belonged there, unlike something like Simba or last year's squashed-looking Imperador. But then you look at it up close and see things like this:

 

 What even is that? Did they paint the area underneath the mane the mane color before they actually attached the manes? Did they try to mask the mane off? The edges look too sharp to be overspray, but I'm not an airbrush expert. And all eight of my Nazruddins look like that to varying degree. I have all of the previous releases on this mold and none of them look remotely like that.

 

This particular guy's paint job isn't that horrible other than the mane thing, but another thing I noticed was that of a total of eight Nazruddin models, five of them have visible seam lines on their faces. It's not guaranteed that these will turn into seam splits, but it's not good all the same. I've never seen so many models in the same run with seam issues before, and now five at once? Sheesh. And the three that don't have the seam lines have other issues (warped legs, paint booboos, etc) that are making me lean toward keeping one of the others despite the seam issues. I still haven't even decided which one I'm going to keep yet because every time I start looking at them, I see more issues! Bleh. You'd think of all the recent celebration models to slack off on, they'd have done it with Gooitzen, since all they were doing with those was spraying them flat black and then glossing them afterward. These paint jobs at least took a little effort!

Well, enough of that. Let's move on to Repeat the Beat!

 

In contrast to the Nazruddin fiasco, I couldn't find a single flaw on my Repeat the Beat (after I spent a few minutes in the Breyer Store first looking for one that had decently-painted horseshoes and no other visible flaws). So, another Bluegrass Bandit joins my nearly-complete conga! 

 

I really like the color on this model - this style of painting roans is very appealing to me for some reason (although if I was really going to nitpick I'd say the real Pete isn't quite as roany). 

 

I really liked the brownish undertones on this model, though it was hard to get them to show up in the picture. He's a handsome guy!

Lastly, let's take a look at this year's volunteer model, who doesn't seem to have a name:

 

There was a fair bit of controversy around this model due to her weird blood mark. I'll admit it is a little oddly-placed, but it doesn't really bother me - I'm just glad I was able to get one, despite not volunteering.

 

I was very fortunate to be able to trade one of my glossy Bollywood Surprise models for her - I guess the surprise being on a model I don't collect is a good thing after all! Word on the street is that these models were painted in New Jersey, as has been the trend for volunteer models the last few years, and like Repeat the Beat, I couldn't find a single flaw on her (other than her bloodshot pink eyewhites, but that's just personal preference).

 

Look at her pretty face! I actually think the blood mark sets off her color very nicely - her other side is sorta boring without the blood mark. She's a worthy addition to the herd! Hopefully we find out her name and the quantity produced at some point.

That's all I have for tonight - I'll try to get to photographing the Breyerfest 2017 Stablemates I got, but once again, no promises!

New Arrivals: Saffron, Glossy Saffron and Kaalee

It's late, but I got a post written! Huzzah! More pretty ponies for your viewing pleasure! I'll start with matte Saffron:

 

I don't remember if I've mentioned it before, but this really is a nice color for the hunky Geronimo. I think it suits him very well! Although they could have also gone with a really yellow dun or bright yellow buckskin, with a name like Saffron. But, I digress.

 

I'm surprised this model wasn't more popular - word on the street was that Saffron was among only three (!) special run line items not to sell out, along with Kaalee and the cow.  I suspected this would happen ahead of time, since they made 1600 of him, but I had hoped that the matte/glossy split would make him more successful. Evidently not!


 

Ooh, I did not get the right angle for that photo. Quality-wise, the only things I could find wrong with this model were a bit of black fuzz behind his left ear (somewhat visible in the photo) as well as a slightly bent left ear tip. Otherwise, he was perfect! Too bad they can't all look like that.

Next: Glossy Saffron!

 

This guy is just as handsome as the matte, and shiny to boot! Whoo! I have to admit I didn't expect Breyer to do a matte/glossy split on more than one item. But I'm not complaining - the more the merrier!

 

 I think I mentioned in my previous post that I ended up with three matte Indu models at one point in my efforts to get a glossy. (4th time was the charm!) In contrast, it was easy to get a glossy Saffron - too easy. I ended up with two of them in two attempts. Glossy being more desirable than matte, it was very easy to find someone at the Clarion who'd trade a matte for a glossy, and my efforts in that department were complete!

 

Quality-wise, this guy is even better than the matte one - one or two pinpoint specks in the gloss, but otherwise I couldn't find anything wrong with him. Excellent!

And finally, Kaalee:

 

With all the unexpected glossies popping up, I wouldn't have protested at a glossy Kaalee, either, but that didn't happen. Oh well! I really like the color on this model, as well - she's flashy and beautiful and makes a good addition to my collection.

 

Some of the Kaalee models I've seen photos of have a rather abrupt transition from the white rabicano markings to the solid black, but mine looks pretty nice. The only issue I have with this mold is that she's so big it's going to be hard to get her to fit onto my shelves.

 

As for quality, this girl definitely wins - I couldn't see a thing wrong with her anywhere. She's perfect from top to bottom! Definitely a keeper!

That's all I have for today - yet again, I'll try to keep posting photos this week, but no promises. Until next time!

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!