New Arrivals: Belesema Sapphire, Glossy Rose Grey Hero's Welcome and Glossy Legend

 Hello, readers! New Arrivals keeps chugging along with more new models, so let's keep going! First up is Belesema Sapphire:

She has been freed from the box since this photo was taken, luckily. What a pretty girl! I'm still waiting for Breyer to use her and her seemingly infinite mane/tail/head possibilities for the surprise model. Maybe someday...

Here we have the glossy rose gray Hero's Welcome Surprise model from 2019! This guy was the last Hero's Welcome I needed, so I'm happy to finally complete that little collection after 6 years. This is the only Breyer purchase I made this year that wasn't connected to Breyerfest 2025 in some way - I didn't really do much shopping at the hotel this year, sadly. Oh well. 

Lastly for today, the last bit of retail therapy I did on Sunday night - a glossy Legend. Okay, I did shop the hotel enough to find this guy for sale in one of the rooms on Saturday. After everything that went down on Sunday, this guy was still kicking around in the back of my head, so I headed to the room to see if he was still there. And he was! So I took him home. The Georg conga remains (almost) complete! 

That's it for the Traditional New Arrivals. Now we just have Stablemates left! Check back later for more. 

Breyerfest Day 0: Ooh, sparkly!

 Hmm, I guess the Artisan’s Gallery didn’t happen today after all! I foolishly didn’t read the schedule very closely and didn’t realize the 75th Anniversary dance party was in the same room. Oh well - we got a crazy reveal at the dance party!

That’s right - a Thursday night raffle! And he’s holographic! Ack! I had to hustle down to the dance party as soon as I heard. I was planning to stop by anyway just to see it, but the raffle got me down there faster. There’s still time to enter, if you’re so inclined! Tickets have to be in the bin by 10:15, and the drawing happens at 10:30. Good luck, everyone! Happy Breyerfest Eve! 

Courchevel and another Premier Club sneak peek!

 Good news, everyone! My Courchevel model arrived today! Behold:

He's definitely more purplish than the promo photos, but still not really that purplish, if that makes sense. They should have used color-shift paint on this one, honestly. 

Like many others, I didn't get the shipping notice for this guy until after he'd been delivered, but UPS MyChoice was still up-to-date, so I knew he was coming. Christmastime is always a busy time for Breyer, but lots of people have had issues with being shipped the wrong items or their orders taking a long time to ship - I don't remember it ever being this bad before. Maybe Breyer will finally give CCG the boot? I hope so. 

Quality-wise he's pretty nice, despite being wrapped in un-accordioned paper. Like come on, guys. How are they not getting that they have to stretch out the paper first? It's like popping bubbles on the bubble wrap. Get with the program already! 

The only flaw I noticed was a mangled back edge of his right ear, which must have happened during the production process as it's under the paint. Oh well. 

In other news, Breyer defied tradition and posted a preview sketch of the third Premier Club release for next year!

Looks like something Spanish? I generally like the Spanish horses, and/or a nice Roman nose, so I'm sure I'll like whatever this turns out to be. Dare I hope they show him to us? 

I'm sure I'll post again before or on Christmas, what with the inevitable Christmas Day surprise model (they must have decided to go back to revealing it on the actual day), but in case I don't - I hope everyone has a good Christmas! 

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! 

Auction models!

 Exciting news today, everyone! We got to see some auction models in today’s post on the Breyerfest blog - behold! 

It’s a beautiful glossy bay Morgan! Scrumptious.

And a handsome red dun pinto Criollo with a badger face! 

And a Fell Pony that’s basically a mini version of Heath! I want her.

And a stunning peacock-themed Moody Andalusian! I’m trying to figure out if he’s the same one we’ve seen in the archive room live feed. I feel like that one had a more elaborate tail? Can’t remember for sure. 

Most importantly, here’s a quote from the blog:

ALL bidders, whether bidding in-person or online, will need to register through BidSpirit. When registering, bidders must fill out all required contact information and include a valid photo ID and credit card number. When you register your card, you will get a text or phone call from Stripe confirming you added your card. You must type in the two-step authentication code to continue. Once registered you will be able to preview the lots online before the auction; however, no pre-bids will be accepted. All bidding must be done live during the Live Auction. 

…

Onsite winners will be required to present payment to the Breyer staff onsite immediately after the lot has been announced “SOLD”. If the winner of a lot is online, the credit card associated with the bidder’s profile will be charged immediately after the lot is announced “SOLD” for the full amount of the lot, including sales tax. Split payments will not be allowed, so please plan accordingly when registering your card. If a card is declined and the bidder cannot be reached within the allotted amount of time to provide an alternate card, the transaction will be voided, and the lot will restart and be resold at the end of the auction - the lot will not automatically go to the next highest bidder. If a card declines that bidder will not be able to continue to bid on future lots.

I like these changes! They should make it harder for people to bid models up into the stratosphere and then back out of paying later. There’s some suspicion that this was being done on purpose so the non-paying bidders could ensure their friends got auction models for a much lower price than they could have gone for. Of course, my preference would be for no online bidding at all, but that ship seems to have sailed, so I’m happy with these changes. Now let’s see some more auction models and the raffle models! 

The Breyerfest Live Auction has been announced!

 Good news, everyone - the Breyerfest Live Auction is coming back for 2022 (not that we thought it was gone) and check out the two amazing auction models we got in the announcement! 

What a wild color on Shannondell! He'll go pretty high, and this knocks him out of the list of surprise horse contenders (trying not to think about some of the remaining possibilities). 

This Moody Andalusian has a stunning amount of shading. Look at him! What a beauty. I want to take him home! 

They're going to allow online bidders in the auction this year, but my feelings about that basically amount to, "first world problems," so I'm not going to say too much about it. Grumble grumble. Anyway, I'm excited to see what we get to see next! 

Featured Model - 3/19/2022, 2015 DYOB Moody Andalusian

 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 model is...a 2015 DYOB Moody Andalusian! 

This absolutely stunning model was a OOAK produced on the Andalusian Stallion model sculpted by Kathleen Moody. 

Nicknamed "Diamante," this model was the final result of the DYOB silent auction lot sold at the 2015 Sweet Home Chicago collector event. He was based on the table centerpieces raffled off at the 2009 Lone Star Event collector event, with added gloss and diamond dust. Another completely droolworthy piece that would be an amazing addition to anyone's collection. He was originally owned by a Blabber, but I don't know who has him now. The 2017 LE Liberty is another version of this paint job, and some of these were even glossed (I didn't get one, sadly). Definitely a paint design I wouldn't mind seeing pop up again! Although, I've always wondered about the longevity of those crystals - they'd probably stay on a glossed model pretty well, but it would be a pretty cringe moment if they started popping off those Fighting Stallions. 

I think I've already posted about the Moody Andalusian relatively recently, but I'll reiterate that I think he'd make a great peacock web special. Failing that, give us a new regular run! Make it happen, Breyer! 

Featured Model - 2/20/2022, Silver Screen

 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...Silver Screen! 

Fitting name for that colorway, eh? This model was item #712008 and a run of 75 on the Andalusian Stallion mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. He was a special run for the Velvet Rope Event in 2008. 

Silver Screen is one of those models you just never see come up for sale - though he'd probably command a pretty penny these days, so maybe it's better that they don't. In any case, the Moody Andy looks pretty good in smoke - though his color seems to have some purple interference in the above photo? Maybe it's just the flash from the camera, because IDYB's other photo of him doesn't seem to have any interference. Anyways, smoke is one of those colors Breyer could stand to use again soon, as I can't even remember the last time it was used. Cream and Cocoa maybe? Those things were in the NPOD for years. But back to Silver Screen. I'm not sure if I've even seen one come up for sale in the last 10 years, though I haven't been looking that closely. Maybe someday...

As for the Moody Andalusian, he was most recently used as one of the glossy CCA horses over the winter, seemingly a separate run (with the same branding) from the original 70th Anniversary collection, so I don't expect to see a new release on him soon (though I wouldn't protest if there were). He's shown up just about everywhere since his introduction in 2004 - though he's never been a web special, which makes me wonder if that'll change this year. Depends on what this year's theme is, I guess - I doubt they'll continue with Birds of a Feather, but you never know. He'd make a great peacock! And now that I think about it, I think a test model along those lines showed up on last year's Breyerfest broadcast, so clearly I'm not the only one with that idea. Haha! 

It's a Gloss Extravaganza!

 Sheesh, with all the glossy models I've been getting lately, you'd think I was a Team Glossy person! Well...no further comment there. But my glossy Limited Editions from Breyerfest 2021 are finally here, plus I was able to trade my glossy CCA Smarty for a glossy Moody Andalusian, so adding that to my glossy Astrid and the SMC foals makes for a shiny party! Behold: 

I wish the Andalusian had been chalky, but at least I got one. They all look so good! 

I think the glossy Rheverence is my favorite of the bunch, though. He already looked good in that buckskin color, so adding a coat of gloss on top made him stunning! I like the way his mane is masked, too, even if it doesn't exactly match the actual sculpted mane. He's a beauty! 

Josie's paint job was already luscious in matte, and in glossy she just pops. This isn't even the greatest picture - her bay color has so much depth and the gloss just adds to it. 

The only problem with Apollo is that his gloss is hard to see in photos, similar to the amber champagne Hero's Welcome. Mine also has a rather nastily warped left front leg, which is a shame.

While he isn't basecoated, the glossy CCA Andalusian is still a stunning guy! I've always really liked the "young" grays that still have a lot of black in their color, and this guy is no exception. 

Quality-wise, they have some issues with lint/debris in the gloss, but that's just how it goes sometimes. Nothing too terrible other than Apollo's warped leg, so I'm pretty happy with them overall. Now I just have to fit them onto my shelves....

Edit: I forgot to add that we saw our first Breyerfest 2022 Limited Edition (formerly known as a store special) release today! Say hello to Montanara! 

Not a mold I collect, but I'm always glad to be able to save some money. The old Friesian does look good in that color, I must say. More importantly, does this mean we'll get another reveal tomorrow? I hope so! 

Featured Model - 3/13/2021, Red Velvet

 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...Red Velvet! 

This handsome guy was the Saturday raffle model at Breyerfest back in 2009. He's item #711409 and was a run of 26 on the Andalusian Stallion mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. 

This is such a nice color on the Moody Andy! Or maybe it's just how blindingly white his whites look in that photo. To be fair, it's hard to screw up a red dun, but he has a lot of depth to his paint job! I really like him. Maybe someday I'll be able to find one for sale for a nice price, but in the meantime I'll have to admire him from afar.

As for the Moody Andalusian, he was part of last year's 70th Anniversary lineup, and the 2019 Breyerfest surprise model before that. Where will we see him next? He's had a large number of releases since his 2004 debut, but somehow he's never been a web special, so I'm going to make that my guess. If I'm right, I hope I can get my hands on one! 

Featured Model - 7/18/20, Nobel II

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. Featured Model was on hiatus last week due to Breyerfest, but since we're only a week out from that event...this week's model is Nobel II!



This handsome guy is item #710104, a run of 4,500 on the Andalusian Stallion mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody.

Nobel II was one of my Breyerfest purchases last year, before the Hero's Welcome surprise was revealed. Little did I know I'd be bringing home so many other Andalusian Stallions with him! But this guy definitely holds his own. He was the Breyerfest Celebration Horse back in 2004, and while it's a little irksome that it took me so long to find one, his acquisition was definitely better late than never. I love gray horses, and Nobel II is no exception - he has great shading and his brand is a nice touch.

As for the Andalusian Stallion, I expect he won't be used much for a while, due to the aforementioned Hero's Welcome appearance at Breyerfest 2019. But I suppose he could show up as a web special or something - I don't think he's ever been a web special, and it would be trivial to set aside 350 bodies for a web special. Or maybe he'll be a collector club special run? We never did get a preview of this year's second one, so you never know - he might show up there, or at Tractor Supply. Wherever he gets used again, I hope it's one I can get!

Featured Model - 3/14/2020, Prism

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. Since it's Pi Day today, and Breyer already set a weak precedent by holding a "Pi-nto Day sale" this weekend, this week's model is...Prism!



This rainbowy guy is item #1801, on the popular Andalusian Stallion mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. He was a limited edition for 2018 and was a run of 3500.

Rainbows are kind of my kryptonite, so of course I had to buy this guy as soon as I possibly could. My only regret is that I couldn't buy more than one! I mean, I probably could get more of them, but there wouldn't be much point since I'm not a variation hunter. I definitely wouldn't say no to this color on other molds, though! The paint job is based on this old auction model from 2001, minus the gold mapping. Interestingly, last year's auction Croi was also this color, complete with the gold mapping, and it has also popped up on Flash (and probably others). I certainly hope we see it again soon! Considering the auction Croi sold for a cool $7000, it seems likely.

As for the Moody Andalusian, while he isn't my favorite Moody sculpt, he's definitely up there - while adding new additions to the shelves the other day, I counted 19 of them on the shelf. Definitely a popular guy! He was last year's Breyerfest surprise model, and has been used at several Breyerfests previously, so I suspect Breyer will give the mold a rest for a while. I also doubt we see him as a web special this year, unless he shows up in the Wild Animals series later this year, or the holiday decorator. Hope springs eternal, I guess? Well, however he shows up, I hope it's something easy to get my hands on!

My 70th Anniversary models arrived!

Greetings, readers! Exciting news - my 70th Anniversary Collection purchases have arrived! They're the only 2020 releases I've purchased so far, though I'm sure more will find their way here eventually (part of me is grumbling about the unicorn mystery foal sets not being on Breyer's website yet). So, without further ado...let's take a look at the palomino Hamilton! Here's the back of his box:



Sorry in advance for the horrible photos. It's certainly an interesting and informative box! I know you all want to see the model, though, so I won't delay any longer.

He's...he's...so beautiful...just like the calendar photo indicated he would be. I still can't believe he's a regular run! I thought he would be a raffle model or limited edition for sure.

My hasty cell phone photos don't do him justice at all. He's stunning...and I really hope Breyer doesn't end up glossing some of these for the collector club appreciation event at the end of the year. They usually save the glossing for stuff that doesn't sell as well, though, so this guy probably won't show up there, if recent sales history has been anything to judge.

Next, let's take a look at the Andalusian!

Another fun box! But let's see the model.

At first I was a little disgruntled that the Moody Andalusian was being done in gray again, after two of the colors he was used for at Breyerfest were also gray, but on closer inspection I don't mind it so much, because he's so drastically different from other gray editions. I've always had a soft spot for grays with the really dark mane and tail - in a real horse, it means he's still fairly young and still has a long ways to go before he completely grays out. And he's beautiful!

He's not as yellow-looking as the photos make him look.

And, last but not least...the chase piece! Yes, I was able to get one!

There's his box. But let's see the real thing!

What a handsome boy! I wish Breyer would do black and white pintos more often.



It may be hard to see in the photos, but he does have two blue eyes, and they're actually pretty nicely done. His eyes are a nice pastel blue, instead of being really stark like Isadora-Cruce or similar.

I did find it interesting that a lot of people are pooh-poohing this release because he's "boring," when last year's Breyerfest Best Customs prize model, Leap of Faith, was basically the same color and everyone loved him. Undoubtedly part of that is because Bristol is the new hot item and Smarty Jones is old news, but I still found it a little funny.

Quality-wise, these guys were all excellent - I didn't see any issues with any of them. I suppose Breyer probably wanted these to be really nice because they're part of a special collection. Well, they're definitely welcome here! Now let me go back to hoping one of us gets drawn to go to the Seattle Soiree next week (no luck again today)...

New Arrivals: Liver Chestnut Natasha, Decorator Hero’s Welcome, Banner

Next in our series of New Arrivals to the herd: the liver chestnut Natasha!



Breyer confirmed only a few days ago that she is in fact a run of 30, so I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten one. Well, technically my husband got her in one of his many trips through the SR line. He got the decorator surprise this year, too - maybe I should have him go through the line every time? It probably couldn't hurt.

When I first unwrapped her, I saw she wasn't the expected Natasha color, but put her aside pretty much immediately and didn't think too much of it. Clearly I didn't have the luck to draw something SUPER rare, right? It had to be some kind of half-and-half run. This was in the chaos of Friday morning, when all kinds of variations were turning up and anything was possible. So I didn't get too excited about the special Natasha...until it became clear this was anything but half-and-half. Or thirds. or fourths. Or...you get the idea.

I'll admit this Natasha isn't the rarest model in my collection, but I'm really grateful that my Weather Girl collection will remain almost complete! And I'll be watching to see what prices this mold brings on the secondary market, so I know exactly how much she's worth.

Next, let's take a look at the decorator Hero's Welcome!

I could have sworn that this model was matte, but Breyer is claiming all of the decorators were glossy this year, so...he must be glossy, I guess. I still haven't decided if I'm going to name him Pond Scum, Swamp Gas or something else - Silver Moss, maybe? He seems to be right in the middle, color-wise - not overly green, but not all that silvery either. Silvery Moss? Clearly I need to think about it more.

We laughed when I unwrapped this one, because it seems like we always get the decorator (in years when there is one). And usually we get both finishes, to boot! I'll admit I kind of wonder what Breyer was thinking with this one, color-wise (is that supposed to be army green?), and since Sommer didn't design it, we can't even get an explanation from her! He's pretty, in his own way...but maybe I will name him Pond Scum.

Lastly, here's Banner!



I didn't expect this model to be as popular as he was, considering the lukewarm reaction from the hobby when he was first introduced, but I suppose I should have expected it, considering his low run number. Someone said the numbers worked out so there were only 42 of them per hour? Crazy stuff. I was worried about not being able to get one, but we ultimately ended up with three of them - I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try to pull a blue one. Lightning didn't strike twice there, but it was interesting to see the different variations in the run. One of the two I sold had a very orange muzzle! Interesting stuff. Now all I have to do is figure out how I'm going to fit this one onto my shelves...

That's all I've got for today. Check back later for more New Arrivals!

New Arrivals: Natasha, Glossy Pearl Hero's Welcome and Hal

Next in our series of new arrivals: Natasha!



I'm a bit surprised this special run has gone under the radar as much as it has, since I had thought the Weather Girl was a pretty popular mold. But I got the liver chestnut Natasha in my first trip through the store, so when I got this one later, it was almost as an afterthought. She doesn't look like the promo photos (do they ever...?),  but she's still nice. I think this run really should have had a matte/glossy split to help with sales, even if that meant I had to keep buying her all weekend trying to get both. I know I've pooh-poohed that in the past, but as far as I know, the Natashas didn't sell out, and she would have been a perfect candidate for gloss.

Next: the glossy pearl Hero's Welcome!

I'm so glad I managed to pull a glossy this year! Well, other than the decorator, since it appears those are also all glossy (My husband pulled that one this year). At first I thought I'd gotten a third matte pearl, so it was a nice surprise to unwrap him and see SHINY! He doesn't have a lot of flaws, either, so it's win-win. And he has a nice gold sheen to his color that I'm not sure my matte pearl has - or maybe the gloss just brings it out more. Either way, he's pretty!

Lastly, let's take a look at Hal!

I feel like Hal has been another sadly-overlooked model this year - probably because of his plain chestnut wrapper (though the production run size and purchase price probably didn't help; $75 for this, really?). His paintjob has a lot of nice shading, and he has that long white blaze to complement his face. His eyes aren't terribly detailed though, and he has those pink eyewhites that make me wonder if he's been burning the candle at both ends again. But I think he'll look nice on the shelf next to Dundee!

That's all for now - tune in again soon for more new arrivals!

New Arrivals: Champagne Hero's Welcome, Rocket and Rico

I can't believe it's already been a week since we came home from Kentucky! Time goes by way too fast these days. Since we haven't seen the numbers breakdown from Breyerfest, or much of anything else exciting (except the first Glitter Unicorn Club release), here are some cell phone photos of my Breyerfest arrivals. I'll start with the champagne Hero's Welcome, Rocket and Rico!



This guy's color is really nice! I don't know who to credit for it, though, because Sommer Prosser (the usual surprise color designer) has said online that she designed all of the Hero's Welcome colors except the decorator and the champagne. So who did design him? Who knows, but whoever it was made a good choice! Too bad he's got that ugly black mark on his right hip. Hopefully I can get it off with some work.

Next, we have Rocket!

I really like the color on this guy, but I wish his dapples had been better. I ended up with three Rockets in my quest for a pinto one, and all three had really unsubtle dapples. None of them were chalky, either, so I guess I'll have to be satisfied with my normal one. I really liked the pearly pinto, though! Also, for some reason the paint on his back is barely there (I'm guessing it's an attempt at shading), which looks rather odd. But I think I can get over it.

Lastly, let's take a look at Rico!



This guy's paintjob is really nice! I hadn't realized he would have fleabites - I guess I didn't look at the promo photo closely enough. He does have lots of little brown fleabites though, and they look great! I didn't see much of anything wrong with him - or with most of the other models this year, for that matter. It's good to see the quality making a comeback, especially on the Celebration Models. I'm still irritated about how poor-quality the Nazruddins from 2017 were.

That's all I've got for today - tune in later for more New Arrivals!

Featured Model - 3/9/2019, Jubilee

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...Jubilee!



This beauty was a special run for Breyerfest 2014. He's item #711185 and was a run of 1200 on the Andalusian Stallion mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody.

I love this model! He's one of my favorites on this mold, and it should be easy to see why - he's a spectacular color! Breyer's silver bay colors always look awesome - at least in my opinion. I love his pearly mane and tail and his luscious gloss and his shading and dapples! He's beautiful.

He was pretty popular at Breyerfest too - he was one of the special runs that sold out. A big part of that was probably the 25 silver charm models scattered throughout the run, but still! He was a popular guy.

As for the Moody Andalusian, I've been waiting for him to show up as the Breyerfest surprise model for years. Could this finally be his year? Granted, he wasn't an auction model last year, but maybe Breyer will finally notice we've noticed that pattern and change things up a bit. You never know what could happen.

I'm also wondering if they'll put small runs of 30 in with the special runs this year, like the runs of 25 from 2014? I doubt it, or it'd make Breyer too predictable, but it would definitely be fun! They seem to be going more for the superhero/hero horses theme, though, so I wouldn't count on it happening.

But anyway, back to the Andalusian. He made an appearance last year as the highly popular rainbow special run Prism, so I don't really expect him to show up anywhere else - but he's never been a web special, so maybe he'll show up there? I can only hope - several molds have been used more than once, so it's definitely a possibility that we see him. I hope we get something really cool!

Featured Model - 4/28/2018, Galahad

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...Galahad!



This handsome guy's name is Galahad! He was a special run from Breyerfest 2005. He's item #711905 and was a run of 1200 on the Andalusian Stallion mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody.

This guy is one of my somewhat recent purchases, and I'm more impressed by him every time I see him! Despite his high run number (or at least high for the time period), his price on the secondary market is usually not cheap. He's a high-demand guy! Fortunately, when I bought him around Christmastime, people must have been tapped out from other purchases, so he didn't cost me an arm and a leg.

IDYB has him listed as a "dappled metallic brown," but he looks more like a liver chestnut to me. And he has the pearly mane and tail! I think this guy must represent one of the earliest uses of the pearly mane and tail, and I love it! I hope Breyer uses this color again sometime, because I'd be all over it.

As for the Andalusian Stallion, he's another uber-popular mold, but he hasn't been used a lot lately. His most recent appearance was as Glorioso in 2016 - another handsome (if unlikely) color! Prior to that he appeared as Jubilee and Silver Jubilee at Breyerfest 2014 - two more beautiful colors. Where will he pop up next? I'm hoping we get him as a web special, personally. He's never been used for that yet - maybe this will be the year!