Illumination is here!

Good news, everyone! My Illumination model arrived shockingly quickly after they popped up online, but due to our move, I just haven't had the time to write about him until now. Fortunately, I managed to scrape up a few minutes to take him out of his box and admire him, and boy am I glad I did! Behold!



As an aside - while I love the Nokota mold, I don't love how his head is closer to the camera than the rest of his body, which almost always makes his head look huge in photos. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong.

Anyway, look at how pretty he is! He's all shiny and blue, and I love it!

I've seen a lot of posts on Facebook wondering about that square seam-looking thing around his shoulders. So far, it seems like they all have it - I'm guessing the non-clearware models have it too, but this is the first time we've been able to see it.



Quality-wise, he's pretty nice, but there really wasn't much to screw up on this model, except maybe the fireworks (and I didn't see anything wrong with those). I feel like his eyes could have been painted less sloppily, though. And I love the transition to clear on the ends of his mane and tail.



It's always interesting to get a new mold in clearware and see its "inner workings" for the first time. That's a peg inside the model! They snap together to help hold the two halves of the model together. It's supposed to help prevent seam splits, but the jury's still out on that one, I think. The pegs are also notorious for being creaky, so if you have an especially chatty Nokota (or Esprit, or numerous other molds with pegs), blame the pegs.

Since this is the first time we've seen the Nokota in clearware, and the run was only 3000 (or 3500, there seems to be some disagreement) models, I wonder if we'll see other clearware Nokotas in the future? Only time will tell, I suppose.

That's all I have for today. Enjoy what's left of April - hopefully we get some exciting Breyerfest news tomorrow!

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!

Aiden is here!

Greetings, readers! My Aiden model from this year's Stablemate Club arrived a few days ago, and I finally have time to write about him! Behold!



We've been busy packing, moving, unpacking, packing and moving some more, painting, cleaning and a million other things on top of my already-busy work schedule, so it's been hard to find time to photograph new arrivals. Nevertheless, I press on! I don't plan on taking my Aiden out of his box since I'm going to sell him, so you don't get any out-of-box photos. But is it just me, or does his right shoulder look really swollen and weird?



I guess that angle doesn't really help. I didn't notice anything too terrible with his quality, although I admit I haven't looked at him that closely yet. He's rather loosely tied to the box, though, so who knows what's on his other side. Maybe I should take him out of the box after all.



I don't think I'm going to regret selling this guy - his tiny feet still don't look any better in person, and I'm not sure the extended blanket pattern looks the best with his proportions.

It would be nice if he'd been tied to the box a little more tightly - I don't like to see him wiggle around that much, especially since he's been shipped most of the way around the world like that. I don't think my Kohana was that loose in the box, although I didn't keep him very long either. All in all, I'm hoping Breyer goes back to using the bags next year. The boxes are cute, but the bags are more practical and less likely to get tossed in the trash!

Single-Day Stablemates outlines are revealed!

The links for single-day tickets on the Breyer website are now active, and we can see what the Single-Day Stablemate molds will be!

So those are:

G3 Standing Stock Horse
G3 Cantering Warmblood
G4 Driving Horse
G3 Standing Thoroughbred.

Hey, I predicted one of those - the Driving Horse! Last year I predicted two of them, though...sigh.

There's an interesting mix of molds there - and by "interesting" I mean...why are three of them from the same generation? The Standing Stock Horse and Cantering Warmblood have both been used at Breyerfest 3 times before - the Stock Horse was a Single-Day Stablemate in 2014, and the Cantering Warmblood and Standing Thoroughbred were both Single-Day Stablemates in 2015! (Still looking for the Warmblood...)

I guess you could explain away the Stock Horse by saying Quarter Horses race too, and they're probably trying to pass off the Warmblood as a Thoroughbred. It just seems like there was a wider range of molds they could have picked - the G1s have been popping up all over the place, for instance. I didn't think they'd use the G2 Thoroughbred since she was used last year, but I did think they'd use at least one Arabian since that breed is also known for racing (endurance or otherwise).

Of the four, the only one I want is whatever the Cantering Warmblood turns out to be, so that means I only need to buy one single-day ticket this year. Hopefully I can get the volunteer at the tent to let me pick the one I want - I have a feeling the Warmblood is going to be the most popular, so one of us might need to get in line early.

I'll close by saying I hope they have different packaging for the Stablemates this year - the McDonald's dessert packaging they've been using the last two years isn't nearly as fun as the little themed bags they usually come in.

Starlet!

The winner of the Who Wore It Best? contest from last year's Breyerfest has finally been revealed - Starlet!



Can I just say I love that banner? The colors are really nice and the Starlet Hollywood sign is really clever. And Croi does kinda have that "diva" thing going on, too.

I'd been wondering when this contest winner was going to be announced - but the color is so similar to Fletcher that I figured the whole thing had been written off and they decided to put it on him instead. They should make a foal to match Fletcher and Starlet so we can have a family!

I'm not a Croi collector, so this girl isn't coming to my house, but she's definitely beautiful! I probably could have voted for her since I thought she looked the best, but figured I should abstain since I wasn't going to buy one.

This also makes me wonder if they're still going to have their usual Collector Club special run for the latter half of the year? That model is usually revealed at Breyerfest. I suppose they probably still will - maybe this is the only year they're going to have three. Or maybe this is a new tradition! Who knows.

Featured Model - 4/21/2018, Mr. Chips

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. In honor of this week's not-so-popular Tanner from the Vintage Club, this week's model is another unpopular VC special run...Mr. Chips!



This poor guy was the Vintage Club "extra" - not a required purchase - in 2014. He's item #712107 and was produced on the Newsworthy mold sculpted by Sue Sifton. 500 of these guys were originally produced, but 95 of them wound up being glossed and sold to VC members as extras later on.

I suppose the rate of sales must not have been that bad, as 405 is a little more than 80% of the total (I can't remember if matte extras ever showed up in the NPOD or anywhere else), but I know I hesitated to try buying one at the time due to the price tag. $135 plus shipping for something with little more than a dash of paint on it? No thanks. I did finally score one for $80 later, a price I was much more willing to pay. And yes, I know he's on his stand backward in the photo, but I like it better that way - I think it fits the mold's forward motion better.

Of course, the glossy Mr. Chips is much harder to come by and thus much more expensive, so I haven't added him to my herd yet. Maybe someday I'll find one. Although 2014 was the only year I've wanted one of the VC extras, I still wish they'd gloss and sell the leftovers - this guy and 2013's Lucy were the only times they did it.

I can see why they'd stop, though - people would probably stop ordering matte ones as often if they knew the extras would end up being glossy instead. It's a nice thought, though.

Newsworthy is currently in the regular run line as EZ to Spot, but he hasn't been used at Breyerfest in any sort of obtainable fashion, so I wonder if he'll make some kind of surprise appearance this year. The surprise, perhaps? Probably not - I doubt people would be excited to spend $85 on a pony. I guess I wouldn't have much of a problem with that - his web special sold for more than that in 2016. Or maybe he'll be a web special again this year! I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Newmarket!

Newmarket has been revealed, and it's...Flash?

Okay then! Well, I like his color - blue is my favorite color, after all. And I like that his white areas are pearly - I love pearly!

Sadly, I'm not a Flash collector, so I won't be buying him. And I'm not the biggest fan of his "lipliner" shading - it's too big and makes him look clownish.



I'm not really sure I like the whole "harlequin effect," either, but let's be honest...if it was on a mold I collected, I'd buy it.

As it is, though, my wallet is happy! This means I only need four (possibly five, if the surprise is something I want) of the special run models. Huzzah! More money I can spend at the Clarion instead! Uh, I mean..more money I can...save? Sure, that's it.

Grab bags are back again!

'Tis the season...for grab bags. Behold!



Look, I know they have an Alborozo silhouette on the banner, but don't let that fool you. I highly, highly doubt any Alborozo models will show up in these grab bags. It's most likely going to be a whole lot of Bandera models and regular run models, with maybe a smattering of old Breyerfest special runs that weren't especially popular. And/or some of the other special editions we've seen lately - Fiona and Rory, Scotty, Calvin, things of that nature.

I mean, I could be wrong, and we might see some Alborozo models, but I doubt it. I haven't heard of any being found in the NPOD for a few years now, so I'm guessing they're sold out. I'll be happy to eat crow if I'm wrong, though! I'm not going to order one anyway - my thoughts on grab bags usually run to, "not worth it," and I don't have the money to throw down anyway. But good luck to everyone that does order! I admit it'll be exciting to see what everyone else gets.

Tanner is now available!

Greetings, readers! If you're a Vintage Club member, this year's extra model, Tanner on the Semi-Rearing Mustang, is now available for purchase! 

While I am a VC member this year, I won't be buying this guy - I don't collect the Semi-Rearing Mustang. Fortunately, he's not a required purchase to stay in the club, so if you're in the same boat I am, don't feel pressured to buy him.

He certainly looks interesting! I wonder how well they'll pull off that paint job. I guess we'll find out when they start arriving in mailboxes! 

Newmarket?

So there's a new hint on the blog, but we already know what its name is!



A rumor had been going around the last few days - that the decorator SR was named Newmarket - but nobody knew how it got started. Then a scan of a vendor order sheet for this year's Breyerfest was posted on Blab. When vendors are selling at Breyerfest, they can order vendor packs of SR models, so they have a chance at the models without having to go through the line, because as vendors they might not have time to. This is the first time I can remember seeing one of these order sheets ahead of time, and sure enough, it has Newmarket listed on it as a decorator.

Interesting stuff! As for the preview, I like blue and white together, but I kind of hope the whole model isn't patterned like that? I don't know, it kind of just looks like a painting nightmare. As for the mold, the photo looks like something's barrel, but it's so indistinct it's hard to tell exactly what we're looking at or which mold it belongs to. It's already Wednesday, so hopefully it gets revealed tomorrow or Friday!

Incidentally, the vendor order sheet also lists Sierra Rose as the matte/glossy split for this year. That's excellent news for me - I'm not planning on buying her, so I don't have to be bothered with it! I'm sure I'll have enough trouble getting both versions of Dead Heat, so the less I have to worry about, the better.

Featured Model - 4/14/2018, Elska

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...Elska!



We're currently dealing with a snowpocalypse while I pack models for our upcoming move, so I thought I'd pick a wintry model. So, Elska it is!

This pretty girl was the Brick and Mortar special run from 2015, only available to dealers with an actual physical storefront, and prohibited from being sold online. She's item #1731 and also holds the distinction of being the (so-far) only female release on the Falhofnir/Icelandic mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. At the time of her release, I still had a brick-and-mortar dealer within driving distance, but that's no longer the case - so I just have to hope future brick-and-mortar special runs are all on molds I don't like. 

This model has the advantage of not only being a Moody mold, which I have a crippling weakness for, but she's also a dapple gray, which I also have a crippling weakness for. So, she had to join my collection! I love her soft dappling and the contrast between her light-colored body and darker legs.

The Icelandic mold has been rather lightly used since its first release in the Premier Club - he was a regular run briefly as Svali fra Tjorn and was the web special Honeysuckle in 2016. Other than last year's Early Bird heartbreak (still sad about that one), he just hasn't been used much. The Icelandic is doing the tolt gait, which is unique to the Icelandic breed, so he can't really be portrayed as anything else. That's the problem with molds that are too recognizable as one particular breed, like this one - lack of mold utility means it just doesn't get used as much.

I doubt he'll show up at Breyerfest this year, although they did somehow get away with using him as the Early Bird at a Breyerfest that otherwise had absolutely nothing to do with Icelandic horses, so they could always surprise us with him again. Maybe he'll be a web special again? Or another regular run? I'm sure he'll pop up somewhere eventually.

Somebody left that stand out in the sun too long!

So the Sunday Raffle model was revealed this morning! Huzzah! Meet Jackpot:



These are the first photos we've seen of the new Bristol mold, and I have to say, I definitely like him...I'll reserve final judgement until I get my own Bristol in hand, but at this point there's a 99% chance he's going to stay with me. I really like that particular "phase" of the jump!

Unfortunately, that stand leaves a lot to be desired. Apparently it's supposed to make the model more jump-friendly? To me it looks like somebody left it on the dashboard of their car too long on a hot day...either that or some kind of soft-serve ice cream fiasco.



I don't like his paintjob as much as I thought I would, sadly. I think it's the light-colored mane and tail; the blog says chestnut, but maybe they were going for a flaxen look on the mane and tail? I think I'd have liked a darker mane/tail better. Or if the color was bay instead of chestnut. Leopard isn't my favorite Appaloosa pattern, anyway - a nice extended blanket like Darjeeling or Fire would have been a definite showstopper.

I'll still be buying raffle tickets, though! Just...I'll probably try to find a different stand on the secondary market...

Another hint on the blog!

There's a hint about the Sunday Raffle on the blog! Check it out!



I'm pretty sure that's Bristol.

That shoulder musculature looks mighty familiar. It looks like our Sunday raffle is a beautiful bay (or chestnut) leopard appaloosa Bristol - and he's glossy! This guy is going to be a stunner, I can tell. I wonder if he'll look like last year's Darjeeling? I could definitely get behind that.

I suppose they'll also use this opportunity to officially debut Bristol's stand, since we haven't seen production photos of Bristol yet. I'm hoping it's the clear acrylic rod for simplicity's sake.

All in all, I hope we don't have to wait too long to see the raffle model! Maybe tomorrow? I'll cross my fingers.

And now Fletcher is available! Plus, new Breyerfest SR reveal!

I thought about adding a PS to last night's post, about waiting to purchase Aiden in case Fletcher popped up (for those of you that also ordered a Fletcher) but just didn't have the time. Lo and behold, today Fletcher is available on the website!

I didn't order a Fletcher, but if you did, this is an excellent chance to save on shipping and also get your Aiden shipped in a larger box! Huzzah!

As an aside, is it just me or does that matte Fletcher in the banner look matte enough to suck you in? He's got nice shading, but looks so...dry. Oh well.

In other exciting news, our swirled Lonesome Glory preview has been officially unveiled! Say hello to By a Nose!



I feel like they could have come up with a better name for this guy, but I like him nonetheless! His color reminds me of someone - but I can't think of who it is. Constellation but with spots? He's described as a Dominant White - interesting.

He also kind of looks like some kind of tasty candy - must be the roaning. Grape Sweet Tart, maybe? Mm. He definitely needs to join my herd! And imagine how stunning he'd look in gloss! Maybe he'll be the matte/glossy split this year! That would be excellent!

As for his name...after taking a quick look at a horse racing terminology website, things that pop out include Across the Board (maybe too similar to Straight Bet), Fast Track, In the Money or Shake Up? Fast Track would be nice. Maybe I'll just call mine by that name. Either way, he's definitely pretty!

I suppose I should have expected that we'd see Lonesome Glory, but with Breyer's track record of not adhering to themes, I thought he'd be too obvious. Clearly I was wrong! But at least he more-or-less fits the theme, right?

So the only special run yet to be revealed is the decorator, if it is a decorator this year. The early bird deadline is a bare five days away, so maybe we'll see it this week! I hope so. Bring on the reveals!

Aiden is now available!

Aiden, the second release in the 2018 Stablemate Club, is now available for purchase!



He's certainly fancy! I'll have to get mine on order. Unfortunately, I'm not into the Valegro mold, so mine will be for sale. I wanted to like him, and bought the Breyerfest one a couple of years ago, but his feet are just too tiny (and it didn't help that I dropped my Valegro onto a carpeted floor from about 3 feet up and his tail cracked). So, no Stablemate Valegros in my house. But he's definitely pretty! Guess I'll go back to waiting for the mini Brishen!

Lots of exciting things to post about today!

We've got quite the news roundup today, folks! First off...there's a new model hint on the Breyerfest Blog!

When it's all swirled like that, it looks like an ostrich - but word on the street is that it's a Lonesome Glory! Some type of blue roan sabino, perhaps? There's no word on whether this is a special run or a raffle model, so I'm wondering if this is the Sunday raffle model? Oddly enough, if IDYB is correct, Lonesome Glory has somehow never been a raffle model! Perhaps this is the year! But I'd be cool with a Lonesome Glory special run line item - at least he would mostly fit the theme. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Hopefully we won't have to wait until Friday!

Next up - there's a new test model for collector club members to enter for on the website!



According to the writeup, he's from 2000 or so. From the website:

This lovely test is vintage 2000, and features blue and silver bobs in his mane and a bow in his tail. He has four freehand socks on his feathered legs, and a freehand blaze face. He does have some black marks and signs of age, but overall he's a wonderful test run! 

 I'm debating whether to enter for this guy or not. I'd be reselling him if I won, but he looks like he'd resell for a pretty good price. Decisions, decisions. Good luck to those who do enter!

And lastly, there's a new limited edition clearware model coming out - Illumination!



A new Nokota? And he's clearware? I gotta have him! They're definitely making the most of that patriotic paintjob, huh? He does have some differences from Patriot and Allegiance, though - I like the fireworks! I wonder if this paintjob will become a yearly thing? Time will tell. Hope I can get mine soon!

That's all I have for today - hopefully we get more exciting Breyerfest reveals soon!

Featured Model - 4/7/2018, Giselle

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 a porcelain - the original Giselle!




This is the first time I've ever featured a porcelain on the blog! Released in 2008, Giselle was sculpted by Brigitte Eberl, and was a run of 350. She was one of the few porcelain Connoisseur releases and is item #90147.

I don't have many porcelain models. I can be clumsy, and porcelains make me nervous. The only other porcelain I own is Adriano, the bay Spanish Barb from Breyerfest 2004, and I managed to break him (twice!) last year after years of paranoia. I managed to find Giselle for a bargain price at Breyerfest last year, but truth be told, I'm thinking about taking her back to Breyerfest this year and selling her. The constant paranoia just isn't worth it!

All that aside, I do like the model. Her chestnut color is rich and deeply shaded, and she even has four white socks to boot. She's pretty! But rather unfortunately fragile.

One of the last times we saw Giselle get used was in 2016 as Chesapeake, the ticket model for the Chasing the Chesapeake collector event. That model is also a richly shaded chestnut, but with an added layer of gloss! I have her and she's beautiful.

Giselle was most recently used at the end of last year as Rosalind the unicorn. I'm hoping we see her used at Breyerfest in some fashion or another, but I'm not sure how likely that is. Maybe she'll be the volunteer model? I could get behind that.

Spirit Series 2 Blind Bags are here!

Greetings, readers! My Spirit Series 2 blind bag assortment finally arrived, and I'm excited to share photos of them!

Collectors had been assured that these boxes would contain one of each model, like last year's assortment, but it seems that assumption was incorrect, as some of the boxes going out have contained 0 chase models and have had varying degrees of duplicate models inside them instead. Somehow I was lucky enough to get a complete box, however. Behold!

I had been dreading the box's arrival, because I only needed four of these guys for my own collection, and I was pretty sure I was going to end up only getting multiples of the models I didn't want. So I was pleasantly surprised!

The standout models in this box were (in my opinion) the chase piece (duh), the pearly perlino Andalusian and the dapple gray G4 Driving Horse. Here's a closeup of the chase piece:

I've never watched the Spirit Riding Free show, but apparently those warpaint markings are from an episode of the show. Obviously all or most of them had to be done using decals, but some of them didn't get put on quite right and the edges of them are visible. The model also had some significant rubs on his nose and nostrils, which was disappointing.

Next: the Andalusian!

I may have mentioned my love for pearly finishes a time or two before, but this guy is really nice. Almost nice enough to forgive those Groucho Marx eyebrows! I know these models are based on characters from a TV show, so I try not to complain about the eyebrows too much, but they make this one look pretty ridiculous. I know, I know; they added eyebrows to the horses to make the eyes more expressive, but part of me just wishes they could have toned it down a bit for this model. Maybe if they'd used light-brown eyebrow paint instead of black? That might have helped.

Next: the G4 Driving Horse!

I'm not much of a fan of this mold, but this color looks really nice on him. I love how soft his dapples are! I'd personally like to see a dark mane and tail to go with his legs; I don't think I've ever seen a dapple gray horse that didn't have the dark mane and tail to go along with the legs. Oh well.

And I want to write about the G3 Cantering Warmblood as well:



I wish they'd quit using these weird, unrealistic pinto patterns, but I suppose that's probably the TV show's failing rather than Breyer's. Clearly whoever designed the horses' colors should have done some more research.

That's all I've got for right now. On a side note, it's now April (you probably noticed that already), which means the next Stablemate Club release should be out anytime! I'm hoping for the gray Brishen, but it shouldn't be too long until we find out!

Dark Horses

The yearly "clue" (if you can call it that) for the Breyerfest 2018 Surprise special run is up on the blog! It's...Dark Horse Surprise!



What could the mystery model possibly be? "Dark Horse" suggests something no one would expect. In some previous years they gave us an actual hint for this special run, but evidently that made it too easy to guess...? Not that anyone guessed Latigo for last year, but I'm pretty sure no one was surprised about Esprit, Lonesome Glory or the Nokota's debuts as surprise models.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the surprise mold tends to be drawn from the previous year's pool of auction models. Based on last year's auction models, I projected that the surprise could be the Show Jumping Warmblood, Idocus, Yasmin or Desatado. But throwing a "dark horse" into the mix could mean the Cleveland Bay, Giselle, Bobby Jo, Totilas or even (gasp!) Adios, or perhaps even (double gasp!) Laredo (probably not; he's too controversial). They could also forgo using an auction mold and use the Weather Girl; Roxy appeared as Keighley, the 2012 volunteer model, before she was the surprise in 2013. Although I guess there was a Keighley in the live auction that year if you want to get technical (the volunteer model last appeared in the live auction in 2013).

Personally, I'd like to see Yasmin or the Weather Girl be the surprise, although I suppose Weather Girl may be unlikely since she's appearing as a Vintage Club gambler's choice later in the year. But if they used Yasmin, it would be the first time such a new mold appeared as the surprise, and it'd be a nice way to get a bunch of colors on her out into the wild. Plus she's in the regular line as Zena, which would make it easy to divert some whiteware to another department for a surprise run.

Edit: Dumb me keeps forgetting Yasmin was used in the SR lineup last year. Argh! For now I'm going with the Show Jumping Warmblood for my guess.

We'll have a better idea of what the surprise model could be once we've seen the last of the special run reveals, and we'll slowly get an even better idea as the auction models are released. That countdown should start on June 15, if I'm not mistaken. Only a little more than two more months to wait!

Haha! Joke's on you! Oh wait...it is on us.

Breyer uploaded a funny "joke" on the blog over the weekend - a photo they'd seemingly already used to tease Dead Heat, except a slightly lighter shade. "Ha ha, joke's on them," I thought. "Somebody screwed up and used the wrong picture." Except it wasn't the wrong picture! It was Dead Heat in an entirely different color! We've got ourselves another gambler's choice in the lineup!

Palomino? Pearly palomino? I'm sold! But it turns out the joke really is on us, because now all the Ruffian fans like me have to buy two (and probably more) of these in the special run line in order to get both colors. I suppose it was only a matter of time before Breyer figured out the whole "blind bag packaging = everything sells out" could be applied to...well, everything.

Does this mean eventually everything at Breyerfest will go the blind bag route? Probably not, since it would just frustrate everyone more (see the recent Spirit Series 2 blind bag fiasco for more on that; I'll write about that later). But what if they also decide to do a matte/glossy split on these? That would mean I'd have to track down four of these danged things! And I'd do it, too...although I'd be grumpy about it, especially if the surprise is something I have to have. We don't all have money trees growing in our backyards, Breyer...