Featured Model - 6/29/2019, Once Upon a Time

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 the too-fast-approaching Breyerfest 2019, this week's model is... the matte Once Upon a Time!



This guy was one of the special runs from Breyerfest 2011. He's item #711130 and a run of 375 (with an additional 375 glossy versions) on the Show Jumping Warmblood mold sculpted by Sue Sifton.

He's one of my favorites on this mold, despite being near-identical to Star-Studded from the previous year...and Naomi/Wynonna, for that matter. And Sixes and Sevens and Bonne Fete to a lesser extent...hmm, somebody at Breyer must really like bay appaloosa. To be fair, it's a nice color! But I'm glad they've laid off using it the last few years.In any case, the SJW wears it well! The glossy version looks even nicer, but that one continues to elude me. Maybe this year I'll find one at Breyerfest? I hope so. That or the $200 glossy perlino Quelle Surprise from a couple years back that I've been kicking myself for not buying ever since. Ahem! Anyway...

As for the SJW, where will we see him next? It'd be pretty crazy if he showed up as this year's surprise model, but I don't think he will. He was just used at the Scottsdale Stampede event last fall and was a limited edition release in 2017, so I wonder if Breyer will give him a rest for a while. I hope it's not too long of a rest, though, and he's only been a web special once. Maybe he'll make a reappearance this year? I hope so!

More auction goodness!

Exciting news - we got more auction lots on the blog today! Check out lot 16!



Wow, he's stunning! The blog says he was inspired by Labyrinth, the raffle model from 2005 - but in blue! I love his silver mapping and hooves.

Next, lot 17 - a Semi-Rearing Mustang!



The blog says he's yet another liver chestnut. Sheesh, this has to be the fourth one in the auction so far - what's with that? He is really nice, though - I could see him going really high. It's going to be hard to predict this year's top seller with so many great models, though!

Lot 18 is the Live Show Reserve prize Triumph, which we've already seen, so I'll skip to Lot 19 - a Legionario!



I think that's one of the nicest red dun paint jobs I've ever seen. The blog says he was designed by Sommer Prosser, so that would explain why he's so nice. Now if Breyer could figure out how to put that color on a larger release without mucking it up!

Those are all the auction models for today - I wonder if we'll get more on Friday? They have to save something for next week though, don't they?

Greyson is here!

Greetings, readers! Good news - my Greyson model has arrived. Observe!

So handsome! I really like him, although if I had to nitpick something, I'd say he needed a little less white. Here's his other side:

He has an amazing amount of detail for such a small model. Too bad he's so narrow through the withers, again...seriously, someone needs to ask Breyer about this at Breyerfest.



Quality-wise, he's excellent - I didn't see a thing wrong with him other than an area or two of blurred edges to his markings. I was afraid I was going to snap off one of his little legs while I was trying to get him out of the box, though - can we please go back to the satin bags already?

That reminds me - I thought Breyer's awful new shipping company couldn't sink any lower than shipping stuff in bubble mailers, but it turns out that bar could be lowered after all. Now people who ordered 3 or fewer blind bag Stablemates with their SMC models have been receiving them with the blind bags crammed into the tiny SMC shipping box! This didn't happen to me personally (nor did I get my Greyson models in bubble mailers, thankfully), but again - if I ordered a blind bag with mine and it turned out to be the chase piece, but was broken due to these terrible shipping practices, I would be LIVID. Get it together, Breyer!

Anyway, that's all I've got for today. One thing I can say for sure, though - I'm going to be on the lookout for the PYO sets in the Breyer store at Breyerfest! I can't wait to see where they use this guy next!

Splish Splash, I was taking a bath...

Happy Monday, everyone! We've got four more auction models listed today and I have to say - Breyer is really knocking it out of the park with the auction models this year. They've all been stunning so far! Let's start with Lot 10, North Star:

I know we've already seen him (he's the Saturday Raffle), but I couldn't remember if I'd seen him from the off side yet or not. Oooh, I hope I win one...

Anyway, on to this incredible Giselle/Gilen set:



The blog describes them as a "chalky Soft Dapple Palomino Splash Pinto" and a "chalky Silver Black Splash Pinto." As usual, I'm not really a fan of the chalky look on these - the white is just too stark. But I really like that palomino Giselle! Not sure why they don't just say they're basecoated white rather than chalky - probably to make them sound more exotic.

Next is this amazing Forever Saige!



I think she's my favorite of the auction models we've seen so far. Look at her! The blog calls her a "fantastical Dark Bay Splash Pinto with White Zebra Stripes." Those stripes don't look white to me (and they resemble brindling more than zebras), but who cares? She's incredible! I want this color on everything! Please don't let this be the only time we ever see it, Breyer! Although I'm sensing a pattern with all the splash pintos...

Lot 13 is another hidden lot, so here's lot 14:



I guess Breyer must have decided they need to try to get their investment costs back after letting this mold sit unused since its 2014 introduction. First there was Espresso, then there was Peplum, now this? Well, she's not my favorite mold, but that's an excellent color on her! And another splash pinto...is Breyer trying to tell us something? Maybe we'll see one of these patterns on a regular or special run next year? If so, I hope it's the one on the Forever Saige. She's a beauty!

Featured Model - 6/22/2019, Glossy Fall

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 our local draft horse show happening this weekend, this week's model is...Glossy Fall!

This model was part of Breyer's "Four Seasons" treasure hunt in 2010. Item #1417G, he's a regular run on the Othello mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody.

All of the colors in this treasure hunt were nice in matte, but Fall was the best glossy, with Spring a close runner-up. Whenever I see photos of him, I'm amazed at how nice they all look and how well they photograph. Although bay admittedly isn't my favorite horse color, this one was done really well. He has beautiful shading and almost mirror-like gloss. Definitely a winner!

Othello is one of Breyer's most popular molds, despite the fact that the sculpt is now so old it probably qualifies for Vintage status (he celebrates 20 years this year!). His most recent appearance was as the volunteer model Churchill at Breyerfest 2018. Where will he appear next? The prospect of him being the Breyerfest surprise model haunts my nightmares, but it doesn't seem likely; he's been used in almost every color, and I can almost guarantee fistfights in the special run line, at the Clarion, and anywhere else models are exchanged if he shows up. Such is his popularity! I hope Breyer stays well away...for my pocketbook's sake, if anything else. And don't shrink him down to Stablemate size, either! It's hard enough collecting the Traditional size version of him as it is!

LaFleet - I mean, LaFitte

Just when things couldn't get any crazier, there's another new web special - LaFitte!



Now, the Old Timer does have his charms, and I like how his hat color matches his body color really well, but he's not going to be able to charm me, sadly. I've never been a fan of molded-on tack, no matter how whimsical the mold.

That said, his color is beautiful (he'd make a nice boyfriend, or maybe father, for Pepper). I hope his tack is well-painted - there's a lot of room for error there, even on a run as small as 350. And heavens to Betsy, I hope none of them arrive at buyers' houses with broken blinkers or missing hats!

This guy is also being release crazily close to Breyerfest - usually they wait until afterward to reveal the next web special. Maybe they have something extra-special planned for the post-Breyerfest doldrums this year? Or maybe they need a big infusion of cash, fast. It's probably the cash.

Alas, could this be the last of the America the Beautiful web specials? It's been an excellent theme for the last three (!) years, but I can't see them continuing it for another year. If so, kudos to Breyer (and Sommer Prosser) for coming up with a series in which every model was more stunning than the last!

THE PROGRAM IS OUT! AHHHHH!

Holy crap, I am SO excited right now! The Breyerfest program is available to view, and I just got the most incredible surprise when I looked through it! They're making a 10-piece Stablemate set of all the Celebration Horses since 2010, to continue on from the 2009 set! I can't believe they're actually doing it! They'll be in the Hero's Salute Shop!

So, I'm pretty sure Breyer's intention was to have this song going through my head while I stared at these models in the program (language warning).



So, let's take a closer look at the photo. Here they are:

1. Pecos (2011) on the Mirado mold
2. Brass Hat (2018) on the new Walking Thoroughbred/Greyson mold
3. Oliver on the G4 Driving Horse mold
4. Simba (2015) on...I can't tell what mold that is
5. Gooitzen fan Teakesyl (2014) on...I think Django? I wonder if he's glossy.
6. Imperador das Aguas (2016) on the G2 Paso Fino mold
7. Smart and Shiney (2013) on the G4 Reiner mold
8. Nazruddin (2017) on the Darley (!) mold
9. All Glory (2010) on the G2 Morgan, I think?
10. Mariah's Boon (2012) on the Tushar mold

I am completely blown away - I don't think I've ever been this excited about a Breyerfest release in my life! Kill me now...or at least let me be first in line to buy one on Friday! Fortunately, it looks like they're making 2000 sets, so I don't have to be desperately clawing my way to the front of the line to get one. Not that I would, or anything...

Ack! Now I'm more excited for Breyerfest than I was before! Friday the 12th can't come soon enough!

There are also several never-before-seen auction models in the program! Behold - there's a rainbow Croi with gold mapping!

And a red bay PAM!



And a star dapple rose gray braided Bristol!

And a silver dapple bay pinto Lonesome Glory!

And a glossy dapple liver chestnut Show Jumping Warmblood with Croi tail!

And lastly, a pearly cremello Totilas!



Wow, that Bristol is to die for! And the Croi - that knocks her out as the surprise or the volunteer model. I'm not sure I like the Croi tail on the SJW, but his color is really nice. Wait, another liver chestnut? That makes three now. Is liver chestnut going to be the color of choice for Breyer's regular run line next year? Sheesh! Well, anyway, I can't wait to see these models in person IN THREE WEEKS! AAHHH!

Glossy prize models revealed!

Greetings, all! Breyer revealed this year's Breyerfest glossy prize models on YouTube today. They'd been announced a while ago, but this is the first time anyone had actually seen them in person. This video talks about the Children/Youth Show at Breyerfest, but these models will also be the sectional prizes at the Open Show on Friday. So without further ado, behold the first glossy prize model...Harley!

While Harley looks really nice in gloss, he's not a mold I collect - so I won't have another glossy model to add to the very long list of glossies I want but don't have. It's mentioned in the video that Harley will be at Breyerfest again this year, so you might even be able to get your glossy model signed by his owner! Yay!

As for the other glossy prize model, say hello to...California Chrome!



Again, Chrome looks amazing in gloss...but I don't collect Cigar models either! It's my lucky day. If you're showing and hoping to win these guys, good luck! Breyerfest is a bare three weeks away - I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. I'm so excited to get packed and head down to Kentucky again!

More auction models!

Greetings, readers! Exciting news - more auction models were posted on the Breyerfest Blog today! I was hoping we'd get some more this week. So, without further ado - here they are!

Lot 5 is the palomino Live Show prize Yasmin:

Not much to say about her that I haven't already said, except I'm still not really into the mane and tail. Next, let's take a look at Lot 6!

Wow, a stallion and foal set! You don't really see that very often. And they're so different from each other! I like the blue bobs on the stallion - they go with his color pretty well. And I like the white tail on the foal! Not enough to want to bid on them, but they're definitely unique!

Next, Lot 8 (they won't show us Lot 7, grr):

That's an amazing paintjob for the Five Gaiter, though the nitpicky part of me is wondering why Flaxen Liver Chestnut is in the auction twice. The crazy extended blanket and peacock spots make up for it, though - he's excellent!

And lastly, Lot 9:



Ruffian! I'm surprisingly meh about her, though...I'm not sure I like that shade of palomino. The blog says her mane and tail are pearly, but you can barely tell. Maybe it'll be more visible in person? I hope so.

That's all for now - I hope we get to see more auction models soon!

Vintage Club #3 - Bernadette!

Vintage Club members, rejoice - the third release of the year, Bernadette (that name is a mouthful), is now available on the website. She's this year's gambler's choice release, the Shire Mare in the four original decorator colors!

Not only are they decorators, but they come in reproductions of the old touchability boxes!

As an aside, that gold charm is incredible. She looks like she's actually made of gold! Why can't all the gold charm models look like that? Sheesh.

While I like the Shire Mare in decorator colors, I'm not a VC member this year and won't be buying them. But if you are ordering, I hope you get the color you want! Of course, if you need all four, getting all of them might be difficult...but good luck!

Finally, some auction models!

With Breyerfest barely more than three weeks away, I've been wondering when Breyer was going to show us some auction models. Well, now I don't have to wonder anymore - the first four were posted on the Breyerfest Blog yesterday! Here's the first, on Emerson:

That's a really nice color on him, and I love the mapping! The description says he's chalky, but I don't see it, myself. Maybe on closeup inspection? I like the model, and I want to like Emerson, but that angle isn't doing anything for me. Maybe my Emerson will be for sale at Breyerfest after all...

Well, anyway, on to the next model!

The blog describes this Bobby Jo as a "Flaxen Liver Chestnut Roan." Kind of an odd-looking color, but I could get behind it on some other molds. Bristol, perhaps? Or Brishen? Or Ashquar? Ooh, that would be really nice.

The blog says this is a test for last year's Dark Horse Surprise set, but it looks more like a test for the raffle model Jackpot if you ask me. He's even glossy! Sadly, I like this color better on this Smarty Jones than I did on Bristol for some reason.

This Marwari is definitely my favorite of the four. That glossy dark bay is to die for! I wonder what outrageous price he'll sell for at the auction. Marwari auction models tend to sell on the low end of the spectrum, but I suspect that might not be the case this year. 

Another test model!

There's another test model on the Breyer website - on the old Friesian mold!

I actually really like that color on him, but I don't collect the old Friesian, so I won't be entering for him. The entry period ends 6/19 - wow, is it usually that short? I guess people won't have to remember to enter as long, at least. Good luck to everyone that does enter!

Featured Model - 6/15/2019, JCPenney Bouncer

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...the JC Penney Bouncer!



This little girl (!), the only mare release on Bouncer so far (barring any oopsies later), was part of a two-piece set produced for JCPenney. I don't know how many were made, but she's item #410423 and was produced on the Bouncer mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody.

This girl has an interesting color - she's nominally a bay pinto, but light enough to almost pass for a buckskin. I like a nice red bay, like Seren, but that's just me. For some reason her long tail makes me wonder if Breyer has ever considered other hair options for this mold. I think the mane is part of the neck, so probably not, but it'd be fun to see an alternate tail show up in the Breyerfest live auction.

As for Bouncer himself, he still hasn't been used lately other than his Chrismas release a couple years back. When will we see him? It might be nice for him to pop up as a Collector Club special run, if we presume he'd have a lower price due to his small size. Breyer's been doing the best they can to clean out collectors' pockets lately, so a less-expensive special run would certainly be welcome.

I wouldn't mind seeing him as a web special or even a Breyerfest special run, but it's probably too late for him to show up at Breyerfest, except as an auction model. A web special seems more likely, but the ponies seem to get short shrift when it comes to web specials, probably because the price would have to be lower, and we know Breyer likes to charge more money for extra-limited models. So it's anyone's guess where Bouncer will turn up next - I just hope it's sooner rather than later!

Greyson is available!

Greyson, the third release in the 2019 Stablemates Club, is (at last) available for purchase!

I've been waiting for this guy to come out for a while, so I'm glad he's finally been released! They usually don't waste much time getting the new SMC releases out, so I was wondering what the holdup was. I can't wait to see mine!

4th of July grab bags!

In lieu of anything more exciting to post about... grab bags are available once again!



Supposedly they contain more than $100 worth of surprises for the low, low price of $49.99, but we all know how that goes. It's probably just stuff they can't move out of the warehouse any other way. 

Featured Model - 6/8/2019, Riley

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...Riley!



This handsome guy, item #712018, was a web special back in November 2008. He was a run of 400 (200 matte, 200 glossy) on the Smarty Jones mold sculpted by Sue Sifton.

This guy is a really nice color! I especially like his tail. Unfortunately, he wasn't very popular for some reason (possibly due to the US brand on his left shoulder), and I remember it took until late 2010 for the run to finally sell out (he was available on Breyer's Shopatron site, but didn't sell out until whatever was left were finally put on clearance along with a bunch of leftover WEG models).

Since then, the only other time Smarty Jones has been issued in gray was the Santiago release back in 2015. I hope we get another gray sometime - maybe a nice fleabitten gray like Silver  Charm? Or even a completely-grayed-out like Tapit? There are certainly plenty of gray Thoroughbreds to draw inspiration from!

I don't anticipate that we'll see Smarty used again for a while though, since he was finally the surprise model at last year's Breyerfest. He hasn't been a Holiday Horse yet - maybe next year? He's certainly had his share of Breyerfest auction models, including this one from 2014 that almost looks good enough to eat. Whatever his next release is, I hope it's something I can get my hands on!

Defiant to the end

The crystal model for Breyerfest 2019 has been revealed- it's the porcelain Shire Mare! Say hello to Defiant!

Wow, she looks nice as a crystal. This is the second year in a row that the crystal has been on a mold that has yet to appear in the Traditional line (or anywhere else in plastic, for that matter). Imagine how nice she'd look in plastic next to a Brishen model! Although she might be more likely to show up as a Stablemate with all the shrunken molds lately. Good thing there's a Stablemate Brishen too! And a crystal Brishen, now that I think about it. Sheesh, that guy gets around!

Although I won't be buying this one myself, it gives me hope that we'll see the Shire Mare (and Hambletonian) in plastic someday. We're finally getting the Spanish Barb as a Stablemate later this year, so hope springs eternal!

Crystal sneak peek!

Exciting news, everyone! The sneak peek for this year's Breyerfest crystal has been posted on the blog!



Unfortunately, the filename doesn't give us anything useful this time, and I don't have a guess as to who it could be, despite looking at every Traditional mold I thought might be a possible contender. I guess we'll have to wait to find out!

Mid-Year releases are revealed!

The mid-year releases for 2019 were revealed today, and hoo boy, there's some exciting stuff in there! I'll get started with the new Traditionals. Hey look, we finally found out what that mystery bay Bristol was!



He's a portrait of a real jumper named Voyeur, and check it out - he has a braided mane! I'll definitely need to get this guy into my collection, although I'm not wild about the braided mane. Next is a new mule!



He's a portrait of a dressage mule named Buckeye! That pattern is pretty crazy, but I've never been a big mule fan. Next - Kentucky!



He and owner Vicki Wilson won the Road to the Horse competition in 2017! The model looks nice, and I probably would collect San Domingo if I had the space, but at the moment I don't need to buy him. Next up: Patrick!



I'm pretty sure this is the Patrick that shows up at Breyerfest in different costumes every year! It certainly took long enough for him to get his own model. Off the top of my head, I've seen him dressed as Secretariat and a Harry Potter hippogryff, and I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting. Unfortunately, I don't collect Midnight Tango either, so I'm going to have to pass on this one too.

Lastly, this year's Halloween model was also unveiled!



Her name is Samhain, and she was designed by Lauren Hoeffer for the third year in a row! She's definitely nice, but I (sadly) sold off all my Wixoms in 2017 for shelf space. Maybe I'll get back into them someday, but she's too much of a shelf hog in the meantime.

That's all of the new Traditionals - on to the Classics! And they're both new molds! Let's start with the drafter:



While I'm excited to see a new drafter (he's sculpted by Mel Miller!) I'm just not all that into him. He's a nice color, though! I'm way more excited about the new Mustang!

Wow, did Breyer read my mind? It wasn't that long ago that I was posting about how sad I was that Stone beat Breyer to getting the rights to release Wahoo in plastic, and now we have this brand-new Classic that happens to look exactly like the Stone version of Wahoo? Yay! He was sculpted by Maggie Bennett, and I really hope he's in stock at Breyerfest - because I want him!

Lastly, let's see the new Stablemates set!



More unicorns, eh? I suppose I can get behind that. I kinda feel sorry for the Magnolia collectors, though - another one! At least it won't be hard to get ahold of. And the new Thoroughbred is in blue, my favorite color! Excellent. I see the Alborozo is a nice nuclear-green color (has anyone else been watching the Chernobyl miniseries on HBO?). I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that they released these, since the molds are all available as Paint-Your-Own Unicorns anyway. Ooh, I bet some blanks of these will show up as Suncatcher Stablemates at Breyerfest, too. Exciting!

That's all I've got for today, but man - now I'm really stoked for Breyerfest! I've gotta get my hands on that new Classic Mustang! I'm a bit surprised that they're just throwing two new molds out there like this - I guess the Horse of the Year program isn't quite fast enough. But whatevs - I'm not going to complain about new molds. Maybe we'll get a Classics Premier Club next year in addition to the Trad one! Heh, heh...heh...that would be really hard on my wallet, though...

Bisbee is (finally) here!

After more than a month of waiting, my Bisbee finally showed up yesterday! I was starting to get tired of waiting for her, especially with all the in-hand photos I've seen pop up over the last few weeks, so having her show up with yesterday's mail was a welcome surprise!



She's not as blue in person. Which is good, since she's supposed to be turquoise.

I'm a bit sad she isn't glossy like I initially thought she would be, but she's pretty regardless! I like the little white flecks in the blue.



I'm glad Breyer didn't pull a Bandera and painted the eyes this time.

Quality-wise, I didn't see a thing wrong with her, except it looks like the left side of her forelock didn't quite get glued on as well as it should have:



I checked all my other Forever Saige models and none of them have it, so hopefully that forelock doesn't crack off in the future.



She's just such a unique design! I wonder who came up with it. Whoever it was needs to give themselves a pat on the back!