April Collector Club Newsletter!

 Good news, everyone! The April Collector Club newsletter is out in the wild - if you're a member, check your email! Possibly your junk or promotions mail...but nonetheless. This month's newsletter features an article about the history of Breyer packaging, including touchability boxes, a Bisbee giveaway, and a tantalizing hint! 

When it comes to the box article, the ones that mean the most to me are the boxes from the '80s and '90s - you know the ones, with the clear plastic fronts, yellow cardboard backs and blue Breyer logo in the corner. It reminds me of many trips to Runnings, Country General and other places, where I would automatically gravitate to the wall of Breyer boxes. Oh, how I coveted (but have never owned) the old Deer Family back in the day! Those box ties were just the worst, though - I definitely did a number on more than one model's legs trying to get them out of the box. I definitely don't miss that part of it. 

This month's giveaway is of a Bisbee from 2019! I already have one, so I won't be entering, but good luck to those who do! The entry period closes at midnight May 9. 

And lastly, here's the sneak peek! 

From the hint "if it's not too much of a birden" (I see what you did there), it's clearly the next Birds of a Feather release, but who is it? My first thought was Dundee, but I've seen some credible suggestions that it could be Emerson. I'll want it if it's either of those, though! Let's hope those dapples aren't too nasty. eh? 

Blanca, and Slyder!

 Wow, we already have our Breyerfest reveal - say hello to Blanca! 

I must say, Charleston does look mighty handsome in black. I do still have mine languishing on my shelf, where he ended up after various attempts to sell him came up with nothing. He's kept company by the Skye that came with my Single-Day Breyerfest Stablemates from last year. Anyway, Blanca will be awarded to the runners-up in the Best Customs Contest, so needless to say, one of them won't end up in my house by accident. But on to our next reveal, Slyder! 

This is the release that was teased in the Collector Club newsletter at the end of last month, and a lot of people were right - it's the Classic Hollywood Dun It! I've been waiting for this release to come out from pure curiosity about what colors they were going to use - I had no plans to buy any of them, which is good because they were sold out by the time I saw the email about them. That gray is pretty, though! He looks like an old-school smoke colorway. Nice! And I'm intrigued that all three of them are glossy - usually they leave one matte, but not this time. I wonder if more will come in stock later? I still don't plan on buying any, but it seemed like they sold out REALLY fast this time. Good luck if they come back in stock! 

Another sneak peek!

 Greetings, readers - there's another sneak peek on the Breyerfest Blog! 

The general consensus is that it's Charleston in black and it's the Stablemate runner-up prize in the Best Customs Contest, which would pair well with the reveal of Noir last week. I guess we'll find out later this week! 

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

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model I don't own but would like to, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is...the 2014 Breyerfest auction Brishen!

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

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

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

Just don't call it Black Noir...

Good news, everyone! Yesterday's sneak peek has been revealed! Sheesh, I was way off with my guesses.

Say hello to Noir, the Best Customs Contest grand prize! He's a black version of Emerson from the 2018 Premier Club. Let's hope he doesn't have an almond allergy...

He's definitely attractive! I don't have anywhere near the skills or money required to get one of these, though, so I'll have to admire him from afar. So handsome...

Hark! A clue!

 Well, it's been quite a while, but we have a new clue on the Breyerfest blog! Check it out! 

It's too small and zoomed-in to really tell what it is, but it looks like a black Appaloosa. The consensus on the Internets is that it's one of the Best Customs Contest prizes, which seems reasonable to me. Maybe a black Cassidy? Fortunately, we only have to wait until tomorrow to find out! 

Notoriously Framed!

 Good news, everyone - the winner of last year’s Who Wore It Best contest has been announced - it’s the Latigo! Check him out!

He’s pretty, but nothing I need to buy. They’re doing a short- and long-haired variation of this guy, too - shipped randomly, of course. According to the email, he received almost 50% of the vote. Purchases are limited to one per Collector Club account.

Breyerfest plush!

 We have our plush reveal! Say hello to Pal's Palette: 

What a cutie! I'm a little disappointed that it doesn't have a hat, though. I like the multicolored blanket too. There's a quantity of 2500 on these, so it shouldn't be terribly difficult to get ahold of one. Let's hope, anyway. 

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! 

Finally, a Breyerfest sneak peek!

 After weeks of waiting, we finally have a new sneak peek on the Breyerfest blog! 

Looks like a plush to me! We'll get the full reveal next week. I like that they're leaning so heavily into the art theme! I wonder if he'll have a hat, too? Can't wait to see it! 

Featured Model - 4/11/2021, Star Fairy

 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...Star Fairy! 

This model was an auction model at Breyerfest 2011. He was produced on the Goffert mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. 

While I'm still not a pink fan, I can make an exception for this one. He has a lot of detail for something that looks so simple at first glance. I love his pink shading and the subtle pink dapples on his barrel and hindquarters, plus the painted spiral on his horn. And then the gloss on top! Someone worked hard on this one! It makes me wonder why we've never seen Goffert as a more-attainable unicorn - the horn certainly fits on him. 

Speaking of Goffert, he's been rather absent from the Breyer lineup lately. His most recent releases were a web special in 2018 and a Breyerfest auction appearance in 2019. Where will we see him again? Dare I speculate that he might be this year's Breyerfest surprise model? I would be simultaneously happy and sad about that, since that would be a ton more Gofferts I'd have to get my hands on...but with the artsy theme this year, I'm excited to see what colors Breyer could put on him! 

Hendrik is here, and True Blue Breyer selections!

 Greetings, readers! First off, my Hendrik has arrived - behold! 

He's gorgeous! Definitely one of the best releases they've done on this mold so far (I realize that isn't saying much, since he hasn't been used all that often). 

I've seen a lot of examples of bad dappling on this run, but fortunately this guy's are nice and subtle. 

I love his little star! I don't remember if that was visible in the promo photos.

I was a bit afraid to take him out of his wrappings, honestly- it sounds like this run has had a lot of quality issues. I saw one on Facebook that looked like the forelock masking had almost completely missed his actual forelock - ugh. Fortunately it's more-or-less lined up on mine. He does have a couple bits of lint in the gloss, and the masking isn't perfectly lined up on the bottom of his mane, but considering some of the ones I've seen on Facebook, I think he looks pretty darn nice. Huzzah! 

Also, the selections for the True Blue Breyer collector event went out today, and...I wasn't picked, again. I'm trying not to be too disappointed about it, but...I'm still disappointed. It's a virtual event, they didn't need to limit themselves to 200 or 400 or 600 tickets I'm sure there'll be more in the future that I'll get to be part of. Maybe I'll get drawn from the wait list? I hope so. In the meantime, congratulations to everyone that did get drawn! 

Astrid: matte or glossy?

 As I (and many others) suspected, Astrid will be released in matte and glossy finishes when she comes out later this year! Behold: 

(We'll just pretend it's an actual photo of a glossy model and not an iffy Photoshop...)

I'm attempting to trade my Fireheart for an Astrid since I only have one Premier Club account, so I'm not sure which finish I'll get on my account. I wonder if matte would be the better choice? Seems like most of the chatter I've seen says they're getting a glossy. I guess I still have a few days to decide. Anyway, I'm excited to see this girl in person! 

Old Glory and Astrid!

 Whoa, I guess I hit the post button too fast on my previous blog entry. The reveals are coming fast and furious today! This year's spring decorator model has been announced - say hello to Old Glory! 

Huh, interesting. I'm sure any resemblance to Homelander or some character from Watchmen is purely coincidental...or maybe I'm just being influenced by my own recent TV escapades. In any case, I couldn't order one fast enough! He isn't going to be limited like previous spring decorators - similar to what Breyer has been doing with Sassy and Lafayette, there will be an initial batch arriving soon and then more later. I'm excited to see what this guy looks like in person! 

Our other exciting reveal is this year's second Premier Club model, Astrid! 

My impression: ooh, me likey. 

I definitely like this one. The website says there will be an exciting update on Astrid later this week - I'm guessing we'll get to choose a matte or glossy finish for this one. I'll probably opt for the gloss on mine - anyone want to trade a matte Astrid for another Fireheart? Surely there's someone out there that would be interested...

Another test model!

 Well, last week's pencil holder unicorn really was just a joke, but don't fret - there's a different test model to enter for instead! 

From the website:

This super-cute Saddlebred Weanling was a test created 8-10 years ago while exploring twists on vintage colors, and is looking for a new home! Are you the lucky one? This filly is priced at $850 and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

 

Probably a test for the Vintage Club, then?  We've seen at least one release using the old Appaloosa Performance Horse colorway, but not a black variation like this one. Maybe someday we'll get that? Probably not on this particular mold - she's a bit small for the $135 price point. I'd say they capture the vintage look pretty well, though. Wow, how long has it been since we saw a new release on the Saddlebred Weanling? Looks like 2009, not counting an auction piece in 2012. Damn, this girl needs some new clothes! 

Anyway, I'm not a Saddlebred Weanling collector, so this one isn't for me. Good luck to everyone entering! 

Featured Model - 4/3/2021, Cocoa Beach

 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...Cocoa Beach! 

This model is item #712050 and was a run of 100 produced on the Adios mold sculpted by Chris Hess. He was a special run for the 2011 Sunshine Celebration collector event. 

Every time I see a model from the Sunshine Celebration, I kick myself again. I was drawn from the wait list for tickets to attend it, but didn't go because I didn't have the money and didn't have anyone to go all the way to Florida with. What a dummy! I could have found the money, and it wasn't like I'd never traveled long distances alone before. And the prices for any of those models have gotten insane lately (also still kicking myself for not jumping on a slightly-beat-up Daytona for $275 at the Clarion a few years ago). But, I guess that's how it goes sometimes. 

As for Cocoa Beach, Adios certainly looks handsome in glossy flaxen chestnut! Maybe someday I'll get lucky and add him to my herd. I always figured it couldn't be that hard to find one, since he was one of the higher run numbers, but I very rarely see them for sale, so maybe he's more popular than I thought. I'll just have to keep looking, I guess.

Adios doesn't get used a whole lot these days, but he does pop up here and there from time to time. He was most recently seen as one of the possible choices for this year's second Collector Club special run - he and three other models could be voted on during last year's Breyerfest. Who will win? I think I voted for the Carrick, but if Adios won I'd still buy it, naturally. Now that it's April, we should find out the results of that vote relatively soon - although it may be longer than normal with all the shipping delays we've had lately.  I hope it's sooner rather than later! 

True Blue Breyer entries are open!

 Attention, Collector Club members! Entries for the True Blue Breyer collector event are now open! Say hello to our event models, Bondi and Roo! 

I love Bondi, even though we've already had Valegro in gray. He looks quite similar to last year's Breyerfest special run, Ash. Not sure if he's basecoated, though. 

Darn it, I was hoping they'd pick a Stablemate mold I don't collect. This guy looks like a mini version of last year's Storm from the Seattle Soiree. 

We only have to remember to enter once for this thing, so that at least makes things easier. Today is my birthday, too, so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get drawn! Good luck to everyone! 

Let me PENCIL you in to this April Fool's joke!

 As most of you probably know, today is April Fool's Day...and Breyer has once again delivered! I legitimately laughed when I saw this on their Facebook page earlier.

From the post: 

We’re so excited about our next Test Run offering, we just couldn’t wait to show you all! 😱 Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming soon:

The Running Stallion was sculpted by Chris Hess and was first released in the year 1968. A little while later in 1982, he also became Breyer’s first-ever unicorn! This Running Stallion unicorn is molded in unique white pearl plastic, which was never actually used on a production run. Alas, he *is* missing his horn – but don’t fret! With this incredible Test Model in your collection, not only will you own a unique piece of Breyer history, but also the world’s coolest pencil holder that will be the envy of Breyer fans everywhere.

This model is priced at $850, and Collector Club members can enter our drawing for their chance to purchase this amazing piece next week!

I love the "world's coolest pencil holder" verbiage. And he does look pretty cool! This is obviously an April Fool's joke, but part of me wonders if he really will be for sale next week? If so, he'd have some pretty cool provenance for the future buyer. The price is back down to $850, though, so maybe it's just a tongue-in-cheek copy-paste job. Anyway, this was a pretty good joke - but I'm not sure if it tops the decorator Khemosabi set from a few years back!