Time to snuggle your Honeybear

 ...if you manage to get one, that is, because they're first-come-first-served and probably going to sell out fast! 

If you're a Collector Club member and want one, be ready "around 2pm EST" tomorrow, because that's when they're going on sale, and there's no indication that this is an open run like Lafayette was. Well, I know what I'll be doing tomorrow afternoon...Good luck, everyone! 

Featured Model - 2/26/2022, 2006 Auction Fighting Stallion

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model! I've decided to do another (pretty overdue) revamp of Featured Model and start talking about models I don't necessarily want to own, but may have an interesting history behind them. This week's model is...the 2006 Breyerfest Auction Fighting Stallion! 

This fiery guy was, as the title suggests, one of the auction models sold at Breyerfest 2006. He was produced on the Fighting Stallion mold sculpted by Chris Hess.

The theme for Breyerfest 2006 was Summer Carnival. It's just not a carnival theme without carnival glass (or so one might think), so one of the special runs that year was Carnivale, a green-carnival-glass-themed Fighting Stallion. 1,000 of these models were produced (seems small in this day and age), but in true Breyer fashion, an alternate Carnivale in orange was sold at the live auction that year. It's fairly common to see alternate versions of special runs pop up in live and silent auctions afterward - so probably fair to assume most of Breyer's special runs go through multiple iterations before the final model is approved. Too bad we don't get to see more of this in action! Although up until recently, we somewhat got to see that process a little bit with the "Who Wore It Best" contests collector club members could vote on. 

Of course, it's hard to really judge these models from a single photo on IDYB, but in comparing the two I think the green one does win out - that color is more attractive to me, though I imagine it's a matter of personal taste. I'd be interested to see if there are more Carnivale tests out there, perhaps on other molds? Maybe someone can dig through Breyer's archive room again this year at Breyerfest and find them, if they exist. Interestingly, that orange (or "marigold") color was apparently the most popular color of real carnival glass - at least, according to the Wikipedia article. The more you know! 

Hmm, I just got an interesting idea - they should do a "Throwback" Breyerfest theme, in which old special runs are re-imagined on new molds and with more updated/modern painting techniques. I'd definitely be down for that - so many of these fun special run colors are only used once or twice and then never again. Maybe it's just that it's late and I'm tired, but it seems like a good idea to me! 

New test run and February Collector Club Newsletter!

 Well, first things first - there's a new test run up for entry on the Breyer website! Check him out: 

If you're lucky enough to get drawn for him, he can be yours for the low, low price of $1200! I suppose a price increase was inevitable, considering the sale prices some of the prior test runs they've offered. As for me...nah. I used to have some Cigars in my collection, but they got sold off for shelf space a long time ago, like so many others. I'm a bit curious why they aren't showing more angles of the model, though. Good luck to everyone entering! 

In other news, they've managed to put out the February collector club newsletter, and a few days early for once! Maybe this will be a new pattern. If you're a CC member, check your email to read it. There's a lot of fun info there, but most relevant to my interests is this sneak peek:

According to the hint, this is most probably another Birds of a Feather release - so they are continuing it after all! No idea what mold it is - it kinda looks like a Fell Pony butt, but she was a Berries Ponies web special in 2020, so it's probably not her. Hopefully we get to find out soon...

Also: Breyerwest is happening in Colorado this weekend, so if you're on Facebook, keep an eye out there for photos! There are photos of some of the Breyerfest special runs as well as a rainbow leopard Appaloosa Slainte Surprise test being sold off in the silent auction. Fun stuff! 

Cooper is available for purchase!

 Attention, Vintage Club members: the first release of 2022 is finally available! 

Nice color, but nothing I need. Good thing I'm not in the club! Let's hope this means we'll find out the rest of the releases soon...I gotta know what the modern mold is this year! 

Another ticket update

 Alert: In-person Breyerfest tickets, including VIP tickets, go on sale at noon EST on Wednesday, 2/23. The blog has a breakdown of which tickets will be able to buy which models - check it out here. I'll admit I'm not eager to find out just how much of a disaster this is going to end up being, but I'll be trying for a VIP ticket regardless. Good luck...

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! 

Oh, boy...

 Well, some exciting news was posted on the Breyerfest Blog yesterday and...what a doozy of an announcement. To simplify things:

• The special run line as we knew it is gone
• We'll use the master list option to select models in advance (or, well, they'll be selected for us in advance
• Models will be paid for ahead of time
• We'll receive vouchers for the models we were selected for and pick those up at Breyerfest
• Vouchers will then be used to pick up models at any time throughout the weekend

Uh, well...it seems like a plan that could work, until you actually start thinking about it and, well...the major sticking point is the whole voucher system. Other people have crunched the numbers and asked how exactly the voucher distribution is going to realistically work, considering they'll sell around 12,000 tickets, and if you consider it'll take 2-4 minutes for each person picking up their ticket book, and 8,000 people picking up books, and 4 people handing out the books, that's about 100 hours required to distribute them all, and as we all know, Breyerfest is only operational for 23 hours through the weekend (9-5 on Friday and Saturday and 9-4 on Sunday). Let's be generous and say the Will Call booth will operate for 8 hours on Thursday as well (not likely). That gives us 31 hours to distribute all the vouchers. They say we'll be able to pick up special run models at any time throughout the weekend, similar to how the Celebration Horses are handed out, but I think they're failing to take into account that really, nobody cares about the Celebration Horses that much. But people (for the most part) will want to pick up their special run models ASAP to have the best chances at trading those models.

Which leads into my next point...trading. They say right in the blog post that if you don't like the models that were picked for you, just buy them anyway and trade them! So basically they're saying we should do their work for them and distribute models amongst ourselves accordingly. The problem is, since we're making master lists for our models again, and they REFUSE to tell us in advance which models will have variations, or the matte/glossy split, plus the matter of the surprise model, it's impossible to really decide what we'd want so far in advance without knowing all the options. And I'll go so far as to say they should at least tell us the mold of the surprise model if they want us to be able to make our selections in advance. Take last year - I would have filled out my master list differently if I'd known every special run would have a rare variation, and with full knowledge of the matte/glossy split and the Marwari options. And I'm sure I'm not the only person that was put out by that! 

Now, I'm not entirely opposed to getting rid of the special run line on its face - it's just the logistics that are going to be sticky - I think handing out the vouchers is going to be the major issue here. What happens if there's still 1,000 people waiting in the voucher line at 5pm on Friday? And then 2,000 at 5pm on Saturday? And then 3,000 at 4pm on Sunday? We all know Breyer likes to get their stuff packed and out of the park ASAP on Sundays - will all those people just be told, "Sorry, you're out of luck?" Not to mention the inevitable mistakes that will be made, because this is Breyer we're talking about and it seems like Breyerfest is just a series of near-disasters or actual-disasters through the whole weekend (not to mention the inevitable forgotten pallet or two of SR items and the associated ire of everyone those models belong to). 

And then you have the problem of people trying to do pickups! The blog says if you're picking something up for someone else, you'll have to have the applicable checkout information. How long is it going to take to verify all that stuff if someone is trying to pick up models for 20 people? How are they going to get all those models themselves? Will Breyer provide people to help carry all that stuff? Nobody's going to want to make more than one trip through that tent, considering what a disaster the whole voucher system is going to be, so how long is the SR line actually going to be? Are we going to end up back to the way things were in the '90s when you could stand in line for 8 hours and still come away with nothing at the end of it? What a nightmare. 

So it's not really surprising that they waited until a Friday to drop this information - maybe they think the whole thing will blow over by Monday? Oh, and the ticket prices got raised too, so there's that. People have been making their dissatisfaction with the situation known on Facebook and other places, but in true corporate fashion, most of the negative comments are either being deleted or not being allowed to post at all, so....I don't have a lot of hope that the situation will be rectified in any kind of acceptable manner. But let's hope for the best, shall we? Oh, and VIP tickets are going on sale next week, but there's no indication of a limit for said tickets, so for all we know the more popular Breyerfest models could all end up sold out to VIP members before the rest of the plebs even get a chance at them. So I may need to buy a VIP ticket after all if I want to get my hands on a Stein. Fun stuff! Let's hope for more clarification on Monday. 

Featured Model - 2/13/2022, Duwamish

 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...Duwamish! 

A special run produced for the Seattle Soiree collector event in 2020, this model was an edition of 48 pieces, item #712363, produced on the Dundee/Australian Stock Horse mold sculpted by Kitty Cantrell. 

While stock horses generally aren't my thing (Geronimo used to be the exception, but I did end culling all of mine), Dundee seems to be the exception to that - I think it's because he looks just sleek enough not to be too stocky for me. In any case, this model was one of the ones that made me sad I wasn't drawn for Seattle Soiree - he's a nice shade of buckskin and appropriately flashy with his white markings. Maybe someday I'll be able to trade for one or something (or maybe the market bubble will burst and prices will go back to being closer to what they used to be). 

As for Dundee, he's been a busy mold lately - he was last year's Breyerfest surprise model, a surprise in and of itself because the mold was still so relatively new. He's scheduled to be released as Romeo, the 2022 Flagship model, in the spring, and who knows what else Breyer has planned for him. Maybe one of the Breyerfest raffle models this year? I could see that, though I'm currently leaning toward Vermeer and Troubadour for that. Hmm, Troubadour is this year's holiday horse though, so maybe that rules him out. The holiday horse is a larger run than something like the Flagship model, so maybe that leaves the door open for Dundee? I guess we'll see...hopefully sooner than June/July this year, eh? 

Dax is available for order!

Attention to Stablemates Club members! This year's first release, Dax, is now available to order! 

He's pretty, but nothing I need to add to my collection. Though it'd be interesting to see that "blue interference" in his color. The deadline for ordering is 2/25, so we have plenty of time to get our orders in. Bonus: order some other regular run stuff with him this weekend and get 20% off with the SUPERCLUB22 code! I swear I don't work for Breyer, but I feel like such a shill talking about the sales and/or discounts.

But anyway...of course they'd come out with this 3 days after I broke down and ordered some of the new products because I hadn't bought anything since mid-December and it feels weird not having anything new coming in...But I digress. Maybe I'll order some of the backordered stuff? I'll have to think about it. It's hard to say no to 20% off and free shipping...

It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal!

 Good news, everyone! The last Limited Edition release for Breyerfest has been revealed - the long-awaited crystal model! And it's the PAM! 

Huh, the combination "Crystal PAM" is making me think of Crystal Pepsi for some reason. If I bought one, that's probably what I'd call her, but I'm not a crystal collector, so feel free to borrow away. From the blog:

Lorelei is a 433-foot tall rock on the banks of the Rhine River that was named after the distinct murmuring sound the water flowing through it makes. Inspired by this sound, in 1801, Clemens Brentano crafted the tale of a woman who fell to her death while atop the rock looking for her lost love, and thus a folktale was born. 

This story changed hands and details over the years, including turning the woman Lorelei into a siren who lures sailors to crash into rocks on the banks of the river. Like a good game of “Telephone,” this simple story of lost love evolved into a story of mythological proportions over time, inspiring music, poetry, opera, and art.

Pretty enough, but nothing I need to buy. I just don't collect breakables after the Adriano heartbreak. 

Now that all the Limited Editions and special runs have been revealed, I expect Breyerfest tickets to go on sale soon - maybe tomorrow? I'm not as keen to buy a VIP ticket as I was last year (I just don't think anything from this year will match Pollock's popularity), so I'm not terribly worried about it. Of course, since we've seen all the regular releases so early in the year, I'm sure Breyer will make us wait until the last effing minute to see any of the prizes or raffles, but I can always hope, right? Right? 

Featured Model - 2/5/2022, Rose Gold Filigree Avoriaz

 Hello and welcome to 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 rose gold filigree version of Avoriaz! 

This pretty lady was item #712297 and was a run of 175 on the Carina/Performance Lipizzaner Mare sculpted by Brigitte Eberl. She was a split run with 175 each produced of the two colors, rose gold charm and rose gold filigree.

I wasn't lucky enough to be drawn for either of these beauties when they were first released in 2019, though I've since managed to add the rose gold charm to my collection. They seem to be strangely unpopular despite their low run numbers - there are only a few currently listed on eBay, but none of their prices are for more than $365, while last year's 200-piece decorator versions of the Breyerfest special runs are still selling for twice that or more, and I wouldn't call Carina an unpopular mold. She's certainly still new enough that the shine shouldn't have worn off yet, or so you'd think, but...there it is. I guess rose gold isn't as exciting a color as Breyerfest decorators. Despite my general dislike of pink, I do like her, and wouldn't mind finding the filigree for my collection someday. 

As for Carina, she's had a healthy number of releases since her 2017 debut. She kind of looks like a fluttery little bird, so I wonder if they'd use her for another Birds of a Feather release? Croi and the Moody ASB both had back-to-back (or very close to that) web special releases in the past, so it's definitely a possibility. I believe I heard something about another Breyer special event happening this year as well, so it's definitely possible she could show up there as well. Either way, I hope it's something I can get my hands on! 

The Valentine's Plush is revealed!

As I suspected, this year's Valentine's plush is a donkey - behold! 

 

What a cutie! They can be ordered now, but won't ship right away as they seem to still be stuck at the port, according to the email. Seems like Breyer usually ends up doing a sale where you can get the plush for free when ordering a certain amount of merchandise, though, so maybe hold off a bit and see if they do that again this year? I would, if I were a plushie collector. 

FINALLY!

 The big reveal is finally upon us, readers- this year's Best of Breyerfest Stablemates set! Here it is in all its glory: 

From the blog: 

Schumacher (mold 5625) has been inspired by Senna, 2016's Open Show Grand Champion Prize Model, in a flashy red dun blanket. Named after Michael Schumacher, one of the most successful Formula One Drivers in the world.

Linzer (mold 5746) has been inspired by Brigadeiros, 2016’s Open Show Reserve Champion Prize Model, in an eye-catching bay tobiano. Linzers are a popular cookie found throughout Germany, filled with different jams and preserves.

Müller (mold 5745) has been inspired by Pele, 2016’s BreyerFestCarnavalesco Challenge Diorama Contest Prize, in a stunning glossy dappled bay.  Named after Thomas Müller, a German Soccer Player, who plays for both Germany’s National Team and state team Bayern Munich.  

Radler (mold 5735) has been inspired by Caipirinha, 2016’s volunteer model, in a beautiful dappled rose grey. A Radler is a Bavarian drink which is a mixture of light beer and sparkling lemonade.

Maifeld (mold 5629) has been inspired by Polomar, 2016’s Early Bird Raffle, in a light bay leopard appaloosa. Named after the Maifeld Cup, which has become one of the most popular and prestigious polo events in Europe.

So that's another set I'll have to get my hands on! I only want the Radler (though his color doesn't quite match his Trad counterpart) and Maifeld, though - they seem to have a knack for mostly picking molds I don't collect for these things. That Croi is really pretty though, and this is (I think) only the second time we're seeing the mini Prince Charming in a realistic color. That said, my only nitpick for this is the color for Maifeld - similar colors on the G3 Cantering Warmblood have been done several times before, and since he's not glossy he just looks kind of blah. Why would you pick something that looks like a $4 RR when they could have easily done a mini Cinza instead? Mind-boggling. I hope he at least has detailed eyes. 

Sounds like tickets (or at least, more information about them) might be revealed on Monday! I think we only have the crystal model left to be revealed (aside from prize and raffle models), so I'm excited to see what that is as well. Happy weeekend, everyone! 

Okay Then

Okay, well, at least we didn't get our time wasted with a teaser photo. Here's today's Breyerfest 2022 reveal, Torlinie:

I honestly don't hate it - his white areas look pearly, and we all know I love me some pearly paint - but sheesh, do we really need another G2 Clydesdale? Give the poor mold a rest already! 

Maybe I'm just being crotchety, but this mold has had a ridiculous number of releases in the past few years (or at least it seems that way). Is he really that popular? Okay, I may have a large number of them on my shelves myself, but I recently decided to include all of mine in my upcoming collection purge, so the fact that they're using him again for this release makes me want to change my mind about that. Bleh! So many models, so little space...

But anyway. It's not a bad design - it kind of reminds me of a harlequin Great Dane or something. It's another Limited Edition like yesterday's decorator Sharif, but like the Georg from earlier this week, this one will only be available online. Yay! 

Well, time to go back to hoping we get to see the Best of Breyerfest set this week. Maybe tomorrow? Cone on Breyer...

Well, at least it's a Stablemate...

 Still no Best of Breyerfest set reveal, but we did get the Limited Edition Stablemate today! Say hello to Wittelsbach! 

He's cool, I guess, and I'll get one anyway because I like the sculpt, but as others have mentioned, he's really similar to Newmarket from 2018, and that one wasn't exactly a top seller...so it seems a bit of an odd choice. Sure, he's a tad lighter blue, and the diamonds are oriented a different way, but still...I'm not crazy about the stripes in his mane and tail, either - they're painted too evenly or something. I suppose they'd have had to mask it to make it look more natural, but they're already masking the rest of the model anyway, so why not? I predict a lot of leftovers of these guys. 

From the blog:

Ruling over Bavaria from 1180-1918, the House of Wittelsbach is one of the oldest dynasties to have ruled in Germany. The familiar crest of white and blue lozenges was acquired by the House of Wittelsbach when the Counts of Bogen, an eastern Bavarian noble family, died off. The crest later became the state flag of Bavaria.  

The House of Wittlesbach produced many well-known people of nobility, but maybe none as famous as Bavarian King Ludwig II. A devout believer in the fine arts, he spent a lot of his time and money advancing his access to them. Although dubbed “mad,” as some thought he lived in a world of fairytales and dreams, he created some of the most iconic castles and pieces of architecture in Germany such as Neuschwanstein Castle.   

So there's a connection to Germany, at least. Oh well - maybe we'll get the Best of Breyerfest set tomorrow!