Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model I don't own that has a interesting backstory, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is...Merlin!
This dragon-horse hybrid was a raffle model at Breyerfest 2005. He's item #711205 and was a run of 26 produced on a modified version of the American Saddlebred Stallion sculpted by Kathleen Moody.
This model has a pretty interesting history behind him - he's based on one of the entries in the Tricked-Out-Pony contest that was held at the now-defunct West Coast Model Horse Collector's Jamboree. Entrants in the contest were provided with a primed model (a different mold each year) that they could customize any way they wished, and one of the entrants turned their blank Moody ASB into a dragon horse that Breyer then purchased the rights to and made a resin mold from it. 25 of these were raffled off at Breyerfest and another was sold in the live auction, but there may be more than that out there - I remember seeing anecdotes on Blab about these being spotted on people's desks at Breyer headquarters during some tour or another, and I'm sure there's one in the archive room. Since the major difference with these models was that they were molded in resin, they have metal rods in the legs for reinforcement - and I've read that at least some of them have still ended up with cracked legs from supporting the weight of the model. I'm not a resin collector anyway, so I don't really have much desire to add one of these to my collection, but if the legs are that fragile on top of that, count me out - I don't do breakables.
This model has a pretty interesting history behind him - he's based on one of the entries in the Tricked-Out-Pony contest that was held at the now-defunct West Coast Model Horse Collector's Jamboree. Entrants in the contest were provided with a primed model (a different mold each year) that they could customize any way they wished, and one of the entrants turned their blank Moody ASB into a dragon horse that Breyer then purchased the rights to and made a resin mold from it. 25 of these were raffled off at Breyerfest and another was sold in the live auction, but there may be more than that out there - I remember seeing anecdotes on Blab about these being spotted on people's desks at Breyer headquarters during some tour or another, and I'm sure there's one in the archive room. Since the major difference with these models was that they were molded in resin, they have metal rods in the legs for reinforcement - and I've read that at least some of them have still ended up with cracked legs from supporting the weight of the model. I'm not a resin collector anyway, so I don't really have much desire to add one of these to my collection, but if the legs are that fragile on top of that, count me out - I don't do breakables.
The Moody ASB is a pretty popular mold, and he was used as last year's flagship model, so I don't anticipate a new release on him anytime soon, but I wouldn't turn one down. They might be able to shoehorn him into a Tractor Supply release, I guess - those fancy parade saddles are Western saddles, after all. I guess the bigger question would be what color to release him in, since he's been done in just about every color...except solid black. Hmm...I'd be down for that!
Many years after the fact I found out about Merlin and have loved/wanted him ever since. There's no way I will ever own one but it's nice to dream... : )
ReplyDeleteThanks for another interesting article.
Merlin was the first BF raffle model I wanted bad enough to actually buy tickets. I didn’t win but the excitement & anticipation was enough to get me to buy tickets in the following years. I would buy $50 for both Saturday & Sunday. I was drawn for 5. Vajero & Muse on the Nokota, Walk Down Memory Lane on Clyde Stallion, Queen Mum & Prince on Susecion & Le Fire & Que Sera Sera on the PAS. I conga the PAS so I wanted Que Sera Sera so bad I could hardly stand it. I made a promise to God/Fate/Destiny that if I got him I’d never ask for another raffle model. Mine was the 17th ticket drawn & I've kept my promise. I haven’t bought raffle tickets since. I still have my 5 & they’re not going anywhere so that’s more than enough.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on having such good luck! Viajero and Muse are two of my major grails!
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