Bolero is here!

 Good news, everyone! My Bolero model arrived today! He's only my second purchase since the start of the year, so I was excited to get his box open and see what I got. Behold! 

Look at his glossy goodness! 

So glad I was able to get my hands on one. 

Quality-wise, he's...well...I've seen some real doozies online, far worse than this guy. He's got the usual little bits of lint in the gloss, and whatever's going on with his cheek in this photo...and then I saw his left ear.

He had a piece of masking stuck on his ear, on top of the paint but under the gloss. So I pulled it off and this was the result. It doesn't look so bad until you get him into the light.

Not sure how masking got onto his ear, but there it was. Unfortunately, it's being reported online that there aren't any replacements left, so I'm stuck with him. But like I said above, I've seen some far, FAR worse ones online (really, really bad gloss flaws, broken manes, GIGANTIC areas of missing paint around one eye), so I'm not going to complain too much. Hopefully Breyer does something about this one, because I can't remember the last time I saw this many terrible flaws. 

That's all I have for today, but tomorrow is the first day of March - so hopefully we get some more exciting stuff happening this month! 

2023 Volunteer model revealed!

 Exciting news, everyone! With the advent of Breyerwest, Breyer is debuting a new system where all of the volunteers at their events over the course of the year receive a volunteer model, not just Breyerfest volunteers. These are runs of 175, on the same mold, in three different colors. And two of the three colors were handed out to Breyerwest volunteers yesterday! Check them out! 

That's right - Croi! Her name is Chevaliere. She's shown in a beautiful bay and sunfaded black snowcap Appaloosa, with a third color to be revealed later in the year (presumably after Breyerfest). I'm so relieved - I don't collect Croi, so I don't need to worry about getting my hands on these! I'll probably still apply to volunteer, though - hard to turn down a chance for some nice trade fodder. I also saw on Facebook that these were designed by Sommer Prosser - I figured as much, but it was good to see confirmation. I'll bet the third color is beautiful too - it's going to be hard to wait until July to see it! 

February Collector Club Newsletter!

 Good news, everyone! Breyer is closing out the month a little early with this month's Collector Club Newsletter! If you're a CC member, check your email to see it. Breyerwest is also happening this weekend, with activities happening all weekend - I've seen previews of this year's Breyerfest models and some silent auction stuff. Anyway, the newsletter is fun - there's an article about moving air holes on customized models, a GG Valentine and Heartbreaker giveaway, and this sneak peek:

Not sure exactly what this is, but since they've been sticking to realistic colors for the Birds of a Feather series, I'm going to guess this is one of the colors for the Freedom Series/Classics gambler's choice release. They're due to use a modern mold this year, so I hope they don't pick one I collect (gulp!). Hopefully we don't have to wait too long to find out! And let's also hope they give us a heads up in advance! I have a feeling I'm going to need this one...

VIP swag!

 Well, we haven't gotten many new model-related reveals lately...but we did get to see the contents of this year's Breyerfest VIP swag bag! Check it out! 

VIP sales must not be going as well as they'd hoped, huh? Here's another pic. 

It's good to be able to see everything ahead of time, though - at least this time we won't have to worry about melted gummy bears. And the cooling towel will definitely come in handy! I did have to chuckle about the "Tervis tumbler and water bottle not included" disclaimer at the bottom of the blog post. Why have them in the photo, then? They're pretty prominently placed, too. Maybe they were originally going to be included with the VIP stuff and then someone changed their mind? Who knows. 

Anyway, that's all I have for today! Let's hope we get some new stuff soon. 

Bolero, and St. Paddy's plush!

 Well, that was an exciting day! Bolero went up for sale at 1PM EST (noon my time). I managed to get my order in promptly despite a busy day at work. Fortunately, he didn't sell out in the first few minutes like many people feared - though he is showing out of stock now at 8:15 EST. I would have been surprised if he didn't sell out, honestly, considering his amazing color and the popularity of the mold. So, I'm excited to see my Bolero! He looks so nice in the photos. 

In other news, there was another debut today - Breyer's first St. Patrick's Day plush! Meet Kelly o' Breyer! 

This is the plush that was teased in the January Collector Club newsletter. I didn't buy one, but he's definitely cute. Kinda makes me think of this, honestly. 

That's all for today - maybe we'll get another new reveal tomorrow! This time of year is always hard to get through because there isn't really all that much going on. So here's hoping! 

More new arrivals!

 Good news, everyone - it looks like the releases for 2023 are getting off to a timely start! The first releases of this year's Stablemates Club and Vintage Club are now ready to order! 

This year's first SMC release is the G1 Arabian Mare and Lying Down Foal set, Nadira and Zaahir. I managed to sell my set already, so they'll theoretically be on their way to their new owner tomorrow. I'm going to be doing a lot of this for this year's club, so let's hope all the transactions go smoothly! 

Next on the list - Go Figure, the first release for the 2023 Vintage Club! Ooh, what a stunner:

I am not a Justin Morgan collector (though I'll admit I wanted Tri-Mi Boot Scootin' Boogie  and Montana Harvest back in the day). But this guy almost makes me want to start! Honestly, if I had the shelf space I'd probably collect him. Maybe someday...but in the meantime, this guy is great! I saw on Facebook that Sommer Prosser had designed him - another triumph! What a beauty. According to Breyer, this is also the first time in the mold's 50-year history that he's been produced in a non-solid pattern. It's about time! 

That's all I have for today - I hope I have more exciting things to write about soon, now that the 2023 floodgates appear to be open! 

Bolero!

 Greetings, readers! We interrupt your regularly-scheduled...uhh...nothingness, with this late-breaking news bulletin! Bolero, this year's first Collector Club model, will go on sale on Thursday afternoon! 

He makes a pretty good interruption for the February doldrums, I must say. What a beauty! He looks especially good from this angle:

He'll go on the website on (or around) 1pm EST on Thursday, so if you want him, be there or be square! I can't imagine he'll sell out THAT fast, but he is glossy and on a popular mold, so...it's hard to say. Let's hope I can scrounge some time at work to order him! I've only bought one model so far this year, so I'm definitely ready for a new pony to get here.

Breyerfest tickets are now on sale!

 Good news, everyone - Breyerfest tickets are now available for purchase! I bought a VIP ticket so I could make sure to reserve a Speos and and Nemea, plus Via Lattea and FVA's Grand Design. I also wanted to be sure I'd get the Stablemate 4-pack. Not planning on buying any other tickets until later on (to give my wallet a chance to recover), but I wanted to make sure I got a VIP ticket on the off chance they sell out. Well, now that tickets are available to buy, let's hope we get to see some of the prize models, etc. that we haven't gotten to see yet!