Hello and welcome to yet another edition of Featured Model! We've reached the end of another year with this issue, Nov/Dec 1999, so let's get going!
On the front cover, the Moody ASB (frequently referred to as the Clock Saddlebred due to this release) makes his debut. On the back cover we see an original clock horse and clock (the horse later to be released as the Western Horse).
Normally I skip over the table of contents, but I had to follow up on my Sherman Morgan comments from last issue. See, this is his exciting return to the regular line! This particular model must have been a test they painted up before adding the new tail. I wonder whatever happened to this particular test model? I suppose we'll never know, unless someone spots it in the archive.
In the Editor's Desk, Stephanie decorates with
vaguely-familiar-looking holiday clipart and talks about Breyer's plans for the new millennium. On page 3 is Breyer's 50th anniversary article! They're a tad early with it, what with 2000 being the 50th anniversary, not the end of 1999...but maybe I'm nitpicking a tad too much. Uh...and I feel pretty old reading this "50th Anniversary" article, knowing that Breyer is now coming up on 75 years next year (gulp!).
On page 4-5, the 50th anniversary article continues and then concludes. Huzzah!
On page 6-7 we have the debut of the Damara Zebra! If only we could get an updated regular run Zebra! Maybe it's on the docket, considering they had to put the mold back into production for Breyerfest this year.
On page 8-9, get your nostalgia going by reading about the debut of the first iteration of the Breyer website! That's right - along with the new millennium (well, slightly ahead of it) came Breyer's first foray into the World Wide Web. This early version of the website apparently didn't have a store (that came sometime in 2000, apparently). I had to smile at the part about "latest breaking news from Breyer will be posted to this section daily." Right, because Breyer has/had so much news that they'd have something new to post every day. Maybe I'm taking it too literally. They can't even post new things daily now!
After skipping an article about model horse collecting on the Internet and a live show recap, on page 12 and 13 we have an article about Hambletonian, and the Hambletonian resin makes its debut! I'm still waiting for this guy to be produced in plastic - doesn't seem too likely to happen now that we have Constantia, but I can always dream.
After skipping the 1999 Discontinued List and a photo show how-to, on page 18-19 we have an article about Breyer portrait horse (and Horse in American History) Little Sorrel.
On the (unnumbered) pages 20-21, the Porcelain Carousel Horse makes its debut! I thought this model was pretty spectacular back in 2000, and kind of wanted one (though even then I had reservations about my ability to keep porcelain models unbroken). It would be cool to see this get some kind of rerelease - maybe for the 75th anniversary? Ooh, imagine the horse being black and gold! I bet this mold is collecting dust in a forgotten corner of the warehouse or something - how cool would it be if they used it again? They'd probably have to update it a little bit, what with the "Made in America" not really being a thing anymore...ahem. Anyway!
After skipping a Know Your Breed and the Spruce Meadows Breyerwest results, on page 24 we have a couple of Collector Profiles, and on page 25 is an article about Breyer portrait horse Liberty, another new for 2000 release.
After skipping a Young Writer's Column about a fictional horse, on page 28 we have Blast From the Past featuring the Scratching Foal and Just About...Breyer Animals featuring the Cow Family. The first page of Horse Trader is on page 29 (cropped out).
After skipping the rest of Horse Trader and some Breyer jr. stuff, on page 38 we find a Who Am I? featuring an Action Stock Horse Foal's tail, and a Cigar paint variation that's missing a sock. On page 39 is the first part of this week's Vintage Point featuring the Spanish Mustang/Buckshot!
On page 40-41 is the rest of the Vintage Point. I desperately wanted a Strawberry Fizz when he was released in 1998 (can't remember if I mentioned that before) but never ended up getting one. He's still pretty now...but not enough to buy one. Oh well. We've reached the end of this week's issue, and we've completed another year as well! I'm burning through these magazines pretty fast, honestly. Well, check back next week for Jan/Feb 2000! We're into the new millennium!