February Collector Club newsletter!

 Greetings, readers! Well, the February collector club newsletter has been released - if you’re a collector club member, check your email to read it. This month we have a fun article about Breyer’s current-and-past Chinese Year of the Horse releases, including a rare image of some Classics tests. Check it out!

I was just thinking earlier today that we rarely get to see tests on the Classics molds, and it’s even rarer for them to go up for sale. Aren’t these cool? I think I like the yellow one the best, even though my favorite color is blue. And to top it off, there’s a giveaway of a Yan Wu model.

Also featured in this month’s newsletter is this sneak peek:

More astute readers than me have noted that this appears to be a Cancion model. The next web special, perhaps? Guess we’ll find out soon enough! 

My volunteer models are here!

 Greetings, readers! I've got a couple of exciting new arrivals to talk about today - the two Vegvisir  volunteer models I was able to purchase following BreyerMidwest last month! Behold: 

It took a while for them to get here, but it was definitely worth the wait! They're beautiful.

Alas, these may be the last new arrivals I get in the near future, because I stupidly didn't research import duties beforehand, so this splurge ended up being a much bigger splurge than I anticipated. In the future I'll probably have to ship any new purchases (other than the ones that ship from Amazon for free) to a USA address and then pick them up myself later and fly them back. Fun stuff! But back to the pretty ponies. 

Quality-wise they're pretty good - a few small booboos, but that's it. They have the textured paint job that has become common on volunteer models. I wonder what the third color will be. Cremello, perhaps? 

These guys sure do look nice next to each other, don't they? Now if the rest of my collection would get here so I could put them all together...

Uff da, indeed

 Well, the last Breyerfest limited edition has been revealed - and it wasn't who I thought it was (as usual!) Behold, Uff Da: 

He sure is pretty, though. I'm definitely going to need him! I wonder if they'll do a matte/glossy split? I hope not, though the odds aren't in my favor - they've only been doing the online Traditional since 2022 and of those, all but one was a matte/glossy split. He would look good in gloss, I admit. I don't think they'd do a micro run since they seem to be doing those every other year now, but who knows. So I guess we'll have to wait and see! 

The last (limited edition) sneak peek!

 Hark, readers! There's a new sneak peek on the blog - check it out! 

Based on some of the speculation I've seen online, I'm guessing this is Altynai and it's the online Traditional model for this year. Guess we'll find out tomorrow! 

Sneak peek revealed!

 Oops! Turns out that sneak peek was of a Stablemate. It’s the online-only Stablemate!

I wondered if it was a Stablemate, but then I figured they’d probably release the Traditional first, for whatever reason. Oh well- I’ll definitely need to buy this one, since I collect the mold. I’ll just have to hope there isn’t a micro run!

Another sneak peek!

 Attention, readers! There’s a new sneak peek on the Breyerfest blog - behold!

Presumably this is the online-only special run. I think it’s Carina/the Lipizzaner mare, personally. Guess we’ll find out tomorrow!

Lavinia available now!

 Just a short note that Lavinia, the first Collector Club special run of 2026, is now available to purchase! Well, she’s been abailabls to purchase for a while. She hasn’t sold out yet - at $95 it may take a while. I’m not buying one, but I hope the ones that do enjoy her! 

Best of Breyerfest, Lavinia and more!

Good news, everyone! After a several-day dry spell, we have some new reveals today! First off, this year's Best of Breyerfest set, celebrating 2008: 

So that's the G3 Hanoverian, Charleston, Mirado, the mini Indian Pony and Kit for our five models this year. I only want the Mirado (naturally) and the Kit - I love that color, and he'll go well with my Seren. I sort of wish they'd chosen more molds I collect - hopefully it's not too difficult to sell off my extras later. 

In other news, this year's first Collector Club special run, Lavinia, will be available for sale tomorrow at 12pm EST! 

I'm not going to buy this one (and the price is up to $95! Yikes) but good luck to everyone buying! I don't think she'll sell out all that fast, but you never know. Also, I wonder how they came by the name Lavinia, and if anyone at Breyer ever read the Thoroughbred series by Joanna Campbell...

And lastly, if you're looking for an Athenian Lady to buy...well, they can be found for cheaper in other places, but I feel obligated to mention you can get one directly from Breyer for $50 (if you bought a Breyerfest ticket between this year and 2020). 

Like I said, you can probably find one of these cheaper than $50 elsewhere, but I figured I should mention it for the sake of the news. They must have had a lot of them left over! 

Breyerfest plush revealed!

 Greetings, readers! A slightly unexpected reveal today - It’s this year’s Breyerfest plush!

Cute, but nothing I need, as usual. I like the tail, though. 

So all we have left to reveal for the Limited Editions is the Best of Breyerfest set and the online Stablemate and Traditional. Bring them on, I say! 

Looks like we’re getting a new unicorn!

 Greetings, readers! Just a small update today. An eagle-eyed collector noticed this item on Triple Mountain’s website. I’m having technical issues and can’t get the photo to load, but it’s still visible on Triple Mountain: a purple/pink unicorn Malik! The fine print on the box says the unicorn will be sold separately. Is it a mid-year release? Time will tell, but maybe it’s the holiday unicorn and we’ll see it at Breyerfest, if not a mid-year. 

Edit: Fixed now! 

It's a Dala horse!

 The Internets were correct! The Breyerfest sneak peek was a Dala horse! Behold: 

This mold works pretty well as a Dala horse! I like the white/blue mane and tail. Nothing I need to buy, but more Swedish representation is great. What comes next? The Best of Breyerfest set?  

Another sneak peek!

 Good news, everyone! There's a new sneak peek on the Breyerfest blog - behold! 

The general consensus is that it's a Dala horse, but what mold? I'm guessing it's the Classics release that'll be found in the store, but as for the mold, I have no idea. Guess we'll find out tomorrow! 

Yan Wu and Lisboa are here!

 Exciting news, everyone! Two more new arrivals so far this week. Yan Wu came yesterday and Lisboa came today - behold! I'll start with Yan Wu, who shipped for free through Amazon and took a little more than two weeks to get here: 

Have I mentioned I love this color? He's gorgeous! 

I love the gold mapping and the contrast of his bright glossy red against the white areas. Plus the gold in his mane and tail. Definitely my favorite of the 2026 releases. 

Quality-wise he's fine - the usual small booboos, but nothing worth crying over. I love him! 

Next, here's Lisboa, who didn't ship for free (sadly) and took just about exactly two weeks to get here: 

He's gorgeous too! Can't wait for the rest of my collection to make its way here so I can compare him to some of my other glossy bays. 

I'm mildly amused that I got a horse on the same mold two days in a row. Do all these new releases on Anamar mean even more releases are coming in the future? Ugh, I hope he isn't a best customs prize this year...

Quality-wise he's also fine, but has assorted debris/glitter (?) in his gloss in a couple of spots. Nothing too terrible, though. So I'm glad these guys are here! My small collection here is starting to grow. The rest of my collection should be here in about three weeks - I can't wait to unpack them! 

New test model!

 Exciting news, readers! There’s a new test run model for Collector Club members to enter for!

Forever Saige? One of my favorite new molds from the last 11 years? Don’t mind if I do! The color is a little strange, but cool-looking nonetheless. Good luck to everyone entering…though I’m crossing my fingers that I win! 

Arroyo and Baja are available! Also the Breyerfest crystal!

 Woohoo! Good news, Stablemates Club members! The first release of the 2026 club is available to purchase!

I’m excited to see these guys, though I’m not sure when I’ll actually get them in hand. I opted for the non-international version of the club so I could sell the ones I don’t want. Anyone want to buy my two extra sets?

In other news, Breyerfest tickets went on sale today! I did get a VIP ticket - maybe I can trade the models I don’t want for surprise models. Here’s hoping!

And lastly, I almost forgot to mention another Breyerfest Limited Edition was announced today! Say hello to Skogafoss!

Interesting - it’s the old Kathleen Moody Icelandic Horse sculpture that was a porcelain release back in the ‘90s. Does this mean Falhofnir is still in the running to be the surprise model? Guess we’ll find out…Edit: D’oh! I forgot he’s a Limited Edition. Never mind!

Breyerfest tickets going on sale tomorrow!

 Attention, readers! If you're planning on buying a Breyerfest 2026 ticket (or a few), the tickets are going on sale tomorrow, per today's email from Breyer! Huzzah! 

So it turns out that the VIP ticket is $1,000 after all, which is a big chunk of change up front - but could be worth it if you want a lot of the special runs. I'll probably get one, since I want four of them for sure and possibly five if the surprise is something I want. Shouldn't be too hard to unload the four I don't want. I probably won't need to buy as many tickets as I usually do, either - though I'll probably get at least five more so I have chances at more surprise models. I really hope there aren't micro-runs this year. They seem to be doing that every other year now, so let's hope that continues for this year.

It would be more cost-effective to buy two VIP tickets (since the price of an All-Access ticket went up to $115), but that only gives me two chances at surprise models, so I guess All-Access tickets are the way to go there. Plus they added a single-day Stablemate to the All-Access tickets, so that's cool, I guess. There also isn't going to be a Celebration of Horses show this year, according to a Facebook comment by Breyer. Hopefully they put out an announcement about that soon. I guess it's not a huge loss - I didn't even go last year and the show has been rather poorly received for the last few years. Maybe they'll bring it back next year? 

They also added a $35 ticket option for people that don't want any of the frills and just want to see the action and/or shop at the Horse Park, so that's good. I hope everyone is able to get the tickets they want tomorrow! 

Oh, I definitely need this one

 Greetings, readers! The last Breyerfest special run line model has been revealed - say hello to The Wanderer! Turns out it wasn't a previously-feathered mold after all! 

And it'll be easy to remember his name, because he has his own theme song! Huzzah! From the blog: 

As The Wanderer, he is depicted as a cloaked one-eyed old man, with a long grey beard, carrying his spear Gungnir, and accompanied by his two companion ravens, Hugin and Munin. A wizened old man who can see between the worlds and through time after having sacrificed one of his eyes to Mimir’s well to gain the wisdom of the runes.

...

This bold model, created on the popular Mustang Stallion mold, #801 sculpted by Rayvin Maddock, is decorated in a moody dapple purple/blue complete with a spear face marking, a magical right eye, and raven feathers in his mane and tail.  The Wanderer will be available to VIP, All-Access, and Online Traditional Access ticket holders.

I love him! He looks really good in that color, though I feel like the feathers could stand out more. And why isn't he glossy? None of the special runs are glossy - the last time that happened was 1997, and prior to that year the special runs were keychains. What's going on? 

In other news, it's time for the January Collector Club newsletter! Fashionably late, I guess. There's a cover story about bronze models, a glossy Bandera giveaway, and this sneak peek: 

Easter plushie, I'm guessing? Hope we find out soon! 

New 2026 arrivals!

 Greetings, readers! Exciting news today - my first Breyer purchase since moving to NZ has arrived! I got Pluto Gratia and Betsy and Ross in this shipment - they qualified for free shipping from the US somehow, so I jumped on the opportunity and ordered them! Plus, they only took a little more than a week to get here! I'll start with Pluto: 

He's the white-grey Lipizzaner we've all been waiting for. 

I love him, and yet I dread the day (probably next year) when they gloss him for a Breyerfest live show prize. 

It's probably a good thing that there isn't much of a live show scene in NZ (that I know of), because this guy was basically a body right out of the box. Black specks in the finish, shiny marks, black scribbly/scuff marks on his neck and more. His entire left shoulder is shiny for some reason, and I didn't want to investigate that too much for fear of the paint scraping off like it did on my Domingo. So it looks like this guy is just going to sit on the shelf...but that's what's going to happen to most of my models now, so I guess it is what it is. 

Now, let's take a look at Betsy and Ross! 

Fortunately, this pair aren't bodies right out of the box, but the foal is iffy about standing. The mare had a rub on her offside hip, but it mostly scraped off, so it might have just been part of the box that rubbed onto the mare. 

I wish they'd used Firestorm (her original foal) with this one - it would have been fun to see him in clearware. 

All in all, I'm glad these guys got here all right! Somehow they shipped all the way from Detroit for free, so I'm taking it! Yan Wu and Lisboa have both shipped, but the estimate for Yan Wu says he'll be here 2/12, and I have no idea when Lisboa will be here due to Breyer's site not supplying tracking numbers anymore. So it could be a while before I see them! I also have the new bay pinto Hamilton on order, but he hasn't even shipped yet. Hopefully Yan Wu is here soon, at least!  

Last special run sneak peek!

 Greetings, readers! We have a sneak peek for the last Breyerfest 2026 special run (not counting the Limited Editions) - check it out! 

There have been a number of models released with molded-on feathers in the past, including the Indian Pony, Appaloosa Performance Horse, Nokota and Ruffian (possibly others I'm forgetting). The online consensus seems to be that the peek is showing the tail feathers on the Nokota, but it could just as easily be a different mold with feathers added. Guess we'll find out on Monday! Since the feathers are black, I'm guessing some kind of (decorator) reference to Odin and his ravens, but we'll see. I hope it's the Nokota! 

It is Cosimo!

 Hurrah! Good news, readers! The sneak peek is indeed Cosimo! 

I love him! What a nice color on him. Too bad he isn't glossy though. Where's all the gloss?! Are they all going to be matte/glossy splits? I'm so confused! Anyway, something else is coming tomorrow - probably a sneak peek for the last special run and then they'll reveal it on Monday. Will it finally be something glossy? Time will tell...

In other news, the first Vintage Club release of the year is now available for purchase! It's Sentinel and Echo! 

Let's not forget the other foal:

I'm glad I don't want these, because I'd be annoyed at having to track down another set for the foal, unless I was lucky enough to find someone selling just the foal. But anyway. Nothing I need, but I hope the club members enjoy them! I'm kind of surprised it took this long to get a vintage-style "blue" roan - but in fairness, it never occurred to me as a thing that should exist before, so I don't blame Breyer for it. It'll be interesting to see what these look like in person! 

Another Breyerfest teaser!

 Good news, everyone! There’s a new sneak peek on the blog. Behold:

The sleuths out there on the Internet seem to think this is Cosimo, so I hope they’re correct! We’ve been waiting for him to show up. Do we think this one is an Appaloosa? I kinda hope so, but I’d be okay with a pinto too. The bigger question is: does the gloss drought continue, or is he shinier than he appears in the teaser? Guess we’ll find out tomorrow! 

The last Limited Edition portrait reveal!

 Greetings, readers! Well, the final Limited Edition portrait model for Breyerfest was revealed today - say hello to Ojvind! 

I'll admit wild bay isn't my favorite color, especially with so much pangare, but I gotta have this guy anyway! From the blog: 

Gotland Ponies were first imported to the United States in the 1950s. In 1989, Leslie Bebensee bought the last breeding herd and brought them to her Kokovoko Farm in Kentucky. These sweet and athletic ponies won her heart, and her focus turned to preserving the Gotland in the US. In 2020, Leslie received an email notifying her that the Kokovoko herd had bloodlines that were lost in Sweden, and an arrangement was made to trade a stallion from their old lines in exchange for four colts out of her mares. That little stallion from Sweden was Öjvind!

At least he's cute! But the blog notes that this is the last of the Limited Edition portrait models. That doesn't mean we've reached the end of the Limited Editions, though - there's still a Classics model, a Stablemate set, the crystal and the plushie - not to mention whatever the online-only models are this year. 

There are also still two special run models left to be revealed. Dare I hope one is glossy? Or maybe both? There's a distinct lack of gloss in the reveals so far, aside from the Stablemates.

Oseburg, and the Lisboa selections!

 Good news, readers! We got a reveal for the teaser from last Friday, and what a reveal it is! Meet Oseburg: 

Oh boy, a new Othello! The conga demands he join. Now I'm thinking about getting a VIP ticket just for this one...but that depends on what the last two reveals are, I guess. 

From the blog: 

The Oseberg ship burial is one of only a few of these types of burial mounds uncovered from the middle ages. Buried originally around 834 and excavated during 1904 and 1905, it’s been researched heavily in the last 120 years. This burial mound contained extensive quantities of grave goods, including four sleighs, a cart, bedposts, chests, household goods, and tools.  It also contained the remains of 14 horses, an ox, and three dogs, all alongside the remains of two very richly-dressed women of stature and tucked inside the hull of a 70-foot-long longship. This archaeological masterpiece has been an incredible glimpse into the past, and one of the few instances of textiles to be recovered from the period.

He certainly matches the color of aged wood! I love him. I like the little snip on his nose, too. There's supposed to be another Breyerfest reveal tomorrow - I'm guessing it's another Limited Edition. I hope it's something exciting! 

In other news, the Lisboa selections went out today, and I was lucky enough to be drawn on my main account! Surprisingly, the $10 coupon I got for the Black Friday debacle worked on him. Which was good, because the shipping to NZ was $65. Might have to just send all my upcoming purchases to a US address and collect them later, because whew, that's a lot. Now I get to see how long it takes for him to get here! 

Web specials, volunteer models and sneak peeks (oh my!)

Good news, everyone! Well, it looked like today was shaping up to be a boring day (at least in the model horse world; in my defense, I forgot about Breyermidwest), but then the reveals started coming fast and furious! First, a new Breyerfest sneak peek: 

I'm hoping for Rowan, myself. Saw some speculation that it was Georg or Cosimo. Georg is out, for reasons that will be revealed later in this post, and I doubt they'd do another black Cosimo right after doing a black one for the Premier Club. So I'm hoping it's Rowan! No preference on whether it's the mare or stallion version. 

Next, we got a reveal of this year's first Exotic Destinations web special! Say hello to Lisboa, named for Lisbon! 

From the email: 

Pack your bags as we set off to Lisbon, Portugal, the first stop of the 2026 Exotic Destinations Series! This vibrant capital city is home to the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, where visitors can watch magnificent Lusitano horses perform baroque exercises and learn about the rich history of the Lusitano horse in Portugal.

Ooh, he's pretty! I definitely want this one. Crossing my fingers that I get drawn! Anamar looks great in glossy bay. 

And lastly for today, I was sharply reminded that BreyerMidwest was happening today when I saw the reveal of this year's Ambassador (formerly known as the volunteer) model! Say hello to Vegvisir! 

But wait - palomino isn't his only color. There's a sooty buckskin too! 

As usual, the third (dilute) color will be revealed at Breyerfest. Perhaps a cremello, like Sonorah? One can only wait, and dream. I'm also happy that Georg was eliminated from contention as the surprise early - it gets tiresome seeing people predict him year after year. I'm sure he really will be the surprise someday; it just seems a bit too soon, yet. 

It’s an Elk!

 …Well, a red deer, if you want to be specific. But the point is, it wasn’t a Ram! We were wrong, oops. Oh well!

His name is Hirtir. Cute, but nothing I need. Sheesh, six reveals and I only want one so far? This is shaping up to be a cheap year for me! I hope the next three reveals (and the surprise) are things I want, because otherwise I’m going to feel pretty silly buying my usual number of tickets. 

Limited Edition and another sneak peek!

 Greetings, readers! A bit of an oops yesterday - I was so busy with other stuff that I forgot there was a new reveal to post about. I’ll start with that - say hello to the latest Breyerfest Limited Edition, Pyxis av Drommarna!

That’s a bit of a quandary for me, isn’t it? I prefer Idocus with the braided mane - the loose mane does absolutely nothing for me. So I’ll have to decide if I want to buy this one or not. I’m not crazy about the mottling on his mouth and eyes, either. Looks like I’ll probably skip this one unless there’s also a braided version (unlikely). 

So, that was yesterday’s reveal. Today we got this terrifying sneak peek:

Gah! This one gave me a bit of a start when I first saw it. My first thought after recovering was that this was some kind of bull, but the consensus online seems to be that it’s some flavor of Ram. Guess we’ll find out tomorrow! 

That is not what I was expecting at all!

Greetings, readers! Today’s Breyerfest reveal has been made, and it’s totally not what I was expecting! Behold:

Their names are Birka and Ribe. A few years ago I would have been all over these, but nowadays I’m just glad it’s something else I don’t need to buy. I’m doubtful that I’ll buy a VIP ticket either, unless they come out with something earth-shattering in the next couple of weeks.

Another new sneak peek!

 Greetings, readers! There’s yet another sneak peek on the blog today - behold!

Clearly it’s something buckskin or fun, or dunalino, and glossy! But other than that, your guess is as good as mine. I’m hoping for Cosimo, honestly. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow! 

Also, the names of our Best Customs Contest prizes have been revealed as well: Lingonberry for the first place prize, and Gravlax for the runner-up prize. And they’re awarding Gravlax to the third-place winners as well! I wonder if those will be a different color. I hope but…but anyways. With a name like Lingonberry, the grand prize has to be a pony, right? Rowan or the other Rowan? Or an older pony? Guess that remains to be seen.