Ticket selections and Tractor Supply blind bags!

 Attention, Breyerfest All-Access ticket holders! Emails have gone out from Leap (formerly known as ShowClix) containing QR codes for your special run selections! They may not all have gone out yet, so don't panic if you haven't gotten an email yet. It doesn't appear that the VIP ticket emails have gone out yet, and if you're an Online Access ticket holder, you won't see your selections until you log into the Breyer Store on Breyerfest Friday. I hope everyone got the models they were hoping for - my tickets were selected for all Scandi Surprises and Lithas, so I guess I'll be up to my ears in Litha models. Hopefully that means I'll get the decorator, but I'll also be looking to trade for whichever Oseburg I don't get with my VIP package. 

In other exciting news, it looks like those leaks from a few months ago were indeed for this year's TSC blind bags! I don't have photos I can use yet, but the models are a blond sorrel Augustus, dark liver chestnut Giorgio, black leopard Esperanza, gray G3 Cantering Warmblood, bay pinto Enya and bay/buckskin G3 TWH. One of the chase pieces is a pink/purple Brio, and we haven't seen the other chase yet. They can be ordered from TSC here, so knock yourselves out if you want some! 

Winnifred and more Short & Sweets!

 Attention, Premier Club members! This year's final release, Winnifred, is ready to order! 

I paid for fast shipping on mine because I just can't take the waiting any longer! I gotta see if I get a gray one! I have two coming, so I'm excited to see which ones I get! ...And I'll probably be desperately trying to sell them once it becomes clear I didn't get a gray one. But anyways, Isla (this year's PC Stablemate) is being shipped along with Winnifred, so make sure you search through the whole box. Don't let her get lost in bubble wrap! 

And in other news, my last four Short & Sweets showed up early! After my daughter helped me open them, this is what we got! 

Yesterday's red and green are on the left. Which means we got two golds and two blues! Interestingly, we opened them one at a time - first me, then her. So I opened a gold one, then she opened a gold one. Then I opened a blue one, and she opened a blue one. I shuffled them before I gave them to her, so what are the odds of that happening? But anyways. 

Here are my four together! I'm a little sad I didn't get a black one, but at least I got all four colors so I don't have to try to find people to trade with. If only they sold these in sets so we could just buy the set and be done with it...

Both of the gold ones were pretty good-quality, but both of the blues had a couple of little issues. Nothing major, thankfully.

Maybe someday I'll find a black one! But in the meantime, I'm happy to have all four of the regular colors. 

One last note - the 2026 Vintage Club opened up for regular membership today, so if you're wanting to join, feel free! I'd wait to see if they reveal anything else first, though. But that's just me. 

Short & Sweets have arrived!

 Good news, readers! My Short & Sweet models have arrived! Well, two of them, anyway. Behold! 

Ooh, they're even Christmas colors! Huzzah! 

I was hoping for a Coal, naturally, but I have four more of these coming on Thursday, so let's hope I have all the luck then! 

They both look like delicious candy! 

These two are both pretty good quality - I didn't notice any issues with them. Now I get to wait for my other shipment to get here and hope for a Coal! 

Holiday blind bags are back!

Greetings, readers! What's that you say? The holiday blind bags are back. Groan, more blind bags. Wait, what? They're on the new Fjord Stablemate? And they're mini candy cane zebras (sort of)?!  

Sign me up! I gotta have all four! Well, ideally five, but we all know how that goes. I ordered six of them, so hopefully I can at least get the four regular colors without much trouble. They're only available to Collector Club members now, but if they aren't sold out by tomorrow at 10am EST, they'll become available to the general public. Good luck! 

Holiday blind bags!

 Get ready, everybody - the latest batch of holiday blind bags is coming out of the oven tomorrow!

Since Breyer didn’t show us the models this time, we’ll all be waiting in suspense until 1pm EST tomorrow to find out what they are. The cynical part of me is hoping they use all molds I don’t collect - guess we’ll find out tomorrow!

Whoops!

 A friend sent me this image yesterday (from Facebook) - hmm, a new mystery! 

I don't think this guy is supposed to be in that blind bag. The current consensus online is that this is an upcoming holiday blind bag Stablemates release that was accidentally put in the wrong packaging. The silver filigree Rivet is cute, but nothing I need. I'm lowkey hoping the rest of them will also be molds I don't collect, so I don't need to bother with buying any of them. Hopefully we find out soon! 

Finally, some news! And the Collector Club newsletter!

 Greetings, readers! Well, I finally have something new to post about - the reveal of Breyer's Halloween releases for this year! It starts with Beowulf, but we've already seen him, so I'm going to move on to the Classic! 

Meet Draftula! I actually like this design, but I don't collect the mold, so I won't be buying him. I need to save my money, anyway. 

We also get more Stablemate blind bags, as is tradition. I only collect the Icelandic, so I'll buy one and leave it at that. I could have sworn we already got a mini version of Goblin, but I guess not. Breyer, give that poor mini Magnolia mold a rest already! 

And lastly, we get this cute little plush! I love her little heart eyes, even if the rest of her is kinda sinister-looking. 

All of this will be available to purchase on Sept. 5, so prepare your wallets! 

We also got this month's Collector Club newsletter! Members, check your email for more information. There’s an Apparition giveaway and an informative article about sun-bleaching yellowed models, and this sneak peek!

The speculation I’ve seen is that this is the next Wild Animal release and could be an orca, or a poison dart frog, but I’m going with poison dart frog myself - unless it’s sitting under something REALLY blue, it looks more blue than white to me. Let’s hope this isn’t another black and blue/yellow and gold dress situation. 

And a note on the article about sunbleaching models - it correctly notes that this method shouldn’t be used on Stablemates because the plastic they’re made from (ABS) actually yellows more in the sun, but also, not every modern Stablemate is made from ABS. Stablemates Club releases are molded from cellulose acetate and thus can be put in the sun, as well as some other releases, like my Willamette. On the other hand, the article also states that the sunbleaching method can be used on Traditionals and Classics, which is generally true - but be careful, because there’s at least one Trad molded from ABS (the WEG autograph model Cleveland Bay), and one or two Classics as well (the 90s Throwback). 

That’s all I have to say about this month’s newsletter. If you’re entering for Apparition, good luck! 

TSC Stablemate sets!

 Exciting news, readers! New Stablemate blind bags and family sets have been found at Tractor Supply stores around the country. While I don't yet have photos I can use, these Stablemate sets consist of the following:
Blind Bags series 6: G2 Saddlebred in what looks like champagne buckskin, G2 Paso Fino in sorrel?, Mini Fireheart in black blanket Appaloosa, Twist in gray, G2 Standardbred in black and the G4 Para Dressage Horse in chestnut pinto, and the chase pieces are a charcoal-with-white-splatter-spots G2 Thoroughbred and a purple/blue splash white pinto G4 Driving Horse. 
(Realistic) Mystery Foal sets: Peaceful Gardens family: Mini Georg in black pinto with G2 Percheron in gray pinto and the new Playful Foal in black pinto. Graceful Grove family: G3 Cantering Warmblood in silver bay? with dark bay blanket Appaloosa G4 Hanoverian and unknown foal. Shimmering Sands family: Buckskin Kit with bay-going-gray G4 Driving Horse, unknown foal. 
(Unicorn) Mystery Foal sets: Sparkling Canyon family: Yellow/green Twist with light pink/rose Warmblood Mare, unknown foal. Enchanted Forest family: Black Kit with light purple/lavender Prince Charming, unknown foal. Dazzling Cliffs family: Purple speckled Alborozo with light blue G2 Warmblood and new Frisky Foal in speckled blue. 
Note: The G3 Standing Foal, G3 Lying Down Foal, the G2 Scratching Foal and maybe others were in these sets, but now I can't find the other photos to confirm which foals were used in which sets. So there will be more updates soon! 
I like all of the colors I've seen, and so far I think the ultra rare chase piece is the prettiest - too bad I don't collect the mold. I'm happy that they decided to give the previous molds they've been using a much-deserved break and bring in some new molds, too. 
If you're wanting to buy these, but not wanting to shop at TSC due to recent events, they will (or should, anyway) become available from Breyer later. So don't lose hope! 

Guess I'm an April Fool after all

 Well, my one April Fool's blind bag has arrived - and it looks like I got fooled after all. Serves me right for buying one in the first place! Behold:

I was hoping for the green Arabian but ended up with the Swaps instead. Oh well- hopefully it won't be too hard to find someone to trade with. I still haven't found a trade for my blue Swirls'n'Snowflakes guy from over the winter, either - bleh. There's a swap meet here coming up on May 18, though, so maybe I'll find someone there! Who knows. In any case, I hope everyone else had better luck than I did! 

April Fool blind bags and Premier Club welcome letters!

 Good news, readers - the April Fool blind bags are available for purchase (and haven't sold out yet as of this writing) - honestly, I suspect they may take a while to sell out, what with the "legendarily unpopular paint jobs" theme. But they did update the website to allow 2 blind bags per order, and they do qualify for free shipping, so do what you will with that information. They aren't shipping until the warehouse opens back up on 4/8, so don't get antsy that they aren't showing up right away. 

In other news, the Premier Club letters are arriving in members' mailboxes! Here's mine: 

Nothing in there that we didn't already more-or-less know, except that the Stablemate at the end of the year will be another Mindy Berg sculpt. I'm excited to see it - hopefully at Breyerfest, or earlier would be nice too.

Here's the sketch of Llywellyn (try saying that five times fast, or spelling it for that matter) - looks promising so far, but I'll wait until I see the final photos (or better yet, have him in hand) to pass final judgement. 

And lastly, the sticker. I'm more than a little irritated that they went out of their way to make a sticker out of his sketch, rather than the actual model like the previous stickers in the series, instead of JUST SHOWING US THE MODEL. COME ON! We're going to be buying it in about a month anyway, just show it already! Sheesh. 

Well, I'll be...

 Wow, color me surprised - those April Fool blind bags from yesterday are actually real! 

I'm going to have to get one to try to get the green Twist. While it's a fun concept, I'm less enthused about the price tag and limitation of one per order. But I should be able to find a few other things to order along with this to get over the limit for free shipping. I sense there are going to be a LOT of people trading these in the next few days! If you want one, they'll go up for sale around 1pm EST tomorrow! 

Let this Halloween release sssssslither into your hearts!

 More good news, everyone! Today the U-Haul truck was unloaded (with some casualties, including a Christmas tree with almost an entire bottle of bleach spilled on it), and unpacking has begun! I'm a bit scared to unpack my horses, what with the casualties we've already had - but at the same time I'm excited to get to it, because I want to add my Breyerfest purchases to the herd! Anyway, I've also found the time to get my computer set up, so I should be able to get back to posting with my usual frequency. Also, I'm now in the Eastern time zone! Woohoo! 

Anyway, Breyer's Halloween store was announced today, including this beauty! 

From the website:

Uncoiling and slipping his way out of the darkness on All Hallows’ Eve is Slither, our 2023 Freedom Series Halloween Horse. Artist Christine Jordan dreamed up a truly unique coat for this reptilian decorator. Slither features markings inspired by the quagga, a now-extinct species of zebra that had stripes only on the front half of their bodies, paired with scales and hidden snakes slithering through his mane and markings. His metallic glossy coat features green-bronze color shift paint that mirrors the sheen of a snake’s scales.

 

Ooh, I really want this one! He looks really cool.  I love how glossy he is. And I really like his white tail! His white areas glow in the dark (naturally) so I'm excited to see what he looks like in the dark! 

Also, we get this:

Cute! I love his little fangs. Too bad he doesn't have a couple of little blood drops around his mouth, too. 

And lastly, the Halloween Stablemates for this year:

So this year we get Mini Nevermore, Mini Poltergeist and Mini Cornelius! Cute! D'oh, another addition to the Django conga! Of course, they're blind bags as per usual, so I'm going to have to think about whether I'll buy more than one. I'd probably just get one, but I have to have that Django and I'm not interested in paying $100 for it later, so...guess we'll have to see how I feel when the sale goes live. Speaking of which, the Halloween store goes live on Wednesday at 1:30 EST, so be ready, everyone! I'm sure the Classic and the Stablemates will both sell out pretty quickly, so be ready with ordering! Looks like last year's Tabitha and Skelly must not have sold out, because those are back this year as well. There's also a cute Spectre pin and Spectre-themed hoodies, so I'll definitely have to pick up that pin. I hope everyone is able to get what they're looking for! 

Tractor Supply Stablemates!

So today I decided to check various local Tractor Supply locations and see if I could find the new blind bag Stablemates. The first two I checked yielded nothing, which didn't really surprise me because it's kind of early to expect to find them here. So I debated about vising the third store, because I'd never found blind bags at that particular store and if the other two didn't have them, this one definitely wouldn't, right? 

Wrong! 

Success! 

I'm a little sad I didn't get one of the chase pieces, but at least I got the Vanner, the only one I want other than the Peruvian Paso chase. I probably would have been a little more excited about this if these hadn't been mostly reissues of other stuff. I mean...why? 

This is a really pretty color on the Vanner, though. 

Considering how kinda-blah the Peruvian Paso chase is, I kinda think this Vanner should have been the chase instead? But then I wouldn't have gotten one, so I shouldn't complain. 

Well, now I just have to figure out how to find one of those Pasos and also figure out what the other chase model is, because I don't think we've seen it yet? Maybe we have and I just forgot. 

Well, back to scanning more JAH back issues. Don't forget to get your entries in for Oriole! Tomorrow is the last day! 

Anamar and new arrivals!

 Greetings, readers! Well, first off - just as yesterday brought the 2022 Stablemates Club to a close, today ushered in the conclusion to this year's Premier Club, as the final release (Anamar) is now available to purchase.

Fortunately, I haven't ordered my Stablemates Club horses yet, so I'll be able to bundle these together and hopefully save a bit on shipping. Don't forget that the free Stablemate, Giorgio, will be bundled with these guys as well. Can't wait to see mine! 

In other exciting news, my Merry & Bright orders arrived today, and luck was more-or-less on my side! I guess I couldn't hope to strike gold twice in a row after getting exactly what I wanted from the Halloween Stablemates, but this was good enough for me. Behold! 

Two out of three ain't bad! I was really dreading getting four Corbins here, so I'm really happy to get two of the three I wanted. And I've already secured a trade for the Twist, so that turned out really great! And my kids had great fun opening the bags.

These are both really nice in person - their paint jobs don't photograph very well due to the dark color and glossy finish, but in person they're really great. I especially like the Django, but I'm biased toward blue, so take that how you will. 

I had to include this photo because the reflection on his eye makes him look a bit surprised. "You mean I'm going straight into a storage unit after this? But it's cold in there!" Or something like that. 



Quality-wise, these guys were pretty good - one Django had some lint in the gloss on his butt, and the others had minor imperfections here and there, but nothing major. Luck of the draw, I guess. 

Also, my Poppy & Ollie sets finally shipped yesterday (if the tracking is to be believed), and are on schedule to show up...on Tuesday next week. Ugh! Let's hope they get here a little sooner - these guys weren't supposed to be delivered until tomorrow and unexpectedly showed up today, so maybe the same will happen with my mare and foal sets. I guess we'll see! Can't wait to see what colors I get! 

Poppy & Ollie, and new releases this week!

 Lots of exciting news to share today! Firstly: the final release of the 2022 Vintage Club, Poppy and Ollie, is now available to order for Vintage Club members. Remember that the free Stablemate for this year, Dandy, is bundled with this set. Woohoo! 

Secondly, this year's second Collector Club release, Chadwick, is finally being released on Wednesday at 12PM EST. Here's a pic to jog your memory! 

He's nothing I need, but that's okay. More for everyone else! 

And lastly, this year's holiday Stablemate blind bags (groan) have been revealed:

They're definitely pretty, and I need three of them! They're limited to two per order, so I'm just going to order three and be done with it. That's the number I'd buy if we were allowed to pick the ones we want. So let's hope I'm lucky again! These will be available TOMORROW at 12PM EST. I expect they'll sell out fast, so if you want them, don't waste any time ordering. And good luck! 

Ooh, Spooky!

 Good news, everyone - this year's Halloween items have been announced! Breyer's Halloween store will open on the website at 1PM EST tomorrow. Look at the goodies they'll have for us! Other than Maelstrom, this year's Halloween horse we already knew about, check out the Classics/Freedom Series release for this year! 

I love this one! Her name is Tabitha and I think it fits her really well. Too bad I'm not a Mariah collector, but I bet she'd go really well with the purple/blue Gran Cavallo from last year! And she glows in the dark, natch. Breyer really likes those interference paints lately, huh? 

And here are the blind bag (sigh) Stablemates for this year! 

I'm not thrilled about blind bags rearing their ugly heads again, but the Samhain and Mischief Night patterns do look pretty good in miniature. Apparently Samhain's green areas glow in the dark, which could be an interesting sight. It's good to see new releases on these molds, too - it seems like a lot of the Stablemates molds get left out in the cold for some reason. I suppose I'll order two of these (the number I would buy if I was allowed to pick the ones I want) and hope I actually get the ones I want. 

And check out this year's plush! 

His name is Skelly! Cute as usual! Not sure what the orange stripes on his lower legs are supposed to be, though. Oh well. 

There's also a Maelstrom pin and hoodie - I'm sorely tempted by both, but I tend to favor zippered hoodies lately, so I don't know if I'll bite. I guess we'll see how fast they sell out! Good luck, everyone! 

Breyerfest second chance sale and new TSC blind bags!

 Well, the Breyerfest second chance sale is going on now - better log on and buy stuff while you still can! Several items are showing as sold out this afternoon, including the Rotating Draft Surprise, Elbe and Spree, Landler and some of the swag. I did order two more Rhenish Drafts- with any luck I'll get a glossy this time and be done with it. 

In other news, new blind bags have been showing up at Tractor Supply stores across the country, or at least in California. I don't have photos I can use yet, but the molds in the assortment appear to be a black overo pinto Alborozo, chestnut G2 Standardbred, bay tobiano pinto Mini Emma, black leopard G3 TWH, blue pinto G4 Vaulting Horse/Drafter and the chase was finally revealed today as a gold chrome Magnolia. Looks like I'll be on the hunt for the Alborozo, mini Emma and TWH! I'll have to check our "local" TSC stores later this month or next month. 

Clydesdale Christmas Stablemates!

 Well, the holiday season is approaching, people, and I guess that means it's time for more blind bags! Behold...

So is this the blue sneak preview we saw last month? Could be. I'm still hoping it was for the holiday web special, though, since we haven't seen that yet. These guys are cute, but nothing I need. They go on sale tomorrow at 2pm EST to Collector Club members only, and any left over will be made available to the general population later. They're only allowing people to purchase two per account, so beware of that limitation. Good luck to everyone purchasing! 

Spooky Surprise sweepstakes!

 Heads up, everybody! Breyer is giving away 18 of the latest Spooky Stablemates blind bags! 

18 lucky winners will receive one of these bad boys. I already got the one I wanted, so I'm not going to enter, but if you're still looking, this might be your chance! Good luck to everyone entering! 

More blind bags. Yay.

 Well, you’d think after my angry rant last year, I wouldn’t fall for the blind bag garbage again, but then these happened. Ugh, more blind bags. And they’re way too expensive for those paint jobs!

But, I ordered two of them, because I have to have the Darwin and Brishen (he’ll go really well with my Aspen!). At least they qualify for free shipping if you get two of them, though I was mildly irked that they don’t also qualify for the Collector Club discount like the Halloween Stablemates did. Oh well.

I’m still deliberating about ordering more of them to increase my odds of getting the ones I want, but I don’t know if I will. If we want the blind bags to go away, we’ve gotta stop buying them, but it’s hard not to buy! Bleh.

Anyway, here's a picture of the dumb things. Hopefully I get the ones I want! Good luck to everyone who orders! And Breyer, take a hint and quit doing these!