Is it that time of year already?

 Huh. Careful what you wish for, I guess? Well, I guess it's time for the Collector Club Appreciation event! Previously held in June and December, it's now been moved up to April. Speculation about Breyer's financial situation aside, it's time to see if you can find $175 worth of merchandise to buy (or just spend $185 for the model like I did)! Buyers will receive one of these four glossy models: 

I only want the glossy Surfer's Riptide, so I'm hoping I get him (I had it shipped to my parents' house to be inspected). I hope everyone gets the model they want!

2025 releases and Breyerfest 2025 Stablemates!

 Good news, everyone! The new releases for 2025 have finally been (officially) revealed! Here's the full catalog. Too many things to list, but here are some highlights! 

That's right, the one that started it all - the Western Horse! He's part of the 75th Anniversary assortment that was hinted at previously. I like the color, and the horses hidden in his pattern are a nice touch. Part of me kinda wants to start collecting the Western Horse, but I just don't have the space. 

Another 75th Anniversary model - the Esprit! I like him, too. But unlike the Western Horse, this one I definitely want to add to the collection. 

And the third 75th Anniversary model - the Lonesome Glory! This one is making me wish I hadn't sold off my Lonesome Glory models - oh well. 

Let's not forget that there are still two more 75th Anniversary models to be revealed. The hobby had narrowed the hints down to be SCO and the Moody ASB - let's hope we don't have to wait too many months for them to be revealed. 

This year's Holiday Horse - on Flash this year! So, another Holiday Horse I don't need to acquire. A penny saved is a penny earned, or something like that. 

Cloud the Wild Stallion is getting an update in honor of his 30th anniversary! That's a pretty color on Desatado. Another mold I shouldn't have sold off. C'est la vie. 

Say hello to Ophelia, this year's flagship model! Huzzah! What a beauty. I have one on order from Triple Mountain, so hopefully she doesn't take too long to get here. 

Here's the Brilliance Gift Set, the only other thing I preordered (I'll get the rest of the things I want when the KHP gets them in stock). This is probably the release I'm most excited for! Not sure why, but it might have something to do with the blue Othello. And the pearly white Fireheart. I hope they come soon! We needs them, precious. 

Honorable mention: the Big Lex model. Now there's a big Big Lex to go with the little one! Too bad I sold off my Emersons. He does make a decent Lexington, though (presumably the, uh, overweight one in the above image is from later in Lexington's stud career). 

Anyway, that's it for the new releases! But that wasn't the only reveal today. We also got to see the single-day Stablemate models for Breyerfest 2025! From now on I'm going to try to remember to refer to them as General Admission Stablemates. 

Look at their cute little bags! I'm trying to figure out what they're made of. Cardstock, probably? And they're tied with little ribbons. I may have to hang on to these. Anyway, I like three of the four! Well, the color on the Indian Pony is nice, but I don't collect that mold. Like many other people, my favorite is the black appaloosa Augustus, but the bay Mirado is probably my second favorite. 

And even more excitingly, we're getting a Special Run reveal tomorrow! Woohoo! I suppose the reveals will be coming fast and furious now that tickets will be going on sale soon. I'm excited to see tomorrow's reveal! 

A new test model!

 Exciting news, everyone! There's a new test model for Collector Club member to enter for! Check him out - he's a beauty! 

He's so pretty! And what a detailed paint job. Though I notice he doesn't have mapping on his markings. His price is somewhat of an increase, but this doesn't appear to be one of those older tests that was pulled off a shelf somewhere, so I'd expect a price jump. He's just so pretty! It almost makes me regret selling my Desatado models. 

As has been noted elsewhere on the Internets...this guy's eyes look like he's seen some things, man. Terrible things! I suppose someone could do a diorama and put a mountain lion in front of him or something - his eyes are perfect! 

Anyways, good luck to everyone entering - I entered myself. If I won I'd try to trade him for something else - it's worth a shot, anyway! Good luck, everybody! 

Finally more auction models, and Cancion!

 Greetings, readers! Exciting news- we finally get to see some more auction models today! Not sure why the photos are weirdly cropped, but anyways - behold:

It's a "Flaxen Liver Chestnut Frame Overo" on Desatado. Looks chalky, too, so I'm surprised they didn't mention that since they usually do. Nice color! 

Ooh, this one I love! He's a "glossy, pearly reverse dapple blue roan" on Vermeer. He's amazing! Interesting that his head isn't solid black like a roan should be, but I love him anyway! I wonder how much he'll sell for. 

Next is a "glossy rainbow pintaloosa with holographic harness." I guess it's hard to make the holographic part show up on camera, but dang, it just looks silver to me. Anyway, that's Pollock's colorway underneath the harness - looks pretty good on the Old Timer! He'll probably go pretty high. I like his blue hat, too! 

Ooh, this is a really nice color on Bobby Jo (blue roan pintaloosa), and she even has a dark head! Very nice. 

Lastly, this is a "silver bay tobiano" on Roy. He's not the most popular mold, but actually looks pretty good in this paintjob.

That's all of the auction models for today. Dare I hope the program is available this week? It was released on June 22 last year, so maybe it'll be released around the same time this year. Only 20 days until we leave! Woohoo! 

In other news, Cancion is finally available for purchase! 

I'm getting a glossy one, so I'll be putting in my order as soon as I get paid on Friday. Woohoo! I'm glad he isn't as delayed as Zafirah was last year. Let's hope the supply chain is getting back to normal? I've tentatively found a matte one to buy as well, so it'll be fun to see these guys in person. I hope they get here before we leave! 

Also, my last set of Breyerfest tickets came, and sure enough - all Jump & Drive and Stagecoach Surprise tickets. So I'll be looking to trade for at least one Scurry ticket! Shouldn't be too hard to find one (I hope).

That's all I have for today - let's hope we get more exciting reveals tomorrow! 

Breyerfest volunteer model has been revealed!

 Good news, everyone! Breyer has revealed this year's Breyerfest volunteer model on the blog. Say hello to Thornycroft! 

From the blog: 

Thomas Thornycroft was a 19th century English sculptor and engineer that lived and worked in London and contributed many iconic works to that city’s landscape.  But the one we were most inspired by was the colossal representation of Bouddicea and Her Daughters on Westminster Bridge, which features semi-rearing horses not unlike this handsome guy.

 

Handsome indeed! I hope I can get ahold of one someday.  While the blog declined to say how many of these were produced (it'll be in JAH later this year), they did say that seven of them were glossed for the volunteer managers. I've seen one of  them on Facebook and he's definitely stunning in gloss! 

Featured Model - 6/19/2021, Test Splash Desatado

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model I don't own but would like to, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it! This week's model is...the test red dun splash pinto Desatado (try saying that five times fast)! 

This model was one of the possibilities in the Making a Splash voting contest in 2019. He's a test/OOAK produced on the Desatado mold sculpted by Kristina Lucas Francis. 

The Making a Splash vote took place at Breyerfest 2019 - attendees could vote on three different models to be produced as a Collector Club special run the following year. The other two models with this colorway were Esprit and Duende, with Duende ending up the winner and being released as Fabio last year. The other two test models were given away as prizes for finding the most hidden images in last year's JAH, but we never did hear who won them. As an aside, I believe I voted for the Esprit in this contest, but that color is equally handsome on all three of them! Splash is always such a striking color to use. I wonder what they would look like in gloss? 

As for Desatado himself, I keep seeing rumblings that he could be this year's Breyerfest surprise model, and it's definitely a possibility. Some quick research shows that of all the Breyerfest surprise models (except the QHG), only two of them were in regular run production at the same time, so clearly they're not averse to running the mold solely for Breyerfest production (several of them had special runs around the same time as their Breyerfest appearance, which makes sense). This actually makes Desatado more likely to be the surprise model than my other guess, Forever Saige (she's in the current line as Cloud's Encore). I had been going by the "previously appeared in the Breyerfest live auction" rule in choosing her, but since there weren't as many auction models last year as in the past, I'm not sure that rule is worth following this year. I guess personal preference influenced that choice as well, as I'd rather see Forever Saige as the surprise than Desatado, despite having both molds in my collection. Ah, well - we'll find out in about a month! Or maybe longer, if these shipping delays affect the Breyerfest models as well...

Featured Model - 4/17/2021, Rana

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model I don't own but would like to, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is...Rana! 

This handsome guy is item #711269. He was a run of 26 on the Desatado mold sculpted by Kristina Lucas Francis, and was the Breyerfest Saturday raffle model back in 2017. 

I like this guy because he reminds me of this "Chocolate Roll" test that was sold through Breyer's website. He's got the same crazy amount of stuff going on with his color, and I love it. Another raffle I didn't win - par for the course, I guess. Fortunately, Desatado isn't the most popular mold out there, so I have hope that someday I might find one for sale for a not-ridiculous price. You know, once the current boom goes bust...if it ever does. But anyway. 

Desatado's last new release was Lightning Ridge back in 2019, so I'd say he's due to be used again. Maybe he'll be one of the True Blue Breyer releases? He was last used for a Collector Event in 2015, so it's probably not too soon to use him again. I suppose I should hope they don't use him, then...I'll hope for a mid-year release instead, or perhaps a web special. Whatever they use him for, I hope it's a pretty color! 

Khalid, Lightning Ridge and the Seafoams are here!

Good news, everyone! My Khalid, Lightning Ridge and Seafoam set have all arrived! Behold their awesome beauty! I'll start with the Seafoams.

I like Seafoam's shade of blue, but I think I would have liked him better if he'd been painted more like Dazzle, with the mostly silver/white butt fading into the blue color on the rest of his body. I mean, he's kind of painted like that now, but I'd have preferred the silver to be confined to his hindquarters.

Also, I think we can all agree that the paint jobs on the Stablemates are definitely not worth $25, but I think the bulk of the cost of these sets is most likely going toward the creation of the new Mini Whinny molds. Maybe next year they'll use old molds and do some slightly more complicated paint jobs? I hope so. How long can/will they keep introducing new Mini Whinnies? Maybe this will be the only year of the club.

Next, here's Lightning Ridge!

He's definitely one of the more interesting models I've seen in the last few years, though he's not a terribly good representation of an opal. Unfortunately, giving a model the same inner "fire" an opal has would probably make the model prohibitively expensive to produce, but this guy is a nice facsimile.

It's good to see Breyer getting into the precious stones inspiration for paint jobs, though. It seemed like that theme had pretty much been left for Stone to work on, for obvious reasons, but why concede that market to your competitor? I'd love to see pretty much all of them get used again, so far.

Lastly, here's Khalid!



Sorry for the terrible photo. I love his shade of...dun? I'm not actually sure what color that's supposed to be. He has primitive marks, so I'm going with dun.

I do like the alternate tail for this model, but I'm not as much of a fan of the mane and forelock. I guess the ears (or lack of Marwari ears) doesn't bother me too much, though. And I love this guy's belly spots!

Quality-wise, the Seafoams and Lightning Ridge were fine, but check out this gnarly seam split on Khalid:



I didn't even notice it until I was taking photos for the blog, but now it's all I can look at. Not sure it would be worth the hassle of replacing him, though. I guess I'll just have to try not to look at his face/

That's all I've got for today - stay tuned for more exciting Breyer news!

The Breyerfest Blues - Again

Although this year's Breyerfest was much more of a hassle this year, I'm still sad that it's over - time seemed to flash by faster than ever before. Yesterday morning I was at the Kentucky Horse Park taking photos (they were still dismantling things from Breyerfest), and today, the following afternoon, I'm wistfully writing about it on my blog. How does the time go so fast? Oh well.

One thing that isn't going so fast is Breyer posting the numbers breakdown for the Hero's Welcome Surprise and all those variations in the other special runs. Hurry up, dang it!

My daughter and I got home very late last night after our flights back were delayed, but we made it. My husband is still driving and will be home in a couple of hours, so my models (and camera) are still packed in the car. But, fear not! I'll start working on my Breyerfest Closeups series as soon as I have access to my photos again.

In the meantime, voting is still happening for the Making a Splash contest on the Breyer website. If you need a refresher, Breyer is holding a vote for one of these three horses to be a Collector Club special run next year:



Honestly, all three of these are molds I collect, so I'll be happy with whatever the result is. I voted for Esprit, but I'm guessing Duende will probably win due to how new he is. And since I don't have space for any new Desatados or Esprits, it'll be easier fitting him onto the shelves! Voting ends on 7/22, so don't waste any time getting those votes in!

Featured Model - 12/15/2018, Aurelius

Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model from my collection, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is...Aurelius!

This handsome guy was the Flagship model for 2014, only available from Breyer flagship stores. He caused quite the commotion when he came out! Nowadays I think his star has faded a little bit, but I think he's beautiful nonetheless. He's item #760240 and was a run of 3,000 on the Desatado mold sculpted by Kristina Lucas Francis.

I think Desatado looks excellent in this color! At the time of this one's release, I think a lot of people agreed with me, but a lot can change in four (almost five) years. His prices on eBay aren't anything to write home about, but I swear everyone and their dog was trying to find one back when he was first released. There's just something special about a nicely-shaded chestnut with flaxen mane and tail - I've always been a little partial to that color, myself. And he's glossy to boot! Mmm, plastic pony goodness.

Desatado, as you may remember, began life as the porcelain Roy Rogers and Trigger before being ambitiously repurposed as the inaugural Premier Club release back in 2012. Since then, he's appeared in a variety of different places, including as a web special, a Breyerfest raffle model, a Breyerfest glossy prize model, a TSC special run and more. His debut as a TSC special run was just a couple of months ago, and his only (to date) regular run release, as Picasso, is being retired at the end of this year. Where will he appear next? I suspect Breyer may give the mold a rest for the time being, but you never know - he could pop up as another web special or something. He hasn't had a Breyerfest auction model since 2014, so I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up there in 2019. Hopefully his next release is something attainable! 

Jasper and Boone!

More exciting news! Our local Tractor Supply finally stocked its holiday Breyer selection! I'll start with Boone:

I'm not planning on buying one, so there's just the one photo of him. Doesn't he look a lot like Salpicado? I guess he's different enough to tell them apart at a glance, but I still thought it was interesting. I've thought about starting a Ranch Horse conga off and on, but it just hasn't happened yet. I like his head, but not his weird pose.

Anyway, next we have Jasper! Check him out! (The weird pattern is from the window screen behind him).

I love his shading and his white socks!

I'm so glad Breyer gave this guy plenty of white markings. I'm still a little salty about Two Step and his almost complete lack of any white!

The only nitpick I have is that his name doesn't really strike me as a "western" name. I'd have gone with Durango, or Dude or something. Maybe Breyer ran out of name ideas.



All in all, though, he's still a worthy addition to the collection! I'm just glad our Tractor Supply has him in stock - we stopped at a different TSC today and there was no sign of their holiday Breyer display anywhere. Weird!

That's all I have for today - hopefully we get more exciting releases soon!

Tractor Supply 2018 special runs have been spotted!

...Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of them yet, but rest assured, they're out there. So I was wrong about this year's earlier releases being the only ones for the year! I'm pleasantly surprised by this news. So there's a new America's Wild Mustangs set featuring a Charging Mesteno in chestnut appaloosa and an American Quarter Horse Foal in chestnut snowcap Appaloosa, and two Traditionals: Boone, a red dun overo Cody (looks similar to Salpicado) and Jasper, a beautifully shaded bay Desatado. Swoon! I have to have that Desatado.

While I haven't been able to obtain photos of these guys yet, our local TSC is clearing space for its annual Breyer display, so it's only a matter of time. I can't wait! I love that Desatado! Photos can be found on Blab and Facebook, if you're dying to see them. I know I'm excited!

I hope these guys are good sellers. It makes me nervous when special runs don't sell well, especially after the demise of the Mid-States special run, so I was disappointed to see Alba's sales weren't especially great earlier in the year. I guess it doesn't help that she was priced at a hefty $50, but still. It'll be a sad day if these special runs end up going away!

But enough of that. Happy hunting!

We have a Saturday raffle model!

...and here he is - Rana!



I love him! He reminds me of an updated version of the "Chocolate Roll" Clydesdale Mare that Breyer sold on the website last year. Look at all those details! I'm definitely going to have to buy a lot of raffle tickets for him so he can join his buddies.

As usual, I'm a bit confused by his Appaloosa-ness showing up at an event that has nothing to do with Appaloosas. Oh well; I really shouldn't be confused or surprised.

My typical M.O. for the raffles is to buy $10 worth of tickets for one model (usually on a mold I don't collect) and $60 worth for the other one. This usually works unless both of the raffles are on molds I collect, like last year. I spent $120 on raffle tickets last year (to no success). What can I say....I wanted a Cinza very badly, and Areia was a close second. I have yet to win a raffle model, but I haven't given up hope yet!

Featured Model - 12/17/2016, Two Step

Welcome, readers, to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model from my collection, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is... Two Step!



Two Step, model #711162, was a Breyerfest special run way back in 2013. He was a run of 1,200 issued on the Desatado mold sculpted by Kristina Lucas Francis. This was the first time the Desatado mold was used after making its debut as a Premier Club model in 2012 (although its real debut was as the porcelain Roy Rogers' Trigger in 2002).

I like this release, although frosted dun is a color I wouldn't mind seeing on just about anything. I wish the frosting on his mane had been executed a little better, however, and I like to see a little white on a model. But I guess they can't all have chrome.

As for the mold itself, I like it as long as I don't look at his stifles from the front. Someone on Blab pointed out that they make his legs look like chicken legs, and now I can't unsee it (And now you can't either! Mwahahaha!). His tail is also a little odd-looking, but they kind of have to be to hold up the horse, and it does look more realistic than either Silver or the Fighting Stallion.

I have all but one of this mold's releases (I will find a glossy Picasso for a price I like someday...), although he's only been available in plastic for four years, so he hasn't built up a large variety of colors yet. I wonder what's in store for him next - perhaps as the 2017 Holiday Horse? We'll have to wait and see.