Ooh, pretty!

 Good news, everyone! If you were afraid the Falhofnir/Icelandic mold would be this year’s Breyerfest surprise model, fear not! He’s a Limited Edition instead - behold!

Ooh, pretty. I love him! He’s a must-have. I’m intrigued by his white floofy feet. How are they so white? Is it a genetics thing I’m not aware of? In any case, I want him in my stable! 

I’ve also seen speculation that this guy might end up being next year’s glossy Breyermidwest model, but I think there’s a fairly good chance he won’t be. Those tend to be releases that don’t sell very well (not counting the glossy Marc of Charm) and Moody models tend to sell out, so I choose to believe it’ll be something else instead. I hope so, anyway - I wouldn’t want to have to find someone to pick it up for me. 

Fireheart, Breyerfest programs and the last auction models!

 Lots of announcements today - first off, today is the first day we can finally order our Fireheart models! 

As you may have guessed from some of my earlier posts...it looks like my Fireheart is going to stay with me after all. Based on the photos of the production piece, plus the newly released photo of his auction model....well,  yeah. The above photo didn't do him any favors for me, but the photos I've seen since then make it pretty clear he needs to stay here. 

And as a bonus, apparently they are actually in stock now and able to ship! That's definitely good news. 

Secondly, the print version of the Breyerfest program can now be ordered! 

They're $5 each (seems a bit steep..) and ship for free as long as you order them by themselves with no other merchandise. You can only order one per transaction for some reason, so if you want more than one...you'll have to do a new order for each one, I guess. But at least we're getting a print one this year! 

Lastly, the last six auction models have been unveiled! Behold: 

Oh boy, this might be our sale-topper right here. As an aside, did I make any '80s hair band jokes when Fireheart was first released? I feel like I did, but if not...he definitely looks like something an '80s hair band could appreciate, am I right? Haha! That's a really nice color, too! 

Wow, an Old Timer auction model! Too bad he looks...like an updated version of the Jake raffle model from 2002. At least the hat is a different color? 

With the way these auction models are looking, the raffle models may end up being this year's "chump change" items, since they're runs of 26. But I digress.

Interesting color on this one - looks like something you'd see on a bull. 

At first I thought this one was an extremely red chestnut, and didn't really like it. Then I realized it was supposed to be a decorator and warmed up to it a little...but only a little. Needs more paint for something that'll probably sell for $5,000 or more. 

And here it is...the long-awaited Hamilton auction model! This guy might be the sale-topper, too. That's a beautiful color...and glossy! I can't wait to see how much these models all sell for so I can hide somewhere and cry die of jealousy plot world domination for plastic ponies  rob a bank  hide somewhere and cry. 

That's all I've got for today! Can't believe we only have a little more than a week until Breyerfest! 

The plot thickens (again!)

 We have...a Friday raffle model! Say hello to Muybridge! 

From the blog: 

Our Muybridge for this year’s BreyerFest Friday raffle pays homage to Muybridge’s Horse in Motion. Done on the Icelandic (mold # 729), sculpted by Kathleen Moody, this handsome boy has been done as a beautiful silver black splash with blue eyes. We know this guy will add some dynamic movement to your herd!

All I can say is...wow! 

 

This guy is stunning! Crossing all my fingers that I win one! 

So I guess we're getting three raffle models this year? Friday, Saturday and Sunday? That would be fun. I wonder if they're going to continue this for future Breyerfests, or if it's a temporary change to make up for not having an Early Bird raffle? Either way, exciting! 

There's also a reveal of some of the live auction lots on the blog: 

These are all items that would usually show up in the silent auction. Hngh...that Best Customs set is stunning too. 

Interesting that it says a full set of Seven Arts Surprise. Are they really doing seven colors? I really hope not...but a full set implies matte and glossy...for a total of 14 models? What a crazy year. Well, now I'm really excited to see the program on Thursday! 

New sneak peek? Finally, a raffle model?

 Good news, everyone - it looks like maybe we are getting raffle models this year! Check out this sneak peek on the blog:

My immediate assumption was that it's a Fireheart, since they like to do raffle models on these brand-new molds, but more astute people on the Internets have concluded that it's the Icelandic/Falhofnir. To which I say: sure! Looks like some type of silver black, like one of last year's Slainte Surprise models. And we get to see what it is tomorrow! 

The post also says this year's Breyerfest program will go live on July 1. Huzzah! I can't wait to see it! They're also doing a printed version this year, which is nice, but we have to buy it, which isn't so nice...bleh. Let's hope they don't cost much. Makes me wish they could do a limited number of 2020 programs as well, so the collectors could keep their collections complete. I mean, I could print my own at home (still trying to find paper that would work for that), but it would be a lot easier if we could buy those from Breyer as well...oh well. 

Featured Model - 4/14/2018, Elska

Hello and welcome to yet 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...Elska!



We're currently dealing with a snowpocalypse while I pack models for our upcoming move, so I thought I'd pick a wintry model. So, Elska it is!

This pretty girl was the Brick and Mortar special run from 2015, only available to dealers with an actual physical storefront, and prohibited from being sold online. She's item #1731 and also holds the distinction of being the (so-far) only female release on the Falhofnir/Icelandic mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. At the time of her release, I still had a brick-and-mortar dealer within driving distance, but that's no longer the case - so I just have to hope future brick-and-mortar special runs are all on molds I don't like. 

This model has the advantage of not only being a Moody mold, which I have a crippling weakness for, but she's also a dapple gray, which I also have a crippling weakness for. So, she had to join my collection! I love her soft dappling and the contrast between her light-colored body and darker legs.

The Icelandic mold has been rather lightly used since its first release in the Premier Club - he was a regular run briefly as Svali fra Tjorn and was the web special Honeysuckle in 2016. Other than last year's Early Bird heartbreak (still sad about that one), he just hasn't been used much. The Icelandic is doing the tolt gait, which is unique to the Icelandic breed, so he can't really be portrayed as anything else. That's the problem with molds that are too recognizable as one particular breed, like this one - lack of mold utility means it just doesn't get used as much.

I doubt he'll show up at Breyerfest this year, although they did somehow get away with using him as the Early Bird at a Breyerfest that otherwise had absolutely nothing to do with Icelandic horses, so they could always surprise us with him again. Maybe he'll be a web special again? Or another regular run? I'm sure he'll pop up somewhere eventually.

Fylkir is now available!

The fourth Stablemate Club release is now available for purchase, and it's the Gambler's Choice! Surprising! Here they are!

 

I love them! And I'm relieved that they're on a mold I collect. Breyer's firing on all cylinders here - I haven't seen a release I didn't like other than Coco! I love that they used the Burbank color, although I guess Icelandics don't come in appaloosa. Oh well - it's still my favorite one of the bunch and I hope I get it! We have two accounts, so I'll be crossing my fingers that I at least get two different colors. I like the other colors too, especially the smoky black. If I had to rank them, it would probably go like this:

Burbank appaloosa
Silver black
Dunalino
Splash white

Nothing against splash, but I think they should have made him glossy here so we'd have two matte and two glossies. But I'll still be happy if I get one!

It's interesting that the gambler's choice is the fourth release this year. Last year the decorator was the fourth release. Maybe they're trying to give themselves some more time between this release and the end of the year? I wonder if the end-of-year raffle (if they're doing one again) will be of a full set of these again. If it is, I hope I win!

Featured Model - 3/4/2017, Falhofnir

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 victim is...Falhofnir!



This hairy, handsome fellow was the first release on the Icelandic Horse mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody. He was the second release in the 2014 Premier Club, and holds the distinction of being one of only two releases (so far) that could be ordered with a matte or glossy finish (the other being Carrick). About 750 were made of these, although I don't think Breyer has ever given an exact number, nor did they give us a breakdown of mattes vs. glossies.
I ordered the glossy one because it seemed like a no-brainer, but I still wonder if the glossies outnumber the mattes. Either way, I had to buy the matte version secondhand later on so the collection would be complete. Which was fine, because I sold Croi Damhsa sight unseen after her photos didn't wow me, so I still ended up with three 2014 Premier Club models.

Moody molds usually get a lot of flak for their general hairiness and poor biomechanics, but I actually don't see a lot of criticism of the Icelandic, other than his wasp waist. This may be because real Icelandics have ridiculous amounts of hair, so it's not like the model is exaggerating things at all; Moody probably could have gotten away with sculpting even more hair on him if she'd wanted to.

So far, the poor Icelandic hasn't had a lot of releases; after his original release, we've only seen three: Elska, the Honeysuckle web special and the regular run Svali fra Tjorn that joined the line last year. But now that he's in the regular lineup, it seems likely that we might see him used for other things; every year I'm perpetually surprised that he hasn't been used at Breyerfest yet. Maybe this year will be the year!

Edit: D'oh, I forgot about Sokkar. Well, maybe next year we'll get a more attainable Breyerfest Icelandic.

Breyerfest Tickets Available Now!

Greetings, all! I hope everyone had a good New Year's. Mine just got a whole lot better - Breyerfest 2017 tickets are now available! You know what that means - the unveiling of special runs! First off, the Celebration Horse, Nazruddin:

So it looks like he's keeping his original mane and tail. Exciting! I like what I can see of him - can't wait to add him to the collection!

Unfortunately, the only other model that's been revealed thus far was the Early Bird raffle model - a luscious glossy black Icelandic named Sokkar:



My initial reaction to this was, "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Because I want him, badly. Oh, so badly. I haven't wanted an early bird raffle this much since Alegria in 2014. I need him. Ugh. I'll be crossing all of my fingers and toes at the Saturday raffle, I can tell you that right now.

So, that's all we've been shown thus far - am I off base in thinking they usually show us one of the regular raffle models at this time, too? Bleh. Darn Breyer and keeping their secrets so secret. I hope they reveal it soon.

Other tidbits on the website are the "Bollywood Bash" costume contest and the "Gateway to India" diorama contest. I have to admit I have some reservations about this whole theme. I can see a whole host of ways the costume contest - and this Breyerfest theme, in general - could go wrong, with regards to cultural appropriation and stereotypes and...I kind of don't want to go anywhere near that. Which is bad, because I actually thought about trying the costume contest again to try to win a glossy Nazruddin. Let's hope Breyer puts a little more thought into the special run names - Mamacita and Chico and Sheila were particularly cringeworthy choices last year.

(I tried to look up Sokkar on Google, but couldn't find much. Anyone know what it refers to? Is it a common surname in India?)

We'll have to wait and see what Breyer has planned this year. Let's hope they can pull it off!