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! 

New Arrivals: Get Rowdy, Snowbird and Chablis

 Greetings, loyal readers! Over the last few days, I haven't been able to shake the feeling that I was missing something during these post-Breyerfest doldrums. It seemed like there was something I was supposed to be doing...so I took a look back at old blog posts to see if I could figure out what it was. 

And then I promptly felt like an idiot, because I had totally forgotten I used to do New Arrivals and Breyerfest Closeups posts after Breyerfest every year! The last year I did New Arrivals was in 2020, apparently, and I haven't done Breyerfest Closeups since 2019 for obvious reasons. On a related note, it turns out you forget a lot of stuff you used to do/plan/pack for Breyerfest when you end up not going to Kentucky for 3 years, as our multiple trips to a Lexington Walmart showed us. It doesn't help that my memory has become atrocious since my kids were born. 

Anyway, let's get started with a brand-new New Arrivals post! I'll start with Get Rowdy: 

I normally don't buy RR stuff at Breyerfest, but the prospect of saving on shipping plus instant gratification won out. So I have a Get Rowdy in my collection! His dapples are nicely understated, and there aren't as many of them, so less chance of getting one with chicken-wire dapples. Need I say more? 

Next, here's Snowbird, sans tack:

His color is interesting - he almost looks like a chestnut-going-gray. There are also new promo photos from Breyer depicting a much-lighter Snowbird than the original promo photo showed - I'm not sure which end of the spectrum my guy is from, since he still looks fairly dark to me. Oh well. His costume is pretty, though it did make me wonder if it was in fact removable, because I could not find a way to get it off the horse. Fortunately I did figure out how to get it off eventually, but it was a bit of a tense moment! 

I did snag a Battlefield Angel from the store as well, but ended up selling it to a tired dad who was trying to find one for his daughters to get autographed by the real horse's owners. I'll have to snag another one at some point. 

Lastly, let's take a look at Chablis! 

As usual, I vastly prefer the braided Idocus to his original loose mane (still don't have a braided Brunello, or Nirvana, though). His paint job is nice, too! Kinda interesting that this mold has now been used for portraits of three similarly-marked bay horses. He's just infinitely more attractive to me with the braids than with his original bad toupee-looking hair. Who knows, maybe this mold would have been a better seller from the start if he'd started out with the braids instead of the loose mane/tail. I know it makes me like him a lot more! 

That's it for today - check back soon for more New Arrivals! 

What a stunner!

 Well, today's Breyerfest 2022 reveal is...a new braided Idocus! 

I need a slightly different angle on him to be sure, but the braided Idocus kind of is my kryptonite, so I'll have to get one of these to keep Beau company, since I still haven't gotten a braided Brunello or Nirvana. From the blog:

At BreyerFest this summer, we are so excited for fans to meet Chablis, a multi-champion Württemberger hunter. He has been immortalized as one of BreyerFest’s Limited Edition Traditional models, available to all BreyerFest: Prost! ticket holders, whether you’re joining us in person or online. Done on Susan Carlton Sifton’s Warmblood Stallion, mold #711, Chablis is a stunning dark bay with dappling and three white socks. 

 

This one is going to look amazing in gloss. I have to get one! Let's hope tomorrow's reveal is just as stunning, since I'm probably going to be rather light on SR-line-acquisitions this year.

Featured Model - 1/1/2021, 2017 Auction Idocus

 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 (Happy New Year, by the way)! This week's model is...the 2017 Breyerfest Auction Idocus! 

This guy was a "Dark Bay Reverse Brindle," produced on the Idocus mold sculpted by Sue Sifton. 

Isn't his color interesting? Due to the complexity of painting brindling, we don't get brindle models very often - the only mass-produced one we've ever had was the brindle variant of Diesel back in 2016, and his paint job still left a little to be desired. So it doesn't seem likely that we'll get a mass-produced brindle model in the future...but never say never, I guess. 

This model is also one of the handful of releases that have featured the braided version of Idocus - and I don't know what it is about this hairdo, but I find him infinitely more attractive with the braided mane. Honestly, if they just did him with the mane on the other side of his neck, I'd probably like him more - I think the issue is with having his mane lay on his show side rather than the off side like usual. I'm also not a fan of banged tails, so that doesn't help either. But that's just my personal preference. 

Anyway, when will we see another Idocus? He had a (braided) special run for the Seattle Soiree last year, but isn't currently being used for anything else. He's never been the most popular mold, but maybe he'll get a web special this year? It may be a while before we see him pop up again, honestly. I don't anticipate seeing him used for Breyerfest or as a Collector Club special run, so your guess is as good as mine. In any case, I hope he still has a braided mane/tail in his next appearance! 

Wow, where do I start with all these reveals?

There have been a ton of new reveals today - maybe Breyer decided to stop holding back on information since the winter doldrums are now over? Well, anyway, I'm not going to complain - I always love the new reveals! I'll start with Crystalline!

In case you don't recognize her, this is the sneak peek that was in last month's Collector Club Newsletter, and I love her! Breyer has really been on a roll with their decorators lately, and this girl is no exception! They're limited to 4,000 pieces (a bit of an increase from the usual 3,000 or 3,500) so it shouldn't be too hard to get your hands on one eventually if you're so inclined. I reserved mine from Golden Oaks, so I can't wait to see what she looks like!

Next, there's a new spring release - Winx!

So we finally get a reveal of that blurry Winx photo from a while back! I'll have to get my hands on one eventually, but I didn't order one just yet - I can wait until later for this one.

Next, we got a reveal of one of this year's Breyerfest raffle models - say hello to Order of the Thistle!

My reaction: be still, my heart. Ugh - I knew this mold had "raffle horse" written all over it - I should have stuck with him as one of my raffle model predictions. He's basically the same color as Champagne Wishes. Hope I can win one...

Lastly, and most excitingly (or devastatingly...) we have the special runs for the now-canceled Seattle Soiree event! First, here's Puget, the Stablemate included with every ticket:

Whew, nothing I need. Wish I could say that about the rest of it. Well, here goes - I'll start with Bellevue and Nirvana:

They are runs of 104 and 96, respectively - ugh! A braided Idocus! If only he were the loose mane and tail, I wouldn't need him! Since his piece count is so high, maybe it won't be hard to get one later...

Next, here's Pinchot and Storm:



Their piece counts are 60 and 52. Ughhhhh, I'm never going to be able to afford Storm. He sure is pretty though! Pinchot is stunning too - I wonder if he's glossy? At least I don't need that one...

And lastly, here are Duwamish and Olympia!



Their piece counts are 48 and 40. I don't need Olympia, but I love Duwamish! Unfortunately, he'll be about impossible to find for a decent price too, but I can always hope.

So I believe the way it works is that the attendees will send in their preferences for Group A (Bellevue and Nirvana) and Group B (the other four). Then they'll be assigned numbers in their respective color groups, a number will be drawn, and then the line "starts" and their preferences will be selected according to their spot in line. Sounds complicated, but maybe this is how the Breyerfest special runs could be distributed if it comes down to it? I suppose I could live with that...maybe. Anyway, congratulations to the lucky would-be attendees! I know I'd love to have had a shot at these. Maybe next time...

2019 JAH is here!

Good news, everyone! My JAH arrived today, with a wealth of new reveals! There's a lot of exciting things to go over, so let's just get started!

I decided to leave out the cover this year, in case those of you who haven't seen it yet don't want to be spoiled. I will be covering the reveals inside, though, so beware!

I'll start with next year's first Premier Club release, Altynai:



The prototype is beautiful, and I definitely like the color (sculpted by Heather Puleo, sculptor of Greyson) and painted by Amanda Brock), but I'm not sure if I like this one enough to keep him yet. I'll need to see more photos of him before I decide...hopefully they show us more when club signups open up. Also, why all the buckskins lately? Were those paint colors on sale?

Anyway, next year's other two sculptors are Lynn Fraley and Kylee Parks. I took a look at Lynn Fraley's other work and didn't see anything that I had to have, so the jury is out on her sculpt too; Kylee Parks has done some impressive work for the custom contest at Breyerfest for the last few years, so I'm sure hers will be pretty nice.

Next, let's take a look at this little item on the Table of Contents page:



Ooh, a giveaway! I took a look at the entry website, and it looks like we have until November 30 to enter. I haven't submitted my official count yet, but it looks like they got clever with a lot of the images, so make sure you pay close attention to every page of the magazine!

Next, here's a sneak peek of a new sculpt by Mindy Berg on the editorial page:



While the magazine doesn't say what this new sculpt is for, it looks like a Classic to me - probably next year's Classics Horse of the Year. Honestly, he looks like Duende with his head turned up and to the right, so I can't see him being a Traditional. I wonder what color he's supposed to be - silver bay maybe? I hope we find out soon.

Next, a look at next year's Live Show Benefit horse and the 4th release in the Fairytale Friends Club:



Another buckskin, on San Domingo! He looks like he'd match Lillian and Molly pretty well. The ad copy says next year's glossy Classics model will be the glossy Malik - a return to glossing the previous year's Classics Horse of the Year model, which makes me wonder even more why they didn't gloss some Masons for this year (not that I'm complaining!). In the bottom photo, we see the fourth release in the Fairytale Friends club, with a glittery purple G3 Arabian and what looks like a shrunken-down resin Rising Sun. Makes me wonder if we'll see Rising Sun in other scales eventually? With all those new Walmart Mini Whinnies, it seems like Breyer is going nuts with shrinking stuff lately, so I wouldn't be surprised.

Next, here's the Fighting Stallion sneak peek:



In Stephanie Macejko's editorial, she mentioned that the "70th Anniversary Collection" will consist of a number of Traditional-size releases, and this Fighting Stallion will evidently be one of them. Maybe they'll pick one mold from each decade for this collection? That would be fun. The Fighter here is pretty, but nothing I need to buy. Can't wait to see the other releases!

Next we have the Vintage Club sneak peek that has everyone excited:



Yes, that's the In-Between Mare! What color is she? Looks like some kind of glossy dapple black to me, but it could be a dark bay. More importantly, will this lower the value of the handful of IBMs in collector hands? Probably not, since they're so old. I wonder if they'll all be this color, or if they'll be the gambler's choice for next year? Another important question is...will they be popular? The IBM is definitely valuable, but, well...there's a reason the mold was rejected in favor of the FAM, if you know what I mean. Food for thought, I guess.

Next, here's a look at the Fairytale Friends Club's third release!



That's Mini Magnolia and a Mini Whinny I don't recognize. Maybe it's a flipped Show Arabian? Not sure why they'd bother to flip it, but that's the closest guess I have. I won't be keeping either of them, fortunately (or unfortunately). There's an article in this issue about unicorns in other parts of the world, featuring a number of unicorn illustrations by Rayvin Maddock. I hope we see some of those colors in the Fairytale Friends Club next year!

Lastly, here's a look at Corbin, who also appeared on the cover of this issue:

He's pretty, but I don't think I'll be keeping either of mine. More for the sales pile!

Edit: Gah! I forgot about the Premier Club Stablemate, Charleston! Here he is!



He looks a lot like the G2 Paso Fino...which is a bad thing, for me. I've tentatively arranged to trade him for the mini Misty and Stormy set from this year's Vintage Club, though, so at least I've got that going for me. His paintjob looks like a pretty faithful representation of Hamilton, though, even down to the slightly-pearly whites, so there's that.

All in all, it was a great issue - I think there were more reveals in this issue than the one from last year, so that was nice. And it's great that they're doing a giveaway for the test Beau! Now if we could just see the rest of next year's Vintage and Stablemate Club releases, that would be great!

Rhian and Cadell are here! And...Beau?

Great news, everyone! My Rhian and Cadell set are finally here! Behold:



They're so cute! Here's the other side:



I'm still kind of ambivalent about the foal, but he can stay for now. Is it me, or does he seem pretty small for a Trad foal? I realize he's a pony foal, but he seems tiny!

As for the mare, I love her! Here she is with a hopeful suitor:

Her only real flaw is visible in the above photo: she has a scrape on her left front leg. I'm not thrilled about it, but the foal is pretty much flaw-free and from what I hear I'd have to send him back with the mare, so I guess I'll have to overlook the scratch. But, let's be real here: I don't show, so condition and paint issues aren't as big a deal to me anyway.

She looks good with Bouncer though, like I thought she would. Here's a closeup of her face:



Her eyes are nicely painted, although they have the dreaded pink eyewhites going on.

In other news....despite my reservations about this mold, this happened on Tuesday:

That's right...I bought a Beau. Opening his box was nerve-wracking! I was repeating to myself, "Please be braided. Please be braided. Please be braided..." And it worked! I was hoping I'd get a dark variation, too, but I guess beggars can't be choosers.

I wasn't going to buy this release, but Breyer reeled me in with the braided mane and tail. He's just so handsome! I figured if I got the one I wanted, it meant I was meant to collect him...at least, this version of him. I suppose this means I'll have to get my hands on a Brunello now...and possibly Wapiti if I can get past his mane.



Poor Beau has the pink eyewhites going on, too. I hope they phase those out sooner rather than later.

Quality-wise, he's decent - he has some lint stuck in his gloss, but that's par for the course.



His dapples are sadly unsubtle too, but that's nothing new. Now I just have to find space for him on my shelves, and hope they used the braided Idocus again in the near future.

So, if anyone knows where I can find a braided Brunello on the cheap...

Too Obvious, and Beau

The second single-day Stablemate has been revealed, and it's Toe Tapper!



Now, don't get me wrong; Boot Scootin Boogie has a beautiful paint job. But I didn't want to speculate that they'd use his color on the Brishen mold's mini doppelganger, because it was just too obvious, and Breyer doesn't usually do obvious. They must not have been able to resist, and it's not like they've ever done this before - we haven't seen the Mini Alborozo or Mini Magnolia released in the same colors as their Trad counterparts yet.

That said, I'll definitely be trying to get my hands on this guy - and the way things are going, I might just break down and buy four single-day tickets so I can get the ones I want. It's not like it'll be hard to sell the Magnolia, anyway, and every time I look at that new warmblood mold I want it a little more.

In other news, we've finally found out the results of the My Strongest Suit vote from Breyerfest last year! Check out Beau!



So the dapple gray prevailed after all - and he's being released in the loose and braided versions! Ugh, that braided one looks really nice...but I can't start another conga! I just can't!

Like the rest of the world, I'm wondering why Breyer is releasing yet another product when it seems they have yet to straighten out the trainwreck that is their warehouse move, but I guess I'm not the one in charge of produced releases over there. Hopefully they get things fixed soon!

I wonder what'll happen to the other three tests of this guy? I bet at least one of them will be in this year's silent auction. I guess we'll find out soon!

Breyerfest Closeups: My Strongest Suit

Hello, readers! I'm finally posting the last of my Breyerfest Closeups photos today. Similar to last year's Scotty vote, Breyer had a group of four Idocus models in the tent, painted in the same pinto pattern but different colors, and people could vote on their favorite color. Behold! 

Idocus isn't my favorite mold (see the Brunello conundrum), so I didn't vote in this contest. And these guys all have the old Idocus hair, so there's not much of a chance that I'll want to buy any of them when they do eventually show up on the website. I wonder if they'll get them produced in time to be this year's second Collector Club special run, since they didn't have a preview of that this year? If that's the case, I hope production can move fast, because the second CC special run is usually out by September or so.

Anyway, although I'm not a big fan of Idocus, these colors were all pretty nice (and glossy to boot)!



I'm not sure if the pinto patterns were based on anything that existed before? I'm pretty sure the colors are original.



Although I didn't vote, I think the gray one was my favorite. Oh, I just noticed the marking above his tail looks kind of like an arrow! That's fun.



This one was pretty nice too. He looks black at first glance, but I think he's actually a very dark bay. Either way, handsome.

This one is okay; I'd probably place him third. Nice color, but I'm just not really into it for some reason.



And the bay was my least favorite. Nothing really wrong with him, but he's just kind of...there. I think the other colors looked better on him. Watch, this one will end up being the winner of the contest. Blah! I knew I should have voted.

And that's all I have for Breyerfest Closeups this year. Hopefully we get more exciting news soon! My Dundee and Raleigh models are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, so we've got a bit of a wait for them. I hope we get some exciting news in the meantime!

How do you solve a problem like Brunello?

Don't lie, you sang today's post title in your head. (The hills are alive with the sound of...confusion?)

Anyway, today's post is about a subject I've been thinking about for a while...Brunello, on the Idocus mold. Here's a photo:

This model was released in 2016, and was notable because he came with a brand new hairdo. Here's an original-issue Idocus:

I've never been a fan of the original Idocus, but before Brunello's release I never thought about it much. Not a fan; end of story. But then Brunello came out, with his braided mane and tail, and I realized: it was his hair. I've never been a fan of the banged tails on dressage horses, and the original Idocus's mane isn't doing him any favors. It's just kind of there. But Brunello practically makes him look like a whole different model. I really like his head and neck with the braids! And his tail isn't banged! Win-win!

But that opens up a whole new can of worms. I like Brunello, but do I like him enough to buy him? (So far, no.) Should I buy him? I don't generally like to only have one model of a particular mold. But I don't like any of the other Idocus releases because of the blah mane and banged tail. However, Wapiti's tail is different from the usual. Here's a photo:

He still has the iffy mane...but my urge to buy is rising! Ugh! I wonder if they'll use the braided mane and tail on other releases in the future. I know last year's auction model on this mold had the braids. Maybe if they keep using those I'll think about starting a conga...maybe. Or maybe I'll see a Brunello at Breyerfest this year and won't be able to resist...we'll see.

Live Auction Lot 7 and Glossy Prizes!

Lots of pretty ponies on the blog today! First, the Live Auction Lot 6:

 

He's described as a Dark Bay Reverse Brindle, and he's on the Brunello version of the Idocus mold. I have to say, I've never been a fan of Idocus, but when Brunello was first released, I almost wanted to buy one just based on his hairdo. I don't like the regular Idocus mane or tail, but the Brunello braided version is really something else...almost enough to make me want to buy one. Almost. So this guy is definitely handsome, though I'm not sure about those brindle markings. Brindle is a pretty hard color to pull off, so at first I thought they were masked, but the enlarged photo makes it clear they're painted on. Dare I say it almost looks like a flock of birds flew overhead just as his photo was being taken? I think this is one of those effects that will look cool...from a distance.

But, to each their own. He really is quite nicely done. This auction model from 2012 on SCO was the best brindle I've seen them do lately, and I believe it was the basis for the later Diesel that was issued in brindle. Unfortunately, I think they needed a finer airbrush for Diesel, though I think that was also the first time they attempted brindle in any kind of release wider than one model. Not bad for a first attempt!

Next, the live show glossies! Here's Glossy Valegro:

 

I want one of these so badly! Anyone out there want to sell me one for the low, low price of $450? I'm sure they'll be selling for much more than that on the secondary market. If only I were into model horse showing...perhaps someday.

The other live show glossy is Banks Vanilla! Behold:

 

I briefly thought about buying a Banks Vanilla when they were first released, despite my dislike of the mold. There's just something about a pretty white horse. Fortunately, I resisted the urge (the only reason I considered it in the first place was because I already had a Sugarloaf in the collection and figured having one more on the mold wouldn't hurt). This year, though, I decided to bring along all of my silver filigree models that are on molds I don't collect and attempt to sell them at Breyerfest. Shelf space is always in short supply around here, so I gotta do what I can. Well, that and I need to do something to make up for my wild spending habits....so, more additions to the sales list it is.

That's all I have for today! Hopefully we'll get another auction model tomorrow!