Be still, my heart

 Greetings, readers! Well, it happened - the Best Customs Contest prizes were officially revealed today! Behold the grand prize, Lingonberry: 

Troubadour looks amazing in chestnut! Ugh, I want him so bad! 

And here's the runner-up prize, Gravlax:

He's also amazing in chestnut appaloosa! I don't even want to think about how high the silent auction lot for these is going to go. Anyways, that knocks Troubadour out of contention for the surprise model. I'm still thinking Vermeer, though I'm hoping for something I don't want so I don't have to figure out how to fit 10 surprise models into my luggage afterward! 

Another sneak peek!

 Well, no resolution to the previous sneak peek yet...but instead, we get another one! Behold: 

Eagle-eyed collectors have already pointed out this is probably a chestnut version of the appaloosa Valerio. Darn it! I was hoping it would be something I don't want. On the other hand, at least it isn't a mini Othello? I've been dreading that since they shrank him down. I wonder if the silent auction will set a record this year? 

Woohoo!

 Good news, everyone! My Halloween blind bags have arrived! I was hoping to get the mini Thriller and mini EEK, so behold! 

Woohoo, my luck does still exist! I got both of the ones I wanted. 

I love the mini Thriller! His design matches up to the full-size one so well. Too bad I didn't get a photo of them together. 

I like the mini EEK as well, although the nitpicky side of me noticed there's not a whole lot of differentiation between the thorax and abdomen on the spider silhouettes. They're kinda mushed together. 

Many of the spiders on the original EEK have the same problem though, so at least they're consistent. 

Quality-wise, these guys are both pretty nice! I can't wait to get them on the shelves with their full-size compatriots. 

Suddenly, it's Halloween time!

Good news, readers! Breyer opened their Halloween store today! Huzzah! Here's the reveal of the sneak peek from last month, Screech:

When I wake up in the morning and the 'larm gives out a warning I don't think I'll ever make it on time...Wait, wrong Screech. He's pretty! I like that shade of blue, and the gloss makes it pop as always. Too bad I don't collect the Classic Quarter Horse Stallion. Oh well. 

Next, here's this year's Halloween blind bags! 

This year we get mini version of Thriller (on the mini Brishen, no less!), EEK! and Tabitha. I don't need the Tabitha, so I only ordered two of these. Crossing my fingers that I get the ones I want and don't have to trade! 

Lastly, here's the plush! 

The little webs are so cute! I love it. 

There's also an Arachne pin that I'm annoyed I didn't notice when the sale went live, and I don't want to make an order of just the pin, so I'm going to have to figure out what to do with that later. Also, all of this stuff qualifies for the Collector Club discount (also something I forgot about until afterward, grr), so be sure to put in the CLUBPLUS25 code for 10% off! 

Whoa! Did not see that coming.

 Well, the optional (or bonus) model for the 2022 Stablemates Club has been revealed, and...what a doozy! 

Say hello to Helios! Though with that paintjob, he should have been called Hades. I'm definitely going to have to get my hands on him! I'm not crazy about his horn for some reason - I feel like it's not differentiated from his forelock enough. But that could just be me. I'm still rather conflicted about whether I want to actually join the club, because if it turns out I don't like whatever the new mold is, that means I'll be selling off all of them except the Fjord, and waiting almost a year to buy Helios. Bleh. I suppose I should just join and get it over with. 

Speaking of getting it over with, the final release in the 2021 Premier Club is finally available to purchase! 

We have until 1/12 to purchase them, so don't feel pressed for time. I'm glad they gave us a long purchase window, so we can have a chance to recover from Christmas. 

And lastly, my Chalice is here! 

Well done, Breyer. If the Premier Club models were this quality, no one would have anything to complain about. He's pretty much flawless and the amount of detail in his paint job is incredible. He's beautifully shaded, his masking is very intricate and perfectly applied, and he even has teeny eyewhites! 

I'm happy that he came with a satin bag, as well - I wish the Stablemates Club would go back to the bags. 

Too bad we have to wait a year to see the Deluxe Collector Club Stablemate for next year. Oh well - he'll have some pretty big (or small?) shoes to fill, going by how Chalice turned out. 

Breyerfest 2022 Stablemates!

 More exciting news today, everyone! Well, first off, the Breyerfest ticket structure for next year was announced yesterday, and quickly became a radioactive subject. I'm not thrilled that the VIP tickets are returning despite the debacle of this year's shipping (if I'd been guaranteed a Pollock, only to get shipped a Dani instead and then being told "tough luck, all the Pollocks are gone" when I was GUARANTEED to get one with my ticket, I don't think I'd have stopped calling them until they painted another Pollock specifically for me. Yes, that actually happened to someone, minus the painting an extra Pollock part).   

From the blog:

VIP All-Access (VIP) Tickets - $230

Each VIP ticket will come with, or have access to, the following:

Entry to BreyerFest all three days

One (1) BreyerFest Celebration Horse Model

One (1) complete set of BreyerFest: Prost! Event Stablemates models

Pre-select and pre-purchase two (2) Special Run models

Pre-select and pre-purchase two (2) Limited Edition models

Complimentary, exclusive VIP Swag box

Access to workshops, including exclusive VIP sessions (additional fee applies)

Ability to enter BreyerFest model horse shows (additional fee applies)

Ability to enter BreyerFest contests

Complimentary KHP Parking pass, valid all three days of BreyerFest

Access to BreyerFest virtual content and shopping

Plus more!

I like how you still have to pay extra fees for the workshops and shows, 'cause nothing says VIP like still having to pay money like the rest of the plebes. I'd also expect to have free access to the lounge all weekend, though that may not be feasible if they sell 1,000 VIP tickets like they did last year. 

They also appear to have done away with children's three-day tickets, which is...definitely something. Looks like we'll all be paying through the nose for our special run tickets next year. 

Virtual tickets will not have access to the models from the special run line, but will be able to buy pretty much everything else, so I'm okay with it. 'Nuff said. I'm guessing this also means virtual ticket holders won't have access to the raffles or the live auction - also fine with me. 

In other news, the single-day (or, General Admission) Stablemates were revealed today! Behold! 

 

These are all acceptable choices, but the Alborozo just makes me groan. Give him a rest already! Plus his legs look weird. Maybe it's a sign that the mold needs a rest. I'm not into the G4 Hanoverian or the mini Clydesdale Stallion, especially with that hairdo and color (bay pangare is one of my least favorite colors), but I do like the look of that mini Emma. Must have! I suppose I'll have to grab a set and sell the extras, like usual. Though I'm hoping we get a larger version of the Emma's color. I guess we'll have to wait and see! I hope we get more exciting Breyerfest reveals soon - this is something we usually have to wait until May for, so I'm happy we get to see them now! 

Edit: Oops, I forgot last month's Collector Club newsletter was finally released today also. Sheesh, they must have been really behind for it to be this late. Collector Club members, check your email - there's nothing terribly exciting now that we've seen the silver filigree release, but there's a giveaway for a Lugh and an article about sculptor Rich Rudish, artist behind the Sham and Lady Roxana molds. I had a few Shams in my collection back in the day, though like so many others, I sold them all off for shelf space. I guess I do still have a Lugh from last year kicking around, if anyone would like to buy him. Anyways, happy reading! 

New arrivals and Breyerfest VIP Second Chance Sale!

 Greetings, readers! I know, I know, I haven't posted much lately, but there really hasn't been all that much to post about, other than my Thriller still hasn't shipped, nor has my Equidae, which irks me because I ordered them both from dealers, whereas people who ordered direct from Breyer have them in hand already. But there are a lot worse things I could be (and am) dealing with in the non-model world, so I'll leave my griping to a minimum. With all the shipping delays we've been seeing, and notices that it isn't going to let up anytime soon, I decided to order all the remaining RR items I hadn't yet purchased, because who knows when they could go out of stock and how long it'll take to get them back in stock. And who knows if they'll even do a Collector Club Appreciation sale this year with how long it's taken to get things in stock. Of those items, nothing has arrived yet except for this little beauty! 

That's right, it's the mid-year mulberry gray mini Alborozo! I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box and saw him, because I thought he was going to be a flat mulberry gray - I wasn't expecting him to be so pearly! That makes me way more excited about him than I was before. 

What a beauty, and his mane is almost painted correctly! 

And no, your eyesight isn't deceiving you - that model in the background is in fact...

...the Gold Pollock, which I obtained for a price I'll probably still cringe at later - but less cringeworthy than any others I've seen since this whole thing started. He's a beauty too, though I think I prefer the original, honestly - the rainbow spots are too subtle, and when you get him up close they're slightly transparent! It would be interesting to see how this one was painted. 

Yes, those are a Caliente and a glossy leopard Slainte Surprise also in the background, but this post is getting too long already, so suffice it to say I went on a Best Offer spree on eBay and came out the other side a victor...well, sort of. Those new sales taxes hit hard! 

And finally, I also have a photo of my Old Glory, which came a few weeks ago: 

I'd ordered one from a dealer back in April, only to have my order pushed back to September because I didn't get it in fast enough. So I twiddled my thumbs for months waiting, only to see them come in stock on Amazon and with free shipping to boot. So finally I canceled my dealer order and got one from Amazon two days later. Interestingly enough, his silver markings are decals laid over the glossy clearware, as I discovered when I noticed a little piece of masking still on the edge of one of the stars and it peeled right off. Which...leaves me with an insatiable temptation to just peel them all off. NO! Must resist! 

So anyway, Old Glory did finally join my herd - a few weeks later than I'd hoped. 

Lastly for this post, the Breyerfest VIP Second Chance sale has finally been announced! From the email:

We’re excited to be able to offer our BreyerFest VIP guests the first chance to get some more of the exciting Special Runs, Limited Editions, and merchandise from BreyerFest: Horse of a Different Color! Mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 28th! The 2nd Chance Sale is scheduled to open on or around 11:00 am EDT.

Here’s your chance to add that model you wish you grabbed during BreyerFest weekend! You can purchase one Special Run model from the available ones shown on the collection page. Additionally, there are Limited Edition models as well as Horse of a Different Color merchandise available for purchase.

I'm resisting the urge to complain a lot here, but...one whole model? Really? Usually they let us get two when in-person and in the previous leftover sales...so, bleh. So much for getting one of the runs of 200 I still need. Taking the photo in the email at face value, there aren't any Pollock, Uffington or Knossos models left, so I'll have to decide what's the better gamble - Ansel, to try to get a blue one, or Seurat for a glossy? I won't even bother with a Seven Arts since I only need two of those from 10 possibilities. I wish we could at least get two models. 

But I'll stop my complaining for now and hope I can at least log on at 11am EST on Tuesday to get something.  Let's hope my other orders and Halloween items get here soon! 

I hope they increase the piece count for this one...

 Good news, everyone! The 2021 Collector Club is open for membership...and check out the first special run for 2021! Oh, boy...

Hamilton in glossy black? Sign me up! I really hope they do preorders for this one, or at least increase the piece count, because he's going to sell out FAST! I wonder what his name is? Here's another photo that shows his dapples:

And here's the Stablemate for the Deluxe club that I talked about yesterday! 

He is definitely a mini version of last year's Alborozo auction model! 

Looks like I'll be joining the Deluxe club next year! Just when I was hoping they'd give Mini Alborozo a break. Well, maybe this means they'll be doing even more Stablemate versions of Trad paintjobs, eh? I hope so! 

 

Valerio is finally available!

 Attention, Stablemates Club members! The moment you've been waiting for has finally arrived - Valerio, this year's gambler's choice model, is now available for purchase! 

I'm most partial to the bay appaloosa, but in all honesty - I have 3 of them coming here, so as long as I don't get any duplicate colors I'll be happy. Let's hope they ship fast! And let's also hope they give the poor Stablemate Alborozo mold a rest for a while after this. Sheesh, it's like they're trying to make up for destroying the Trad mold or something! 

Also, his name makes me think of gasoline, probably because it's so close to Valero. Oh well. 

Sigh...

The gambler's choice model for the 2020 Stablemates Club has finally been revealed...and it's the Alborozo, named Valerio. Here's the first color:



Looks a lot like Allegro, honestly. I think I like him the best. Here's another:



Looks like rose gray is the new hot color, after black and buckskin. I think I'd like him better if he matched the rose gray Hero's Welcome or the new Dundee for 2020, but he's still nice!

This one reminds me of Areia or Arya, although their color was a little lighter. I wonder if his mane and tail will be pearly, or if it's just shiny from the gloss?



I'm oddly ambivalent about this one - maybe I'll like it better if I see it in person? I hope so.

Well, looks like I'll need to activate all three of our memberships next year. Anyone want to buy my extras? Not of the Alborozos, natch, but everything else...

2020 Stablemates Club is now open for membership, and we have the outlines!

Exciting news today - the 2020 Stablemates Club is finally open to join! And Breyer graciously showed us the silhouettes of next year's molds!



I wonder if they'll fill in one of the silhouettes each week or something? I'm interested to see what that Alborozo will be? I really, really hope he isn't the gambler's choice, though...hopefully it's the Cob so I don't have to bother with it. I won't need him or the G1 Arabian Stallion, but I have to have that Darwin! I'm excited to see what the G2 Warmblood looks like too. Hopefully they aren't too stingy with the details!

Mira and Antares, and a Christmas miracle!

Exciting news, everyone! The unicorn mare and foal set I posted about last week is now available to order! Say hello to Mira and Antares!



My holiday catalog from Breyer did come yesterday, but I didn't have time to post the picture of this set. Speaking of which, the catalog also featured this bay Haflinger I also posted about last week - A Pony For Christmas:

I didn't buy him, but I did snag the mare and foal set as soon as I could. This time I remembered to try to use the collector club discount code (no luck there), but they do qualify for the free shipping, so at least there's that (at least, the mare and foal did - I don't know if the pony does).

In other news, my constellation unicorns arrived today, and....it's a genuine Christmas miracle! Behold:



I got all four! Woohoo! I was expecting I'd probably get four of the Clydesdale, but fortunately that didn't happen! Yay!

I'm still not forgiving Breyer for the sea of blind bags (and the sea of trash it produces), but this at least helps.

That's all I have for today - I'm hoping we find out the 2020 releases and the optional model for the 2020 Vintage Club soon, though.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...

It's another day in Breyerland, and we all know what that means - more blind bags!

Oh, joy. What do we get to try our luck on this time?

Well, they didn't get me with the Halloween blind bags, but they done got me with these unicorns on the mini Alborozo (again), the G2 Clydesdale (again), Magnolia (again) and the new Warmblood Mare (again). And all for $25 a pop? What a bargain! Or not...

Unfortunately, I was a dumb idiot and ordered four of them, because I'm a glutton for punishment. At least the shipping was free? I hate to complain here, since I hate all the complaining in this hobby in general, but there are at least three things to be angry about here.

First - USE SOME NEW MOLDS, for Pete's sake. This is the tenth new release for the mini Alborozo in the less than two years he's been available as a Stablemate, and I feel sorry for anyone collecting mini Magnolia - it's the twelfth release for her in the same time period! And we're tired of seeing the G2 Clydesdale as a unicorn - give them a rest already. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say there are dozens of Stablemate molds that haven't been given the unicorn treatment - use them! Or just stop making unicorns altogether if you'd rather do that (but don't do that, I still love unicorns in general)!

Second, are these really worth $25 each? The Fairytale Friends club releases might be worth that much, if you include the cost of the new Mini Whinny molds, but I'm not sure the paint job on these is worth the money. And then we're supposed to be happy that they at least qualify for free shipping?

Third, can we please stop with the blind-bag-everything Breyer is so high on lately? I'm seriously considering calling them tomorrow and canceling my order, because honestly? The only way they're going to stop is if we vote with our wallets and refuse to keep enabling these business practices. I've already decided I'm not going to bother with the regular run blind bag Stablemates next year, if there are any new ones, because I want to be able to just buy what I want without ending up with extras of everything or not getting the ones I do want. It's exploitative, a waste of money, and in the end it's just greedy of Breyer, and I'm tired of it. The randomly shipped/gambler's choice/blind bag conundrum has infiltrated pretty much everything Breyer does (the Christmas Day releases, the Breyerfest surprises, the Vintage Club, so many Collector Club releases of the last few years, the glossy/matte or braided/unbraided Premier Club releases), I wouldn't be surprised if they try to convert everything to that model just to further their business. No thanks.

That rant ended up being a lot longer than I intended it to be, but I think it needed to be said. I don't know if I'll actually cancel my order or not, but the whole thing is just making me angry. If (when) there are more blind bag releases in the future, let's hope I can't get fooled again...

Walmart Mystery Unicorns Series 2 are here!

Good news, everyone! My husband found a box of the new Series 2 mystery unicorns at Walmart yesterday! Check them out!



I even got the chase piece! I've noticed I don't seem to have much trouble getting the chase pieces I don't want. Now, the ones I do want? Never in a million years. But I digress. Here's a closer photo of the chase!




I really do like the color on her - she looks like rainbow sherbet. Mmm! Unfortunately, something went wrong during the QC process (or perhaps the long boat ride from China):



Boo, a bent leg! Hopefully it's an easy fix for whoever I end up selling her to. The quality on the other models was about what I expected - they seem to be able to do a good job on the body color on these, but then they get lazy with the hoof colors and it ends up slopped onto the fetlocks (or higher in some cases). Bleh.

Here's a quick look at the Warmblood Mare next to her:



I LOVE this color! That pink/purple/blue color scheme is definitely hot right now in certain circles - probably due to the Frozen movie's popularity, or it's just big with the kids in general. Remember St. Moritz from a couple years back? More of that, please.

I'm definitely really pleased with the colors they picked for this go-round. One of my central complaints in the past is that Breyer keeps on painting all the unicorns white, or something mostly-white in general, so I'm glad they really got away from that with this run. More colors, please! And more molds, for that matter...aside from the Walking Thoroughbred and the Warmblood Mare in this assortment, I think the other molds have been pretty well played out for blind bags in general and unicorns in particular. Let's see some more variety!

Also, I had hoped some of these colors would be inspired by the Classic Zodiac series from a while back, like a couple of the colors in the first Walmart unicorn set, but it doesn't appear that they were, other than possibly the Arabian (Aries?) and maybe the Alborozo (Scorpio? Maybe? It's probably a reach). I only have one of the Zodiacs in my collection, so it would be nice to see more of those colors get reused.

That's all I have for today - tune in tomorrow (hopefully) for discussion of the 2019 Retired List!

New Arrivals: Mini Nazruddin, Mini Brass Hat, Mini All Glory and Sarge!

This post marks the last of the New Arrivals! Whew, that took longer than I expected. Well, on with the show; let's take a look at Mini Nazruddin!



I was excited to see Darley get used for something, after his lukewarm reception at the end of last year. He looks good as a Marwari - or as close to one as Breyer can get without actually bending his ears (at least, to my eyes). He even has a bit of a semigloss look going on! I don't think the Trad Nazruddin had that, but it's a nice touch on this guy - and he has eyewhites, instead of the black splotches on Pecos. Interesting how each model differs in execution.

Next, here's the mini Brass Hat!



I'd thought the mini Brass Hat models would have that hint of blue interference in the paint the way the Trads did, considering Breyer's attention to detail with these mini-mes, but I guess it wasn't to be. He looks nice, though - but the mold looks like it could stand to be a tiny bit bigger. He's a bit smaller than other Stablemates molds, proportion-wise - or maybe it just looks like he is, since he has so much more detail than the older Stablemates like the G2s. Either way, though, he looks nice in bay!

Next, let's take a look at Mini All Glory!



See what I mean? The G2 Morgan looks positively blobby compared to mini Brass Hat. I don't know what Breyer is doing to make their new molds so small (trying to save on plastic?) but it's getting more and more noticeable. Mini All Glory looks good, though; I don't have the Trad version of him, though, so I can't really compare the two.

Lastly, here's Sarge!



Sorry for the blurry photo yet again. Now, there have been reports that some of the Sarges had unicorn horns, but I'm sad to say mine wasn't one of the horned ones. We haven't heard anything from Breyer as to how many unicorn Sarges there are; maybe someone could ask Stephanie about it next year. I'm sure it probably happened on purpose, but maybe not - wouldn't they have announced the quantity of the unicorns if that were the case? Oh well. He does look good in color-shift paint, if a bit similar to the blue unicorn chase piece at first glance. Maybe someday I'll find one at our local Cracker Barrel so I can do a comparison!

So, those are all my new additions from this year's Breyerfest. Not pictured: Nobel II, Koh-i-Noor, the copper chase Django, glossy Mr. Chips and a customized nail polish Stablemate Alborozo. That's a lot of new models! And I have to figure out how I'm going to fit them all on my shelves...just as soon as I can get my photo tent set back up so I can photograph them all. I had to move it to clear some space in the house and it's currently buried under a bunch of empty boxes I haven't gotten rid of yet. Someday I'll get that set up! In the meantime, I'll go back to waiting for Hamilton, and the next Stablemate Club release, and whatever else Breyer has cooked up for us...

Dazzle (and "Razzle") are here, plus Hero's Welcome breakdown!

Exciting news, everyone! The first release of the Fairytale Friends Club (though I call it the Glitter Unicorn Club around here), Dazzle, arrived today! There's no official name listed for the Mini Whinny, but I've seen people on the Internets naming theirs Razzle. If I were planning on keeping mine, I'd probably name it that. As is, though, he'll be going to the sale pile.

Anyway, let's take a look at Dazzle!



I have to say, I like the lighter area on his back/hindquarters. I was expecting him to just be flat pink, so that was a nice surprise. Still not crazy about the glitter, though.



His quality is decent, but for this price point I'd have liked the front hoof paint to not be splattered halfway to the horse's ankles. Sheesh. The mane is really sloppy on the left side, too.



I'd have liked more detail to the eyes than "black dot" too, honestly.

I hope I'm not complaining too much, but this set cost $20, and the models are barely painted better than $4 blind bags at Walmart. Let's hope the next set is better.

Next, let's take a look at Razzle:

He's cute - I love his little horn! But I've never been a fan of Firebird, and since he's made of that rubbery plastic, his legs warped and he doesn't stand up. You know, in retrospect, I don't really know if including the Mini Whinnies was a good idea, especially if more of them have issues with standing. I've seen photos of warped horns on this guy, too - I think it's just too small.

Lastly, here's the satin pouch they came in!

I do like the pouch! It's a pretty color and I've always liked the pouches. Now if the Stablemate Club could go back to using them...

Well, enough of that. Let's talk about the numbers breakdown on the Hero's Welcome models! They finally released the numbers on the blog today.

Dark Dapple Grey: 1000 Matte, 200 Glossy

Chestnut Pinto: 850 Matte, 200 Glossy

Dappled Pearl: 650 Matte, 200 Glossy

Rose Grey: 520 Matte, 200 Glossy

Decorator: 400 Glossy

Pearly Black Leopard Appaloosa: 30 Matte

So all of the decorators were glossy? I could have sworn mine was matte. Oh well! He was the second rarest of the bunch, so I'm glad I got one. And I was surprised that there were more of the chestnut pinto than the pearl (previously referred to as the champagne); it seemed like the chestnut pinto was more desirable than any of the other colors other than the rose gray. I'm not surprised that the numbers on the dapple gray were so high, since it seems like everyone and their dog was trying to unload them at the Clarion and afterward. I'm just glad I was able to trade for the chestnut pinto and the rose gray, since I doubt I'd be able to make the same trades now that the numbers were out.

All in all, though, the surprise colors were really great this year, as usual. I can't wait to see what Sommer designs for us next year! 

Dazzle is now available!

Exciting news - the first release in the Fairytale Friends Club, Dazzle, is now available for purchase!

I'm excited to see Dazzle in person - maybe his mane and tail will be less, uh, encrusted? He looks like he's covered in glittery barnacles. Like a disco version of ol' Bootstrap Bill or something. Hopefully he and his mini-me don't take too long to get here, although I'm less excited about the mini-me. Thankfully, at least he's small enough to fit on my post-Breyerfest sales pile.

Aye aye, Sarge

The solution to yesterday's model hint has been revealed, and sure enough, it's a mini Alborozo! Say hello to Sarge!

I like this one a lot! It doesn't look like he has any detail to his eyes, though, which seems a little lazy - but I can deal with it. It's been a while since we got something with color-shift paint, and I'm not going to complain (much).

Hopefully they make plenty of these guys to go around, because I'm sure he'll be a popular one!