Java is here!

Exciting news today - my Java has arrived! Behold:

I love this guy, in all his bronzed goodness! Definitely one of the better entries in the Big Cats series.

And the only thing he has wrong with him is his right eye color goes down onto his lower eyelid slightly. Certainly not anywhere close to being a dealbreaker!



He's definitely a keeper! I wonder, have we ever heard who designed the models for this series? Whoever it is deserves a medal for this guy - he's gorgeous! All in all, I'm glad I was able to purchase this guy (even if I wasn't drawn for him), and I hope any future entries in the Big Cats series are this nice!

Featured Model - 9/23/2017, Enchante

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...Enchante!



This model, item #711221, was a Breyerfest special run in 2015. He was a run of 1500 and was produced on the Totilas mold sculpted by Brigitte Eberl.

I really like this model's color - that shaded bay with high white stockings looks really snazzy on him. I am less enamored of the yellow on his legs - I remember that being a mild controversy when they first came out, because the prototype photo didn't have those yellow legs. Fortunately, the one I got is fairly mild in the yellow-leg department - some of the ones I saw were just terrible.

As for the mold itself, I like his face and head, and of course he has a very dynamic trot. Maybe not the most correct trot, but that's what the real Totilas was known for. I wouldn't say he's my favorite mold in the collection, but he definitely has his place (all three of the ones I own...well, four if you count this year's Holiday Horse, which is hidden somewhere in our apartment awaiting Christmas). I'd love to own a Bluebird or a Zydeco, or a glossy Totilas - maybe someday I'll find them. In the meantime, I'll have to be happy with the three I have.

Since he's being used as this year's Holiday Horse, I don't expect to see the mold trotted out again this year, but you never know - he might be this year's silver filigree release (though I doubt it; my money's on Shannondell or Yasmin for that). But maybe we'll see him used for something exciting next year? We'll have to wait and see.

New Halloween Classic - Goblin!

Well well, just when I thought I wouldn't have anything else to write about this week...



...A new Halloween Classic! Oooh. She looks interesting. Those goblins are more cutesy than spoopy spooky, though. Actually, they kind of make me think of that "AHH! Real Monsters!" TV show that used to be on Nickelodeon back in the day.

It's cool that she glows in the dark, though - with that large of a glow area, I bet she'll glow bright! Definitely an instant purchase for me. I like her purple highlights, too - at least, it looks like she has purple highlights. And it's a mold I collect, so I don't need an excuse to buy it!

The eyes look a little odd, though - hopefully she gets here fast so I can look at her a little closer. She looks like she has cataracts or something, but maybe it's just a trick of the light or something.

Either way, I'm excited to see what this one looks like! Get her here - she's available to Collector Club members first, then the rest of the general public.

Duende is finally available!

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the second Premier Club release of the year is now available to order! Meet Duende!

I really hope this guy looks good in person...I'm still slightly iffy about him, but hopefully he looks stunning.



It seems these photos are still of the resin version - it would have been nice to get some pictures of one of the finished plastic pieces. I really hope the mold didn't get squished in the moldmaking process! Let's hope the plastic version is just as nice as the resin. No idea when mine will arrive, though - probably next week sometime.

Thanks for the heads-up, I guess?

So Breyer posted today that Duende will be available for purchase...tomorrow? Okay then... We don't usually get oddly specific notifications like that. Why not just wait until tomorrow? I suppose doing it this way lets people scramble to find funds slightly ahead of time instead of on the day of, but...it just seems weird.



So is this photo the finished plastic version of the horse? His hooves look a little goofy, but maybe it's just the lighting. I suppose we'll find out in a week or so! Can't wait to order mine.

Java selections are out!

So check your inboxes! Nothing here, sadly. I suppose I should have expected it - we got incredibly lucky and managed to get drawn for 3/4 of the America the Beautiful releases (didn't enter for Wailua). I hope everyone who wanted one got drawn! Fortunately, I found one for not too much of a markup from a kind Blabber, so hopefully he gets here soon!

Featured Model - 9/16/2017, Caves of Lascaux

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...Caves of Lascaux!

This model is item #711228, and was produced as one of the pop-up tent models for Breyerfest 2015. She was done on the Zebra mold sculpted by Kristina Lucas Francis, and was a run of 650.

At first I was lukewarm about this model, since this is only the second time it was used for any type of wide release since its original release as the Damara Zebra in 2000. But eventually I decided I liked her face, and the cave drawings were unique. So, husband was dispatched to get me one from the pop-up line, as I was busy volunteering, and I haven't regretted buying her since!

I really like the combination of the model's color plus the colors in the cave drawings - not that they're really that different from each other, but they set each other off nicely. And like I said, I like her head/face - she looks good in that primitive dun color.

This is one of the molds I wish Breyer would use more often - it's been long enough since the original Zebra was retired that they could easily do another one, or they could use it as a wild ass, or Zebra cross or something. However, my favorite thing about this mold is that it gave us one of my favorite auction models to date - the Fruit Stripe Zebra! If only it would come up for sale, so I could try to buy it! I'll have to keep my fingers crossed!