Moonbeam is now available!

Attention to Fairytale Friends Club (or as I like to call it, the Glitter Unicorn Club) members! Moonbeam, the fourth release in the club, is now available for purchase!



I really like the color on these, but the G3 Arabian is too cartoony for me, and I've never been a fan of the Rising Sun resin, so I'll have to pass. And hopefully they'll do some slightly more complicated paint jobs for these (with less glitter) when the next year of the club debuts.

We have a sneak peek!

I'm a bit late with this, but we got our first Breyerfest sneak peek on the blog yesterday! Check it out:



What could it be? The general consensus on the Internets is that it's Othello, or possibly Brishen. I'm thinking Brishen myself, if only because it seems odd they'd use Othello when Brishen is right there and has never been used in the special run line or had a release in gray pinto. Othello was done in a (lighter) gray pinto for the Treasure Hunt back in 2010. I mean, I'd still buy it, but Brishen seems like a more logical choice. Plus, we know they've used the Brishen mold in a production run recently, since he was one of last year's Tractor Supply special runs. So, my guess is Brishen. I guess we'll find out soon!

Featured Model - 1/18/20, Times Square

Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model from my collection, give stats on it and provide commentary about it. Since we're still pretty early in the new year, I thought it would be fitting to talk about something New Year-themed! So...this week's model is Times Square!



This striking model was a special run for Breyerfest 2007. He's item #711037 and is a run of 1,250 on the Ethereal mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody.

This guy's design is certainly inspired - the visual of fireworks going off in the night works pretty well on him, I think. It doesn't hurt that he's glossy, of course! I'm not quite sure why his mane and tail have that gold tint, though - I suppose for dramatic effect or something. I know Ethereal has his detractors, but he's always appealed to me - I can see where his legs look bigger than they should be compared to the rest of his body, and his poofy muscles are admittedly odd-looking, but that's just part of Kathleen's style.

Ethereal has only appeared as a decorator a couple of times (more if you count auction models), so it might be fitting for him to show up at Breyerfest this year as a Celtic-themed decorator. He hasn't had any new releases lately other than the Calavera for Halloween a couple of years ago, so he's definitely overdue. I suppose he's always had a bit of an erratic release schedule - he (or part of him) technically premiered in an issue of JAH three whole years before Conquistador finally appeared on the scene, so I suppose it makes sense if he has a lot of gaps in his production schedule. Still, I'd like to see a new color on him soon! Maybe he'll be a web special? I hope so!

Breyerfest 2020 Predictions

Wow, I guess I'm getting an early start on Breyerfest predictions this year. Well, when you're plowing through the winter doldrums (and snow), you have to liven things up somehow. So let's get cracking! I did do some copy/pasting from my old predictions posts here, so if anything looks familiar, that's probably why.

I'm not terribly good at predicting things in advance, especially since Breyer likes to play fast and loose with their "themes." But I'll give it my best shot!

While none of this year's eight releases for the special run line have been revealed, it's safe to assume there'll  be at least one or two Premier Club molds in the mix. It's glaringly obvious that Rhian and Cadell, the Welsh mare and foal set from last year, will appear. Georg will probably appear as well - but not Hamilton, since the rumor is he'll appear as one of the store specials. We can definitely count on not seeing any molds used in the last two years, so that knocks  Flash, the Elk, Smarty Jones, Ruffian, Duende, Carina and Selene, the Proud Arabian Mare, Lonesome Glory, Emerson, Weather Girl, the St. Bernard, the American Saddlebred Stallion, the Moody Andalusian, Roxy, Smart Chic Olena and the Clydesdale Mare out of contention.

If Rhian and Cadell are used, they'll fulfill the mare and foal set that usually - but not always - appears at Breyerfest, so I won't speculate much about that.

I'm guessing the decorator will be something green with shamrocks or Celtic motifs. Maybe on Ethereal? He hasn't been used at Breyerfest since 2011, so it's possible.

As for the animal mold, the prevailing thought online is that it'll be some kind of bull, which I'd agree with - I don't know if any of Breyer's other animal molds would really fit the theme - not that Breyer really adheres to it that much. Or possibly a deer family? It doesn't seem likely, but you never know.

So that's four of the eight. What else? I'm ruling out Brishen for the special run line, since I already predicted Georg and I don't think we'd see two draft models. We still need a vintage mold, though - maybe the Jumping Horse, as some kind of Irish Thoroughbred? Or possibly the Cantering Welsh Pony. Seems weak, but nothing else is really coming to mind. What more recent molds might appear? Possibly Idocus? There's not a whole lot to choose from that fits the theme - not that Breyer cares, since they can just do whatever mold they want and give it some vaguely-Celtic name afterward. Not that I'm bitter or anything. I think I'll throw Big Ben in there just for kicks.

All that leaves us is the surprise model. Here's a list of previous surprises:

2009 - Quarter Horse Gelding
2010 - none
2011 - Ethereal
2012 - Flash
2013 - Roxy
2014 - Nokota
2015 - Lonesome Glory
2016 - Esprit
2017 - Latigo
2018 - Smarty Jones
2019 - Moody Andalusian

The surprise model is usually something that appeared in the live auction the previous year, but Breyer broke this streak last year  by using the Moody Andalusian. Will they go back to the formula this year? Maybe they realized we figured it out, so they had to go in a different direction. I guess I'll just try to pull something from the auction models as usual.

After taking a quick look at the 2019 auction models, I definitely think Croi is at the top of the list. She's popular, but not enough to cause fistfights in the special run line like a lot of newer molds, Othello or Silver. Other contenders include Bobby Jo, Ruffian, Goffert and maybe Totilas - wow, a short list this year. So that's why I'm thinking Croi, since there isn't a whole lot to choose from. Or maybe Brishen? Personally I hope it's Croi, since I wouldn't need any of them.

Here's a recap of what I have so far:

Rhian and Cadell
Georg
Ethereal
A bull (Charolais?)
Cantering Welsh Pony
Idocus
Big Ben
Croi for the surprise

I don't even want to venture a guess as to what color any of them will be, except for the aforementioned green and Celtic for the decorator and the usual surprise formula of solid, pinto, another pinto, Appaloosa, maybe a decorator.

So, that's all I have for today - hopefully they don't make us wait too long for another reveal. Otherwise, it's going to be a long, cold, boring winter!

Seattle Soiree entries are out!

Check your email accounts, Collector Club members - the selections for Seattle Soiree tickets went out today. If you didn't get an email, check your collector club account home and/or do a search for "Seattle Soiree" on the website - if you were picked, you'll be able to purchase tickets even if you didn't get an email.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we were chosen on this round, but I'll hold on to hope that we'll be drawn from the waitlist. I'm still kicking myself for not finding a way to attend the Sunshine Celebration in Florida back in 2011 after I was drawn from the waitlist for it but couldn't afford it at the time. So there's still hope for the waitlist! That should go out on Monday, so I'll be crossing my fingers (and frantically checking our accounts again).

Volunteer applications and Walmart unicorns and blind bags, oh my!

I'm a little late with this one, but as of January 10, Breyerfest volunteer applications can be submitted to Robin Briscoe! Find the application here. Hmm, they used that same volunteer photo (with me in it) they did for the webpage last year - interesting. I haven't decided if I'm going to apply this year or not - it all depends on whether my mom is feeling up to watching both of the kids while we're gone, so we don't need to bring either of them with us...I guess we'll have to get that decided by February 29, because that's the application deadline. Good luck if you do apply! I always have a lot of fun volunteering (although it can be exhausting and sweaty, I won't lie).

In other news, there are more blind bag Stablemate unicorns at Walmart again, featuring the same tired molds as before. Yawn...but there is a light blue Greyson that is definitely calling my name, and would probably look good next to the purple/blue Warmblood from the last series. The other colors are a gold Alborozo, pink/white Magnolia, eye-burningly yellow-green Magnolia, purple/white G2 Clydesdale and an as-yet-unknown chase piece. I'll have to send my husband to prowl Walmart again, I guess....

Featured Model - 1/11/2019, Lonesome Glory Akhal-Teke

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...the Akhal-Teke on Lonesome Glory!



This handsome guy is item #1282 and was the 2007 Limited Edition. IDYB doesn't say how many were made, but I'd guess around 3,000? Either way, he's one you don't really see too often for sale anymore. He was issued on the popular Lonesome Glory mold sculpted by Sue Sifton.

As far as I know, this model has been the only time Breyer attempted to do an Akhal-Teke model, aside from the new Altynai model for this year - Lonesome Glory only bears a passing resemblance to a real Akhal-Teke, but he was the closest they had. Real Tekes can be a bit weird-looking compared to other horses, so their "look" can take a little getting used to, but once you get past that, I find them just as pretty to look at as almost any other horse (and that extra-shiny coat definitely doesn't hurt). So that explains why this guy is so shiny - though they probably should have just made the whole run glossy and called it a day instead of only glossing 31 of them for Breyerfest that year. But that's just my two cents!

Lonesome Glory is still a fairly popular mold - his special run at Breyerfest 2018, By a Nose, was definitely the hot item that year - and 2019 marked the first time he was used as a web special, for the giraffe Nadifa release. Where will we see him next? Maybe as an auction model at this year's Breyerfest? I don't see him being used again for something more attainable, because he was used so recently already, but you never know. Maybe he'll get a new mid-year release? I hope so! He needs to be used more often.