My only concern is that at the pace they are going through material, I might find myself either the subject or illustration to a post. The latter is much more likely than the former, since I’ve actually found pictures of myself on their web site multiple times. (They have more pictures of me than my family does, I think!)
But anyway, back to the Dally and Spanky set:
I have mixed feelings about it: I’m glad the Merrylegs mold is not being used for this – that mold’s tippy ways vex me so! – but I’m not sure I am up for another Matte Bay Shetland Pony, either. It is significantly different than the original #23 Bay release, though. From the 1973 Collector’s Manual:
The Matte Bay Shetland Pony is one of the most common and ubiquitous of Breyer releases, having been in production from 1973 through 1988. Everyone has one, or has had one at some point.
I’ve had several, though none of them have “stuck”: like the Palomino Western Prancing Horse, I just haven’t found the right one yet.
Even though she’s probably the most common Shetland Pony release ever, the Matte Bay was a relative latecomer: the mold itself debuted ca. 1959/1960, in Gloss Alabaster, Gloss Black Pinto, Gloss Brown/Palomino Pinto, and possibly Gray Appaloosa (either as an obscure Special Run, or an extremely short or cancelled Production Run like the Buckskin Running Mare and Foal).
Gloss Bay was a vital part of the Breyer color repertoire in the early 1960s, so it is a bit of a mystery why we never saw a Gloss Bay Shetland Pony. It might have been proposed, but for whatever reason they decided against it producing it.
Not flashy enough? Lukewarm response from the sales reps? Dunno.
The #23 Bay was in production long enough to generate a number of unique variations: Chalky is the best-known, but it also came in a Solid/No Bald Face variation, a four stocking variation, and in every color in the Bay rainbow from light reddish to dark bay-brown.
There was a really pretty bright Red Bay variation on eBay that had been tempting me for a few weeks, until someone else (whew!) bought her.
3 comments:
And the matte bay Shetland also came in a light sandy bay that is almost buckskin. That's the color of my example, purchased in 1977.
I have to admit that I love this. I've gotten overwhelmed with the number and flashiness of BF SR's and have mostly given up interest in them, but I am definitely going to try to get this one.
I'm also, apparently, way behind on my #23 variants. I have a very nice but very standard late-run bay (I think I got her in 1987). #23's are easy to find, but #23's *in good condition*, like palomino FAS's, are getting rarer and rarer. We took all those long-production-run models for granted.
Unrelated, but have you seen the woodgrain in-between mare that popped up on eBay??? She's going crazy high! Very exciting! The seller doesn't seem like a collector, what a fantastic surprise they must have had when those high bids kept coming so soon in the auction!
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