And something new – the Geronimo in an Aged Gray, named Jacy:
(FYI: Neither one is technically available, yet. They are just on the TSC web site to get us all stirred up, obviously.)
Hobbyists tend to forget that the model-horse-buying public consists of more than just active hobbyists, and what the rest of the world likes and what we like rarely align.
Lakota is clearly designed with the rest of the model-horse-buying public in mind.
I see two big markets for Lakota. The first: someone who might feel nostalgic for the less sophisticated Breyers of their youth – he might not be popular now, but the original #89 Black Beauty had a pretty respectable ten-year run through most of the 1980s. The second: someone (young or old) who just wants a pretty palomino horse to gallop on their shelves, and for whom strict realism or accuracy is not that big a thing.
Jacy is a little more tailored to the active hobbyist market: a new mold fresh off a moderately well-received BreyerFest release, in a modest and realistic color. (The other widely available Geronimo is the Patinated Copper Decorator Bandera – an acquired taste, no disagreement there.)
If I were to buy one – this Fall is looking to be a bit of an expensive one for me, so the TSC SRs are a definitely not a priority here – the Lakota would get the nod. It’s not that I’m necessarily a huge fan of the mold (who is the very definition of a shelf hog) but the color looks lovely on him.
Like one of the 2010 Tractor Supply Specials – Templeton Thompson’s Jane, a solid Chestnut on the Stock Horse Mare mold – I fear I may be smitten once I see him. Darn it, Tractor Supply, why do you have to be right next door to the local Salvation Army store....
4 comments:
I personally have never understood why the model horse hobby perceives the Black Beauty mold as "unrealistic", because I can certainly vouch for the fact that cross-cantering or flying changes of lead occur VERY often in live horses. That we would rather it didn't (unless being produced on human cue) has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not it occurs.
Jacy looks mottled in that photo. It could just be jpeg artifacts, but it would be nice if he did have some color/shade variations in his coat, instead of just flat bare plastic.
I'll be buying one either way.
Geronimo has grown on me since picking up a glossy saffron at breyerfest who is showing great as an Australian stock horse. I preordered Jacy for in store pickup at my local TSC yesterday. I like the palomino color on black beauty but shelf space says I can only chose one.
Love your blog.
I wish that palomino color were on the Geronimo mold! Beautiful color and looks dappled to boot. My main peeve with Black Beauty is that he never seems to stand well. I don't care if he's cross cantering. I just want him to stand and not be a danger to himself and others.
I don't know about the grey. I haven't bought a Geronimo yet and I would like to get one, but the color looks sort of plain. And I love greys so that's sort of unusual for me. I guess I would like to have dapples on him too!
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