Not a great weekend, but I did get most of the quilt batt stuff sorted out and a very preliminary showstring put together. Just a few additions, a few subtractions, and nothing fancy-fancy or exotic: as much fun as it is, I don’t have time for the documentation that would involve.
Plus I found out last week that we’re all on mandatory overtime at work for the time being, which means it’s not even a matter of finding the time. There is no extra time to be had!
I did have a few moments over the weekend to open up a few packages that have arrived over the past several weeks (don’t get me started!), including an extremely affordable Blue Christmas Zebra!
I don’t have the complete set yet, because (as I hope you all know by now) I am a very patient cheapskate. Because the Coal is completely off the table for obvious reasons, all I need now are the Green and the Gold. (I know he is not perfect, but neither am I, so it all works out.)
(I’d like a Cave of Lascaux, too, but I’m not holding my breath on that one either.)
Another recent arrival was a little more pricey, but it was about that time of year for me to buy my one really expensive thing, and this was it:
Although the #971 Horned Hereford Bull was manufactured in Woodgrain through 1964, he is not particularly easy to find. I suspect that his production run numbers were low because the rough texture of his coat made him difficult to paint; the only other Breyer model with a similarly bumpy surface that made it into Regular Run production was the Large Poodle, who ran – probably not coincidentally! – the same years as the Bull.
Other models with textured surfaces that eventually came out in Woodgrain – including the Polled Hereford Bull, the Buffalo, the Elephant and the Donkey – were all likely Special Run items of extremely limited quantities.
(I’m not 100 percent sure on the Elephant, but let’s not get into that discussion today.)
The Poodle is slightly easier to find, and cheaper too, but that’s because there are fewer Breyer Dog collectors than there are Bull collectors. And those Bull collectors are why I’ll probably never be able to complete my Walking Horned Hereford collection: there ain’t no way I am ever paying $1500 for a Bunyan, full stop…
3 comments:
I managed to get my Woodgrain Hereford at an auction for $25! Along with a Woodgrain Sheltalnd Pony for $35. I saw an auction bill that had a curio cabinet and in the very bottom of the cabinet I saw his head and horns. I took an chance and drove 3 hours to get him! (OK, it cost me more than $25 in time and fuel, but those things don't count!) Glad you were able to add one to your collection!
I'm glad to get the confirmation that a woodgrain Buffalo is something I shouldn't be looking for, despite conga-ing him to the tune of a dozen so far. I'm very happy with what I've got.
What is this mythical woodgrain donkey of which you speak?
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