Letting It Be

The waitlist is also now apparently out – I say apparently, because well, you know.

So now I’ll put the entire affair in a box, stick that box in the closet, and move on; this is a rare situation where my limited access to the Internet is probably a blessing.

You know what I’m gonna do now? Unbox a few more things! 

I have a lot of things that need to be unboxed. If you saw what my office currently looks like, you’d understand. If you saw what my tomato seedlings look like, you’d understand.

(I think maybe a half dozen might make it? The pepper plants look great, though I’m not sure how or why. Best to stop fussing over it and just let whatever happens, happen.)

Anyway, here’s the La Molina and Masella:

I was ambivalent about this set initially, because Benasque is clearly not going to happen ever, but now I’m hoping that another Electric Blue Filigree release can step in and be Masella’s stepdad. Something more affordable and attainable, I hope.

Next up – my Nonoma!

Aside from the Brighty, I think Nonoma is my favorite Vintage Club release this year. Man, when I was 12, the Foundation Stallion was absolutely the bomb-diggity, and even now I find myself wanting to collect them all – all the variations of the Azteca, the original Indian Pony releases, throw in a vintage Marney Test or two somewhere, too…

I have no idea what the distribution pattern/quantity/desirability of the various Indian marks variations are with Nonoma – not my call – and I’m perfectly fine with just the Nonoma I have. (Unless an inexpensive one wanders by. I know, I know…)

I am very glad he’s gotten such a warm reception. I know he’s been on a lot of hobbyists’ want lists as far as the Vintage Club goes, so I’m so glad he’s finally here. 

Back to the video project that is eating my brain. It’s actually going pretty well, but ugh, I really need to learn this program properly for the next project, to save myself a metric ton of time. 

(Also: anyone have a photograph of a Rainbow Weather Girl I can borrow? A Dapple Black Belgian would be nice too, but I think I can work around that.)

The Naming of Colors

On one hand, I think I’ve finally found the colors on the Eberl Andalusian Mare and Foal that finally do it for me, with the Winter Web Special La Molina and Masella:

But on the other, it is highly unlikely that I’ll ever be able to complete the family with a Duende Benasque. 

Eh, I’ll enter anyway and see what happens. If I get them, great! 

If I don’t, I’ll just sit back and watch the trainwreck that the aftermarket sales will be. Since the piece count is 450 (as opposed to the usual 350) on this set, I’m hoping not very, but I’ve seen some frankly very scary prices on eBay lately so I am not that optimistic.

(In case you were wondering, I didn’t even try for that White Boxer.)

It’s interesting that they appear to have settled on the name “Blue Filigree” for Masella’s color: that seems awfully generic and mundane for a color that glossy, iridescent and color-shifting. 

Unless they come up with something better (Glossy Metallic Heliotrope? Dappled Iridescent Cyan? Purple Monkey Dishwasher? Or my personal favorite: Blue Raspberry Snowcone!) I’m going to keep calling it Benasque Blue. 

There is logic and precedent to this: the “Sorrel” color that originated on the #52 Five-Gaiter is often referred to as “Five-Gaiter Sorrel” when it appears on other Breyer releases. (Yeah, Breyer tried rebranding it in the 1970s as “Honey Sorrel” when they put it on the Bell-Bottomed Shire, but that did not stick.)

Speaking of, I’ll close today’s brief post with a picture of my semi-gloss Sorrel Five-Gaiter with eyewhites who also did nothing at the BreyerFest Photo Show this year. I bought him years ago in a box lot on eBay with a mint Sorrel Family Arabian Foal; this is one of the reasons why I presume that the Sorrel Family Arabian Variations are from the early 1960s, and not the later. 

That’s all for today, folks!

Virtual Reality

To clarify to everyone, there will be paper versions of the Sampler available to anyone who wants them. I am just assuming that if I make a downloadable PDF, the downloads will outnumber requests for paper copies.

In case you haven’t heard yet, even the original “nerd prom” – San Diego Comicon – has been canceled this year. As in canceled-canceled, not just moved online in some fashion. I was expecting this also, since it’s at least three to five times the size of BreyerFest (depending on how you count either) and with a crowd that tends to exercise considerably less stringent hygiene practices than the model horse hobbyist community.

(I’ve been to enough regional comic conventions. First hand experience here, guys.)

I’m still trying to decide where to go on my alternative vacation – San Diego was never a possibility in the first place, in case you were wondering – and some variations I am exploring will involve Kentucky, with a side trip to the Horse Park also being on the table.

I am also considering doing a “I Can’t Believe There’s No BreyerFest” Party/Event at my house, depending on what restrictions will be in place by Summer. It won’t be BreyerFest, but an incredible simulation!

And even if it can’t happen, I’m having a good time planning it regardless. (Splash Dogs = Vita + Kiddie Pool! Man o’ War Fountain = Birdbath + a Traditional Man o’ War! VIP Lounge = Garden Patio + Beer Cooler! Pal O Mine = My brother in a rubber horse mask!)

As for the Actual-Virtual Fling Thing, they’ve already started providing some updates: extending the Early Bird pricing until April 30, reassuring us that there will be One-Day Stablemates, Raffles, Swag, and even free Domestic and discounted International and Canadian shipping on our purchases.

And even possibly a variation of the NPOD, if I’m reading this quote right?

All ticket holders will have access to this year’s BreyerFest Store Specials, Fling! Pop-up Souvenir Shop models, and exclusive BreyerFest swag, as well as some fun surprises we have planned for the BreyerFest virtual store.

(Emphasis mine.)

Oh, and as I suspected, there was more to the absence of a Decorator in the BreyerFest lineup – they simply added a ninth special!

Boudicca is… intriguing. I’m not a big fan of the Traditional Andalusian Mare, but I do like Mulberry Grays and war paint is an interesting take on the Decorator concept. Since the volunteering thing is an obvious no-go this year (as far as I know!) I’m still on the fence about buying another ticket, or waiting to see what the One-Day Ticket Stablemates will be like.

I have a couple more weeks to decide; in the meantime, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my “Stage Three” purchase. (Or: another grail, how is that even possible?)

Holiday Things

Apparently there was some sort of mix up in Reeves’s database, so now everyone (well, almost everyone) who receives one of Breyer’s Holiday 2019 catalogs is getting the gift of … a new name!

This is hilarious and awesome, and I am totally wearing a “My Name Is” nametag at BreyerFest with my new Breyer Given Name “Dona” written on it.

(I was kind of surprised that it wasn’t Audrey, but that is a story best told in person....)

The only other thing worth noting about the catalog is that it includes all the Web Exclusive Holiday merchandise – the Unicorn Mare and Foal set Mira & Antares, the “Pony for Christmas” gift set featuring a Haflinger similar to Donner, his royal purpleness Zenith, and a lot of the new 70th Anniversary merchandise and other swag.

As someone who has made several t-shirts featuring old Breyer graphics and ephemera, I am definitely buying this at my earliest convenience (CC Appreciation Sale, cough cough…)

I wasn’t anywhere near my computer when Early Access to Breyer’s Black Friday sale dropped, so no Darwin for me. The only other items of mild to moderate interest were the Gettysburg (also sold out) and Celeste, a mold that I try to love and I am still not feeling it.

I seem to be in the minority of this opinion, but I like the PC Lipizzaner Mare and Foal a heck of a lot more than the PC Andalusian Mare and Foal. So it’s no surprise that I am also taking a pass on the Mira and Antares (in Chestnut and… purple?) and hitting the Enter Now button as much as legally possible for the Winter Web Special Avoriaz – the Lipizzaner Mare in a Gambler’s Choice of Rose Gold Florentine or Rose Gold Charm:

This is an entirely new Decorator color and it gets a big thumbs up from me. While I am not a fan of Rose Gold when it is used in jewelry, I love the color when it’s applied to other things – it’s even one of the few pastels I’ll actually wear!

I am a little hesitant about them applying the Gambler’s Choice option to a relatively limited (350 piece) Special Run, though: these Winter Web Decos are hard enough to win as it is. After what happened with Benasque last year, we really don’t need to encourage more people to enter the drawing with dreams of dropshipping them for some extra holiday cash.