Risk Assessments

Like everyone else, I’m a little gobsmacked by the final selling price of the Sample Paddy, and making side eye at some of the Samples sitting on my shelf, like my Nosferatu, that sweet BreyerFest Aintree with the handpainted battleship gray hooves, or the one that (I think) would probably bring the biggest bucks right now, the Wedgewood Brighty Nugget:

An extra 2K in the bank account would not be unappreciated! 

But this situation also gives further lie to the currently accepted wisdom that the market is on a bit of a downturn. The people who had the money to spend on thousand-dollar Alborozos still have money to spend… on other things.

There was a little more going on here than just that, obviously. First and foremost is provenance: there is little reason to doubt that a model purchased straight from Reeves is not what it is advertised as. 

Some of the things I’ve seen advertised as Tests or Samples lately – models that are very clearly just minor variations, or very obviously Shrinkies – do make me wonder about my fellow hobbyists. Do the sellers genuinely think their items are what they claim them to be, or are they pushing the truth envelope and gambling on low-information hobbyists to make the call in their favor?

(I’d rather not believe the latter, but I also know better!)

The other big thing going on here is that the Cleveland Bay mold has been having its moment since BreyerFest, when it was revealed to be the Rotating Draft Surprise. And, of course, it was a St. Patrick’s Day themed model whose auction closing date was on St. Patrick’s Day. 

As I mentioned above, I already have a lot of Samples, so this one was no temptation. I even have a Sample Cleveland Bay somewhere (the 2012 BreyerFest SR Tunbridge Wells, if you are curious.) The provenance might be shaky on some of mine, but I’ve also not spent much more than store retail ($35-70) for them either. 

They were within my acceptable level of risk, and I recommend anyone else also aspiring to add a Sample or two to their herds to also assess their risk levels, and plan accordingly. 

It should come as no surprise that the Sample Brighty is on my Collectibility show string short list; the Breed documentation is finished, and I’m hoping to finish the Collectibility part tonight. 

And in closing, it should also come as no surprise that I was not picked for Magpie. I suppose that means I should now order my Vintage Club Secretariat. Will it be a Gold Charm? I wish, but probably not!

Broken

Dealing with a lot of petty annoyances over the past few days. First, there was this:

As for what happened to my beautiful big Chocolate Moose… I bumped him. Nothing dramatic at all, I just happened to brush him as I was putting a binder away and ploop! Off popped the antler. 

He is over 50 years old and a lot of the plasticizers in the plastic that keep it flexible have evaporated over time, so it is not a complete shocker. But it’s still a bummer: I spent forever looking for the perfect Chocolate Moose, and now he’s no longer perfect!

Then I caved and bought one of the Deluxe Grab Bags. Yeah, I know the last round of Grab Bags didn’t go over well, but I just got a nice (and not so little!) profit sharing check and the next thing you know, click-click-click. I’m just hoping that there’s one or two things in there worth the gamble; I’m pretty easy to please, so I’m guessing maybe? 

I’m not feeling lucky, just optimistic. Spring is just around the corner, you know.

I’m not so optimistic about the latest Birds of a Feather release Magpie:

It’s in that beautiful Gloss Midnight Blue-Black color I love so much on my Omega Fahim, but it’s been a while since I’ve been picked for something. But you can’t win if you don’t play, so…

More annoying is the fact that the e-mail for Magpie (and the last several e-mails from Breyer, in fact) have ended up in my Spam folder. While actual Spam… has not. Oh, except for the VIP ticket e-mail that was completely redundant. That’s some messed up spam filter you got going there, Yahoo!

Rolling my eyes at the Cleveland Bay Paddy Sample Breyer put on eBay, too: at the price (over $1000 already, really?), and the preponderance of commenters on Facebook who had no idea that this model was actually released over ten years ago. 

It’s just depressing: I know that history is not everybody’s thing, but when a significant (and/or very vocal) subset of hobbyists can’t be bothered to either read or do 15 seconds of research before commenting, it makes you question your life choices.

And finally, and darn, someone just listed a beautiful old Julie Froelich model on eBay – on a Running Mare, no less! As much as I’d love a vintage Froelich, that’s not going to go cheap. Sigh. 

That’s one thing I do need to add to my BreyerFest shopping list this year: Vintage Custom fixer-uppers. I’ve been enjoying the process so much with that Black Stallion mystery custom that I wouldn’t mind adding one or two more to the craft table. 

The Price of Knowledge

Apparently I was for sale on eBay? 

(LOL) 

If I were to self-identify as a model horse, it’d be some type of heavy warmblood (Cleveland Bay?), the Shagya Arabian or maybe a Lipizzaner like Pluto. The rationale: I am not petite, and am of Belgian-Polish-Hungarian descent. Probably Dapple Gray too, since going gray early runs in the family…

But for $37, you’re only going to get about an hour and a half of uninterrupted in-person time from the real me. While my time is free at BreyerFest, it’s usually limited in quantity, and I often have no idea when it’s available. 

I probably should organize a meet-and-greet this year, if only to get an hour or so of time to sit for an hour in one place and just shoot the breeze. 

(Hmm.) 

Anyway, in a minor follow up to the previous post about the other eBay auction, I am aware of that many of the various Western Horse Knockoffs that exist have value, and that the Gold Foil Sticker boxes also do. I own plenty of both!

It’s just that with the recent influx of newer and less savvy collectors into the market, I’m a little concerned that some of the bidders incorrectly assumed that the items do in fact belong together, when that’s not the case. It’s been more than once that I’ve observed someone buy something on the assumption that it was a vintage Breyer Western Horse or Pony, and then discover that it was not. 

All the Black Beauty Western Horses and Ponies that I’ve seen that came with their original boxes came in corrugated shippers. All variations of the original Western Black Beauties – with markings, and without – were discontinued by the end of the 1950s, while the White Border boxes didn’t debut until 1973. 

I can see why some hobbyists might assume that they reissued the model in that color in the 1970s, because a lot of models were reissued in the 1970s, or re-released as Special Runs. And Solid Black Special Runs were also a thing in the 1970s. 

But as far as I know, there were no Special Runs or re-releases of the Western Horse or Pony in the 1970s. There are some rare variations, including a Chalky of the Palomino Horse and Matte of the Palomino Pony, neither of which are too expensive. 

I’d be on board with a Solid, Matte Black Western Horse or Pony Special or Regular Run. Don’t think it will happen, though; while there is definitely a market for vintage molds – the expanded Vintage Club membership also sold out, and some of the Breyer Breeds releases seem to be selling well – a relatively plain black Western Horse or Pony might just be a little too plain for the current market’s taste.

(Make it Charcoal, however, and all bets are off!)

Surprise Speculation

If I didn’t get drawn for the weird Decorator Bighorn Ram Montana, the likelihood of me getting selected for the latest Birds of a Feather release Cardinal is nonexistent:

A pretty Flaxen Red Chestnut on a Shannondell? Even though they upped the piece count to 500, I am not getting my hopes up. 

Speaking of Drafts, it’s probably a good time for my brief discussion/analysis of this year’s BreyerFest Surprise Model, which they’ve dubbed “Rotating Draft Surprise”.

The more cynical among us are thinking this is yet another head fake, the same way last year’s “Seven Arts Surprise” ultimately didn’t involve seven different variations. While it’s true that the Surprises aren’t always what their names lead us to think they are (I did not see the Bollywood Surprise Latigos coming) sometimes, they are. 

For the 2018 Off to the Races “Dark Horse Surprise”, they not only used a racing-appropriate mold – Smarty Jones – the rarity was the Solid Black: an actual “Dark Horse”!

So I think a Draft Horse is a strong possibility this year. It’s about time for one, anyway. 

To get the usual formalities out of the way: the “rotating” part will have nothing to do with that long-held BreyerFest fantasy of multiple molds being used for the Surprise. As I’ve explained before, that would be an absolute nightmare to execute, especially in person, since it would become very obvious what molds are what even in their opaque bags. The only way that’s a viable option would have been virtually, and that opportunity has passed. 

There’s the chance that they’ll interpret that word in a more literal sense, and if that’s the case: say hello to Bobby Jo!

But back to the Drafts: it’s not going to be Othello, and it’s very unlikely to be Georg. Othello not so much because it’s popular, but because it’s been done to death, and coming up with five new colors or takes on previously-used colors is difficult. 

Georg is still too popular. We’ll definitely see him at BreyerFest – either as a Live Show Prize Model (hello, Gloss Theo!) and/or as a Raffle Model. 

Shannondell is a possibility: Georg has stolen a bit of that mold’s thunder, and it’s still new enough that it hasn’t been released in a multitude of colors yet. It also has multiple mane and tail options, which is something we often see with Surprises. But it might be just a tad bit too popular yet.  

Two other choices I think might be possibilities include the always-popular Clydesdale Mare, and Brishen, whose popularity has muted just enough to finally qualify it as a Surprise-level model. Both have been used recently, so that may or may not rule them out.

Goffert and Wixom are slightly better candidates: both are at least moderately popular with solid fanbases, with some color options that haven’t been exploited yet. Goffert’s big with the younger crowd, which is often a factor in Reeves’s mold selection process.

Molds like the Bell-bottomed Shire, Big Butt Belgian, and Roy, with the Friesian Sporthorse and Welsh Cob being draft-adjacent enough to qualify as Surprise candidates, but I’d consider most of them pretty unlikely, though I think the Friesian Sporthorse might turn up as a Surprise in the not-distant future. 

Personally, I’m rooting for either Cleveland Bay or the original Clydesdale Stallion. The Cleveland Bay is modestly popular, comes with multiple mold options, and is popular with at least one member of the staff in New Jersey. 

There hasn’t been a true Vintage Surprise since the very first – the Quarter Horse Gelding in 2009 – and the Clydesdale’s reappearance in Stablemates form has rekindled interest in the mold, who hasn’t come in as many exotic colors as collectors might think.

Of course, the Cleveland Bay was most recently used as the Celebration Horse back in 2019, and the Stablemates Clydesdale is being used as one of the One-Day Stablemates (As a Beer! Hmm?) 

So in short, I have no idea. I’m just happy that it won’t be a complete shot in the dark this time around. For me, there are so many lovely Special Run options this year that knowing who or what the Surprise is, is not going to be a huge factor in my SR selection process. I might even opt out of it entirely, considering how many others are already on my “Must Have” list.

So Bright and Blue

I am of two thoughts when it comes to the current maybe-probably Wedgewood Blue BreyerFest Special Run sneak peek:

It might be a play on the Danube River, the second longest river in Europe that also happens to originate in southern Germany. The Danube is the subject of the famous waltz “The Blue Danube” by Austrian composer Johann Strauss. It’s a song you’ve heard just about everywhere, from 2001: A Space Odyssey to Squid Game. Some of the relevant lyrics here:

Danube so blue,
so bright and blue,
through vale and field
you flow so calm,
our Vienna greets you,
your silver stream
through all the lands
you merry the heart
with your beautiful shores.

There’s also a subtle equine connection at play here: the German name for the Danube is Donau, which also happened to be the name of the ill-fated 1910 Kentucky Derby winner! 

The other line of thinking is that this release might be (as I speculated a while ago) related to German Expressionism: either The Blue Rider School (Der Blaue Reiter) or specifically to the artwork of Franz Marc, whose artwork frequently featured… blue horses. 

If they go with the latter idea, I would hope (again, as I speculated back in late July) they would do a modified version of Wedgewood Blue with a darker blue mane and tail, to replicate the horses in Marc’s work. 

I have no idea what mold this would be. I know a lot of people are hoping/fearing that this will be Georg, but I’m personally rooting for something more Warmblood-ish, like the Cleveland Bay. 

Either way, this model will possibly create a conundrum. I was hoping to get away from BreyerFest with relatively little financial damage, but with the Gummi Bears, the Stablemates, that magnificent Fireheart Stein, and now maybe/probably The Blue Horse, I can see this is not going to be the case. 

Speaking of Stein, while we all get annoyed at times with Reeves shoehorning in newer releases into BreyerFest themes where they don’t necessarily belong (rolling my eyes, again, at the Wyatt Marzipan) I am a little surprised that they did not mention Germany’s fascination with the American Old West after World War II. It would have created a more palatable rationale for its inclusion, rather than an obtuse one about its color. 

Off to do a little online seed shopping. Will this be the year I finally get Penstemon to grow from seed?

The Past is the Future

I was initially noncommittal when I first saw the last 2019 Stablemates Club release Corbin on the cover of this year’s Just About Horses: he really didn’t do anything for me one way or another. A bigger, higher-resolution photo on the Breyer web site changed my mind:

As just about everyone and their dog has pointed out, he’s basically a Mini Me for the 2008 BreyerFest Special Run Limerick, on the Cleveland Bay mold.

With the mold being used for the Celebration Horse Oliver this year, and as the Open Show Grand Prize Model Cassia in 2017, it’s unlikely that we’ll see the Cleveland Bay used as a BreyerFest Special Run again next year.

This new Stablemates Irish Draught mold, though, is a strong contender as either one of the One-Day Stablemates releases, or as the Pop-Up Store Stablemates Special.

I keep thinking that we’d be seeing more BreyerFest stuff on the web site by now, but I just went back into the web site archives and didn’t notice any significant news about the 2019 event until late December last year, with releases (other than the Celebration Horse) not being teased or revealed until January at the earliest.

This makes sense, because they’ve still got club memberships to promote, Regular Run 2020 releases to launch, and all of their 70th Anniversary celebration stuff, too…

And just to let y’all know, I don’t know much more about any of the anniversary stuff than you guys do, beyond what’s already been revealed for the Vintage Club. I am going to assume that there will be more vintage (pre-1985) mold releases than average, a slew of newer molds vintage colors, and perhaps even some molds and items we haven’t seen in a long time.

The In-Between Mare is back, after all: it now seems all things are potentially on the table. I know what I’d like to see, but what I’d like to see doesn’t necessarily correlate to things that would actually sell to anyone but me.

(Except for the Wedgewood Blue Polled Hereford Bull. Basic math, people: Decorator Color + Bull Mold = Winner!)

If there’s an Exclusive Event planned (seriously, I have no idea guys…) I’ll make every effort on attending, especially since I am considering dialing back – or refocusing – my BreyerFest plans next year, since I’ve obviously not been happy with the results of my competitive efforts for the past several.

I am also considering attending more than one live show next year, depending on how the first few months of 2020 go. My schedule got away from me for the past three months, so I have a lot of catching up to do on some of my other extracurricular activities that’ll probably run well into the front part of the year.

After that? The world is wide open.

Dreaming of Warmer Days

Darn, just missed out on the True North Mini on the Breyer web site Black Friday sale. Put it in the cart, but when I tried to check out, he was removed.

Nothing else in the sale was making my heart go pitter-patter, and the weather will be too darn cold to go adventuring tomorrow, so that’ll likely be the end of my Black Fridaying for the year….

I haven’t commented yet on the announcement of next year’s BreyerFest Celebration Horse, Oliver:

With the announcement of the theme, I was expecting to see (a) the Cleveland Bay mold, (b) a Police Horse of some sort, and (c) possibly something honoring one of the many horses who serve at the Kentucky Horse Park: with Oliver, they’ve managed to combine all three!

My only mild disappointment is that he’s a loose-maned Cleveland Bay: while the loose-mane is my favorite of the three variations, I still don’t have a braided-mane variation in my herd. I’ve had a few, but I’ve since sold them or traded them off for other things.

I wouldn’t mind a Chicory or a Cassia, but the former is a little out of my price range, and the latter is completely so.

The Connoisseur Series Jazz Fusion is another one I wouldn’t mind owning, but I was not lucky enough to get pulled for one, and I am reluctant to buy items in that series the same way I’ve been reluctant to buy a BreyerFest Dr. Peaches.

Since I wasn’t at the first BreyerFest, it doesn’t feel right buying a Dr. Peaches on the secondary market: each BreyerFest Celebration Horse represents an experience I had, but the Dr. Peaches would simply be a model I bought to complete a series.

My Connoisseur collection consists almost entirely of the ones I was drawn for. The only two Connoisseurs I’ve bought in the aftermarket have both been NPOD Samples: a Lonesome Glory Thrillseeker, and the Buffalo Taima. (Both of whom I really, really wanted anyway, so that kinda-sorta worked out for me.)

Jazz Fusion is a reasonably popular Connoisseur, and the prices on him are not… outrageous, but I think I manage to hold off and let the more devoted fans of the mold, or the Connoisseur Series, have their shot at him first. I’ll just bide my time and wait for Oliver.

(And quietly sigh at the probable impossibility of winning a Gloss one at the Costume Contest.)

Griffin

And here comes another batch of goodies from the latest shipment from China…

I’ll probably be passing on the new Collector’s Club Special Run Cleveland Bay Griffin, though. It has less to do with whether I like the mold or the color (I like both, actually) and more to do with budget priorities, and space.

But mostly space. All three of the Cleveland Bays that I own currently are in storage because he’s a giant shelf hog. I can’t even think of adding a fourth until I finish the inventory/reorganization here.

Or much of anything, really: some of the deals I have passed up on eBay over the past few weeks have been killing me! And Markus is looking increasingly unlikely, simply due to logistical issues. And collectors losing their gosh-darned minds over the newest-hottest thing.

Older Brick and Mortar Specials are not that difficult to find in the aftermarket, and their prices have also not veered too far off their MSRP prices. The only exception to the rule has been the Sahran, but that is primarily because the Ashquar mold has not had a Regular Run release yet. Once that happens, I think his price and availability will fall back within the normal range for this category of Special Run.

As will Markus. Though I do not think we will have to wait as long for a Regular Run release of the Shannondell mold.

But back to Griffin. He is very similar to the 2008 JC Penney Special Run Palomino, who has a loose mane, no dapples, and different markings:

http://www.identifyyourbreyer.com/images/410423cb2.jpg

They really do like doing multiple versions of the same or similar colors on this mold, don’t they? A bunch of Grays, a bunch of Bays, and now they’ve clearly moved on to Chestnut/Palomino.

I don’t have much else to say today; I’m still trying to clean up a bit of the fallout from that rather messy start to the week. After that, I’ll try to do something creative, because I really need it.

Idiosyncrasies and Astru

I haven’t gotten a chance to know my Astru that well yet, since my daily schedule recently has been eat-sleep-work-BreyerFest prep. Every third day, blog post; every seventh day go to the flea market, if it’s not raining - and sleep in, when it does. He’s not shiny, metallic, luminescent, chalky or whatnot, but he seems quite pleasant, visually.

I was originally on the fence about keeping him - space issues and all that - but the more I look at him, the more likely it’ll be that I’ll keep him. If I do, I’ll probably stick to a "heavy metal" theme for his name. (Lithium?)

I’m not seeing any major issues with mine; he does have a bit of the dappled "square" that some people are having some problems with, but I don’t see that as a flaw as much as an idiosyncrasy of his particular paint job.

It’s like the "belly band" blankets on the mid-1960s Gray Appaloosas (most notably on the Family Arabians), the dappling and roaning that extended into the manes and tail on releases in the early 1970s, and the crazy lizard bi-eyes that appeared in early 1997. They may be "flaws" in an aesthetic sense, but not in a technical one. The mistake was more in the design, than the execution.

I always find it interesting of the way these things are perceived in-the-hobby versus out-of-the-hobby. The nonhobby public, in general, tends to interpret visual peculiarities as something inherent to the piece itself. And if something does look a little more off than average, it is still seen as either intentional, or an inevitable consequence of the object’s aging process. That’s why we see yellowing not described as a flaw in eBay listings, for instance, but as the color "cream"!

The hobby public perceives any model that doesn’t look either (a) exactly like the portrait model or breed in question, or (b) exactly like the catalog prototype model as defective. Or worse than defective - almost a betrayal!

The fact that each group judges to different standards accounts a lot for those differing perceptions. People who see Breyers as just another class of vintage collectible objects aren’t looking for the same flaws that people who see Breyers as potential show horses are.

The rest could be ascribed, on one hand, to the general public’s lack of knowledge about horse and model stuff, and on the other to the hobby’s obsession with perfectibility - that since we have the means to create "perfect" representations, that anything less than perfect has little worth.

I guess I fall somewhere in the middle; while I’d like my models to be as close to perfect and accurate as possible, I haven’t done that much live showing in recent years. Most of my interaction with my models has been as collectible objects.

I worked in an injection molding plant for several years, too - administratively and technically - so my awareness of the limitations inherent in the process probably affects my perceptions, as well.

When you've seen the entire process - from concept to execution - and all the points at which things could go oh-so-wrong, close enough becomes good enough.

Astru

Not sure how I managed to win an Astru:

I think I entered once on Friday; because of work and hobby-related matters, last week was a blur. That e-mail was a very pleasant sight yesterday, regardless!

The color selection on this Web Special was a little peculiar, I thought. In the Cleveland Bay mold’s short career (introduced Mid-Year 2006, as Tregoyd Journeyman) he’s already appeared in four other Gray releases. There’s Limerick, the 2008 BreyerFest SR in Gloss Dark Dappled Gray; the 2010 WEG Autograph Horse in an Aged Gray/Alabaster; and the O’Leary’s Irish Diamond, in both Matte (Regular Run) and Gloss (2010 BreyerFest Show Prize).

And later this year, we’ll be getting a fifth with Murphy, a Vintage Club Exclusive release in Vintage-style (Gloss) Dark Dapple Gray.

I kept checking the photograph to see if I could determine something special about Astru. Is he Chalky? Iridescent? In possession of the "Tinkerbell" glitter? Does he glow in the dark? The text of the e-mails makes me wonder if there's more than meets the eye here:

Like the faithful stars that shine so bright at night,

Astru is ready to trot his way into your home!

 

His bright and beautifully dappled grey coat is reminiscent of the bright stars that twinkle down from the midnight sky.

Even if none of those possibilities comes to pass, there is one feature that does distinguish Astru from the other Gray Cleveland Bays: his mane. All of the other Grays so far have come with the loose mane, not braided like Astru. So even if he's an "ordinary" Dapple Gray, there’s that, at least.

His name struck me as a bit peculiar too; although I consider myself a bit of an astronomy buff (I collect old astronomy textbooks!) the term "astru" was one I had either not seen or noted before. Apparently it’s a Romanian word that means "heavenly body", as in an asteroid or a comet.

It is also the name of a Hungarian Black Metal band, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what Reeves was going for. Unless someone in the office has, ahem, unusual dark tastes in music...

French Impressions

I took five years of French lessons, dreamt about getting lost in the Louvre, wrote a paper in high school about Georges Melies (in French!), and often fantasize about shopping in the Flea Markets of Paris. I can’t visit the real Lascaux caves, but I hope to see the reproduction caves someday. I want to visit a fromagerie and sample weird stinky cheeses, and hang out with the ex-pats (and make fun of the hipsters) at Shakespeare and Company.

This year’s "Vive La France" theme? I can get into it.

So it makes me a little sad to see other hobbyists complain about a lack of enthusiasm for this year’s BreyerFest. For a hobby that offers us so many creative and expressive possibilities, too many of us fall into the "princess/cowgirl" paradigm, too easily.

It’s good to venture out of your comfort zone once and a while! I promise I won't make you eat the cheese, if you don't want to.

The Parkour demonstration they just announced on the blog is a little bit out of mine. (I did not know it originated in France!) As possibly one of the world’s clumsiest humans, I find Parkour both fascinating and a little terrifying. Note: If you see me doing anything resembling Parkour in Kentucky, please call 911, because it’s likely an accident in progress.

I guess I should get to a little bit of actual Breyer/BreyerFest model horse talk now.

This year they’ve decided to not give us any hints or clues at all about the Surprise Special, named Quelle Surprise! ("What a Surprise!")

The name says it all. Another Surprise Special Run! We're not telling you anymore. It's a complete mystery! But you never know what you might get!

Most of the Surprise Specials have been somewhat tied to the theme, so I’ll go out on a limb and guess it’ll be something that can pass for a Selle Français. That brings to mind molds like Lonesome Glory, Giselle, the Show Jumping Warmblood, Newsworthy and possibly the Cleveland Bay. The SJW, Newsworthy, and Cleveland Bay have interchangeable manes and tails, something that they used to great effect with the Surprise Roxies a couple years back. That might be a point in their favor, I think.

The next actual reveal of another Special Run will be later this week, and it’s strongly hinted at that this one may be a Decorator:

This horse pays homage to a little village nestled in the northwest of France. It leaves quite the impression on everyone who visits. Some visitors go back time after time to see how the landscapes change throughout the seasons.

This one is a little easier to work with. The town in northwest France could be Giverny, home of both the Impressionist Museum, and of the artist Claude Monet’s famous gardens. So my guess is that we’re getting an Impressionist-themed Decorator - possibly a translucent like the Connoisseur Andalusian Swirling Sky?

My personal preference for this one would be the Cleveland Bay mold, who could make a passable Norman Cob - or Anglo-Norman, if they want to go historical with it. (If they passed him over as the Surprise Special. He can't be both, obviously.) This is Normandy, after all. That area of France is known for its Percherons also, so the Wixom mold is another strong candidate. Except for the Guest of Honor, there aren’t any other Drafts in the lineup yet. No Percherons at a French-themed BreyerFest? Inconceivable!

I was a bit annoyed in 2003 when they teased us with the Tie-Dyed Wixom on the Program cover: I was hoping she was a Special Run, but alas, she was an (unattainable) auction piece. Via Identify Your Breyer: http://www.identifyyourbreyer.com/images/bf2003lot22.jpg

Now imagine the same mold and concept, except in lavenders and greens? That could work!

Murphy

Whew. Glad those Grab Bags are gone; the one with the Night Mare (Glow-in-the-Dark Goffert) and the Woodgrain Clock Saddlebred was becoming unbearably tempting, as was the miniscule potential of a Silver Charm Sherman Morgan. But now that the offer is off the table, I have the Vintage Club Murphy to contend with:

There are a couple of minor mistakes in the offer e-mail, though both are obscure enough to give Reeves a pass on them. Can my fellow history mavens spot them in the opening sentence?

The Cleveland Bay mold, sculpted by Karen Gerhardt, debuted in 2006 while the beautiful vintage glossy dapple grey color was inspired by the Running Mare and Foal released in 1963.

The second mistake first: we don’t actually know if the Running Mare and Foal were released in 1963. Undated Red Bird Sales pages that feature the Buckskin Running Mare and Foal - and a subsequent notice of their discontinuation - suggest that they may have been released earlier, since the Buckskins do not appear on any dated ephemera from 1963.

It’s possible that they might have been late 1962 releases - released in time for holiday shopping - and discontinued prior to their formal release in 1963. This theory would explain their incredible rarity. The scarcity of ephemera from 1959-1962 prevents us (again) from knowing for sure.

It is been becoming clear that in the pre-Modern Era, Breyer released models when the mold was ready, and didn’t stick to strictly defined release dates. If the mold was ready for production, it was put into production, and subsequently issued an updated sales list, letter or PR about it. Such was the case with the Davy Crockett Horse and Rider Set, which was announced in the August 1955 issue of Toys & Novelties magazine.

In fact, Breyer frequently got themselves in trouble in the 1970s and 1980s when they did promise models by a certain date and didn’t deliver. The Classic USET horses were a prime example of this: they were supposed to be an early or mid-1980 release that didn’t actually materialize until September of that year. Because the molds weren’t ready in time, Test Colors stood in for the actual models in the Christmas catalogs, and much confusion and pouting ensued.

(I still want a Dapple Gray Classics Ruffian, dagnabit!)

The first mistake is a little more obvious: Murphy’s color isn’t merely "Glossy Dapple Gray", it’s "Dark Dapple Gray".

It was very rarely truly "dark"; the primary distinguishing feature of Dark Dapple Gray is that the dapples are exclusively situated on the hindquarters. It’s a fairly rare vintage color; other than the Special Run releases of the Running Mare and Foal in the early 1980s, I’m having a hard time recalling any other releases. There are a few variations - like the "Gray Appaloosa" version #85 Foundation Stallion/Azteca, and some of the Black-pointed Dapple Gray Proud Arabian Foals - that come close, but aren’t quite.

Hobbyists and nonhobbyists unfamiliar with the nomenclature often refer to it as "Gray Appaloosa", which drives me crazy, because that term refers to something else entirely.

Though both the Running Mare and Foal and the Cleveland Bay would look good in that color, as well.

Paint Texture

Paint texture is not a thing most collectors of Original Finish models give a lot of thought to - unless there’s something wrong with it. If the paint doesn’t feel right - it’s rough, sticky or uneven in some way - it’s usually a good indication that the model has either been altered one way or another, or is not even Original Finish at all.

That assumption is generally correct. Whether a model is Gloss, Matte, or something in between, the paint itself should feel smooth to the touch. There are a few exceptions to that rule. The Gloss finishes on early Western Horses, Ponies, and Old Molds are often uneven, and may even have drips and runs. On more recent models with more complex masked markings, you might feel a raised edge on masked markings, especially if the paint job itself involved multiple layers of paint.

A couple of recent additions to my herd have complicated the issue a little further. The first you might already be familiar with - it’s the Sample of the Tunbridge Wells I found last year:

The second is another Sample - this one of the Reissue Azhar - that I picked up at BreyerFest this year:

The texture is not immediately visible, but it is noticeable once you pick them up: they’re both very slightly rough to the touch. It’s not unpleasant - trust me, I’ve picked up a few models I wish I never had - but it’s definitely not what I was used to, or expecting. It's like an extremely fine grit sandpaper.

With the Tunbridge Wells, I thought at first that it might have been a feature of the paint job itself - it’s a Roan, after all - but I wasn’t 100 percent sure, and it felt kind of weird asking people to touch their horses for me. So I waited until BreyerFest this year, when I could grope the models in question to my heart’s content.

They were all smooth, or at least much smoother than mine.

I didn’t get a chance to fully unwrap the Azhar down in Kentucky, so I wasn’t aware of his texture until I came home. I don’t have one of the Reissues or the original to compare it to, but the texture is almost identical to the Sample Tunbridge Wells.

He is also very slightly metallic - the same level/quality of sparkliness seen on some of the more recent Gloss Finishes such as the Glossy Mariah’s Boons from a few BreyerFests back, something that I dubbed "The Tinkerbell Effect".

I have no idea if it is a feature on all of the Production Run and/or Reissue Azhars or not. The original Azhar wasn’t on my radar, and I’ve been trying to be good about not buying all of the Reissues (I will cave in and buy a Smoky, eventually.)

Both pieces are undeniably authentic. I still have the bags and wraps they came in, straight from the NPOD, itself. I have several other Samples, including one of another Reissue, and I can't recall feeling anything out of the ordinary.

So anyway, now we have to add more exceptions and more qualifiers to deal with when authenticating things. 

Another Hunch Horse

This garage sale is making me fantasize about bonfires. (Apparently me taking charge of the operation = DO ALL THE WORK.)

So FYI: I may be somewhat scarce this week.

As much as I love my Samples, they are problematic for me as a historian. This next model - a Sample for the 2012 BreyerFest Special Run Tunbridge Wells - illustrates these problems perfectly:

I’m not sure why I decided to buy this guy; I wasn’t all that impressed with the release last year, but when I spotted him in the boxes, he was another one of those "hunch" horses: I got a feeling. Having a feeling = having to buy him.

The thing is, I’m still not sure if my hunch has paid off, or not.

He’s definitely a Sample - no VIN number, no BreyerFest stamp. But beyond that, I really don’t know what to think. I haven’t spent that much time acquainting myself with standard, Production Run Tunbridge Wellses to know if I have something beyond that.

I do know that I like the release better, now, but I don’t know if it’s because the Sample in my possession might have a few extra details otherwise missing from the Production pieces, or if it’s a result of me getting to know him better.

But back to the main issue. While it is interesting to examine Sample pieces to understand the design and production process, ultimately that information is tertiary to the average hobbyist’s informational needs.

The first is, of course, what it is: name, number, quantity, type of run (Regular, or Special, and if a Special, for what?) Second is: is it special or valuable in some way? In other words, how does it differ from the norm?

Answering the first kind of question is rarely any trouble at all, and doesn't even require ownership. The second question, on the other hand, often does - or at least more than a passing acquaintance with it. I cannot answer questions of the second type if all I know of a model comes directly - or indirectly - from something that is by definition Not Normal.

That’s one of my pet peeves with Price and Information Guides, model horse or otherwise. The person or persons compiling the guide often/usually have access to items that the general buying public does not, and sometimes these pieces get utilized in these guides as representative examples.

Even if the guide makers take pains to point out the example’s different-ness, a combination of a lack of reading comprehension and wishful thinking often end up defeating the best efforts of the guide makers. Or even anyone posting anything vaguely authoritative online. Look at what happens every single time Reeves posts a Test Color or Auction Piece on Facebook.

This particular model also came with some condition issues: you probably can’t see them in the photo, but he’s in somewhat rough shape, even for a Sample. One hoof has a large rub, one eartip has been bumped/deformed, and he has a few light scratches. Unless he gets a little work done (not likely, on my schedule) he'll be staying off the show circuit.

I generally consider condition issues to be a good thing with regard to questionable models: what that tells me is that it might have been an actual "working/work in progress" Sample  - something earlier in the design process, rather than later or near-finalized. Something that got passed around and critiqued, and suffered a few indignities along the way.

I have no idea if that's actually the case. I don't know all that much about him at all.

It might just be the mystery of him that's making him so intriguing to me. What this all means is that I now probably have to buy or trade for a Production Run Tunbridge Wells. For research!

Rumor Roundup

I really need to learn how to estimate my time better: I’m still dreadfully behind on my To-Do list. And so much has happened in the past couple of days in model horse land, it’s like a whole new landscape every time I log on.

Since I still haven’t located the thumb drive with those extra posts I wrote during my Illinois excursion, we’ll do a brief roundup of that news…

The latest Collectors Club Web Special is the Show Jumping Warmblood in a Glossy Solid…Chestnut? Palomino? Dunalino? Something warm and sunny, appropriate for the god who totes the Sun around in his chariot: Apollo. A solid color on a Web Special is a nice change of pace, and he is quite handsome, but my even my emergency fun-money fund is completely tapped out. I hate to pass on him, but I just might have to.

I made a late-night semi-awesome Buy It Now purchase on eBay a couple days ago. You’ll see why I jumped on that BIN button like Vita on a bone when it gets here in a few days.

In other eBay purchases, another one of my lots from That Guy with That Stuff on eBay has arrived, in another painfully small box. The Cow and Calf set I bid on was not the Cow and Calf set I received. Normally this would be an automatic return, but it’s a little more complicated than that: they were not the oddities I bid on, but they were still oddities nonetheless.

The auction pictures showed a Holstein Cow with a gray udder, and a Calf with tan hooves. What I received was a Holstein Cow that appears to be a cull, and a Calf with gray ears, gray muzzle, and a solid black tail.

(I’d show you all a picture, but my battery charger for the camera is packed away. Also.)

So yeah, kind of a weird situation. I don’t have time to deal with any extra drama at this point, so I think I’ll just let it go. At the price I paid, they could have been ordinary Regular Runs, and I still would have been a good deal. Anything after that is a bonus. (I also don’t think there was any genuine malice intended: That Guy, like so many of our friends and family, might not be able to tell one subtly different set of Cows from another. So it goes.)

Reeves released the BreyerFest 2013 App, which would matter to me more if I did anything more with my phone than send and receive phone calls. (I’d rather not even have one, but that’s another issue entirely.) Half the hobby is complaining about having to pay a whole 99 cents for it, and the other half are complaining that it’s not available on Android.

My brother actually downloaded the 2012 App to his phone last year just for kicks (allegedly) and found it quite admirable, and I generally take his word with these sort of things. (BTW, my brother is fully BreyerFest-trained and knows what Woodgrains, Decorators and Hagen-Renakers are. And he’s single. If you're looking.)

Per intel from the Mother’s Day Kids-Only Breyer Headquarters Tour, the previously announced mid-year release of "Trooper" is going to be on the Cleveland Bay mold. The photographs I’ve seen are all fuzzy and somewhat unreliable, so there’s no way I’m going to pass judgment on him based on that. A Dark Bay/Sunburnt Black Cleveland Bay seems like a winner to me, at least conceptually.

Also speaking of unreliable, the same source just happened to spot what appeared (to them) to be some Decorator-y Shetland Ponies. That’s all there really is to that bit of news, Everything else is speculation - including the initial reports that you have, or will run into in the next several hours that they might be somehow related to this year’s BreyerFest Surprise/Gambler’s Choice model.

It must also be noted that the much-circulated photo of proposed Vintage Club SRs from last year also featured a Copenhagen Pinto Shetland Pony, so it might also be related to that. Or any number of things. Might not even be a Shetland Pony at all, for all I know. 

There was more than that, I'm sure, but that To-Do List is not going to complete itself. Unfortunately.

It's Okay To Be A Dork

I felt so bad yesterday morning.

I was home for about an hour and a half, mostly to take a shower, eat something, and make sure the house was still standing before I went back to work.

Before I even managed to get my coat off, Vita ran up and threw her squeaky tennis ball at me, her tail wagging so hard I could literally feel a breeze. She looked at me, then looked at the ball. Then she looked at me again, and then back down at the ball. Then she nudged the ball even closer to me.

Guilt trips, she’s good at ‘em.

Don’t worry, she’s been getting lots of playtime with other members of the household. She’s just annoyed that I haven’t been putting my fair share in this week. Next week doesn’t look a whole lot better; all I can hope is that she doesn’t start leaving "presents" in my bed to emphasize her disapproval.

From the all too brief glimpses I’ve been getting over the past several days, it looks like that little bit of excitement about the BreyerFest Stablemates and Cleveland Bay SRs has retreated back to that "general feeling of disappointment" again. Not really a surprise; as I’ve mentioned before, there seems to be some segment of the hobby that takes pride in disapproving of almost everything.

Look, no matter how long the hobby is around, or how "popular" it will ever become, it’s an inherently dorky activity. Trying to dress it up as something more respectable and educational - and distancing yourselves from the goofier or less realistic aspects - can only go so far. (Ask your friendly neighborhood comic book fan!)

Yeah, it’s aggravating that the public will fixate on the weird stuff, but so what? It’s part of the hobby, too. And really, it’s okay to fly your dork flag, especially if the alternative is coming across like a snob. Or creepy, like some of the people who do Reborns.

Anyway, we still have a few more SRs as-yet-unannounced. It’s not clear if the translucent Ruffian counts as the Decorator special for the event, or if the Store Special Ballyduff "Killarney" will count as the Nonplastics special, either. I also have a suspicion that we might be seeing a new mold in the mix somewhere, either as an SR, or a Raffle.

The fact that both Raffle pieces are still unannounced makes me suspect the latter.

If the Cleveland Bay SR does have the roached/hogged mane in the production pieces, I think my Ticket SR choices are getting harder, not easier. (It’s just the two tickets for me this year. I had some faint hopes of volunteering again this year, but alas, I was not among the chosen.) Roached manes, like ermine spots, are one of those things that gets my attention, for the better.

We just don’t see enough of them in the model horse world, relative to the real horse world. It’s always those romantic "big hair" models that get the production nod. Sure, a long flowing mane is pretty, but boy howdy, when I see them all I can think about is the upkeep.

And Miss Vita, who went digging in the mulch last week in pursuit of a vole - ending up with nothing but a messy snootful of leaves. (Talk about a dork!)

Head's Up

My schedule for the next two weeks is totally crazy - I think I’ll end up with more hours next week than in the past two weeks combined. This is more of a head’s up than a complaint, though: it’s just that posts over the next two weeks might be somewhat irregular either in timing, or quality.

(In case you find yourself wondering "What on Earth is she posting about at 3 a.m. - on a Wednesday?")

We’re now starting to see more upcoming goodies from BreyerFest, via the Breyer booth at Equine Affaire. Newly revealed items include the One-Day Stablemates, and another of the Line Ticket SRs, a Bay Roan Sabino Cleveland Bay named Tunbridge Wells:

http://www.modelhorseblab.com/forums/showthread.php?131882-Equine-Affaire/page8

(The good stuff starts on Page 8, with more pictures on following pages.)

Technically, the Cleveland Bay isn’t really "new": he’s another one of those SRs that was leaked early. He’s nice, though awfully reminiscent of last year’s Raffle Horse King Arthur. Theoretically he should be pushing all my buttons - a Cleveland Bay, in a Roan Sabino! - but I’m just not feeling the love for him that everyone else does. (Though it is nice to see that some of the Negative Nellies are showing some interest in him, for a change.)

The One-Day Stablemates are all Gloss Drafts, named after different beers ("drafts" - get it?) The G2 Draft, the G3 Belgian and Friesian, and the G4 Vaulting Horse, all in various shades of gloss pintos. (The G4 "Carling" is my favorite!) They seem to be going over pretty well, too - hard to go wrong with glossy pinto draft horses.

(It’s the same reasoning I’m using to justify my opinion of the SR Pinto Shire "Cheerio".)

There’s also going to be another Gambler’s Choice model, but Reeves is being coy about it, as usual. We’ll get a better idea of the potential candidates once we learn the "name" of this special, but I’m hoping for something ponyish, like a Shetland, a Bouncer or a Newsworthy (especially if it’s the loose-maned version.)

There were also previews of two items that will be exclusive to the "British-themed Souvenir Shop" they’ve been hinting at in the promotional literature: a "Black Beauty" on the small resin Lexington mold, and "Union Jack", a Translucent Classic Ruffian painted with …a Union Jack. Weird, but kinda cool - and very reminiscent of the WEG Commemorative Horse.

When I first heard mention of this Souvenir Shop, I was a little concerned that they’d be pulling that kind of stunt on us - more super-limited items being sold at a second location, simultaneous (?) to the NPOD? Scary!

I’m not all that worried about the Black Beauty - I got issues with both resins, and Black Beauty - but I’m thinking I might need that Ruffian. (How limited is "limited"? 50? 100? 500?) There’s also the possibility that they might pull a "WEG" on us and dump some super-limited SRs in that location as well.

There’s absolutely no indication of that yet, but I got a funny feeling we shouldn’t rule anything out this year.

Looking for Sunshine

My Paddy arrived yesterday. He’s no Pot O’ Gold, but he’s fine. Leans a little more than he should, but not enough to send him back. I probably should have waited a few days to open him, since I was not in the right frame of mind to receive him properly.

The weather’s been beautiful, but I’ve had to deal with a lot of grimness in the past few days, the kind no amount of sunshine can fix. One coworker’s ex-husband (her younger son’s father) died suddenly, and another’s father had a heart attack, and the prognosis is not good. And a third coworker lost her mother two weeks ago after a brief and frightening illness.

That much death - on the cusp of Spring, no less - is not conducive to a happy frame of mind.

Even if the sunshine didn’t help, walking the dog did, a little; there’s something to the act of walking, for walking’s sake, that always clears my head.

I even came up with a clever bit I wanted to do for the blog today, but when I came home I realized that was a no-go because, yet again, access to that part of my collection has been blocked off for another neverending remodeling project.

Dang it, man! Foiled again!

(Which is also one of the primary reasons why there’s been a shortage of pictures here lately. Anyone familiar with my home situation also knows it’s something I can do absolutely nothing about. Sigh.)

Let’s look for sunnier things to talk about …

Reeves "officially" announced the Esprit Brick and Mortar Special on both Facebook and on the web site, and confirmed that his name is indeed Lionheart. He has stripes like a tiger, spots like a cheetah, but they name him Lionheart because of … his color? The mane? Just because it sounds kind of cool? I’m sure we’ll find out the real reason why before they officially announce it anyway. Because that’s how this community rolls.

(Always cracks me up when The Powers That Be act all surprised that we know stuff.)

They also released a picture of another BreyerFest Line/Ticket SR, a Palomino Strapless named Bees Knees, that’s refreshingly free of frivolities like dappling, sootiness, pinto-ness, or wildly complex hoof detailing. Just a straight up, light and clear Palomino paint job.

She was another one of those models that was "leaked" early; that first picture didn’t impress me that much initially; I am much more enamored of her now. I think the Strapless mold looks smashing in palomino, and she’s definitely a contender for my pocketbook - depending on what she looks like in person, and the size of my pocketbook. (The latter, not so good right now.)

Palomino is a color that renders really well in Gloss, so if they do decide to repeat the half Gloss/half Matte experiment that they did with last year’s Bay Appaloosa Show Jumping Warmblood, I’d consider her a prime candidate.

It wouldn’t matter to me either way, since I’m already falling in love with her in Matte.

I Want Candy

Not happy. Nothing model horse related about it - just a combination of nonsense going on at work over scheduling (they’re trying to put me on a team I’ve told them, repeatedly, that I do not want to be on), some family issues (best left unsaid), and a "surprise" dental appointment. (I lost the appointment card, missed the first phone call, and all the usual notices I get via e-mail went straight to the spam folder.)

A massive application of candy might have relieved the unhappiness a bit, but as I’ve given that up for the duration of Lent, you can see my dilemma. For the time being, I can only imagine decimating a one pound bag of Skittles.

(Any flavor will do. I’m not a picky eater.)

So, yeah, not having the bestest time right now.

Everything with the horses is going just hunky-dory. Won a Paddy - yay! Though there’s a possibility I’ll have to toss him up for sale to help cover the dental expenses; like everyone else, I’ll have to wait and see who’s actually in the box before I make my decision.

I kind of want to avoid selling any horsey stuff right now. I really don’t have the time for the kind of follow through that requires. (Not saying it’s a bad thing, just a thing I can’t deal with now.)

Since I have to head to bed here momentarily, I will cut to the chase and present y’all with a picture of one of my favorite Test Colors, the actual (I think) test piece for the original Phar Lap, done on the Traditional Man o’ War mold:


Isn’t he beautiful? I can’t believe nobody else saw him the Bentley Sales dump boxes at Model Horse Congress way back in 1986. I saw his head poking out of one of the "six dollar" dumps, noticed his star was different, yanked him out and saw the two little socks he was sporting - score!

(Yeah, six bucks for a Test Color. Now you know why I'm such a cheapskate about those sort of things.)

I don’t know the actual circumstances of his creation, other than the assumption that the Phar Lap mold was likely not available when he was made. He could have been a sample made as a proposal prior to the mold being commissioned in the first place, or he could have been made for a sales presentation or meeting while the mold was still in the process of being made.

Or it could be something else entirely (painters goofing off at the factory, a mold mix-up, etc.) All I know is that he did come straight out of the factory - as did all of the assorted goodies in those Bentley Sales dump boxes - and that I think he’s beautiful.

True, he’s not quite as tasty as a bag of Skittles, but he does come with fewer calories. And thinking about him makes me happier, if in a slightly different way.

Paddy

My schedule just changed this afternoon, so I’ll just do a little something on the current Web SR Paddy, today. I’ve been told that Paddy was among the SRs in the leaked photos, but it must have been one of the ones I missed. So my comments here are a little more off the cuff than you might imagine.

I think he’s rather cute and clever: a Cleveland Bay in Hunter Clip, with shamrocks and clovers stenciled/clipped on his behind? I find it a rather pleasing compromise between the realistic, and deco. I like it - moreso than any other colors I’ve seen on this mold other than the original Bay, and the Gloss Dark Dapple Gray Limerick SR for BreyerFest in 2008. (Yeah, I was one of those weirdos that wasn't all that into the King Arthur raffle model last year. Nice, but no big whoop for me.)

Are people complaining about him? Of course they are. If my cursory skimming of the discussions about him last night are correct, it appears many hobbyists are only entering on the hope that they’ll win the "Pot O’ Gold" variation in buckskin. Because having a unique, one-of-a-kind model is just so the thing right now.

(If there’s any one topic in model horsedom that I have less interest in, it’s the whole Peter Stone factory custom, whatever-they’re-calling-it-now program. If it’s not production, or preproduction, it’s a custom. Which I find interesting only in "gauging what’s trendy in the hobby now" sort of way. And even then, not so much. But, I digress.)

This is only setting themselves up to be even more disappointment down the road, since there’s only one out of a lottery that has only 223 winners in the first place.

(BTW: I refuse to use the term OOAK. It looks like something my dog would type. And knowing the little snot the way I do, she so would.)

I am just glad he is not some shade of green. While I love the color green - it’s the color I use most often in my quilts, bar none - I’m rather particular with it when it comes to horses. I'm just not into it unless they go full Decorator with it, a la a "Jade", or do it as a Transculent.

Or it happens to be a honest-to-goodness Christmas Decorator. (Which would be moot, because I probably would fall over dead at the shock of finding of it in the first place.)

I only have one Cleveland Bay so far - the Limerick. I wouldn’t mind another - whatever color it happens to be.