Mold 36, Where Are You?

I just went poking about on MHSP for a bit to check out some prices on things (my sales lately have been surprisingly… good?) and I have to tell you, it feels genuinely weird to be the contrarian on the Seattle Soiree models.

I have to wonder if my recent “grail fatigue” has anything to do with it: once you start scoring Presentation Series or Showcase Collection models for less than the initial cost of modern Micro Runs, it sort of puts things in perspective?

That, and the fact that the former are so much easier to find on the secondary market than the latter. As you all know, the local markets here are totally my jam.

Not for the time being, though – it’s been nearly a month since all the thrift stores closed and it’s not likely the flea markets will be open before mid-May, this year.

(If at all, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.)

One mold that’s been on my mind a lot lately has been the #36 Racehorse. The two original releases – the #36 Bay-that-was-actually-Chestnut, which ran from ca. 1953/4 through 1966, and the #936 Woodgrain, who ran ca. 1959 through 1965 – are not terribly hard to find. As is the 1997 Just About Horses Special Run Phantom in Matte Dapple Gray.

The #36 Racehorse was among the first batch of vintage molds revivals in the 1990s that included many of the Dogs, the Kitten, and even the Elephant and Donkey. But unlike many of those molds – particularly the Dogs – we haven’t seen much of the Racehorse mold since then.

In fact, the only other production runs we’ve had on the mold since Phantom have been two Micro Runs: the 2000 Tour Special Raffle Model Daisy in Dun Blanket Appaloosa, and the 2014 Exclusive Event Dixie in Gloss Dapple Gray Tobiano Pinto. Only 15 of the Daisy were made, and 24 of the Dixie: both, I presume, made from leftovers of the 1997 run.

There have been a handful of Test Colors – in Honey Bay, Red Roan, and that swoon-worthy Charcoal from the 2018 BreyerFest Auction – since then, too.

I mean, I get it, the mold is neither conventionally pretty nor typey, but I’ve been genuinely a bit saddened that this historic mold hasn’t been included in this year’s 70th Anniversary plans in any way.

(Yet?)

Inexplicable Things

FYI: Both Winx and Crystalline are currently out of stock on the Breyer web site; the Winx because of PR like this:

https://www.horseracingnation.com/news/Winx_is_the_newest_addition_to_the_Breyer_stable_123

The second photo of Winx on the Breyer web site looks very similar to the BreyerFest 2018 Celebration Horse Brass Hat, so I’m more than willing to wait for the luxury of handpicking.

They also dumped two more BreyerFest reveals on us this week, both Appaloosas. First it was the Sunday Raffle Model Fields of Heather, a Nez Perce Horse on the Akhal-Teke/Altynai mold because sure whatever:

Yeah, yeah, beautiful. I’m trying not to get too excited about this one either because aside from the fact that it’s a Raffle Model – and by its very nature, virtually impossible to get – it’s also on a mold I have some apprehensions about.

Mostly by virtue of its length: I’ve already given my heart to the Shagya Arabian mold, and I don’t need another three-foot-long beast competing for shelf space here.

And is it just me, or does this model bear some significant similarities to another Appaloosa release on another dimensionally-challenged mold: namely, the Traditional Black Beauty Sir Wrangler? (More of a coincidence than a callback, I think.)

What I am more excited about is this inexplicable creature: a Buckskin Appaloosa Trakehner? Named Thorn? This is also not a release I would have expected from this theme, but in this case I do not care:

While I’m “old school” and I’d prefer the mold the way it used to be – with the textured coat and the original tail – I’ll still take him. In Gloss, in Matte, and any Decorator surprises they might be throwing in the mix, too. All on the easier to find side, I hope.

(I am also assuming that the actual model will be somewhat less yellow in person, just like last year’s Clydesdale Mare Pepper was.)

With this final reveal of the ticket models, it’s very odd that there’s apparently no true “Decorator” in the BreyerFest mix this year. Makes me wonder if that means… something? Most curious.

The Trakehner mold has only had two other spotted releases, neither one of them an Appaloosa: the #732 Spotted Trakehner in Black Pinto, and the #702395 Kaleidoscope in Red Bay Pinto, both in the 1990s. Otherwise it has been all solids, all the way back to 1979.

And Bay. Mostly Bay.

Aside from my fondness for the mold, he shares a name with another character in another on-again, off-again writing project. While Khalid was my interpretation of the “perfect vampire boyfriend,” Thorn is “your best friend who may – or may not – be an actual dog.”

(A fairy curse may be involved.)

So that settles it: my two definites this year are Hamish (the Standing Black Angus Bull) and Thorn. Everyone else I need to see in person before I make a decision.

Chasing Rainbows

From what I’ve seen of the Seattle Soiree models, I think I’ll be okay: I have no “mighty needs”. I certainly wouldn’t turn down a Black Blanket Appaloosa Idocus Nirvana if it were offered to me (at a reasonable price, of course, which is not going to happen).

They dropped a few more reveals on us today to brighten our spirits, including the rainbow-hued thingie they sneak-previewed in the March newsletter: it’s a Goffert named Crystalline!

I actually… really like this one. I was just thinking to myself last week that, other than the 2014 BreyerFest Celebration Model, I don’t actually have any Gofferts in the herd, and I’d like to remedy that. The colors remind me of Larkspurs and Delphiniums, flowers that I’ll be reintroducing to my garden once the weather warms up a bit more. (All of my previous ones have either died off, or spent themselves.)

They also “officially” announced the Winx portrait, on Emerson. The only surprise there is that they’re shipping by the end of this month. Since all the stores that would have her in stock are all closed as non-essential businesses until the end of April, I’ll just have to wait until May for the luxury of shopping for one in person.

And finally, the BreyerFest Saturday Raffle Model, Order of the Thistle:

Don’t get me wrong, he’s drop-dead gorgeous and if by some improbable bit of good fortune I win one he’ll be staying with me forever, but I continue to be amused by the lack of fuss being made about the mold choices this year. I am not quite sure how a Gold Champagne Tobiano Pinto Saddlebred on the Hamilton mold really fits into the theme here.

The only surprise is that most of us assumed that this mold was going to appear as a Store Special, not a Raffle model, because the only semi-reasonable way they could shoehorn a hot new mold into a theme it was unsuited for was as a portrait model of a guest horse or performer.

Nah, they decided to go the Woodford route: give an inappropriate mold a gorgeous paint job and a name that fits the theme, and call it a day.

Crushed

Well, I thought I was holding it together pretty well this week, but then my Vintage Club Starlight arrived yesterday and well, I’ll let the picture speak for itself:

(The first thing that came to mind was: Dog Food, Linebacker, or Refrigerator?)

It’s being dealt with, but yeah, along with a few other unmentionable matters, things are not going well at La Maison des Gurdons. All I want to do this weekend is eat fried chicken and watch bad movies in the solitude of my basement.

The other “half” of my order came in a separate and surprisingly large box, completely and utterly intact and perfect:

The Starry Skies Pink Warmblood “Cassiopeia”. My first choice – like almost everyone else – was the Alborozo, but Cassiopeia was my second because I think this mold works surprisingly well as a Unicorn. And while I am also not a “pink” person, the color has a bit of iridescence to it and is actually very pretty in person.

I’ll get the others in this series eventually. Just not now because, you know, the world’s on fire.

There are also apparently some new Stablemates at Walmart – including a mini Liver Chestnut Brishen, a Pinto on the G4 Driving Horse, and the Fiero mold in Palomino. I did my shopping for the week yesterday, so I’ll have to wait until next week to see if they’re even in.

When Reeves first posted the Mini Rugged Lark on April Fool’s Day earlier this week, I assumed that it was a joke on the same level as the Decorator Khemosabi set from 2014: although probably fake, there had to be a nugget of truth in there somewhere.

That nugget being that there were likely more Mini Traditionals coming soon, and it was so. Actually, an SCO (Smart Chic Olena):

https://www.breyerhorses.com/blogs/news/sneak-peek-at-a-new-model

As an SCO collector, I approve of this choice.

I have no idea who is next on the shrink list, though.

Some of the early Hess molds – like the Clydesdale Mare and Foal, the Running Mare and Foal, and the Stretched Morgan – are likely, since their thicker legs and slightly less refined proportions would translate well into a smaller scale.

As for newer molds? Any of the Moody molds will do. Othello and Silver are obvious, and if they don't shrinkify the Ethereal mold, it'll be a dang crime!

Since Big Ben’s silhouette is featured prominently in their 70th Anniversary branding, I am assuming they are going to shrink him as well, perhaps as a bonus to be included in a Big Ben release later in the year.

(And if they don’t, they should have.)

Pardon me, but these chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs aren’t going to eat themselves.

Finally, Some Ponies!

I was both expecting and not expecting to see the Rhian and Cadell set: expecting it because it’s both a British Pony breed and a Mare and Foal set, and not expecting it because it was featured as the Sunday Raffle item last year.

Back to back BreyerFest releases on the same mold aren’t unknown – most notoriously the Silver releases Valentino in 2001, Ahote in 2002, and both the Live Show Prize S’Wonderful and Strawberry Fields in 2003 – and most recently, with Bristol’s 2018 Raffle release Jackpot, and last year’s Customs Contest prize Leap of Faith.

As a few others might have pointed out by now (or at least, I hope so), Brighid and Beltane do bear a passing similarity to Misty and Stormy, which may well be intentional, considering it’s an “anniversary” year and the only other nod to history in this year’s BreyerFest lineup so far has been the inclusion of the Sham Lugh.

This set is on my maybe list: I love the Foal mold, but the Mare mold seems a little soft and undefined to me. Like anything, a lot of it will depend on how they look in person.

And of course, there’s the whole issue of whether we’ll even get that chance.

Even though my life, as it is, has so far been relatively undisturbed by the pandemic, fret and worry have my traveling companions during this journey too. All this uncertainty about… everything is definitely taking its toll on me and my own.

(Even Vita: she is Not Happy about all these dogs walking past her territory on a daily basis. Not one bit!)

Most of my other extracurricular activities – including, today, the Comicon I had substituted in lieu of the Soiree – have been either postponed or cancelled outright. I spent a considerable chunk of time on Sunday looking up alternative events to participate in in the late Summer or beyond, like Quilt Week in Paducah, or Youmacon, in case the worst case scenario comes to pass.

(FYI: I genuinely don’t know any more about that situation than most of you do. So don’t interpret this as anything other than my reaction to the stress we’re all experiencing right now. I come from a family that prepares for even the most obscure of emergencies: contingency planning is just something we need to do to cope.)

I am grateful to have other activities that don’t depend on going anywhere or even interacting with anyone – like my gardening and my quilting – and I did promise myself to wrap up a lot of “unfinished business” around the house this year.

But I do need some social interaction with people I don’t have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. The prospect of doing without… is not one I want to think about.

Not one bit.

Feis

Part of the reason I am not all that into the Diorama Model Feis is that I have no current plans on entering the contest in the first place.

This cosplay idea I’ve been trying to execute is frustrating me literally every step of the way – supplies missing, orders canceled, pieces lost from patterns – and so throwing myself into another project whose end result is bound to frustrate me has no appeal at all.

Yes, the lineup is pinto-heavy this year, but the pinto part doesn’t bother me. The fact that it’s a Jeanne Mellin Herrick mold doesn’t bug me either – in fact, one of the articles I’m prepping to write for this year’s Sampler is a discussion of her work for Breyer.

No, I have two other, completely unrelated aesthetic reasons I’m not all that into the Diorama Prize model Feis.

First, as I’ve discussed before, I’m just not into Buckskin Pintos in general. I do admire how well done it is, though: instead of simple streaks, the intricate mane masking gives us a real sense of hair twisting and tangling in the breeze, and the color itself is very similar to the well-received Buttermilk Buckskin Bollywood Surprise from a few years back.

Second: it’s another Draft Horse, in a thematic year that should almost be pony-obsessive. I know there are still several more items to be revealed that will (or should) make up that deficit, but at this point it’s becoming almost comical.

As you might have noticed, Reeves has been using either older molds, or molds unsuitable for live showing for their Diorama Contest prizes recently: Haflinger, Buckshot, Boomerang, El Pastor. Many of these molds have been used for releases or entire lines designed to appeal to a younger crowd, which may be the point of selecting them for this contest, entirely.

But personally, if I had to go with an older mold, or even another Jeanne Mellin Herrick mold, I would have preferred Roemer or Pluto. (And I am extremely relieved it’s not the Fell Pony Emma. So, so relieved.)

So yeah, this one isn’t lighting a fire in my belly, and I am fine with that. I still might enter, depending on what shakes out with my plans for the next few months (i.e. if the Comicon the costume is for gets canceled or postponed), but I am definitely not going to sweat it, regardless. 

Strange Times

I did go ahead and splurge on one thing this weekend: since the Stablemates discount code worked on the Starry Skies Stablemates, and adding one to my Starlight order didn’t bump up the shipping costs, that’s what I did.

I don’t know if I’ll open it when it gets here, or wait until my birthday. Depending on what the situation is with their warehouse and shipping, that question might be moot…

As you might have heard, as of last night and for the next three weeks, Michigan is currently under a Stay Home/Stay Safe executive order.

Without giving too much away about my current life situation, nothing has really changed that much for me, other than suddenly finding myself doing all my shopping for the next couple weeks in a single afternoon.

These are strange times, indeed, when you see people panic-buying glitter and scrapbook paper at Michael’s.

FYI: I needed rhinestones. Though there is a distinct possibility that the event I need them for will be cancelled: it’s the same weekend that the Seattle Soiree was supposed to be, and it’s a far bigger event with celebrity guests and stuff. (Right now it is looking about 50/50.)

Speaking of which, I assume you’ve already heard the news about the Seattle Soiree being cancelled:

https://www.breyerhorses.com/blogs/news/breyer-covid-19-updates-03-24-20

I thought Reeves would announce on Monday, but it looks like they took the extra time to hammer out a couple different solution options – either cancel out and get an automatic bye into the next event (but not for your “plus one”), or get the Event Model Redmond and Stablemate Puget, and the other models will be purchase-raffled off online.

I am assuming there will be a little bit more to it than that, since some of the “plus ones” don’t have Collector’s Club accounts, not to mention the entire conundrum of dealing with the leftovers in an entirely virtual setting.

The decision to cancel the Fun Days appears to be up to the venue and what the local situation is at the time. (Last time I checked there was nothing local to me anyway.)

BreyerFest is still proceeding normally – we’re still getting sneak peaks and blog updates, anyway – though I would not be surprised if there are changes made, and possibly some activities made virtual, like this year’s Science Fiction Writers of America Nebula Conference will be.

Not sure how their virtual room parties and dance party are going to work; I don’t think I even want to contemplate what virtual room sales would be like.

But to end on a happy note: my flower seedlings look great! I am so glad I decided to start some plants indoors this year.

(African Marigold: Kilimanjaro White)