Seen It All Before

The past 24 hours just….ugh. There are some things kitten cuddles and puppy hugs do not fix. Especially when you have a dog who only wants hugs on her own terms.

The pickings at the flea market yesterday were modest, with the best find being a set of boxed Japanese miniatures from the 1960s, still in their original packing paper and fluff. (That are also staying here for the time being, because I need their cuteness right now.)

I think I should be good to go as far as inventory for BreyerFest, though; I did a local pickup last week, and I may be doing another later this week, if my work scheduling pans out. If nothing else, my body box will be huge and fabulous.

(Whenever I do one of these local pickups it always feels like we’re doing something slightly illicit, in public. “Nope, nothing to see here, officer, just a little horse trading at the park….”)

Aside from the social aspect of horse trading, which I really enjoy, I also prefer to fund the trip that way. Other hobbyists set aside money, I set aside inventory! It helps rein in my spending impulses a bit: what I buy is limited to what I can sell, and how much room I can make in the car.

It doesn’t always work out, but at least there is a plan.

Since I’m a bit short on brainpower today (work scheduling issues), here’s another not quite random pic of a Test Color from one of Marney’s albums:

A Bay Splash Spot Blanket Appaloosa Standing Stock Horse Foal that looks not too dissimilar from the production release of the #861 Family Appaloosa Foal, from 1992-1994:

http://www.identifyyourbreyer.com/images/00861.jpg

Most of the photos in the album the Test Color’s photo came from are from the mid-1980s or earlier, so I think it’s unlikely that the Test led to the Foal, especially if it was already in Marney’s possession by then.

It’s more likely that the Foal was either just one of Marney’s little experiments – let’s try the Appaloosa’s blanket on the Bay! – or it could represent one of the color options they were exploring for the mold’s initial release in 1983.

In some quarters, Test Colors that are that similar to Production Runs don’t get as much love or money as flashier or more exotic ones. As I’ve said before, I prefer them, not just because they tend to be cheaper (usually!) but because of the historical aspect.