Breyer's Body Box

Why am I buying even more stuff on the Internet? Argh! 

I swear, every year I tell myself that I’ve bought too much stuff at BreyerFest, and then I turn around and go on a buying spree for the month afterward. 

Anyway, here’s more stuff I bought in the NPOD – more “bodies” from the Breyer Body Box:

The Classic Black Beauty is from the #2404 Fire Wagon Set; I sort of blanked on grabbing the matching Ginger after finding the Chalky Test Ginger. They Fire Wagon horses are not quite in the same demand as the Classic Clydesdale Drafts from the #2405 Delivery Wagon Set, but they’re still a little on the scarce side, for Classics. 

The Standing Stock Horse Foal has been a source of fascination to me for a while now (I really need to finally finish that custom one I started last year!) This Rocky might be a Sample, but I’m just happy to have him regardless. 

The Classic Andalusian Stallion is the scarce Blockbuster Special Run of Hildago from 2004. I’ve been wanting one, and at two dollars I really couldn’t beat that price. There’s also the slight possibility he might be a Sample too, and that didn’t hurt.

I also purchased a Shadow of Blue – the BreyerFest 2001 Special Run Amber in Black with blue undertones. I already had one, but I had a weird feeling she might have been a Sample or Test, too. I inspected her at the hotel later, but came to the conclusion that I was misinterpreting her overspray as something else. 

I priced her pretty modestly and put her on my sales shelves a few hours later; she was gone by the end of the day. If I had known she was going to sell that easily, I might have bought a couple of the Leah’s Fancy Breyers that were also in that bin for the same price!

Unlike the $5 “bodies” they sold the day previous, there did not appear to be a limit on the $2 Classics and Foals. I decided to limit myself to five, because that seemed like a good number, and there was no need to get greedy. I made my one big “find” with the Chalky Ginger, and I was good. While I’m pretty sure I could have found another treasure or two, but I thought I’d let others get the opportunity to dig.

I kind of wish Breyer hadn’t co-opted the term “Body Box” for this particular offer, though. Aside from the fact that most of these models were better than body quality, it also created quite a bit of confusion at the hotel, with a lot of kids asking for “Body Box” models. What I – and most people at the hotel – had in their body boxes was not comparable to what Breyer offered. 

The Two Dollar Test

I still feel very much like a coagulated puddle of sweat and Gatorade, so you’ll have to forgive me for continuing to be a little antisocial until the end of the week or so. 

It’s nothing personal guys, I just think I underestimated how emotionally overwhelmed I’d be at being at the first in-person BreyerFest in three years. I thought I’d be prepared because I’d been to two live shows and Motor City Comic Con in the months previous, but I guess not!

Everything is out of the car, but I probably won’t be finished unpacking and sorting until the weekend. In the meantime, I also have to deal with some work-related stuff and getting the garden back in shape, too. (Wax beans are imminent!)

I wasn’t able to bring home the Dapple Gray Belgian or any of the Five-Gaiters I was looking for (there was a dearth of vintage stuff at the hotel this year), but I did find a few neat things I’ll be sharing over the next couple of weeks. 

But there is one little thing I do want to share with the group right now. I was actually getting a little obnoxious about it by the end of the weekend, but I think you’ll understand why when you see it.

I didn’t get a chance to go to the NPOD Friday morning, because I had actual stuff to do both at the hotel and at the KHP. I did hear about – and see! – some of the goodies pulled out of the “Body Bins” later in the day, though, including a Matte Dappled Black Five-Gaiter. 

(Yes, I whimpered a bit. But it went to someone who is almost as obsessed with vintage stuff as I am, so I know he will be well-loved.)

Since I didn’t have anything to do first thing Saturday morning, I decided to be brave and go for it.

The only complication I ran into was the fact that Reeves didn’t handle the numbered tickets very well: they had two sets of tickets for the two stores, and instead of handing them out more or less in order, (i.e. either one-one, two-two or in alternating groups of five or ten) they handed out the first 200 sequentially, and then the second set of 200 sequentially. 

That meant that many people would be getting into – and out of! – one of the stores before people who had gotten there several hours earlier. Not cool, guys! They also claimed that both stores had the same merchandise, but I knew that was not the case, which is why I fought to get into the main store in the Covered Arena. 

(This had apparently happened the day before, so that was something I was prepared for. And it was also remedied the next day. And forever, hopefully. This is not rocket science, guys!)

Anyway, after all that nonsense, I found this fabled body bin. It was almost all Classics that day, with some Traditional Foals also in the mix. I’m not as familiar with Classic oddities – in spite of owning an awful lot of them! – but I dug through the bin and pulled a few things out that I thought were worth my time. 

(Technically they were all “worth the time”: everything in the bin was Two Dollars!)

Then I grabbed this Ginger and said to myself: well, she’s peculiar:

She’s Chalky, with natural-colored hooves, tons of pinking, and handpainted eyes. Yes, dear readers, I found myself a two-dollar Test Color! 

A friend of mine pointed out that she might be a Test for the First Christmas Horse Snowball, on the Haflinger mold, and I think she might be right, or at least in the neighborhood.

She’s not in the best condition, and I doubt she’d show well anywhere, but I love her all the same. Especially since I found her at a BreyerFest with a $65,000 Auction Test Color in it! 

I know that the prices at the Auction this year discouraged a lot of people from imagining that they could ever afford a Test Color, but as my little “Snow Baby” shows, it’s not always about the money. Do your research, do the legwork, and treasures will eventually find you.

(I’ll take her out of her bag, eventually.)

They Find You

Another thing that was entirely predictable: after telling myself and the world that I’m trying to cut back on buying horsey stuff for the duration, I find a box lot of 1970s-era body quality models at the Salvation Army literally the next day:

It really does seem like I plan this sort of thing! But I swear to Vita that I didn’t.

The first thought I had when I found them was “When I stop looking for horses, the horses come looking for me.” (For what it’s worth, I was there looking for clothes and shoes for work. I swear.)

The worst part, though, was when the cashier made the comment “Boy, these horses are selling like hotcakes!”

OMG, there were more? 

Anyway, as you can see, they’re mostly models from the mid- to late 1970s, or basically my prime horse-crazy years. These were the kinds of models I then aspired to owning – in better condition, of course.

Their previous owner once thought very highly of them too – many of these horses have glossed hooves, and the Bay Proud Arabian Foal was at one point decapitated (accidentally, I presume) but repaired.

Most of the models from this era had extended production runs, and all of the models here are definitely body quality, so the likelihood that I missed something awesome is rather slim.

The only thing that really bothers me is that there might have missed some cool variations: while  collectively quite common, models from that time period have a reputation for variations. Things like random socks, funky dappling, and dramatic body shading can turn a body quality model into a shelf sitter right quick.

I try to comfort myself with the thought that at the time I got there and the day of the week I went shopping, any of the other models that sold before I arrived went to the grandparents of horse-crazy preteens.

And if those models help inspire a love of Breyer models from that era with the younger set, I’m all for it.

Anyway, most of these guys will be heading to the body sales box. The Galiceno is tempting and I’ve seen a couple of really neat Fantasy customs on the Classic Andalusian Stallion, but I don’t have time to finish the customs I’ve already started, much less start more. Then again, by the time I have time to start selling things again, my creative calendar might be clear too.

In the meantime, my extended weekend will be spent cleaning the house, the office and the garden. Finishing at least one quilting project would be great too, if I can manage.

Opening Day 2018

Kind of busy here this week – aside from catching up on all the errands and odd jobs I can now do due to the improving weather, I’ve also been prepping my sales stuff for BreyerFest.

It is taking a little longer than I expected: that is because while I have about the same amount of inventory dollar-wise as last year, I have more physical pieces.

That includes lots of miniatures, dollar table items, books and bodies. Not counting the ones I’ve pulled out for my own amusement, I have about 30 bodies now residing in my Body Box, including a these additions I made on Flea Market’s Opening Day:

An Appaloosa Strapless, a Secretariat, a Roemer Flim Flam, and a Classic Johar! I probably overpaid slightly (there will be no significant resale profit), but they were the first things I spotted when I walked into the flea market, and the reflexes kicked in.

If the Flim Flam had been mint, he would be staying. Same goes for the Secretariat: he has the best shading I have ever seen on that particular release, but he is just a little bit beyond even my lower-than-average standards for a shelf-quality piece. Not that I was looking to upgrade, but if the opportunity arises, I will take it.

I also bought some non-horsey things I’ve already turned a small profit on, so no worries. Except for the fact that my Body Box is now shaping up to be as large as those of the previous two years.

Sigh. I do NOT want to rent a bigger vehicle for the trip. Nope, nope, nope, nope…

So far it looks like I made the right call with the Surprise Boxes: there’s nothing in any of them that makes me want to blow my Paypal account.

I suspected as much. When I took the e-mail claims into consideration – $300 in retail value, with at least 8 items per box – that meant, at most, you’d be getting only one or two really good-to-great ($75-135) items per box.

Theoretically it is possible to put a $200-250 item in there and then load it up on Pocket Boxes and Stablemates, but that would have felt a little bit of a cheat – and the weight of the box would also be a dead giveaway. Hijinks could ensue if people knew they had an extra-special box in transit.

While there are a few items that fit in the $75-135 range I’d be willing to consider, so far nothing that I’ve heard about or have seen (other than the Vintage Club Cantering Welsh Pony My Girls) are things I really want or need enough to buy a whole box worth of stuff for.

Back to bagging and tagging!

A Different Kind of Blind Bag...

I wasn’t planning on going to the flea market today – it rained last night, and that tends to scare off some of the more delicate flowers – but I threw caution to the wind, and I was rewarded for my efforts:

Not quite the “blind bag” I was hoping for, but I’ll take it!

Don’t freak out, they’re mostly bodies. I got them inexpensively enough that I didn’t object when the lady decided to stuff them all in a single bag. One of two of them might end up in my personal project box, but the rest are going to ‘Fest.

And here I was worried I wouldn’t have as plentiful a body box as I had last year! Piffle…

Incidentally, I have now reached the point of my BreyerFest prep where I want to do nothing more than hide in the basement and work on my quilts.

Everything is actually going fairly well and according to plan. The only hangups I’m having are my sales list – I haven’t had the time to dig through my storage boxes as I planned – and the costume, which I am just not feeling right now. I know what I have to do with it, and I have all the supplies on hand, I’d just rather work on other things.

There have been a few scheduling issues at work that have been distracting me too, but there’s nothing to be done on that front until after Kentucky.

Not much else I want to say today, other than I finally broke down and bought the Web Exclusive Fiona and Rory set. (Still available on the Breyer website, though you do have to do some searching.)

I had a little extra cash in the Paypal account, and I’ve been really good this year, budget-wise. So I figured I was entitled to a couple of sparkly black ponies!

The Necessity of Cliff Diving

More bodies from the local Salvation Army –

The Traditional Black Beauty was a nice one, by late 1970s/early 1980s standards: the cleanly masked star, good seams, not tippy at all, and has that attractive “dry matte” finish you don’t run across very often. And he’s the four-stocking version, earliest of the multiple variations of the long-running (1979-1988) #89 release.

But not rarest. The rarest would be the left foresock version, seen almost exclusively on his box:

This was not the first version of the box: the first version had the four stocking variation. It was one of the rare instances where Breyer actually updated the artwork on the box to more accurately reflect the horse inside. Somewhat, of course: while all subsequent Black Beauties did have a single sock, the placement varied. And very rarely appeared on the left fore. (How rare? I cannot remember the last time I saw one for sale.)

Alas, the previous owner took it upon her- or himself and “neatened” up the stockings with some nail polish remover – aka slightly watered down Acetone, which is the stuff they use to fuse freshly-molded pieces together to make fully functional Breyers. And so he goes, along with his dinged-up jumping friend, into the body box.

As much as the mold aggravates me – mostly because he’s such a shelf hog – he’s another one of those underappreciated Hess molds with a lot of customizing potential.

But not for me. The irony of my again-plentiful body box is that most of my creative efforts for the time being are of the sewing and quilting variety. Some clean and empty floor space made itself available in the house, and I want to take advantage of it while I can to finish a few of the bigger projects.  

The other project I have to focus on: making this Chasing the Chesapeake thing happen.

Yep, silly me bought a dang ticket.

My other rationalization for doing this – aside from all of the others I articulated earlier – was that I think I need to do this to get myself out of the personal funk I’ve found myself in this year.

My other Breyer-related travel has become almost routine. I’ve been to Kentucky enough that it almost feels like my second residence, and last year’s Event was my fifth trip to the Chicago area. But I’ve been to the East Coast exactly once – back in 1992, again for a Breyer-thing – and all the travel arrangements were made for me then.

Other than it being also a Breyer-thing, this is going to be an entirely new experience for me, almost from the ground up. Drive or Fly? Roommates? Travel companions? None of this is set in stone. I’m not quite sure where to even begin.

It’s both thrilling and terrifying, like diving off a cliff.

(IOW yes, I’m looking for roommates and travel companions. Blab me, e-mail me, comment below if you have any help to offer in these areas.)

Hobby Ambassador

The end of the flea market season went down rather quietly around here; my last “official” find was this rather dilapidated puppy:

Poor thing wears his expression honestly! Even though the Basset Hound is on the short list of molds that nobody customizes, ever, I have a general policy of leaving no cheap bodies behind.

While the Companion Animal canines are frequent visitors to the customizer’s table, most of the Traditional Dog molds are not. Every once in a great while I’ll see someone do something wild and crazy with a Boxer or a Poodle because they are so darn plentiful, but most “conditionally challenged” Dogs usually end up getting passed along to the nearest yard/garage/tag sale, or made into the crafty sort of something that you’d find on Etsy.

This is not a bad thing. Any vector it takes to get more people interested in the models is a good thing.

The Basset Hound mold, actually, is one of those molds that has always served as sort of a hobby ambassador anyway. His likeness to the Hush Puppies mascot – and occasional use as one – has made him a familiar and comforting figurine to many outside of our hobby who would normally not give Breyers or the hobby a second thought.

(“They made that, too?” Oh, the conversations I’ve had…)

Originally I was just going to let my new addition be a part of my “Body Box Gang” – an assortment of sorry-looking creatures I’ve rescued over the years – but in light of the recent events in Paris, I think I might actually move him to my “Peculiar Customs in Progress” table.

The Basset Hound is a French breed, after all; you might remember that I was mildly annoyed earlier this year that he was not included in the BreyerFest Vive Le France Special Run lineup, but that’s another thing I’m trying to let go.

Though with Reeves, one never knows. Nobody in the hobby was expecting a Wedgewood Blue Antelope for Christmas last year, either. (That Boxer was another story. Sort of.)

Regardless: I think Claude would look rather dashing with a saucy little beret, oui? I might have some time off next week, so maybe then...

Body Box Adventures

Before I go on, I just wanted to point out that the next round of Munda auctions is up tomorrow. I actually bid on a couple this time, partly because eBay is annoying me this week. (There are a couple of very inexpensive items I am trying to acquire for a project, and I keep getting sniped. Sniped, on cheap stuff!)

We got out of work unexpectedly early yesterday, so I took that extra time to clean out my Stablemates body box. Aside from the fact that there was no way in heck I’d ever get around to working on them any time soon, my "Dollar Table" selection was looking a little skimpy. I like having a certain amount of inexpensive items for kids, cheapskates, and people who’ve already blown their budgets but still want to buy more stuff anyway.

None of them were specifically bought as bodies, but most were "comes with" box lot items. Some of I wouldn’t necessarily classify as body quality, but I decided to just sell them all that way anyway, just because I didn’t want to deal with the drama.

The most painful experiences I have had at BreyerFest - aside from the Roommate Issues, and the actual incidents of me injuring myself - have been when I’ve had to deal with people who put up big fights over condition, often over the most minor of flaws.

We’re not talking about honest pricing negotiations: these were the kinds of folks who wanted me to sell them a $40-50 Special Run for ten bucks, because of a single smudged dapple. It’s gotten to the point that if more common models with already low price points have even the tiniest of flaws, I sometimes relegate them to the body box, just so I don’t have to get into arguments with people over what constitutes a "body".

What pains me more though, are the models that aren’t so common - yet are technically classifiable as body quality.

My thinking is this: just because something is classified as body quality doesn’t necessarily mean that it should be used as a body. I have a small but significant assortment of models I’ve fished out of body boxes myself, and place on the shelf right next to LSQ Test Colors.

The problem is that the prices for pieces that are meant to be bodies - and pieces that are simply rare, but in poor condition - are indistinguishable. The price for a body-body is a reflection of its value as a "base" or armature for a new work, while the price of a body-rarity is because it still has some residual value even in spite of its condition. (A coverless, poor-quality copy of Action Comics #1 may not be worth much, for instance, but there’s certainly still a market for it.)

One particularly painful year I had a body quality Adios for sale. Normally this wouldn’t cause me much consternation, but this guy was a Chalky - a white plastic Chalky, to be precise. While Yellow Mounts are not too difficult to come by, Chalky Adioses definitely are - even in body condition.

I was reluctant to sell him, but my sales stash was quite skimpy that year, and he was a recent flea market pickup that I had not yet grown too attached to. Since he was technically quite rare, I put him on the shelves with all of my other stuff. I figured he’d be a fairly easy sell, right?

Nope. He lingered on my shelves straight up until Saturday. I’d happily chirp to anyone who looked his way about his Chalky status, and his exceeding cheapness, but no dice. This was a bit before the current Chalky craze, and it was true he wasn’t in the best shape, but I kept thinking what the heck?

When I pointed out his Chalky nature to someone who appeared to be genuinely interested in him, the expression on the (eventual) buyer’s face was clearly one of "And I should care why?" She needed it as a body, nothing more.

My first reaction was "No, you do not deserve him! Begone!" But I needed the money, and I needed the space. Who was I to deem her money unworthy? I swallowed my pride, bit my tongue, and took the money, because she was willing to at least pay the asking price.

So the way I deal with this situation now is by tossing quality models of dubious condition status into the body box. That way, if someone happens to find it and recognize it for what it is, it cheers my heart a little.

Honestly, I think I have an easier time selling models like that in the body box because, well, I am not the only one who specifically goes hunting for buried treasure there. Other hobbyists are all too eager to show me Chalkies, Pearlies, and vintage customs from famous customizers pulled out of other people’s body boxes - things that I would have been proud to add to my collection.

It happened last year, with an early Lady Phase. Some of the earliest Lady Phases, for some odd reason, come in a very white - but not truly Chalky - plastic. I don’t know if they decided to go with virgin Tenite (no regrind = minimal yellowing over time) or it was a last little remnant of Chalky white plastic mixed in with the standard semi-opaque stuff.

She was, unfortunately, very much a body: her condition much worse than the Adios, even. I’ve been running a bit of a surplus of models here, so keeping her wasn’t even remotely an option.

The person who fished her out of the box stared at her a good long while, turned her over in the lamp light several times, and then said something to the effect of "She’s something special. I think I can fix her up." 

I think I ended up selling her for the same price as the Adios. It wasn’t about the price, though.

Picture Day

Mood’s in a bit of a dumper today. Nothing specific, just realizing the amount - and order of magnitude - of stuff I have to urgently attended to after BreyerFest. (None of it of the good sort, either.)

Keeping myself distracted with BreyerFest prep is the only thing keeping me reasonably rational and focused right now. Focus is good! Think about how good it will be to get away.

If I’m lucky, I might even get to see the return of Giant Butter Jesus:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2018464694_apusjesusstatuereturn.html

(I'm not a particularly religious person. I just like oversized roadside sculpture.)

Here’s a little something I picked up at the flea market a few weeks ago. It’s not model horse or Breyer related, but I think most of you will appreciate it:

It’s an 18" x 24" upholstered naugahyde horse picture, mounted on wood, with a mane and forelock each made out of a single piece of hand cut vinyl. The concha’s a nice touch, too, don’t you think? According to the address label on the back, it was made pre-1964. I have no idea what I’m going to do with it, but I absolutely had to have it.

I’ve seen similar things on the actual pieces of furniture, but never something done purely as a piece of wall art.

Here’s another picture, this one showing you why I’m so concerned about the dimensions of my body box this year:

See, told you. Scary! Outside of a couple of Classics, there’s nothing "newish" or particularly desirable about any of the bodies contained therein. Just because they’re not conventionally - or conformationally - pretty doesn’t mean you can’t make something beautiful (or fun!) out of an otherwise undesirable body:

(The glitter glows in the dark, by the way. Because that’s how I roll, ladies.)

On top of all the other contests Reeves "sponsors" for BreyerFest, I really think they need to do one that highlights the more subtle charms of the older molds. Pick any older mold that most customizers now steer clear of - like the Running Stallion, or the Family Arabian Mare, or even Misty - and make something beautiful or unique out of it. With the only stipulation being that it still be recognizable as the mold. (No melting it into a puddle, or only using the head and tail.)

Sort of like the old Model Horse Jamboree Tricked Out Pony Contest, except with molds nobody actually customizes of their own free will. Anybody can make something out of the American Saddlebred mold, but a Roemer? Now THAT’S a challenge.

It would help foster a greater appreciation for some of these overlooked molds, clear out a few body boxes, and maybe - like the Dragon Horse Merlin - serve as an inspiration for a future release.

And if Reeves doesn’t do it, maybe we can do it ourselves. We can award ourselves goofy, nominal prizes - gift certificates to Denny's, silly hats, or giant bags of candy - for whatever categories we choose ("realistic", "unrealistic", and "WTF?") It’s high time the hobby took back a little ownership of the mid-summer model horse convention thing, ya know?