Light Housekeeping

Still recovering from Florida; aside from the weather, I work nights, so switching back to my vampire’s schedule can get a little messy. I should be back to “normal” in another day or two, I think. I have another five day weekend coming up next week that should help. (Thanksgiving, already?)

So today’s post is mostly housekeeping.

First: RIP Kevin Conroy. Every nerd has their Batman, and he was mine. I had hoped that, had there ever been a live-action Batman Beyond, he would have been able to also play him “in the flesh”. The closest we ever got was his depiction of a bitter, broken Batman from an alternative Earth in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event in the Arrowverse back in 2019. 

Second: It looks like I’ll have to take a pass on going to BreyerWest in Denver. The possibility of a couple of other trips has been dangled in front of me, including one overseas. More on them at a later date, if they transform into something beyond the hypothetical. I have a lot of other things to focus on, in the meantime.

Third: I apologize to any Customer Service Reps within earshot about my behavior in the two days prior to me leaving for Florida. I am not good on the phone even under the best of circumstances (I have telephonophobia), so having to make phone calls about a possible cancellation of a long-anticipated event just a few days before because the first ******* hurricane to hit Florida in November in nearly forty years is barreling straight towards your final destination is just about my worst case scenario.

The only positive outcome of all that was that I got all my anxiety out of the way before I arrived in West Palm Beach. I was so chill, in fact, that as I was going about my business on Friday afternoon I was mistaken for a resident. 

(Or maybe it’s just that I look very much like a Michigander, and so many of us move to Florida at some point, either permanently or temporarily, that we’re considered Appendix Floridians?)

And finally: my Atli arrived while I was away:

Breyer’s Silvers (the color, not the mold) are kind of hit or miss with me – with their Gloss Red Bay version first seen on the Uncalled For being a miss – but this fellow is just right! Incidentally, I managed to get a Lyric at the Early Access Black Friday Sale while I was down in Florida, after I finally remembered my web site password, LOL…

Expectations and Reality

I wanted to present to you all a compelling and epic argument today – with receipts! – about how the model horse hobby is actually very elaborate and specific fanac, but now all I’m hoping for is that the laundry gets done before I leave for Chicago on Wednesday. 

I still plan on writing it someday, when I have time to do the research properly. 

Speaking of, only is this week is going to be rough on my sleep schedule, I’m going to miss out on the local book sale that I use to restock my sales list. I guess I’ll have to skim the stacks at the thrift stores just a wee bit harder.

With everything that’s going on in my lift at the moment, I’ve also made the executive decision to not actively pursue anything from Tractor Supply this year. With one caveat: there is a TSC right next door to the local Salvation Army, and I do shop there from time to time for things other than horse stuff. 

My Second Chance Sale boxes arrived and the contents, for the most part, were unremarkable. As I expected, the Landler was Matte, and the Cleveland Bay Surprise was too. At least I got a different one this time: the Dapple Gray Pinto! Still not my first choice (Buckskin Pinto), or the rare choice (Gray Appaloosa), but I do like him better than the Gloss Silver Bay. 

The model I was most pleased with – and unsurprisingly, the one I had the least expectations about – was Rapunzel:

She’s even cuter in person! I can foresee myself buying more of her in the future. 

A couple interesting things to note about her. One: while her mane changed, her tail did not. That’s unusual, because mane and tail swaps usually go hand-in-hand; I’m assuming if there is another tail option, they didn’t think it was appropriate for this release.

Second, she’s got White speckles in addition to her Chestnut ones. The first couple of white specks I noticed I assumed were flaws, but the closer I looked, the more I realized that they were intentional. This is something we generally only see with their Black and Bay Roans, but I guess this is now an option with the Chestnuts going forward, too. 

Another Inconsequential Thing

This is not the model I was talking about in my previous post; this was something I bought last week because the price was excellent and I (slightly) regretted not buying it when I was actually drawn for one, back in the good old days when getting drawn for Web Specials didn’t feel like a near-impossibility:

I had almost completely forgotten I had bought Goji until it arrived on my doorstep Friday night. (Yeah, it was THAT kind of week.)

Now that we have the new Fjord mold Astrid, and the new Stablemates Fjord Lyric, what little popularity the original “Henry” Fjord originally had has begun to dissipate. I totally missed out on the discussion as to why he was deemed less worthy to begin with, and at this point I’m not even sure I want to know why. 

The hobby has a way of making inconsequential things seem so important, when they’re not, really. (Says the person who has written over 1500 blog posts about… plastic horse history.)

In spite of his lack of star power, the mold still has a couple of unattainables: the 2010 WEG rerelease of Henry (only 18 made) and the 2015 BreyerFest Diorama Prize Truffle (28 made). 

The others are not so hard; I think all I am missing at this point is the 2014-2015 Regular Run release GVF Sjokolade? I’m not in any hurry. 

Time has a way of turning the tables when it comes to popularity, though: for years many hobbyists bemoaned the fact that the only Friesian available to most of us was the Jeanne Mellin Herrick mold. Now that we have several (indeed, it almost seems like too many!) Breyer Friesians to choose from, the old JMH Friesian has come back into its own, again. 

I’d eventually like to get more of the Berry Ponies series, though a few of them (the Bouncer Bilberry, and the Croi Bramble) are probably out of my reach. Maybe Strawberry, next? The Hackney Pony is another mold hobbyists don’t have an overly high regard for. 

Yeah, it’s a chonky, unrefined little thing, but I still love it for all sorts of reasons, including the fact that I might have had a very small hand in getting it produced in the first place.

Incidentally, I rather like the BreyerFest release of Astrid with the long mane, named Rapunzel:

The shape of the new mane is a little goofy, and distorts the true contours of her neck the same way Giselle’s mane does. But a cute, roany pony is hard for me to resist, and I’ll definite consider her when the time comes. (So many excellent SRs to choose from this year, so hard for me to decide!)

A Game of Wanting

I put in my lone entry for the True Blue Exclusive Event; as I’ve said before, I’m not optimistic, especially since so many hobbyists are treating it like a Lotto drawing. 

The Traditional for the event – Bondi – is a Light Dapple Gray on the Valegro mold, and it appears to be Chalky as well as Glossy. He’s beautiful and I want him, but that’s not up for me to decide.

I won’t go to the secondary for this one either because the math doesn’t work out for me. It’s a pretty simple equation, really:

Gloss + Chalky + Valegro + Exclusive Event Model = Unaffordable.

The next Premier Club release is a new Fjord Mare named Astrid, and I also love her. I think I’ll be okay waiting for a more plentiful Regular Run or Special Run, though. I don’t want to get too attached to her, because I had my dreams dashed with the previous Fjord release Henry when they made him the 2015 BreyerFest Diorama Prize Truffle.

(Oddly, I wasn’t as upset with the 18-piece WEG 2010 reissue; maybe because I knew I never had a shot at that one?)

The Spring Decorator release is a Flag-themed Translucent Esprit name Old Glory. I actually like him more than most of the previous patriotic horses – no kinda weird bloody red points, yay! – but I’ll probably take a pass on him, too. Too much stuff, not enough room, others love him more than I do, all that jazz. I think I’ll like him more in person, but we’ll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.

And finally, there’s this pretty little girl:

Sigh. You know how long I’ve been wanting a black or gray variation of the Appaloosa Performance Horse color? On anything? A very long time. Knowing that this Test Color is going to be out there, and probably not at my house ever, is discomforting.  

Art Movements

All my entries are in for the VIP ticket thing. Since I’ll be out for most of the evening Wednesday, I won’t even bother checking my e-mail until Thursday and just assume that I lost anyway, unless evidence proves elsewise. 

BTW, I am totally here for these beautiful babies: Dada, Nouveau, Rococo, and Avant Garde. 

I was kind of hoping that the One-Day Stablemates would be all Decorators, and beyond my hopes and dreams, they’re even named after art movements! (Technically “Avant Garde” is more of a generic descriptor/qualifier than a specific historic movement, but it’s a Purple Wedgewood Fjord, so I will give it a pass.)

The only one that seems to be a bit of a stretch is the Fighting Stallion: aside from the fact that we already had an Art Nouveau-themed BreyerFest Decorator back in 2014, nothing about it screams “Art Nouveau” or “Alphonse Mucha” to me. He’s still pretty, but in more of a generic “Tri-Color Decorator Pinto” way. 

Or maybe Memphis? That I liked back when it was originally a thing in the 1980s, but it’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea.

The Eberl Andalusian (aka Chrome) would have been a better fit for an Art Nouveau theme, too, but I think they just wanted to shoehorn in the Stablemates Fighting Stallion somehow.

If it was me, I would have gone with an Art Deco themed Decorator. Think about it, people: an Art Deco Deco. (Probably a little obviously too on-the-nose, but not my call.)

My favorite of the quartet is Dada, because aside from the fact that the Darley Arabian mold is the perfect mold to embody it, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that there is now going to be a Dada-themed Breyer Special Run. Whoa.

(Or maybe someone in New Jersey is a Grant Morrison fan?)

That’s all for today. Got a lot of stuff to get done this week and I’ve already spent way too much time researching airfares to Wyoming for a trip that probably can’t happen until next year. 

Klaus and Friends

After much consideration, I’ve decided to pass on both the Grab Bags and the Goji Berry Pony, who I had almost completely forgotten I had been picked for in the first place.

Because I only entered once, out of habit.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s adorable – and as some have pointed out, is obviously related to the Exclusive Event Cleveland Bay Chicory somehow – but I just can’t justify him right now.

The Traditional Fjord is also a harder than normal mold to collect – the 2015 Diorama Contest Truffles and WEG Fjord re-release are not just rare numerically, but also in a “never gets puts up for sale, ever” sort of way. I think I’ll just be content with the ones I already have, and any inexpensive ones that happen to wander my way on the secondary market.

Better to open and enjoy what I have right now than seek out more goodies in the meantime, anyway. Like my Stablemates Club Klaus and Vintage Club Misty and Stormy:

(Those tiny boxes never get old!)

It’s been a few weeks and there’s probably not much more that could be said about either release – though I like the Klaus more than most. As you might expect, the crisp edges and lack of halo spots doesn’t bother me much at all, and I’m (also, obviously) one who enjoys a release that’s designed to be an historical recreation of Lipizzaners past:

http://www.appaloosamuseum.com/history-of-the-appaloosa

(Which reminds me to make a mental note to add Carina and Selene to my potential BreyerFest want list.)

As I am kinda behind on what I wanted to accomplish this weekend (quarter-inch elastic is apparently sold out everywhere, putting a crimp on my cosplay plans) that’s all I have for you guys today.

Oh, other than this: for reasons that should be obvious (the color scheme, but also my generalized weirdness), it seemed pretty obvious to me that my Klaus’s name should be Nomi. As in Klaus Nomi:

More Retail Therapy

I’m feeling a bit better today after doing a bit of shopping. Aside from some necessities (a new winter coat, and a new barn jacket) I also found a grab bag’s worth of goodies at the local Salvation Army, along with a non-equine Beswick:

Since I live relatively close to Canada (less than an hour away) Beswicks are not an uncommon sight around here, even in Salvation Army stores. There’s a note on the bottom of this Kitty McBride figurine, however, that notes it was a souvenir of a December (Christmas?) 1977 trip to England. Not everything I buy comes with a provenance, but I’ll take it…

I was momentarily excited when another Salvation Army store I visited had a nice collection of Japanese clinkies, but they were all overpriced, and one of them was even missing a leg! There was a Wooden Breyer Stable there, too – the big fancy one with the cupola – that I ultimately walked away from, because I don’t have room for that kind of nonsense right now. 

(My inner 9-year-old, on the other hand, is still pitching a fit.)

I also bought something indulgent on eBay, but I’ll talk more about that when it gets here. I don’t normal buy vintage models at “full retail” but when I found out last week that I didn’t need to save up as much money as I thought for the new sewing machine, that money had to go somewhere. 

It’s almost time for the Winter Web Special to drop, and I am secretly hoping that it’s not something I am going to want: it’s not so much a money thing as a I don’t want to get my hopes dashed again thing.

My initial suspicion – since the release of Frozen II is imminent – is that it’ll be something on the Fjord, but it could just as likely be something on the Traditional Icelandic, and that would be a problem. I love that big floofy boy, even though I don’t currently own one.

My platonic ideal would have been the 2017 Early Bird Raffle Sokkar, but that didn’t happen. I will eventually get myself the Berries Ponies Series Honeysuckle in Palomino Roan, but as I appear to be one of the few people in the hobby that didn’t consider her a complete disappointment, I think I can afford to wait.

Actually, my biggest concern right now is a potential Winter Animal Special, like the Longhorn Olaf or the Eldora and Sol Cow and Calf set. I somehow had the misfortune of missing both of them utterly, in spite of them being both rather plentiful for a Web Special (350 pieces) and sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

I don’t even care what it is, and I might not even buy it regardless: I just want to be online when it’s actually still available for sale. As I’ve explained before, sometimes it’s not so much about the buying as having the option. 

Things I am not worried about at the moment: a Collector’s Club Appreciation Sale (as I already have several order options available at a moment’s notice, if/when it happens) and the Christmas Day Special Run, because that’s… not going to happen until Christmas Day.

I am also likely passing on the Premier Club next year. I can wait for a Regular Run of the Akhal-Teke, especially since the model looks about three feet long. Lynn Fraley’s work is hit and miss with me, and I am not as enamored with Kylee Parks’s stuff as the rest of the hobby is, though that’s partly a matter of me being leery of anyone with a short resume, no matter how impressive.

Chocolates

I was relieved that they didn’t do a Gloss Prize model of the new Fjord GVF Sjokolade at some point last year. I’ve grown quite fond of my cartoonish little Henries lately, and I had visions of completing my collection, sans the impossible-to-get 18-piece Special Run World Equestrian Games Reissue from 2010.

But now I have to deal with Truffles, this year’s Diorama Contest Prize:

He’s another "thematic" rather than realistic Special Run; according to designer Sommer Prosser (via Blab), he is/was supposed to be Silver Dapple Pinto - in other words, a "Chocolate" Truffle!

I had some reasons to believe that we’d be getting another Fjord Special Run sooner rather than later, especially after the mold’s return last year on Sjokolade.

Prior to the WEG Reissue, we hadn’t seen much of him since the original #482 Henry was discontinued in 2004. All of the other Special Runs of the mold - including the Silver Dun "Silver Wolfe" (in 2000) and the Just About Horses Gambler’s Choice Specials Naughty and Nice (in 2001) - were done during Henry’s generously long run (1996-2004).

Although mostly ignored by the hobby during his initial release, his popularity has grown in recent years. The appearance of Fjords in the insanely popular Disney film Frozen certainly hasn’t hurt the breed’s popularity either, especially among the youngest of us (chronologically, or otherwise).

And maybe influenced Reeves’s decision to promote the mold again? Especially now that they just announced a sequel to Frozen?

Breyer did have a brief dalliance with Disney, circa 1979-1981: they made a Special Run Black Percheron on the Belgian mold for the Disney theme parks. He can be distinguished from the other mail-order Black Belgians SRs by the color of his tail ribbon: Blue and White - as opposed to Red and White, or Red and Yellow. He's not super-duper rare, but he's definitely a harder-to-come-by Special, since a significant portion of them were sold to the general public first.

Just something to keep in mind. And an eye on, I suppose.

I was imagining a more conservative color for the now-not-imaginary Truffles, since the breed itself has a rather limited range of colors to choose from, about a half dozen variations of Dun: http://www.nfhr.com/catalog/index.php?colors=1

There used to be more: because of a genetic bottleneck in the late 19th/early 20th century and breed standardization, those colors have largely disappeared. At best, Truffles could be considered either an "historical" color or a crossbred.

I am more than fine with Sooty Palomino/Pale Silver Dapple Tobiano Pinto. (Or Silver Filigree!) My only complaint is that I wish they had made him a little easier to obtain. Time to go rooting around my body box for more and better ideas...

Chocolates

It feels very strange to be relaxing in an office chair and not have to go to work or to bed within an hour or two. After nearly two weeks of that, I’m not quite sure what to do with myself! Other than clean up the debris left behind. I’ve been picking up stuff all day, and I’m still finding articles of clothing in inappropriate places. (I have a better throwing arm than I thought!)

My Vintage Club Levi arrived a few days ago, but he still hasn’t been opened yet, because work. I am somewhat encouraged by most of the comments I’ve seen in passing this week. More on him next post.

The Grab Bags appear to be what I - and most other hobbyists - assumed they would be: a mix of BreyerFest Specials, Regular Runs, Classics and MiniWhinnies sets. I haven’t seen any reports of crazy-awesome things like Samples or Artist’s Proofs, but it’s still a little early yet, and not everyone wants or needs to share. (Which I am totally fine with, BTW. Some joys are best enjoyed in private.)

I wouldn’t have minded getting a Tinseltown - the dun Lonesome Glory BreyerFest SR from 2010. I wasn’t real crazy about his color back then, but I’ve warmed up to it considerably since then.

Speaking of duns, one of the more captivating new releases for me is the GVF Sjokolade, on the Henry Fjord mold: http://www.breyerhorses.com/gvf

I know there’s been some concern expressed that there might be some difficulty distinguishing his paint job from the original Henry release, or from the WEG Reissue, but if the web site photos are anywhere near the ballpark, I don’t think we have a lot to worry about.

The real horse has brown points, not black or charcoal, which makes sense since his name means "Chocolate" and his barn name is "Hershey"! Even if the color isn’t quite there on the model itself, it looks like they’re loading him up with a different order of detail than the previous Fjords had - better than the Henry, and just plain different from the WEG model.

I think it is a safe bet that this model - in Gloss or Semi-Gloss - will turn up as a prize model in this year’s BreyerFest Youth Show. A highly coveted prize, if my recent experiences with the mold continue to hold. Popular fellow he’s been, lately.

If I’m not lucky enough to locate the Sample "Hershey" this year, I’ll be more than content with just a nicely shaded Regular Run one. Assuming I have the room for him by then.

Off to enjoy the rest of my evening, lounging in flannel jammies, eating clearance Christmas candy and catching up on my TV time. Boring and mundane never felt so inviting.