Hands Down

Another day, another Walmart, another full and unrifled-through box of Surprise Mini Whinnies. I guess someone is trying to tell me I picked a wrong time to put a hold on collecting Mini Whinnies, huh?

I’ll probably regret not getting them later on. Ah, well.

Here’s something I didn’t regret or pass up: the BreyerFest Pop-Up Store Stablemate Special Run Hands Down, who was an easy pick up for me on Sunday.

Usually the Pop-Up Store Stablemate release either sells out, or sells well, but there was a substantial pile of them when I finally got a chance to peruse what remained on Sunday (no Tervis Tumbers, rats!)

I was pretty happy to discover that it was injection-molded plastic, and not something more breakable. I think that apprehension – and the fact that the mold has molded on tack – probably led to the more modest sales this year.

I liked him a lot more in person than I thought I would! It is neat that in spite of its origins as an ornament, the item also stand pretty well on its own – a nod, perhaps, to the original Breyer Robin Hood set from the 1950s, where the rider itself is also (quite cleverly) designed to stand on its own.

Although there have been several resin and china molds released with molded-on tack in recent years, the last “new” free-standing injection-molded Traditional molds were the Pacer and Man o’ War in the mid-1960s.

These earlier items with molded-on tack – especially the Western Horse, Pony, Prancer, and the Old Timer – still continue to be made, and in many cases are often among Breyer’s better-selling items!

But alas, not among hobbyists: we prefer removable tack to the molded-on variety. That’s why newer molds with molded-on tack tend to be items that are specifically designed to be admired from afar or on a tree, rather than something you’d see in a show ring.

The Hands Down is something slightly different from BreyerFest Stablemates releases of the past: he wasn’t really designed for the hobbyist, but for the more casual attendees, or the hobby-curious.

To mixed results, obviously.

It was kind of an experimental year all-around for BreyerFest; it’ll be interesting to see what they decide to keep, and what they decide to discard. Will we go back to a more standard Stablemate release next year, or continue with the more souvenir-like items like Hands Down?

I’m fine, either way.

Hey, Who is That Guy?

This week we’re getting a look at the One-Day Stablemates; Reeves was kind enough to give us silhouettes for all four on the ticket ordering page today:

Gosh, why does that last one (named Tushar) look so familiar?

Oh, that’s why: it’s last year’s Beautiful Breeds Ornament Gypsy Vanner!

Last year I decided to sell off all of my Breyer Christmas ornaments except for the Carousel Series and the Angel Fillies; with Vita around, nothing that goes on a Christmas tree is safe, especially delicate little porcelain or resin creatures with very edible legs.

And also because of my clumsy self, as I was rather unpleasantly reminded of this weekend: I was wrapping up some old paperwork and somehow managed to staple myself almost deep enough to require a trip to an emergency room.

(BTW, I am fine. As the kind of person who can manage to injure herself while reading, I am very familiar with the contents of the family first-aid kit.)

So yeah, minimizing my contact with easily breakable things is a good idea.

I never got around to acquiring any pieces in the Beautiful Breeds Series, though I wanted to: there are some genuinely beautiful little sculpts there. I was hoping that they’d eventually get around to translating them into a more Vita- and Andrea-proof substance, as they did with the little Spirit Series Esperanza last year (as the Premier Club Mini Geronimo, and the BreyerFest Sao Paulo).

It looks like that might be happening!

I’m hesitant to pencil Tushar onto my shopping list just yet, though. I had to buy a new radio for the car over the weekend too (LONG story, but no injuries!) and while it wasn’t all that much money to replace, I’d rather not think about spending any more money right now.