The "It" Color

Things have been so crazy here for so long that a lot of recent – and not so recent – purchases have come (and sometimes, gone!) without comment. Since my horse purchases have been, and will continue to be more or less on hiatus for the next couple of months, let’s begin to rectify that with this beauty, a Mint in Box Pottery Barn Strapless I bought over a year ago (ulp!):

I ended up paying about market value for her, which is something I do on rare occasions – mostly when I feel that the “good deal” I was hoping for is not likely coming. I justify it by rationalizing that I get enough good deals throughout the year so I can afford an occasional full-retail splurge.

She’ll be released from her box soon; I didn’t have the time or space to do so previously. The box in rough shape, anyway, and unlike the other two Pottery Barn releases – the Classic Johar in Chestnut Appaloosa, and the Best in Show Thoroughbred in Black – she won’t lose her identity or much value once she is set free.

Not that resale value is very high on my list of concerns. It’s not. In fact, focusing on potential resale value is one of the few ways I think collectors and hobbyists can go seriously astray. But now is not the time to revisit that topic…

It’s interesting to me that this purchase – like so many that I’ve made in the past – was unintentionally prescient. As both I and others have pointed out, 2018 has definitely been the “Year of the Bay” as far as Breyers are concerned.

For me, too. The majority of my non-retail purchases at BreyerFest were Bay, and the only current release I am (somewhat) actively looking for is the Walmart 4-piece set, primarily for that beautiful Bay Django.

I’d like to buy an LV Integrity on the Yasmin mold, too, but I’m trying to save that one for any potential gift-with-purchase offers they may spring on us near the end of the year.

It’ll be interesting to see what becomes the next “It” color. I’m secretly hoping for something old-fashioned or Decoratory. Honey Palomino? Gloss Pink-eyed Albino? Resist Dapple Gray?

Pottery Barn Specials

As you may know, the only Pottery Barn item I have is the Sample of the Gray Kennebec Count that appeared on eBay during that brief window of time when rumors were swirling about that Special Run’s potential cancellation:

Fortunately I didn’t pay too much for him; most either decided to wait out the rumors, or just give it a complete pass altogether because it was Kennebec Count. (Which I have no problem with: more for me!)

There were (or are, so far) only four horses in the Pottery Barn lineup: the 2007 Kennebec, a lovely Dappled Bay loose-tail Strapless released in 2009, the Classic Best in Show Thoroughbred in Black, and the Classic Johar in Chestnut Appaloosa. The Classics are still up on the Pottery Barn web site, though they were released in 2012, and are no longer available from them:

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/breyer-horses/

They also sold the Classics Scale Horse Trailer:

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/doll-horse-trailer/

None of the models had “official” names, and the two Classics are indistinguishable (as far as I know) from the Regular Run releases, aside from the special packaging.

The Kennebecs are relatively easy to find, though I don’t know if that’s because they made more, or he’s liked less than the Strapless. (A dislike that has struck me as much personal in nature, as conformational.)

On the other hand, the Strapless mold is currently quite the fashionable little darling now, no doubt aided in part by the well-received BreyerFest Store Special Oration last year. (Good luck finding one those pretties for less than $100!)

The two bay Straplesses are relatively easy to distinguish from each other: the PB Strapless is a little darker, dappled and more shaded, with a loose tail and three stockings; Oration is a lighter and redder bay with a braided tail and four stockings.

Of the two, I prefer the Pottery Barn Bay, partly because I still don’t have a loose tail variation yet. I have a funny feeling she’ll be on my newly-revamped want list for a while, however. (Eh, no money to spare at the moment anyway!)

Pottery Barn Strapless

Something real short today - still recovering from an especially rough work week. Next week should be better.

I was really surprised at how much I really like the new Pottery Barn Strapless. Isn’t it nice that a simple bay paint job on an unfussy, undramatic mold can be so pleasing?

When she first came out, I wasn’t super-impressed with the mold. I thought she clean and elegant, but a little on the dry side, like an anatomical model in a biology textbook. I guess the folks at Reeves got that impression, too, releasing her as an actual anatomical model - the 1228 Anatomy in Motion - a couple years later.

I’ve warmed up to the mold considerably. I like the mane and tail options that they’ve given her, and the colors she’s come out in have been pretty awesome. And best of all, simple: if you've got a good base to work with, any color - even the plainest ones - will shine. The liver chestnut on the Sidesaddle Set? Mmm, yummy!

I love an eyecatching paint job as much as the next hobbyist, but sometimes simplicity is better. I guess it’s just years of observation that have made me skeptical of overly complex colors or patterns: it always makes me think that the artist or manufacturer has something to hide. Neck too long, shoulder too stiff, or the legs are bending in positions not seen in nature? Eh, distract the judges with a dappled sooty buckskin frame overo paint job. And don’t forget the tri-colored eyes and mapping!

She’s another one I’ll be putting on my wait list: I discovered earlier this week that I really have reached the limit of my storage capacity: I spent a half an hour wandering around the house trying to find a spot for my Pony Gals Stablemates. (My set is at last complete! Yes!)

I spent a large portion of yesterday (the part when I was awake) cleaning, reorganizing and making tough decisions on who and what will be going into storage. I’d love to sell some stuff, but the market for anything but test colors, sub-50 piece SRs and Glossies is dead, dead, dead.

Maybe I’ll have better luck selling some of my quilts, instead; I’ll have to look into that.