First Findings

Both the BreyerFest info and the new CollectA/Corral Pals dropped on the Breyer web site today, but I’ll get to those later in the week when I get a little extra time to review it all.

I just happened to be in a Toys R Us for work yesterday, though, and had a chance to see a few of the new 2017 Classics, including one of the new Liams – specifically, the 916 Chestnut Quarter Horse:

He’s not the only new Liam in town. In addition to the Chestnut, he also appears in the #62045 Palomino Morgan and Foal set, and as the Web Special Run #712236 Black Beauty, replacing the Classics Warmblood Stallion.

And let’s not forget that he was also just seen in the Tractor Supply/Big Box New Beginnings Set, in Appaloosa, and in Buckskin in last year’s BreyerFest Pop-Up Store Special Run set with the Duchess.

That’s five separate releases in six months! Prior to that, the Sir Buckingham mold had only been seen twice since its conversion to plastic in 2014 – as the #62115 Liam (in Gloss and Matte) and the 2014 BreyerFest Decorator Special Run #711189 Let’s Celebrate.

It’s a little unusual now to see so many simultaneous or near-simultaneous releases of a mold that aren’t somehow related to a Gambler’s Choice – like the recent Sherman Morgans.

During in the Chicago era (pre-1985), though, it was the norm. Part of the reason why was because there were fewer molds to work with – if they wanted more product on the shelves, it was cheaper and easier to work up a new paint job and packaging for an older mold than it was to create an entirely new one.

I don’t know what’s motivating the decision to go forward with multiple releases on the Liam now. My guess would be cost, again: it’s cheaper to run one mold for multiple releases, than multiple molds for multiple releases, even if those molds already exist.

I came pretty close to taking the Chestnut Liam with me, but I managed to resist somehow. Then I stopped at another Salvation Army on the way home and found all of these goodies instead, all for less than the cost of the Liam, combined:

The Western Horse is for a potential Christmas project, the Mini Whinnies go in my stash, but all of the other horsey items will go straight to the sales list.

Although I am a little skeptical of the coming year as a whole, at least the horses continue to be plentiful!

Mane and Tails and Horns, Oh My...

It’s not the questionable claim about leaving 140 pieces behind in New Jersey that bothers me about the "Let’s Celebrate!" Special Run. They advertised it as a 350 piece run in the free program, sold about 350 pieces at the Horse Park - but hey look, it was actually a 500 piece run after all! Not the craziest story I’ve heard, and I suppose it’s possible that they ordered 350 and got 500 instead ...

No, what bothers me more is the hairdo; the mane - and especially the tail - on the Let’s Celebrate! have a "wiggy" look to them. I prefer the sleeker look of the original mane and tail the mold had as Sir Buckingham.

The paint job - that I was originally a little bit skeptical about - I like a lot, actually. I’m not enthusiastic enough to enter for him every day, but if my name does get pulled, I’m not turning him down!

Speaking of mold variations, I picked up a nice little pile of postcards over the weekend. In the pile was an old Hoard’s Dairyman illustration of the "Five Queens". Look familiar?

I very, very quick Google search says it was copyright 1961 - over ten years before the Breyer Cow was issued, in 1972. I don’t have any evidence one way or another for this, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this illustration was in the reference file used to create the Cow mold.

The Cow was one of Breyer’s earlier attempts as creating multiple mold variations within the same mold - in this case, via separately molded and installed horns.

The physical differences between the five different breeds go well beyond horns, obviously, but this was still fairly sophisticated stuff for 1972 - especially considering it was done for a Nonhorse mold, and they tend to be modest but consistent sellers.

Hmm. Come to think of it, that’s probably why.

Certain horse breeds and molds fall in and out of fashion, but I’ve never had one iota of a problem selling extra Cows that come my way. Breyer hasn’t had any issues, either. Even though four of the five original breeds were discontinued within two years, the Holsteins remained in the line until 1991, and there have been numerous Special and Regular Runs over the years.  

A few more would be nice. (Red Holsteins? Another Ayrshire? Purple?)