Cruising

First, thanks to everybody who’s helping me out here on the trip planning front. As the timestamps of my blog posts attest, I have a nonstandard work schedule, and I’m not normally awake or available during normal business hours. It tends to make interacting with the rest of the world a little challenging sometimes. 

I have a couple of projects that absolutely have to be done this week, but once that’s over and done with I can get back to planning and scheduling!

She’s yet another shelf hog, but I’m a big fan of Shagya Arabians and of the Yasmin mold, so the BreyerFest Online-Only Traditional Special Run Studebaker is another must-have for me:

Many others online have pointed out her similarity to the BreyerFest 2019 Open Show Grand prize Victory. The major difference between them is pattern: Victory is an Overo and Studebaker is a Tobiano.

Well, that and the price. There’s no way I’m ever going to buy a Victory: even if I had that kind of money to spend, you guys know that’s just not how I roll. 

At the end of the day, all we’re really dealing with here are pieces of plastic in the shape of horses. Yeah, sure, I have a few… thousand of them, but believe it or not, they’re only an incidental part of my retirement planning. 

I’ve said this many times before: collectibles are not a wise investment. Heck, most investments aren’t wise investments, mostly because most people don’t take their time to do their research. 

If I have any financial goal with my horses, it’s to break even. Not taking into consideration all the time I’ve put into the research – most of which I’ve done for the sheer enjoyment of it anyway – I think I might come close to that. 

Which would put me ahead of the game, investment-wise. Most investments don’t make back their money, and I find it a little exasperating that collectors – not just in the model horse hobby, but in general – have that expectation. 

Antiques Roadshow is not reality: 98% of the stuff that gets dragged there is not worth all that much. Or is even all that interesting. (My pet peeve: Victorian Crazy Quilts. Ugh!)

(FWIW: I recently ran the numbers, and I’m in slightly better shape financially than I thought I was. And selling off large swaths of the collection wasn’t even a part of the retirement calculus. So don’t be Googling my house and making plans just yet.)

A Little Uffington!

Look guys, it’s a little Uffington!

In reality, it’s just Cloud from the #1728 Cloud’s Encore set, and part of the box lot of mystery horses I just opened up a few hours ago. He’s also one of the few that I’ll probably be keeping from that lot; the rest are duplicates, bodies, or things I’m simply not all that into. 

In spite of the fact that I actually like Cremellos, I don’t own many original finish ones, either Regular Run or Special Run. I have the first intentional Cremello – the #906 Goliath, the 1995 Commemorative Edition Belgian as an American Cream Draft Horse – but not much else. 

(Yes, I know that American Cream Drafts aren’t really Cremello. Phenotype, not genotype.)

One of these days I’ll get myself that neat Cremello Appaloosa Stablemates Club Iris, but not at the prices they’re going for right now. 

(I was not willing to take a shot at getting one in the Stablemates Grab Bags. My luck is not that good.)

I should be able to recoup my investment in the mystery lot, at least. That’s all I really ask of purchases like these, especially when there are keepers involved. Because that means the keepers are free, and who doesn’t love free horses?

Of course, that also means that I have to go through the effort of actually selling things. Now that I am finally back to my original schedule, that should be easier, but we’ll see what happens. 

(I hesitate to make plans because I have a feeling that “stuff” is going to hit the fan, very soon. Crossing my fingers that it is for the better, in the end.)

Also recently purchased: a stack of books from the local Book Sale, including several horse books for the sales stash and a couple more books for the Someday Wyoming Adventure:

I managed to make it to the other toy store earlier this week, and was delighted to find several Omega Fahims in stock. None of them were quite “right” – they all had small but distracting flaws – so I left them behind. 

I did almost buy a really nicely shaded Pearl Gray Trakehner on the Jet Run mold. Although I have no particular feelings for the Jet Run mold – beyond my original childhood one that I had Michael Matz sign at the Chasing the Chesapeake Event, because obviously. Depending on how the week works out (will this be the week the leftovers sale finally drops?) I may just go back and buy him anyway.

The rest of my weekend will be spent doing mostly nothing; I briefly considered going to an auction near Metamora this morning that had some horse-themed stuff in it, but I decided against it, since I’ve bought so much stuff already this week anyway.  

A Week, Well-Ended

I just spent almost an entire day in my garden and I feel so much better than I did earlier in the week. (You know, one of those long stories.) The garden, on the other hand, is still a wreck – the weather wasn’t quite cold enough this past Winter to kill off enough things, unfortunately – but I feel like I’ve made good progress.

I am especially pleased with my English Daisies, but alas, I didn’t have a chance to take a picture while the sun was still shining today. Maybe next time.

Well, up and did it: I entered the BreyerFest Open Photo Show: Halter Only, and no Collector’s Classes, because that would feel too much like work. I figured since my prep for BreyerFest is going to be minimal – no sales tagging, packing, shopping for snacks, volunteer stuff et al – I could channel that energy into this possibly-once-in-a-lifetime show.

(Though I am hoping that a photo show of some sort actually does become a component of BreyerFests going forward.)

A potential positive side effect of this show I’m spinning for myself is that even if I don’t win a darn thing, at the end of it all I should at least end up with a nice archive of photos use for future blog posts. 

(Laughs hysterically.)

All of the Glossies in the second round of the Collector’s Club Appreciation Sale are really nice, and I would have been happy with any of them. It also appears that the quantities on all four seem to be more or less the same – in other words, none of them are more rare than the others, except by dint of desire.

I know some of it is dictated by actual quantities on hand, but that’s how I think it should be.

My Collector’s Club Appreciation Model is… Integrity! Yay!

As others have noted, the Gloss Integrities all appear to be the Mare version of the mold as opposed to the standard (for this release) Gelding. I don’t get the impression that the Mare variation is particularly hard to get, it’s just not something that’s in super high demand, so the mold variation doesn’t get noted in listings.

I’d like to get a Matte of the mare version eventually – one of those things I was going to be looking for at BreyerFest this year, sigh – but it’s something that can wait.

Crushed

Well, I thought I was holding it together pretty well this week, but then my Vintage Club Starlight arrived yesterday and well, I’ll let the picture speak for itself:

(The first thing that came to mind was: Dog Food, Linebacker, or Refrigerator?)

It’s being dealt with, but yeah, along with a few other unmentionable matters, things are not going well at La Maison des Gurdons. All I want to do this weekend is eat fried chicken and watch bad movies in the solitude of my basement.

The other “half” of my order came in a separate and surprisingly large box, completely and utterly intact and perfect:

The Starry Skies Pink Warmblood “Cassiopeia”. My first choice – like almost everyone else – was the Alborozo, but Cassiopeia was my second because I think this mold works surprisingly well as a Unicorn. And while I am also not a “pink” person, the color has a bit of iridescence to it and is actually very pretty in person.

I’ll get the others in this series eventually. Just not now because, you know, the world’s on fire.

There are also apparently some new Stablemates at Walmart – including a mini Liver Chestnut Brishen, a Pinto on the G4 Driving Horse, and the Fiero mold in Palomino. I did my shopping for the week yesterday, so I’ll have to wait until next week to see if they’re even in.

When Reeves first posted the Mini Rugged Lark on April Fool’s Day earlier this week, I assumed that it was a joke on the same level as the Decorator Khemosabi set from 2014: although probably fake, there had to be a nugget of truth in there somewhere.

That nugget being that there were likely more Mini Traditionals coming soon, and it was so. Actually, an SCO (Smart Chic Olena):

https://www.breyerhorses.com/blogs/news/sneak-peek-at-a-new-model

As an SCO collector, I approve of this choice.

I have no idea who is next on the shrink list, though.

Some of the early Hess molds – like the Clydesdale Mare and Foal, the Running Mare and Foal, and the Stretched Morgan – are likely, since their thicker legs and slightly less refined proportions would translate well into a smaller scale.

As for newer molds? Any of the Moody molds will do. Othello and Silver are obvious, and if they don't shrinkify the Ethereal mold, it'll be a dang crime!

Since Big Ben’s silhouette is featured prominently in their 70th Anniversary branding, I am assuming they are going to shrink him as well, perhaps as a bonus to be included in a Big Ben release later in the year.

(And if they don’t, they should have.)

Pardon me, but these chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs aren’t going to eat themselves.

Shopping Lists

This was the first weekend in a while where the weather was nice enough – and no deadlines looming – that I was able to do some casual antiquing.

I found a few horse-adjacent things, and some quilting supplies, but ended up buying nothing in the end. So it was mostly an exercise in exercise.

That was fine; the past few years I haven’t been able to bring everything to BreyerFest that I’ve wanted to, so this is actually helpful: it is looking like everything that can come, will!

The only thing I wish I had more of is bodies. I haven’t bought any significant body lots since last August, and the only ones I’ve seen at all when I have gone roaming have been Mestenos.

While I think Mestenos, in general, have a lot of untapped potential in terms of customizing, they are still not quite burning it up in body box sales.

Since I am having a bit of a quiet interlude here, here’s a picture of one of my new favorites, the LV Integrity. She is my newest/latest office buddy:

Honestly, this mold doesn’t seem to have any bad sides! And that shade of Bay can go on anything, please and thank you.

This is why the Roxy/Diana release for BreyerFest this year is the one I am most eager to see in person. If she’s half as pretty as the Integrity, it’s going to be no contest who the most popular girl at BreyerFest is going to be…

But to circle back to the Shagya Arabian mold, after buying one – and literally losing it in the shuffle in Kentucky – the 2017 Kaalee is one of the few items I’ll actively be on the hunt for in Kentucky this year, especially since the Open Show Grand Prize model ain’t gonna happen.

The Forever Saige Bisbee is another; the last time I was able to make it to my local toy stores, none of them had them in yet, so I’ll use that (and the potential for NPOD handpicking?) as another reason to put her on my list.

Then there’s the Gloss Bandera I’ve been putting off, too. That should be an easy one, also with potential for handpicking.

Other than that, I’m not sure what I want to hunt for, other than the same magical five-dollar Body Box Test Colors everyone else looks for. (Hey, I’ve seen it happen!)

Performance Horse variations? More of the Classic Duchess? That #3125 Deer Family set that always just eludes me? A Morgenglanz Gris Gris?

(Yes, really. But somewhere around original asking price: I am not that crazy.)

I’ll know it when I see it. I always do.

Random Yelling at the Clouds

First, this happened – with one entry, on one account:

Good thing I have until Monday to decide and/or scratch up the extra cash!

Then they posted these guys on the BreyerFest Blog:

Oh good grief, a Few-Spot Appaloosa Indian Pony AND a Palomino Pinto Shagya-Arabian as the big prizes at the BreyerFest Open Show?

Again, this bears repeating: my mention of the Shagya-Arabian mold last post was purely coincidence. I swear. I was hoping that my ability to attain a complete Yasmin collection would be left theoretically possible for a little bit longer.

Alas, no.

And I should have seen the Few-Spot Appaloosa coming, after the rather enthusiastic reception the Few-Spot True North received at auction last year, and the Special Run Fighting Stallion Pima did at Scottsdale Exclusive Event back in November.

What I’d like even more is a Few-Spot Appaloosa in an attainable Special Run or Regular Run. So help me, if the Surprise Model this year includes a Few-Spot in the assortment….

(I always thought Foalzilla would look awesome as a Few-Spot Appaloosa, hint-hint.)

After my better-than-expected success at Pansies and Ponies back in April, I did briefly consider entering the Open Show. But that would have required a massive rearranging of plans that were already in process, all because I did better than I expected at a local show.

I think I want to participate in a few more shows before going all-in on an event with stakes that high, if only to get a better lay of the (live show) land. The last time I showed actively, documentation was unusual and collectability was a single group-entry class.

There’s an All-Collectibility show in Indiana in September that I am seriously considering. It’s just a tad farther out of the way than I would usually consider traveling for a live show, but if there’s one thing I am strong in, it’s Collectibility, right?

It’s been a while since I’ve visited Indiana, and I’m always up for a road trip, too.

Spotted Again

Survey says: Matte Appaloosa. Not unexpectedly so.

As I’ve noted before, the more “common” Glosses become in assortments, the less likely I seem to be in getting them – even in this case, where Glosses constitute the majority!

I hope that tendency works in my favor for the Vintage Club Shannondell Claude later this year.

Since I want to complete the set someday, I was fine with getting any of the three – though getting the Blue one first would have definitely made life a little bit easier, since this New Blue color is making everybody kinda crazy.

Though to be honest, since Lancelot still hasn’t sold out yet, it’s not something I am going to invest a lot of worry about for the time being. (Cool your heels: I don’t plan on shopping for them until BreyerFest, so I’m technically not in the market for them – yet.)

And to be clear, the paint job on the Appaloosa is amazing, and I will take it on almost anything. (Give me a moment: I am currently fantasizing about either the Western Prancing Horse, or Emerson.)

Another thing I am not worrying about: the latest America the Beautiful Web Special Teton:

I really like her, and I was just thinking that I could use another Giselle in my life, but all of the other releases on this mold that I don’t have are also wildly unaffordable (Hera, Minnie Pearl, Rosalind and Rigel.) But I’ve got both a dentist appointment and a possible road trip coming up in the next two weeks, so my heart will not break if I am not drawn.

I still have a few recent purchases here I haven’t gotten around to unboxing yet anyway, like the lovely Unicorn-Yasmin Zena I picked up at Tuesday Morning about a month ago. (Yep, keeping her: after I found an awesome LV Integrity at one of my local toy stores a couple weeks back, that decision became an inevitability.)

Whether this rules Giselle out as the possible BreyerFest Surprise horse, I don’t know. The blog post refers to the model as a “he”, so I’m still thinking along the lines of the Moody Andalusian, Valegro or even the Wyatt, since they are all boys, or have the potential to be.

Valegro might be just a wee bit too popular for a Surprise, still, but I wouldn’t rule him out as a Volunteer Special. After last year’s Churchill, I won’t rule anything out for that. (Worth noting: there hasn’t been a Pinto since 2016, or an Appaloosa since 2015. Take that for whatever it is worth in your guessing games.)

I don’t have much else to say today – it’s been a sleepy, rainy day and the rest of it is probably better spent cleaning house, or finishing that one quilt project that’s 90+ percent done and just bothering the heck out of me.

Rest and Recovery

Still physically and mentally unpacking; both will take the rest of the week – possibly longer on the mental part. But I’ll get to that part in a minute.

Here’s the diorama, in case you missed it:

Yes, the cookies were edible. But they didn’t help: you’re looking at another in a long line of nonwinning entries. Judging from the reaction of everyone that saw it, I really thought I had a shot this year.

Then again, I think that almost every year.

I am now seriously considering putting my effort into either the Live Show or the Customs Contest. I am hoping my obsessive detailing will serve me better there, because it’s obviously not doing the job in this contest.

And I’ve been meaning to do more of both – customizing, and live showing – in the near future anyway. Perhaps my latest diorama failure will be my motivation.

Although I did manage to snag a few grails and oddities – including a couple of very interesting doggies you’ll be seeing very soon – there were no other special prizes, Raffle wins, Glosses, Samples or extreme Rarities for me, either. Just the Volunteer Special, who I think is lovely, though many seem to think otherwise:

I got all the Ticket Special Runs that I wanted, but of the two Bollywood Surprises I snagged, both are Matte Buckskin (I wanted Buckskin – but I didn’t need two!) and I didn’t realize until last night that my Kaalee – one of the Special Runs I was most looking forward to! – was missing.  

I’ve lost only one other model at BreyerFest before, but that was a flea market find 25th Anniversary Secretariat with a partial box: in other words, no great financial or emotional loss.

But losing the Kaalee? Man, I didn’t even get to open up the bag and get a good look at her! I am majorly bummed.

If this patch of rough luck continues, I’ll probably miss the leftovers sale in a few weeks, too. Sigh.

On the positive side, everything else executed according to plan. There were no major travel hassles (other than the Cincinnati traffic), sales were pretty good (though I didn’t sell many Traditionals, oddly), the weather mostly cooperated, and I got to meet most of the people I wanted to meet.

So, in short: while the trip was fine financially and logistically (more or less), it took a little bit bigger bite out of me emotionally than I expected.

But I got lots of love, attention from you all, and a few tokens of affection that were most appreciated (and still mostly unpacked). You guys have no idea how much that all means to me.

I’ll try to post with a little more frequency this week, but I’ll be spending most of the rest of my time recovering, offline. Bonus pic of Vita, looking like how I feel right now:

(BTW: she sleeps like that all the time. Stinker.)

A Different Kind of Black Beauty

Next up: a Black Rabicano Sabino Yasmin, named Kaalee.

I haven’t seen the mold in person yet, but I am slightly obsessed with the breed she’s supposed to represent (Shagya Arabian), it’s an Eberl, and her paint job (designed by Lesli Kathman) is unique and interesting, so all signs so far point to her being a “Yes” here.

Kaalee is also very reminiscent of the original release of the Traditional #89 Black Beauty, except prettier and more correct. Allegedly she’s just as much as a shelf hog, but since I also collect the Pacer mold, I know how to deal if it becomes a deal.

Just when I thought I had made peace with my “just one ticket this year” rule. Sigh. Time to do some budget number crunching again…

I have nothing further to say about Kaalee or the Yasmin mold, other than noting that she’s the third of the last year’s three Premier Club molds in this year’s lineup. (And will make a mighty fine ladyfriend to Polaris!)

It’s good that they got the new Premier molds out of the way early for the sake of the Special Run speculations, I guess? Maybe that means the rest of the Specials will be on older molds, for balance?

While it’s pretty much a given that we’ll get the Elephant at some point, beyond that I’m going to stick to my minimal public speculating rule for the year. I’ll just go with the flow around and let it all be a surprise, more or less.

And how’s this for a surprise – I actually “won” a Wailua! It’s been two years since I’ve won a Web Special of any kind, so I was a bit gobsmacked when the e-mail showed up in my In Box. I only have the one official account and my luck is typically about average luck, but that dry streak was just starting to make me think otherwise.

The only downsides to winning are that I have to push the BreyerFest ticket buying two more weeks down the road, and I have to scale back some of my eBay bidding ambitions. (Darn it, and just when it was starting to get interesting there!)