Not that there really was a part 1, but he was talked about in my last post along with a picture. Well, the models have started to drop and man, is he gorgeous! I am ALMOST wishing I had bought one. Almost, but not quite. I keep getting hung up on the price. hahaha. Especially if I have any hope of going to the Seattle Soiree in May should I get picked.
Anyway, I'm in a model horse group on Facebook and yesterday another member posted photos of her model and she was kind enough to let me use her photos. These are all courtesy of Carrie Hamel. Thank you, Carrie, for letting me use them! I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of this guy.
She did a pretty thorough walk-around of him. These aren't all the photos she posted of him, just the ones I selected. There was another head shot and one of his stamped belly with definite verification that he's a stallion. hahahahaha. I love the mottling on his face. Not so much the eyes because it looks kind of weird. I know it's natural on appaloosa horses, it just looks weird to me. The dapples look nicely done. They're not fish scales nor are they star dapples. His shading is stunning and overall he's just a very beautiful model. Breyer did a good job on him.
This next photo isn't horse related, but it's model-related...sort of...I guess...when I saw it I thought it was real, but it's actually a Schleich. I was surprised...
Isn't that amazing? Doesn't it look super real? I need to take some of my animal creatures out and try to get some natural photos of them. I have a crocodile or two, but I don't know if their heads are up like this so that I can get a similar photo.
Speaking of Seattle Soiree...I'm surprised we haven't gotten more information about it yet, especially with the entry period starting on Monday. When Scottsdale Stamped happened in 2018, the "celebration" model was announced along with the event and the entry period opened a couple of days later. I'm sure the holidays have something to do with it because Breyer is taking a mini vacation, but I'm anxious to see what the Celebration model is so I can make plans to pre-sell it should I get picked. I will need to renew my Collector Club membership and possibly buy a 2nd. I haven't decided yet.
Anyway, I know this post is pretty short, but there isn't much going on in my model horse world at the moment. Until next time...
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Friday, December 27, 2019
A fun day, but... And an update...
Well, yesterday I had planned to go on a road trip and hopefully take some pictures of models in the snow...it didn’t happen. Not entirely, anyway. I did go to where there was snow, but there were no opportunities to take any pictures. I actually had a really funny “story” involving Jake the Farrier, but I couldn’t even make that happen and it wouldn’t make sense to do it without it being obviously cold. So I’m bummed by that. But I did get to see some snow and that makes me happy.
So today, instead of sharing fun snow pictures, I’m going to talk about what Breyer has been up to lately.
Breyer seems to really be wanting me to join the Stablemate Club for 2020. I’m not a fan of the Alborozo model, but it will be the Gamblers Choice for 2020...
The only one I absolutely do not care for is the blue unicorn one, which almost guarantees that’s the one I will get. Lol. My favorites are the paint and rose grey chestnut kind of one. Lol.
So, with the reveal of the colors of this one, that makes 3 of the so far shown 6 models that I would not be opposed to having, but I still don’t know if it’s enough to encourage me to join the club... Given that the year is going to be over in just a few days, I am going to need to make that decision real fast...
Another thing Breyer did yesterday was announce a “Clearance Sale”...someone needs to give them a dictionary. The prices of the models were not “on sale” let alone at clearance prices. Don’t get me wrong...I was happy they were offering Premier Club models to Collector Club members and when I saw on Blab that Emerson was one of the models available, I got super excited...until I saw the price...$200. No, thanks. Breyer needs to learn the definition of “sale” and “clearance” for sure. Hahahaha. When you want to clear models out, you don’t increase the price.
Well, I guess that is it for now. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Apparently that isn’t it for now. I went to check my Facebook feed to see if anything interesting was going on before laying down for another couple of hours and Breyer has hit us with another model. A model I would very much like to have, but at $295...it’s not happening. Not if I want to have any hopes of going to Seattle SoirĂ©e should I get picked...but dang if Ambrose isn’t a total drool-worthy model. The price surprises me, though. It doesn’t seem to be a micro run and it’s something you can buy outright, not enter for a chance to buy. It’s been awhile since I’ve wanted a model this much, but I won’t buy it. If it was $100 less then it would be much more tempting and I’m sure the price will turn a lot of people off, but there will be lots of people who won’t hesitate to buy. Anyway, without further ado...meet Ambrose...
Okay. That’s it for now...for reals this time lol.
So today, instead of sharing fun snow pictures, I’m going to talk about what Breyer has been up to lately.
Breyer seems to really be wanting me to join the Stablemate Club for 2020. I’m not a fan of the Alborozo model, but it will be the Gamblers Choice for 2020...
The only one I absolutely do not care for is the blue unicorn one, which almost guarantees that’s the one I will get. Lol. My favorites are the paint and rose grey chestnut kind of one. Lol.
So, with the reveal of the colors of this one, that makes 3 of the so far shown 6 models that I would not be opposed to having, but I still don’t know if it’s enough to encourage me to join the club... Given that the year is going to be over in just a few days, I am going to need to make that decision real fast...
Another thing Breyer did yesterday was announce a “Clearance Sale”...someone needs to give them a dictionary. The prices of the models were not “on sale” let alone at clearance prices. Don’t get me wrong...I was happy they were offering Premier Club models to Collector Club members and when I saw on Blab that Emerson was one of the models available, I got super excited...until I saw the price...$200. No, thanks. Breyer needs to learn the definition of “sale” and “clearance” for sure. Hahahaha. When you want to clear models out, you don’t increase the price.
Well, I guess that is it for now. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Apparently that isn’t it for now. I went to check my Facebook feed to see if anything interesting was going on before laying down for another couple of hours and Breyer has hit us with another model. A model I would very much like to have, but at $295...it’s not happening. Not if I want to have any hopes of going to Seattle SoirĂ©e should I get picked...but dang if Ambrose isn’t a total drool-worthy model. The price surprises me, though. It doesn’t seem to be a micro run and it’s something you can buy outright, not enter for a chance to buy. It’s been awhile since I’ve wanted a model this much, but I won’t buy it. If it was $100 less then it would be much more tempting and I’m sure the price will turn a lot of people off, but there will be lots of people who won’t hesitate to buy. Anyway, without further ado...meet Ambrose...
Okay. That’s it for now...for reals this time lol.
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Christmas horses...
Good morning and Merry Christmas.
I know I said I would upload on Tuesday and Friday, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t also post in between those days. Hahahaha. This will be short, but not-so-sweet. Lol.
So last night a bunch of people were talking on Blab about what, if any, special model Breyer might be offering Collector Club members this year. Then came the speculation what time they would go “live”. I haven’t liked any of the holiday horses enough to buy any for a few now but I figured I would check it out. The first time suggested was 11am EST since that’s a time it’s happened in the past so I set my alarm for 9am. But then other times were mentioned from other years so I settled on 6am then went to bed. At 6am the alarm on my phone went off and I checked Blab first and then the Breyer site. Nothing. I stayed up to check at 7am then set my alarm for 9am, as I had planned originally. At 9am my alarm went of, but I set the timer for another hour. This time I checked the Breyer page first and saw them...
Fruit Stripe Zebras. Although they’re calling them Candy Canes, they resemble the flavors of Fruit Stripe chewing gum. Except the black one. Licorice flavor doesn’t exist in either Fruit Stripe gum or candy canes. They’re cute. I don’t have any other zebras, but the price is $135 for a blind draw. You don’t get to choose your flavor and I only like the gold one...
$135 is too much to spend on a random color of 5. There is a “rare” one, though. 500 each have been made of all the colors except Licorice, who is only a run of 12. He’s actually the only one I don’t like because he’s such a solid black and is kind of boring-looking...
Even being a glossy he is kind of flat-looking.
People are already selling theirs on eBay and MH$P for obnoxious prices. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, but I am, kind of. Considering they aren’t going to sell out like hot cakes and you can get your own for just the price of a 2019/2020 membership and buying one of your own for $165 total, shipping included. Some of the sellers are having the model shipped to them and then they will ship to the new owner after taking it out and inspecting it for flaws. I wonder how many people are going to be unscrupulous and try to re-list at a higher price if they end up getting one of the rare black ones...who knows? At any rate, I’m not going to buy one and as tempting as it might be, I’m not going to buy one to turn around and try to sell it at double the price.
I’ve been enjoying my 24 hours of A Christmas Story. I haven’t seen any of one entire showing, just parts of multiple ones, but that’s normal. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to go to Flagstaff tomorrow, when it isn’t snowing, or on Friday, when it’s supposed to. But looking at the web cam for Flagstaff and going tomorrow would probably be my best bet. I probably won’t be able to get anywhere near the city, though, without chains or snow tires, even with all the plowing going on so I will probably go as far as they let me then go to Sedona.
Until next time...
I know I said I would upload on Tuesday and Friday, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t also post in between those days. Hahahaha. This will be short, but not-so-sweet. Lol.
So last night a bunch of people were talking on Blab about what, if any, special model Breyer might be offering Collector Club members this year. Then came the speculation what time they would go “live”. I haven’t liked any of the holiday horses enough to buy any for a few now but I figured I would check it out. The first time suggested was 11am EST since that’s a time it’s happened in the past so I set my alarm for 9am. But then other times were mentioned from other years so I settled on 6am then went to bed. At 6am the alarm on my phone went off and I checked Blab first and then the Breyer site. Nothing. I stayed up to check at 7am then set my alarm for 9am, as I had planned originally. At 9am my alarm went of, but I set the timer for another hour. This time I checked the Breyer page first and saw them...
Fruit Stripe Zebras. Although they’re calling them Candy Canes, they resemble the flavors of Fruit Stripe chewing gum. Except the black one. Licorice flavor doesn’t exist in either Fruit Stripe gum or candy canes. They’re cute. I don’t have any other zebras, but the price is $135 for a blind draw. You don’t get to choose your flavor and I only like the gold one...
$135 is too much to spend on a random color of 5. There is a “rare” one, though. 500 each have been made of all the colors except Licorice, who is only a run of 12. He’s actually the only one I don’t like because he’s such a solid black and is kind of boring-looking...
Even being a glossy he is kind of flat-looking.
People are already selling theirs on eBay and MH$P for obnoxious prices. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, but I am, kind of. Considering they aren’t going to sell out like hot cakes and you can get your own for just the price of a 2019/2020 membership and buying one of your own for $165 total, shipping included. Some of the sellers are having the model shipped to them and then they will ship to the new owner after taking it out and inspecting it for flaws. I wonder how many people are going to be unscrupulous and try to re-list at a higher price if they end up getting one of the rare black ones...who knows? At any rate, I’m not going to buy one and as tempting as it might be, I’m not going to buy one to turn around and try to sell it at double the price.
I’ve been enjoying my 24 hours of A Christmas Story. I haven’t seen any of one entire showing, just parts of multiple ones, but that’s normal. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to go to Flagstaff tomorrow, when it isn’t snowing, or on Friday, when it’s supposed to. But looking at the web cam for Flagstaff and going tomorrow would probably be my best bet. I probably won’t be able to get anywhere near the city, though, without chains or snow tires, even with all the plowing going on so I will probably go as far as they let me then go to Sedona.
Until next time...
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Models in the snow...
First off...Merry Christmas (Eve), Happy Holidays and Happy Hanukkah...whatever you celebrate. Or, Happy Tuesday if you don’t observe the holidays. I used to have a co-worker who didn’t so we had to remember not to give her any birthday or holiday cards to sign, but they do sign “congratulations” and “get well soon” ones so it was sometimes difficult to know which ones to give her and which not. I sort of took it upon myself to alert new coworkers to not give her the holiday and birthday ones we pass around and she appreciated it.
As an adult with no kids in the family, we don’t really celebrate Christmas anymore. My mom, my brother and I have a nice dinner and that’s about it. If we exchange gifts, it’s a family gift that benefits us all such as a new tv or piece of furniture that needs replacing. We don’t have any family traditions that we observe anymore, but I do have a personal one...the annual marathon of A Christmas Story...
It starts at 9pm on Christmas Eve on TBS and 10pm Christmas Eve on TNT and run until 7 and 8pm respectively as the last showings on Christmas Day. I don’t watch the entire marathon, but I do see bits and pieces of the movie on both networks. My only “requirement” is that I have to see at least one showing all the way through. So that is what I’m looking forward to tonight.
ANYWAY...lol...I get off-topic too easily...
Where I live...near Phoenix...it doesn’t snow. Not really. We get what the weather people call “Graupel”, which is a mixture of snow and hail...
The above photo of my car (the black one) was taken a few years ago at my office building. The elevation there is, like, 1000 feet. Maybe 1,200. The lowest elevation we get genuine snow at is about 2,500 which is only about 20 minutes from where this picture was taken. The thing I disliked about where this building was located was that we were on the third floor and you could see when it was snowing in Cave Creek. I love snow. I love the sound it makes when it’s actively falling. Yes, it makes a sound. Trust me.
To get any sort of decent snow, you have to drive a little over an hour to Payson or two hours to Flagstaff. Today it is snowing in Flagstaff. Tomorrow it is supposed to snow in Flagstaff and on Friday as well. What day is it NOT snowing in Flagstaff? Thursday. Why does it matter? Thursday was the day I picked to go to Sedona to take pictures of some models amongst the iconic red rocks. I would rather go to Flagstaff and there should be snow on the ground, still, on Thursday and it would be safer driving-wise, to go on Thursday, but I want to go when it’s actively snowing. I have visions in my head of getting photos such as...
Of course there is that whole “Expectation vs Reality” thing and my photos won’t look anything like that. Not even close. But I want to try.
Probably, safety-wise, it would be best to go on Thursday. I can drive in the snow, but I’d rather not have to turn around because the snowfall is getting too heavy. I don’t have snow tires or chains. Not necessary in the Phoenix area. Will I end up not going anywhere? <sigh>. That’s always a possibility. I guess we won’t find out until Thursday.
Take care, everyone!
As an adult with no kids in the family, we don’t really celebrate Christmas anymore. My mom, my brother and I have a nice dinner and that’s about it. If we exchange gifts, it’s a family gift that benefits us all such as a new tv or piece of furniture that needs replacing. We don’t have any family traditions that we observe anymore, but I do have a personal one...the annual marathon of A Christmas Story...
It starts at 9pm on Christmas Eve on TBS and 10pm Christmas Eve on TNT and run until 7 and 8pm respectively as the last showings on Christmas Day. I don’t watch the entire marathon, but I do see bits and pieces of the movie on both networks. My only “requirement” is that I have to see at least one showing all the way through. So that is what I’m looking forward to tonight.
ANYWAY...lol...I get off-topic too easily...
Where I live...near Phoenix...it doesn’t snow. Not really. We get what the weather people call “Graupel”, which is a mixture of snow and hail...
The above photo of my car (the black one) was taken a few years ago at my office building. The elevation there is, like, 1000 feet. Maybe 1,200. The lowest elevation we get genuine snow at is about 2,500 which is only about 20 minutes from where this picture was taken. The thing I disliked about where this building was located was that we were on the third floor and you could see when it was snowing in Cave Creek. I love snow. I love the sound it makes when it’s actively falling. Yes, it makes a sound. Trust me.
To get any sort of decent snow, you have to drive a little over an hour to Payson or two hours to Flagstaff. Today it is snowing in Flagstaff. Tomorrow it is supposed to snow in Flagstaff and on Friday as well. What day is it NOT snowing in Flagstaff? Thursday. Why does it matter? Thursday was the day I picked to go to Sedona to take pictures of some models amongst the iconic red rocks. I would rather go to Flagstaff and there should be snow on the ground, still, on Thursday and it would be safer driving-wise, to go on Thursday, but I want to go when it’s actively snowing. I have visions in my head of getting photos such as...
Of course there is that whole “Expectation vs Reality” thing and my photos won’t look anything like that. Not even close. But I want to try.
Probably, safety-wise, it would be best to go on Thursday. I can drive in the snow, but I’d rather not have to turn around because the snowfall is getting too heavy. I don’t have snow tires or chains. Not necessary in the Phoenix area. Will I end up not going anywhere? <sigh>. That’s always a possibility. I guess we won’t find out until Thursday.
Take care, everyone!
Friday, December 20, 2019
Seattle Soiree...
No! No! No! No! No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Limited to one purchase per Collector Club Member.
Did I say 'no'?
I just went to check Blab and what do I see? A post about the next Breyer collector event; Seattle Soiree. For a moment I was quite excited. A chance to redeem what happened with Scottsdale Stampede and in my hometown of Seattle. And then...I saw...the date. May 15-17th 2020. Why, Breyer, why? All your other collector events have been in the fall so why are you changing that now? I have very little chance of being able to afford something that soon. Even if I save all of my pennies and my tax refund, there's very little chance. There is still a tiny chance. A very tiny chance. So I will probably still enter for the drawing in January.
There aren't many details yet. From the Breyer website:
Mark your calendars for the long awaited 2020 Collector Event! The Seattle Soiree is open to 2020 Collector Club members - be sure your membership is up to date!
More details will be revealed soon but highlights will include a Friday evening welcome reception for Soiree guests and exclusive, private tours of the Pegasus Training & Rehabilitation Center and Misty Hollow Farms followed by an evening celebration. Sunday morning, guests will have the opportunity to shop at the Breyer Boutique featuring models created specifically for this event.
More details will be revealed soon but highlights will include a Friday evening welcome reception for Soiree guests and exclusive, private tours of the Pegasus Training & Rehabilitation Center and Misty Hollow Farms followed by an evening celebration. Sunday morning, guests will have the opportunity to shop at the Breyer Boutique featuring models created specifically for this event.
ABOUT THE FARMS
Pegasus, founded by Dr. Mark Dedomenico, offers training and rehabilitation services that are innovative and backed by cutting-edge research. Facilities include an equine swimming pool, spa, solarium, and treadmill! Misty Hollow, home to trainers Vinton and Ann Karrasch, is Seattle’s premier hunter and jumper facility. This facility boasts huge indoor and outdoor arenas, state of the art facilities, and a variety of amenities for its resident horses. Both facilities are thrilled to be welcoming our Breyer Collector Club members for this exclusive experience next spring!
The lottery entry period will open from January 6th to January 12th and winners will be selected on January 13th. Restricted to participants ages 7+.
Limited to one purchase per Collector Club Member.
Purchase is limited to up to two tickets.
Stay tuned for more information!
--------
I just don't know. I've been wanting to go back to Seattle since my brief visit in 2004, but I had visions of visiting lighthouses and the zoo. I would have to rent a car to do that. Well, not the zoo because they have buses that go there. I have a couple of pictures of me at the Woodland Park Zoo when I was a kid and we still lived there. Can I be away from home for 4 days, though? Leave Friday and come back Monday? I should probably put the time in at work "just in case" so nobody can take it. I think I am going to at least enter for the chance. You never know. Right?
More new models for 2020...
Today's post was going to be about Stablemates and whether or not I wanted to join the Stablemate Club again. But now it's not. It's still about Stablemates, but in a different way. I will say, however, that I will not be joining the Stablemate Club for 2020. I just don't love the molds enough to spend the money. I would have to join the 2020 Collector Club first and then shell out more money for the SMC. I'm not saying I won't be joining the Collector Club, but I just don't want to do it right now simply to be able to join the SMC. I will probably join in January so I get the most out of my membership. I wish they'd go back to the old way of doing it. You could join anytime during the year and it would be good for one full year. Now, if you join in July 2020, you have to pay again in January to get your full year's worth. Yes, it's only, what, $25, so you're not losing out on a whole lot of money, but...<sigh> I don't know. Maybe I will wait until something comes up in the club that I want and join then. You know, like a web special.
So anyway...Can I just say, I would like Breyer to STOP with all these unicorn releases? It seems like every time I turn around now, they're releasing something with a horn. I know unicorns are popular with a lot of people and they seem to be really hot right now, but not everyone is into them. Sure, I could just not buy them, but when you want to buy and unicorns are all there is, it's kind of irritating, you know?
Just about every year there is a Mystery Foal Surprise where you can see the parents, but the foal is a "surprise". Last year I bought all of them because they each had at least one of the molds I conga. This year? Yup. All unicorns...
The two molds I conga are in the same one, which is convenient, but I don't do pink and I don't do Unicorns.
And then there's the clearware set that you can paint yourself. It they're supposed to be suncatchers, but they're...unicorns...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCpOjimBsovvx9w1VudhNKcgnRNHqgp6ucnZlgqjDLAkMtaYZHbY8Ac-B61g5PMoeM8VKtS4_Rd-sKbb82tR4Bdb0e2qvp_bHzP42DKr3qwHtzH3PWxqBmG2MA5uDtsjE7rVItIP47ls/s320/5.webp)
I am not sure what I think of the suncatcher thing, but I know I don't want the unicorns and I like two of the molds. They do seem to be getting a lot of mileage out of the mini Alborozo, don't they? If they weren't unicorns I could probably buy the kit.
They are, however, doing something a little different with the mystery Stablemates that don't include unicorns, but apparently it's a "blind ship" type thing like the 70th Anniversary horses.
Instead of getting 3 horses, you're getting two. For the same price as the 3. I don't collect foals, but it's the price you pay when you do collect the parents. I like 3 of them and actively conga one. I'm trying to start on the 2 others. Unfortunately, though, if the packaging is how it looks, there's no way of knowing which one you're going to get. Yes, I understand that's part of the surprise, but when you're only trying for certain ones, you don't want 10 of the one you DON'T want just to get the 3 you do. I get enough of that with the Pusheen blind boxes. I don't have a Breyer dealer locally anymore. There's a toy store up the road from my office that has "some" Breyers and a couple of tack stores floating around that still sell Breyers, but they're not convenient enough to just drop by and they're not knowledgeable enough to be able to call them up and ask them about certain models so I have to get mine via Amazon or Ebay. Or the Breyer website, but if the Stable Surprise is a "blind ship" then I won't be able to just buy the ones I want and not have to worry about getting duplicates. <sigh>
Yes, I know I sound like sour grapes or something and nobody is forcing me to do anything or buy anything. I'm just expressing my frustration. I know I'm not the only one who is over the unicorn fad. Well, I'm not over it because I was never "under" it. hahahaha. I'm probably in the minority, though, which isn't unusual, but my wallet sure will be happy by the lack of horses I want to buy.
So, next week is Christmas. Wednesday. I am off work the whole week. Yay. I don't have any solid plans other than do some cleaning I've been meaning to do, and organizing my horses. With that being said, I may or may not post anything next week. Most of my posts are done on a desktop computer at work because it's easier. I know I've said that before. I haven't decided, yet, though, what I will be doing. It'll be what I call a "Game Day Decision", meaning I'll decide on the actual day. I had wanted to go to Las Vegas on Thursday, but that probably isn't happening now. Another option is to go to Sedona, but I will have to see what the weather report is for Thursday and Friday as it is supposed to be "wintery" around Christmas and the last time I went to Sedona and it was snowing, I nearly got stuck on an unplowed road. I love the snow, but I don't have four wheel drive. Anyway, even if I don't make any regular posts, I will be planning for future ones. That didn't come out right. I will be "making content" (photos etc) for future ones.
Okay, I'm going to shut up now. I have lots to do at work before the end of the day. Until next time...
So anyway...Can I just say, I would like Breyer to STOP with all these unicorn releases? It seems like every time I turn around now, they're releasing something with a horn. I know unicorns are popular with a lot of people and they seem to be really hot right now, but not everyone is into them. Sure, I could just not buy them, but when you want to buy and unicorns are all there is, it's kind of irritating, you know?
Just about every year there is a Mystery Foal Surprise where you can see the parents, but the foal is a "surprise". Last year I bought all of them because they each had at least one of the molds I conga. This year? Yup. All unicorns...
The two molds I conga are in the same one, which is convenient, but I don't do pink and I don't do Unicorns.
And then there's the clearware set that you can paint yourself. It they're supposed to be suncatchers, but they're...unicorns...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCpOjimBsovvx9w1VudhNKcgnRNHqgp6ucnZlgqjDLAkMtaYZHbY8Ac-B61g5PMoeM8VKtS4_Rd-sKbb82tR4Bdb0e2qvp_bHzP42DKr3qwHtzH3PWxqBmG2MA5uDtsjE7rVItIP47ls/s320/5.webp)
I am not sure what I think of the suncatcher thing, but I know I don't want the unicorns and I like two of the molds. They do seem to be getting a lot of mileage out of the mini Alborozo, don't they? If they weren't unicorns I could probably buy the kit.
They are, however, doing something a little different with the mystery Stablemates that don't include unicorns, but apparently it's a "blind ship" type thing like the 70th Anniversary horses.
Instead of getting 3 horses, you're getting two. For the same price as the 3. I don't collect foals, but it's the price you pay when you do collect the parents. I like 3 of them and actively conga one. I'm trying to start on the 2 others. Unfortunately, though, if the packaging is how it looks, there's no way of knowing which one you're going to get. Yes, I understand that's part of the surprise, but when you're only trying for certain ones, you don't want 10 of the one you DON'T want just to get the 3 you do. I get enough of that with the Pusheen blind boxes. I don't have a Breyer dealer locally anymore. There's a toy store up the road from my office that has "some" Breyers and a couple of tack stores floating around that still sell Breyers, but they're not convenient enough to just drop by and they're not knowledgeable enough to be able to call them up and ask them about certain models so I have to get mine via Amazon or Ebay. Or the Breyer website, but if the Stable Surprise is a "blind ship" then I won't be able to just buy the ones I want and not have to worry about getting duplicates. <sigh>
Yes, I know I sound like sour grapes or something and nobody is forcing me to do anything or buy anything. I'm just expressing my frustration. I know I'm not the only one who is over the unicorn fad. Well, I'm not over it because I was never "under" it. hahahaha. I'm probably in the minority, though, which isn't unusual, but my wallet sure will be happy by the lack of horses I want to buy.
So, next week is Christmas. Wednesday. I am off work the whole week. Yay. I don't have any solid plans other than do some cleaning I've been meaning to do, and organizing my horses. With that being said, I may or may not post anything next week. Most of my posts are done on a desktop computer at work because it's easier. I know I've said that before. I haven't decided, yet, though, what I will be doing. It'll be what I call a "Game Day Decision", meaning I'll decide on the actual day. I had wanted to go to Las Vegas on Thursday, but that probably isn't happening now. Another option is to go to Sedona, but I will have to see what the weather report is for Thursday and Friday as it is supposed to be "wintery" around Christmas and the last time I went to Sedona and it was snowing, I nearly got stuck on an unplowed road. I love the snow, but I don't have four wheel drive. Anyway, even if I don't make any regular posts, I will be planning for future ones. That didn't come out right. I will be "making content" (photos etc) for future ones.
Okay, I'm going to shut up now. I have lots to do at work before the end of the day. Until next time...
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Conga! Conga! Conga!
According to the dictionary, a conga is a Latin American dance of African origin, usually with several people in a single line, one behind the other. In the model horse world, however, it has a different meaning. More or less. A conga in the model horse world is a group of horses on the same mold, but different models / colors.
I had never set out to be a conga-er. (yes, that is a word!). It just sort of happened. And I never even knew it was a thing until I discovered Model Horse Blab and saw people would intentionally buy the same mold but in different colors. Back in the day, I was a "buy all the horses" type collector so if I had money and it caught my interest, I bought it. I didn't pay attention to whether or not I had another one at home, but in a different color. So, by the time I discovered the model horse world version of a conga line, I already had several unintentional ones. Fast forward to today, though, and I now have several intentional ones. None of them complete.
This is a photo of my Ravel conga. It's since grown by a couple of models and lacks the original Ravel, but it's still a conga to me, but I'll get more into that in a bit.
I had never set out to be a conga-er. (yes, that is a word!). It just sort of happened. And I never even knew it was a thing until I discovered Model Horse Blab and saw people would intentionally buy the same mold but in different colors. Back in the day, I was a "buy all the horses" type collector so if I had money and it caught my interest, I bought it. I didn't pay attention to whether or not I had another one at home, but in a different color. So, by the time I discovered the model horse world version of a conga line, I already had several unintentional ones. Fast forward to today, though, and I now have several intentional ones. None of them complete.
Lady Phase |
Stone ISH |
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Latigo...another missing the original |
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San Domingo |
All of the above photos are out-dated and have grown some, but not a lot. Except Lady Phase. That photo was taken when they could all fit on one shelf, but now they take up 3? I forget. Now, you may be wondering why I'm using outdated photos...to be honest, I get lazy. I work full time then go home and take care of my elderly mom. Well, I don't "take care" of her, but it's kind of like it. Most of my free time after work is spent with her and trying to keep her...I don't know how to describe it. She has memory issues and needs to be kept to a routine and gets bent out of shape if something deviates the routine or whatever so it's my "job" to help keep her from getting bent out of shape.. Weekends are spent doing the same thing and just basically being lazy. So if I didn't use outdated photos, this blog post would be full of OTHER peoples' conga photos or wouldn't exist at all. hahaha.
I will use some photos of other peoples' congas in this post, though, because I conga the same molds. They are the Standing Stock Horse Stallion
photo by many mini hooves |
And the standing Thoroughbred
photo by heather forrest |
My Stock Horse Stallion conga is considerably larger than my Standing TB one, though, since I've only recently started collecting that one.
I also conga the Para Dressage, the loping Quarter Horse, the Clydesdale and Django, to name a few others.
Now, some people may wonder, what is the point in buying the same model, but in different colors? And that's a very good question. I sometimes wonder that myself. I'm sure everyone has their own reasons for it. Some do it for the color variations. These Stormy models are actually all just Stormy, but have quite a difference in coloring...
Others may do it simply because they really like the mold and want it in every color they can get, including custom colors. I'm probably in that category.
Mentioning custom models is actually a good segue into the subject of what constitutes a conga. Many people believe that in order for it to be a "legitimate" conga, you have to have every single model on that mold that is out there, customs included. Others don't include custom paint jobs since those aren't widely available. Some people think a conga includes One of a Kind and Auction (as in Breyerfest) models while others don't include those. To be considered a conga, you have to have more than one of that mold, right? Not necessarily. If it's a new mold then the first model released is a conga in and of itself since no others have been produced yet. So you get a lot of people joking, saying they have a complete conga of Model X. There are a lot of people, however, and I'm in this category, who think a conga is what the collector makes it to be. I don't have the room or the money to buy every single model on the Lady Phase mold or the San Domingo mold. Also, there are some that I just simply don't want. So to me, a conga is just a group of models on the same mold, but with different colors. Also, as collecting space becomes a premium, I have to be a little more selective on my model buying. hahaha.
So, do YOU conga? And if so, why? Care to share which molds you conga?
Friday, December 13, 2019
Breyer versus...?
For most of my collecting lifetime, there's been one manufacturer of model horses that has been constant: Breyer / Reeves International. I started collecting sometime around 1977 and, to my knowledge, they were the only company that really made models. They weren't exactly easy to come by, especially if you were only 7 years old and at the mercy of your parents to buy them for you, even at the low, low price of $5.99 for a traditional size. I was pretty lucky, though, because not far from my house was a toy store that carried Breyer horses. They had a couple of shelves of unboxed models and then they also had boxed ones. Back then, they came in cardboard boxes with the horses encased in plastic "bags".
Then, in 1978 or 1979, we became aware of a store that specialized in dollhouse miniatures, another obsession of mine, that also sold Breyer. The Doll House required driving to get to, but it wasn't very far. I couldn't walk to it like I'd eventually be able to walk to the shopping plaza that housed Toys N Things. By the time I could walk there alone, though, they were closed. Anyway, The Doll House would become my main source for most of my model horses.
It wasn't until my first live show in 1989 that I became aware of another company that also made models: Hartland. They had started out making models to be used with clocks
but would eventually cease production of those and start making stand-alone models like Breyer.
Hartlands weren't very plentiful in my area and, in fact, I didn't get my first one until a live show in Oceanside, CA in 1993, I think it was. It was an Arabian like the one in the top photo. There weren't many models available but the most popular one seemed to be Lady Jewel and Jade. Every time I heard about Hartland, it seemed to be about this mare and foal pair
They never did anything for me. No. My favorite mold was the Polo Pony, although I only ended up with 2. Like I said, they were hard to come by in Arizona.
I don't know what it was about him, but I really liked him and wish I still had one, even though I now recognize the brand as being rather inferior in quality. They were made from lightweight plastic and the paint rubbed easily.
I don't quite recall where I first heard about Peter Stone and Stone Model Horses. Well, I take that back. I knew Peter Stone was associated with Breyer and I remember when he "left", but I don't remember when I first heard about his new line of horses. I never saw them in any local stores, but by then, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find model horses of any sort. Toys R Us still carried some, but not a whole lot. Toys N Things had long since gone out of business and the owners of the Doll House were loyal to Breyer. They never carried any other manufacturer. Regardless of how I found out about them or when, however, I thought they were pretty neat. I only really liked one mold: the Ideal Stock Horse short mane / short tail. I have 7 of them, all but 1 a Design-A-Horse. The fact that I'm so ga-ga over ISH is funny since I've long since been a fan of warmblood breeds.
The only non-DAH I had was a Windswept ISH, but I never really clicked with him and so I sent him as a PIF to someone in England. His name was Sleigh Bell. Strange name for a male horse, but that's the name they gave him. I also have one non-ISH horse that is a DAH. I have shared him here before. My *Muscat wannabe
He only vaguely resembles the famous Russian stallion that once stood at stud in Scottsdale, but it's who I modeled him after. It's impossible to get an exact replica under the limitations of the DAH program, plus since he was an actual horse, I wouldn't have been allowed an exact replica without the owner's permission and since he is no longer with us, I came up with the best I could.
Quite a few years went by without anyone new entering the model horse marketplace, which is kind of surprising if you think about it. Oftentimes other companies will see s success story and will want their piece of the money pie, so to speak, but it wasn't until a few years ago that another company tried entering the arena: Copperfox. The owner had been a Breyer dealer for a number of years and planned to continue selling Breyers, but that didn't work out. That's a different story entirely. Anyway, Copperfox was going to focus on European breeds such as the Connemara and Shetland.
They launched a kickstarter to help fund the new company and people got different rewards depending on how much they donated. Soon, the first models were trotting off the assembly line and headed out to collectors. They managed to plug along for a little while, despite production set-backs and issues with the molds, but it seemed like it was over before it even started. I won't go into detail, but Copperfox announce they were ceasing operations. I felt bad for the company owner, but wasn't entirely surprised. I never saw a Copperfox in person and never had any real interest in having any, although I do kind of like the two ponies on opposite ends of the bottom row. I think they're supposed to be Exmoor Ponies. I would probably buy the one on the far right, but the old molds were all destroyed when the company ceased operations.
Or did they?
About 6 months ago someone posted on Blab about seeing a "Coming Soon" banner on the old Copperfox website and it got everyone all abuzz. Apparently, someone bought the company from the original owner and is in the process of producing model horses again. Not only that, but apparently the new company moved to the United States. I wonder what that will mean for the "focusing on UK breeds"? Does that mean they will make ALL breeds? Well, not all, but more than just UK. Lots of people on Blab are excited about the prospect of "Copperfox 2.0" and are saying they can't wait to buy the new models once they hit the market. I will admit to being a little curious, but I don't know if I will buy any. Only time will tell.
So, tell me...are you brand loyal? Do you only collect Breyer or do you have Stone/Hartland/Copperfox, too? I'm just talking about plastic horses, not chinas or anything.
Then, in 1978 or 1979, we became aware of a store that specialized in dollhouse miniatures, another obsession of mine, that also sold Breyer. The Doll House required driving to get to, but it wasn't very far. I couldn't walk to it like I'd eventually be able to walk to the shopping plaza that housed Toys N Things. By the time I could walk there alone, though, they were closed. Anyway, The Doll House would become my main source for most of my model horses.
It wasn't until my first live show in 1989 that I became aware of another company that also made models: Hartland. They had started out making models to be used with clocks
but would eventually cease production of those and start making stand-alone models like Breyer.
Hartlands weren't very plentiful in my area and, in fact, I didn't get my first one until a live show in Oceanside, CA in 1993, I think it was. It was an Arabian like the one in the top photo. There weren't many models available but the most popular one seemed to be Lady Jewel and Jade. Every time I heard about Hartland, it seemed to be about this mare and foal pair
They never did anything for me. No. My favorite mold was the Polo Pony, although I only ended up with 2. Like I said, they were hard to come by in Arizona.
I don't know what it was about him, but I really liked him and wish I still had one, even though I now recognize the brand as being rather inferior in quality. They were made from lightweight plastic and the paint rubbed easily.
I don't quite recall where I first heard about Peter Stone and Stone Model Horses. Well, I take that back. I knew Peter Stone was associated with Breyer and I remember when he "left", but I don't remember when I first heard about his new line of horses. I never saw them in any local stores, but by then, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find model horses of any sort. Toys R Us still carried some, but not a whole lot. Toys N Things had long since gone out of business and the owners of the Doll House were loyal to Breyer. They never carried any other manufacturer. Regardless of how I found out about them or when, however, I thought they were pretty neat. I only really liked one mold: the Ideal Stock Horse short mane / short tail. I have 7 of them, all but 1 a Design-A-Horse. The fact that I'm so ga-ga over ISH is funny since I've long since been a fan of warmblood breeds.
![]() |
This one IS a DAH. lol |
He only vaguely resembles the famous Russian stallion that once stood at stud in Scottsdale, but it's who I modeled him after. It's impossible to get an exact replica under the limitations of the DAH program, plus since he was an actual horse, I wouldn't have been allowed an exact replica without the owner's permission and since he is no longer with us, I came up with the best I could.
Quite a few years went by without anyone new entering the model horse marketplace, which is kind of surprising if you think about it. Oftentimes other companies will see s success story and will want their piece of the money pie, so to speak, but it wasn't until a few years ago that another company tried entering the arena: Copperfox. The owner had been a Breyer dealer for a number of years and planned to continue selling Breyers, but that didn't work out. That's a different story entirely. Anyway, Copperfox was going to focus on European breeds such as the Connemara and Shetland.
They launched a kickstarter to help fund the new company and people got different rewards depending on how much they donated. Soon, the first models were trotting off the assembly line and headed out to collectors. They managed to plug along for a little while, despite production set-backs and issues with the molds, but it seemed like it was over before it even started. I won't go into detail, but Copperfox announce they were ceasing operations. I felt bad for the company owner, but wasn't entirely surprised. I never saw a Copperfox in person and never had any real interest in having any, although I do kind of like the two ponies on opposite ends of the bottom row. I think they're supposed to be Exmoor Ponies. I would probably buy the one on the far right, but the old molds were all destroyed when the company ceased operations.
Or did they?
About 6 months ago someone posted on Blab about seeing a "Coming Soon" banner on the old Copperfox website and it got everyone all abuzz. Apparently, someone bought the company from the original owner and is in the process of producing model horses again. Not only that, but apparently the new company moved to the United States. I wonder what that will mean for the "focusing on UK breeds"? Does that mean they will make ALL breeds? Well, not all, but more than just UK. Lots of people on Blab are excited about the prospect of "Copperfox 2.0" and are saying they can't wait to buy the new models once they hit the market. I will admit to being a little curious, but I don't know if I will buy any. Only time will tell.
So, tell me...are you brand loyal? Do you only collect Breyer or do you have Stone/Hartland/Copperfox, too? I'm just talking about plastic horses, not chinas or anything.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Story-time Tuesday... or...
Farrier Jake and the strange-looking horses...
Okay. So here is the first post of my posting schedule. And no. "Storytime Tuesday" probably won't be a regular "thing". I just liked the title. So, let's get started.
Jake is a farrier. That means, he trims horse hooves and puts shoes on them, unless they're barefoot. Sometimes, that's easier said than done, though...
Ordinarily, the anvil is used to hammer out the shoe as it's fit to the horse's hoof. It can also be used as a place for the horse to put its hoof, but not usually. But how is he supposed to fit a shoe to a horse the size of a Beagle? He doesn't have anything that small! He needs to find something a bit bigger.
A-ha! This looks like it would be a perfect fit!
Is this even a horse? What is this creature?
It doesn't look like a horse...maybe it's some kind of ancient breed. Can I ride it?
This is very strange...It has soft feet so I don't think nailing a metal shoe to it would work very well, nor would giving it a barefoot trim. What would I trim? And how would I trim it? It keeps walking away from me! But wait! There's a smaller one! Maybe this one will be more cooperative...
Or maybe not...
As the strange-looking animal runs off, Jake realizes it may not have been a horse after-all and maybe he should go to vet school instead of being a farrier so he could find out what the cat-like creature was...
Or maybe he should just use Google instead...
The end...
Okay. So here is the first post of my posting schedule. And no. "Storytime Tuesday" probably won't be a regular "thing". I just liked the title. So, let's get started.
Jake is a farrier. That means, he trims horse hooves and puts shoes on them, unless they're barefoot. Sometimes, that's easier said than done, though...
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Hmmm. This doesn't seem right... |
A-ha! This looks like it would be a perfect fit!
![]() |
This doesn't look right either... |
![]() |
Stand still! |
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Uhhh...Ride 'em cowboy? |
Or maybe not...
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Hey! Come back here! |
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Ooof! |
The end...
Friday, December 6, 2019
Fun with... ?
Hahahaha.
Okay. So another blogger gave me some helpful tips about my blog...well, not my blog specifically but about blogging in general...and one of them was to set a schedule and keep to it. That way, people know when to expect a new post rather than having to just randomly check to see if there's a new one. I don't remember if I mentioned in a prior post or if I told someone that I was thinking about doing that, but I never did. I just need to decide now on how many days a week to post something new and stick to that schedule. I created an "active" link on Blab so all someone needs to do is click on it rather than copy/paste and on my Instagram I may just make a post saying I've uploaded a new blog. She also said not to take too much stock into the page views. It'll be difficult, but I will try. That's why I wish I could turn off page views so I won't pay so much attention to them. Several people have told me they don't want me to stop blogging, so I won't.
So...this weekend I will be thinking about things like an upload schedule and then I will stick to it. Friday may or may not be one of those days, but it is today. I brought my as-yet unboxed Farrier Jake doll to work and I have a couple ideas of some funny pictures to take. At least, they're funny in my head, but so am I...funny in the head, that is.
I don't like his apron thing. It makes me think he's wearing culottes, even though I can see he's got jeans on.
Anyway, tune in early next week...hmmm...Tuesdays and Fridays maybe...I will try that upload schedule...tune in next Tuesday to see what Jake has gotten himself into. Have a great weekend!
Okay. So another blogger gave me some helpful tips about my blog...well, not my blog specifically but about blogging in general...and one of them was to set a schedule and keep to it. That way, people know when to expect a new post rather than having to just randomly check to see if there's a new one. I don't remember if I mentioned in a prior post or if I told someone that I was thinking about doing that, but I never did. I just need to decide now on how many days a week to post something new and stick to that schedule. I created an "active" link on Blab so all someone needs to do is click on it rather than copy/paste and on my Instagram I may just make a post saying I've uploaded a new blog. She also said not to take too much stock into the page views. It'll be difficult, but I will try. That's why I wish I could turn off page views so I won't pay so much attention to them. Several people have told me they don't want me to stop blogging, so I won't.
So...this weekend I will be thinking about things like an upload schedule and then I will stick to it. Friday may or may not be one of those days, but it is today. I brought my as-yet unboxed Farrier Jake doll to work and I have a couple ideas of some funny pictures to take. At least, they're funny in my head, but so am I...funny in the head, that is.
I don't like his apron thing. It makes me think he's wearing culottes, even though I can see he's got jeans on.
Anyway, tune in early next week...hmmm...Tuesdays and Fridays maybe...I will try that upload schedule...tune in next Tuesday to see what Jake has gotten himself into. Have a great weekend!
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That’s not fair! Lol
Okay…so I was looking at Facebook earlier an say a model that caught my eye. Now, this isn’t a super new mold,but this is only the, what, ...
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Okay…so I was looking at Facebook earlier an say a model that caught my eye. Now, this isn’t a super new mold,but this is only the, what, ...
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I don't mean literally, you silly goose! ;-) I don't have any custom painted models anymore. I had a couple in the 1990s, but th...
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Well, it’s that time of year again. The day where Breyer releases a special model on Christmas Day. I remember one year where they releas...