A sneak peek of the Tractor Supply special runs has been floating about the internet lately. Apparently there is going to be three this year, although only two are available at this time. Usually I only like one of the Tractor Supply special runs but I admit that I want all of them this year. Breyer did a good job! The first horse is a buckskin blanket appaloosa on the Smarty Jones mold. His name is Hakan, and from what I can see this horse is going to have nice, realistic shading. I'm really surprised Breyer released two buckskins in the same year, although I admit I'm excited for this guy, who looks like Rocket from BF with his buttermilk buckskin coloring. I was really hoping he'd have some dappling like Rocket but I don't think he does. I'm just super happy to see this mold again! I plan on getting him. His name is Sampson and he's on the original Gypsy Vanner mold. This is Stella a bay pinto on the Bluegrass Bandit mold and she's going to be the third Tractor Supply special run. I like that they gave her such realistic looking hooves and the high stockings are kind of neat. Personally though I don't collect this mold so I think I'm going to pass on her.
It seemed like not long ago Greyson was released for the Stablemates Club and then the rush of Breyerfest made us forget that the fourth release was already due to us! Today we welcomed Iris to the roster of SM Club horses. She is the gambler's choice available in either glossy silver bay, glossy blue roan pinto, pearly cremello blanket appaloosa with satin finish or a Mojave Turquoise inspired decorator. All of them are beautiful and I personally will be happy to get any of them. I will update this post with the Iris I receive! Update: My Iris turned out to be the silver bay, which was the one I was secretly hoping for ever since I saw her posted in the JAH annual magazine last year. She is nice, her mane and tail have a pearly sheen. She has some overspray which isn't unusual considering how small these horses are, and an unsanded spot under her front knee, but she's still a keeper. I will be keeping her in my personal collection. She looks like a mini Celeste.
Alright guys. It's time to talk about this. Now that the dust has settled, I would like to discuss with you my real thoughts about Breyerfest 2019.
As this was my first Breyerfest, I honestly have no others to compare it to, but let me start with the good. I thought the event like Disney World for horse fans. It was fun, everyone seemed to be cheerful despite the heat, nobody was pushing their way in lines and it was overall well organized. A wonderful lady (who I hope one day will read this blog) even gave up her seat for my daughter at the arts and crafts table. Everyone there showed extreme courtesy to us. Southern hospitality is truly alive and well at Breyerfest. Although I was a first timer, I researched as much as I could about the event before going. I did manage to do most, although there was quite a bit I still ended up missing out on because I didn't know it happened, like the social media group. The basics though, like where everything was, was very well laid out and everything was labeled by signs. The lines were a bit confusing, but once I figured it out, it went smoothly. Now I understand that Breyer puts this together for us collectors, and of that I am grateful. Really, Breyer, you have no idea how thankful I am for this event. I also understand that they sometimes make mistakes, as they did this year, however this was probably the worst time to make so many mistakes because it was an anniversary year. A lot of shortages of models were to be had, and while I understand that this can happen during any year of Breyerfest, especially if it is a super popular mold, what happened at Breyerfest 2019 was just crazy. Rumors abounded that Breyer left a couple pallets at the warehouse and forgot to bring them along on the truck while other people were saying that they oversold models and tickets. The fact of the matter was that something went wrong and those people that were in the middle of the line or beyond left with essentially nothing. By nothing I mean that the most popular models: Banner, the Heroe's Welcome Surprise, Quill, Rocket and Diana were sold out before even half the line was through. While one or two popular horses being sold out by the end of the line is the norm, having all but three sell out is unacceptable. I saw a very disappointed little girl leave out with four Peppers! However, I did end up getting the horses I wanted so I can't complain, although I still drooled over the variations. I am not a very lucky person, however, and almost never get the rarest horse in any gambler's choice so this was no surprise. Despite all this, I do plan on attending Breyerfest next year too, I'm just hoping it'll go a little better. It will be another anniversary, Breyer's 70th year as a company, so I'm hoping they'll incorporate that in their Breyerfest models somehow. Hopefully not go as crazy with the variations as they did this year, but a little something special would be nice. |
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