I get asked this question a lot, and honestly it is hard to answer. I guess it depends upon how serious of a collector you are. If you are a casual collector that only buys a Breyer once a year, or if you can't afford $65+ for a model, or if you don't plan on being in any of the specialty clubs, then I'd say probably not. *You do NOT get a free Breyer with your membership fee. A lot of people don't understand this. Breyer has given each member a Just About Horses magazine once a year since the inception of the Collector Club and just started giving a calendar and membership card as free gifts with your membership (although they did raise the price of the membership a bit to compensate) but that's about it. Again, unless you join the Kids Club Deluxe in which you get a Classics sized horse, you do not get a free Breyer with your club membership. *Breyer offers six models a year FOR PURCHASE. Again, no free models. You do, however, get the chance to purchase rare and limited edition models that aren't available to non-members. These models are often offered anywhere between $65 to $150 for special runs and last only until they sell out, so you have to be quick to purchase. Sometimes they offer Classics for $35 each and Stablemates for about $25 to $50 each depending upon how many were made. *They also offer a few raffle models each year. These models are only limited to 350 pieces and are often between $125-$185 each. They are the rarest of rare, and they are raffle models, meaning don't get your heart too set on one or else you may be in for disappointment because only those chosen to purchase them from the many that enter will be able to. *You get access to exclusive sales and website discounts. Sometimes, especially around the holidays, Breyer will offer Collector Club exclusive sale items (surplus models that were available through the Collector Club or the specialty clubs at one time) that are available for purchase to members only. You also get 10% off your order of anything on Breyer's website, minus the club models. *You do get ONE FREEBIE near the end of the year... but again you have to make a purchase in order to get the freebie. Breyer offers a Collector Club appreciation deal in December each year in which they offer a FREE glossy regular run with a purchase of $125 worth of products. This year they'd only made 500 glossy models divided up in 5 different horses (Paint Me A Pepto, Cobra, Peace of Mind, Shire and Kodi) so you can only imagine what one of those would be worth on the second hand market. *You get a surprise on Christmas day. Again if you're expecting a free surprise, you will be disappointed, but once a year Santa brings something special to Collector Club members only to purchase. The past few years the price was $95 with free shipping. This year, however, the price jumped to $150 with free shipping because they used the popular - and large - Othello mold. Quite a few people were unhappy about the price jump, especially those that'd been saving up for it, so it makes me wonder what Breyer will do next year. However enough people thought that it was a good deal and it was sold out within only a few hours of being posted. *Specialty clubs are a big reason to join. If you want access to the Stablemates Club models, the Vintage Club models or the Premier Club models, the only way you can do that outside of paying the inflated second hand market prices is to join the club yourself. In order to do that, you have to purchase a Collector Club membership first, then join the specialty club of your choice by paying the deposit to hold your place in the club. Deposits are $30 for the Stablemates Club and $100 for the other two clubs. Signups start in December and end the first of the year. The clubs run January to December so you cannot join a specialty club in the middle of the year. *You get discounted Breyerfest tickets. If Oliver isn't reason enough to go to Breyerfest, having discounted tickets is even better! Granted, it isn't much of a discount but it's something, especially if you regularly attend Breyerfest or would like to go. Collector Club members also get the option to purchase tickets to other events offered through Breyer. *You get to converse with other collectors. Feel like you have nobody to talk to about your hobby because not everyone understands plastic ponies? The Collector Club forums are a good place to get information about showing, customizing, tack making and even the first to know about upcoming releases.
If you're going into the Collector Club expecting freebies and discounts, you will be disappointed. The main goal of the club is not to save money, per se, like many paid memberships, but to be able to access special runs that otherwise wouldn't be possible to purchase. As a forewarning, the cost of the models are a bit steep so saving ahead is a good idea. If you have a hard time paying for regular runs, then you'll probably want to avoid the Collector Club. On the other hand, for those like me who would rather pay original prices than the inflated prices of the second hand market, then you might want to join. I used to be a JAH subscriber back in the day and would purchase the yearly special runs (10 years ago those models were around $50 so an inflated price of $65 isn't unreasonable in the least in my opinion) but couldn't afford the connoisseur models. I still have a limited budget now that I have five children, however even though I can't buy the expensive raffle models, I still find the club worth the money just by purchasing the special runs and being a part of the Stablemates Club. Comments are closed.
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