Breyer has revealed the surprise horse for 2024: Girls Run the World. Since obviously we won't know what the surprise will be until Breyerfest (and before anyone asks I do NOT do presales on surprise models... I will however have several available during Breyerfest for sale that way you can pick your color) I always like to try to guess ahead of time. Each year, I narrow my guesses down to three by Breyerfest, and for the past four years I've been correct except for the year of Dundee. This year will be a bit of a challenge because the list of breeds is wide open. Now with Bobby Jo being used as the Oklahoma event model, Bluegrass Bandit as the volunteer model and internet favorite Weather Girl as the spring flagship edition, I need to really dig my claws in. The following criteria has applied to most or all previous Breyerfests: *The mold must be one that was used within the past 3 years but can NOT be released the year of Breyerfest. However it may be an active regular run at the time of it's Breyerfest release, just not RELEASED the same year as a run. Confusing, I know. *Premier Club or Moody molds are most commonly used, however for the Premier Club molds, they must be older than 3 years and with Moody molds be no older than 20 years old. *In years past, the mold usually fit the theme, however the 2024 theme is so wide open, it could really be anything. There is no breed specific to the theme, which makes it a lot harder to guess. *It is usually a live auction model from the year before. I say usually because there was two years when it didn't: in 2019 with the Moody Andalusian Stallion and again in 2021 with Dundee, unless you count the glossy Carter from the silent auction. *It is never a pony, animal or vintage mold. Could this possibly change? Well, anything with Breyer is a crapshoot so who knows? For now, we'll say no. *It is never a mold used previously as a surprise model but can be a mold used as a previous Breyerfest model, either a special run, limited edition, raffle model, etc. Also, no mold previously used as a gambler's choice of any sort (like Othello as the Treasure Hunt) has ever been a surprise. *New for this year... must be a mare mold. Breyer's only hint to us so far is that it is a mare mold, not surprising with the girl power theme. While technically any mold can be reverted to a mare, I'm only going to go with the molds that have been previously used as a mare in the past at least once. So who does that leave? Let's start with the live auction molds from 2023. I made the above graphic prior to learning that the surprise model will be a mare, so a few of those shown above will be excluded below because they have only ever been made as stallions.
-Ashquar (used as a special run for Breyerfest 2024) -Pacer (vintage) -Arabian Mare - I can see Breyer using this mold and making it in several different mane/tail variations as they did with the Cleveland Bay surprise from 2022. Will they do it? Who knows? Her last release was in 2020 making it not impossible that she could be used but closer to the longest time used. We do, however, already have an Arabian in the lineup this year so I think we might have another year where the surprise wasn't a raffle model from the year before. At this time, I'm not willing to put her on my top list just yet. -Huckleberry Bey (used as a gambler's choice for the 2023 Santa Surprise) -Georg (current 2024 regular run) -Paso Fino (used as a limited edition for Breyerfest 2024) -Stretch Morgan (vintage) -Desatado (stallion with no mare counterpart) -Vermeer (stallion with no mare counterpart) -Lipizzan Mare *see list below -Old Timer (vintage) -Fireheart (too new) -Bobby Jo (used as the event model for Spokes and Spurs) -Nikolas (pony) -Roy (vintage) -Strapless (over 20 years old) -Lonesome Glory (already was a surprise horse) -Semi Rearing Mustang (vintage) -Anamar (used last year as a Breyerfest SR) -PAS (vintage) -Welsh Mare (pony) -Newsworthy (pony) This doesn't leave very many molds, so the biggest question is if not a raffle model, then what? I'm going to eliminate the Shagya Arabian, much to the disappointment of social media, because she was used last year for the online special run and I don't see them using her twice in a row. Likewise, Emma and Bristol are eliminated for those reasons. I'm really teetering towards a Thoroughbred since that was the breed used on the banner at Breyerfest last year announcing the theme and is just about the only breed that hasn't been used so far. Therefore, my number one still remains: 1) Emerson: This mold actually came into my head recently. Although he was originally made as a stallion, it completely blew my mind that Breyer did make him a mare for Winx, who just recently retired last year. Since Ruffian has actually been retired a bit too long since she was last a regular run, and since Emerson is another Thoroughbred mld - which we are thus far lacking this year - I'm putting Emerson at the top of my list. 2) Wyatt: I said earlier in my post that I was excluding molds that had originally been produced male but changed to female later. Wyatt is still currently being produced for ATP Power. He has also already made his appearance at Breyerfest with Marzipan in 2022 and before that as Bozeman. His time as the surprise should happen soon. 3) Forever Saige: My reasoning for this gal to be the surprise is honestly simply because she fits most of the criteria, has been lightly used and is a current regular run. Yes, her breed has already been used in the lineup this year, but so has a Lipizzan, an Arabian and a stock horse so it's highly possible that the surprise will be a breed already used. Also, I just simply love this mold and would like to see more on her :) Honorable mention - Lipizzan Mare: She was the only raffle model last year that still has a chance, but she has a few other things going for her. This girl has been very lightly used over the years since she's been out, mostly as decorator colors. The last time she was seen as a regular run was the Favory Airiella set which retired in 2022 making her still within the 3 year range of being used previously. She also has the prancing attitude of a girl with confidence. My biggest issue is that historically only Roxy was a mold previously used as a volunteer model and also a surprise. Except for Roxy, none of the other molds used as volunteer models went on to be surprises, and the Lipizzan Mare was used as a volunteer model in 2022. Thinking out loud - Ruffian: This gal has made her appearance at Breyerfest several times as special runs, but never as the surprise yet, and her time is getting close to the 20 year cutoff. She is only 2 years away from being too old to be used as the surprise, but also because she radiates the "girl power" that the real horse was known for. However, she hasn't been used since 2018 when she was used as American Pharoah, which is over the 3 year rule and is the only reason why I decided to remove her from my list. While I absolutely love this mold myself, I must put my sentiments aside and focus solely on the trend of previous years' surprises. Thinking out loud - Andalusian Mare: I have my doubts about this mold since she was recently a gambler's choice for the Vintage Club in 2022 and I think it is unlikely they'd use her as another again so soon. However, she is a mare mold that would fit the theme, and so far the only Andalusian in the lineup is the show prize. Breyer West is happening right now, and those on social media are drooling over the in hand pictures of the Breyerfest models. I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't show too many of the special runs but they did show Blue Zeus (ahhhhh is he stunning!) and all of the traditional limited editions. I teetered upon the Classic, Just Like Fire, however after seeing him in hand, he is definitely coming home with me. I've been starting to collect Classics more and more since I quickly run out of shelf space with the traditionals, and that pattern was just made for that mold. Also, if you missed it, Bluegrass Bandit is the volunteer model this year so that ticks her off my early surprise guess. She was in third place only because they did a gaited breed for the surprise last year so I was skeptical about her, but I thought to throw her on there since her mold is so full of pizazz and spunk. Her name is Worth It, and that she is. I'm loving that blood red chestnut! I'm going to assume Breyer will add a third later, just like they did last year with Croi, and I bet it'll be a flaxen chestnut. Makes me want to volunteer myself if I had the time. I do wish Breyer would bring this mold back, or release a new Tennessee Walking mold through the Premier Club so Bluegrass Bandit can earn her well deserved retirement.
As for me, I'll be racking my brain as to whom I'm going to replace her with on my surprise guess... It has honestly been pretty quiet on the Breyer end of things. We *should* be expecting a second Vintage Club release this month, along with a new destination lottery model, per Breyer's Collector Club newsletter. As far as my own model store goes, I should be getting in some more models here shortly, as I purchased another small collection and I'm just waiting for the seller to ship them to me. Once they're here, I'll be adding them to my Model Horse Store.
I would also like to add that I've been reached out to about money being raised for a memorial plaque in honor of Andrea Gurdon. The person who reached out to me wasn't the person who made the Go Fund Me page, so I really hope that it is ok with her if I let others know about it, as I didn't even know this was in the works until it was brought up to me. I'm hoping I can help spread the word so that the goal amount will be reached in time for Breyerfest. They are literally almost there, so please if you have the spare funds, let's help ensure that Andrea goes down as a part of Breyer history and no better fitting place than the Kentucky Horse Park! If you'd like to donate, you can do so here. It has been pretty quiet on the Breyer end. Finally we got the monthly newsletter for the Collector Club, mostly talking about the Bristol mold in honor of the leap year, with not surprisingly Clooney 51 as the freebie giveaway. There was a very heartfelt article dedicated to Andrea Gurdon, whom if you missed it was the author of the Breyer History Diva blog that passed away this month of cancer. She was the guru of Breyer's early days as a company and knew probably more about vintage models than probably anyone working at Breyer to this day. Her knowledge was absolutely bottomless and her passion was obvious in every post she made. I was glad to see that Breyer honored her memory. Finally, there was the reveal, who will be a new destination as part of the new lottery draw series: Not in the newsletter but on social media was the leaked sneak peek of the new Othello stablemate, made only for Deluxe Collector Club members, and he is absolutely adorable! We saw his prototype last year but not the actual in-the-plastic model. I think I have a new variety of potato chips that I want to conga. I'm always amazed at how Breyer packs all that detail in a tiny stablemate.
Speaking of stablemates, those of you who have been waiting for me to get over my artist's block and start putting out some customs again, I'm happy to announce that I've finally came up with some new designs! I have started on about a half dozen stablemates that will be available in March. They will be incredibly cute, so if you're interested, stay tuned! In case any of you missed the memo, Breyerfest tickets are now available, and we get to see exactly how much those "processing fees" are that Breyer added to ticket costs this year with doing the tickets virtual. Those fees ended up adding a whopping $8 to the price of each ticket, making tickets almost $100 now (and over that if you purchase them at the gate after early bird pricing ends) which is... not what I was expecting. I was more expecting $3 to $5 but it is what it is. For those who asked how much each model is going to be if you order it during Breyerfest week, now you know. If you subtract $98 from the $103 charged at the gate, then divide it by two for both models from one ticket, that will be how much more I'll be charging for extra models at Breyerfest. While I still think the virtual tickets are better than mailing tickets as far as losing tickets goes, I see a huge issue with this: there is no trading of tickets now, so if you don't get the model you want from the preference list, you'll have to have someone willing to scan their ticket for you in line rather than simply trading the ticket stub. Either that or you'd have to buy tickets at the gate and pay the extra admission cost to get your choice of model(s). At least it's still not as bad as the olden days when you had to rely upon the luck of the draw in line. That was true torture. People mentioned that we're getting FREE parking to the KHP included with tickets and that makes it more worthwhile, but 3 day parking was only $13 y'all. Unless you only purchase one ticket (which most people don't since they often bring their spouse, children, friends, family, whomever with them) then you're paying more for parking than you did in previous years. I'm hoping *crosses fingers* that the main reason for such a huge ticket increase that is being disguised as "processing fees" is because there will be variations this year. I know with the variations last year that Breyer had a lot of people going back to buy tickets at the gate, and I think they took note. Maybe it was a practice run knowing that this year will be an anniversary year, I don't know, but early bird pricing will likely be here to stay. It was honestly one of the few things I didn't miss the past couple years when Breyerfest was in person. If they brought it back, me thinks we might be in for some surprises, but don't quote me on that because of the variations offered last year so I don't know what the chances are of them doing variations again. With the fact that the stablemates are deco and since Breyer completely flipped the theme from a rescue/rags to riches theme to a pop music theme, I'm kind of expecting something cool, in which case then ticket prices will be worth it
They also showed in hand pictures of the models for the first time, and a couple of them that I wasn't particularly interested in based on Breyer's stock photos caught my eye. While I was already smitten with Blue Zeus, Alan a Day's Work and The Edge of Glory (all whom I'm hoping to get for my own personal collection) I was particularly enthralled by the amazing coloration of Just Like Fire, the phoenix classics model, and Can't Hold Us Down looks a lot darker than her stock photos that I actually like the more chestnut-y color, as I thought originally that she was a red dun. Breyer didn't really state what color she is supposed to be, but I might pick her up if I end up with an extra ticket. I'm hoping that those corn spots on Blue Zeus aren't as obvious as they appear because in his stock photos they look more grey and blended into the coat versus sticking out like a sore thumb. I'll still try to get him, nonetheless, but I was a bit wow'd by how dark they were in the in hand photos. Everybody else looks just about what I expected. Breyer, where in the world are the Breyerfest tickets? Last year they went on sale February 1st. It is now almost the end of February and we are still waiting to buy our tickets. Y'all better take away the early bird pricing if we're only going to have 2 months to purchase them before tickets go up in price...
Anyways I wanted to remind everyone that the single day (event) stablemates and the celebration horse will only be available for presale on my website through the end of the month. On February 29th they will be removed and no longer offered. Stablemates will not be offered as extras Breyerfest weekend, as I only purchase as many as I have presales for. As for the celebration models that I don't end up pre-selling, they will be donated to Toys for Tots at the end of the year. I did the same the past two years with all my extra Nikolas and Bravour models, and will continue to do so for as long as I offer Breyerfest pickups. I think this is a great way to give back when most of us really only need one model for our collection. Also, Vintage Club 2024 model, Scorpion, has been reduced to $150 and FREE shipping if you pre-order him by 02/28. After that, because I will have to have him shipped to me first, his pricing will go up. I will be breaking even at this price with the fact that the Vintage Club models have increased this year and the shipping that Breyer charges so you will be getting him at cost. Right now I only have limited shelf space and must focus on collecting only what I really truly want, and this mold is not one of my favorites, so I'd really like to find him a home where he will be cherished. He is limited to just 1,000 pieces. Several other models in my store have been reduced as well. Stablemates are buy one get one 50% off until the end of the month using the code SMSALE (it will show up as 25% off each stablemate in checkout) and include my stablemate customs as well. All models* in my store include FREE shipping the rest of the year and taxes are included in the pricing, so what you see is what you pay. *FREE shipping will not be applied for leftover Breyerfest models posted the weekend of Breyerfest or pre-ordered Breyerfest models I'm saddened to announce the news that Andrea Gurdon, owner of the Breyer History Diva blog, has passed away from cancer. She was the inspiration behind starting a blog of my own back in 2016 when I didn't even know if Breyer blogs were a "thing" as I loved her wittiness, sense of humor and honesty in her posts. I think she and I would have been good friends if I had gotten the chance to meet her. Sadly, in all my years of going to Breyerfest, I only went to the Clarion last year for the first time since my kids are now old enough to stay home and I could shop the halls kid free. She was gone from her room when I went there, most likely at Breyerfest, so I never was able to say hello. She was a legend in this hobby, a collector for many years and was very informative about the vintage molds. I was sad to read how excited she was to get My Fight Song at Breyerfest this year, knowing how much she loved that mold, and now it won't come to fruitation. I will keep her family in my thoughts and prayers during this tough time while Andrea now flies in the golden skies with all the horses of the past whose portrait models she had in her amazing collection. Rest in peace, Andrea.
I have been reached out to about a large collection that will be going up for auction. The models were owned by a long time collector (who shall remain unnamed due to privacy) who has collected models since the 1950s that is dispersing her 4x5,000 piece collection. I am honored to be able to share this with everyone, and hope that you will spread the word to fellow collectors. The first 300+/- models have been posted so far, and I'm told more will be posted in future. There are a lot of rarities that you don't see anymore, so if any of you are looking for grails, I highly suggest checking it out. You can see what is for sale at the following link:
https://larryrichieauctioneer.hibid.com/lot/185251625/--701721-limited-edition The first Vintage Club horse is available for purchase to members only! His name is Scorpion and he's a stunning flaxen chestnut appaloosa on the Stud Spider mold. I love him, as a modern paint job really brings out the vintage molds, but unfortunately I don't collect the mold so he is up for sale in my Model Horse Store to anyone who wants him but isn't in the club. Shipping is included in his pricing and he will be shipped directly to you from Breyer! Also, come tomorrow there will be a bunch of stablemates posted to my store as well. They cannot be combine shipped with Scorpion, since he'll be coming directly from Breyer, but I'm now offering FREE shipping in my store the rest of the year (Breyerfest models are excluded from this except the stablemates) so if you order anything with him, just a heads up that they won't be shipped together. Be sure to check out my Model Horse Store page tomorrow for exciting Breyerfest, chase and rare stablemate models!
Heath arrived today. I'm going to start adding reviews to the club models through my blog since so many want to know if getting them second hand is worth it or not. Heath was a model that I've wanted since last year when we saw the preview of him, and Othello has been my favorite mold since I bought Wintersong all the way back in 2007. I still like him better than Shannondell when choosing a Shire/Clydesdale mold, although he is a shelf hog. I can live with a shelf hog though, I can't live with an unstable mold that falls over at any given bump, which is what made me depart with my Shannondell conga. Anyways, once I saw on social media that Breyer was using the same packaging that they used at Breyerfest last year for club models now, I was on edge the entire time after reading about numerous instances where people received models with rubbed or broken ear tips due to the cardboard paper packaging. I'm a bit worried that the Vintage and Premier Club models are going to arrive this way, but I'm hoping not due to their higher prices. Heath is absolutely stunning with his strawberry roan body. I would even venture to say that he is the most beautiful color ever made on Othello. He is neither overly roaned and his mane/tail, although pearly, are not overdone either, and I love the colored stripes throughout his mane rather than just being one color. I couldn't find any overspray on his spots, either. Overall, he is nearly perfect and a welcome addition to my collection. Breyer is getting much better at making roans look a lot more realistic, I'll give them that. I think mine was on the lighter side compared to others I've seen. Thankfully mine arrived without any issues to his ear tip, so there is hope that flawless are out there, for those of you who are still waiting for yours. I will say that you must remove that cardboard wrapping over his head very carefully. Don't just yank it off. I pulled the cardboard off the head of Speos at Breyerfest last year, causing a nasty ear tip rub on the first model I opened. Thankfully I was able to exchange him, but I learned my lesson to be gentle with this packaging. Of course, some people reported that their Heaths had arrived already with the ear poking through the cardboard in which case I'd definitely email or call Breyer to inform them that this is happening. Just... be nice about it, ya'll. Nobody wants to go to work dreading a hoard of complaints when all they do is work there. That's all I ask. I do think Breyer should've at least bubblewrapped the faces and tails rather than used the cardboard paper. It would still be using less bubblewrap while at the same time eliminating much of the headache from this new "economical" packaging. There was absolutely no other cushioning in the box other than the paper, and a lot of space for him to float around in. Mine apparently was banged around so much that there was a nose indent on the front of the box and it was split down the side from the weight of this model rattling around during transit. I worry about this packaging moving forward and am truly shocked Heath arrived safely despite all that. For Breyerfest models, it seemed ok. For models sent through the mail... no.
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