A Boatload of Blankets

Having just bought nine blankets off eBay, I thought it might be a good idea to go through my blanket tub and see just what I have so that I don't make duplicate purchases. (Which has happened before, but the extras make good donations.)

Four of the nine I ordered are here (the last five were sold in a lot) so this is what I have thus far. I'll do a separate blog entry on the lot when it arrives.

 The tub is getting full but I can still squeeze a few more in.

Breyer has done several types of packaging. I prefer the kind on the left as it is compact and sturdy, protecting the blanket, but the open-blanket style in the middle allows you to see both sides of the blanket at once, good when there is a different motif on each side. But it also takes a lot more storage space in exchange for that clarity.

The sealed plastic bag on the right allows you to see both sides of the blanket but it is very flimsy and not as protective of the contents.

Having said all that, most people open the packaging and use the blanket; very few like me actually collect the blankets themselves and keep things intact. So, I do understand Breyer's various methods for packing those blankets.

Susan Bensema Young's eagle eyes spied these next four blankets on eBay and sent an email to tell me about them. I checked with her first to be sure she was not planning on bidding on them herself before I snapped them up.

This green turnout blanket also came with the model! I already have Karinthia, but will check it against my other for variations. If there are any, it will stay with me. (Photo by eBay seller.)

 The blue turnout blanket didn't come with the model horse. (Photo by eBay seller.)

As you know from the variation post on Stud Spider, the brown canvas blanket came with the Stud Spider and both are staying with me.

The blue canvas blanket is in remarkable shape considering it was first produced in 1977 and is one of Breyer's earliest blankets. (Photo by eBay seller.)

Now I am looking for the red canvas blanket to complete my collection of the three different blankets produced in canvas. (Photo taken from Identify Your Breyer.)

A few blankets that came with models remain on those models - Milo, Crystal & Crispin, Eve & Claus, and Vixen & Blitzen - and will remain so instead of going into the tub. Personally I like them on the models.

As for the lot of five which I am still waiting on... They have not been mailed to me as of this writing. I won them on November 11, and the seller messaged me on November 16 through eBay and apologized for the delay. She said that she would mail them and send me the tracking number the next day, November 17, but I have not received that tracking notice yet nor does it show up on eBay. No explanation was given for the delay, but I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt at this time. If I haven't received a tracking number in a couple more days, I'll check back with her and see what is going on.

Collecting Breyer blankets is fun, and a big thanks and shout out to Sue for her help in finding many of these!

Circus Bridle Rosettes

I do not collect bridle rosettes... I do not collect bridle rosettes...

But here is my latest pair.

I'd been watching this pair on eBay for a long time, but the seller wanted $125 for them. That's more than I am willing to pay.

Even though my favorite color is orange. Even though I collect circus ponies. And even though Craig, whose hobby is genealogy, has traced his lineage back and discovered that P.T. Barnum's mother, like Craig's mother, is a Fairchild and that he is a distant cousin.

So, I bided my time and as the seller renewed the Buy It Now, I would renew my watching status.

 But when the seller finally changed from a Buy It Now to a bidding auction, I decided that I would see if I could win them.

And I did! For much less than the original $125 but still for what I consider a fair price for the seller.

I do not collect bridle rosettes... I do not collect bridle rosettes... I do not... Well, there is currently a pair of Monon Railroad ones up for bidding. My family and the town I live in have strong connections to it. I think I will start watching those.

Hasty Horses Circus Pony

(Busy week for me - I am subbing in two different schools and mentoring a new teacher in a third. I finish up tomorrow afternoon and will be back to daily posts. While I have missed blogging, it's been great to be back in the classroom!)

I had not heard of Lynn Haste and her Hasty Horses until last week. I was doing an online search for circus ponies and this photo popped up.

It reminded me a lot of the old Precious Moments figurines in its chubbiness, lack of detail, and nearly all-white coloring. The price was very reasonable and so I ordered one. I was very curious as to what it would look like in hand.

The pony arrived in a blue box with the Hasty Horses logo and a factory label.

There was also a signed COA. Apparently the piece was produced in 2004. The information online said that it was made of porcelain and that this was the last piece left. It also said that she had originally planned to sculpt a circus rider for it but had never gotten it done.

Hasty Horses Star, #4700104, $25, 2004, 11/2018, Lynn Hasty/Etsy.

There is a label on the underside of the base with the model's number, date, and the sculptor's name and label.

 He's cute, but he's also pretty unremarkable. Still, I am glad to add him to my collection.

Stud Spider and Canvas Blanket

I wanted this brown canvas blanket but had to buy the Stud Spider, too. Not a problem since the price was only $15 for both.

Brown Canvas Blanket, $15 w/Stud Spider, #2360 (1979-1980) or #2380 (1979-1981), 11/2018, eBay, Dawn Pinto, Jasper, TN.

 The horse is very white. That blanket must've protected him from yellowing.

His spots and sock also vary when compared to mine.

Stretch Morgan, Running Foal, and a Weather Girl!

Three new pieces joined the herd this week.

I love Breyer's Stretch Morgan, and when I saw this one on sale on The Model Trading Post's site, I snapped him up.

Show Stance Morgan, $15, #831, 1990-1991, 10/20/18, The Model Trading Post.

The Running Foal is a vintage mold like the Stretch Morgan, and this guy is nicely done.

Milo, $21, #1795, 2018 - current, 10/20/18, The Model Trading Post.

And while I prefer Breyer's vintage molds, I really liked Grace, the fourth Vintage Collectors Club offering this year. I also like black horses, so this gal came to live with me.

Rhapsody in Black, $36, #1752, 2016 - current, 10/20/18, The Model Trading Post.

2018 Vintage Club #4 - Grace

I was not happy when Breyer said that they would add a newer mold with vintage color(s) to this year's Vintage Club offerings, but I may have changed my mind. My Grace arrived today and she is lovely.

 Grace, VC 2018 #4, #712242, $135, October, 2018, Breyer.

There are three Gambler's Choices, all vintage colors - alabaster, dapple grey with black points, and mahogany bay. The alabaster was supposed to be chalky, but in-hand photos show a model that is a regular finish.

 Mine has some amazing shading on her near flank.

In fact, her entire body is beautifully shaded.

Also included was a renewal notice with a picture of Rockford, a chestnut pinto Pacer. The color is not a vintage one, but the mold is and he looks beautiful in it.

Ichabod, 2015 Halloween Horse

Ichabod has arrived! I got him from eBay, but it took the seller a long time to ship (in comparison to other eBay sellers.) I bought him September 24 and he was not mailed until Monday, October 1, arriving today, October 3, even though he was sent USPS Priority.  That delay in mailing is pretty unheard of on eBay where sellers are concerned about good feedback.

Ichabod, 2015 Halloween Horse, #1747, 2,500 made, $71, eBay, 9/2019, Lauren T., Rancho Santa Fe, CA.

(Photos from eBay auction.)

She had removed him from his box for photos and then put him back in; something that concerned me as that's a good way to rub a model. He does have a hoof rub as a result of being mailed in a box with loosened binders that allowed him to slide around, but everything else turned out okay.

I am happy to have this piece and will give the seller positive feedback despite my minor concerns. A note on the auction saying that she only shipped once a week or on Saturdays would have been helpful, but it is not really a big deal.