HO 1/87 Scale Mini Horses

 I got these HO 1/87 scale horses from eBay. I plan to use them as props and model horses for Little Lynn and Circus Girl.

Photo from eBay auction. I paid $10 for them.

2020 Christmas Surprise Horse - Jol

 I was able to get a Jol Christmas morning and I got the clear version. 

Jol, #712448, 2020 Christmas Surprise Horse, 500 her color made, $135, Breyer.

Holiday Festive Filigree Blind Bags

  Earlier this month I took a chance on getting the blue decorator Indian Pony in the 70th Anniversary Blind Bags. I bought an entire case of 24 with the odds that I'd heard being that there was 1 Indian Pony in every 12 cases. (Or, 1 in every 288 blind bags.) To my surprise, the first package I opened contained her.

As I so frequently say (and then do the complete opposite), I do not collect Stablemates. But I do like the Lippizaner mold. So when Breyer offered a holiday blind bag that included it, I took a chance again. Called Festive Filigrees, four models were offered in filigree holiday colors.

Photo taken from email sent by Breyer.

I didn't really want any of the others; based on Breyer's photo, the colors looked too bright and almost garish. But sometimes the actual in-hand pieces look better than their photographs, so I crossed my fingers and ordered two.

I pulled the first bag from the box and felt the outlines through the packaging. My excitement started rising - it felt like the Lippizaner.

It was! I'd gotten the model I'd wanted in the first bag I'd opened again!

And his color is much prettier and far more muted than that garish gold in the promo photo.

Setting the Lippizaner aside, I started running my fingers over the outlines of the Stablemate in the other package. I didn't really want any of the other offerings, especially the red Smart Chic Olena, nor did I think I'd get lucky and get a second Lippizaner. 

It felt like the Croi, and when I tore off the top of the bag, I was right. And again, the color was much nicer in person. That eye really isn't wonky. It's a combination of shading and trying to take photos at 5:00 AM in very poor lighting. The eye is fine.

Nor does it have a black flaw in its mane. Not sure where that came from, but it's gone now.

After opening the case of 70th Anniversary Blind Bags earlier this month, I discovered that Croi, a mold I do not care for, is not too bad when Stablemate sized. It's been growing on me ever since, and when I saw that the Holiday Filigree Croi was actually a more muted green instead of in-your-face neon, I was actually quite happy with it.

Now that these are here and nothing else is on order, it might be wise to remind myself by (mis-) quoting the Cowardly Lion, "I do not collect Stablemates, I do not collect Stablemates, I do not..."

New Faces at Windsong

 Despite being a die hard vintage collector, I do think that some of the new Breyer molds are lovely. Enough so that when Breyer had its Collector Club Appreciation sale, everything I bought was a new mold.

Lippizaners are one of my favorite breeds, and Favory Ariella is lovely.

So is her foal.

I owned a Morgan once, and have been eyeing the Classic/Freedom Fairfax, so I tossed him into my virtual cart during the CCA sale.

Sadly, he has a lot of scuffs and rubs on the box side. I was disappointed, but I kept him.

Me with my Morgan, Irish Flame, leading her to the farrier for a trim. He used to set up under the trees along the river where it was cool and shady.

I like blue roans, and love my Nayati in dunalino, so I purchased American Dream.

Another new mold that I like, especially as Carter, and so last but not least, I ordered a Peptoboonsmal.

The CCA event stated that if you ordered $125 worth of models, you would receive a glossy model worth $150 with your order. Breyer teased us by telling us the names of three of those models and others (the teaser part) which they did not identify. 

When my shipping box arrived and I pulled out my new models, I discovered that I had received the Orrin Mixer Quarter Horse. He is really nice. (I was a bit relieved as I don't care for the Emerson or Connemara Mare molds which were two of the possibilities.)  

Like I said, I consider myself a vintage collector, but Breyer keeps introducing beautiful new mold models. That's why this non Stablemate collector is currently waiting on two Stablemate blind bags.

Christoff

 Breyer made another beautiful winter decorator, and despite it being a Classic sized piece, I bought it. It was just too lovely not to.

Christoff, Winter Decorator, $25, #712416, 2020 only, 11/2020, Breyer.

70th Anniversary Stablemate Mystery Surprise

 I've had mixed success with Breyer's blind bags - while I think the monetary value of what I've gotten was definitely fair and worth it, often I was disappointed to discover that the items in my blind bag were things I already had.

Never have I done Breyer's Mystery Surprise bags - I'm not really a Stablemate collector (or so I tell myself) - but then Breyer started shrinking down some of my favorite old molds to celebrate their 70th Anniversary. 

Including the Indian Pony, one of my favorite molds of all, in the early chestnut pinto. Then reports on social media said that a second, more elusive, chase piece had been discovered  - a blue decorator Indian Pony.

(Photo from Identify Your Breyer and contributed by Triple Mountain Model Horses.)

She was very expensive on the secondary market ($36 to over $200!) so I wasn't going to find her that way. I figured that I wouldn't be able to have one. And then, Breyer had a sale and I had a really good coupon.  I took the plunge and ordered a case.

70th Anniversary Mystery Surprise Horse Blind Bag, case of 24, #6065, $109, 11/2020, Breyer.

The box arrived yesterday. I opened it and looked at that assortment, wondering if I'd been lucky and I'd find a blue Indian Pony in there for me. I grabbed a bag, felt the outline of what was inside, and realized that there was an Indian Pony inside. But was it the blue chase piece?

Bingo!! It was! Twenty-four packages, and the first one I opened had the piece I wanted! What are the chances on that?!

I'd read online that the Indian Pony could be found once in every 12 cases. If true, and with 24 pieces per case, that made my chances of finding her 1 in 288. Wow!

I took pictures of her yesterday and today in a variety of lights, and her spots are definitely gold. A check on eBay and Identify Your Breyer seems to show the same thing. It's hard to see here, but her legs are a solid color and a different shade of blue than her body and head. 

I also got two of the Indian Ponies in the iconic early Breyer pinto color. They will look nice next to my other two that are Traditional sized. 

There were three woodgrain Cydesdales. There are no neck wrinkles, but there is other musculature, so I am still deciding if they shrank down the no muscle version or the later muscled one. I lean toward the latter. 

Three gorgeous glossy charcoal Fighting Stallions.

Three sweet Fell Ponies. (I am going to keep one of these - he is darling!)

Three Missouri Fox Trotters whose shades varied from piece to piece.

Three Smart Chic Olenas (these will be donations or sold.)

I've never been a fan of the Connemara Mare (Croi) but I do like her in Stablemate form and black is my favorite horse color so I will be keeping one of these. Manes and tails like that are Pony Pal magnets.

The color on the Gypsy Vanner is lovely - with that flying mane, tail, and feathers, these three are going to a couple of Pony Pals for Christmas, too.

This gal is staying with me. I love her and am so glad I took that chance and bought that case of Mystery Surprise Stablemates. 

Sassy - Collectors Club Special

 Second post of the day - that means you can comment here even if you already commented on this morning's post!

Abby was called "Sassy" when she was recovering from her neglect and abuse at Indiana Horse Rescue. How, then, could I resist when Breyer did a Collectors Club special that was not only an Appaloosa (my favorite breed!) and also named Sassy?

Sassy, #712342, $65, Collectors Club web special, 10/2020, Breyer.

Never mind that I mostly collect vintage molds and have no other Lonesome Glorys in my collection. I fell head over heels in love with this gorgeous model, clicked, and was able to buy one. 

Sadly, I read some grumbling on social media about the reasons behind why it sold out so fast, and the unkind assumptions that one person made about the motivations of those who did get one took my breath away. (I'm going to blame that on the stress of 2020 and the pandemic and hope that next time folks are kinder and don't make such assumptions.)

Meet Sassy Abby. (Breyer made her a mare!)