My Breyer collection

A couple of things led up to me unboxing my entire Breyer collection this weekend. The fear of vinegar syndrome was the biggest one. Most of my collection is from the 90's which is the era affected by the batch of bad plastic, so I wanted to just check on everyone because having them packaged up can make it worse. Also been struggling a little with things, and adding to my collection hasn't been as possible, so getting into the nostalgia of all these old friends was a good little serotonin boost. Also I wanted to repack them in better order and maybe switch out a few that are display now. So while they are out, I wanted to take the chance to get some pictures of them and share them, since they never get looked at in real life.

It will take me a while to get photos, though, so here is just a photo from tonight of everyone out of the boxes. My collection isn't huge (and the stablemates, which are probably 50% of it, are not yet unboxed, I'm doing them after the big ones are back in the closet). I used to buy them as a kid with my own saved up money or get one or two at birthdays and Christmas, so I didn't add them very quickly, and now of course they are pretty cost prohibitive as well as space demanding, so it's a modest collection by many counts. But because of that, most of these have very specific memories attached to them, which was part of the joy of seeing them again. It's definitely not a collection of rarities or anything, it's the collection of a horse crazy kid born in the 80's.

I do plan to get back to interacting with the rest of the forum again as well, but winter is just harder in most ways to feel energy for things, so I this is my little Christmas holiday project to keep my spirits up and give me something to do in the evenings.

(Good news was, no one was suffering from vinegar syndrome, yay!)

Barney was helping with the unboxing process.
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I'm going to present them in alphabetical order by mold name. If you aren't familiar with Breyer, every mold is known generally either by the first breed it is released as or by the name of the first horse it is a portrait of, and regardless of how good or bad that term is for longevity, it sticks. (Looking at you, "Indian Pony"). Don't feel like you have to read all my ramblings, like I said, this is a walk down memory lane for me as a way to pass my evenings, so feel free to just look at the (kind of blurry) pictures.  

Here are the Traditional sized A molds in my collection!

"Action Stock Horse Foal"- Cricket

Like many molds, I have only one representative. Cricket (which was named by Breyer, not by me) is not a portrait of a real horse, just given a name. He was available 1995-1996, so I added him to my collection when I was 10-11 years old. I was still playing with my horse figures at that time, not only displaying them, so he is quite banged up. He did not come with a mother, so I gave him one from my collection (who is in fact a male mold we'll see later). I bought a lot of foals as a child because they were usually priced $8-$15, much more in my price range than the $25-$40 adults (cheap prices these days, haha!). I don't know what stood out to me about Cricket in particular when I purchased him, but I do know I love liver chestnuts now, so perhaps that was part of the appeal.
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"Adios" - Clayton, Mego, and Yellow Mount

This mold was named for the standardbred Adios who it was sculpted to represent and the first horse released on the mold. This is one of my favorite molds, honestly. He's just such a solid, well put together guy, quite handsome I think.

These are not pictured here in chronological order of release or even how I attained them, whoops. Clayton, the "dappled palomino" in front, was a model I wanted since his release but only just acquired this month. He was released 1995-1996, so he was probably just too expensive for me, and also I likely never saw him in person. I was limited where I could buy Breyers. There were one or two brick and mortar stores that were not close to us, so we had to plan a special trip out for me to get one after I saved up. You could order in the mail (not online of course, we didn't have a computer in the house until 1998) but that was a challenge for a 10 year old to accomplish. So I was picking from what was in stock, even if I had seen others in the catalogue. But Clayton is home now! Again, a name given by Breyer but not from any real horse.

Mego, the palomino paint, is the 1995 Breyerfest Celebration horse, which means the horse every ticket holder for Breyerfest that year received. I attended four Breyerfests in person, which I consider extremely lucky, and this was my first. Extremely good memories of this whole event! I don't remember which things happened specifically at which Breyerfest at this point, but I know at least one year I entered a "diorama" contest (did not win) and also took a custom class which was mostly filled with kids my age, hahaha. The poor instructor had planned for an adult audience but she was a real trooper trying to bring it down to a 6-12 year old audience. Anyway, Mego is a real horse and was meant to attend the event and perform, but unfortunately he was ill at the time and had to cancel. So I never did see Mego himself, but I do have his portrait. In my "carpet herd" as they call it when children play with the Breyers, he was always a kind and reliable leader.

Yellow Mount, also a portrait of a real horse, ran from 1970-1987, so I did not get one new. Instead, mine was part of a large lot I found at an antique store. I absolutely love vintage Breyers, and this whole collection was from the 60's and 70's - pieces I had never had a chance to own before. And they sold them to me for a lump sum of $100 which is a STEAL now for sure. I bought them shortly after moving back to the US from 16 months living in Indonesia, so kind of a welcome back gift to myself. I like Yellow Mount because he is such a classic, such a very vintage look.
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"Amber and Ashley" - Sears Holiday Catalog Appaloosa

These molds are always named Amber and Ashley unless specifically called something else. I have a very special connection to these foals, even though it's really only in my little girl brain. I wrote a letter to Breyer after the release of the mold Marabella (we will see her later) saying I thought she looked like she ought to have a foal made for her. The way her head was turned and her ear was cocked made it look like she was paying attention to someone right beside her. They replied with a kind but generic letter of "we get many wonderful suggestions from our fans, and maybe someday you will see a mold that looks like you imagine. But there are many wonderful foals already out there" etc. And then later that same year, these foals were released and apparently intended to go with that mare. Now of course, since both were released in 1997, and probably the foals were already out and I just didn't know it, I had nothing to do with their creation. However, when I was young, I was convinced they had taken my idea after all.

This special run set was released by Sears in 1998. Ordering from a catalogue and waiting the 6-8 weeks for something to arrive was frustrating then but looking back, it really built up the anticipation and appreciation of the thing, I think. Checking the mail everyday for that big white box, waiting for the UPS truck to show up, what a thrill for 13 year old me. I was pretty much moved beyond the carpet herd at this point and mostly kept my Breyers as a display collection, so these two girls are in nice shape still. They also didn't get specific personalities or parents assigned to them, but nevertheless, I really love them. The molds themselves are very charming, especially the lying foal. I remember feeling she was kind of a sensation. Breyer didn't do the dynamic and detailed molds you see now back in the day and certainly did not release new molds all the time like they do now, and this complex, natural posture was really neat (the older lying foal is also charming, but this one has more realism to the form I think). I also have to admit, though, that the part of me that still felt the pull for play didn't love lying down figures. So even when I did get them down for some carpet time now and again, little Ashley didn't get much time.
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"Andalusian Mare and Foal" - Mira and Antares

This is a new (in my mind) set, sculpted by Brigitte Eberl who we all know is a very talented artist. I went through a period of time in the early 2000's when I did not collect much and did not really love the stylistic choices Breyer was making with their new molds. And then things seemed to change, and suddenly I saw models like these which captured me again. I love this set, and I do hope to someday have a non-fantasy addition. But even though I do have opinions on Breyer's unicorns which I will explore with other models, I am willing to accept these two as unicorns because I like their mold and colors so much. I just wish they didn't have the horns, but what can you do. These were a web special in 2019 that I bought second hand without realizing they were still available from Breyer, whoops! For the same price, though, so no real loss. Mira's horn snapped on transit as well, but thankfully with help from people here, I figured out how to glue the tip back on and you really can't even tell it ever broke. Of course these two do not have nostalgic memories attached to them, but they are special in that they are some of my first of the non-vintage molds (only beaten by the vanner and the thoroughbred). They were also one of my most expensive purchases. Their color is a metallic copper dapple with purple overlay, and honestly, I think it's just gorgeous, one of the nicest decorator colors I've seen. I'd love to see it on non-unicorns.
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"Aristocrat" - Aristocrat

An example of me having the first iteration of the mold. This one is a sculpture of a real champion hackney pony. He was released in 1995-1996, but once again, I never did add him new to my collection even though I admired him in the catalogue. So I finally found one as an adult, just last year. I love this mold! I do not like docked tails and I have never been a a huge fan of gaited breeds or the style surrounding them, but something about this guy's stance and solid frame and crested neck is really appealing. He's just got a very handsome figure and a wonderful face. And his color is rich and deep, a splendid paint job.
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Wonderful collection

Jill, it is wonderful to see you posting back on forum.
When our figures are boxed, sometimes we forget to revisit them because we're often looking to find new models.
A collection is not just a compilation of collectibles. It only makes sense if we enjoy them continously.
I love reading the stories behind each model, especially those of your childhood.
It is also really great that no piece is suffering from vinegar syndrome.

Great to read about your Breyer collection and the personal stories. Clearly, you were a keen collector if you visited the Breyerfests. I have no idea what they are like. How many people did they attract and how many days do they last?

Collecting used to be very different before internet selling became popular, not even so long ago. We could only get what we found in the shops in the area (mail order was already quite an advance). You did very well collecting such a range of different Breyers.

Looking forward to the continuation of this topic!

Thank you everyone!

Roger wrote:

Jill, it is wonderful to see you posting back on forum.
When our figures are boxed, sometimes we forget to revisit them because we're often looking to find new models.
A collection is not just a compilation of collectibles. It only makes sense if we enjoy them continously.
I love reading the stories behind each model, especially those of your childhood.
It is also really great that no piece is suffering from vinegar syndrome.

I agree, it is a little like getting new figures after not seeing them for so long, but with memories attached. :)

rogerpgvg wrote:

Great to read about your Breyer collection and the personal stories. Clearly, you were a keen collector if you visited the Breyerfests. I have no idea what they are like. How many people did they attract and how many days do they last?

They have grown a lot since I went! The first Breyerfest in 1990 had about 1000 guests, and recent ones have 30,000+. When I went, it was three days long, and I believe it still is. There is a lot going on including live horse performances and exhibitions as well as model horse shows and sales and workshops like the custom painting class I mentioned. There are also very special model events like the "tent specials" and the charity fundraising live auction. It's held on the grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park which is itself a really neat living museum of horse breeds and history.

Quote :

Collecting used to be very different before internet selling became popular, not even so long ago. We could only get what we found in the shops in the area (mail order was already quite an advance). You did very well collecting such a range of different Breyers.

Looking forward to the continuation of this topic!

It was fun to remember while unpacking these guys how much more of a challenge it was to get them, both because I was a child and because the internet was not a thing I could use to find them. I certainly appreciate the ease of now, of course!

What a wonderful collection and I can't wait to see the rest of the horses!I had the Clayton model many years ago but I traded him,but looking back now I maybe now should have kept him!

Thank you Taos! Clayton is not particularly rare or anything, I have seen him available anywhere from $16-$60, you could probably add him again someday!

Here are the Traditional size B molds!

"Belgian" - light chestnut Belgian

This model ran from 1965-1980, so it is probably the most pervasive of this mold, a real staple of the vintage aesthetic. I did not get him new either, of course. I actually found him at a flea market. I cannot remember the exact circumstances or even when it was, I think I was in college and maybe we were traveling to see family and we stopped at a flea market along the way just because I really like them. No one else got out, so I just browsed very quickly and found this Belgian for $5. It's such a classic mold, and many of the releases are pretty much always expensive, I was so excited to find one so cheap. The mold itself is interesting for me. I love it from a vintage perspective, as an icon, but as an actual sculpt it's a little awkward. The proportions are just a little exaggerated, the gait is a little between a walk and a trot, and the raised front leg looks like if it was lowered, it would be shorter than the rest, haha. But as I said, truly iconic, really one of the vintage molds that I just love love love.
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"Big Ben" - Molokai

The 1999 Breyerfest Celebration horse. My second favorite celebration horse I have (after Mego). The mold was named after a real horse portrait, and Molokai is also of course a real horse. He was at Breyerfest as well, but I actually don't remember seeing him. It's a good looking model, though. The mold is interesting. I feel like it was starting to lean into the motion and dynamism that Breyer would heavily embrace much later, but it was still subtle here. He's elegant and kind of sassy.  
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"Black Beauty" - Donovan

The mold is named, as you can imagine, because the first release was the literary star Black Beauty. Many molds were used to represent Black Beauty over time, but this one for some reason is actually named that. Donovan is not a real horse, just a name given by Breyer. I bought this one myself in a store at some point, but I don't have a clear memory of it. I think I probably picked him because of the drama. I also know that I remember seeing a predecessor of his, Fade to Gray, somewhere but by the time I went to get him he wasn't available anymore. This guy was likely the closest I could get. But he's a real exciting guy. This mold is interesting because the gait is a "cross canter" which is not a desirable gait when eventing. It means the hind legs and front legs are on two different "leads" and not in sync. It means the horse is unbalanced, so even though it is a perfectly natural option to represent, it's an unusual one. This is one of my longest models. Back in the day, only a few were really challenging to fit on shelves, and this was one of them. I love his dappling, but I do not love his 90's style appaloosa spots, which were so often perfect, unnatural circles.
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"Black Stallion" - Greystreak

Once again, a mold named after the literary horse it was used to represent. And again, the Black Stallion was represented many times on other molds, but this one bears the name. Greystreak (not a real horse, another Breyer-name) was another I picked out from the store in 1994, so he was a part of my carpet herd. But I didn't care that it was meant to be a stallion, I thought it looked feminine and so it has always been a mare for me. She was a staple in my play, always the main "mom" of the group. Definitely one of the horses I think of first when I think of childhood play. I was pretty particular to Arabians as a kid and especially dark-point grays, so I know that's why I chose this one, even though I don't really love the mold now as an adult.
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Traditional sized C molds!

"Cantering Welsh Pony" - QVC Parade of Breeds bay roan

I definitely want more of this mold someday. I was told once when I was young by another Breyer lady that it is a fan favorite. I don't know if that's true or not, but I think it's quite appealing. I like the solid, balanced looking little guys a lot. I bought this one at Breyerfest in the vendor tent one year (don't remember which one). She was $20 which the woman said was the cheapest I'd ever find one, because it had scraped paint on one shoulder. She was probably right, I don't know, I've never looked again but I was young and had enough money to buy a couple select models and I'm glad I chose this one. I love roans and if I can only have one of this mold, I'm glad it's this one.
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"Clydesdale Foal, Mare, and Stallion" - Gift Set, Satin Star, Bay, and Mahogany Bay

Vintage Breyer had a lot of "family" sets of breeds intended to go together and released in the same color. These three were the clydesdale family, though the stallion I think was less often lumped together with the mare and foal. The first set here with the green blankets were sold together of course, sold from 1971-1990. Mine were not new, they were part of the same vintage lot I bought from the antique mall for $100. I had known someone who had them up on a shelf when I was a kid and I always wished for a set of my own, so I was stoked to find them. To me, they are another "iconic" vintage example, like if you created a shelf of models that equated "Breyer" to my visually, these would on there.
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The single foal is Satin Star (named by Breyer). He was sold alone and I remember picking him out. Again, I think the liver chestnut got me here, as well as that solid chunk body shape. Another carpet herd member, always a "teenager" character - but a kind one, a big brother for everyone else.
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The two stallions are the bay that ran from 1976-1986 and the "mahogany" bay from 1998-2002. The older bay was part of the same large lot as the mare and foal set. I feel like they sort of go together, even though they were not sold together. The dark bay I bought new while I was in highschool. I picked him because of that beautiful paint job. I was really proud of him and loved having him in a prominent place on my shelf.
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I think my favorite is donovan. It is interesting because in a certain World Cup, Landon Donovan was my favorite USA player.
Black Beauty has that feminine appeal we see in some major brand horse figures.
The Belgian is defintely unusual, for example, the neck seems too long when compared to the legs and something does not get right but it has a lot of character. While Donovan reminds me many other horse figures, Belgian gives me the impression of something I see for the very first time.

I am gonna have to come back to read every word of this topic, but it is splendid already! Your collection is fantastic, it may not be as grand as some in numbers but I think you have fantastic herd there. Congrats, thank you for presenting it, and I cannot wait for more!

Wonderful set of horses again.I love the Belgian and the Clydesdale horses.I was lucky to acquire the Clydesdale family-the light bay-with the help of Kelly and am so glad to have them!Breyers are so much harder to find in the UK and envy how many are available in thrift shops and flea markets!

Thank you guys, I love hearing other opinions on these models as well. I think an athlete of the same name is as good a reason as any to like a figure. And don't feel like you have to read EVERY word, Paige, I get quite long winded!  

I forgot one of the Clydesdale mares, so here she is before I move on to the next letter. Alba, the 2018 Tractor Supply Co. special run. I don't have much of a story for her, she is a very recent addition to the herd of course and I thought she was lovely and so I waited until she went on sale, haha. Our Tractor Supply only carries Breyers at the holiday, and you have to be quick to get the popular ones.
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Here are the Traditional Sized F models! I do not have any of the D or E models, but there are a lot of F's to make up for it.

"Family Arabian Foal" - Spot, Joy, red chestnut, Shah, and Charity

This is a part of another family group like Breyer liked to do, in fact called the Family Arabians. They are pretty quintessential and ubiquitous in the hobby. The foal is a pretty cute little thing, I think it has a sweet face, but I did always think as a kid that he looked kind of startled. Maybe because his posture is a little stilted. In their earliest releases, they were all given names by Breyer, but those were eventually dropped.

Spot the appaloosa was released 1960-1970 with a couple variations in blanket size. I have two, one I know I bought from Facebook and the other I think must have come with the large antique mall lot but I had forgotten I had it until I already had another, whoops!

Joy the white one is a color Breyer calls "alabaster" which is white with a gray mane and tail. It's a vintage color not really used anymore that's basically a late stage graying-out coat, which makes little sense on a foal. My mother had this foal when she was young (not this exact one) and so I've always wanted to add it to my collection. I found mine at a yard sale for . . . almost nothing, really, so a lucky find!

The red chestnut was a spur of the moment purchase. I was buying the palomino and the seller was like, for another $5 I'll throw this guy in, too, and I couldn't pass up his color. The bright red chestnut with no markings is really appealing. I only got him a couple years ago, so again, no real story for him!

Shah the bay also came in the antique mall lot. I don't have any story for him, except that he looks angrier to me than the others for some reason!

And finally Charity the palomino. This little horse is not my original figure (though I do still have it, unfortunately "customized" when I was younger). This is a replacement for my second-ever Breyer (first we'll see later). This foal was released until 1987, but I must have been in a shop that had leftover stock because I was older than 2 when I picked it out - but not much! Maybe 5 or 6? I remember very clearly which shop it was, and my dad was holding me and helping me pick out my gift. I could pick any horse on the shelf, and there were several I can look back now on and know were much more glamorous or just bigger than this guy. My parents asked me several times if I was sure I wanted this one, and I remember being adamant about it. I wanted this little palomino. Honestly, NO idea why. I always had the strangest logic for picking out horses, which is a theme I'll explore later on as well. I almost never chose the horse that I just liked. I always came up with some reason for the horse I ended up picking out, like I had to justify it, and sometimes that led to buyer's regret. In this case, though, I honestly don't remember why I thought the little yellow horse was the best one but I don't think I regretted it. I named him Yellow and he was very well loved and played with, to point of losing some legs. I wanted to replace him with one that was the same bright, pale yellow as my first one, but I couldn't find one. This is a deeper gold color which is prettier but I do hope someday to have a truly "yellow" one like I remember.
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EDIT: I forgot this guy! I found him later after packing the others. This is actually Shah the older bay release, the one above was released 1989-1990 while this one was the early 60's.
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"Family Arabian Mare" - Spirit of the Wind and Hope

The mare of this set has always struck me as a very . . . humble sort of horse. She's a little bit dumpier than the Proud Arabian Mare, her counterpart, a little less sleek in her conformation, but she has a very kind face.

The Spirit of the Wind set was a mare and foal Sears special run in 1991, but I got her second hand from a Breyerfest. I always saved up for Breyerfest and could usually afford 3-4 extra horses besides my ticket horse. This mare was for sale with her foal, but I could not afford both. The reason I wanted her so badly was because my dream horse when I was young was a dapple gray Arabian mare with dark points - just like her! Honestly she's lovely. I do hope to get her foal to go with her someday as well. They might not be my favorite molds, but the fact that she was released with this perfect color was magical to little me.

The palomino Hope, though, probably has my favorite story. When I was in primary school (so, 6-9ish years old), I sometimes had to ride the bus home from school. Anyone who has ridden a school bus in America knows that those things are a lawless places, and the younger shyer kids were often bullied by the older kids. I was one of those younger kids, but some friends of my parents had a son named Calvin who also rode the same bus as me. He was probably . . . well I want to say 15 because I thought of him as practically an adult at the time, haha, but I bet he was a little younger. Anyway, old enough to be one of the kids that got left alone. And he ALWAYS sat with me. He'd sit with me and talk to me and make sure I wasn't bothered and that I always had company. I didn't realize at the time what he was doing, but I look back on it now and know that he was extending a very real kindness. I don't know if his parents told him to or if he did it himself, but he did it willingly and consistently and always kindly. And one time when I was over at his house (our parents were hanging out), I saw that he had this Breyer horse on his shelf. I asked if I could see it of course because anything Breyer was very exciting to me. He took her down, saw how much I liked her, and gave her to me. I don't know why Calvin was so nice to me, I've never seen him again since I stopped riding the bus in middle school, but honestly it is one of the nicest memories I have. So this mare, though she is quite banged up, is to me one of the prettiest ones I have!
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"Family Arabian Stallion" - Faith and Sheik

I'm sure you can see that the vintage Arabian family sets had corresponding names. Faith goes with Hope and Charity. They ran for a very long time, 1961-1987 in various iterations (glossy, slightly different shades of palomino, etc.). But my guy here has a pretty crazy story. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast of the US and caused damage they are still recovering from. My roommate in college at the time went on one of the aide trips down to New Orleans, which involved a lot of going into flooded homes and trying to salvage what they could. At one point, there was a huge pile of flood damaged goods to be collected and disposed of, and out of it she pulled this horse. He was muddy and nasty, but she brought him back to me (since there was no way at that point to find an owner and he was destined for the landfill). I cleaned him up and discovered he was actually in pretty nice condition, all the flood did to him was cover him in mud, no breaks and bright white mane and tail still. I love having him, I think it's a nice second chance story for him, but at the same time it does make me sad to think that he was no doubt a well loved figure for someone - maybe a memento of their childhood or something handed down to them from a loved one. I wish whoever's he was knew he was safe and loved again. It's interesting to me that his name is Faith and he came with that sort of story. It's also interesting to me that the whole palomino family has really significant stories of how they came to me.

Sheik the bay's story is much less exciting, as he was part of the large antique lot with the matching foal. Still, I love having him!
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"Fighting Stallion/King" - Shockwave, Coal, grey appaloosa, palomino, Sierra, bay, and alabaster

This might be my largest "conga." The fighting stallion isn't necessarily my favorite mold or anything, though I do think he is a cornerstone representative of vintage Breyer, I've just been lucky getting them, I guess!

Shockwave the dapple gray I got just this month, but I have wanted him since he was released in the second half of the year in 2002. As a midyear "collector's edition" limited run, he wasn't too easy to find and so I never was able to secure him. He's none too cheap these days, either, but I found a "body" quality one for sale in just the right range. The funny thing about Breyer collectors is often what they consider to be "body" quality - or so bad that it's fit to be customized. This guy has some rubs on his hooves and tail and a little blob of glaze on his lip - that's it!! He's beautiful! Absolutely thrilled by the find, let me tell you.

Coal the black was his counterpart, released for the first half of the year. He was a birthday present. I had asked for a different black horse, but my parents couldn't find him and so said, "Well this one is also black and neat looking." And really, it was an excellent choice, I probably like this guy more than the one I asked for. You sure can't tell in my bad photo, but he is a better black than Breyer usually does. He has subtle dapples and a very thick gloss that makes them shine.

The appaloosa and the palomino both ran from about 1961-1970 in the gloss that I have. These were special because they were also a gift. My very close friend inherited them from her mother but isn't a collector herself and so passed them on to me, because as she said she knew I'd keep them and value them. And really, it's quite a gift - these two are not easy to come by and certainly not in this excellent condition. This appaloosa is another example of a vintage Breyer color used on many horses, like the family Arabian foal I pictured earlier. Rather than the realistic and varied Appaloosas later, many molds were released in this gray and black pattern.

Sierra the chestnut was a special run released in 1996 through the magazine Just About Horses (JAH) which I subscribed to throughout middle school. I bought him with my own money and waited the requisite 6-12 weeks for his delivery, and he is just as exciting now as then. Sierra was another big character in my carpet herd, always a mysterious and dangerous but heroic individual that looked out for the others.  

The bay and the alabaster were both released at some point in the 60's-70's, and both of these came from Kelly here on STS! I bought a big box of thrift shop finds from her that included these two. Both are well loved and evidently were also part of someone's carpet herd at one time, but I love them even more for it, really. The evidence that they were beloved playthings is as nice a contribution to their look as being in mint condition.
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"Five Gaiter" - Kentucky Saddlebred

This guy is a perfect example of what I mentioned earlier about how I chose models when I was young. I don't like this mold at all, and I never have. I think it is quite awkward and just in general not at all my style. However, one of the horses I was gifted when I was little was a red bay version of the Tennessee Walker, who I played with until I broke it all to pieces. I wanted to replace it, but I did not understand at the time that years had passed and not all Breyer horses were available all the time at the store (and in fact that one had been a special run). I assumed I could save up and buy another the next time we went to the store. But of course, that wasn't the case at all, and as I stood there and realized I couldn't get the same one, I felt like I needed to find a horse that could be a replacement for it. This was the only only gaited horse available at the time, and it was a reddish color, so I went with him. I didn't like him then and I don't much care for him now, but I picked him because I thought that was the best reason I had for buying one at the time. Absolutely bonkers. I named him Prince and after all these years, he's still here, and I'm sort of attached to him now just because of that.
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"Fjord" - Henry

Here's a favorite! Henry was the first fjord Breyer ever made, released from 1996-2004. The first time I saw him, he was advertised as "coming soon" in the JAH magazine along with an article about the breed. I had never heard of fjords before, and I was enchanted. I read the article dozens of times and used to stare at the picture of Henry, falling absolutely in love with the breed. I did end up getting him as soon as he came out, because my parents knew how much I was waiting for him, but the best part came years later when I was in college and we had moved states. My dad had a job that had him driving all over back into the rural parts of the area, and he often drove past a horse farm that was all fjords. He recognized them because of my obsession, started by Henry. And then one day he actually had a call that took him to that farm, and he spoke to the owner and told her all about his daughter that loved fjords, and she invited me out to meet them and we are still friends to this day. I've spent so many hours with those horses, and all because I learned what a fjord was through this model.
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"Foundation Stallion" - black

The first release of this mold. I am honestly not 100% sure why it is called a foundation stallion. If you know the answer, please let me know! I've always liked the mold, it seems so gentle and quiet. This fellow was part of the large antique mall lot and I was real glad to finally have one in my collection. I think it's neat to have the first release of a mold, even if it isn't my favorite one. He is Breyer's classic black which is just . . . a very solid black, no variation to the color. Never my first pick, but I think he carries it better than some.
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"Friesian" - JB Andrew

This mold was pretty sensational with me and my horse friends because friesians were just becoming known to us and of course they are a very popular breed for a reason. Breyer has since created much flashier versions of the type, but this was the pinnacle of the lighter, feathered legged horse at the time. We missed the first friesian release in 1992, but the second was another black horse in 1996, so we went for that one. JB Andrew was a portrait of a real horse, an adopted mustang who had a successful career of some kind (I don't remember really, haha). As a mustang, he has a freezebrand on his neck, and the model has that painted on as well. I just called him Andrew as a kid, and he is another example of flat glossy black that I am not wild about. It's a fun mold, though, because I just remember it being so appealing to us with the long mane and tail and feathered legs. He was always the goth kid of the carpet herd!
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"Fury Prancer" - Black Beauty (I think)

Another piece of the large antique mall lot. This guy is neat! A real-real vintage model from 1957-1965. The mold is named after the television star of the same name and is in the old school style Breyer started with, with molded on tack and a plastic saddle that came on and off. As you can see, he is fashioned more like the cowboy toys of this earlier era rather than realistic horses that came later. Mine no longer has his saddle and I am only kind of sure he is the Black Beauty release because several look very similar, but I think it's neat to have him in my collection.
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These horses are really beautiful, big congratulations.

When a friend gives you the honour of receiving collector pieces she inherited from her mother, it shows how much she trusts you and how your collecting hobby is seriously taken. It's a great gesture, I guess.
Love to read these stories and Frisian horses are culturally relevant in this horse collecting hobby.
Even when thinking about Schleich, I remember some Frisian horse figures being clearly more popular than the majority of the other models. I find interesting that CollectA never presented a Frisian horse in its most traditional sense. On the other hand, Mojo, Papo and Safari already presented their showy versions.

again so many beauties!!!!

It's fun to read the stories about how you got your Breyers, especially the stories about your friend in the schoolbus, hurricane Katrina and the Fjord. It's great that your models are associated with special memories. We all have different preferences, but for me the ultimate horse model is "Alba", it is just majestic. I also understand why you liked Charity the Palomino as a child, I think it's wonderful too.

I didn't realise how big the Breyerfests are. I am even surprised that there are 30,000 Breyer collectors. Not quite such a niche hobby as I thought!

Thank you all!

Roger wrote:

When a friend gives you the honour of receiving collector pieces she inherited from her mother, it shows how much she trusts you and how your collecting hobby is seriously taken. It's a great gesture, I guess.

Definitely an honor! They are permanent members of my collection for sure. :)

Love to read these stories and Frisian horses are culturally relevant in this horse collecting hobby.
Even when thinking about Schleich, I remember some Frisian horse figures being clearly more popular than the majority of the other models. I find interesting that CollectA never presented a Frisian horse in its most traditional sense. On the other hand, Mojo, Papo and Safari already presented their showy versions.[/quote]
I wonder if CollectA will, eventually. I feel like either the friesian or the vanner (or both) eventually get represented as the very popular, flashy, feathered breeds. I know I love them both, haha.

rogerpgvg wrote:

It's fun to read the stories about how you got your Breyers, especially the stories about your friend in the schoolbus, hurricane Katrina and the Fjord. It's great that your models are associated with special memories. We all have different preferences, but for me the ultimate horse model is "Alba", it is just majestic. I also understand why you liked Charity the Palomino as a child, I think it's wonderful too.

It's been really lovely remembering them all again. I'm able to add more freely to my collection now then I was, but I do feel like I have fewer stories than the ones I acquired as a child, when many were gifts. But then, the mindset of a child helped as well. Everything was significant.

Quote :

I didn't realise how big the Breyerfests are. I am even surprised that there are 30,000 Breyer collectors. Not quite such a niche hobby as I thought!

It's a really large hobby! I barely touch it, really, haha. Even back in 1995 when I went to my first Breyerfest, there were many international visitors, a testament to how far reaching it is.

Here are the Traditional sized G models!

"Gem Twist" - Gem Twist and Appaloosa Sport Horse

This mold is a portrait of the show jumper Gem Twist. I have always really liked this mold. The tail in particular is nicely sculpted. The signature horse, Gem Twist, I did not have as a child but a good friend of mine did. I was always quite jealous, ha! He was not available by the time I was aware of him, so I did not add him to my collection until just a couple years ago as I went on a mission to replace missing pieces of my carpet herd and also add the ones I always wanted when I was young. Gem Twist was the first one I looked for, and I like him just as much now as I did then.

The sport horse did not come with a name (I named him Orion because of the three prominent spots right in a row on his side) and I bought him I think probably to try to counter my longing for the original Gem Twist. He's a lovely color, but the spots suffer from the same 90's spot syndrome as most of the apploosas in this era. Perfect circles, not very natural looking. He was released in 1998, so I was already a little too old to ever "play" with him truly, he was a shelf model.
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"Georg" - Theo

Breyer's new thing is to release new molds as special editions for a few years before finally releasing a regular run, so this is the eventual regular run of a very popular mold. Theo is meant to represent an Ardennes. I gush about him a lot more [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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"Grazing Mare and Foal" - black, bay, and Buttons and Bows gift set

These two were generally known as Buttons and Bows unless otherwise noted. They are usually made to go in pairs, though not always sold together. The black foal one is of the earliest releases, from 1965-1970. This one came from Kelly in the big box! I like the vintage blacks better than the solid blacks of the later era. They are still not particularly realistic, but the do have variation in their color (even if it is just the paint not applied as heavily in some areas as others).

The bay was available around the same time frame. This one came in the big antique mall lot. Cute but no particular story!

The last two duns go together. These two were sold together as a gift set in 1993-1995. I had these in my carpet herd, and even though they were hard to play with because their heads were down, they ended up with personalities. The mare in particular, probably inspired by Ginger from Black Beauty, was a bad tempered creature to everyone but her little foal, who was a much nicer character. This was probably because I couldn't really have her interact with the others with her head down! I used Buttons (the mare) in my diorama for Breyerfest.
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"Gypsy Vanner" - Sampson

This is one of Breyer (and the US's) less culturally sensitive breed names. Better to call it what it is known as in other countries, like tinker or cob, but Breyer still officially identifies the mold this way. This mold is weird to me because Breyer did a new thing where two or three different models are made from the same base. So like, the head and neck from this horse has a whole separate body it can have that is still considered the same mold, and that sub-mold has two different mane and tail arrangements. This is definitely a new thing they have figured out how to do in the last decade or so I guess. In any case, this version is by far the nicest if you ask me! It's a great mold, with a lot of drama and flare but not TOO excessive. It really shows off his feathers with his movement but he's not impossible to fit on a shelf, haha. Sampson was a Tractor Supply special run in 2019, so like Alba, I just had to time it right to get him before he sold out for the season. I don't really ever look upcoming Breyer stuff up, so it was always a surprise what would turn up every year, and this guy was a really great surprise! He's very nicely shaded. I have a lot of buckskins in my herd (it was a popular color for a while there), and many of them are bright kind of flat yellow, which isn't great. He is still pretty yellow, but they made it a nicer, subtler shade.
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It is so wonderful to see your stunning collection of Breyers, your herd looks amazing! It is always a joy unboxing old figures and I'm glad Barney helped too! I love how you have a personal story or information to give about each one, it shows how much you appreciate and cherish each model and the memories they bring!

I'm reading along with this thread, it's so lovely - and I agree with Bonnie, the personal stories are what makes it such a good read, we could all just look at photos of Breyers on IdentifyYourBreyer any time we wanted, but they only have meaning cos they're a collection and it's great to read about your reasons.
I can only apologise for the lack of interaction when I'm one of the biggest Breyer fans on the forum and you might've expected more reaction and discussion from a fellow collector, I just don't have the mental energy to reply to all the posts at the moment - dealing with real life horses when everything's been frozen solid for a week has been exhausting, not just the stress of worrying about them staying safe and healthy but just getting them hot water to drink takes two hours a day, there's tiring visits on ice in the dark, and all my injuries hurt so much more when it's -6!

Really loving this thread,many great models and wonderful stories to go with them!

Thank you everyone, I am glad it is enjoyable for others to hear about my random memories! It's what nostalgia is made of and what directs what we like as adults, I think, the experiences and energy tied to the things we had as children.

George wrote:

I'm reading along with this thread, it's so lovely - and I agree with Bonnie, the personal stories are what makes it such a good read, we could all just look at photos of Breyers on IdentifyYourBreyer any time we wanted, but they only have meaning cos they're a collection and it's great to read about your reasons.
I can only apologise for the lack of interaction when I'm one of the biggest Breyer fans on the forum and you might've expected more reaction and discussion from a fellow collector, I just don't have the mental energy to reply to all the posts at the moment - dealing with real life horses when everything's been frozen solid for a week has been exhausting, not just the stress of worrying about them staying safe and healthy but just getting them hot water to drink takes two hours a day, there's tiring visits on ice in the dark, and all my injuries hurt so much more when it's -6!

Well of course it's totally fine, no pressure to read or respond, thank you for spending time reading! I remember all too well how difficult winter farm work - or any outdoor work, but especially animal care - is. I am spoiled these days, working inside with toads and turtles. I hope you're able to get lots of rest to counter all the difficult work.

Traditional sized model I-K (I have no H traditionals)

"Indian Pony" - Chestnut pinto

Another outdated cultural term for this horse that is no particular breed. This mold has always made me think it was at least in part inspired by the End of the Trail sculpture, thanks to the forward leaning posture and the windswept mane and tail and of course the designation as an "Indian" pony. I don't know if that's true, though. Breyer's own line was that it was "keeping in the tradition of growing interest in western art" and it definitely fits in with that era of artwork. This mold is considered pretty iconic I think, at least enough to have made it into the stablemate 70 year anniversary set. I never liked it much as a child. This is the only one I have. I'm not sure why, because it's actually a very nice sculpt with a kind and finely detailed face. This one is the second release on the mold, 1970-1976, and I think probably the most recognizable, maybe why it was the color reproduced for the 70th anniversary. The hand painted "war paint" varies in placement and size from model to model. Mine was part of the antique lot auction, and now that I have him, I am glad I do even though I had never considered getting one before.

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"John Henry" - The Cree Indian Horse Naytukskie-Kukatos

As you can guess, the first release on this mold was a portrait of the race horse John Henry, who I got to meet at Breyerfest one year! I do not own that model, though, haha. I have this one, which is . . . not my favorite. I think he was a gift one Christmas, as he is the second half of the year Collector's Edition release in 1996 (the first half of the year had reversed colors on the ribbons). He's FINE, he's just not a standout to me. His pinto markings seem a little awkward and the sculpt itself is kind of tippy with somewhat goldfish bulbous eyes (accentuated by the spots over the eyes). I still played with him, of course, always making him a kind of background character for the main storyline. A nice personality, though, he did always seem easy going - which is ironic for being a portrait mold for John Henry, a famously not easy going animal.
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"Jumping Horse" - Stonewall

Obviously, my jumping horse is missing a critical piece - the thing over which he is meant to be jumping. The mold comes with a low piece of stone wall (hence the horse's original name) that has a peg for the hole in his belly. I found mine at a yard sale for $3 with no wall and missing one ear. This was very exciting because I have never found Breyers at a yard sale before or since, just this guy and the one who was with him (seen later). This mold is interesting to me because unlike the other suspended jumper Breyer has since released which is very proper in form and is obviously competitively jumping, this one has the feel of a horse just running in the field and taking a leap over a little obstacle. Not being ridden by anyone, not showing elegant form or anything, just a wild leap out in the pasture. The new process of having clear stands that don't distract from the horse is nice, but the wall for this mold is pretty much part of the personality of the sculpt. Stonewall, the bay, was the first release on the mold from 1965-1988.
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"Justin Morgan" - Justin Morgan and Double Take

This mold was named for the main character in Justin Morgan Had a Horse, the novel telling the story of the development of the Morgan breed (with some creative license). The original bay was released 1977-1989, but my came in the antique mall lot.

The other one, Double Take, was sold 1993-1994 as a portrait of a real horse. He was part of my carpet herd. A favorite part! Double Take was always a quiet and wise (and tired) mentor for the others. I always thought his expression was gentle and sort of world weary. I love his dark bay color, it's up there with the roans and the liver chestnuts. He remains an old favorite, but unfortunately he had some paint bubbling issues that caused some chunks to peel off. This is a mold I would like to own more examples of, even though most of them ARE bay. A whole little herd of dark brown soulful little horses.
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"Khemosabi" - Silent Knight

I am not sure which mold I like the least out of all Breyer molds - this one or the five-gaiter. I am very sorry to the artists, both of who are talented, but I just do not like the shape of this horse. Which is perhaps why the only one of have is wearing a costume! The first Khemosabi was a portrait of a real horse of the same name. The one I have was the Holiday Horse for 2003. He is special to me because he is was a Christmas gift from my parents, so I will never part with him, even though he is one of my least favorite molds, haha. He does look better wearing clothes. I also have his matching ornament, which I did not get a picture of, whoops!
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