My Breyer collection

Jill wrote:

Probably you are exactly right! I wish instead they had decided to go matte and/or add some brown or blue into the black for warm or cool shading. Oh well! I think sometimes the "tricolor eyes" are not the benefit they are intended to be.

Did you ever see the black Andalusian by Moody, in person? His paintjob was the most detailed black they've ever had - he's got shading, dappling, different paint textures (shinier on the mane, tail, and nostrils), a world away from the flat unshaded semigloss black they're all done with now. To think this was twenty years ago, and not only is it better painted than any black model since, but this was also the very first run on the mould - I do miss the days when a brand new sculpt was actually obtainable, as a £22.95 regular run release!

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This shows the contrast between matte body and shiny hair, as well as the shaded brown tones

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Even his eyes look effective and natural, with the eye-white pinked and carefully placed to make him look at us, the brown is a shade darker to stand out less, and the gloss over the top to make it look wet and catch a speck of shine.

Ah, he's lovely! I've never seen him, he was released when I wasn't collecting. I love the subtle dapples in his black. A shame that has never been the standard for black. I also think Vigilante has a nice black coat, it has quite a bit of red and brown in it like a sunfaded black. Not quite as detailed as the Andalusian (and also stuck with the bridle and reins), but it would be nice to see more like these.

I forgot to update my most recent stablemates as well.

"Swaps" - Cloud
Part of the April Fool's set for 2024 that poked gentle fun at historically unpopular colorways. Cloud was a "dapple gray" that was simply gray with large, white resist "dapples" that were unusually rectangular in shape. This little Cloud is a bit more appealing with round "dapples" but he still captures that not-actually-a-good-representation-of-dapple-gray look of the old one, haha! I had to have him, because he is a Swaps! So my conga remains complete, and personally I think he's quite cute. These guys have a ton of variation so I might end up with more some day . . . I had to trade to get this one, because they were released in blind bags and I did not get him, but luckily a friend of mine did so we swapped (no pun intended). This was the first Swaps released since 2004 so I was really excited to see him!
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"Twist" - "green"
Another from the April Fool's set, this one was a "bay going gray" that unfortunately tended more toward green. Personally, I think it's a very nice green, but certainly a decorator color rather than a real horse color. I think this mold is really nice, and I didn't have one yet, so I was happy to add him in this color. The mold is a newer one, released in 2021 and an Eberl sculpt, so of course it is beautiful. There have been no true regular runs yet, though this one was easy to obtain, just more expensive than stablemates are usually and also a blind bag release.
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Congrats

Nice again!

Good that you can keep your swaps conga going. Is this model blue or is that just the photo?

The Twist is still a rare sculpt. Great that you got it. I think I'll have to wait until there is a regular run.

Thank you all!

rogerpgvg wrote:

Good that you can keep your swaps conga going. Is this model blue or is that just the photo?

The model is a pretty flat gray. There may be a cool tint to it, but it does not look blue, so probably just my lighting!

"National Show Horse" and "Amber" - fleabitten gray and chestnut
This is one of the Color Crazy Treasure Hunt mare and foal sets from 2008. I wasn't collecting at the time so I missed out on the treasure hunt years, but my understanding of the gimmick is that you buy all the ones available in store and then you send the UPCs away for the surprise extra horse, so it's a "treasure hunt" to find all of them in stores (they were not available on line I believe). This particular year, the theme was horse color genetics with three mare and foal sets (six if you count that they released each set with and without white markings). The surprise horse was the stallion that could have fathered the foal. There were four stallions for some reason, and I don't know how it worked exactly since they weren't paired with particular mares and foals and it was random which one you got. It's confusing to me, but a fun idea nonetheless. These ladies I found at an antique store today for 75% off. They have been for sale for a long time but way over prices because they are not in super good condition (lots of paint scuffs and marks), but at that sale price, I couldn't leave them behind. The national show horse mold is not my favorite and I only have one other, but I have to admit this girl is growing on me a lot. The foal mold is one I have always liked.
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Congratulations

Beautiful additions!!!!

"Drafter" - Simba du Pont de Tournay
Simba is from the 2019 Breyerfest 20th Anniversary Commemorative set, which featured mini versions of past celebration models. Celebrations (or ticket) models are the real horse portrait you receive with your ticket. The real ticket horse is present at Breyerfest and usually does some sort of demonstration program of their real life talent. The real Simba is an Ardennes (Ardennais) stallion, of which there are very few in the United States (he was one of 15 that year, I don't know if that has changed). This model was on my wish list because roan is one of my favorite colorways, and this mold is one I really appreciate. Breyerfest models get extra care given to their paint work, like all special runs, and so the roan coat is very well done (for his size). I love the rich coloration.
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"Highland Pony" - Thumbelina
Part of the 2021 Best of Breyerfest set. Best of Breyerfest, much like the anniversary set, feature five miniatures of previous Breyerfest special runs. Unlike the anniversary models, though, these are minis of very low run models that are extremely hard to get. It's nice to have a more accessible version. Thumbelina is a miniature of Tom Thumb, one of the show prizes 2011, a run of only nine. Thumbelina was one of the main reasons I wanted this set. I love the mold, love the color, and love her little white sock. They did a wonderful subtle job on her dappled buckskin coloration. They eye whites they painted on make her look a little insane, but it's not too bad, haha.
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"Lippizaner" - Locksley
From the same 2021 Best of Breyerfest set, a miniature of Nottingham which was the volunteer model in 2011. 137 were made. Volunteer models are given to Breyerfest volunteers to help run the event. Getting a position as a Breyerfest volunteer is not easy and many applications are submitted, and it work is not easy, so getting such an exclusive model is well earned. Locksley is my favorite in this set and the main reason I got it at all. Again, his roan colorway is one of my favorites and it's such a nice mold. This is not a color a lippizaner would appear in, so he would not be a purebred, but I think he looks very dashing in the color all the same.
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"Paso Fino" - Grimm
Also part of 2021 Best of Breyerfest set. Originally I had planned to just get three of the set because two of them I didn't like as well, but since I found the whole set for a good price, I went ahead and got it. This one was very neutral to me. I am not a huge palomino or appaloosa fan, not that I dislike them, they just aren't my favorites, and this mold, while nice, is just a middle of the pack one for me. However, in person, she is much nicer because the paint work is so much more detail and precise than on a regular run. So I do like her more than I expected to, even if she is not my favorite. She is the mini version of Perrault, the early bird raffle model from 2011. There are only three of him!
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"Standing Stock Horse" - Pendragon
Still the Best of Breyerfest 2021. This was one that originally I wasn't too excited about because it's a mold I don't care for. However, while I still think the mold has a kind of goofy face, the really nice paint work does him justice and improves the whole look (except maybe those eye whites, which do not help with the goofy expression!). I love the detailing of the pinto markings. Since the only other horse I have on this mold is also a bay pinto but a regular run, I can really appreciate how nice this one is when they are next to each other. Pendragon is the mini version of Camelot, another prize model with only ten made.
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"Warmblood Mare" - Into the Woods
Last of the Best of Breyerfest set and one of the three I really wanted. She is one of my favorite stablemates molds, and a really nicely done dapple gray. Regular run grays are usually more of the later white stage since that is much easier to produce in large quantities, so it is cool to see this earlier, truly dappled stage. She is the mini of Happily Ever After, a contest prize with thirty made.
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"Quarter Horse Mare" - Primrose
Can't believe I almost forgot this girl in the list! Primrose was the first release of the Stablemate Collector's Club in 2016. ~1500 were made. She was one of my biggest grails! I love when they do really nice modern colorways on vintage models. Getting this girl was a bit of an emotional ride, however, since the first one I purchased was not disclosed to have been discolored and smelling of cigarette smoke, but thankfully I was able to get a beautiful pristine one not long after. She's completely gorgeous. I love the grullo color and her appaloosa blanket is so nice. Sometimes Breyer's soft edged appaloosa blankets just don't do it for me (like Grimm's earlier), but I really like this crisp edge and the realistic shaped spots. Very excited to finally have her! One of my favorite stablemates!
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Very nice Stablemates Jill, I really like Pendragon and his expression! and I just love pintos!

I've never seen a lippizaner in that colour, that was unusual to see. Not that I've seen many lippizaners.

Great models,congrats!!!!

Very beautiful special runs! I agree with your favourites, they are also my favourites. Primrose and Thumbelina especially.

Thank you all!

sunny wrote:

Very nice Stablemates Jill, I really like Pendragon and his expression! and I just love pintos!

I've never seen a lippizaner in that colour, that was unusual to see. Not that I've seen many lippizaners.

He is definitely not a color that shows up in the breed, he is just on the lippizaner mold. I am actually surprised they put him on that mold instead of one of the more classicy rearing poses, but I am glad they did because I really like it, haha.

I have quite a few updates for this page because I've gotten a number of stablemates, but I am going to space them out a bit since photographing them all takes a while.

Starting with the Best of Breyerfest 2024. Exactly the same idea as the last set, just this year's release. :)

"Clydesdale Stallion" - Bulletproof
Bulletproof is the miniature version of 2018's raffle and auction model Woodford, 26 made. This is of course the miniaturized Clydesdale stallion mold but with a lose mane and tail, which is a nice adjustment from his formal bobs on the traditional scale. I always think shrunk down traditionals are cool, even though this one is not my favorite traditional. This color is really cool, except I don't love the pearly sheen on the mane and fetlocks. However, that was also present on Woodford, so they were being exact in their replication. I only wish they had been able to get his gorgeous dappling in the tiny form. I got the set for four out of five, and this is one of the four.
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"Fighting Stallion" - Dance the Night
Miniature version of Kick Up Your Heels, 2014 raffle model, 25 made. This one is actually an exact replica since Kick Up Your Heels is in the traditional fighting stallion mold, which is very cool. The only thing the mini is really missing is the white on the front legs, which is a shame because that's a cool part of his design. Nevertheless, this is a very cool little model and one of the main reasons I bought the set.
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"Irish Draft" - New Rules
Miniature version of King Arthur, 2011 raffle model, 25 made. I used to not like the Irish Draft mold and then I got one in hand and now I love it, and this coloration is spectacular. I do wish it stood better on its own, but this guy might still be my favorite of the five. Definitely one of the reasons I bought the set.
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"Loping Quarterhorse" - Flowers
Miniature version of Bonheur, 2021 raffle and auction model, 26 made. The only one in the group I didn't really want. I really don't love this mold and I am not a huge fan of high gloss. I do have to say, her coloration is really nice, but if she hadn't been part of the larger set, I wouldn't have ended up with her. The mold suffers from the too smooth and gumby leg illusion that I don't like in a lot of the G3 and G4 molds. But in the end, I don't hate her or anything. Her color saves her.
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"Valegro" - Wannabe
Miniature version of Tacoma, 2007 raffle and auction model, 26 made. Finally got one of this mold, and it's a very lovely example. I love these special runs because so much precision is put into the markings. This mold does have some weird little feet, but in general, I love it.
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Haha, thank you!

Here are the rest of my new stablemates, all from Tractor Supply.

"Belgian" - gray pinto  
The mare from the Peaceful Gardens surprise foal family gift set. Like in past years, these sets include two parents and a blind bag foal. This draft family was the one I wanted the most because of the molds, but I have to say the colors could have been better. This one is nice, the gray is well shaded. I like this mold even though it does not stand well on its own. I wish they bothered to paint the ribbons in the tail on regular runs, or that they had just not included them in the mold since they don't, but oh well.
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"Cantering Foal" - palomino appaloosa
The surprise foal from the Graceful Grove family gift set. I like this little cutie a lot. The surprise foal is a fun idea and works well since you at least know for sure what adults you are getting, and it's not like a true blind bag where you are paying for something totally unknown. The colorway on this little guy is really nicely done, too. I think he is actually my favorite part of this particular family set.
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"Cantering Warmblood" - sorrel
The mare from the Graceful Grove family gift set. Like the only other model I have on this mold, I have it because it came in a set with others I wanted. Not a mold I like very much, though it is a nicely done color.
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"Fireheart" - black appaloosa
One of the blind bag models. I was on the fence about this one because it is a really cool mold, a miniatured version of the traditional sized Fireheart, but it is a not great colorway. Breyer does black so poorly, usually making it so flat and unrealistic, and this is no exception. Plus the soft edge appaloosa blankets are usually not my favorite, and this one in particular is so badly placed. The straight line down the middle of the barrel plus the extension onto the back legs . . .it looks like pants! However, since I found him in person and didn't have to pay high second hand prices, I went ahead and got him. He's okay, but hopefully the next regular run on this mold will be much better.
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"Giorgio" - black pinto
The stallion for the Peaceful Gardens family set. Much like the Fireheart, I love this mold but not as much the colorway chosen for it, and for much the same reason. The black is just so boring. At least the pinto markings are better done. It is the first time I have been able to get this stablemate mold, so I went ahead and did so. He's pretty good, but I do look forward to having him in a more nuanced color.
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"Hanoverian" - bay appaloosa
The stallion for the Graceful Grove family set. I had no intention of getting this set until I saw this guy in person. I loved his color so much I went ahead and got the family. I still think he is lovely, but he does not stand on his own at ALL. Even with sticky tack, he eventually succumbs to gravity, so I am looking into ways to get him to stand better. This is the first one I have on this mold, and it might be my last, given the standing problem.
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"Kit" - buckskin and metallic black
The stallion for the Shimmering Sands family set and the Enchanted Forest unicorn family set. Kit is a newer stablemate mold that I love that isn't a miniaturized traditional. These TSC runs were the first time I could get some, and the buckskin one is a really nice color even if the paint job does have a lot of overspray. The black unicorn is also really nice and the reason I ended up buying the unicorn set at all, which I had no intention of doing. Even though it is unrealistic because of the pearly shine to it, it's an actual shaded black which is so nice to see! The gold horn and hooves I could of course do without, but at least this mold makes an okay unicorn. I hate when the very domestic looking breeds are turned into unicorns. It's a super nice mold, pretty simply but with nice details to the mane and tail.
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"Lying Foal" - metallic pink pinto
Surprise foal for the Sparkling Canyon unicorn family set. I bought this set for the stallion, but I actually like all three of them quite well for what they are. This is a really cute little foal. Like all the unicorns, I wish they were just fantasy colors and didn't have the horns and gold hooves, but that's Breyer's thing now, so.
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"Playful Foal" - black pinto
The surprise foal from the Peaceful Gardens family set. I love this mold, but again, the color is boring. Usually the family sets are pretty good at combining the two adults into the baby's color and making it different from either, but for some reason they just went with black again. Realistically, of course, it makes sense--if the foal has the gray gene from the mother, it wouldn't show until it's an adult, and the mother might also be genetically black. But they could have done something else, too, and it could still have been genetically possible. In any case, just like dad, the baby is a really great mold that I wanted to get even though it is a mediocre color.
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"Prince Charming" - metallic lilac
Mare for the Enchanted Forest unicorn family. I have this one because I wanted the black Kit. Ironically, the mold is named Prince Charming, even though it's a mare. It may have been a male on its initial release and changed later, I am not sure. It's a nice mold, I do want to get one in a realistic color someday. This one is fine but just an extra thanks to wanting the one it came with! They could have been a little more creative with the coloring.
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"Scratching Foal" - bay
Surprise foal from the Shimmering Sands family set. I do love this little guy. He is a pretty simply color, but done well, and I've always loved this mold.
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"Standing Foal" - metallic silvery purple
The surprise foal for the Enchanted Forest unicorn family. A cute little guy and a pretty fun, weird color honestly. I wasn't sure how they were going to combine black and lavender, so that's kind of neat. Again, I mostly just wanted the black Kit, but I was pleasantly surprised by the foal, even if the horn does look like a party hat.
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"Thoroughbred" - black filigree
One of two blind bag chase pieces. I was hoping to find this one, so very exciting that I was able to! I like the old decorator patterns and I think it looks good in black and white. I like this mold pretty well, too. I have quite an accidental conga of it, haha. It's always fun to find one of the chases. I usually can find the "rare" though I have yet to find an "ultra rare" but thankfully I often like the rares better, as is the case this year.
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"Trotting Warmblood" - rose gray?
The mare for the Shimmering Sands family set. Like the other sets, I really wanted one of the adults and so I got the other as well. This one I did really like the color, but the mold is definitely not my favorite. It's the only one I have in this mold, and I don't think I'll be going for any others.
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"Twist" - gray and metallic yellow pinto
Definitely a highlight of TSC this year were two Twists being released. The gray is the blind bag and I was lucky to find him since he was my favorite, and the unicorn is the stallion for the Sparkling Canyon family. He was the reason I got the family set. I really like the pinto pattern with the gold, it's a cool look. The mold is by Brigitte Eberl and I'm sure is familiar to collector's here from the Sharif WIA model. It's a beautiful sculpt and I'm glad to finally have some more examples.
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"Warmblood Mare" - soft pink
The mare to the Sparkling Canyon unicorn family set. I got the set for the Twist, but I'm not sad the mare was in this mold since it's one of my favorites. Not a thrilling color, and of course clunky horn, but it could be worse! It's actually a nicely shaded pink, if not very exciting.
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And I also got two new Breyer ornaments this year. I don't think I've included my others in the past, but . . . what better time to start than today.

Beautiful Breeds - friesian
I love this series, even though I am kind of picky about it and don't buy every one (they released a quarter horse again this year. They have also done Arabian twice--there are so many breeds to pick from!). Some of my favorites are from early in the series when they were still porcelain, but those are quite expensive now. I got very lucky, though, and found this one for affordable, which is so exciting because it's one of my favorites. It's from 2004, so vintage now. I didn't even know they existed back then. The beautiful breeds series always features festive tack but they don't overdo it, which I really like.
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Holiday Unicorn - Scarlet
They usually release at least one unicorn ornament every year, and I typically don't pay them much mind, but this mold is gorgeous. It was originally a porcelain shire in the traditional size released when I was a kid. I couldn't afford it then (or now), but I just thought it was so cool. This is the first time we have seen it since then. I don't know if it means they will release it as a stablemate someday or anything. Breyer uses a lot of traditional molds shrunk for their Santa series ornaments that don't appear as stablemates (yet), but I can hope! It's a cool color as well, not as red as something named Scarlet should be, more pink thank anything, but still very nice. And the horn is not as bad as usual.
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Beautiful horse collection!

Thank you for the beautiful photos. These are such elegant and expressive models.