Decreasing the herd

 Overall, the herd grows instead of shrinks, but I'm not completely a "black hole" collector.  I've got two Stablemates Club memberships, thanks to the gambler's choice horses and variations, so that produces a few duplicates a year that need to move along.  During Covid lockdowns, I started on the enormous project of inventorying and tagging all the horses, beginning with the Stablemates.  That created a lot of surplus, thanks to Breyer's blind bags and the constant search for the chase horses.  A lot of those got sold at flea markets or in groups to repainters.  Or repainted myself (well, primed, at least. so far.) 

But for the last few years, I've been sharing a rental space at a local antique mall with a couple of hobby friends, and sending some surplus out there.  Some Schleich horses, ceramic animals of all kinds - usually the product of box lots at the auction - and some Breyers.  This week, I sent a few more out.  A duplicate Abdullah from the auction (he came with a dapple gray PAS).  A Hartland Angus bull from a box lot - I kept the cow and the other bull.  The dapple gray Totilas from Breyerfest 2025 - was hoping for the decorator, and the fish-scale dapples are just not my thing.  The chestnut Emerson from BFest 2024 - again, bought in hopes of the green decorator, but I got the bay pinto and chestnut pinto.  

Next up will probably be the Yellow Mount signature horse from Breyerfest, which I got in a grab bag.  Possibly Griffin, the much-too-orange Cleveland Bay web special.  He's the only braided-mane CB I have right now, unless I kept the CB BFest surprise gray, but I think I'd rather get the braided bay Journeyman instead.  And it's time for another culling of the Stablemates collection, specifically the more unstable ones that will not stand up even with the help of sticky wax.  

For funsies, a photo of the new Our First Pony gift set I picked up at the auction last week.  Still has the cardboard gift box, and Midge's halter.  I can't remember if I already have the set, and the inventory spreadsheet isn't helping, so for $30 I bought it anyway.  

 

 

New horses for the herd

 In spite of my attempts at self-control, I've added some more horses lately. 

 Thanks to the consignment auction, I've added a bunch of nice vintage Breyers: 

• the Clydesdale Mare & Foal gift set, with box and blankets
• the Our First Pony gift set, with cardboard box and halter for Midge
• another dapple-gray Proud Arabian Stallion
• Abdullah on the Trakener mold (my second Abdullah)
• bay G1 Morgan Stallion
• bay G1 Arabian mare 
• a handful of rider dolls (four, I think) and assorted tack
• and a red Dala horse made in Sweden 

Then, this week, one of the thrift stores posted some pictures on facebook, and I spotted a pair of Cheval ponies on a shelf.  Got up the next morning and was waiting (with 25 other people) when they opened.  Turns out there were seven Cheval ponies total, all the comical spaghetti-mane Shetlands.  Only $10 each, so I bought them all.  They're in pretty good condition, one has a repaired leg and an ear chip, and there's some crazing here and there, but they're so cute.