Breyerfest 2026

 Well, the last of the Breyerfest boxes has finally arrived.  Flinka arrived first, then the Breyer Classic and Best of Breyerfest SM set.  Then the BF pickup, and last but not least my actual Breyerfest SRs. 

 Both of my SM Hygges were the regular dun version, no deco varation for me.  Did get the bell-tail Mule thanks to my pickup from Chelsea's Model Horses, and a lovely Elk.   The 4-piece one-day SM set got sold out of my cart, so later I bought two of the individuals.  Got a pair of Keflavik, the blue and red new laying mare.  Managed to trade one for Copenhagen (the red and white Belgian) and one for Upsalla (the blue and yellow semi-rearing mustang).  Still want the blue Django, but since the mold is tippy and that's the most popular one right now (selling for $80 and up), I may live without it for a while.  

 

For the Special Runs, I got Wanderer and the matte champagne Scandi Surprise.  Didn't have a Vermeer, so this will be my horse on that mold.  The color is nice, and the mottled muzzle isn't horribly distracting. 

I do like the blue ponies. 

I like the new reclining mare, but I'm okay with swapping both of them for Copenhagen and Upsalla (Upsala?).  I'll eventually get the pinto version from the TSC blind bags. 

Flinka is a great Fjord color, and they did a great job with her.  I need to line her up with my Astrid and Rapunzel for a group shot.  

 

The first Breyerfest post of the year

 Breyer has released most of the SRs and LEs for this year's Breyerfest.  And this year, the two SRs at the top of my list are both in-person only - the red deer (Elk mold) and mule (Winnifred mold).  

 So, I've looked at past prices, added a bit for inflation, and getting Chelsea's Model Horses to pick them up for me will only cost me about $20 extra per horse. That's an estimate, since Breyer hasn't released prices yet.  But, a $115 ticket is approximately $60 per horse.  Last year the SRs ranged from $75 to $90 I believe.  So, go on the high end just for safety, and that's $150 per horse.  Pickup pre-orders are $170 each.  I'm okay with that.  

 Still gonna get my online ticket, though.  Gotta do the workshops and buy LEs and such.  And yeah, there's the second-chance sale with leftover SRs, but the non-horse molds usually sell out, and the mule is a new mold so people may want them to repaint.   

The Second Chance horses

 UPS has dropped off three boxes in the last two days.  My luck was not great - no green clearware Surprise, but I got a chestnut sabino to go with the bay pinto.  Second Wild Things was not the green version, either.  But, my Fight Song is the variant without a base, so there's that.  

The final list: 

1. Quagga A
2. Quagga B
3. Surprise A - dark bay overo matte, run of 950
4. Surprise B - chestnut sabino matte, run of 950 (the greenware was a run of 650)
5. This is My Fight Song - the baseless variant was a run of 875, the "normal" variant is a run of 1,625
6. Wild Things A - both the normal chestnut run of 1,950 (the green variant is a run of 1,050
   
7. Wild Things B 
8. Percy A & B
9. Athenian Lady 
10. Blue Zeus 
11. Just Like Fire, the Classic
12. Better than Revenge, the fruit-stripe Fjord
13. the 4-pack of single-day Stablemates in deco dapples
14. the 5-piece Best of Breyerfest SM set 

Holy cow, maybe I need to spend less at BFest.  Eight Traditionals, 11 Stablemates, a Classic, and two plushies.   

Also.  I get that Breyer is using this waffleweave paper instead of bubble wrap, to try and be more eco-friendly.  But when the packers don't expand the waffle paper, and it's just left flat, it offers crap all in the way of protection.  They can do better.

 

 

 

Breyer's Second Chance Breyerfest sale

 One of the reasons for buying a Breyerfest ticket even if I can't go in person, is that it gives me access to their online second-chance sale later on.  This year's leftovers sale was last week, and I managed to be online and make not one, not two, but three orders.  Multiple orders were a thing because of their limit of two SRs per order.  

Order 1 - I Will Survive (the quagga) and Fight Song (the new rearing mold).  Fight Song has sold out, but Survive is still available (odd, given the prices on the Caves of Lascaux horse from a previous BF)

 

 

Order 2 - The Wild Things SM (hoping for the variant) and a second Surprise (I really want a green one), plus the commemorative program.

 

Order 3 - a second I Will Survive, a second plush Percy, and a second commemorative program - I think I was planning to use these as trade fodder, or just to sell to someone who missed out on the BF sales.  

 

 

Can't wait for these guys to show up.

First Breyer shipment is here

 The first shipment finally arrived.  

Athenian Lady is here.  The white spot on the top of her rump is intentional, by the way.  

Still waiting for the rest of the horses.  May be a while.

Breyerfest shipments

 The Breyerfest shipments are starting to happen.  They seem to be shipping everything separately so far.  I've got Percy the plush on the way, and the 4-piece Stablemate set in another shipment.  At least they aren't charging per shipment. 

Breyerfest 2024 is done

 Breyerfest is over for the year.  

I got my two top picks for the Special Runs - the Surprise horse and the Fruit Stripe sport pony.  Can't wait for them to get here.  And the Breyer Store was in good shape this year - it went live on time, didn't crash, and I managed to do all my purchases in two orders and 15 minutes.  I also managed to resist the temptation to buy a second Wild Things in hopes of getting the green variation. 

I spent a few hours watching the seminars, especially Lesli Kathman's color genetics and Jenn Danza's repair class.  Then I watched a couple of workshops.  They're available online until the end of the month, so I'll need to watch them again and take more notes.  

Breyerfest is coming!

 I've got a virtual ticket for Breyerfest again this year.  Tomorrow I'll find out which two Special Runs I get to buy.  I'm hoping for the fruit-stripe Fjord, and for the second one I'm open to anything.  Was wanting the pinto on the new rearing mold, but you had to get an in-person ticket to have a chance at that one.  Oh well.  

Just got an email from Breyer that the Celebration Horse has been shipped.  I hope they are planning to ship all our other purchases together again this year.  

 

 

Breyerfest 2023

 Breyerfest 2023 is in the books.  

Once again, I didn't go in person - I just can't manage the heat and humidity.  So I asked a friend, Margie, who was going, if she would pick up my SRs and Event Horse for me.  In return, I took her and her husband and daughter out for lunch at G & D Steakhouse on their way back home.  

I submitted my priority list to Breyer, and managed to get my top two picks again this year.  Nemea, because I'm a minor-league Classical Civilizations geek and Nemea is painted to look like a Greek or Roman vase with a chariot team on both sides.  Scurry, the non-variation version, because I thought she was cute. 

Along with the All-Access ticket, I got two of the Single Day SM tickets, so I could have access to the online-only horses and two of the single-day SMs.  I bought the second SM ticket when the set of single-day SMs sold out before I got one.  But, of course, I got two Whips, the mini-me Vanner mold, which is my least favorite.  So, off I'll go to the swap groups and see what I can do.  The first day, I ordered Buggy the SM, the plush, and the 5-piece Best of Breyerfest SM set.  Later, I ordered a Studebaker, and even later, I ordered a second Studebaker, hoping for the blue variation.  

Breyer switched to a more environmentally friendly packing this year - the SRs came in paper envelopes with waffle-paper packing instead of bubble wrap and plastic bags.  So far, it seemed to work okay for my horses.  And I do have a pretty good stash of bubble wrap already.

More new horses

 UPS delivered both of the post-Breyerfest boxes today.  Rapunzel, Franz, Chablis, and two Rotating Drafts - I ended up with the dapple gray pinto and the buckskin pinto, both matte.  Might try to trade the dapple gray for the blue pinto.  

And, I ordered one of the TSC exclusives, Jolene, online.  The website says it's available for curbside pickup here, but the store didn't have any out when I drove up yesterday.  So, I ordered it.  The blue FFA horse and the blind bag SMs aren't in stock, so I'll wait on those.  It's okay, I should get my TSC birthday coupon next week.  I just didn't want to risk Jolene selling out - I'm a fan of the Lady Phase in any tail, and a giant sucker for a dilute, especially a dunalino.

Breyerfest - the Second Chance sale

 So, I may have set an alarm on my phone to remind me of the Second Chance sale.  And I may have then gotten on the internet from the basement of the library, and made two more orders of the Breyerfest Prost! leftovers.  

I ended up with one order of Franz and a Rotating Draft, and a second order with Chablis, Rapunzel, and a second Rotating Draft.  Franz, Chablis, and Rapunzel are all molds that I don't own yet, and Franz has a double attraction because he's blue, and I've got this growing collection of blue horses that started accidentally.  Needless to say, I'm also hoping for the blue pinto Rotating Draft. 

Breyerfest 2021 - Day 1

 The official Breyerfest shopping is done.  We son't add up the grand total yet, because it won't be a calming number. 

1. Ansel
2. Knossos 
3. Kaleidoscope
4. Palette
5. Favrile
6. Apollo de Solis
7. Breyerfest SM 5-piece set
8. Pop-Up Store grab bag
9. 4-piece Stablemate set (aka the one-day horses)

Happily, I got my top two picks on the SR list, Ansel (run of 2,000) and Knossos (run of 1,000).  The new Morgan is one of my favorite of the new Premier molds lately, and I can't remember if I have a Spanish Bull or not.  And, Knossos fits with my interest in ancient Greek and Roman civilizations.  

And now it's off to watch workshops and seminars.  I've managed to get the TV browser logged in to the website, and the videos will play on it, so I can watch while I delete mass amounts of email.  

Tomorrow, I've got two crafting workshops to attend - Suncatcher Stablemates, and Galaxy Stablemates.  The last of the supplies for the Galaxy workshop should be delivered today. 

Breyerfest preparation

 Breyerfest is coming up, and is all-virtual again this year.  Pandemics suck.  I entered for the VIP ticket drawing every day, but no luck.  The leftover VIP tickets, plus All Access and General Admission tickets, went on sale at noon today.  I had a VIP in my cart, but the checkout button was glitching and I didn't remember the trick.  So, All Access it is.  Then I bought the 4-pack of single-day SMs, since they're available.  Gotta have the Fighting Stallion and that purple Fjord.

Overall, I think the All Access will be adequate.  Sure, the VIP lets you pre-purchase the 2 SRs you want, instead of going for the random draw.  But I'm in a spot where I like all of the SRs, but there's not one that I've gotta have, life or death, can't live without it.  So this way, I save some money, and will likely get two horses that I like.  And the LEs (aka store specials) are open issue this year (well, most of them are), so there won't be the rush for those either.  

But I still need to make a ranked list of the SRs for the random drawing.  I think Ansel is going to be #1, then Knossos the bull and Uffington, then Pech Merle, Gran Cavallo, and Seurat.  I'm waffling on Polluck, and I'm not sure where the surprise horse will go. Tassili is my least favorite.  

For the LEs, Josie is interesting but I'm not sure how that paint job will work out. I really want Favrile, probably Apollo, maybe Rheverence, no interest in the crystal, and I'm also waffling on the SM set.  I like the Darwin and Warmblood, neutral on the Paso and Pony, and don't really like the Stargazing QH mold.

Glossy fun

 And also this week, Breyer started shipping the glossy Store Specials from Breyerfest.  Glossy Benelli is here to join his matte twin.

The Breyerfest Horses

 The Breyerfest haul arrived last month sometime (don't ask when, I'd have to look).  I ended up with:

1. Ballynoe Castle - the bay Show Jumper
2. 4-piece Single Day SMs
1. Jersey
2. Skye
3. Orkney
4. Aaran (which I think is misspelled)
3. Thorn - glossy
4. Brigid and Beltane
5. Glossy Benelli (not here yet)
6. Benelli
7. Eire
8. another Eire
9. 5-piece SM set
1. Warmblood (with horridly overlarge dapples and massive overspray)
2. Django
3. G2 Arabian
4. G2 TB
5. Rivet   

 

Conditionwise, everything looks great except a couple of the SR Stablemates with painting issues.  Oh well.  

 

 

Virtual Breyerfest 2020, Day 3

 Ooops, forgot to write this last month.  Ah well.  Day 3, as I recall, was mostly watching the seminars and how-to videos, and the Icelandic Horse documentary.  I'm glad I had the chance to "attend" Breyerfest, even if it was online and not real-world. 

Virtual Breyerfest Day 1

Well, Day 1 of Virtual Breyerfest was exciting and frustrating.  As expected, there were technical problems.  The SR Tent times were running about 3 hours behind, so my 3:00 ET slot ended up being available sometime between 4:30 and 6 (when I got back from the grocery pickup run).  For the Tent horses, I ended up with Brighid and Beltane, the new mare and foal set, and Thorn, the appaloosa Trakehner who's a 50/50 split between matte and glossy.  I think both of those were high on my preferences.  I like the old Trak mold, and while I would love a Georg, I have some worries that Breyer will be able to pull off the resist dappling and mottling well.  Can't wait to see who the Slainte Surprise mold is. 

Just before I left, I finally managed to refresh the Fling store and find some things in stock.  Shock!  First was an attempt to get Greenman, Eire, and Benelli - Benelli sold out while Paypal was processing, but I still got my green ponies.  Then when I went back to the store, Benelli was still in my cart, and the SM set and Mackenzie the plush were in stock, so I tried another purchase.  That ended up with only Mackenzie still available.  But, that's 3 of the 5 I wanted taken care of, with two days left to shop.  And, since Breyer's holding everything to combine shipping, it doesn't matter if I have to buy one thing at a time. 

Still trying to get Benelli and the SM set (even though I'd be reselling at least the Arabian), but Breyer's offering pre-orders of glossy Benelli, Cheesecake, and Topgun as an apology for the technical glitches.  So, I could just get a glossy Benelli and stop trying to score a matte one. 

For the rest of Breyerfest, I watched some videos.  There's a video of last year's performace of the RCMP Musical Ride.  Watched part of it last night, and am in awe of their ability to do all that riding at a sitting trot, with a double-bridle's worth of reins in one hand.  Some of them were smiling pretty hard, too.  Seeing the Ride in person is on my bucket list.

Then there are all the workshop and how-to videos.  So far, I've watched 2 on Arabian halter making, one on paint matching for touchups, and one on making braided reins.  the color matching was helpful, but I really need to know if there's a way to match the hooves without an airbrush.  The black Stretch Morgan is having hoof issues, thanks to someone with glitter nail polish somewhere in his past. 

Shopping haul so far

• Brighid & Beltane
• Thorn
• Eire
• Greenman
• Mackenzie