Random Techy post

So, this is kinda geeky, and is going to appeal to the whole scientist/model horse crossover that exists, but its an article about preserving plastics--cellulose acetate, the building material of Breyer and Stone horses, among them:

Care of Plastics

I'm posting it here because there is ongoing discussion in the hobby about shrink models, and those that start smelling like vinegar and leak. As it turns out, once this starts to happen, it can cause damage to other models, so its best to isolate these examples from your main collection.

Here's another article on the same subject.

Food for thought for those of us with a lot of plastic ponies--looks like we do need to think a lot more about how we keep them.

Thanks to Kelly Korber Weimer for posting these on Facebook.

Potpourri

So, the wonderful Breyer History Diva blog supplied me with a list of this year's Breyerfest Special Runs (as in, those that are attainable--not raffle horses, or auction horses!) and where I usually find myself wanting one or two, this year, I want FOUR.  I either need to buy 2 tickets, or be prepared to spend on the secondary market.

What's tickling my fancy?

Under the Sea, a clear blue plastic Bluegrass Bandit.  I have a disturbing love for blue horses, and the translucent ones.  I do not think I care a whit about the mermaids.

Jasmine, the Weather Girl.  I am going to conga the crap out of this mold, I can feel it.  I'm already looking for a nice, simple repaint on one.

Hansel and Gretel, a mom and foal pair of Black Forest ponies by Birgitte Eberl.  In Classic scale.

Spun Gold, an as yet unnamed mold in 3 unnamed "Gambler's Choice" colors.  I missed out on the last Gambler's Choice at BFest and I sort of regret that, as I love the idea.  If its a Mesteno, I will reconsider this.

Going to be a rough year in Kentucky for me, thank goodness I won't have the madness of NAN before me, with the tempting treats in the tack and props area that crop up in NAN years.

In other news, I have been working on catalogging my colletion for a while now, and have FINALLY gotten to the point where I have a hard count on the OF Breyer plastic end of the world:

Traditional scale: 386
Classic scale: 66
Little Bits: 25
Stablemates 88

Total: 565 !!!  I had no idea it was THAT many--I've been putting the number of horses in my collection around 7-800 for several years now.  Looks like that needs to be adjusted UP.  Wonder if I've broken 4 digits yet??

Now onto the Stones, OF china, customs, Artist-resins (painted and not), tack, props....oh and getting it all photographed and uploaded to the Collecting Blog. But at least the Plastic Breyers are all tucked in their own spredsheets.

Finally, last weekend, Dave and I cleaned the basement.  During this, I found many amusing photographs (like those vet school pictures from 1993)  Here's one I wanted to share:

This would have been taken at the fall version of the Kaatskill Classic, 1994.  My first overall championship, earned by my Misty's Twilight "Freudian Slip."  This was my killer show horse in those days, when I was still a hardcore OF performance shower.  The CM overall was won by Rick Clark, but I forget that particular horse--its a custom he did.  Rick did these neat horses that he painted in car paints. It was damn near impossible to rub that paint.  I have one that is a bright red Running Black Beauty--I mean, he is candy apple red.  Does anyone know what's become of Rick?

Weather Girls

My intention for this bog was to be about showing for showers.  Unfortunately, my work schedule and the local show schedule can't quite seem to get it together :(  Between this, and my current hobby activities (I am president of NAMHSA, and it seems that when I get near the Board of Directors, sparks have to fly.  Prior to that, I helped to run NAN last summer.) this poor blog has suffered quite a bit.

I do more model horse pondering than I probably should on my personal blog, so last night it occurred to me that maybe I should push that here,as that was one of the original intents.  So here we go.

Despite being entrenched in the showing end of the hobby, I find I have been amazingly out of touch with the collector end.  Thank goodness Breyer sends me email, or I may have missed out on the Weather Girls. I participated in the Treasure Hunt the first year it was done, because I HAD to have a pegasus.  What perked my interest this year was the idea of a "Rainbow."   I have no idea what this is going to be, but seeing as how the other three horses' colors are suggested by their names, I am really hoping for some color freakshow.  Yes, its true.  I show the highly realistic, but dangle a blue horse before  me (stars, lighting up, making sounds all earn bonus points) and I become putty.

Anyway, I think they are nice.  They are smaller than the picture I had in my head, but I suspect that f I started measuring, they would be like 14 hand Arabs instead of the giant, supersize Arabs were are used to in "1/9" scale.  I like their trot, though its really a moment of suspension, which may foil any performance plans that are trying to hatch out (I so totally want to turn this into a show hack or some other such performance event I know next to nothing about)  They all stand.  Hooray.  I like the colors--the palomino is deep and metallic.  The dark grey is a deep, steely thing.  The pinto, being dapple grey and tobiano is slightly over the top for my personal taste, but its a complicated thing that is well done.

And I want one of these in bay.  And chestnut.  Suppose I must wait.

I am intrigued with the idea that these are "going into the vault" for a few years.  This will make the run a bit more valuable in the short term, as I imagine some of these are going to be purchased to make customs.  They are kinda sorta special runs, given that they are in that limbo between a true SR and a RR--a "regular run" produced for a limited time. Its possible they may be more uncommon than some "real" SRs.  Any time customizers want to lay their hands on an OF that is perceived as "special" that makes people sort of panic about them.  I figure each on that gets a coat of primer makes the one on my shelf that much more desirable/rare :)

I also got an Enchanted Forest in this shipment, as I already adore Newsworthy, and doing him in bay, hello!  And then he got added into the line and almost instantly discontinued.  Huh?  Anyway, he is cute, but mine has box rubs on his flank and elbow. Disappointing--its been a very long time since I had a horse with box damage, and my other 2 Newsies (white and silver) were fine.

Who else has them and what do you think?