I've had mixed success with Breyer's blind bags - while I think the monetary value of what I've gotten was definitely fair and worth it, often I was disappointed to discover that the items in my blind bag were things I already had.
Never have I done Breyer's Mystery Surprise bags - I'm not really a Stablemate collector (or so I tell myself) - but then Breyer started shrinking down some of my favorite old molds to celebrate their 70th Anniversary.
Including the Indian Pony, one of my favorite molds of all, in the early chestnut pinto. Then reports on social media said that a second, more elusive, chase piece had been discovered - a blue decorator Indian Pony.
(Photo from Identify Your Breyer and contributed by Triple Mountain Model Horses.)
She was very expensive on the secondary market ($36 to over $200!) so I wasn't going to find her that way. I figured that I wouldn't be able to have one. And then, Breyer had a sale and I had a really good coupon. I took the plunge and ordered a case.
The box arrived yesterday. I opened it and looked at that assortment, wondering if I'd been lucky and I'd find a blue Indian Pony in there for me. I grabbed a bag, felt the outline of what was inside, and realized that there was an Indian Pony inside. But was it the blue chase piece?
Bingo!! It was! Twenty-four packages, and the first one I opened had the piece I wanted! What are the chances on that?!I'd read online that the Indian Pony could be found once in every 12 cases. If true, and with 24 pieces per case, that made my chances of finding her 1 in 288. Wow!
I took pictures of her yesterday and today in a variety of lights, and her spots are definitely gold. A check on eBay and Identify Your Breyer seems to show the same thing. It's hard to see here, but her legs are a solid color and a different shade of blue than her body and head.
I also got two of the Indian Ponies in the iconic early Breyer pinto color. They will look nice next to my other two that are Traditional sized.
There were three woodgrain Cydesdales. There are no neck wrinkles, but there is other musculature, so I am still deciding if they shrank down the no muscle version or the later muscled one. I lean toward the latter.
Three gorgeous glossy charcoal Fighting Stallions.
Three sweet Fell Ponies. (I am going to keep one of these - he is darling!)
Three Missouri Fox Trotters whose shades varied from piece to piece.
Three Smart Chic Olenas (these will be donations or sold.)
I've never been a fan of the Connemara Mare (Croi) but I do like her in Stablemate form and black is my favorite horse color so I will be keeping one of these. Manes and tails like that are Pony Pal magnets.
The color on the Gypsy Vanner is lovely - with that flying mane, tail, and feathers, these three are going to a couple of Pony Pals for Christmas, too.
This gal is staying with me. I love her and am so glad I took that chance and bought that case of Mystery Surprise Stablemates.
