Unexpected & Disappointing

Second Post of the Day

Boy, howdy, call me disappointed. When I saw Breyer's 12 Days of Breyer advent calendar last summer when it first was advertised, I ordered mine then and there.

I have been waiting to open it since it arrived, carefully avoiding any posts on social media from those who had opened theirs early - I wanted to be surprised.

Taking away part of the surprise by putting big hints as to what was behind each door took the edge off my excitement big time.

As did having actual pictures on the back of the box. Okay, so now not only did I know all the colors that would be inside, but now I knew what three of the twelve pieces would actually be. It was easy peasy to match them up to the pictures on the front of the box, so no point in opening those doors.

The worst part was that, when I opened my box and slid out the calendar, some of the horses were loose and tumbled out onto my desk. Big reveal right then and there.

My plan had been to open a door a day as I have in the past and post the surprise that was inside here. 

Honestly, now I have no motivation to do so. 

This 12 Days of Christmas was a great idea on Breyer's part. And I understand that there are so many new collectors, Breyer felt a need to explain which iconic Breyers were being used, too. But for me, someone who was around when every one of those were bright, shiny, and new, the result was to remove any sense of surprise and anticipation.

It was a big let down.

A New Advent Calendar

(I've got an 8:00 AM follow up appointment this morning for a procedure I had two weeks ago. If I can, I will publish a second blog post finishing the Feast posts. If it's not up by 11:00, it will drop tomorrow.)

I love advent calendars. We had two of them when our kids were growing up.

Six kids for two calendars? That meant taking turns every day. We rotated through all the kids every three days and it worked out fine.

So, when Breyer began producing their advent calendars using Mini Whinnies as the prizes behind the doors, I was all over that. I didn't (and don't) collect Mini Whinnies, but I could not resist having a new horsey advent calendar. I even bought the unicorn version and I really dislike unicorns!

Earlier this year Breyer announced that there would be a Twelve Days of Christmas advent calendar. As soon as dealers were taking orders, I ordered mine. It arrived a few days ago.

I haven't opened the box yet as I did not want to spoil any possible surprises, but I did put a note on my calendar to begin opening doors on December 12.

Retro colors of woodgrain, charcoal, and splatter grey are being used and it sounds as though the Appaloosa Performance Horse, Fighting Stallion, and Starlight will be behind a door. The last piece is a gambler's choice of five Breyer vintage decorator colors. 

I'm wondering about that - gold charm, florentine, wedgewood, and copenhagen are the original vintage decorator colors. Is the fifth a charcoal? Some collectors lump that in as a decorator color. Maybe silver filigree? To me, that's a more recent color and not vintage. Woodgrain was already listed and shown, so I think that can be eliminated.

Guess I'll find out Christmas Eve!

Stay 'tooned!

Christmas Horse & Advent Calendar Reveal - Day 24

Christmas Horse of the Day

Gathering around the tree - a display I put out on my shelves several years ago. 

Advent Calendar Reveal - Day 24

The Galloping Mustang Stallion 

And that concludes the 2024 Breyer Advent Calendar reveal!

What fun it was to open a door a day and find a surprise waiting for me. Sure hope there is a new calendar for next year!

Christmas Horse & Advent Calendar - Day 23

 Christmas Horses

Breyer horses in holiday colors and in the Christmas line-up. Jennifer Buxton made both sets of jingle bells for me. They really jingle, too!

Advent Calendar Reveal - Day 23

Barrels! No doubt to go with yesterday's Cutting Stock Mare.

Christmas Horse & Calendar Reveal - December 21

First Post of the Day

Christmas Horse of the Day

The 2020 Blind Bag Festive Filigrees!

I love the Stablemate Lippizaner and so I took a chance on getting him and ordered two bags.

First bag opened!

The second bag contained the Croi/Connemara Mare.

Eventually I ended up with all four, although I am pretty sure I traded the Smart Chic Olena (red filigree) and the Gypsy Vanner (silver filigree) away. (Photo by Breyer.)

By the way, I like that Donovan mold so much that for the first time ever, I am seriously considering joining the Stablemate Collectors Club. Why? Well, I may not like unicorns, but I sure do love...

Pegasi! Oh, my, that color!! I'd love to have this piece.

Advent Calendar Reveal - Day 21

The High Stepping Draft Horse.

Not a bad little piece! 

That's eight of the ten horses this year's advent calendar is purported to have and there are only three more doors to open. We are close to the end!

First Post of the Day

Christmas Horse of the Day

A second piece from the Stablemates Gamblers' Choice, Clydesdale Christmas blind bag set!

Produced in 2021, this one is red charm with a white mane and tail and gold bobs and ribbons.

I'd love to have the gold and silver charm Clydesdales to complete the set, so if you have one to sell, please contact me at horsiemama8@gmail.com.

Advent Calendar - Day 20

A white barn

with a red roof!

Four more days left!

Christmas Horse & Calendar Reveal - December 18

First Post of the Day

Christmas Horse of the day

Snickerdoodle, The Holiday Pony Playset. (Screenshot from Breyer.)

Produced in 2021, the piece has a pearly finish

and came with a blanket and costume along with a doll.

It's a pretty piece but sadly the masking on the mane and tail of mine was not done well and is disappointing.

Cinders (2024), Tinsel (2023), and Mia (2022) have followed Snickerdoodle in the Holiday Pony Playset series, but that series does not seem to sell too well. Three of the four releases are still currently available on Breyer's website.

Advent Calendar Reveal - Day 18

A water trough!

Christmas Horse & Calendar Reveal - December 17

First Post of the Day

Christmas Horse of the Day

(I still have two Breyer blankets left to give away. If you want one, whether you entered the December Give Away or not, send your name and address to me at horsiemama8@gmail.com. First come, first served!)

Hot Cocoa! My piece is much darker than this one from Breyer's promo picture. (Screenshot from Breyer's website.)

She has a winter themed blanket printed with snowflakes and mugs of hot chocolate.

Hot Cocoa is the 2024 Pony For Christmas model. Already I am looking forward to the 2025 offering!

Advent Calendar Reveal

A horse ball! I've never given my horses one of these, but I know a couple of dogs that would go crazy playing with one of these in the indoor arena!

Christmas Horse & Calendar Reveal - Day 14

 First Post of the Day

Christmas Horse of the Day

Gingerbread with Holiday Blanket, 2021. He was a website Limited Edition and came with his own special gift box. First in what has become the A Pony for Christmas series.

Go here to read more about him and to find my own favorite gingerbread recipe! (I'm making it for a friends holiday gathering tomorrow.)

Advent Calendar Reveal - Day 14

A set of stable tools for cleaning the barn and mucking out stalls!

Don't forget - comment to be entered into the December Give Away! Entries end tomorrow night at 11:59 PM.

Christmas Horse & Calendar Reveal - Day 13

First Post of the Day

Don't forget, if you want a chance to win the December Give Away, you can comment on every blog post that's posted between yesterday's first post and Sunday at 11:59 PM Eastern.

Christmas Horse of the Day

Emerald, the 2017 Christmas Morning Collectors Club Surprise!

Produced on the highly popular Bouncer mold in clearware, they came in three colors - green (Emerald), hot pink (Amethyst), and blue (Sapphire.) 350 pieces were made of each color.

Emerald proved to be popular with Mutton Buster Cambria, too. 

There are decals of bells on Emerald's side, but Cambria added some sleigh bells to him. Jennifer Buxton made those; don't they look nice on him?

Advent Calendar Reveal - Day 13

A jumping rider.

Who fits nicely on yesterday's Jumping Thoroughbred Stallion. 

I wonder if any tack is in one of the windows yet to be opened? We have a saddle with the rider; maybe a bridle is still to come? I am deliberately avoiding the back of the calendar's box - all the pieces are listed there and I want to be surprised. 

Time will tell. Stay 'tooned!

My Quirky Brahma Bull

After doing a lot of research as well as taking pictures of places I usually don't look at too closely, I have determined that my Brahma bull is not a B Stamper.

Having Nancy Atkinson Young's book with its incredibly detailed text to refer to (over and over and OVER) was a real boon, but it took a lot of time to come to the conclusion the my bull is simply an ordinary (and nice) Brahma. 

Having a woodgrain Brahma for comparison was also helpful, although that piece was way too early to have the B stamp. 

My grey bull was heavily glossed and had remnants of Breyer's drainboard - also indicators that the piece was produced well before the B stamp era.

The Brahma Bull had five B stamps - one on each horn, one inside each hind leg, and one in the scrotal area. The circle on this horn is a mark from a molding pin and not associated with the B stamp. 

It was while looking for that fifth B in that very personal spot that I discovered that my grey Brahma, while not a B stamper, was still an anomaly.

His daddy parts are on backwards. 

Or maybe it's the woodgrain bull's whose were attached incorrectly. I'm not sure which, and I have no more Brahmas to check, but they face two different directions.

Like the horns, they were molded separately and then added to the model. Nancy mentions in her book that she has seen a bull with the parts on backwards and that some bulls are steers, never having gotten that finishing touch!

An odd way to close the B Stamp series, but there ya go!

Christmas Horse of the Day

This is the 2004 Breyer Collector Club Holiday 2004 Special Edition. (There's a mouthful for you!) 1500 sets were made, with 375 pieces each of the Belgian in silver, gold, blue, or sugar (pink) plum.

The Saddlebreds are named "Mini-Fanfare" after the 2000 JAH Subscriber Special done on the Missouri Fox Trotter who was called "Fanfare" and was to celebrate Breyer's 50th anniversary.

Screenshot from Identify Your Breyer.

Advent Calendar Reveal - Day 10

The Cantering Tennessee Walking Horse Gelding.

It's a very dark, almost red palomino color.

I've added him to the scene as a runaway. Had to make use of that articulated gate!