Darley

So I'm going to say something controversial here....

I 

Like

Him

*runs from thrown objects*

OK so I know it's a weird pose, I know it doesn't really look like an Arab and I KNOW it's yet another sabino/pinto. But I like him. I look at him and think "I like". And I'm not ashamed to admit that.

Darley is the latest release in the Breyer Stablemate Collector's Club. We saw images of the new sculpt late last year but this is the first time we've seem him with colour.

2019 Schleich

The Schleich website has revealed a few sneak peaks of the 2019 range :) Some gorgeous new fantasy models this year, I cannot wait to get those guys in!

You can view all the new Schleich products here: https://www.schleich-s.com/en/GB/new.html?fbclid=IwAR2rX_7FNkt0Y2cXz1yehLPhUid3yXon4ZKuo192Se6t41Ft2kJbMHzpM-c

But below are the equines and equine themed items:

42459 - Blanket & Halter Hannah & Cayenne

42461 - Blanket & Halter - Lisa & Storm

42462 - Blanket & Halter - Sarah & Mystery

42460 - Blanket & Halter - Sofia & Blossom

42457 - Friesian Stallion Riding Tournament

13890 - Knabstrupper Foal

13889 - Knabstrupper Stallion

13887 - Lipizzaner Stallion

70578 - Moon Unicorn, Stallion

13886 - Paint Horse Foal

13885 - Paint Horse Gelding

13884 - Paint Horse Mare

70580 - Shooting Star Unicorn Foal

70579 - Star Pegasus, Mare

42456 - Trakehner Mare Riding Tournament

13888 - Trakehner Mare

All the Schleich 2019 range and many other new products will be available from www.ukmodelhorses.com in the new year. Keep an eye out :)

Model of the Day - Stunner

Our model of the day today is one of the earliest models from my collection, CRS Stunning Light aka Stunner. Stunner is a regular run Breyer Shire from the Classics range. He was my only Classics Shire for over 10 years before I acquired three in very short succession. He now has friends on the shelf which is nice :)

Although Stunner has been to live shows he has never placed, he does have a few photo show placings though, not unsurprising because he photographs really well.

Stable Name: Stunner
Show Name: CRS Stunning Light
Breed: Shire
Colour: Grey
Gender: Stallion
Scale: Classic
Manufacturer: Breyer
Model Number: 627
Model Name: Shire
Mould: Shire A
Year Produced: 2002-2008
Face Markings: White Blaze
Leg Markings: 4x White Socks
Finish: Matte
Sire: None
Dam: None
Best Live Show Placing: None

Website Link: https://www.ukmodelhorses.com/uk-heavy-horse.html#/

Collector's Resources

I thought for today's post I would share a few websites that are invaluable to the model horse collector. Most of these websites are sites that give you information for cataloguing your models.

If you haven't already catalogued your collection then this is definitely something you need to think about doing. There are several reasons for this. Firstly it will help you remember who is who! It seems like a little thing but as your collection grows you may lose track of names, you can't be expected to remember two names for hundreds of models! A catalogue will help you quickly identify a model. Secondly it is important for insurance purposes. Many insurers will ask for this if you have specialist insurance in particular and it is important to keep an accurate up to date catalogue of your collection including values. Finally (and on a slightly morbid note) it is important for your family to know what you have, what it is and what it is worth for when you pass away. This will make sure that if they choose to sell they get a good price for your models and also that any future owners get things such as show results.

The hardest part of cataloguing is often identifying exactly what you own and how much it is worth, so I've put together this list of handy websites to help you identify each model horse in your collection.

But first a note about value. The most important thing to remember when valuing is that old mantra of "something is only worth what people are willing to pay". I find the easiest way to get an idea of a model's value is to look at how much that model has sold for for other people (of course this is really only applicable for OFs but this post is mainly geared towards that). To do this visit eBay (I use ebay.com rather than .co.uk as more Breyers sell through this) and do a search for the item name or number. For example "Breyer Brass Hat". Then on the left hand side click the little box titled "completed items":

Now look for items where the price is green. This will give you an idea of the average selling price for that item. Obviously you need to adjust a bit depending on the condition of your model but this is a great way to start valuing things. Looking at it I can see that this model is selling for between $20-40.

OK so onto our resource link! Obviously these are all external links and I accept no responsibility for their content. At the time of posting I didn't die when I clicked on them but you do so at your own risk!

General

MH$P - https://modelhorsesalespages.com/

If you aren't sure what something is general searches on MH$P can help you to identify the model you have. You can also use it to help get an approximate value if the eBay method isn't working for you.

Model Horse Gallery - http://www.modelhorsegallery.info/

This contains information about a huge range of makes and models. Great to delve into if you really aren't sure what something is!

OF Plastic

Hartland Horses - http://hartlands.com/horses.html

This website is good for identifying Hartland horses.

Identify Your Breyer - http://identifyyourbreyer.com/

One of the most comprehensive lists of Breyer models in an easy to use format. Invaluable for looking up information such as release dates, product numbers and product names.

Stone Horse Ref - http://www.stonehorseref.com/

This website is good for identifying older Peter Stone models.

China & Resin

Beswick & Royal Doulton Horses - http://www.beswickandroyaldoultonhorses.com/collectables/horses

This is a sales site but is really helpful in trying to identify Beswick model horses as it includes product names and numbers.

CTF Models

G1 ID Machine - http://mylittlewiki.org/wiki/G1_ID_Machine

This is quite useful for identifying older G1 My Little Ponies

Grand Champion ID Site - http://www.angelfire.com/on/raventyde/grandchampion.html

A rather old website but still good for helping you identify Grand Champion model horses.

My Beautiful Horses - http://mybeautifulhorses.awardspace.com/index.html

This is a rather old website but it is really helpful if you want to ID My Beautiful Horse models. Again I've used it successfully for charity shop finds.

Strawberry Reef - http://www.strawberryreef.com/

This is a great site for identifying My Little Ponies. It can take some time to search but I've managed to ID all my random charity shop finds using it!

Toy Dreamer - http://www.toydreamer.com.au/schleich1.asp?toytype=farmlife

This is an Australian sales website but it has an incredibly comprehensive list of Schleich model horses. It contains information such as product name, number and release dates. I've used it to catalogue all my Schleich models.

I hope that helps you on your quest to identify your model horses and start cataloguing your collection. If you have any questions or want to recommend a website that you think will help others drop a comment below.

Emerson

Emerson is the third release in the Breyer Premier Collection for 2018.

He was sculpted as a portrait of American Pharoah and is being released in this lovely chestnut sabino colour.

Why is it the year I choose not to join the club two out of the three models are just stunning and now I need to find them for sale on the second hand market!

Breyer 2018 Retired List

Breyer have published their 2018 retired list. So here we go!

Traditional

9201 - Chica Linda
9202 - Boomerang
1357 - Big Chex to Cash
1742 - Picasso
1752 - Rhapsody in Black
1753 - Banks Vanilla
1757 - American Pharoah
1760 - Babyflo
1784 - Cobra
1785 - Slick by Design
1786 - PVF Peace of Mind
1787 - Let's Go Riding English
1788 - Let's Go Riding Western
1790 - Zena
9197 - Espresso
546 - Nadia
1383 - English Accessory Set
2064 - Turnout Set
2072 - Barrel Racing Tack Set

Classic

688 - 3 Horse Stable
923 - Grey Arabian
925 - Bay Appaloosa Mustang
927 - Dun Quarter Horse
935 - Black Thoroughbred
940 - Buckskin Paint
941 - Grey Selle Francais
61060 - Mobile Vet Clinic
61061 - Sport Horse Family
61089 - Barrel Racing
61091 - Cutting Horse & Calf
62050 - Starry Night
62058 - Mason
1728 - Cloud's Encore Set
9149 - Man O' War

Stablemate

5349 - Truck & Gooseneck Trailer
5359 - CollectiBull Rodeo
5932 - Frolicking Foals Pocket Barn
5970 - CollectiBull 6pc Asst
6039 - Mystery Horse Surprise 24 pc Asst
59202 - Riding Academy

Activity Kits

4089 - Chalkboard Horse
4115 - Customising - Arabians
4145 - My Dream Horse Watercolour Painting
4200 - Horse Crazy Colour & Decorate Treasure Box
4209 - Paint Your Own Farm
100180 - Horse Crazy Real Horse Activity Set

Pocket Box

1583 - Pocket Box Dogs

Pony Gals, Wind Dancers & Toys

7105 - Jasmine Colour Change Surprise
100111 - Kona
100112 - Sirocco
100113 - Brisa
100114 - Sumatra
100117 - Kohilo
100118 - Aura
100141 - Wind Dancers Mini Gift Collection

Gallery

9180 - American Pharoah Resin

Predictions!

So what predictions do we have? Well firstly there are obviously going to be some new Classic singles to replace those that are retired.
A new set of Mystery Stablemates wouldn't be a surprise, presumably these are going to be similar to the ones currently available in Wall Mart.
Will there be a new set of Pocket Box Dogs? Or will they choose another animal?
Craft Kits are usually replaced by something similar, I wouldn't be surprised to see a new Customizing Kit with a different mould.
Similarly Jasmine Colour Change Surprise will probably be replaced with a new one. Last year Ella was replaced with Luna so another unicorn maybe? Or another pony? Or will it be left seeing as we also had Sprocket this year?
A couple of interesting ones are the two Let's Go Riding sets. New variations of these were released this year and they normally stay the same for years before being changed. It's curious that they've decided to retire them, unless they don't intend to replace them!
Regarding American Pharoah I would not be shocked if we see a Fall release of him on the new Premier Mould that is of course a sculpt of him. I would be surprised to see him in the Jan/Feb releases as the Premier model has only just been released and they usually wait for a good amount of time.
Finally new Wind Dancers are definitely a possibility next year which is always nice :)

Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue is a 2019 Collector's Club Special Run.

Am I rejoining the Club next year? OF COURSE I AM!!

BOBBY JO PEOPLE THERE IS A BOBBY JO!

I can't wait to see some better pictures :)