Hello everyone!
In the midst of all the BreyerFest excitement, I haven't touched upon too many other Breyer topics lately. 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of the Breyer Vintage and Breyer Premier Clubs! Since the PC releases are further apart, I'll cover that club's anniversary at a later date.
Dandy, the very first VC model!
Today, I want to talk about some VC facts as well as an overview of the releases! I have never been a member of the club myself, but I've added a few of the club models to my collection over the years.
In 2011, the hobby community learned that the longtime favorite publication, JAH, would become a yearly publication in 2012, instead of the bi-monthly or quarterly magazine we'd come to see as a staple of hobby involvement. In order to continue your JAH subscription, you would need a Collector Club account starting in 2012. Breyer had more of an unofficial club for several years prior, as a lot of buying moved online. Website exclusives that were offered between 2008 and 2011 did not require any sort of membership to buy. There were some models that were offered via lottery at that time. I had just joined Model Horse Blab in November 2011, so I recall the sentiments at the time concerning how web specials (lotteries and some of the exclusives) would be handled in the future.
In addition to the base-level Collector Club, Breyer introduced two new clubs in 2012 that were add-ons to the CC. The Premier Club, as a way of introducing most of their new molds for each year, and the Vintage Club, for folks who love vintage molds and colorways. VC models feature a blue ribbon replica sticker on their shoulder (for a few of them, this was replaced by a gold foil replica sticker on the barrel).
There has been some debate over which types of mold choice + colorways are "acceptable" for the club. They always fall into 3 categories:
- Vintage mold, with a vintage color it has never worn before
- Vintage mold, with a modernized version of a vintage color
- Modern mold, with a vintage style color
Some folks believe that only the first category should count, while others are fine with any color as long as the mold is Vintage. I would say though, that most people are happy with any combination and judge each individual based on how much they like the mold, color, and execution rather than wanting to exclude any group of model/mold combinations. It is also important to note that in most cases so far, modern molds that have been used tend to be the optional models.
VC models come with informational brochures that display some characteristics about the time period the model came from (such as which other models were brand new at that time), the mold's history, and the color's history if it is vintage (except 2012 which has certificates only). These brochures also include a certificate of authenticity that will have the model's specific number out of the run (i.e. 400 out of 500). For someone who has kept up with their VC membership for multiple consecutive years, all of the models they receive will have the same number! The packaging tends to be different every year. There have been recreations of many of the older style boxes, which is a nice touch! A couple of models (Cooper, Quinn, Lucky, and Trailblazer) have accessories/tack that go with them.
In some years, the full lineup (with or without color photos) have been revealed ahead of the new year. In more recent years however, Breyer has gone to the same tactic that is used for the PC, where only the first release is revealed. The club has no trouble selling out immediately upon new memberships being available, even with the additional 250 members for 2022, so perhaps they do not feel that reveals are necessary to encourage new members to sign up anymore. This is a disappointment to many, including myself, since it was always a treat to see what was coming in the next year, and planning which if any models I'd like to try and secure a copy of from a club member.
A recap of each year!
Dandy - Clydesdale Stallion in Shaded Vintage Palomino Base Color + Modern Style Pinto Pattern. Has Gold Bobs and Gray hooves. Glossy
King - Fighting Stallion in Vintage Buckskin. Matte
Salt & Pepper - Running Mare & Foal in an attempted vintage style black pinto. Glossy
Harlequin - PAS in Vintage Gray Appaloosa. Glossy
(Free Stablemate) Eagle - G2 SM Arabian in Vintage Semi-Leopard Roan. Matte
(Optional Purchase) Gus - Old Timer in a Modern Style (?) Brown Medicine Hat Pinto. Glossy
The first year of the VC held mixed success, as some of the models went over better than others. It was interesting that they chose Dandy as the first release in the club, considering he is a Vintage Mold/Modern Color Interpretation combo, which is not everyone's cup of tea. Personally, they might have had the most luck putting Harlequin in the first position- since he "completes" the Gray Appaloosa Proud Arabian family. Salt & Pepper are still probably one of the least popular releases from the club. An attempt was made at re-creating the "vintage style" pinto, complete with "overspray" which ended up looking rather strange. They are in fact Black Pinto though, and not Charcoal Pinto (hooves are gray rather than the pink that accompanies Charcoal, plus the undertones are gray and not brown). Gus, now that I'm looking at him more closely again, could have a similar pattern to San Domingo. Overall, the general impression of this group is there's something about some of them that feels "off" or "too perfect". True vintage models aren't painted as cleanly most of the time so the more "exact" colors may not feel vintage enough. Personally, I own Dandy and Eagle and feel that both were well done...but perhaps this is a reason that keeps me from adding some of the others. At one point, I did want to own all of the VC horses, but now I only want to add the ones I like the mold & colors of and that I see as being well done.
2013
Commander - Five Gaiter in Vintage Smoke. Matte
Halo - Stretch Morgan in Vintage Semi-Leopard Roan. Matte
Denim & Diamonds - Shetland Pony Pair in Copenhagen & Florentine base color + Vintage Shetland Pony Pinto pattern. Glossy
Kiowa - Jumping Horse in Vintage Indian Pony Brown Pinto, with a chalky basecoat. Matte*
(Free Stablemate) Jackson - G3 Jumping Stablemate in Vintage Gray Appaloosa. Glossy
(Optional Purchase) Lucy - Balking Mule in a loud Modern Bay Blanket Appaloosa. Matte*
*A small amount of these were glossed for grab bags in future years
Overall, the 2013 club felt more successful. Sticking to all Vintage molds (except the Stablemate) and all Vintage colors (except Lucy, who was optional) seemed to be a good choice. I liked that they started incorporating chalky basecoating into their colorways that year! I wouldn't call any of these super popular in comparison to other club models, but none of them really fall into the unpopular category, except for maybe Commander. Breyer hasn't always had the best luck with getting the right shade of gray for the Smoke color. I think this was a solid year. I don't own any of these, but I would be happy to add any of them to my collection if presented with an opportunity. I would likely not go out of my way to acquire most of them.
2014
Levi - Belgian in Vintage Gray Appaloosa, but with white mane/tail and socks, and a chalky basecoat. Glossy
Diablo - Mustang in Vintage Splatter Red Roan. Matte
Amigo - Adios in Vintage Charcoal. Glossy
Isabelle - Indian Pony in Vintage Dapple Black. Glossy
(Free Stablemate) Sonny - G1 Draft in Florentine. Glossy
(Optional Purchase) Mr. Chips - Newsworthy in Vintage POA Leopard. Matte*
*A small amount of these were glossed for grab bags in future years
2014 was another mixed bag. Amigo and Sonny were very popular, Levi & Isabelle I'd say were modestly popular, and Diablo and Mr. Chips were the least favorites of this group. Sonny was especially well liked because the G1 and other H-R molds were starting to be produced again after nearly a 10 year hiatus (assumedly, due to contract negotiations). Breyer has had some issues over the years with getting the splatter red roan color to look similar enough to the vintage versions, so many people think that Diablo was not the best attempt in modern times. I also own none of this year's models, but I'd probably be happy to add some of them, Sonny and Amigo in particular.
2015
Two Bits - QH Gelding in Vintage Western Prancer Black Leopard. Glossy
Coral & Reef - Misty & Stormy in a Reddish Bay without Black Points, in their original pinto patterns. Glossy
Sailor - Running Stallion in the 4 Decos. Glossy except for Wedgewood
Farah - PAM in Palomino + Yellow Mount's pinto pattern. Glossy
(Free Stablemate) Bravo - G3 Andalusian in Vintage Alabaster. Glossy
(Optional Purchase) Murphy - Cleveland Bay in Gray Appaloosa (Running Mare/Foal version). Glossy
In my opinion, 2015 is where Breyer really started hitting their stride with this club. Introducing the Gambler's Choice element, bringing out the PAM for her first larger amount release since 2002 (two micro runs happened in 2008 and 2012), using Misty & Stormy, and using the Western Prancer's most popular colorway on the QHG. The Stablemate and optional model were also pretty solid choices as well. From this year onward, there has always been a Gambler's Choice- which led to a much faster sell out than previously seen, as folks who conga the Running Family and/or wanted to have all the Stallions to go with their vintage Mare & Foals scrambled to sign up for multiple memberships (or to strike deals with existing members). This year also started a trend that lasted for a few years of offering a Mare & Foal pair in the lineup. One of the only complaints I've seen about this year was Farah being advertised as chalky, but did not actually have the basecoat (it would have made a lot of sense, both Yellow Mount and the PAM came in chalky back in the day). This was the first year that I liked a release enough to arrange to purchase one right away (Two Bits). I technically also like Misty & Stormy enough as well but I probably could not afford to commit to buying both at the time.
2016
Charlie & Riptide reveal
Storm - Man O War in Vintage Charcoal + Stud Spider's pattern. Glossy
My Girl - CWP in Vintage Honey Bay, Alabaster, and Palomino. Glossy
Lucky - Western Prancer in Vintage Wild Dapple Gray. Glossy
Rosie & Bailey - Lady Phase & ASHF in Vintage Splatter Red Roan. Matte
(Free Stablemate) Riptide - SM Rivet in Indian Pony Brown Pinto. Matte
(Optional Purchase) Charlie - Bobby Jo in Vintage Chestnut Blanket Appaloosa (a la QHG). Matte
This was another very solid year for the club! Though the Gambler's Choice models were not as popular as the years with 4 decos, I'm sure that CWP enthusiasts were pleased that they only needed to acquire 3 instead of 4 different colors. I've recently added Charlie to my collection, since I'm a Bobby Jo fan, but I would be pleased to own any of these models. My favorite of the CWP gals is the Palomino.
2017
Blossom & Belle - Clydesdale Mare & Foal in Vintage Medicine Hat (San Domingo) Pinto. Glossy
Quinn - Sham in a Modern Chestnut Sabino. Glossy
Ali - FAS in 4 Decos. Glossy except Wedgewood
Classic Paint Horse Family - CL QH Family in Modern intricate Dun Overos. Matte
(Free Stablemates) Licorice & Jellybean - G1 SM Foals in Vintage Charcoal. Glossy
(Optional Purchase) Cypress - Connemara Mare (Croi) in Vintage Woodgrain. Matte
2017 had a lot of high points, but also some controversy. Most of the models were quite popular (Blossom and Belle, poor gals, seem to be the most forgotten of the group, not from being unpopular, just overshadowed). However, this was the first year that Breyer included Classics in the club- and with super-modern paint jobs. Many folks were not a fan of this choice, especially since Breyer has had a lot of success selling nicely detailed older Classics as web exclusives (non-lottery) in Gambler's Choice, singles, or horse & foal/family sets. There have also been suggestions of Breyer starting a Classics scale club, but so far, that has not materialized. Quinn, despite being a Modern color, was very popular. Folks enjoyed his halter set which was a nice throwback to the PAM halters. Ali as a Gambler's Choice was also quite popular, though not nearly as much as Sailor since he does not complete a "set". Perhaps someday, Breyer will offer FAM's and FAF's to match him. I added Cypress to my collection last year, but there are a few others from this group I'd like to own someday as well.
2018
Ulysses - Legionario in Vintage Dapple Black. Glossy
Clara & Mae - Grazing Mare & Foal in Vintage Buckskin Blanket Appaloosa. Glossy
Roman - San Domingo in a Modern Chestnut Overo. Glossy
Grace - Weathergirl in Vintage PAM Mahogany Bay, Alabaster, and Black Point Dapple Gray. Matte
(Free Stablemate) Rosemary - G2 ASB in Vintage Splatter Red Roan. Matte
(Optional Purchase) Tanner - Mustang in Vintage Indian Pony Pinto, but Black instead of Brown. Matte
Breyer swapped the formula around again in 2018! Clara & Mae's color was never produced in that exact combination (Buckskin never previously mixed with Appaloosa), and Tanner's color was another example of a colorway that "could have been" vintage and gives a spin on an older concept- while still being "vintage". I think this was executed quite well. Tanner's color was actually chosen by the VC members out of a group of 3 color choices. One of those was Glossy Palomino, and many of us expected that to win (it would have looked nice with the vintage Palomino Fighting Stallions!) Grace marked the first use of a Modern mold as a non-optional release, however, I think this was a good test since they made her the Gambler and also put her as the last required release (so folks who just didn't care for modern molds could drop if they really wanted to. Alternatively, they would have had plenty of time to secure a buyer in the case of wanting to stay in the club.) Rosemary was the first Stablemate in the club to have specialty packaging instead of being shipped in a black silk bag. Some Stablemate aficionados purchased an extra so they could keep one on the blister card! (I own one, and she was also a horse that I committed to buying when she was revealed, but she is out of package!)
Tanner color options voted on by VC members
2019
Rockford - Pacer in a Modern Silver Bay Tobiano with Cat Tracks. Glossy
Leopold - Fighting Stallion in Vintage Semi-Leopard Roan. Matte
Bernadette - Shire Mare in 4 Decos. Glossy except Wedgewood
Lillian & Molly - TB Mare & Foal in Modern Dun Tobiano & Chalky Basecoat. Matte
(Free Stablemates) Misty & Stormy - G1 QH Mare & G3 Standing Foal in Misty and Stormy colorways. Matte
(Optional Purchase) Claude - Shannondell in Vintage Charcoal. Glossy (470) & Matte (30)
2019 brought two Vintage Mold/Modern Color combos, which had not been done before. Though Bernadette was a humbly popular Gambler's Choice, the Club reportedly sold out shortly after the reveal of Claude- the optional horse! Claude, along with Misty & Stormy were the real stars of this year, as they are more popular than the rest. I don't currently own any 2019 VC horses.
2020
Trailblazer - Western Horse in a Modern Shaded Dark Chestnut. Glossy
Starlight - Shagya Arab in Vintage Gray Appaloosa. Glossy
Josiah - Belgian in Vintage Wedgewood base color + Modern Pinto pattern
Zahrah - In-Between Mare in Modern Dapple Bay, Dapple Palomino, and Rose Gray (?) Tobiano Pinto. Glossy except Palomino
(Free Stablemate) Secretariat - Native Dancer in Gold Charm with Secretariat's blaze and socks. Glossy
(Optional Purchase) Barrington - Bristol in Vintage Flaxen Chestnut (a la CWP). Matte
This was a very interesting year! Trailblazer came with not only a saddle, but also a Grooming Kit, reminiscent of the 1950's special runs for department store catalogs. Starlight was the first Modern mold to be a required purchase- and not as a Gambler or at the end of the year. 2020 was the first year in fact, to feature more than one Modern mold in the Traditional lineup (Starlight & Barrington). Josiah is a very fascinating blend of modern and vintage elements. And of course, none of us were expecting the IBM, of all molds, to be revived! What a treat for those who are Breyer history nerds. She's certainly not everyone's cup of tea, even among vintage mold fanciers. She dresses up nicely, though! 2020 was the first year in a while to not include a Mare and Foal pair.
2021
Nonoma variations
Julius - Georg in Vintage Splatter Red Roan. Matte
Nonoma - Foundation Stallion in a "Vintage Inspired" modern interpretation of the Indian Pony pattern in grullo. 4 different combinations of war paint symbols (or none). Matte
Thoroughbred Champion - Classic Terrang in Modern Deep Bay. Glossy (Comes with base)
Nugget - Brighty in 4 Decos. Glossy except Wedgewood
(Free Stablemate) Mini Yellow Mount - SM Smart Chic Olena in the Yellow Mount colorway. Models either had a shoulder spot or none. Matte
(Optional Purchase) Dusk & Dawn - Marabella & Amber in Vintage Charcoal. Glossy
2021 offered a few more curveballs! A Modern mold as the first spot in the lineup, Nonoma and Yellow Mount being "soft" Gambler's Choices with the variations, another Classic mold being used, and Brighty actually being the (official) Gambler's Choice. Despite being a Modern mold, and the splatter roan color (which isn't a crowd favorite), Julius was still quite popular- perhaps due to how new he was at the time. Since Nonoma and Yellow Mount's variations aren't different colors, I'd say there are fewer folks who tried or are trying to get them all (such as folks who conga the molds). It's still an interesting tactic though! I think many people were surprised that a Classic mold was used again, especially a standalone rather than a pair or family. Many folks thought the included base was not enough to justify selling him alone at full VC cost. Brighty was certainly a fun pick for the Gambler!
2022 (so far)
Cooper - APH in Modern Black Leopard Appaloosa and chalky basecoat. Matte (Came with tack)
Sandman - Smoky in Modern Red Dun Overo. Glossy
The 10th anniversary of the club promises to bring special surprises, but so far the annual VC letter has yet to arrive in member mailboxes, so we are still waiting to hear what else is in store for this year. My guesses:
- Some sort of Gambler's Choice, but it will NOT be a 4 deco group since the pattern for that seems to be every other year.
- At least one Vintage mold/Vintage color combo
- Perhaps a "new" shrinkified Vintage mold as the freebie (Mustang? Belgian? Morgan? Something popular!) or maybe the existing tiny Indian Pony, Fighter, or Clydesdale Stallion in vintage colors they haven't been in yet in Tiny Form.
- The return of the Donkey mold? It's been done for the IBM...
- A Modern Mold/Vintage Color (might I suggest Hamilton in a beautifully shaded Glossy Alabaster with brown/red eyes? Vintage Palomino would be sooo pretty but he's just been a palomino.)
- At least one other older mold that hasn't made an appearance in the Club yet (50's-80's). Maybe FAM/FAF? It's been a couple years since we had a Mare and Foal pair.
My Favorite Picks of Each Year!
2012 - Dandy (conga mold)
2013 - Denim & Diamonds or Lucy (tough choice!)
2014 - Sonny SM (lovely mold and color)
2015 - Two Bits or Coral & Reef (all conga molds!)
2016 - Charlie (conga mold)
2017 - Cypress or Blossom & Belle (also all conga molds!)
2018 - Rosemary SM or Clara & Mae (conga molds!)
2019 - Misty & Stormy SM (I've always loved Misty & Stormy)
2020 - Trailblazer or Zahrah in Bay (gorgeous colors!)
2021 - Classic Terrang or Dusk & Dawn (I like the Classic Racehorses and I love Charcoal as a color). Nugget and Julius very close behind though!
2022 - To be determined...
My VC "family"!
Dandy (2012), Eagle (2012), Two Bits (2015), Charlie (2016), Cypress (2017), Rosemary (2018)
Top of the wishlist!
(Conga molds - higher priority)
Coral & Reef
Blossom & Belle
Clara & Mae
(Non conga molds)
Sonny
Copenhagen Sailor
Licorice & Jellybean
Misty & Stormy SM
Trailblazer
Bay Zahrah
Gold Secretariat SM
Julius
Bay Classic Terrang
Vintage Molds that have not been used in the Club yet!
1950's
Donkey, Fury Prancer, PAF, Racehorse, Western Pony
1960's
FAF & FAM, Lying Down Foal
1970's
Black Beauty, El Pastor, Galiceno, Haflinger, Justin Morgan, Phantom Wings, POA, QH Yearling, Saddlebred Weanling, Scratching Foal, Stud Spider, Trakehner
1980's
Black Stallion, Buckshot, Hanoverian, Lady Roxana, Morganglanz, Phar Lap, Roy, Rugged Lark, Sea Star, Secretariat, Sherman Morgan, SSHF/SHM/SHS, Touch of Class
Comments
Post a Comment