They're here! The 2016s arrived Thursday evening and now that they're finally unpacked and shelved, I thought I'd take a few minutes to share my thoughts on the new lineup, as well as update you on models we're still waiting for and those that have been retired.
The 2016 line features some exciting new models, from the first regular run on Croix Damsha and Wyatt to the all-new Fell Pony. One thing that stood out to me, though, is that it's a rather black-and-white year for Breyer. Many of the new releases are either black or white (or grey): Cortes C, Cherry Creek Fonzie Merit, Rhapsody In Black, Carltonlima Emma and Banks Vanilla all fit that theme, along with the black Welsh Cob and grey Highland Pony from their Best of British series, available in the US for the first time this year. It makes one wonder if there's a shortage of brown paint in the world.... Or maybe they're saving it all for the Pharoah molds!
Models I knew I'd love and do:
Babyflo! This handsome sorrel on the Wyatt mold is perfect as the portrait of the World Champion barrel racer. I love his color, his dark base, and his vibrant box, since vibrant colors are his rider's trademark. He's just gorgeous.
Amber foal fans are going to love the new Sweet Pea set. She's a soft grey, adorable in her purple blanket with sparkly trim, and comes with a matching woven bracelet with a Breyer charm.
Items that I didn't expect to like that surprised me:
Hickory Hills Wall Street - I didn't think Brighty was a great choice as a portrait model for Wally. Wally is sleek and show-groomed, and Bright is so.... fuzzy. However, seeing him in person, he won me over. Besides nice shading and leg barring, he's got black eyeliner that really brings out his eyes. You almost can't help but smile when you see him.
Winner's Circle Accessory Sets - Breyer has come a long way with their tack and accessories sets, and these are a great example. Made in both a Western and an English design, they include a champion blanket, neck sash, and trophy for the horse and a champion jacket for his handler. I think these would make fun prizes for live show performance champs!
Classic Size American Pharoah - Okay, I admit it. I'm not a huge fan of Classics. We ordered the Classic Pharoah simply to tide us over until the Traditional is ready to ship, but once I laid eyes on him, I couldn't help but be impressed. He's got clean lines, great shading, and comes with his Number 5 saddle blanket. What a great commemorative item for the Triple Crown winner, and one that doesn't take up a ton of space. I think he'll be popular with racing fans and horse lovers alike.
Models we're still waiting on:
Traditional American Pharoah is expected sometime in March. The Classic and Stablemate are both in and ready to ship.
The American Pharoah Resin doesn't have an ETA yet, but we're hopeful he'll be ready about the same time as the Traditional plastic version. We have only one left on our order that's not yet reserved, so if you want one, reserve it now so you don't miss out!
Traditional Valegro is also hopeful for March. The Stablemate has arrived and looks great.
Toro, the Flagship model, is scheduled for sometime in April. All of our allocation has been reserved through pre-orders.
We'll keep you posted of any changes as we hear of them!
Retired in 2016:
Jubilation, the bay pinto mule on the Brown Sunshine mold, was a 2015 Limited Edition, along with the pack horse Panniers set. We have just two Jubilations left, and one set of Panniers.
Glitterati, the glossy bay Appaloosa on the Western Horse mold, was Breyer's 65th Anniversary model, and so is now discontinued. Almost all of us have a Palomino Western Horse in our collection, since it was the first mold Breyer made. Here's your chance to get an update on the mold that's both beautiful and a limited edition. We have only a few left.
AQHA 75th Anniversary Quarter Horses - These single-year releases are going to get harder to find as time goes on, particularly the colors that they made fewer of: roan, grulla, and palomino. We're out of palomino already, and have a limited number of the other colors.
Santiago, the Polo Pony, the Polo Saddle and Tack Set, and Nico, the Polo Rider, are all discontinued this year. They were planned as a single-year release. We're out of the horse and have just one tack set and one rider left!
The Metal Livestock Corral is also discontinued. We have one single corral left. These make a great backdrop for photos!
All of the models we have in stock that have been retired can now be found in the "Breyer - Retired" category, or by typing part of their name into our awesome search bar.
All of the current Breyer line that we have in stock, along with advance sale listings for Valegro and Pharoah, can be viewed in our "Breyer - Fresh From the Factory" category.
We hope to send some models your way soon, and if you find yourself in Maine, we hope you'll drop in to our new store in Hiram.
Happy Collecting!
Eleda