When I was younger, like many horse-crazy girls, I got Breyer horses. I was easy to buy for. I didn't have much money of my own so odds were my family wasn't going to get me one I already had. When I was older and my parents lived up in the mountains, they had a toy store that sold Breyers so whenever my brother and I went for a visit, my mom and I often went to the toy store. The owner was real nice and helpful. I'd make a list of the models they had that I would like and then made sure not to buy any of the horses that were on that list. My list only usually contained 3 or 4 models so it wasn't any huge deal for me to not buy those few. Then, when the next gift-buying holiday rolled around my mom would take the list to the owner of the toy store and viola! I'd have horses for Christmas or my birthday. Unfortunately that store closed down and not long after that I stopped collecting. I shouldn't really say I stopped because it wasn't a conscious effort, but rather it was more like I fell out of it. I didn't have much money because I was living on my own at the time and much of my money went to paying rent and bills plus I didn't have much room. I was able to keep a few horses out but most of them were packed away in a big plastic tub where they ended up spending probably 10 years or so. I still loved horses and I still liked Breyers, but they just weren't something I had the ability to enjoy at the moment...for awhile.
Fast forward to about 3 years ago. My mom and I went to a toy store in north Scottsdale that I'd been patronizing since the late 70s. I don't remember why we went. Maybe to look at the miniatures. I think I was in search of something or just wanted to look, but I think I was after something specific for the bus I'd built (from a kit). Well, it's hard to miss the display of yellow boxes and I had to look, of course. I don't remember if I bought any models that day, but that trip renewed my interest in horses. I now had a good job. A decent car (to drive me to horse places...that was another reason I fell out of the hobby). There was a place fairly close-by where I could buy my models. I discovered Model Horse Blab and the rest is history. I didn't really start buying horses in earnest until about a year to a year and a half ago. Probably about the time I found Model Horse Blab, which was April (or June? I forget) of 2012. Still, though, I hadn't received a model as a gift in possibly 15 years or so...until this past Christmas. When we opened our gifts Christmas morning I had no idea what mine contained, but when I opened the wrapping on the first one and caught a glimpse of yellow, there was no mistaking it...
I didn't recognize the model, but I did recognize the mold. At least, I thought I did. There's two that are similar...Buckshot and Smoky...and I thought it was Buckshot. Anyway, on the front of the box it said there was a catalog inside so I quickly dug it out and discovered the model was from 1997!!!! This is #994 Remington, produced July-December 1997. I'm not really fond of this mold but he's starting to grow on me and I found him room on one of my shelves...
Oddly enough, they (mom and brother) wouldn't tell me where he came from. I said I only wanted to know in case they had other old models and my brother quickly responded "they don't". Since my mom doesn't buy online it was obvious my brother had helped her with the purchase. I'd still like to know where he came from, though. It was neat looking through the catalog at some of the models that were available during that time. I'm pretty sure I wasn't collecting at that point so it was also kind of sad to see the models I missed that I would have boughten. Oh well.
Next came the gift from my brother. He wrapped it in a separate box, but again as soon as I saw the yellow I knew what it was. Well, I knew it was a Breyer. He packed it in upside down so I didn't know until I took it out of the box. hahaha.
I'm not a huge collector of Classics because I like the big guys and now I'm really getting into Stablemate size. I think I have...maybe...a dozen classics. I used to have more, but I don't anymore. I really like the foal in the set and the mare is growing on me. The pair now live on the shelf above the one in the previous picture.
Even though they gave me models I wouldn't have chosen for myself, I am still happy that they actually got me models to begin with.
Well, I guess that's it for now. It's Friday. Yay! I have no big plans. Grocery shopping with mom on Sunday as usual. It's supposed to be in the low 70s. What happened to winter? I hope everyone has a great weekend!
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