Monthly Round Up! November Additions

Happy December! It's time to look at what I added to the collection in November. Even with a swap meet, it's been a lighter month for me - I had an emergency vet visit for one of my cats, and I'm making payments on a few cool things. I foresee this continuing into the holiday season, with final Club purchases and renewals to come.

Starting the month off strong, we have glossy Cossaco! My friend ordered a CCA appreciation this fall, and I told her if it was glossy Atlanta or Cossaco, I'd take it off her hands. So naturally, it was Cossaco. I picked him up from her at  Off to the Races. 

As you can see, I added another Stone to the collection this month. They dropped a Taylor Swift themed collection to commemorate the anniversary of the Indianapolis Eras Tour show. As Erin said, the alternate name for the collection was "Macie Says She Doesn't Collect These, The Musical." And I took that personally 😂 I tried for two in the collection - the Tortured Poets mule and the palomino Drafter. The Drafter got yoinked from my cart, but the Tortured Poets mule came home to me! 

Breyer threw us for a loop when this year's Winter decorator model came with a mini-me! Killington and Little Killington were released on the Traditional and Stablemate scales of the Fighting Stallion mold. While I adore the mini version of the mold, I don't actively collect the big guy. Luckily I found a friend willing to split the set. Little Killington stayed with me, and Killington was packed up and shipped out to his new home. Win win! 

Breyer luck was not in my favor with the Short and Sweet blind bags. Unfortunately, I did not end up with a Coal, so I'll have to track one down on time pays once the market cools a little. I received doubles of the blue and gold Zebras, and have already found trades for the two colors I'm missing. They'll likely show up in a future blog post, as I know I won't be receiving the red one until May (the friend I'm swapping with is Canadian and with the state of tariffs we agreed to wait until we could swap in person). I also finally got one of the mini whinny chase models I was missing!

I was supposed to be good at the Pre-Holiday Plastic Pony Palooza swap meet this year - and I mostly was! I did got slightly overbudget by agreeing to time pays for the Julien and Sophia set, but they've been on my ISO list for a while. The pinto Scotty is another I've been after for a while, and he was way under the budget I had for one. The G1 TB Foal is a no-stamp, which is my current G1 obsession. And yes, those are two more Stone Chips you see! The bay Friesian was very reasonable and I hadn't managed to add one on that mold. The Mule came from my friend Fran, who is a very good saleswoman - she sold him to me for half off and mentioned he came from her mother's collection. How could I say no to that! The party seal was a free with purchase with the Friesian. I just think he's neat. 

Stablemate Sunday: Deluxe Collector Club Stablemates 2020-2024

 The release of Darius in September got me thinking about the previous Deluxe Collector Club Stablemates. Last year was their fifth year of the Deluxe Collector Club, so I thought a little retrospective on the first five years of the Club would be nice! 

The Deluxe Collector Club began in 2020. There is no true difference between the base Collector Club and the Deluxe Collector Club besides the bonus Stablemate (and as of 2023, the bonus pin). The additional cost of the Deluxe Collector Club essentially pays for the bonus items in advance. The bonus Stablemate and pin ship anytime from the fall to the end of the year. 

Prince was the first Deluxe Collector's Club stablemate. He is a glossy palomino on the miniature Fighting Stallion mold. As 2020 was the 70th Anniversary of Breyer, Prince is a reflection of that. He is a miniature version of #33 King, the Fighting Stallion, one of the classic vintage Breyers. He came in a silk bag commemorating the 70th Anniversary.  

Chalice was the second Deluxe Collector Club Stablemate. Released in 2021, he sports the same paint job as the 2019 auction model on the traditional version of the mold. At the time, the 2019 auction model held the record for the highest amount an auction model had been sold for. Chalice is a lovely glossy buckskin sabino with ermine spots. His color is so wonderfully done for a Stablemate! 

Ellington is perhaps my favorite of the Deluxe Collector Club Stablemates. Unlike Prince and Chalice, Ellington is not a callback to a previous model. He is a glossy bay tobiano on the Standing Friesian (aka Django) mold. He has been a phenomenal show model for me, with several NAN cards under his belt.  

The 2023 Deluxe Club Stablemate was Fandango. He's a lovely dappled black sabino on the Twist mold. Fandango came in a silk bag with his name on it, and additionally came with an exclusive pin featuring Bolero, one of the Collector Club web specials for that year. Like Ellington, Fandango is not a miniature of any previous release, but both are on molds that debuted in the Stablemate Club, which I find interesting! 

Horatio was the 2024 Deluxe Club Stablemate. He showed a return to form for the club, being on a shrunken version of an existing traditional mold, much like Prince and Chalice. Horatio debuted the miniature Othello mold. He is a gray sabino in the pattern of Heath, who was a Collector Club web special that year. Heath is also featured on the 2024 Collector Club pin. I really enjoyed the concept of the deluxe Stablemate sporting the same pattern as the open to all web special. 

It's Friday, I'm a Judge! Traditional Collectability #2

This week, we're back to collectability judging! Today we're looking at a Traditional scale Premier Club class. 

As always, my personal judging credentials can be found on my About Me page. 

Without further ado, let's look at the entries this week! 

The Entries: 

Horse A: Bobby Jo - 2015 Premier Collection - #90174 - Unknown amount made

Horse B: Hamilton - 2019 Premier Collection - #90193 - Unknown amount made - Signed by sculptor Jennifer Scott

Horse C: Ashquar - 2013 Premier Collection - #90167 - 753 made

When you're ready, my placings are under the jump ↓

Collection Spotlight: 2004 Parade of Breeds G1 Thoroughbred Mare

 On this collection spotlight, we're looking at one of my absolute favorite models in my collection - the G1 Thoroughbred Mare from the 2004 JCPenney Parade of Breeds set. 

This set in particular is a holy grail set to me - every piece is fantastically well done, and many of them are sought after by collectors for this reason. I plan on covering this in a future Stablemate Sunday, so I won't go in too much detail, but I only finished tracking the whole set last year. 

This model is a matte rose gray on the G1 Thoroughbred Mare mold. She has resist dappling on her neck, shoulders, and haunches. She has a white mane and tail, and four socks. She additionally features eye whites. 

This model in particular has always been my favorite in the set. When I first started getting back into the hobby in college, she was one of the first models I wanted to track down. I'm partial to both grays and sport horses, and she's such a lovely shade of rose gray. I think I tracked her pretty quickly, but my records from that time are fuzzy. It's safe to assume she's been in my collection about a decade at this point. 

She is also notable for being one of the last releases on the Thoroughbred Mare mold before the license to use the Hagen-Renaker molds expired. She wouldn't be used again in the Breyer lineup until the 2017 Stablemate Club release Coco. 

If you show with me, her show name should be familiar to you - this is A Clear Day (named for the Barbra musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever). She's taken an overall in breed in three shows by my count at this point. It's always nice when one of your favorite models also does well for you! 

The one place she didn't do well was NAN 2024 - through no fault of her own! The Thoroughbred class was combined traditionals and minis, and it's a tough world out there for minis in a mixed class. One of the judges did place her, so I was still proud regardless. She's going back to NAN in 2026, so we'll see if she can get some redemption! 

Collectability Corner: Old Plastic and New Plastic Stablemates

 We're back in the collectability corner! Today I'll be talking about the difference between old plastic and new plastic Stablemates. 

When the Stablemate line was first introduced in 1975, they were molded out of cellulose acetate like the larger scale models. Around 1992, the plastic was switched to polystyrene. From that point, all Stablemates were molded in the "new plastic," though there have been some exceptions. The 1998 JAH set debuting the G2 molds, the Stablemate Club models, and the Vintage Club stablemates have all been molded in the old plastic. 

The easiest ways to tell the difference between the two plastics are what I call the tap test and the clunk test. The tap test is performed by tapping the leg of a Stablemate with your fingernail. The new plastic has a much tinnier, high pitched sound when tapped compared to the old plastic. Ditto the clunk test - set a Stablemate down on a hard surface like a table. Old plastic Stablemates will have more of a thunk compared to the lighter new plastic. I've posted a reel about this to my model horse Instagram. 

Another important thing to note about the new plastic - it absolutely cannot be exposed to the sun. Polystyrene yellows in sunlight. And some late 90s and early 2000s Stablemates will have plastic discoloration regardless - the blog Many Mini Hooves has a wonderful post about the yellowing found in this period of production. At this time, there is no known fix for yellowing of new plastic Stablemates. Old plastic Stablemates on the other hand can be safely whitened in the sun. 

A selection of the original Stablemates line from the 70s. All of these models will be old plastic. 

I didn't think I had an example of the changeover in plastic in my collection, but it turns out I did! This is #5025 Running Thoroughbred, produced from 1991-1994. The model on the left with the completely black hooves is old plastic, while his companion on the right is new plastic.

Here you can see the size difference that sometimes occurs between the two plastics. Again, the old plastic model is on the left, the new plastic model on the right. In general, new plastic models can be slightly larger than old plastic models. I have also considered the possibility that my old plastic model is a shrinky, as he is from that time frame, but he doesn't exhibit any signs besides being smaller than his new plastic double. 

A selection of models from the 1992 Sears/1994 JCPenney Holiday Catalog set that I have in my collection. These would be some of the earliest models produced solely in the new plastic. 

I haven't tracked down all the models in this set yet, but here are some representatives from the 1998 JAH set. This set debuted the new G2 molds, and was entirely produced in old plastic. 

An example of yellowing that can naturally occur in new plastic Stablemates from the 90s. A significant portion of this run goes yellow. The white example on the far right is my newest acquisition from October. He is the whitest example I've found. This picture makes the yellowed ones look better than they are - in person they are bright yellow. 

Another view of my yellowed Native Dancers. You can see how the concentration of the yellowing varies from model to model. 

The inaugural run of the Stablemates Club - this club advertised use of the old plastic as a selling point when launching the club. The Vintage Club also uses old plastic for their Stablemate releases, both the yearly bonuses and the five piece optional purchase released last year. 

Two modern Appaloosa Silky Sullivans! The stars of my Instagram reel demonstrating the difference in the plastics, we have a new plastic model on the left (#10306 Hidalgo Buffalo Bill Playset, one of the last appearances of Silky Sullivan before the license with H-R expired) and an old plastic model on the right (#B-CS-10351 Spencer, a release from the 2025 Stablemates Club). 

A molding irregularity that can occur with modern old plastic models - they occasionally end up looking pinched. On the right we have Klaus, a 2020 Stablemates Club release. On the left is Darwin, the original mold release for the 2018 Premier Collection. You can see how Klaus is significantly narrower behind his shoulders than Darwin. The Stablemates Club Valerio has the same issue in the neck. 

An unfortunate victim of the sun. This new plastic G2 TB mare somehow ended up in view of the sun while in my horse room and it turned her one side completely yellow. Like with the Native Dancers above, she looks much worse in person. She's shown here with an old plastic Arabian Mare for color comparison. 

My poor Orkney from BreyerFest 2020. He has gone completely yellow in the time I've owned him with just his tail tip showing the color he used to be. His neighbors on the shelf were completely fine, so I don't think he received sun exposure, and he's pretty uniformly yellow. In trying to find a replacement, I've noticed several of the run have also gone yellow, as have a handful of Jerseys and Skyes from the same BreyerFest. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do for this poor fellow. 

So, to recap the differences between old plastic and new plastic: 

Old Plastic

• Cellulose acetate, like what the big Breyers are made from
• Used on Stablemates models produced from 1975-1991
• Additionally used for the 1998 JAH Set, the Vintage Club Stablemates, and the Stablemates Club releases 
• Heavy, makes a fuller sound when tapped and a thunk when sat down 
• Can be whitened in the sun 

New Plastic

• Polystyrene
• Used on all Stablemates models from 1992 onward
• Lighter, sounds more brittle and tinny when tapped or set down 
• Cannot be whitened in the sun - the sun makes these models yellow faster 

It's Friday, I'm a Judge! Breed: Other Draft

 It's Friday, it's time for a judging clinic! We're back to breed this week. 

For those new to the blog, my credentials can be found on my About Me page. 

This week, we'll be looking at a traditional breed class: other draft. In the previous breed judging clinics, we've looked at entries who shared the same breed. This week, we're going to look at how to evaluate different breed assignments against each other. Each entry this week will have documentation for their respective breed assignment. 

The Entries: 

Noriker stallion

Noriker Documentation: 

• Big head with a straight or convex profile, short arched neck, long back, round muscular croup
• Thick and wavy mane and tail
• Acceptable colors: liver chestnut, black, bay, roan, and spotted.
• Five lineages – Vulkan (typified and heavy), Nero (comparable to Vulkan), Diamant (typed coldblooded, typically lighter), Schaunitz (lively temperament and forward movement) and Elmar (spotted, baroque influence, lighter)

Image courtesy chladnokrevní hřebci (1152 White Tiger – Noriker stallion) https://chladnokrevnihrebci.webnode.cz/products/a1152-white-tiger Information courtesy Rousseau, Élise. Horses of the World. Princeton University Press, 2017, p 206 and Noriker Ranch https://norikerranch.de/en/noriker-horse/

Horse A: Oak

North American Spotted Draft gelding

North American Spotted Draft (Shire/Clydesdale type) Documentation: 

• Large head with a straight, sometimes convex profile, arched neck, straight shoulders
• Strong back, strong legs, powerful croup, high set tail and wide hooves
• Thick and sometimes wavy mane and tail

Image courtesy Spotted Draft and Drum Horse Fan Page (Sir William – NASD stallion) https://www.facebook.com/NorCalDraftHorse/posts/the-spotted-draft-and-drum-horse-fan-page-3rd-annual-stallion-showcase-presents-/834711953236578/ Information courtesy Rousseau, Élise. Horses of the World. Princeton University Press, 2017, p 472.

Horse B: Vahana

Drum Horse mare

Drum Horse Documentation:

• Square muzzle and jaw, long and well-muscled neck, deep and broad chest
• Slight slope to hindquarters, strong and proportionate back
• All colors acceptable

Image courtesy International Drum Horse Association (HORSE FEATHERS BUCEPHALUS – Drum Horse stallion) https://www.drumhorseassociation.com/2023/02/13/horse-feathers-bucephalu/ Information courtesy International Drum Horse Association https://www.drumhorseassociation.com/breed-standard/

Horse C: Rhiannon

Evaluate these three, check them against their documentation. How well do they fit the breed standard? Are there glaring issues? When you're ready, my placings are under the jump ↓

Show Report: Off to the Races Live

🏇 Off to the Races Live 2025 🏇

So, this was an unexpected twist. I fully expected Steel City Live to be my final show of the season. And it ended on a high note! I was on the wait list for Off to the Races intentionally - I had planned on entering for the Hoofbeats and Maple Treats Collector Club Event, and they were on the same weekend. Since the Hoofbeats attendees would be pulled after entries for Off to the Races opened, I didn't want to back out of the show if I was able to attend the Canada event. I ended up as #10 on the wait list, didn't get drawn for Canada, and assumed I would be done with shows for the year after Steel City.  

Then, late in the evening on the Monday before Off to the Races. I got a private message from the show host that I was next on the waitlist, and would I like to attend? Well, several of my friends were attending, so of course I said yes! I threw together a show string, made more documentation than I should have, and packed my ponies over the course of four days. I was excited to finally have a show where I had 1) a fully healed arm and 2) no judging responsibilities. Not many of my traditionals have come out to play this year because of that, so I was excited to rotate the string and bring a few more babies out. 

I think the majority of my placings ended up being in collectability, which I'm fine with. Particularly for mini! I was selecting my mini string with collectability in mind. I fought hard for the breed placings I received, especially in OF Breyer. Hindsight is 20/20, and I've learned what I need to bring the next time I show under that judge. 

I also brought eight Stone chips with me to show. Of those eight, three came home with section reserve champs in collectability. The moment I Don't Collect These was announced to the show hall will forever be etched in my memory - everyone really enjoyed his name! I'm glad my meager string had success, and I'm looking forward to getting them out more next year. 

The best part of the show, as always, was getting to hang out with my friends. It was a pleasure to have three-fourths of one of my hobby group chats together, and I always value getting to see my local show friends. I'm so grateful the regions I show in have such friendly and welcoming people. 

When the plans make it out of the group chat

The Champions: 

Say It Right - OF Breyer/Other Foals Collectability Reserve 

Belli - OF Breyer/Other Mini Foals Collectability Champion

ARNGE - OF Breyer/Other Mini Stock Collectability Champion

Wilderness - OF Breyer/Other Mini Sport Collectability Champion

Golden Child - OF Breyer/Other Mini Fantasy/Decorator Collectability Champion

Sunset and Vine - OF Breyer/Other Mini Fantasy/Decorator Collectability Reserve

I Don't Collect These - OF Stone Mini Gaited/Spanish Collectability Reserve

Deinfluence Me - OF Stone Mini Stock Collectability Reserve

Wannabe Rapunzel - OF Stone Mini Fantasy/Decorator Collectability Reserve