The Breyer SpotLight: Your Horse Model Market ResourceHi <
News and UpdatesI hope you all have been doing great since our last Breyer SpotLight issue. I'm in the midst of clearing shelves and making room for additional Breyer Models that are coming in. (Getting ready for those Treasure Hunt Models I ordered… along with a few others.) When you only have so much shelf space sometimes you have to make some tough choices as to who stays and who goes. There's more about that at the bottom of this letter. This week we'll talk a bit more about the Breyer Connoisseur Models and what makes them so special. Article: Gold Florentine & Connoisseurs - Are They Special?For those of you who are familiar with the JAH models, some of this information you will already know. But for people who are just getting started in collecting Breyer Models the information can be very useful for you. And for those of you who have subscribed to the JAH, take another look at the Gold Florentine… How it works: For every issue of the Just About Horses there is an announcement of a new Connoisseur model that is available for purchase. The price can be quite high on these models but most often they are well worth the investment. How to get one is a matter of luck. Within the pages of the magazine is a post card that must be filled out and sent back. Then on a specified date 350 post cards are drawn and a letter is sent informing the individual that they may purchase one of the 350 models available. You can read more about the system JAH uses to issue these models. More about JAH (Just About Horses) and the models they issue. Now here's a little twist:In addition to the limited Connoisseur that are issued, from time to time Breyer will offer a special release or special run through JAH as well. The number of models created will vary with the reason for the release. For example, the Gold Florentine ASB (American Saddlebred) was a special release by JAH in celebration for Breyer's 30th anniversary. See the Gold Florentine ASB JAH Special Release! There were a total of 1,000 of each variation made. That is in contrast to the special releases such as Party Girl or Mirror Image which had a production of approximately 3,000 models each. Because of the higher volume of these models, the price is a bit lower and they are open for purchase from the entire JAH mailing list. In either case the detail and quality has impressed me as a Collector. If you look closely you can see the mapping that outlines the pinto markings or white areas on the models. Details such as the eyes, carved ears or hooves add a very realistic dimension to the models. And most often these models will hold their overall value fairly well too. Something to keep in mindA note to keep in mind when considering the purchase of a Gold Florentine or Gold Charm model is to ask about the condition. I have seen some of the older Vintage models in these finishes with extensive burnishing or tarnishing to the gold which will lower the value depending on the model. The burnishing or tarnishing happens when the gloss is rubbed off of the model and the gold paint is exposed to the air. So it should makes sense when you then see the pictures and notice darker area's across the gold color that the gloss has damage. Don't rely on the description of the Seller to know the facts about the model; look closely at the pictures and request more if they are not present. If it is a hard to find Gold Florentine or Gold Charm model that you are looking for, then this flaw may not matter so much. And the older harder to find models for example would be the Running Mare or Running Foal and the Five Gaiter. Although the popularity of the Fighting Stallion and the Mustang is always very hot, I hesitate to say that they are “harder to find”. It seems as though we have been seeing a few more of them from time to time than we used to. This may be due to circulation as well and not the model count available. I hope you have enjoyed this issue of the Breyer SpotLight and look forward to joining us for more. I would like to thank Gina DeGrenger for helping with some of the details for this article, her help is very much appreciated. Next time we will be highlighting several pages on our site as well as a new Featured Collector so stay tuned. My clearing of shelves… here it is:I am in the process of clearing and listing models we have featured on some of our pages of Breyer Horse Collectors and thought it only fair that you as a faithful reader know first. Each of these models will be sold in the eBay store More Than Equine and will come with a letter from myself stating that it is the only model photographed and used for content on the website. Visit my eBay store, More Than Equine Until next time, keep imagining! Bonnie |
