BreyerFest Recap Pt 2: Breyer Store/NPOD Finds

Continuing on from yesterday, I wanted to move to the limited editions and my other purchases in the Breyer store. One thing I did predict that actually came true was that the store was very very low on normal regular runs. I thought that perhaps because of the uncertainty around the tariff situation earlier in the year we might have a similarly low stock to 2022 when the supply chain crisis was going on. That did indeed turn out to be true. The only regular runs they had a decent number of were the polo pony, Cash, the Halloween horse (and all three sold out by the end of each day) and the two Christmas/Holiday ponies. Other than that the store was pretty much just filled with the LEs and merch. There were a very tiny handful of some of the other models - I wanted to pick out an Atlanta and there were literally only 3 to choose from.

We decided to first brave the Store line on Friday after we picked up our special runs and bought our raffle tickets. The line was still very long and took around 90 minutes to get through (and it was truly miserable in the tent with the heat) - but just about when we thought we might pass out, we got in to the store!

They still had the "Warehouse Find" bins out but they were pretty low. There were probably around 8 or 9 of them and they all still had some things to dig through. Well let me tell you, we hit it at the right time because it was right around noon and they started restocking!! Every few minutes an employee would come over and dump a bag of new things in to the bins. It was so much fun! We had a great time digging through a wide variety of things looking for treasures. They were pretty much all $20 for a traditional, $8 for a classic, and $5 for a stablemate - which are all great even if the model is otherwise "nothing special"

I came home with two for sure samples! Thank you for loving my earlier post on samples and counter samples - it is my most popular post to date!

My friend found me this Apres Ski and he has no VIN and an especially nice paint job (compare to my regular one from the winter on the right). He might even be a sample rather than a counter sample he is that nice - he just glows! He also did not come with a costume, which might indicate he is from earlier in the approval process. Most (all?) of the other holiday horses I saw in the bins also had their costumes on them.

We also found two Highlanders in the Archive Room bubble wrap pile (these were $50 instead) and this one appears to be a sample too! He also has no VIN and his costume is a little bit different than the regular one (and was also scotch taped to him, LOL). I have to dig out my regular one who is still in my sales pile to compare and see if there are any noticeable differences. This one is probably a counter sample because he doesn't seem especially different otherwise at first glance and he had his costume on.

It was on my ISO list to get one without blanket stains so it was even cooler to find this one! My regular one from a couple years ago had some purple staining from his costume.

There were also all kinds of recent regular runs in the bins and I checked them for VINs but most of them did have them. I got a bunch of the classics (but for $8 you can't go wrong) None of these have VINs either, but I have to do a bit more research because I don't think the regular ones have them either. At least, from what I can see on eBay. Perhaps because they are all from sets with accessories, the VINs get put on the other items instead of the horses? I have to look in to that. For example, I noticed with some of the based horses, like Atlanta and Get Rowdy, they have moved the VIN to the underside of the base from the hoof.

I did also want to pick out a more bay Atlanta, rather than the darker one I already have. Although there were only the three to choose from, they were all GORGEOUS and I was able to pick out a really nice one. Just look at her compared to the one I bought earlier this year. Really happy with this one. Her color just pops!

Near the cash registers on the way to check out they also had some mini warehouse bins with stablemates! I went a little crazy with these too. It's hard to know if they are anything special but it's interesting that almost all of these are loose from sets - so I don't mind getting a few I need for congas without having the buy the whole set. I missed out on the Old Timer merch but I did get the "Eat Sleep Breyerfest" shirt - so cute.

On Saturday we went back to the Breyer store hoping to see what else we could score. It was another hour+ wait and this time around it was slim pickings. It looked like restocks were all over and there were only the dregs left in the bins. Still I picked out two classics and a couple more stablemates.

This thoroughbred from the barn set is made from the lighter/cheaper plastic - I hadn't realized that! I definitely would not be buying that whole set so I figured I would get this guy. They had lots of him available.

Since I got this set with the Jet Run the day before I figured I might as well get the mold replacement version too! I love the color.

One thing they were putting out was some old stock and leftovers from past Breyerfests. I was able to snag a Via Lattea (they went fast) which is one I had regretted not getting in 2023. I also picked up a bubble wrapped Bravour. I remember the bubbled wrapped Smart and Shineys that showed up one year were extra special so I took a chance on him since I

conga the Trakehner. He looks like he's just regular though, but still nice.

On Sunday on my final trip through all the Warehouse Find items were gone, but I spotted this really nice Halcyonia Night Life. I wasn't sure I was going to get one since they were "just black" and $80. This one had very visible dapples thought and crisp masking, so I decided he would come home with me after all. I also decided what the heck, might as well pick out a nice polo pony too since they had put more out for the day - even though there is not much to hand pick on them either - but I knew I wanted one.

He is NICE! I collect Smarty and especially the polo pony version, so I was excited to get him anyway, but they are really outstanding in person. He has a whole new beautifully sculpted tail with a detailed braid. The prior versions have a very simplified stub of a tail with a single band - this new tail is a big improvement. They also seem to have fixed the forward lean. For whatever reason all my previous polo smarty models have a bit of downward lead compared to regular Smarty. This guy is back to being fully upright! I'm excited for more of them in the future too and one day if they gloss this one I will NEED it. Let's hope for CCA.

All in all I had a great time shopping in the Breyer store, and as it turned out MOST of the things I bought this year were either the special runs I shared yesterday or things direct from the Breyer store. The wait was long and painful BUT they were running it well so that it was not at all crowded in the store, so it was very pleasant to shop once you got through. I can remember some years in the past where it was just too crowded in there and hard to look through anything - so that was very nice, especially since they condensed it down to just one store again this year.