Monday Markets: May 26 2025

It's Memorial Day here in the US - a day we remember those who gave their lives in service to our country. It's a solemn day, but also one that marks the unofficial start of summer as we get closer to June and hopefully exit the cold and rainy season. I understand Memorial Day is also the best time to buy a new mattress for whatever reason - but there isn't much of a sale on model horses this week. If you weren't in to the CCA promotion but still have Regular Line products to buy Breyer is offering $20 off $100 which is around 20% depending on how close you can get your total to the hundred. It's also the last chance to purchase the two Breyerfest t-shirts ahead of the event - they posted that remaining stock will be in person only, so if you want to guarantee your size now is the time (I bought the In My Breyer Era shirt - I absolutely love the hoodie version, but I certainly won't be wearing that in Kentucky in July! Especially now that we don't spend any time in Rupp Arena IYKYK)

Prices are actually up quite a bit on Amazon. Theo is still on sale for an excellent $31 and the 2025 Remuda QH is on sale for $46.19 but most everything else is up in price. Interesting side note, he and Full Moon Rising were the only models on my list that did not increase in May due to the tariffs - they have been $54.99 retail all year so far. She is also $46.97 this week. Perhaps they have quite a lot of these two models in stock already. But note if you're shopping for Full Moon Rising, she's still available for $38.49 at Breeches.com

We are also coming up on the last week to buy Breyerfest tickets that will include the ability to choose your special run preferences. After June 4th they will come only with wildcards. I'll be doing a more in depth post on this topic later - but it's time to start thinking about your preferences and if you want to buy a (or another) ticket.

Now over to eBay sales from last week.

This really cool bay donkey popped up. They are actually very rare in bay and nobody has quite figured out of they were a special run of some kind or just a variation that was produced during the donkey's long run. I do have one with a large blue ribbon sticker that appears fully original and says 81 Donkey on it, which I think is the best evidence I've seen that he was a variation and produced around 1969/70. I also have a brownish one - but not as bay as this - with a small sticker. A good friend of mine and fellow donkey lover also has a very bright bay chalky one, which would also move them up as far as the 1973-1974 timeframe... so it's possible the bay variation was made (but rarely) alongside the grey for many years. It's a mystery! But anyway, it's a cool find!

One thing to beware of if you're looking for one of these is the Hong Kong copy which is often bay and looks almost identical to the Breyer donkey, except the hind legs are reversed! Always check that that right hind is forward.

A little sign of market weakness, this beautiful Spot On - with her COA and bag - only went for $405. She's never been the most popular Connoisseur (which always surprised me - she's one of my personal top favorites) but not long ago she was in the $500-$600 range so that is a drop off.

This beautiful Florentine fighter sold for a best offer of $2400. I'm very picky about my Florentines - so many of them have tarnished and lost their gold shine over the years - and this one is very nice. He also still has some beautiful pinking. He is a little yellow and it looked to me like possibly a repaired ear tip but still a really nice piece - so rare to find one this nice.

Here's another one you almost never see for sale - a Breyer bronze! These were a brief experiment in the early 2000s and the classic shire is the most common with somewhere between 50-100 that were made available to collectors. Only a very very small handful of the others, like Huck, are out there. Every year I admire the ones that are used as centerpieces in the Collector Club tent at Breyerfest. This one was quickly snapped up at $1500 - and I would have too if I'd seen it in time! I would expect him to bring more at open auction.

This Rainier sold for a best offer of $925 - that is also down a little bit. The last two sold for the full $1200. But he has been hovering around the $1000 mark for a few years. Only 350 were made in 2017 and many have yellowed quite a bit - this one still looks relatively white.

Another rare web special, also with just 350 made, this Luna sold for $899. This one being a decal model is also often not in the best of shape, where the stickers are peeling or rippling, but this one looks really very nice. These are usually around $950-$1000 and were going for as much as $1500 during the height of the market so that's a great price for her too.

It was also Stone Horses Country Fair this past weekend! I was hoping to attend this year but the timing didn't work out. I've only been once, in 2005, but I had a great time and absolutely loved Shipshewana. This year the SHCF featured the exciting first release of the new mustang mare and foal Volo and Pimento in plastic! The mares were released in three beautiful colors that were portraits of 3 hobbyist's real life adopted mustangs. There were also three Remington's released and the foals were offered as a really fun surprise "grab bag" each in a unique color that could be produced by a theoretical pairing of the mares and stallions. This was especially fun since one of the stallions was a wild sunset pintaloosa unicorn - so there were all kinds of possibilities!

There was also an absolutely stunning array of special runs and OOAKs available - I can't wait to see what turns up for Equilocity! I would also be remiss in not showcasing the absolutely stunning Caroline Boydston and Mona collaboration that was on the Best Offer auctions ending last Tuesday. An absolutely stunning black Arabian stallion which sold for $22,021! I am a huge fan and collector of Caroline's work so it was so great to see this piece bring in this total! I really love the transparency of the new Best Offer auction system and the publicity and true value it drives for these artist's one of the kind pieces - truly works of art.

Definitely check out the current SHCF Best Offer auctions over on the Stone Horses website this week - there are some truly breathtaking pieces up for bid by a variety of talented artists. None of them are in the five figures yet - so grab yourself a bargain!