If you've been following the news from Breyer lately, you'll know the coming year, their 75th anniversary, is going to be absolutely bonkers amazing. There are so many exciting models that have been sneak peeked for the various clubs---Breyer is really going all out to bankrupt me! With that in mind, I figure I'd better hurry up and write about the their 50th anniversary and the interesting models they released in 2000.
In the fall of 1999, my parents, sister, and I attended a Breyer event at a local toy store to promote Eclipse, a black Legionario that was the Fall Show Special for the year. Though it wasn't a particularly limited model in retrospect, it still drew a large crowd of local collectors. While we were there, my family was introduced to the Breyer rep for our region. We enjoyed chatting with him that day and discovered that he, like our dad, had an interest in model railroads.
The following year, my dad ran into the rep again at a hobby shop he frequents for model railroad magazines that also happens to carry Breyers. The rep mentioned that he had a couple of special models that he wanted to give to me and my sister. Even though we were both young, only in college and high school respectively at the time, he recognized that we were serious collectors and wanted the models to go to an appreciative home. He met with my dad and sister a few weeks later at a model railroad show (I was stuck at college and couldn't join them), and they were astonished to receive these beautiful gold electroplated G2 Clydesdales!
The rep told them that the models had been given to him at an annual meeting Breyer held for their sales reps and that not many had been made. Over the years, I've never heard anyone give a definitive number, but I've seen maybe 10 or so in the hands of collectors. They're quite scarce these days.
By 2000, all of the Stablemate models were being molded in ABS plastic, so unlike the silver G1 Saddlebreds, Breyer didn't have to mold them in a special kind of plastic before electroplating them. Like the Saddlebred, the Clydesdales have a hole drilled into their undersides which was used to suspend them in the electroplating bath.
The hole is just in front of the word Breyer |
In addition to the rep models, Breyer marked the occasion of their 50th anniversary in 2000 with several regular run and special run offerings as well. The most interesting piece they offered as a regular run was Kathleen Moody's beautiful new standing Saddlebred sculpture standing over a clock. It was a fabulous homage to the Western Horse clocks that had begun it all for the company back in 1950.
At BreyerFest that summer, the volunteer model was a stunning glossy dapple grey Moody Saddlebred, and 15 of them were also offered on clocks as prizes for the live show. Several of the special runs were nice nods to Breyer's past as well, especially the silver and gold bolo ties (which technically may have been leftovers from BreyerFest 1998).
Breyer has teased some incredible models for next year, including a new clock for the Vintage Club. It wouldn't be a Breyer anniversary without one! This one features a Western Pony in a realistic dappled palomino color called Pioneer. The Vintage Club is sold out for 2025, but I know members will be excited by the other offerings yet to be revealed!
Photo from Breyer's Facebook page |
I had one of those year-2000 Dapple grey Moody Saddlebreds awarded to me as a volunteer. In fact I kept him until this year ('scuse me, 2024). Quite a horse,... quite a promise, Breyer!
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