Breyer Introduction – Minstrel #700122
Posted on June 14, 2023 by Aywren
The second horse of my Breyer collection was actually the horse that arrived first – though only by a few hours. It was another horse I picked up from an Ebay auction, and I feel as if I got a good price on it mostly because of the condition of the box (I’ll talk about this more later).
Minstrel was the limited edition holiday horse for 2019. Surprisingly, this retired model is still fairly affordable if you catch it at the right auction! Like all of the holiday horses, he comes with special decorative tack, which really makes the horse stand out.
The main reason I gravitated to him was the name – Minstrel.
I mean, how could I not buy a horse named Minstrel? And just look at him – like a horse from out of an exotic performance or ball! He even comes with his own little golden instruments.
You do have to be careful when purchasing these holiday horses because their special tack can be very delicate. Even new in box, I’ve heard sometimes pieces arrive broken from the factory. Buying one pre-owned and not in the box is a risk. So, I was very happy to pick up this fellow at what seemed a slight discount because the plastic of the box was dented and cracked.
That didn’t matter at all to me because I had no intention on keeping him in the box!
Unboxing the Breyers
I was raised to keep collectables in the box. That’s just what you always did according to my Dad. Collectables in the box are worth more, right?
However, I’ve learned quickly that Breyer collectors are of a different mind. Not only do they choose to “free the ponies,” but they often feel that leaving the horses in the box can cause more damage than taking them out and putting them on a safe shelf.
I did research on this because I was curious if the box condition was a reason not to buy a horse. I saw a few different conversations on forums, and eventually this one on Facebook, where people express why taking the horses out of the box is the standard for Breyer collectables.
I picked up a shelf for my front room that I’m dedicating to my new collection. Right now, there’s not enough on there for it to be exciting. But hopefully… in time!
Also, because I bought this holiday horse, I’ve decided that going forward, I’ll work on collecting holiday horses as I find them. I’ve yet to pre-order the holiday horse for 2023, but he’s on my list!
You can check out all of my collection so far on my Stable page!