Alborozo Madness

Among non-hobbyists there is a perception that old Breyer horse models are worth a lot of money. For the most part this is untrue - between the sheer volume of Breyer models at large in the world, and the poor condition most of them are in, most collectors are lucky to get list price for their models.

There is one notable exception to this rule, and that exception is Alborozo.

The real Alborozo is a gorgeous Andalusian stallion who lives at Kilimanjaro Ranch in California. His likeness was cast by Breyer for their 2008 BreyerFest Celebration model, which was well received by collectors at the time. His windswept mane and pose (a very collected canter? About to rear up? I confess to being baffled) were designed by Breyer sculptor Brigitte Eberl. His dapple gray and detailed shading is lovely.

All of these are nice enough, but they can hardly account for the Alborozo model's crazy fame and prices. No, those are exclusively the result of Alborozo's extreme rarity.

Only about 6,000 Alborozos were made for the 2008 BreyerFest. And after that? Breyer literally broke the mold.

This isn't the first time Breyer has discontinued a model, but it was certainly an abrupt end to the line. Was it a cynical move, intended to drive up the price of the models and spark a feeding frenzy? Was it (as I have heard some people quietly suggest) an "I meant to do that" on Breyer's part, after either discovering a flaw or accidentally ruining the mold? Or was it just an experiment to see what would happen?

It's hard to say for sure, but the end result quickly became obvious: an Alborozo is money in the bank.

"Regular" Alborozo models routinely sell on eBay and the Model Horse Sale Pages website for between $200 and $300. Some of these are bought by customizers who work their magic, then sell the result for $300 to $500. At the 2008 BreyerFest (after the announcement about the mold breaking had been made) a custom version painted as a palomino by Breyer artist Karen Williams was auctioned off for charity - for the sweet sum of $13,500.

As far as I know, $13,500 at auction makes that custom palomino Alborozo the most expensive Breyer ever sold.

Breyer also made a short run of 16 glossy dappled gray Alborozos, which are next on the list of rarity. (The other 6,000 Alborozos were matte dappled gray.) Use caution when buying a "glossy Alborozo," though, because many people have customized the matte Alborozos, then sell them as a mock version of those rare 16. The genuine glossy Alborozos all came with a Certificate of Authenticity - if the certificate isn't included, then I would be very skeptical as to the provenance of the model.

Some collectors think Alborozo is over-hyped. Although it's a beautiful model, its popularity and continued high price has certainly driven a lot of madness. I disapprove of this to a certain extent, and I certainly hope Breyer doesn't try to duplicate the hype and "break the mold" again.