The most recent issue of Breyer's Just About Horses (JAH) magazine featured the first Connoisseur model of the decade: Alvaro, a "sooty buckskin with sabino markings and a bi-colored tail."  As with all Connoisseur models, Alvaro is a limited edition - only 350 will be made - and his piece number will be marked on his hoof.

Alvaro is based on the old model Diablo, which was a semi-rearing mustang originally designed by Chris Hess in 1961.  Diablo is one of Breyer's most used molds, and has been in almost continuous service since it was first created.  The mold produced the popular Bucephalus, and was also used for San Domingo the Medicine Hat Stallion.

The Diablo mold has always been one of my favorites, not just because of the pose and the lovely rendering, but because you could also tilt him forward and pretend he was galloping.  (It's silly, I know, but what do you want?  I was like eight years old!)  

The Connoisseur line is available strictly through JAH magazine, and has proved so wildly popular that Breyer has to hold a lottery to see who wins the chance to buy the model!  Each issue of JAH comes with a card that you fill out and mail in.  The cards are drawn, and the winners are notified.  Once they pay for the model, it is shipped to them.

Connoisseur models have done an excellent job of holding their value so far.  In fact, if you subscribe to JAH magazine, you would do well to mail the card in, even if you don't want an Alvaro for yourself.  Many winning subscribers have turned a tidy profit by pre-selling their model online after they receive the notification that they will be allowed to purchase it.  And if you decide not to buy, no worry - Breyer just moves down to the next person on the list.  (They always select a number of alternates, for those winners who elect not to buy.)

At this point, Alvaro's price is unknown.  However, we do know that so far the price of each Connoisseur model has been the same or higher than the model before.  And the previous Connoisseur model, Oasis, cost $215.  So Alvaro is practically guaranteed to cost at least that much, if not more.

Alvaro was decorated by Karen Williams, Breyer's senior decorating artist.  Williams has a flair for the dramatic, and has amply demonstrated her talent for decorating with her previous Connoisseur models like Sand Dollar (a sabino dappled palomino), and Tortuga (a fantasy model with red dappled over black tortoiseshell, using the Andalusian mold).  

Obviously there is no guarantee as to the financial worthiness of any given model.  Even among the Connoisseur models, there is a big discrepancy in how well the models have held their value over the years.  And the simplest model can sometimes become surprisingly popular.  That being said, the Breyer Connoisseur models, due to their limited nature and the extra care taken in their creation, are probably one of the safest bets from an investment value standpoint.