BreyerFest 2024: Let's Talk BreyerFest- Special Runs

 Let's Talk BreyerFest... All About Special Runs, That Is!

THIS POST WILL CONTAIN ALL OF THE INFORMATION REGARDING SPECIAL RUNS. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO READ THROUGH IT BEFORE COMMENTING OR SUBMITTING A QUESTION. THANK YOU.

What is a BreyerFest Special Run? Special Runs: These models do not change with the different type of events. They always stay the same in name. These models are available to the VIP, All Access, and Online Traditional Ticket Holders. There are typically nine of these models and one is normally an animal. The names are the only thing that traces back to the theme of the event as the molds and the colors are normally just a pick of the Breyer artists. The Special Runs also include one Surprise Special Run that remains hidden until the first day of BreyerFest.

VIP-two Special Runs that you select and pay for at the time that you purchase your ticket

All Access- two Special Runs per ticket purchased. You will use the Special Run Preference List to order the Special Runs in the order that you like them and Breyer will select the two for your ticket based on that information.

Online Traditional Access- Two Special Runs. You will use the Special Run Preference List to order the Special Runs in the order that you like them and Breyer will select the one for your ticket based on that information.

*Please Note: The Surprise Special Run is still a Special Run. It is not a separate thing outside of the rest of the Special Runs. If this is what you want to select at the top of your list, then you will need to put this. Just keep in mind that you will not know exactly what the mold and colors will be until the first one is opened after purchase during BreyerFest.

What is the Surprise Special Run? A lot of people will start talking about the Surprise Special Run now that Tickets are almost on sale. They will continue to talk about this Special Run and you might be confused. Is this added on to the Special Runs? Is this one that you can choose? Why is it a surprise? Keep reading to learn more!

The Surprise Special Run is that just- a Special Run. This Special Run is one of the nine total Special Runs that are available for the in person ticket holders to select and is one of the four for the virtual ticket holders to select as well.

If you are purchasing a VIP Ticket, then this is a Special Run that you will be able to select as one of the two that you will be selecting and paying for at the time of ticket purchase.

If you are purchasing an All Access or an Online Traditional Access Ticket, you will be able to rank this Special Run on the Special Run Preference List. If you love surprises, then this Special Run will be right up your alley! Why?

Because this Special Run will not be revealed until the first person opens it on Friday Morning at BreyerFest. The mold that the Special Run is on is kept a heavily guarded secret until that time. The colors are also keep secret until then. There is typically four (but have been five and six colors before) colors on this Special Run and could be matte, glossy, or matte and glossy, you never know what Breyer will surprise us with!

At BreyerFest, there will be a complete set available for the Silent Auction at the Breyer Booth during BreyerFest. Make sure to check them out, if you want to see what all of the variations will be!

What is the Special Run Preference List? The Special Run Preference List is just a way to let Breyer know how you like the Special Runs that are offered for this year’s event. Think of it more like a ranking list rather than a preference list. You do not need to purchase the models that end up being selected for you, however they make amazing sale or trade fodder for something that you want instead. This list is not a list for their inventory and this list does not guarantee that you will be getting those models in that order. It is just a ranking list. When the Special Run Preference Run is released, the link will be posted here. There will also be an email that goes out from Breyer and several notifications from all of the Breyer community on FB.

Ok, let’s get into the details of that list! In 2023, they offered the list to be ran two different ways: The Master List and the Individual List. With the Master List, you have more control over not receiving duplicates although the possibility is still there. With the Individual List, you have more control over your selections for each ticket, but could get many duplicates. No matter which one that you chose, you can always trade with other BreyerFest attendees during the event. You cannot trade for another model with Breyer though.

First, know that if you do not fill out the list, you will be given Wild Card tickets that allow you to select a Special Run out of whatever is leftover during BreyerFest. You do not need to purchase these models yet. You will be paying for your Special Runs during BreyerFest. You should have around two weeks to fill out this List and I will post daily reminders. Yes, you can have pick ups with this BreyerFest. Your pick up person will need your order number in order to pick up your Ticket Book from Will Call. Your Special Runs will not be sent to you, someone needs to pick them up in person, either you or your pick up person. Ok, onto the specifics. Online Traditional Access Ticket Holders will be using this list as well to select their preferences for the Special Runs that they will be able to purchase during BreyerFest.

The Master List

The first type of Special Run Preference List that you can use is the Master List. If you have more than one ticket and you want to limit how many duplicates that you might receive, this is the list for you. You will be filling out one list for all of the tickets that you have listed on your account. The best way to fill out this list is to put the Special Run that you want the most at the top and rank them down to the one that you like least. No one can tell you how to fill out this list, there is no way to make it better, this is all up to you! You got this! The Master List is a way to manage all of your All Access Tickets with one list and is the way to get the least amount of duplicates. There will be multiple number ones (as many as tickets on your account) and so on. Just rank the models how you like them the best. That is all there is to it! You have until the day that it is due to edit it and Breyer will normally take the last one submitted.

The Individual List

The second type of Special Run Preference List is the one that I have used both times that it was offered. It is the Individual List. While this list does have a high rate of duplicates, it allows you to customize your rankings per ticket on your account. So with each ticket, you will be making a new list. If you have just one ticket on your account, this will be the best option for you to use. If you do not mind duplicates or you want to attempt to control Lady Fate, then this list is best for you. Again, no one call tell you how to rank the Special Runs other than yourself. There is no secret to getting what you want as Breyer has never revealed their algorithm of how the Special Runs are selected for your account. With this option, if you have more than one ticket, you will be filling out more than one list. You can set different Special Runs as number one and so on, but just know that you might get duplicates.

In Depth Special Run Information-

What are Special Runs?

Special Runs are a series of eight horse models and one other animal model that are made especially for BreyerFest. These models are only available to certain ticket holders and are purchased a certain way before and during the event. You are still able to do pick ups, however as we saw last year, these can be quite difficult to do now, but that does not mean that it cannot be done! The Special Runs will have very little in common with the actual theme of the event, as seen with previous BreyerFest Special Runs, but their names will reflect the theme. This year, we might see more driving themed models, though, so I will not speculate on that yet. They are limited to a certain amount released, although this number has raised significantly in the last two years. They also have a set price range: $55 to $85. Taxes were additional to the cost in 2023.

Who can buy Special Runs?

This year, there are three tickets that can purchase Special Runs. The VIP Ticket, the All Access Ticket, and the Online Traditional Access Ticket. Each one of these tickets has their own way of purchasing the Special Runs though, so please keep that in mind. Details on how to purchase will be a bit further down. The General Access and the Online Stablemate Ticket are not able to purchase Special Runs.

How many Special Runs can I buy?

Special Runs are limited on how many that you can purchase per ticket. The VIP Ticket Holders can only purchase two Special Runs. The All Access Ticket Holders are able to purchase two Special Runs per ticket that they have- so one ticket will let you buy two Special Runs, two tickets will let you buy four Special Runs, and so on. The Online Traditional Access Ticket will let you buy two Special Runs per tickets purchased.

So the Visual Breakdown:

1 VIP Ticket- 2 Special Runs

1 All Access Ticket- 2 Special Runs per ticket purchased

1 Online Traditional Access Ticket- 2 Special Runs per ticket purchased

Surprise Special Run?

Out of those nine Special Runs, there is one that is called the Surprise Special Run. That is included in the Special Runs, but you will not know the color or the mold of this run. It will have a colorway of at least four, but typically five, kinds and will all be on the same mold. It will not be revealed until the first one is opened up on the first day of BreyerFest. This is always a very tight lipped surprise, but everyone is always welcome to guess what it might be. This is the Special Run that typically costs $85.

Special Notes for the Special Runs!

This year, the Online Traditional Access Ticket will be using the Special Run Preference List to purchase their Special Runs. However, in the fine print on the latest BreyerFest Blog Post, please be aware that it says that you will only be able to select from the selection that is available to choose from.

How to select and buy Special Runs?

This year, the Special Run Preference List will be used again. This list is a lot more difficult to describe than it is to actually experience, so there will be a lot of posts covering it until the actual List is released. The All Access Ticket Holders and the Online Traditional Access Ticket Holders will be the ones using this list when it is released some time in the Spring. The list works by having you rank the Special Runs in the order that you like them best. Think of this as the order that you would buy them if you were going through the line at BreyerFest. You will have access to two different types of list and each one comes with its own set of pros and cons. The Master List will allow you to rank the Special Runs in the order that you like them for every ticket on your account on the same list. So if you have three tickets, this list will be used for all three tickets. It does lessen how many duplicates that you might receive, but it also does not give you complete control over the list. The Individual List will allow you to rank the Special Runs for each ticket on your account separately so you can pick a different order for each ticket, if you wish to do so. This might result in duplicates, but it does offer a bit more control. However, when using the Special Run Preference List, it is important to remember that this is just a ranking and Breyer will use this as a reference to draw the models for your tickets on your account. Their algorithm has never been released, please keep that in mind. If the models that you have selected are not available when your number comes up or you chose to not receive any other models than what you have selected, you could be getting a Wild Card ticket. Also, if you do not submit your Special Run Preference List or purchased your All Access Ticket after the cut off date, you will get a Wild Card Ticket. This Wild Card ticket will allow you to choose from the remaining Special Runs available at BreyerFest itself. Don’t worry, there will be many more posts all about the Special Run Preference List coming soon because it can be super confusing! No matter how which Special Runs that you get or how you are getting them, you will be buying them during BreyerFest.

When is my Time Slot?

There are no more Time Slots for the Special Runs at BreyerFest. You simply take the Reservation or Wild Card tickets that arrived in your Ticket Book to the Model Handout Tent and go through the line to pick up and pay for your models. A word of caution: There is no time slots so this line is LONG and it is hot. When this was introduced in 2022, the line reached over a half a mile or longer in order to pick up and pay for Special Runs. Breyer will tell you to come back when the line is not that long or to wait until later in the day. From my personal experience: I like to pick up all of my models on Friday so that the rest of the weekend can be spent buying models, watching shows, and talking with friends. I went to the Breyer Store first thing because I am crazy and like to punish myself and then went to the Model Handout Tent. The line was back to nearly the Rolex Arena and stayed that way until they had to shut it down one hour before the park closed due to a malfunction with the credit card machines. I went to the park early on Saturday, got in line for the General Admission, and made my way to the Model Handout Tent so that I could guarantee that I would get them early enough to avoid a line. The line did not slow down until almost closing on Sunday. The line definitely slowed down on Saturday and Sunday in 2023.

Buying the Special Run Models Online

For those that have the Online Traditional Access Tickets, this should be a very simple procedure. It should be just clicking add to cart on the models that were chosen for your account and then paying for it in the cart. I did not experience this last year, so if you did, I would be honored if you would tell us your experience in the comments below. Shipping has not been addressed yet this year on the Breyer website for BreyerFest, however as soon as it is, the information will be posted in the group.

A few last things…

If you are attending the in person event, you are welcome to trade tickets and trade models once you have paid for them and picked them up, however you cannot trade them with Breyer. If you received a reservation ticket for a model that you did not want or a wild card ticket, you can trade them with someone else, but you cannot go to Breyer and say that you want something else. Unless you have a VIP Ticket, you do not have to purchase any Special Runs. If you do not like the ones selected for your account and do not feel that you could easily trade or sell them, you are not forced to purchase them. That goes for both the All Access and the Online Traditional Access Tickets. BreyerFest models are non refundable. Breyer does not accept returns or exchanges unless the Special Run is considered fatally flawed by Breyer employees.

The Complete Special Run Preference List Guide

First, I want to address that Breyer has not addressed anything about this List as of yet other than if you purchase an All Access Ticket (or many) or an Online Traditional Access Ticket (or many), you will be using this for your Special Runs.

What is the Special Run Preference List? The Special Run Preference List is a ranking system created by Breyer for you to let them know how you rank the Special Runs and which ones you would like to have.

How does it work? During the time frame that the Special Run Preference List is up, you will be able to rank the Special Runs in the order that you like them (remember that this is totally up to you and how you like the Special Runs). Breyer will only accept the last list submitted. From there, Breyer will select the Special Runs for your account, based on your place in a virtual line. The actual algorithm that Breyer uses for this has not been released or revealed.

Which Tickets will be using this Special Run Preference List? The All Access and the Online Traditional Access Tickets are the only two tickets that will be using the Special Run Preference List.

How many Special Runs do I get per ticket? With the All Access Ticket and Online Traditional Access Ticket, you will get two Special Runs per ticket purchased on your account.

Do the Special Runs sell out? Yes. In the case of this event, you will be given a Wild Card Redemption Ticket (more about that later).

When do I pay for my Special Runs? During the event in July.

When does the Special Run Preference List come out? Late Spring. Breyer will announce when this is going to happen and there will be many notifications, including in this group.

What do I do if I get a Special Run that I do not want? You are absolutely not forced to purchase any models during BreyerFest. However, it is always recommended to buy it and trade or sell it during the event.

How does it really work? As mentioned above, you will be ranking the Special Runs. This is something that only you can do because no one else can tell you how you like the Special Runs. Depending on how many tickets that you have will the ways that you are able to fill out this list. Keep in mind that this is all going to sound a LOT more confusing than it is to experience it.

If you have one All Access/Online Traditional Access Ticket: You will be using the Individual List as it should be the only list to show up on your account. You are welcome to name it, however that is only for your benefit as the List is associated with your account and your account number in Breyer’s software. Rank the Special Runs in the order that you like them, listing your favorite first. Even if you do not like all of the Special Runs, it is highly recommended to still fill out the list completely. However, in the event that you absolutely do not like the other Special Runs provided, you are able to use a selection that reads: No Other Option/Selection. But be aware that it is dangerous to use this selection- You might not receive a Special Run at all! Once you fill out the list, I recommend taking a screenshot of it so that you remember how you fill it out because if you are like me, the moment that you push send, you forget what you just filled out and panic. You will not know which models were selected for you until the Ticket Books are sent out (or you pick them up at Will Call for International Ticket Holders) or during BreyerFest, if you have an Online Traditional Access Ticket. When the Ticket Books go out, you will find a Redemption Card in there with the models that you were selected for. If your selection was not available, you will have a Redemption Card that says Wild Card and this means that you are able to select your Special Runs from the available inventory at BreyerFest during the event in July. For the virtual event, your Special Run will appear in your account (typically by clicking a link provided to you) during the event and that is when you will be able to purchase it.

*You can also use this method if you have more than one ticket to select the rankings for each ticket on your account. This way will offer more duplicates, but it gives you more control over how you rank the models. How fast the models “sell” out during Breyer’s selection process is not something that we can calculate and therefore, we cannot tell you how fast that they will sell out.

If you have more than one All Access/Online Traditional Ticket: You are still able to use the above mentioned method for every ticket on your account. However, there is also the Master List. This is one list that you will be filling out for ALL of the tickets on your account. This means that there will be as many number 1s for however many tickets that you have on your account and that follows suit down to number 9. So if you have two tickets, it will be something like this:

Number1

Number1

Number2

Number2

Number3

Number3

Number4

Number4

Number5

Number5

Number6

Number6

Number7

Number7

Number8

Number8

Number9

Number9

You are allowed to rank the models in any way and order that you want, including mix and matching your number ones and so on. They do not need to be the same, unless that is what you want to do. From there, you will fill out the list the same as in the Individual List by ranking the Special Runs in the order that you like them, listing your favorite first. Even if you do not like all of the Special Runs, it is highly recommended to still fill out the list completely. However, in the event that you absolutely do not like the other Special Runs provided, you are able to use a selection that reads: No Other Option/Selection. But be aware that it is dangerous to use this selection- You might not receive a Special Run at all! Once you fill out the list, I recommend taking a screenshot of it so that you remember how you fill it out because if you are like me, the moment that you push send, you forget what you just filled out and panic. You will not know which models were selected for you until the Ticket Books are sent out (or you pick them up at Will Call for International Ticket Holders) or during BreyerFest, if you have an Online Traditional Access Ticket. When the Ticket Books go out, you will find a Reservation Card in there with the models that you were selected for. If your selection was not available, you will have a card that says Wild Card and this means that you are able to select your Special Runs from the available inventory at BreyerFest during the event in July. For the virtual event, your Special Runs will appear in your account (typically by clicking a link provided to you) during the event and that is when you will be able to purchase it.

*When the Ticket Books are released, you will receive one (based on last year) that will have all of your wrist bands, your Redemption Tickets for the Event Models, The Reservation Tickets or Wild Card Tickets for the Special Run Models, and the Celebration of Horses Evening Performance Tickets in there. If you purchase a Parking Pass, it will be in this Ticket Book as well. There is also a small list of FAQs that will be in the Ticket Book as well as maps. But there will be a LOT more information on the Ticket Books when they are released.

What is a Wild Card Reservation Ticket? This is a Ticket that you will receive if your selections were not available for you. They will allow you to choose the Special Run that you wish to purchase from the available stock on hand at the event. This does mean that certain models could be sold out or not available at the time.

Do I have to buy the Special Runs that were selected for me? Well, no, you do not. However you cannot trade these Special Runs with other Special Runs through Breyer. You are welcome to purchase these Special Runs and trade them with other hobbyists right outside the tent though!

What if I really do not want the Special Runs that were selected for me? Personally, I would say go ahead and buy them to resell or use as trade to get what you want. But you are not obligated to buy any models at BreyerFest that you have not already paid for.

I want one of the In Person Special Runs, how can I get one? The best answer is to find a Pick Up Person. This is someone who will take your Redemption Ticket, pay for the models at BreyerFest with money that you have sent them, and then ship them to you at cost. They usually charge a fee to do this and you can find many of them over on the sale and trade groups.

Will I be buying the Limited Editions like this? No. Limited Editions are available for sale each and every day until sold out during the event. Yes, they can and do sell out. If they are sold out for that day, there will be a restock the next day at the in person BreyerFest Store. I am not positive if there will be restocks on the website.

What if I want more than two Special Runs with my All Access Ticket? Then it is best to buy more. It takes five All Access Tickets to buy nine Special Runs, which is how many Special Runs that there are released.

What if I want more than Special Runs with my Online Traditional Access Ticket? Then you will need to buy more Tickets.

Am I guaranteed to get the models that are on my list? No, you are not. While you may really want one particular model, it might not be available for you.

How can I pay for my models? At the event, you are able to purchase models with credit/debit. Online, you are able to purchase your models any way that you normally purchase models off of Breyer’s website.

Will my models be shipped to me? If you are attending the in person event, no. You will need to pick up your models or have someone pick up your models using the Redemption Tickets in your Ticket Book. If you are attending the virtual event, your models will be shipped to you.

Do I use this list if I am buy a VIP Ticket? No. You will be selecting exactly which Special Runs that you want and paying for them when you purchase your VIP Ticket. The base cost of $240 rises quickly to over $500, depending on which two Special Runs and which two Limited Editions that you select to purchase. You MUST purchase two Special Runs and two Limited Editions, if you are purchasing a VIP Ticket.

Is there still an open time to go through the Special Runs on Sunday during the event? Last year, this happened on Sunday near the end of the event. It was quietly announced and not many people knew that it was happening. However, unless Breyer announces something, we do not know for sure what will happen until it happens.

I think that is everything about the Special Run Preference List that we know before Breyer actually releases the information. In the event that any of this information changes, it will be reflected in this post.

This is all of the information that we know currently. If it changes or more is added, please note that it will be updated here to reflect any and all changes.