The First Christmas - Jingle and Belle

 First Christmas Release - Jingle and Belle

December 25, 2019 marked the first Christmas special for Copperfox.  It was also the first official release of Copperfox 2.0!

In May 2019, Copperfox Model Horses announced a comeback with a new owner Julia Nichols and based out of the US.  For the next few months, fans were teased with pictures of the British Shire being retooled in preparation for production.  A few prototypes were released.  But the true return of Copperfox came on Christmas Day 2019.

CC713 Jingle and Belle were a gambler's choice run of Coppercubs (1/32 scale) models on the British Shire (Winston) mold.  A total of 150 models were sold split between Jingle in green and Belle in red.

Screenshot of the original Facebook post announcing the release of Jingle and Belle

The release was hugely popular and sold out within a few minutes.

Screenshot of the official sale page

Once the models started to arrive, collectors were excited to discover that there were, in fact, 4 variations instead of the original two expected.  A small number of each model were mirror images with the mane on the left side instead of the normal right side mane. 

The final breakdown for Jingle and Belle was:

• 63 - Normal Jingle (Green, mane on right side)
• 63 - Normal Belle (Red, mane on right side)
• 13 - Variation Jingle (Green, mane on left side)
• 11 - Variation Belle (Red, mane on left side)

I have 2 of these in my collection right now. 

A normal Jingle:

And a Variation Belle:

Also noteworthy for this release, this is the first use of the CC in the model number indicating the model is a Coppercub.  (No idea where 713 came from).  It's also the first appearance of the Coppercub size boxes which are mini versions of the original Copperfox packaging complete with shaped foam inserts.  I do not believe this run came with any kind of Certificate of Authenticity.

I was also lucky enough to snag a test for Jingle during the Copperfox 2.0 archive dispersal sale in 2023.  

He is much darker than the final release especially when compared side by side.

Original Jingle vs. Test Jingle

Anyway, hope you enjoyed learning about Jingle and Belle and Happy Holidays from Riker and crew!

Copperboxes!

Copperboxes!

 My July project was getting all of my Traditional Copperfoxes out of their boxes and on to shelves, so I thought I'd do a post about Copperfox boxes.

Copperfox 1.0 was all traditional models.  As part of their mission to be a model horse company for model horse enthusiasts, the original Copperfox boxes were intended to not only look nice, but all serve as protection for the models during shipping.  The boxes are also reusable, allowing them to be used for storing and transporting Copperfoxes as well.  The final design was a Union Flag pattern with a metallic copper colored fox logo in the middle.

Originally, Copperfox boxes came in two sizes.  The standard size was 13 1/4" x 12 1/4" x 3" and used for the Welsh Cob, Connemara and Exmoor models.  An extra-large box measuring              was used for the Irish Sport Horse Mold.  (Regular on left, ISH on right)

The back of the box has a disclosure statement stating:

"This model is a detailed scaled replica for collectors and is not a toy.  Not suitable for children under 14 years."

It also has the original company address:

Copperfox Model Horses Limited
The Granary Greenfields Farm Cottages, Stambourne, Essex CO9 4ND, UK
Website: www.copperfoxmodelhorses.com
Company Number: 09279567

The front of box is printed with "Model Enclosed:" and has a label stating the model name and number for regular run models.

Non-regular run models either had special labels stating the type of model as well (ie. raffle, prize etc)...

... a handwritten label

... the model name handwritten directly on the box...

... or were simply left unlabeled.

I received all of the boxes shown below I received as is directly from Copperfox.

Inside the box is a  3" thick layer of foam with the model's silhouette cut out and then a 1/4" layer of foam covering the inside of the box.  Chunks of leftover foam were placed between model legs, behind tails or wherever else extra support was needed.  (Clockwise from top left: Connemara, Exmoor, Welsh Cob and ISH)

On rare occasions boxes were used outside of their original purpose.  I personally received a Scamp resin and small Connemara resin straight from Copperfox which were wrapped in bubblewrap and shipped together inside an ISH box.

The boxes hold up quite well and are very good at keeping the models safe and sound during transport.  Most of my Copperfoxes travel to and from shows in their original boxes resulting in what my friends like to call Mt. Copperfox.

NOTE:  I've heard comments stating that storing Copperfoxes in their original boxes can cause the paint to crackle and flake.  I've seen no evidence to support this.  Yes, Copperfox models are prone to paint damage, but it appears unrelated to how they are stored.  Damage has been observed in models stored in boxes, models displayed and even models kept in climate controlled displays.  I'll discuss this issue further at later date.