Bloaties!

A common question that Breyer fans ask us is, “why does my Breyer model have a hole in the corner of its mouth? Is this a flaw?” These little pinholes are not flaws – they are actually a design component of every model that has a very important purpose. These pinholes allow air to flow in and out of your hollow model. Every once in a while, a model may leave the production line without an air hole. If this model is then exposed to extreme temperatures, you may get what model horse hobbyists refer to as a “bloaty.”

When a model “bloats,” this is a permanent change – their plastic cannot be adjusted back to its original form. This is why it’s so important to keep your Breyer models out of extreme temperatures for long periods of time.

So, how do bloaties happen? Air when heated. Because Breyer models are hollow, each one has air trapped inside of them. All hollow Breyer models are supposed to have an air hole that allows this air to flow in and out of the body cavity – so when temperatures heat up, the expanding air simply flows out of the hole. However, on the rare occasion where a model’s air hole is unintentionally filled in, this air has nowhere to go when it expands. Instead, it pushes against the walls of the plastic, which is also more malleable because of the heat, and distorts its shape.

Some bloaty cases are subtle and can only be seen when looking at the model head-on, while others can distort the sculpture so much that any surface detail that was once there is now obliterated! The most common areas to see bloating damage are the head and neck, but extreme cases can affect the whole body.

Although a bloated model is technically considered damaged, they have been gaining more and more popularity among collectors in recent years, with some going as far as purposefully bloating their own models! With their goofy, pudgy looks, they often hold value as unique conversation pieces.