Breyer issued a special run Traditional model through Mid-States Distributing from 1996-2016. Mid-States Distributing isn’t a store in and of itself; they supply probably thirty-ish farm store chains. None were ever local to me, and I wasn’t active in the hobby between high school graduation in 1997 and my return after grad school in 2010, so it didn’t really bother me that I couldn’t get the models.
Then I restarted with the hobby in 2010, and finding every possible store where I could get Breyers became a thing. The 2009 Mid-States model was also a Lady Phase, who I was actively conga-ing at the time, so it became even more important to find one. Unfortunately, there still weren’t any Mid-States Distributing retailers close to me, so I had to resort to getting the models I wanted on the secondary market instead of being able to hand-pick them myself.
Enter my awesome, ever-enabling sister.
She moved out to Lafayette, IN, around 2008-2009 to complete her doctorate at Purdue. There were Rural King stores all over the place out there, which often carried the Mid-States models. The first time I visited, she drove me to a Rural King store to see if we’d have any luck.
Then I restarted with the hobby in 2010, and finding every possible store where I could get Breyers became a thing. The 2009 Mid-States model was also a Lady Phase, who I was actively conga-ing at the time, so it became even more important to find one. Unfortunately, there still weren’t any Mid-States Distributing retailers close to me, so I had to resort to getting the models I wanted on the secondary market instead of being able to hand-pick them myself.
Enter my awesome, ever-enabling sister.
She moved out to Lafayette, IN, around 2008-2009 to complete her doctorate at Purdue. There were Rural King stores all over the place out there, which often carried the Mid-States models. The first time I visited, she drove me to a Rural King store to see if we’d have any luck.
Not only did we find the 2009 Mid-States model, #710716 Red Rock, but there were probably at least 20 for me to choose from! I picked the one with the most even roaning and nicest shading. She’s #1634 of 3000. She’s shown for me a few times under the name Mercury’s Redstone Rocket. As with most of my models, I wanted a throwback to her original name, and I’m pretty fascinated by the history of space flight, so it fit.
The 2010 Mid-States model was #701718 Thunderbolt, a gray appaloosa on the Foundation Stallion mold. Unlike Red Rock, I knew I wasn’t ever going to show Thunderbolt and thus didn’t need to hand-pick one, so I asked my sister if she could swing by and grab him for me at some point during her travels. And being as awesome and ever-enabling as I mentioned above, she did. He’s #1804 of 2900.
I have a few other Mid-States SRs, but these two are the most sentimental because of the connection to my sister. I’ll get to the rest of them in a future Special Effects post.
I have a few other Mid-States SRs, but these two are the most sentimental because of the connection to my sister. I’ll get to the rest of them in a future Special Effects post.