The Stuff of Legends: Little House on the Prairie

This 1974 episode of "Little House on the Prairie" IS legendary in the model horse collecting hobby. In fact, this was my very first Breyer sighting when the show first broadcast. The episode is "The Voice of Tinker Jones", which can also be found on YouTube!

In a nutshell, the town's children gather up household implements and toys to melt down for a bell for the church. Among those items include many "metal toys" which, to our trained eyes, are simply very very badly repainted Breyer horses and animals!

Here the tinker shows the children that yes, he could melt down a horribly repainted Breyer Pacer for the bell, and they should go forth and gather similar badly repainted plastic toys!
For some reason I want to say "M-O-O-N, that spells 'horse'."

Laura Ingalls convinces Nellie Olson to part with some of her massive Breyer collection:
Let's see...what do we see there...Left to right: Badly repainted Appaloosa Performance Horse, original finish Moose, original finish Mountain Goat, the head of a badly repainted Indian Pony, and the head of a badly repainted Proud Arabian Stallion. Way to go, Nellie! That's more Breyers than I had at that age! (i.e. NONE!)

Laura "helps", and appears to have the Breyer Buck or Doe in her hand, it's hard to tell the gender. Behind the Moose it looks like the Quarter Horse Yearling mold, probably badly-repainted.

Having looted the Olson household, the girls return home and ask Ma if they can destroy their own belongings for the good of the Collective.
Future shots show the return of the badly painted Pacer, and a badly painted El Pastor.
Ma: "As long as they aren't Connoisseur Series, I suppose it's all right to melt them down!"

A better view of the El Pastor and the Pacer before their untimely demise. Interestingly, the Breyer El Pastor was released in 1974...same year as this television show!

The Tinker points an accusing finger at Mary and Laura...admonishing them for having such poorly repainted Breyers!

Mercifully they don't show any horses going into the strangely chocolatey melted concoction, but this sure looks like the Breyer Black Bear to me.

If you're looking for the hobby equivalent of a snuff film, well, this is for you!