Saturday, February 25, 2012

Because It's My Job

I’ve given up fast food, carbonated drinks, candy bars, and quilting for Lent. I decided to forego giving up caffeine, because that would simply not be pleasant for anybody. I haven’t entirely given up sweets either, but if I want any, I have to make it or bake it.

Since I have little time for that kind of thing, it most likely ain’t gonna happen.

I finally opened my Dandy today - very nice! The paint job is beautiful, and the sticker is a spot-on reproduction of the original. Though I must point out that most Gloss finishes were discontinued before the "Big" Blue Ribbon sticker debuted ca. 1969.

I know, I know, they picked that style of sticker so they could print the name on it legibly. It’s sort of my job to be nitpicky, you know.

My other nitpick with it is the certificate - as far as I know, the Clydesdale mold debuted in 1958, not 1957. It’s true that the Poodle was technically "debuted" at the 1958 Toy Fair, but it was available from multiple retailers in 1957; I haven’t seen any evidence of the same situation for the Clydesdale.

If it wasn’t available for retail sale in 1957, it wasn’t "released" in 1957, period.

A picture of the Fall Dealer Special Esprit is finally making the rounds - and he’s Dunalino, not Palomino. He still appears to be Glossy, and an Appaloosa, and somewhat limited, so the alternating fits of hysteria and swooning continue unabated.

He is pretty spiffy, though I was secretly yearning for an airbrushed blanket with splash spots, instead of the masked one. Totally okay with it, either way.

(BTW, thanks for the tip, KD ~)

So let me get this straight: a Dunalino Appaloosa paint job on the Esprit is acceptable. The Fun Foals Chestnut Pintaloosa Standing Stock Horse Foal is acceptable. But a Silver Pintaloosa on the Weather Girl is a crime against nature?

(Does that mean desirability of an exotic paint job is inversely proportional to the anatomical correctness?)

I’ve never understood the hatred in some parts of the real (and model) horse world over the very existence of pintaloosas. I’m not a big fan of breeding for color, but if you just happen to get a lot of color on an pretty nice piece of horseflesh, all the better.

I never did get around to sending away for my Rainbow Weather Girl, even though I did manage to luck into the Black one fairly early on. If I happen to find one in the NPOD this year - matte or gloss - I won’t hesitate to pick it up. Because I’m certainly not going to pay the prices some sellers seem to think their "ugly, undesirable" Weather Girls are worth.

If its very presence pains you that much, slap a body price on it and let it go where it goes. That’s what I do with the stuff that annoys me. Just keep lowering the price until someone bites. Or sell it as a body. The end.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The fall dealer Esprit is absolutely amazing. I'm terrified thinking of the things I would do to get my hands on him. It's going to be especially hard considering I don't even know of any local dealers and all my purchasing is done online. But I was near speechless, when I saw him a few days ago.

Anonymous said...

Some molds "wear" colors better than others, I guess. Esprit is a mixed-breed horse so just about anything will look good on him.

Anonymous said...

I am not against pintoloosas,I like them,i have looked at alot of real ones,I just wish that the pattern on the weather girl would have been a little different,it just looks a little off to me

ANDREA said...

I still think that the Esprit (rumor has it his name is "Lion Heart") will be slightly more common than we imagine.

What I think will happen is what's happened with previous Dealer Specials: a certain amount will be made (350, at minimum?) and once the initial promotion is over, any leftovers will be disposed of via other means. (NPOD, Grab Bags, live show prizes, Collectors Club raffle.)

I also happen to think that a lot of dealers either haven't gotten, or haven't reviewed their paperwork from Reeves yet, hence the confusion.

dizzijoi said...

I love pintaloosas. I was more disappointed in getting such a flat colored "Rainbow" than the idea she was a pintaloosa. I could care less it was on an Arab and whether she was "legal" or not.

She's grown on me esp. since I had such fun ridiculing her as "Princess Beatrice" with her fascinator and all. But if I heard one more time I shouldn't complain about a "free" model I would have spit nails. Meanwhile I have "body quality" Weather Girls for sale in Palomino and pinto to pay for the two "free" ones I got. :)

Anonymous said...

There's no photo on that Facebook page -- do you think Breyer asked them to remove it? Did anyone save a copy of it? Dying to see one!!