Snowflakes

Wait, I got picked for an Aphrodite? How did that happen? It has been so long since I’ve won one of these opportunities that I’m not quite sure what to do with myself now. (I’m not counting the Glossy Lucy Mule, since the variables weren’t the same, i.e. it was drawing from a smaller pool of potential winners.)

I see some people are willing to trade their Gris Gris for an Aphrodite; this notion is not unappealing to me.

The "win" also makes up for the past few days, which were of exceeding roughness. I spent a good chunk of Sunday at the vet; Vita’s pancreatitis flared up again. I haven’t been sleeping well, and people at work were working themselves into a lather (again) about the snow today.

I don’t particularly like talking about the weather. But I really don’t like it when people start believing what some random old guy says about the weather while standing in line at CVS. I have plenty enough experience with Random Old Guys at the flea market who also pontificate about the weather to know better.

(The weather was unpleasant today, indeed, but apocalyptic? No.)

Anyway, here’s a picture of a more pleasant and believable (and less opinionated!) Random Old Guy from Marney’s album:

It is not Dune, the Collector’s Edition model from 2000. It’s a Test Color either made or found by Marney, presumably some time in the late 1980s. (The photo itself is not dated, but is of a style similar to those from that era.) He predates Dune by ten to fifteen years, or more.

It’s doubtful Reeves was aware of the existence of this Test Color before making Dune. Both likely stemmed from the same logical and obvious notion: Why don’t we put an "Old Mold" color on the "New Mold" Arabian Stallion?

The fact that a Test Color did later become a Production Run doesn’t diminish the fact that this Test Color is still a Test Color. Perhaps not so good for the monetary fortunes of the person who now owns this guy, and who now must explain for eternity to anyone who sees it that what they think they see is not what they actually see.

But that’s one of the risks you take in buying a Test Color. And partly why so many of the Test Colors that I own are pieces that were once unique and special snowflakes, but now are not. I’m perfectly content with that - in fact, I prefer it. I like to think of every model I own as being unique and special, whether they’re a Regular Run, Special Run, Test Color or Oddity.

Ask me about any Random Old Guy or Gal in my collection, no matter how common, and you’re going to get a pretty detailed backstory about why he/she/it is special regardless.

Hmm, interesting. I just realized that the Proud Arabian Stallion has been issued - or proposed - on every original "Old Mold" color except Gloss Shaded Alabaster. Gloss Honey Bay "Dune", the Vintage Club Gray Appaloosa "Harlequin", and the possible Woodgrain Test Color piece/s from the mid-1970s. (Charcoal and Palomino didn’t get released on the Family Arabians until 1961, at the earliest.)

I’m wondering if they think that its similarity to the Regular Run Matte Alabaster might cause a Gloss release to be not that well-received? Silly Reeves - give him the same details as the Retro Release Racehorse I proposed recently, and he’ll be plenty different - and plenty popular.