Thursday, May 6, 2021

On Being Underwhelmed

Not that it matters, but:

Group A: Old Timer, because obviously.

Group B: Either the Ruffian because I love the color and I love splash pintos; or the Clydesdale Mare, because I’m not one to turn down a pretty Clydesdale Mare. (I would have had a Palisades – in an alternate universe where I grabbed a completely different box in the NPOD – but that’s a story best told offline.)

The Old Timer has been offered without its hat and blinkers before: first as a part of the Warehouse Finds program a few years back, and a couple of years ago some of the Web Special LaFittes also came that way. 

(Mine came with.)

Filling in the blinker slots is a relatively easy thing to do, especially if only a hundred or so models are involved. 

Anyway, I’m going to keep this short because I had a lot of drama to deal with yesterday and I am in no mood for more. 

I am not surprised to hear that people are complaining that the Specials for the True Blue Event are “underwhelming”. Some of it is a coping mechanism for not being chosen, and that I can understand somewhat. That’s pretty much been my operating mode for the past several months.

As for those who are upset with the choices: there is absolutely no reason for Reeves to “up the ante” with the Special Runs at these events.

It’s already impossible for most of us to attend these events, and there have been enough new hobbyists with lots of disposable income entering the hobby that have made purchasing any of them second hand also nigh-impossible. 

You are attending this event as a hobbyist, not a reseller. Reeves is under no obligation to make things to maximize your profits by swapping out the Rejoice with Hamilton, or the Mangalarga Marchador with Duende. 

Making these Special Runs even more desirable would only make the competition for these slots even worse. Sometimes I wish they would get rid of these extra Special Runs altogether – I think the past three Event Models have been worth the price of admission, alone! – but it makes them money, so of course it makes sense for them to do it.

If the desired effect of these “underwhelming” Special Runs is to discourage a portion of people from entering or attending these events, I say to you that this is a good thing. Maybe then I might have a shot at getting picked for one.

8 comments:

Boulder Sheep said...

I'm so surprised to hear there is grumbling about the True Blue SRs! On the social medias, we are all jumping up and down, scrambling to find something trade-worthy. ESPECIALLY for the Old Timer.

Which means its functionally out of my price range now and forever. But a girl can dream. (And blinkers can be customized onto a Very Expensive True Blue Fair Dinkum, if the lack really really bugs someone. Maybe I'm just smug from finding someone who makes beautiful after-market Old Timer replacement hats.)

(I'm sorry for your drama. I'd hoped you'd gotten in some more gardening time.)

Little Black Car said...

I honestly miss the days when you got a couple of dealer SRs, one or two BF SRs, and the Christmas catalog horses every year and that was it. On the other hand, most of the event SRs from the past decade or so haven't lit my fire, and the current mania for glossy finish has cut that down even more. Somehow having so many SRs each year makes them seem less special even though they're more sophisticated than the older models? Like Stone DAHs: Suddenly every model is a one-of-a-kind.

It's fine. I'll save up for the very few new models I do want and continue to collect the older models that I couldn't afford when I was a kid (I just recently scored a 1984 gray Appaloosa Performance Horse!!).

Anonymous said...

I'm just bummed none of the models represent Australian breeds, or stories or anything. When I think of Aussie breeds pinto does not come to mind, and there are 4! The event model could have been a horse from one of the featured barns, or Guys.

That's all I'm bummed about. The models themselves are pretty enough. They just don't say Australia to me.

Unknown said...

None of the event SRs have historically had anything to do with the event theme except the names.

Anonymous said...

For Scottsdale, Phantom Face was the event model the real horse was there. During the event people were taken to an Arabian farm and a Reining barn.

There was an Arabian and Reining type of horse in the SRs. So yes they have.

Unknown said...

It's a whole other licensing and contract ballgame to make a horse for the event as the likeness of an actual horse. And Arabians are common enough that it's not unusual to have one in the lineup as chance.

Anonymous said...

They can easily use vague names as they did with Marvel Characters. And you can trademark an actual horse.

They could have painted a sooty buckskin and named it Snowy River. Since Snowy River Mountains exist.

Quit making excuses. It would be nice if they followed themes.

Anonymous said...

can't trademark. that should say.