So I am standing there in the local farm supply store that’s not Tractor Supply, but gets a decent supply of Breyers anyway, pawing through the only semi-full box of Chasing Rainbow Blind Bags I’ve even ever found in these parts. Then I stopped and counted out how many bags were actually present and realized that my effort was absolutely futile: even this box was already picked through.
And this was after I discovered that my trip to the Dollar General right next door to find the official “knockoff” Stablemates was also all for naught, apparently. Dollar Generals are a little bit out of my way around here, so with my schedule it’s going to be difficult to get back to one before they all get picked over.
Ugh. I hate this. It’s not the blind bag part: back when I started collecting in the Paleolithic Age (the mid-1970s) pretty much everything came sealed in a visually impenetrable cardboard box, except the Stablemates.
You had a rough idea of what you were getting on the box – sometimes a very rough idea, considering the quality control issues they had back then. And the fact that they’d use stock photos of Test Colors or Samples that had little to do with reality.
(Yes, I am still a little peeved about the Black Pinto Stock Horse Stallion. I still want the minimal pinto I saw on the original box, dangnabit!)
It’s just this endless, artificial chase for the newest, hottest thing. It’s fun for a while, but when the chase never seems to end, the fun eventually does.
I did order a pair of the Christmas Clydesdales, since (a) I was actually online when they went up and (b) I missed out on last year’s and the prices on them haven’t come down, at all. Not even for the Red Filigree Smart Chic Olena, possibly the least desirable of the four.
The funny thing is that I had a dream a few days ago that Reeves mailed all Collectors Club members glass ornaments in the shape of the Breyer logo, in a Gambler’s Choice assortment of translucent colors. The one I received was Red, so I am assuming that one – or both! – of my Clydesdales will be Red. And I actually kind of like the Red on the Clydesdale here, it makes him look like he’s made out of Cranberry Sauce:
If I had a choice of Clydesdales, I’d go with Silver and Gold, because that’s always been my favorite holiday color scheme, but I’ll be happy with any two different colors.
(FYI: we’re going with handmade paper ornaments this year. My Thanksgiving weekend will be spent folding German Stars.)
I guess I’ll find out in a few days. Or weeks. Or whenever they happen to show up. (My Brunhilde hasn’t shipped yet, which may mean something, or nothing at all.)
8 comments:
I missed them too as well as anything from early bfriday. I consoled myself ordering a matte astrid off ebay for a not too unreasonable price and replacements for the appy, charcoal, and alabaster family Arabian families I lost when I moved.I also picked up a pair of WIA sharif Arabians about little bit size and very nice pieces tho a tad pricy since they are overseas company Yeah no secondhand stablemates for me I just refuse to pay over 30 for one
Edit I'm still waiting for equidale ordered with Halloween stablemates and the tsc ethereal araloosa that was supposed to arrive at the store Nov 11
I feel you on the "Endless Chase for the Newest Thing"... I'm no good at those kind of things and they wear me out... I think my New Year's resolution will to be to slow down, and really only go after stuff I love. My easily obtainable Justin Morgan conga is nearing completion, and honestly, that makes me as happy as when my Breyerfest SRs arrived. Other hobby related resolution? Sell some stuff for a change. lol
I didn't order any of the drafts. Not a mold I collect.
I'm so just getting model horse burn out. This mad scramble to TRY to get it before the scalpers.
Shops around here I used to find stuff at are just cleaned out the instant things come in. I don't even bother going to antique stores anymore either. Nothing to be found it's all just gobbled up.
Hell you can't even get a Stone Horse anymore. Everything is dumped on the website and gone in seconds. And now there are Stone scalpers too.
I'm just worn out. This was my happy spot in life. My collection. But now it feels like a war to get a darn horse. sigh.
I missed out on the Clydesdales, although TBH, I liked last year's festive colors better, so no biggie. These seem more like 4th of July colors to my eye, but I tend to decorate with far more green than blue for Christmas.
I am also tiring of the blind bags and chase pieces. I'm happy that I don't really care for the chrome ultra rare pieces. But do we really need TWO chases for each series now? Judging by the sheer number of blind bag "extras" on the second hand market (to the point where some you can't hardly give away), I would suspected that it has been a massively successful selling technique for Breyer. So I guess it won't change.
On one hand, I'm happy Breyer is doing well. On the other, well, maybe I need to go see a hypnotist to not like the chase pieces. I am such a sucker for decos. :I
I have a feeling that Breyer is doing all they can at the moment to address the model scalpers. I think they are aware of the ridiculous markups that the scalpers charge and the crazy high prices collectors are willing to pay. The logical conclusion would be to increase production to meet demand, making Breyer the financial beneficiary of their own popularity, rather than allowing the secondary market to reap all the profits.
I can see it in the prices of the 2021 BF special runs. The run numbers increased significantly and right now I'm seeing resale prices at or around $100, which is a lower markup than special runs from previous years when the run counts were lower.
It would be lovely to see this trend continue going forward. Then again, I'm not into rarities, I just collect what I like and I don't care how many other people own a particular model, or how the run numbers will affect resale prices because I don't sell models out of my collection.
I kind of wish the bobs were all green and gold to be more festive. But they are pretty!
What I'm finding (on FB, anyway) is the scalper prices are sky-high if you want the model in the two weeks after it is offered by Breyer, but if you wait a month the price settles noticeably, and if you can wait three months the desirability of the model has settled the price. (And yeah, there are always the eBay sellers trying to get top dollar, but those sit and sit and sit.)
I mean, I will never be able to afford Dark Uffington, because I can't justify his normalized price... but I hope to be able to get a Pollock for $350 shipped, if I am patient. And I guess I'm lucky(?) or a minimalist or maybe just old, so far as what I collect. I realized this week I won't be joining the Premier Club for 2022, because I don't care for Arabian molds enough to want to fool with selling, even at a mark-up. (I say that because I'm incredibly happy with 2021's offerings, even with such a crazy shipping year.)
And I will almost certainly join the SM Club for 2022, even though I'm pretty specific with the SM molds (I don't really collect Stablemates, she says eyeing the 100+ still needing shelf space.) Because I want the little rearing stallion for my SM Conga, and can sell the rest to cover my costs.
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