I don’t know what was more awkward to witness on Tuesday. Those epically clueless contestants on Wheel of Fortune? That completely messed up auction where more than one person bid up something that was not only an obvious knockoff, but also in terrible condition?
Or seeing all the Honeybears already for sale on the secondary – who, at the time of me writing this, almost 48 hours later(!), is still available on the Breyer web site.
Personally, I’d vote for the auction, because it would have taken all of twenty seconds to do the research to determine that just about everything about this lot was wrong. And all Wheel of Fortune does is confirm my suspicion that they deliberately put on less-than-stellar contestants to make the people watching at home feel smart. Which I think is a terrible idea, but I digress…
Anyway, since my sleep schedule was out of whack because of jury duty (that I later found out was cancelled – after I woke up!) I thought I had to make a quicker than average decision on whether or not to get the Honeybear, and I decided against it.
Not because I didn’t like him – he’d definitely make a nice companion to my Fell Pony/Berry Pony Jujube, who has similar feathered pinto markings – but because I have enough physical Stuff to deal with right now.
I also had the suspicion that unlike Lafayette, Reeves would not get caught flatfooted this year. I am happy to be proven correct! Honeybear’s picture was prominently displayed on the web site for months as a perk of membership, after all, and it’s only right that they make enough for everyone looking forward to him.
If it takes the wind out of the sails of the more aggressive flippers, even better. If there’s a sufficiently large number of overstock left over after a certain period of time, all they’ll have to do is “repurpose” them with Gloss, problem solved!
What’s nice about this situation is that now I can put off a decision on Honeybear for at least a little while without costly consequences; the extended window has also given a lot of other hobbyists the time to actually make an informed decision about it purchasing him. Or not.
Time I wish I had had last year, as my receipts from last year are quick to remind me.
Compared to the heydays of the 1970s and 1980s, we get relatively few Regular Run Traditionals to choose from on a yearly basis, so it makes sense to have items that sort of “bridge the gap” between Regular Run items that are theoretically available for most of a year, and (often extremely) Limited Editions/Micro Runs/What Have You that are gone in the blink of an eye.
7 comments:
The auction? I don't know what to think. Those are two interesting items that somehow didn't end up a landfill...they are mismatched and yet related. It's weird the auction went so high for items in such poor condition. But both are very interesting. I actually prefer items in "loved" condition- not only are they (normally) easier on the budget, but also no burden of careful handling.
I think the western horse knockoff was from my local antique mall - I saw it there around Christmas (with that same box) and posted with some other pics in Model Horse Liberation Front on Facebook. People there told me the horse was a Superior Plastics / Wells Lamont / Red Ryder promotional item (thus the sticker) and is collectable in its own right. Although definitely with the wrong box and not a Breyer.
I saw that Western Horse and was mostly intrigued by the sticker. Remember the brown "Mystery Horse" from the early Breyer collectors guides? They were super valuable for a while. I had two of them, both found dirt cheap, and both succumbed to vinegar syndrome eventually. They were somehow fooled experts.
As for Honeybear, I'm happy that anyone who wants one can get it. I wish the hobby was more about collectors and less about flippers.
The Red Ryder horse is believed now, with fact based information, to be made by Superior Plastics as was mentioned. For some collectors this is nifty and cool. Therefore a few will want it. With or without the box being inaccurate obviously. It’s how a collector perceives it. Technically this model is no longer new news to those that are interested. As far as Honeybear. I’m happy to see a bone thrown to CC collectors once in awhile. Not everyone does CC so something like this will likely become attainable down the road.
Yes, the black knock off horse was made by Superior Plastics. He's a copy of the Hartland Victor rather than the Breyer Western Horse. I wrote about the company and the Red Ryder connection on my blog a couple of years ago. :)
http://modelhorsecollectibility.blogspot.com/2020/03/western-horse-shaped-objects-part-2.html?m=1
There's been a few postings on Facebook of the new VC Cooper - stamped on his belly is Kingfisher (with a little bird) - clue to the next Birds of a Feathers model?
I believe the vintage club models are usually stamped with "vintage club" and the year on the belly, so I'd say the Kingfisher stamp is a huge clue to the next Birds of a Feather model! Maybe even that mold? And the VC models got stamped incorrectly. Be interesting to see if the next "Birds" models come stamped with the VC club stamp.....
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