Exhausted.
The Samplers are done, the packing is about 90 percent done, and I just have to finalize a few details on the history displays and other nonsense. And also pack my lunch, charge my phone, go to the bank, get gas…
Anyway, here we go again with the Toy Hall of Fame talk:
https://www.breyerhorses.com/blogs/news/help-get-breyer-into-the-toy-hall-of-fame
I am on board with this, and my offer to donate my archives to them in the future (whenever I am done with them) if Breyer finally gets in still stands, but I am still not overly optimistic.
I think the biggest impediment now is not that the brand doesn’t have a big enough public footprint (though that would help), it’s that it’s perceived as being more specifically girl-oriented, and “girly” things in general have a harder time being recognized as something culturally or historically significant.
Horses being a “girl thing” is a relatively new development, actually. Before the mid-1960s, horses were mostly a “boy thing”: sure, books about girls and their horses did exist (National Velvet, for example), but one of the most popular series of horse books in the mid-20th century was Walter Farley’s Black Stallion, which was about a horse… and his boy.
One of Breyer’s earliest licensing agreements was with the TV show Fury, which also involved a horse… and his boy.
And let’s not forget The Chronicles of Narnia: just about every horse girl’s favorite in that series was: The Horse and His Boy.
(I actually preferred The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but I digress.)
Reeves has been working hard to change that perception, but I still think it’s going to continue playing a factor in the voting for a while.
5 comments:
Dawn Treader! Reepicheep!
I love your Samplers and eagerly await getting one at Breyerfest. I missed out on last year's Sampler are you planning on bringing some of last year's Samplers as well? If not I would like to get one/buy one somehow.
One way for Breyer to get a bigger public footprint would be to start selling them (or sell more of them) in regular department stores like Walmart, Meijers, Target, etc. and sell them year-round (as opposed to only at Christmas for TSC). Then non-horse people could see them and recognise the brand, and model horse people could actually see what they are buying before they have to spend $50+ on something that could have a glaring paint flaws, curled eartips, or bent legs.
Getting stuff onto major retailers shelves is easier said than done. If they're going for horse-related items, My Little Pony takes priority, unfortunately.
Jumping in the car momentarily. See y'all in Kentucky!
I enjoyed The Sampler! Have fun in KY! :^)
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