They’re already releasing the contest information for next year’s BreyerFest, and I have to admit that I am kind of stumped about what to do about any of it.
The “Driving the World Forward” Diorama Contest wants us to create a diorama “that recreates a scene depicting an innovation or invention that drove the world forward”. That’s pretty… vague, though I’d be hesitant to venture very far from the transportation-related suggestions they throw at us in the first paragraph of the contest page.
And since most of my ideas are not transportation-related, I’m not sure I should even give it much more thought. I’ve been down that road way too many times, with not a lot on my trophy shelf to show for it.
The Customs Contest is what it is, but I was a little bummed by the Theme Class: Dressed to Impress. It’s not about customizing, but tackmaking?!
Tackmaking is not customizing; it’s not even remotely the same skill set. If they wanted to have a tackmaking contest, they should have just done that and not wedged it into another unrelated competition.
Man, I can’t believe I am this annoyed by a class I’d never enter anyway. Now if the class had been about customized models with sculpted-on tack or accessories, now that I could have gotten into...
Even though the earliest model horses for the Post-WWII consumers market had molded-on tack – hello, Breyer Western Horse and Hartland Champ! – sculpted or molded-on tack has generally been frowned upon in customizing circles.
In recent years, some customizers have been making novelty customs with sculpted bits of tack, clothing and costumes, and customizing carousel horses has become popular enough that they now offer more than one class about it at BreyerFest.
So a class that focused on customs with sculpted-on tack and accessories would have been trendy, challenging and also within the already established parameters of this contest, which is supposed to be about… pushing the boundaries of customizing Breyer horses.
Anyway, that would have been my input into designing this contest class, but they didn’t ask me. And probably rightly so: I haven’t finished a custom in years!
I might still think about entering the Fantasy Class, because I have a couple of ideas that might work, if I can find the time. And assuming that they’ll seriously consider an entry that’s more than 5 to 10 percent actual Breyer parts.
I want to do them, regardless; it is just a matter of whether I want to give myself another deadline next year.
Sorry so cranky, my homies. This year’s version of Snowpocalypse is coming and I made the mistake of going into a grocery store last night to pick up a few things – more goodies to add to the charcuterie platter I’m making myself to kick off the extended holiday break – and I had a total derp moment wondering why the dairy section was so empty.
Oh, and no Tahoe for me, either. That doesn’t make me angry, though, just mildly annoyed. Who are these people who think it’s totally reasonable to spend $400 to $500 on a 1000-piece Special Run? That’s Vintage Kinda-Rare Woodgrain money!
6 comments:
Yeah, I just can't justify over $40. And to me that's expensive. My TSC Wilder special was $39.99 I believe. Still expensive in my opinion, but he was the last one and just so beautiful. Not a single flaw on him😁! And he was "on sale". Aka $40. Ouch, but I totally love him!!!!!😍
"Wedged into another unrelated competition" -- Tackmaking has almost never had the limelight; it usually lives in the shadows, outshone by the horse. I agree with you here, in both the sense that tackmaking is not customizing and that it is itself usually wedged into a corner. I also agree they should have considered focusing on sculpted-on gear.
Perhaps I'm cranky too because when Breyer finally honors my field, because of covid I can't get much involved.
I'm just a hobby lurker but I've long considered throwing my hat in the ring with a sculpted zoetrope, and this would truly be the year to do it. Too ambitious for me though.
I'm annoyed by the diorama contest because I am sick of the constant attempts at educational lessons. Why can't we just have fun??? Is it really such a bad thing to just have enjoyment for the sake of just enjoying, instead of social studies? Why can't we go back to the cake topper, cute hats, tricked out pony sort of contests????
I thought they had *added* a tack class, not put it in place of the theme class. What a bummer.
I mean why not change the performance class to the tack class, instead of allowing purchased non contestant made tack?
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