I find myself in the midst of a midwinter funk that no amount of seed starting can fix. All I can do is ride it out until it passes, or at least until the end of the week, with BreyerWest and the news it brings.
I am most curious to see what the Volunteer Special looks like; this year they are implementing a new program that essentially turns it into a Gambler’s Choice model, in three different colorways, that applies to all volunteers at designated Breyer-sponsored events.
This was something I think they were going to implement earlier – in 2020, the Celtic Fling Volunteer Special Ben Nevis came in two different shades of Chestnut Pinto – but the Pandemic got in the way.
I’ll be interesting to see how that affects Volunteer applications. While some of us do for the love of the hobby, there are a significant number of hobbyists who do it for the financial boon.
(I like the heat and I don’t usually mind the humidity, so the whole “compensation for my pain and suffering” isn’t part of the equation for me.)
While it could be argued that three small (125 piece) runs are going to be “more desirable” than a single 375-piece run, I’d counter that if a model is awesome enough, the quantity is almost irrelevant. But if it brings in more applications and more enthusiasm, so be it.
I don’t have much more to say today; I really need to finish planting the petunias and alpine strawberries. (The strawberry plants were much easier to grow from seed last year than I imagined they would be, but the berries themselves are teeny, and I need at least 50 plants to be able to make anything out of them!)
I suppose I should leave you with a picture of something: the lovely, lighter variation of the Prince Charming release of Linzer, the mini Brigadeiros from last year’s Best of BreyerFest Set!
The majority of Linzers were much closer to the Traditional Brigadeiros’s Seal Bay color, but a handful of them were this sooty buckskin. While I have largely curbed my Stablemate variation habit (with the recent exception of the Dollar General pieces) this one I simply couldn’t resist, especially since he seemed to be a bit on the scarce side.
3 comments:
I guess I volunteer for the model, as it's a treasure for collection. I've worked in the sweltering heat for them, and they mean the world to me. I dreamed so long to have just one. Now I have a good share, with only a few purchased.
I'm one that doesn't understand the constant flipping. I'm a damn collector I do things to get the model for ME. I go to events to get the models for ME.
I wish I could plant seeds, but here I sit surrounded by icebergs with another possible 20 inches coming this week. Sigh. My shoulder hurts already.
I am also curious to see what affect the volunteer model reveal will have. Outside of people trying to get in to flip, how many folks are going to be begging to participate because it's their favorite mold? I know Robin will be impartial as knowing her in person for many years, that's just how she is, fair and puts much thought into those choices.
It certainly may sway the decisions of folks whether to apply or not if they are on the fence.
Overall, I'm not sure how I feel about knowing what it is ahead of time, but then it's also one less rarity I have to hope it's not a mold I conga (if not volunteering) until the event itself. If it is something I want, there is plenty of time to put feelers out (probably wouldn't be able to afford all 3 of course) and budget for trying to get one.
I personally think this move with splitting up a 375 piece run between all the Breyer events is beyond CHEAP on Breyer's part and I hope they reap what they're sowing there and have to dig for volunteers. People are giving up a significant portion of their vacation and leisure time to do this work, taking time away from their family and friends, and this is a smack in the face.
So what now, are the people volunteering at the earlier events (I'm looking at you, BreyerWest people) now going to have to wait ALL YEAR until after Breyerfest or some later event to get their volunteer models just so everyone won't know what they'll be getting at Breyerfest and maybe decide not to apply because they don't want it? You couldn't blame those people if they do, because Breyerfest is a significant investment of time and money, and volunteering there is a 8+ hour commitment to be lost from those people's vacations. That sure won't be fair to the volunteers at the earlier events, but again, that's Breyer being CHEAP.
A great many of the people who volunteer do so because it's either one of their only ways of being able to afford a rarer model or because their incomes aren't large, and so this is an opportunity to sell for a windfall to afford something else they want but can't afford. Why does this company need to trample on that??? Sure looks like pure greed and cheapness from over here.
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