My Birthday Buckskin

I was a little annoyed at first when I saw this week’s schedule: What do you mean, no overtime? I was just getting used to the not-sleeping thing!

Then I realize, duh, I could actually do things like answer e-mails and open packages, which made it not so bad.

So I finally did open my Buried Treasure: oh, is he purty. Really one of the nicest buckskin paint jobs I’ve seen in a long time, which my photograph (and Reeves’, on the web site) in no way can convey:

Warm, shaded, shimmery - now that’s buckskin, baby!

He has a slight eartip rub from the funky packaging - bagged, bubblewrapped, loosely tossed in a box - but other than that, I have no complaints. Actually, I can’t stop staring at him, he’s just that nice. I want to see this color on everything, right now. Even on the Creepy Kitten, if it’s possible.

There’s no VIN number, no belly stamps, and no certificates, so with the addition of the cobbled together packaging, that pretty much tells us that they were painted in New Jersey. 

As I was updating my research files, I noticed an interesting "something" about the issue numbers: the Glossy Joeys were issue number 712073; the Buried Treasure - Lusitano is issue number 712074.

Hmm, okay. I guess that means that they were something a little more recent after all - since the planning stages of the Glossy Joey giveaway, at least.

They must have had a substantial number of Foundation Stallion bodies left over after they ran the 2010 Mid-States Special Run Thunderbolts. Aside from being the most recent production piece on the Foundation Stallion mold, it also had an odd piece run - 2900 pieces, instead of a more standard 2500 or 3000.

I had figured that the Joeys had come out of bodies leftover from the Thunderbolt run; the Buried Treasures must have come out of the leftovers of the leftovers.  

This raises an interesting possibility: will future Buried Treasures come out of Reeves’ leftover body bins? They had enough of some unpainted older bodies - like the Stock Horse Stallion, the Belgian, the Clydesdale Mare, and Gem Twist - to sell them in box lots of "whiteware" at BreyerFest a couple years ago.

Interest in them was tepid, at best.

Now that they’ve seen success in putting a simple, yet well executed paint job on an older mold - and marketing it as an extremely limited surprise special run - I can’t imagine them not trying it again.

Kids Only

I’ve been in a really weird mood all weekend. I still haven’t gotten around to opening my packages yet, for instance. I only got about three hours sleep last night, but I feel absolutely fine. And today I bought all sorts of crazy stuff at the flea market, including a vintage umbrella:

There were a few horses, but for some reason I had to come home with a crazy plaid umbrella with the swirly green bakelite handle, that I’ll probably never use, not even in a costume-y kind of way.

I also bought a trenchcoat, for pretty much the same reason. Plus, the old lady who was selling it told me I looked good in it, and who was I to argue with her?

I did managed to pass up the Napoleonic hat with the giant ostrich plumes, though. Not because it wouldn't have gone with the umbrella and trenchcoat, but because I was almost out of money.

(I’ll blame it all on the supermoon.)

I haven’t talked much about the Kids Only Event, because there wasn’t much about it to talk about. Reeves designed a very age-appropriate event, with age-appropriate "freebies" - a Welcome to the World of Breyer Kit, a signed Brookside Pink Magnum, and a current NIP Stablemate.

To the disappointment of some of the adult attendees, I’m sure. But I’ll get back to that in a minute.

The only "news" that broke from the event was the BreyerFest SR Prince of Chintz, who was posted on the Breyer web site a few days later. Barely news at all, then. Most of the actual kids, when talking about the event, seem to have been more excited about meeting Magnum in person rather than of any news of future releases.

Which is as it should be. Although I had a fairly intense interest in Breyer History at an early age, meeting someone who was made into a Breyer model would have been just as exciting, if not more. Touring the Sample Room would have been great, too, but I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish the Rare from the Common, the Test Colors from the Regular Runs. I would have just gravitated towards my favorite molds and colors.

And then spun around in circles repeatedly just to drink in the aroma, and then passed out.

(Which is sort of what I did the one time I did get to see the Sample Room - as an adult. No actual passing out occurred, that I can recall.)

Actually, I’m sort of relieved that we haven’t heard much about the potential/future Special Runs that were on display, such as the Volunteer model (especially since I’m not volunteering). It’s not that I’m jealous of people knowing things I don’t know - which happens way more than you think, though I’m pretty good at camouflaging it - but that information like that tends to warp expectations.

Sometimes it’s better to not know what could have been. Whenever there’s a proposed SR that either doesn’t get made - or undergoes some modification prior to release - there’s always lots of whining and moping about it.

The only other news I was able to glean from coverage of the event is that a depressingly high percentage of the "adult" accompaniment was not of a parental nature. In other words, kids were "borrowed" to attend.

This does not surprise me. While I’m sure some of them - like me - would have just liked the opportunity to "tour the facility", I’m also sure that some of them were hoping there would be a little something "extra" in it for them.

Nope, blessedly, the Event was pretty much as advertised.

More Flower!

See, what did I tell you? No Web Specials for me this time around. S’okay, though, since my two newest additions (I’m Yours, and Buried Treasure) have arrived and are currently sitting in the foyer, waiting to be opened. Sleep’s been in short supply this week, so I won’t actually be seeing them in the flesh for another day or two.

Being dead tired from couple of days of long-overdue yard and garden work doesn’t help, either. (Low maintenance doesn’t mean No maintenance.)

Speaking of gardening, the next BreyerFest SR that’s been announced is called the "Prince of Chintz": he’s a Glossy Baby Blue Esprit covered in flowers - like the fabric (and pottery) of the same name.

My first reaction was "What the?" followed by "dang, that’s kinda clever" and finally "a lot of hobbyists aren’t going to ‘get’ it."

The English love of tea, a horse that sort of looks a little like a teapot, with a finish that replicates the chintz pottery finish…that’s seriously high concept for a BreyerFest Special Run.

(Sort of like most of my BreyerFest contest entries.)

(Scratches another idea off list of potential "Best of British" contest entries.)

My only complaints are (a) it could use more and/or bigger flowers, and (b) I wish they had used some other base color instead of blue, because I’m already tired of the whining about "Why couldn’t he just be a Glossy Wedgewood Blue instead?"

Because Wedgewood Blue doesn't come in glossy, that’s why. That’s just how it is.

Yes, Wedgwood is a British institution, and a Wedgewood Blue Special Run would not have been inappropriate item to make for this BreyerFest. But Reeves decided to go one step further and give us something kind of "out there." Gotta give ‘em some props for trying new and different things.

And if he really isn’t your cup of tea, here’s a thought worth considering: they might still have some Wedgewood Blue SR in the mix that we don’t know about yet.

Marketing Experimentation

Nothing much at the flea market again, this week. This I consider a good thing, since every time I log onto Blab I end up throwing more money at the Breyer web site. (Honestly, I should have just direct-deposited my check into Reeves account this week!)

This time it was a "Second Chance" offering to Collector’s Club members of the most recent Web Specials: Mont Tremblant, I’m Yours, Fall in Love, and Paddy. Announced via Twitter Saturday morning, all sold at issue price, only one item per customer. Since the only piece of the four I didn’t have was I’m Yours, and I’m no greedhead, that’s the one I caved on.

I didn’t bother to log on here to post anything about it because I assumed that the piece counts were infinitesimal - and that posting would be moot. I think everything except the I’m Yours is sold out at this point, though I haven’t really had the time to check to see if that’s still true or not. (Frankly, I’m a little afraid to!)

This sale is no reflection of the popularity - or lack thereof - of the Web Special program. No matter how tightly you run a program, there are going to be leftovers. What these represent were the leftovers of nonpaying customers, returns, and possibly some overage made to cover damages.

Actually, with the relative ease of entering these drawings, I wouldn’t be surprised if the redemption rates drop a bit. A lot of the people who couldn’t be bothered to put a stamp on an envelope before - or had their entreaties to enter rebuffed by their "financial caretakers" (parents) - can now enter anything and everything they want with a few mere mouse clicks.

If they "win" but cannot pay, oh well. No consequences for them, just more labor for Reeves, as they track down another buyer.

I admire Reeves’ marketing experimentation, but I do wish they’d space these experiments out a bit more. I guess they figured as long as they had all the extra staff on hand getting ready for the Kids Only Event, they might as well toss a few bones to the rest of us sitting at home trolling for gossip from said event.

It does make me worry about what’s going to show up in the NPOD this year, though I am relieved that I’m not going to have to witness any fistfights over leftover Mont Tremblants. Surprise SRs are nice (and I’m pretty darn positive it’s going to be more than just Killarney and Taskin), but what we really line up for are the oddball surprises - the failed experiments, abandoned concepts, leftovers, samples and whatnot.

What gives me hope is that most of this kind of stuff is difficult to distribute almost any other way. I just can’t imagine having a drawing - a la the Chestnut Esprit - for every single one of those things. It’s neither economically feasible, nor fair. And what fun is a big ol’ tent sale, without any surprises?

Buried Treasure?

Another crazy work week, with an extra helping of drama. (This particular "drama" was something that was a long time coming. Didn’t make it any easier to deal with, though.)

I should just go back to bed (because I need it!) but there’s been quite a bit of drama in the model horse world over the past two days that I need to deal with, too.

I had a small window of opportunity to do a little web surfing on Thursday, so I dropped in on Blab for a few minutes of lurking. I noticed a new thread entitled "Buried Treasure?" and thought oh, someone must be talking about that self-published book about restoration I wrote a while back, of the same title. I still get the occasional inquiry about it, so I clicked on the thread to see if I needed to answer any questions about it, and …

Well, here’s what’s pretty much an accurate rendering of my ensuing internal monologue:

OMG! It’s a super-limited 62-piece metallic buckskin Foundation Stallion hidden on the Breyer web site! Where’s my credit card? @#$%! GAH!

Not only that, I just happened to find it literally minutes after the thread was posted, so when I clicked on the link, I think they still had 61 of 62 pieces left. I had no idea at that point if they had, or were, going to do any other advertising for it, so I spent a good ten minutes in utter panic mode, until I received the "confirmation of your order" screen.

It was a rough week, and I was definitely in a "I deserve a pony!" frame of mind. Plus, it’s my birthday this weekend, and I hadn’t yet bought anything specifically for that reason.

I exhaled, crashed for a bit, then I woke up with a start and realized I needed to post a little something here, at least in the comments. (Note to self: really need to look into this "Twitter" thing.)

According to the write up on the web site, they were "discovered in the Breyer archives", though judging from the style and quality of the paint job, they hadn’t been sitting in the archive for very long.

What were they originally intended for? Prizes? Raffles? Volunteer giveaways? Heck if I know.

I know some people are doubting the truly "lost" nature of such a Special Run, but as someone who works in inventory management services, I am not. You’d be shocked how easily inventory can become lost or misplaced, even in a relatively small warehouse. All it takes is a couple of missed keystrokes, or a few mislabeled boxes, and POOF! There goes a few thousand dollars worth of merchandise. 

We’ve also seen from recent finds in the NPOD - like the Glossy Summer Soltices, and the Palomino Appaloosa Proud Arabian Foals - that this is not an isolated incident. (Reeves, if you’re reading, I can gladly get you in touch with somebody to help you with that. No, really.)

I happen to think in this case that since they had significantly more than a dozen pieces for this horse, they decided to go a different route. Since they didn’t do any advertising at all, I could see it being a "word of mouth" marketing experiment - one that obviously worked!

Are there other "lost" SRs knocking around the Breyer warehouse? I have no doubt about it. Are any of them "piecey" enough to do this again? Time will tell.

Not Your Average Bear

My first reaction when I read the e-mail about the new Web Special Sucesion and Le Fire was: Only $135? What a deal! Seriously, that’s about 40 to 50 bucks cheaper than what boxed Regular Run sets of considerably greater piece runs are going for now. I thought with it being a two-piece set that they’d be charging a little bit more than that.

I’m not going to fuss over the affordability of the latest Web Special, though, since the flea market season is now officially underway.

It was another cold and quiet "opening day" on Sunday. There were quite a few horse-related objects lying about - used tack, potmetal carnival horses, tiles and other doodads - but I didn’t buy anything other than a couple of cute, Classics-scale ceramic Zebras of unknown origin for Mom. (They look vaguely Robert Simmons-ish.)

The big find of the week came the next day, when I stopped at the local Salvation Army on the way home from work. I needed a new wallet, and the only one I’d seen lately that I even remotely liked was a better-than-average knockoff I saw there last week. After picking it up, I took a quick cruise of the knick-knack aisle, and look who was nestled next to the Christmas decorations:

A pretty darn nice dark-faced variation of the Breyer Black Bear! When I picked her up, it appeared that she had some white housepaint speckled on her - something I see on a not-infrequent basis. A quick bath in hot soapy water and a gentle rubdown with a washcloth usually takes care of the problem.

After her bath, however, I discovered that some of those opaque white "paint flecks" weren’t paint flecks. They were rubs and chips down to the opaque white plastic. Such as this small gouge on the bottom of a rear paw:

She’s a White Plastic Chalky! Awesome!

I hadn’t heard of any Chalky Bears before; seeing as they have a dark, full-body paint job, they wouldn’t be immediately obvious to most hobbyists unless some damage - such as rubs or chips - happens to reveal it. They were within the realm of possibility, though, since the Black Bears were in production throughout the entire "Chalky Era", not being discontinued until the end of 1976.

That she’s a White Plastic Chalky is also somewhat typical of Nonhorse Chalkies - not all are, but a bigger-than-average percentage of them seem to be. I don’t know if it was a conscious decision on Breyer’s part, but it makes sense if it does. Getting good paint coverage for a basecoat on roughly textured molds like the Buffalo or the Bear would have been a major pain in the behind. 

Just a few weeks ago I was griping to myself that good quality, harder-to-find Chalkies were rapidly shooting out of my price range. And now The Universe practically delivers one to my front door.

Busy News Day

I spent most of Friday sleeping (deservedly!) And the rest of it catching up on the news. Quite a bit apparently happened this week while I was gallivanting around. (Not just model horse-wise, either: the President was in town, and I had no idea! Oh, so that’s why the freeway was shut down. Duh.)

First off, they apparently did change the rules a bit in the Children/Youth Show at BreyerFest - making some of the awards Regular Run models, and not those coveted-beyond-reason Glossies. This is supposed to minimize the temptation to cheat, but on the flip side, it also makes those particular Glossies that are being awarded more rare, and more coveted.

In other words, I think it’ll be a wash as far as remedying the bad behavior. It appears that this change may have come about as a result of the brouhaha over the BreyerWest prizes last year, though some folks at Reeves may be being a little disingenuous about not knowing about the quality and quantity of less-than-ethical goings on at the BreyerFest shows.

(Per the discussion on Blab, which I won’t link to since it’s in a paid section of the site.)

Second, there’s another Web Special coming up this week, for Mother’s Day, called (presumably, from the original e-mail) A Mother’s Love. From the sneak peek photo on the Breyer web site, it’s quite obviously a Flaxen Chestnut Sucesion and Le Fire set, most recently seen in the screen saver they were giving away on the Breyer web site a week or so back.

I’d love to have it, naturally, since other Sucesion and Le Fire sets are insanely expensive and hard to come by nowadays. Since I only seem to get drawn for things when I don’t have the cash to spare, and I will be somewhat flush by the end of the week, my odds probably aren’t all that good.

And finally, there’s news of not one, but two new molds of the dressage horse Totilas, both by Brigitte Eberl. One’s a Traditional, and the other’s going to be done in that five-inch "Breeds of the World" scale that Reeves seems pretty intent on expanding. (There was a Clydesdale previewed at Equine Affaire that’s also going to be a part of that scale/series.)

No pictures of the little resin were offered up, but the pics of the Traditional on the web site look very promising. Some hobbyists are a little concerned because they see it as a tacit endorsement of rollkur. I have to admit it does trouble me a little bit, but I’ve already zoned out of that discussion, since it now appears to have descended into a game of "I hate this abusive training practice even more than YOU do."

Discussions like that, no matter how well meaning, never end well.