Pushing My Buttons

Apropos of absolutely nothing, I just want to say if I had a choice of auction models to bid on, it’d be today’s cutie-patootie rose gray Hackney with lime green ribbons. No one particular reason, it’s just the first auction model I’ve seen in a while that’s telling me it wants to come home with me.

(Pic from the Facebook page.)

Not gonna happen, of course. (Had a kitten try to do the same thing to me at the flea market yesterday. Dang it, he was persistent.)

I want to preface what I’m writing today with the following, to explain the tone: I broke out in a rash, the brake pads went on my car, and one of my projects just fell apart. Oh, and I’m having some scheduling issues at work, too. So yeah, my patience is a bit lacking.

Though some of it is my fault: I really shouldn’t be cruising the Internet when I have eleventy-billion things to do before I leave on my trip. But you know me and my multitasking problem.

Anyhow.

I found it amusing that even Reeves is getting a bit annoyed with some of us. From their forum, in regards to the Premier Club Connoisseur Offer:

There were several ways people were notified about this limited-time offer. We posted about it on Facebook, Twitter, in the Club News section of our web site, and also started a thread in the Premier Collection forum on our web site. Also, the available models could be viewed in the Club Home section of our web site.

As stated, only an extremely limited number of these unclaimed Connoisseur models were available, and they sold out quickly. There will be more special offers soon!

For a hobby that almost brags about how it adopted - and adapted to - the Internet culture right quick, I am amazed at how "disconnected" many online hobbyists are. And how persistent misinformation can be within our community, in spite of the wealth of resources available to us. 

I am not on Facebook: I don’t have an account, I don’t want an account (unless it ends up becoming medically or professionally necessary). I am not on the computer 24/7; if you keep track of my post times, you’ll notice that I, in fact, keep pretty weird and irregular hours. I am also not a member of the Premier Club.

And yet, despite all these impediments, I still managed to have found out about the offer before they all sold out.

Look, when you actively pursue any hobby, you have two commodities to spend: time, and money. You have to have at least a little bit of both, but most of us have more of one than the other. (And those that have a lot of both - well, fortunately for the rest of us, they tend to get bored very quickly and move on.)

Reeves can’t do all your work for you. Simply belonging to a club is not enough. All club membership does is give you access: it doesn’t provide you with a palanquin, it opens a door.

(A few extra freebies for the money would be nice, but that’s another issue, for another time. And also, palanquins at BreyerFest would be awesome.)

If you don’t want to spend the money, spend the time. Don’t have the time? You’ll have to spend the money. It really is that simple.

The Leavings

That’s very nice of Reeves to offer leftover Connoisseurs to Premier Club members; I would have loved a Pandora or a Swirling Sky, but with BreyerFest right around the corner, I wouldn’t have been able to even if I was a member of that club.

A few less things for the Ninja Pit, I guess. As for what I actually think is going to be in there this year, I am not even going to speculate. Not that I don’t have some interesting ideas on the subject, but I don’t want to stir the pot anymore than that silly "When are you getting in line for the NPOD?" thread on Blab already has.

I know, it’s mostly talk, but still. Nothing against amateurs or noobs - we all were, once - but if you don’t know what you’re doing, or what to look for, your odds of finding something "good" are utterly random, regardless of your position in line.

Naturally, right after I posted how everything was going so swimmingly, everything came crashing down. The computer lost its mind, the printer jammed up so badly that I had to disassemble it, I discovered that a component of one of the costumes I was thinking about doesn’t fit, and the power went out for most of a day. Oh, and a groundhog ate all of our tomato plants (which is somehow my fault, because everything is my fault.)

I’ve managed to recover from the bulk of the catastrophes; on the costume front I will probably go with one of the other ideas I have if I can’t take the weight off in time. And the universe gave me a small token for my trouble: a Beswick Beatrix Potter "Cousin Ribby"!

At a Salvation Army - in a less ritzy neighborhood than I usually frequent, no less. Not sure if I’m keeping her or not; it’s been a while since I picked up a Beswick of any kind, but it’s not a horse, and I will be needing some serious cash after BreyerFest to pay for all the things I need to pay for.

Other than the SRs, and the NPOD, I’m hoping to hold on to most of the money I manage to make this year. There are a few things I’m still eyeing (like a really nice Yellow Mount!) but if I buy anything, it’ll be the usual reference materials and stray oddities.

Among the things I’ll be selling this year - besides the usual assortment of flea market finds and book sale leavings - will be these Allen F. Brewer Jr. prints I picked up a few weeks ago at my local flea market. If you haven’t already seen them, here they are:

(In order; Kauai King, Man o' War, Round Table, Your Host, Swaps, Silky Sullivan. Your Host was Kelso's sire, sort of the Barbaro of the 1950s.)

They’re not all in the bestest shape, but they’re (mostly) signed, and (to put it bluntly) they had to be rescued. I wanted to keep a couple of them - like the Man o’ War and the Silky Sullivan (for research purposes, right?) but I’ll probably have to let them all go, because of the money. I don’t have a lot of wall space to spare, either.

Cutting it short today; lots of odds and ends to deal with.

Quiet Time

And yet another In-Between Mare pops up on eBay…that’ll make it the third "new" one in the hobby in a year, right?

Like I’ve been telling you, I’m really beginning to think that those Mares are more common than hobbyists realize, because of the perpetual (or eternal?) confusion between the Old Mold/Proud Arabian and the Family Arabian Mares.

A similar thing happened with the Woodgrain Old Mold Mares and Foals, not so long ago: they went from being "virtually nonexistent" to "just really, really rare" when more hobbyists started paying attention to the not-so-subtle differences between the Family Arabians and the Old Mold/Proud Arabians. 

The In-Between Mare ("IBM") is just close enough to the Family Arabian Mare - a mold that most hobbyists don’t even give a first glance to, much less a second - that I think some are still getting passed by, too.

If I had noticed the latest IBM on eBay before it sold - it was a "Buy it Now" at a "mere" $1800 - I might have considered buying it. Yeah, really: I’ve been working just enough - and saving just enough - to have been able to cover it. Plus, I think that price is more in line with where the market will eventually settle to, once the market finally shakes a few more of them out of the tree.

On the other hand, if this is more proof that they are really are more common than we realize, I probably should just bide my time and hope one turns up locally. My local flea market is just good enough for me to give me hope.

The flea market, though, has been fairly quiet for me for the past few weeks. Aside from some odds and ends, the only things I’ve picked up are random sewing supplies - patterns, fabric, and another unfinished vintage quilt project (an applique thingie from the late 1940s or 1950s that, like most projects I find, has to be completely disassembled and re-pieced.)

Everyone (capable of it) should do a little bit of handwork - be it sewing, gardening, painting, woodworking, or even baking. It’s better than therapy, I think; the mostly repetitive nature of the work is soothing, and even if you don’t completely resolve whatever problem you’re dealing with by working it, you at least come out of the experience with a beautiful or useful object.

While I am enjoying - in its own way - all of my BreyerFest prep, I am so looking forward to getting back to my sewing after the trip. I think its absence from my life is one of the things that's been keeping me more agitated than average lately. 

The BreyerFest prep, oddly enough, has been going almost disturbingly well. No drama, no major catastrophes, emergencies, or unexpected expenses. I even came up with three - three! - different costume contest ideas that I either already have the pieces for, or that I can buy at minimal expense. My only decision is which one I should go with. (Or maybe I shall bring them all, and draft friends and roommates into the cause?)

What’s the Fuss?

Is it the heat? I don’t normally expect a high level of discourse on the Internet, but dang it, it’s like everyone’s jacked up the crazy over the past few days. (The comments on Breyer’s web site forum and Facebook page … ‘nuff said, right?)

My theory: all the people who’d normally be outside shouting at random strangers on street corners decided to stay indoors and shout on the Internet instead.

I know I’m feeling a little more agitated than average today, but I’ve been chalking that up to a lack of sleep, due to the idiot neighbor who is abusing the recent changes in the fireworks laws around here.

(Vita don’t like it, either. Which contributes to the problem.)

My Salt and Pepper have arrived, and they are quite lovely. The packaging was a huge improvement - double boxed, individually bagged, and with a little extra packing paper, too. (See? Again, they really are listening.) I think mine have a touch more of the "fake overspray" than most, but I’m digging it all the same.

I also noticed that they might have done a little bit of tweaking on both the Mare and Foal molds; I can’t quite pinpoint the differences yet, other than the mold marks being switched out for the newer one, which might have happened earlier but I haven’t noticed since I haven’t bought a new Running Mare or Foal in a while.

(Note to self: I need to track these mold mark switches better. Also, work on my run-on sentence problem.)

And Reeves was most definitely trying to reproduce the Western Prancing Horse color on them; it even says so right on the Certificate of Authenticity:

"Our exclusive Club mare and foal feature limited edition glossy black and white pinto markings reminiscent of the retro Western Prancing Horse."

The gloss is a little bit thicker than the finish on the old Western Prancers, and there’s a little bit of body shading reminiscent of Charcoals in the black areas, but both of those changes were made, I think, to add a little bit of richness to the finish.

Besides, an exact reproduction of this finish would be pretty darn difficult, for all sorts of reasons. For instance, creating an old-fashioned painting mask, like they used to use (prior to the laser-cut stickers) would have been cost-prohibitive. There aren’t a lot people who can - or will - do that sort of detail work anymore.

(I wonder what happened to all those old painting masks/stencils? Another thing I haven’t given much thought to.)

I also consider the fact that they went with such an offbeat vintage color quite encouraging: I can only hope that one of my favorite vintage colors - the Black Splash Spot Leopard, also seen on the Western Prancing Horse - is somewhere on the horizon.

Salt and Pepper, Cream and Sugar

Today’s prayer: that some of those beautiful American Cream Draft centerpieces from the American Horse Publications awards dinner (as seen on Breyer’s Facebook page today) end up in the NPOD, and if I should miss them in the melee, that someone should hand one to me.

Oh, I’m not asking for it as a gift: I’m perfectly willing to pay for it. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, should someone else other than me happens to lay hands on mine, you know.

(Another long story, one that will be told only if and when one of those beautiful boys should join my herd. Yes, I am fully aware of - and own - the #906 Goliath, the 1995 Commemorative Edition. In fact, it’s part of that danged story.)

The Salt and Peppers are starting to show up, but mine’s not due here until tomorrow, I think; very nice of Reeves to send us UPS shipping notifications without prompting. (See, they’re learning!) The pattern on the mare is pretty much just like Western Prancing Horse’s, not the Shetland Pony; the composition of the original photograph did obscure it, though.

I’ve been trying to skim through the various online discussions about them because, well, I don’t need the additional grief, and I’m really not in the mood for more whining and whinging today.  Besides, y’all are amateurs in comparison to the Vita Monster: we cut back a bit on her snacks recently, and she’s not having it.

(Her tantrums are way cuter, too. Though the knocking of stuff off the tables, not so much. Terriers, man.)

I think I’m liking this year’s BreyerFest auction pieces better than most hobbyists; all these odd patterns and mold "mash-ups" give me the feeling that a greater percentage of them are actual test pieces, and not just whimsies done to please the hobby hoi polloi.

Like the red dun brindle Smart Chic Olena: there have been a couple other attempts at brindling in previous years’ auctions, and this SCO may be representative of where they are from a production standpoint. Still not there, but getting warmer.

I certainly wouldn’t turn it down if it were offered to me as a gift. (Not asking, just saying.)

Though, like everyone else, my favorite is the "Blackpool" Brighty in an adorbs mahogany bay pinto - with tack! We really do need a few more production run Brighties; the last two Specials were the BreyerFest 2005 Ticket Special Oliver, and the 2010 Contest prize Cameo, both of whom are just about impossible to acquire.

Another Brighty might make a nice Special Run for the Collector’s Club, don’t you think? Wouldn’t need to be spotted; I’d be happy with a Dark Bay or Black.

Picture Day

Mood’s in a bit of a dumper today. Nothing specific, just realizing the amount - and order of magnitude - of stuff I have to urgently attended to after BreyerFest. (None of it of the good sort, either.)

Keeping myself distracted with BreyerFest prep is the only thing keeping me reasonably rational and focused right now. Focus is good! Think about how good it will be to get away.

If I’m lucky, I might even get to see the return of Giant Butter Jesus:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2018464694_apusjesusstatuereturn.html

(I'm not a particularly religious person. I just like oversized roadside sculpture.)

Here’s a little something I picked up at the flea market a few weeks ago. It’s not model horse or Breyer related, but I think most of you will appreciate it:

It’s an 18" x 24" upholstered naugahyde horse picture, mounted on wood, with a mane and forelock each made out of a single piece of hand cut vinyl. The concha’s a nice touch, too, don’t you think? According to the address label on the back, it was made pre-1964. I have no idea what I’m going to do with it, but I absolutely had to have it.

I’ve seen similar things on the actual pieces of furniture, but never something done purely as a piece of wall art.

Here’s another picture, this one showing you why I’m so concerned about the dimensions of my body box this year:

See, told you. Scary! Outside of a couple of Classics, there’s nothing "newish" or particularly desirable about any of the bodies contained therein. Just because they’re not conventionally - or conformationally - pretty doesn’t mean you can’t make something beautiful (or fun!) out of an otherwise undesirable body:

(The glitter glows in the dark, by the way. Because that’s how I roll, ladies.)

On top of all the other contests Reeves "sponsors" for BreyerFest, I really think they need to do one that highlights the more subtle charms of the older molds. Pick any older mold that most customizers now steer clear of - like the Running Stallion, or the Family Arabian Mare, or even Misty - and make something beautiful or unique out of it. With the only stipulation being that it still be recognizable as the mold. (No melting it into a puddle, or only using the head and tail.)

Sort of like the old Model Horse Jamboree Tricked Out Pony Contest, except with molds nobody actually customizes of their own free will. Anybody can make something out of the American Saddlebred mold, but a Roemer? Now THAT’S a challenge.

It would help foster a greater appreciation for some of these overlooked molds, clear out a few body boxes, and maybe - like the Dragon Horse Merlin - serve as an inspiration for a future release.

And if Reeves doesn’t do it, maybe we can do it ourselves. We can award ourselves goofy, nominal prizes - gift certificates to Denny's, silly hats, or giant bags of candy - for whatever categories we choose ("realistic", "unrealistic", and "WTF?") It’s high time the hobby took back a little ownership of the mid-summer model horse convention thing, ya know?

Egg on my Face

Well, in my defense, I was only mostly wrong about the third Vintage Club release: I did get the "Reeves wouldn’t release the Running Mare without the matching Foal" part right.

And it’s nice to see that Reeves is now acknowledging that the Running Mare and Foal were released prior to 1963, which makes up (slightly) for the time that they misidentified (and misdated!) the Proud Arabian Stallion as the Family Arabian Stallion on their Facebook page.

There was an offhand comment by someone on Blab a few weeks ago about a Reeves employee/rep mentioning that the next Vintage Club release was "black and white", but I had discounted that because a similar rumor about a "buff" (Palomino?) Silver a few years ago never amounted to anything.

Oh well, I guess that just means I’m merely an expert, not a prophet. Major league baseball players only need to get one hit out of every three at bats to be considered "All-Star" material, right? I’ll comfort myself with that thought.

I am getting annoyed that it’s being referred to as a "Charcoal" Pinto, since the colorway that "Salt and Pepper" sport was never formally identified as Charcoal Pinto in any of the contemporary ephemera. (Just as the Smoke Belgian was never actually called "Smoke"!) It’s a nitpick, I know, but hey, I’m the queen of nitpicking. (And their hooves aren’t pink, either, so there.) The Foal’s pattern is based on the Western Prancing Horse’s, but the Mare is a little harder to tell (Shetland Pony-ish?)

My only other concern with the release is that it’s going to make the Breyer web site forums even more insufferable than they already are. (Are they a textbook argument for firm moderation, or what? Sheesh.)

Let’s see, in the next week we should see: a half dozen threads harassing/demanding Reeves release a matching Stallion; several more complaining about the overspray (it’s intentional folks - check out the Regular Run Bay Pinto Fury Prancers); and at least one griping about it not being solid Charcoal instead.

(I love Charcoal, but the obsession the Breyer web site forum-dwellers have with it is making me reconsider.)

Oh, and three or four threads of people crowing/chest thumping about how Reeves listened and responded specifically to their demands. That line of argument especially gets my dander up.

Other than a few extra-limited Special Runs and Glosses, Reeves does not have the ability to execute "quick" responses to collector demand: the factory is in China, for Pete’s sake. The rest of the releases for the Vintage Club - the fourth release, and any other special offers - are probably already either in production, or in the advanced planning stages (subject to minor, last-minute tweaking). 

We all like to entertain the notion that we’re more influential than we actually are. I’m not any different - and I get reminded of it all the time.