Saturday, October 15, 2016

Breyer Collecting on the West Coast...

** note ** Let me apologize in advance for any typos.  I tried to go back and fix them, but it only resulted in this  being posted four times.  I typed this on my iPad mini, which is a bit touchy when it comes to editing.  I promise, my spelling and grammar are not as bad as my blog posts might sometimes portray.  :)

It can really suck sometimes.  It seems like Breyer doesn't care as much about the collectors in the western half of the country as it does the eastern half.  Why do I say that?   Here's a hint...
Right now, as we speak, a Collector Event is going on in Maryland.  An event full of daily activities and giveaways and special run models
photo by Kristina on Blab

Photo from Breyer
Photo by Kristina on Blab
The first photo shows the models that will be available for purchase.  The 2nd and 3rd are of the free models attendees will get just for showing up.  So, some of you may be wondering, what's the big deal?  It's just one event, right?  Wrong.  Now, let me paint you a mini picture...due to lack of room and not having a reliable job or car, I took a hiatus from collecting.  During this time, there were a couple of events in Texas and Florida.  But those were before I began collecting again.  The first event I became aware of was in 2012, about 6 months after I began collecting again.  It was called Passage to the Pacific and was held in San Diego, CA.  Unfortunately, I didn't find out about it soon enough to be able to attend.  Bummer.  I can't remember if an event was held in 2013, but I want to say there wasn't.  In 2014, however, Breyer held Big Easy Bash...in New Jersey.  I believe that was done on a lottery system so you couldn't actually plan for it until you knew you were selected.  Like the events prior to BEB, there were Special Run models for purchase, a traditional and a Stablemate for gifts to all who attended.  In 2015 there was Sweet Home Chicago.  I don't need to tell you where that was held because it should seem self-explanatory.  Tickets for this event were sold first come, first served and each attendee received a traditional model and a Stablemate, although I don't think there was special runs for purchase.  In 2016, the event is Chasing the Chesapeake in Maryland.  Free traditional and Stablemate models for attendees and special runs for purchase.  So, have you noticed a pattern here?  2014, 2015, 2016...all of them are on the East Coast.  Well, Chicago technically isn't, but it's still in that half of the country and would cost a lot of money to reach.  Plus, the east coast collectors get Breyerfest every July.

When CTC was first announced and its location revealed, obviously there was some grumbling by people in the western half of the US.  Someone pointed out that we were 'getting BreyerWest back'.  True.  March 2016 saw the return of this event and it will be held again in 2017, but it's hardly comparable to the other events mentioned above.  Why?  It's held in conjunction with a real horse show and is basically live model shows and customizing workshops.  I don't do either.  Plus, there is no special models to buy and there's none that are given just for attending.  Even the prize models for the live shows are recycled from other events.  Nothing is new or unique.  I pointed this out on the message board and someone said that we could choose to support the event and 'maybe' (her word, not mine) it will eventually become like the others.  Huh?  BEB, SHC and CTC didn't need to be supported for several years in order to be like they are...thats how they were planned.  What surprised me about her statement, though, is that she is a 'West Coast Collector' so she should understand why it's such a frustration for those of us on this side of the country to watch event after event planned for the eastern half.  There aren't even special days at a breeding farm or race track or cross country field.  Just the Northwest Horse Fair & Expo and the live model show.  How am I supposed to support that? Come on, Breyer, throw us a bone!  Please!  Of course, there's nothing to prevent me from attending any of these events...well, nothing much.  I do have rent to pay, bills to pay and a car payment so it's not like I have a bunch of the green stuff.  That's not my only issue, though.  I don't like to fly and I really don't want to fly somewhere that would require three plane transfers because the host location is a small state up in the northeast part of the country.  Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little bit.  I can fly non-stop on Southwest and the flight would be cheaper than a round trip to Louisville, but that's besides the point.  Hahaha.  But the point is, people in the western half shouldn't have to keep flying to the eastern half if they want to attend an event.   I don't know what Seattle has in terms of horse events, but there's Northern California, Nevada, Arizona...we even have a Paso Fino breeding farm here...I bet people would love to visit that.  Turf Paradise started live racing today...another great option.  There's also Texas and Colorado, Wyoming.  You get the idea.  Have another event over on this side.  You've had 3 in a row on that side.  Make us feel like we matter.

On second thought, maybe Seattle wouldn't be a very good option.  There is a cat rescue there that seems to corner the market on kitties with unusual markings...





I don't remember how I stumbled upon this particular rescue...well, actually, I do. I was on Petfinder and decided to look up Seattle and that's where I found Lacey, the tortie point Siamese with the gorgeous blue eyes. From there, I just kept looking. This place is amazing. They hold adoption events at their facility on weekends and average about 30 adoptions at each event. Now, they mostly adopt in pairs, but that's still a lot of cats and they have people climbing over each other to get them. They must be doing something right. But if Breyer were to host an event in Seattle I'd like want to visit the rescue and come home with two kittens.

I've been wanting to post this for awhile now...I'm a BBC...A Bad Breyer Collector...awhile ago I accidentally knocked into some of my shelves and most of my Stablemates fell over...I have yet to set them back up...

And then I have ones I've bought recently AND not so recently that are still in their boxes...including my Cortes C I waited several months to get...

My last of 2016 Vintage Club model also remains boxed plus the foal has been promised to a friend in Tennessee, but I haven't shipped him yet...

Last but not least...this mess here? There's at least two horses in there, maybe more...

Actually, that isn't last, but it is the last photo...I had someone pick me up a couple of Stablemates from Breyerfest back in July...the ones you get with a single day ticket? Currently...I have no idea where the box is that they were shipped in. Hahahahaha. Oh boy. I need to do something soon.

This morning when I went out to buy lotto tickets for tonight's drawing, I saw lots of 'yard sale' signs. The weather is improving. People have sales year round here, but you always know when the weather is starting to improve because the number of yard sales increases. It's still supposed to be 95 today, but that's an improvement over 115. We got our power bill yesterday for the month of September and it was low. Like, November low. It's never been this low for a September before. That makes me very happy!

Why do I always close with the weather? Gee, Mr Spiccoli, I don't know... (fast times at ridgemont high reference in case you didn't catch it haha).

Have a great one.

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