My Place In This Hobby...

I have been in this hobby for a long time.  Since I was about 8 years old.  Back then, my involvement was mainly trying to convince my parents to buy me a model.  Back then, a Traditional was only about $5.99 and a Classic was...$3.99, I think?  Back then they came in cardboard boxes and were encased in a plastic bag and had a great little catalog

by Triple Mountain Model Horses

The catalogs were "almost" as good as the models because you could see what was available and make your wish lists of the ones you wanted, whether it was for Christmas, your birthday or just because you wanted it.  I usually fell into the latter category because I didn't want to wait until a gift-giving holiday to get a model and I didn't want to save my allowance for it.  I wanted it NOW.  In fact, I remember a funny story.  Well, it probably wasn't very funny at the time.  Not to my mom, at least.  I wanted the Misty of Chincoteague model and our local toy store had her in stock.  Now, to me, $5.99 was a very reasonable price and I was trying to convince my mom to take me to the store, which was less than a mile from our house, and buy it for me.  She wouldn't.  I don't remember if she gave me a reason or it if was just "no".  We were sitting in the kitchen and I started saying things like "It's almost 5 o'clock.  The store will be closing soon."  Every couple of minutes I'd make some kind of comment about the store or the model and it drove my mother crazy.  I don't know where my dad or brother were at the time, but they weren't home.  Eventually, my mom had enough and said if I didn't stop, she was going to go into another room.  I must've said something else because she left the room.  Sure showed me.  And that was the last time I did that.

Over the years, I still collected models. Usually getting them as gifts and sometimes buying them myself with my allowance.  I started attending live shows and even went out of state 3 times to attend a show.  It was during one of those shows that I experienced my first (and, so far, only) earthquake.  In Las Vegas, of all places.  Talk about an adventure.  hahaha.  While at a show in Oceanside, CA I met Sarah Minkiewicz and became enamored of her customs.  I was quite envious of her talent and have wanted one of her models for years.  I attended local shows whenever I could and it was at those local shows that I came to know Kathleen Moody.  This was before she started sculpting for Breyer.  She even came to my house one time for a "home show" that was popular back then.  They were just mini shows people would have during the year, in between the big annual one.  Anyway, I was always chasing that coveted blue ribbon.  Even a red one was great, but I preferred blue.  I didn't get many, but when I did, I was so happy.  I think I only won a Grand Champion once and I actually still have the trophy and the model that won it.

Then there came a period of time when I didn't have a car to go to a live show and I kind of fell out of the hobby.  I was living on my own, but my horses were packed away because I didn't really have room to put them up.  For about 15 years I barely even thought of model horses, let alone bought any.  Well, fast forward to 2014 and I somehow discovered Model Horse Blab.  I'm not sure what made me start thinking about models again or why I went in search of a model horse message board, but Blab got me excited about them again and out came my tote of horses.  Some were in bad shape from being stored on their sides and in plastic wrap for so long.  Due to my chase of blue ribbons, my once full full of models had been reduced to a Rubbermaid tote.  I'd kept only ones that were show-worthy and got ride of the ones with flaws.  Boy do I regret that now.  Ironically. most of the models I had left were no longer show-worthy either.

With the discovery of Blab, I started collecting again and was excited about the hobby, just like I had been as a kid.  I learned about congas, even though I already had several mini ones (I just didn't know it was a "thing") and Peter Stone models.  Well, I sort of already knew about them, but since they weren't sold locally, I'd never seen one, let alone had any.  I loved the short mane/short tail ISH mold and began doing the Design A Horse program until they started getting too expensive, even for the simple customs.  I struggled, though, to find a good fit for me.  Something to do with the models that I enjoyed doing.  I tried taking fun pictures

The girls terrorize the barn animals

It's not so funny when the animals bring reinforcements

but it wasn't enough.  I saw other photos that were so much more interesting than mine.  And better dolls.  I wasn't going to spend a bunch of money for a doll to play with, though, so I stuck with the Breyers and their big heads.

I even tried making tack...not to sell, just to add to my models

My first halter wasn't too bad.  Maybe a bit snug, but not horribly so.  It took me several hours to make it, though, so I set it aside.  The next time I tried to make one, well, let's just say I haven't tried again for awhile.

I even tried painting...but to say that was a disaster would be a huge understatement.  There is no photographic evidence of that mess.  hahaha.

Gradually, I began slacking off again.  Something would happen and some of my models would fall over and it wouldn't be a priority to fix them back up again

Currently, I have models all over the place, both boxed and loose.  Some are wrapped in bubble wrap and some are just lying around.  I went from a "put the horses neatly away" to putting them on any available flat surface.  I don't really have a place to put them so I just don't mess with them.  I *want* to, but I don't know what to do with them.  When I was on vacation last week, cleaning them up was one of the things I wanted to do, but I didn't.  Sometimes I look at my shelves of models and wonder why I spent the money on them and how can I get rid of them.  But then a new model will come out that I like and I'll want to buy it as quickly as possible.  Right now I'm waiting to see if Breyer is going to have any Breyerfest left-overs for sale and if they do, which ones because I want a couple.  Of course, the two I want are super popular and sold out each line time so it's no likely they'll even be available.  And since I have to get them through a friend, due to me not buying a 3 day ticket, there's always the chance that I won't be fast enought or be able to reach her in time to get them when they do become available.  And then we are back to "where will I put them?" hahaha.

I don't show, live or photos, anymore.  I don't make tack.  I don't customize.  All I do is buy them.  Is that enough to sustain me in this hobby?  I know people who've "left" the hobby.  They don't buy models anymore, although they still enjoy them.  I just don't know.  I need to find my place again and be happy there.