Virtual Countdown

5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 -- only 26 more days until Virtual Breyerfest!

I have to admit, I'm getting kind of excited.  This will be the first Breyerfest I've been able to attend in 20 years.  I'm looking forward to getting in on the fun this year rather than sitting at home dealing with intense spasms of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Of course, my participation is subject to certain restrictions.  As an international participant, I'm not allowed to enter most of the contests, raffles and shows, and because I chose to buy a single-day 4-pack rather than a standard 3-day ticket, I won't get to order any special runs or NPOD (Ninja Pit of Death) grab bags, receive the Celebration horse, or participate in any workshops.

However, I knew most of that going in when I made my choice.  I had a lot of good reasons for opting out of the 3-day ticket:  I don't really want the Celebration horse, I didn't see any Special Runs that I just had to have, and I probably wouldn't have entered any of the shows anyway.  I'm a bit disappointed about missing out on the NPOD and I probably would have attended a workshop if I could have, but as far as contest and raffle entries go -- there's nothing I could do about that.

"Skye" image courtesy Identify Your Breyer

I'm really looking forward to getting my full set of single day Stablemates, though -- with Skye being the one I'm most eagerly anticipating.  As for the stuff on offer as Store Specials and Fling! Souvenirs, so far I only have my eye on one thing: the Best of Breyerfest Stablemate Set.  But I'm also going to keep my eyes open for any of the promised "other surprises" that are supposed to come along with all adult tickets.

I want to watch every film in the Equus Film Festival, attend all the seminars, and, if possible, view the entries in all the shows and contests, including the auction if there is one (and I don't think Breyer would want to cancel it since it's such a huge charitable fundraiser).  I want to see the virtual Guest Horses do their thing, along with any other performers who were booked for Breyerfest 2020.  I'm keen to see what they'll be offering in terms of virtual tours -- of stud farms, the Kentucky Horse Park, and the like.  I toured these places back in 2000, but I'm sure a lot has changed since then.  The KHP museum is always changing its exhibits, so I'd like to see what's on display there this year.

Image courtesy of Identify Your Breyer

In anticipation of the big weekend I've been trying to do all my "virtual Clarion" shopping ahead of time through the Facebook page entitled "Not Going to Breyerfest 'Clarion'."  It's a clever concept, with all sellers assigned separate "rooms" in the "Clarion" to sell their wares from.  But it didn't work terribly well for me.  My original plan had been to visit every room to shop for bargains or items I didn't know I needed until I saw them for sale, but that approach eventually became as mentally exhausting as touring the real Clarion (then called Holiday Inn North) in person had been physically exhausting back in 2000.  And it's not quite as much fun as real room shopping is.

Image of Clarion Hotel Lexington courtesy of www.clarionhotellex.com

When shopping in person, it's much easier to haggle with the seller if he or she is not busy.  You can negotiate a better price for buying in bulk, or see if you can get the seller to move on the price based on the item's condition or how desperate you feel the seller is to move out inventory.  Of course, you can try these things virtually too, but it's much easier to negotiate face-to-face than it is through instant messaging.

Also, the delightful thing about shopping the Clarion in person when you come from outside the country is the ability you have pay cash and take your new items home with you after the 'Fest -- no waiting and no shipping costs involved.  With the virtual Clarion there's plenty of each, and with the current unfavourable exchange rate and huge increase in shipping costs, plus the COVID-19 postal slow down, the paying and waiting are something you really have to take into consideration when shopping.

I feel like I'm done with the virtual Clarion now.  I ended up buying four items: two of which would have been difficult for me to get any other way and two of which ended up being impulse buys which I may come to regret, but I was very impressed by their pictures and their price.  And that's another problem the virtual Clarion has that the real one doesn't -- you don't get to examine the items in person before deciding to buy.  

On the other hand, I have to say that I didn't miss the Clarion crowds -- wonderful as it is to make new friends and renew old acquaintances at Breyerfest, I found that the Clarion was not the best place to do that.  Every time I ventured down one of those labyrinthine halls, I found myself elbow to elbow with a host of strangers, many of whom were fully prepared to shove me aside to get to an item they had their eyes on.  Sellers rarely had time to chat, and the noise level often made conversation difficult anyway.

Anyway, aside from scheduling my weekend activities, which I won't be able to do until Breyer releases a bit more info, I feel like I'm pretty much set for Virtual Breyerfest now.  Let the countdown begin!