Breyerfest 2022 Drama

     The other day I was listening to Mares in Black #83. A portion of the episode was about the usual holiday drama we seem to have in the model horse hobby. There really does always seem to be something. This particular bit of drama is about Breyerfest 2022. Breyer announced, officially, that there would in fact be an online component again (we knew that, but now it's official) and they defined the different ticket levels. 

     And people lost their minds. 

     There is the camp of people that feels that if you are not in Kentucky, at the horse park, you are completely undeserving of anything to do with Breyerfest. The attitude is that if you can't be in person, then too bad. Then there is the camp of people that feels that online should have absolutely everything that in person Breyerfest has. I think both those camps are extreme, entitled, and should learn a little thing called gratitude. 

     First, Breyer will do whatever they choose to do in the best interest of their company. They do try very hard to make collectors happy. Which usually somehow fails spectacularly because people are incredibly hard to please and entitled these days. There was even an extreme group of people who said that if Breyer didn't offer exactly the same things online as in person they would be violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Stop it. The ADA was not formed to give people equal access to plastic ponies. The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and access to state and local government programs and services. 

     I have never been to and in person Breyerfest. It is a very expensive trip, and I likely would not be able to share any hotel costs with anyone since Travis would need to come with me (he's kind of a bad roommate, lol!). I have easily doubled all of my costs instantly. Is it Breyer's fault that my son needs supervision and gets really excited in hotel rooms and stays up half the night making noise? Not at all. Is it Breyer's fault that I personally cannot justify the costs of the trip at this moment in time? Nope. Does it make me mad that I can't go? Nope. If I really wanted to make it work, I could do it. Some day I probably will. Maybe when we are not trying to move. 

     I am incredibly grateful for what Breyer did with moving the event online. Yes, it was because of a global pandemic, but it allowed me to experience Breyerfest for myself for the first time. Then I got to do it again and even be a part of it. That is not something that I would have gotten to do if it had only ever been an in person event. As a person, who cannot personally justify making the trip in person, I am very excited that Breyer is doing anything at all online, now that they are planning to go back to in person. Online won't have access to special runs. My take on that? Thanks for doing ANYTHING for those of us who can't make the trip for one reason or another. If there happens to be a special run that I love so much that I must try to get it I will do what I have always done, work out a way for someone to pick it up for me. And be happy that I can have some Breyerfest with a little less FOMO.