I want to first say that many of the reddit pages citing that people have been stolen from and had hotel rooms broken into, have vanished. Now whether this is due to pending investigations or whether they simply weren’t true, is not for me to debate nor speculate on. I’m merely citing what I’ve seen posted and “dumbing” it down. Do your own digging.
Well well, what a surprise. Not. Seems this year's BF24 was yet another dang nightmare from the Seven Pits of whatever nightmareish hell it dragged itself up from.
I love Breyer. So before anyone chooses to come at me on that, understand a few things.
I've run shows both on/offline.
I've been barrel racing and trust me when I say, the mix ups for certain fair grounds could be a nightmare. But we had one thing that Breyer didn't...again...this year have; kind employees/helpers.
I've also helped set up and dismantle fair grounds. Even after closing hours, I always did my best to answer questions. If I couldn't, I found someone who could.
We seem to be forgetting how much of a royal screw up Breyerfest 2020/2021/2022/and 2023 was. I'm sorry but I understand. You're running an event online for the "first time" so you expect there to be glitches. Oh wait. No. This isn't Breyer's "first online only event", there've been many online only events that the company has held with little to no mess ups.
So before I get into my 2020 - 2023 experiences, let me again, remind you all, that I love collecting, I love Breyer. But this company has changed and in all honesty, it doesn't seem to be for the better. The community itself, has also changed and again, while I will never lump those of you, who just absolutely amazing, kind hearted folks, there are some in this community, who make me wish I was still barrel racing; at least in that community, you expect to hear toxic words.
BF2020: WTF WAS THAT!?
So for me, and I'm sure like the rest of the world, we honestly weren't expecting BF2020 to happen cause Rona. But I suspect the company faced the multiple issues that they did, simply because they bounced about oh so damn much, on whether BF2020 was even gonna happen or not. Like I can't tell you, how many times, in a day, they would post "it's canceled!" and then not even 4hrs later "oh we're thinking of hosting it online" and then not even 4hrs later "it's canceled!" Seriously Breyer? Get yer shit together.
So when it finally was announced it'd be online only, I was thrilled, bought my 3day all access ticket, submitted my most wanted list, was told the models I wanted would be waiting, and well, waited. The day of BF2020 was a damn nightmare. Half the time the site wouldn't load. Other times it wouldn't let you login. And then, the clincher for me, was not be able to access the models I had been told, I could have access too. Whoopie. I got a glossy Cheesecake as a "consolation" for the company's royal screw up.
So what was the issue not only I faced but thousands of others? Well, for starters, the site wasn't outlined in a manner that was easy enough to understand. The SR page was all but buried and the other pages, had dates/times of when they would 'open' and over half the time, the page wouldn't even load. I missed out on so many models that I'd wanted to get and to this day, can't afford on the second hand market.
Yes, Cheesecake was one of the models I'd wanted but my original intention was to get him as a Matte and not a glossy. Am I happy I got him and Ballynoe? Yes. But. I missed out on getting others like Epona, Ash, Brighid and Beltane and any one of the Slainte Surprise models (I had my eyes on the Silver Black). I also missed out on Kelpie and W.H. Topgun.
I missed out on so many because Breyer simply either wasn't prepared or, they simply didn't care, a trend I've noticed even when BF19 was happening. The amount of complaints astounded me. And it would seem 2020 and onwards would be no different.
BF22: Round Two??
Breyerfest 2022 I didn't "attend" as the word implies. I bought Danash's Northern Tempest second hand but only because he wasn't mega expensive. However, I missed out on Uffington, Seurat and anyone of the 7 Arts Surprise Models. I also missed out on getting Rheverence+
However, the online issue was again back. Many people were finding they couldn't access certain pages, delivery notices weren't being emailed out, and so forth. Many more often went away for x number of days, only to come back to a 'surprise' delivery from Breyer, after having no idea their models were en route. Many others, had to fight to get their models.
What was the common factor I saw? Breyer reps simply didn't give a damn. No one was answering the phone lines and we were later told, the reasoning behind this was; no one was at the office. Okay, everyone else is working remotely but Breyer, a multi million dollar company, couldn't set their employees up to work remotely??? I have questions! And so do so many others.
BF23: Round Three? No thanks!
BF23 was that one where I was going "once bitten, twice shy, screw the third time" and simply bought Bravour 54 on the second hand market. As much as I wanted the Chevaliere (Sunburnt Black Snowcap Blanket), Kansas, Both Scurries and the Stagecoach Surprise (Glossy Chestnut Roan Sabino Frame Overo) I simply wasn't willing to pay the second hand market pricing (which for BF23 was insane!) I sat back and watched as people bickered over the models "oh that one's ugly! I wouldn't pay that for that mold/model!" and just shook my head.
And again, the online issue was still there. Either pages weren't working right, weren't loading right, and again delivery notices weren't being emailed out. Many last year, got their delivery notices after the boxes had already arrived. Again. Breyer reps were of little to no help (seriously, who hires these people @.@)
BF24: Would ya look at that.
It's happened again, only instead of the moody, angry Breyer rep answering your emails, it's in person. A few folks have noted this happening at BF24 this year and sorry to say folks, it doesn't surprise me and it's not the first post I've seen nor read. Reddit is chalk full of pissed off BF24 goers. Two folks had their hotels broken into. Others had purchases stolen. A few others have been met with zero help from Breyer reps and many more witnessed how Breyer let folks into the main gate this year (AGAIN WHO HIRES THESE PEOPLE!?)
This year, I wanted to attend online till I saw that over half the models could only be bought in person. Um, excuse me, I anit rich like some of these people who are return Breyerfest goers. For me, even attending online is "exclusive" because I have bills I have to pay, a sick mother I have to look after, and just life in general. I'm attending school to become a volcanologist and okay sure, these are me issues, but the fact of the matter is, who in the hell at Breyer thought it'd be a grand idea to make only certain models buyable to those who attended in person? Don't they know they're making more money with shipping and taxes versus just the person paying taxes?
I've sat here all day and have read through dozens of disappointed BF24 goers posts and my heart truly does break for them. Breyerfest, no matter if it's your first time or 100th time attending, it's meant to be fun, it's meant to be as stress free as the event organizers can make it. But somehow, since 2020 Breyer has continually dropped the damn ball.
Again. I want to make it clear. I love collecting and I love Breyer, but if this is how the company is opting to care for it's customers, then honestly? I'd rather go to Disney and be harassed by people in full costume, versus being harassed by a pissed off at gods only knows what, Breyerfest employee.
I get it. You're stressed. Tired. Hot. Sweaty. Etc. But so is everyone else whose attending. You don't see your customers bitching each other or you out. If someone comes to you and says "hey I need help with this" and your solution is to be snappy, then trust me when I say, that leaves a last impression and more often than not, could end up being a deterrent in that person ever attending BF25.
This year, I saw so many models I wanted but then discovered only half were slated for online purchases only. The online events were underwhelming and I was heartbroken when I was informed that just to enter their live show, I would of had to attend in person, that the proxy person, something they'd allowed to happen in 2020 - 2022 was no longer a viable option, even though it was a major success during the previous 2 years.
I scraped an entire vision because a) I can't afford to attend and b) I wasn't going to risk having my entry wrecked during transit and thus, I gave up. Yes, this is a "me" issue, but all the same, the online live show events for 2020 and 2022 were a major success with people who otherwise couldn't attend, attending and even entering. Breyer itself, even stated that 2020 and 2022 were their most successful online live shows they'd had in years. Why then, was this option for 2024 scrapped?
And why has my email, questioning this, gone unanswered? Why has it been ignored? And I'd sent the email months before BF24 even started.
Breyerfest: Is it worth attending?
I want those, who had a crappy time this year, to email Breyer. And if you don't think that'll work to get the company's attention, do an en masse Google Document. Have people write up a google document letter, one that you can attach to a main letterhead. And let this company know that what happened this year wasn't acceptable.
Breyerfest is 100% meant to be fun but so many this year didn't have fun and weren't having fun. Those of us who attended online, were underwhelmed and many more have felt ignored. I honestly don’t believe Breyerfest is worth the hype anymore. I truly don’t. It used to bring the Model Horse collecting community together but now? It just causes division. So many bicker at each other, so many get scammed, stolen from and or ripped off, that it’s taken the joy out of it.
But the question that should be asked by each person who has attended, whether in person or online; is Breyerfest really worth the headaches? Is it worth the hassle? The expenses given out and lost?
For me, personally, the answer is no. While I may love the models released, I'm by no means, rich. A $1 - $4k trip isn't worth it, not when I'm trying to buy a 25ft 5th wheel camper to live in. Not when I'm trying to get a small arts boutique up and running. It's not worth it when I have other, far more important expenses, such as bills, rent, food, clothing, my pets, to look after. Nevermind me, myself and I.
But I get it. My outlook on Breyerfest won't be echoed by everyone. I don't work. I can't work due to varying disabilities (very long story) but so many others, do work. So these people, somehow, can afford to go to Breyerfest and not just attend, but partake in the live auctions and come home with a $9k model and then turn around and resell it for $20k I however, can't.
I'm not just a hopeful homeowner to be, or a store owner to be, but I'm also a student. I have expenses not covered by my school and most of these expenses come out of my own pocket because I've opted not to go for a student government loan. I've opted not to be in debt to an already money greedy government.
But my mindset, isn't echoed by everyone.
But for me, personally, Breyerfest used to be that one place I've always wanted to go. But now? Not so much. I'm happy with the hand, the Fates have dealt me. And I'm not just happy with it, I'm content with it.
But because you won't get this from Breyer, so I'll do it for them. I am so sorry to all Breyerfest 2024 attendees that this year's Breyerfest didn't live up to your expectations or hype. I'm so sorry how you were treated as that's no way for a customer to be treated by any company rep or employee. And you 100% have my support in telling Breyer that the way you were treated at this year's Breyerfest is simply not acceptable.
It may not be much, but it's the best I can do as non-employee.
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