Breyerfest Ticket Strategy Pt 1: Should I get a VIP ticket?

I have a love/hate relationship with VIP tickets but now that they have been an option for a few years I have learned some lessons.

Let's start with the downsides.

1 - The extra cost. Obviously this is the first consideration. Breyerfest tickets are already fairly expensive and the VIP ticket comes at a premium. There is certainly extra value with the swag bags, the full set of SMs, and the opportunity to ensure you get your favorite SRs and LEs. But the swag bags have been hit and miss and it has been rare in recent years that any SRs/LEs were so popular or limited that they sold out such that you couldn't get your first pick from a regular ticket. It has also been easy to buy the 4-pack of SMs in the store. So while nice, none of the perks are OMG MUST GET for me.

2 - Having to pay upfront. This is sort of a corollary to number 1 but paying in advance for all of your SRs and LEs when your buy your VIP ticket feels like a big hit all at once. If it turns out between now and then that you can't actually go then you have to scramble to find a pickup person or resell the full value of your models. It's not all bad. It is nice to have already paid come July when you're also racking up some big expenses from the rest of the event.

3 - Not getting to handpick your Limited Editions. I love handpicking my models and it is absolutely the best and most fun at Breyerfest because there are stacks and stacks to look through and scrutinize. Gone are the days when the LEs sell out so fast that you have to just grab one and hope. For the last several years there have been tons of them in the store but if you get one on your VIP they might have 3-5 you can look at vs hundreds in the store. I learned this the hard way with Chablis - I bought one on my VIP and ended up getting two more at the store because I didn't love the VIP one.

4 - You must must buy two SRs and two LEs. This is fine if you were going to do it anyway, but if you don't necessarily want both of both you have to find a buyer or figure out what to do with the extra.

5 - The VIP line is actually longer and slower for the first day or two. The VIP ticket option is apparently so popular that the line for picking up your VIP models has actually been the longer of the two for the past few years on Friday and even Saturday. That doesn't feel very "VIP". I've been able to walk right through with my regular ticket while the VIPs are baking in the sun.

But now on to the positives!

1 - Ensuring you get your top picks of both SRs and LEs. I mentioned that recently most models haven't been selling out, but some have and there is definitely a nice peace of mind knowing you don't have to scramble to get your favorite. Especially if your favorite also happens to be the one the hobby at large is losing it's mind over. Also this year with the possibility (probability?) of surprise micro-runs, you may want to ensure you are definitely getting your top picks.

2 - The swag bag. Ok I know I sort of poo-poohed it above, but this can be pretty cool too. I personally collect the enamel pins and there has typically been at least one special VIP one and often a full set so I like to be able to get these. There have been other really fun things like socks and water bottles and even the bag it comes in has been really nice. I loved the 2024 edition. And it's the only thing that comes with the ticket that you can't buy elsewhere with other tickets, if you want it you have to find it secondhand.

3 - You can relax. Not only is knowing you already scored your top SR picks great, but since you've already selected and paid you can pick everything up whenever. There is no need to stand in that long line on Friday - sure most of us are going to do it anyway because we want to see what surprise or variation we got - but you don't HAVE to. You also don't have to run to the store ASAP to make sure you don't miss out on LEs or the SM 4-pack - you've already got them assured too.

So - what does it all mean? Should you get a VIP ticket?

For me in comes down to these main considerations. Do I have the money right now? Do I definitely want at least two of the special runs and more importantly at least two of the limited editions? Are those special runs very popular and likely to sell out? Am I going to buy the 4-pack of SMs either way?

If the answer to all of those is a definite YES! Then I am going to go ahead and get one. If it's not then I have to consider the popularity - will I be able to easily resell the things I don't want? This year again in particular with the possibility (probability?) of some special surprises thrown in, it's probably worth taking a chance at even a model that might not be your top favorite, just in case you pull a rare one.

Ok, so now that I'm getting a ticket, what should I pick? I'll tell you my strategy which is based on lessons learned in the past and my pros and cons above. If there is a model I absolutely know I'm not leaving Breyerfest without, either a SR or LE, I will choose that. Especially if it looks like it's going to be everyone else's top pick too. The only time I will deviate from that is if it seems like my favorite is not going to be very popular - like let's say it's a Stock Horse Stallion or something... I'm a crazy person who loves him but he's not exactly a hot item so I can be assured that I can get one later, probably in the second chance sale even.

If there are a bunch I like pretty equally I will try to gauge which one I think is most likely to sell out so I can check that off early. I made the mistake of not doing that last year with the mare & foal and wasn't able to get them. I misjudged and the two I picked on my VIP were probably the two easiest to get in person. Ooooops! It should have been obvious in hindsight, but I failed to realize that the models that were available both onsite and virtual would be the first to go. So lean towards the popular ones that are also going to be available on virtual tickets.

For the limited editions, again unless there is one I know I absolutely must have and it risks selling out, I have been leaning towards the things that do not require hand-picking. I collect the crystals so that's always a good option to ensure I get one and they're all the same. It might also be something I know I'd like to get, maybe for a conga, but it's not something I'll show or it doesn't look like there will be much variation (hello solid black!) so I can take whatever I get.

This year, given all that, I think I am going to try for a VIP ticket. I definitely must have the Old Timer and the Show Jumping Warmblood. Both of them look to be popular and will be available to virtual ticket holders so I do want to lock them in. On the LE side I definitely want the Crystal so that's an easy VIP choice. I might go with the Welsh Cob as my second choice - black doesn't really require handpicking and although I want the SM set too, those I do like to pick out if I can. Then again on closer inspection the Welsh looks like he might have dapples and I can be picky about those... so it's a toss up right now!