Value vs. use, part 1.

I now try to find words for one phenomenon which I have pondered a lot about. (So the following writing is mostly just thought flood for the sake of thinking. There is no need to get angry, in case the reader disagrees with me.) If you have an expensive or rare model, and are afraid of tacking it up or traveling with it due to fear of damage... Is it worth owning?

I may be at least the third owner of this model. And he will remain as is.

Not sure if that helped. I really do have this thing in mind, but no words for it, seemingly. So, are limited editions or very special runs used in performance showing or just tacked up at home? Basically, are they used like some RRs? If not, why so? 

Now, I need to define what I count as "use" of a model horse: Tacking up, showing, photographing, taking it to the outdoors, traveling with it, handling it a lot. Only keeping it in a shelf doesn't count as use from my angle. 

I personally* think that a model "goes to waste" if I can't use it. So I don't feel the need for a model which can just sit on a shelf because I can't or don't dare to touch it, maybe for the fear of paint damage, dominoing, or whatever else. Okay, I can explain this by saying I have a limited space to use, and I don't want to impulse buy anything. 

* This, if anything, means that I am not against if someone else is afraid of tacking up or handling a model, and only keeps it in a shelf or show in 'halter' classes. Not everyone is into tackmaking, scene photos, shows, and so on... I know there are many who only want to collect the horses as is. I simply have found out that I myself need not only the horses but also the tack and dolls and related to enjoy this hobby fully. 

I've been as careful as possible with that chain - it is there for story (modelverse) excuses.

What is the point in owning a model so fragile that you don't dare to even look at it because everything could cause damage to it? I may not own anything super rare or special run models, but that doesn't mean I could not in the future.

At the same time there is a discrepancy called customs. People make custom models specifically to tack them up for shows, to which they have to travel, of course. Customs can often be way more fragile that factory models, plus are always one of a kind type. So why are people afraid of using a factory model but not a custom? The latter took way more work to become a piece, after all. Is it the fact that the factory model could lose its collectibility value if damaged badly enough and then fixed? Some people fix old models to their original look and specialize in that. It is a thing both with factory and custom models. 

An original sculpture made from some fragile airdry clay which nobody in the hobby will recommend.

Jennifer Buxton once wrote about the fact that maybe model horse people should be more accepting when it comes to damage risks caused by traveling. I agree with her - if you use a model, you are stressing it, and this can cause some wearing out. It comes naturally. And let's be honest, things can go downhill even if you just keep the horse as a shelf model who doesn't get tacked up or anything. Just take it off from its place in the shelf, knock your hand accidentally somewhere and oops - the model can fall! Dangers are everywhere! 

So why to waste it by overprotecting it? It's not worth it. I could carefully assume that show damages are way less common than there are show trips or participating models. (This comes from someone who has never traveled or showed with their models. Feel free to correct me with facts if I assume wrongly.)

Tripworthy, my Braymere giveaway marwari.

It is a dilemma. I like to adopt used OF models which are slightly damaged (ear tips, rubs here and there), exactly because I will not make them worse if something happens. At the same time I also look for really damaged models to use them as customizing victims. And what comes to my customs and their paintjobs... Well, I have still used them just like those OFs, too, and so far so good. 

I have noticed that the used materials and paints matter, when it comes to making models sturdy and damage-proof. Of course nothing is really damage-proof, but it can be bettered to some degree. I have no experience about anything Krylon so I can't compare it to Vallejo, which is the best sealer I've found so far. And I mean, my customs with some worse finish have suffered paint damage (bit glues/tapes rip paint off) while the ones with Vallejo have not. The bits have been attached with the same materials on both and the girths have been tightened to same degree as well, of course. The only issue I find with Vallejo is the fact that it doesn't dry exactly smooth. I've come to a conclusion that there are no smooth-drying varnishes when they are brushable. Only fixatives and maybe other sprayables can dry actually plastic-like?

In fact, I recently found out that some of my sculpts dominoed in the shelf and had heavy books fallen on them - and I didn't see any damage! So far... It was scary. 

This horse seems to have an opinion to everything.

So, I think, while damage is unavoidable, the goal is to find or develop finishing materials which are tougher and tougher. All this because we want to play with our horses. Or at least I want to play with mine. They will not only sit in the shelves doing nothing.  

I may do a second post about this topic.