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You may also like this one Wampus, I don’t remember if it was ever publicly shown, but it was on my list of options for a Quest prize:
This is EXACTLY what I want. Badly. Now. Seriously, put it in the store & I will Paypal immediately. 😀
I like the simpler tone on tone options in general and think there’s a market for them, but I really want a proper colored red fox. I think there’s a market for the natural colorations in general on these. I’m with Jennifer on the glitter, it does nothing for me at all.
The copper one posted is also pretty, but I’m not that enthused really on metallics on “real” critters for the most part. On a fantasy GB, awesome (though I’d probably skip that one personally). And GB’s like the last safari batch would be a blast!
Wow, drag0n, that coloration is amazing! His ebay pics didn’t do it for me, but in natural lighting, he’s absolutely gorgeous. Congrats!
5. Maltese tiger griffin #4 – Yep. Another one. *cries* LOL.
I’m torn between laughing, asking if I can be first in line for #5, and telling you to run while you can. LOL I HATE doing the same thing over and over again, especially art-wise, so I can completely relate! (but I absolutely love that piece, it was one of the first PYOs I came across that I just craved…!)
Sorry to hear about the rest of the mess; sometimes that sort of thing just all happens at once and you have to hope there’s a reason for it that will eventually come clear. In the meantime, all you can do is try and keep your head above the water.
And I’m glad you were able to let go of the job. I know that can be very difficult, with so much time invested. Having had a job that destroyed my health, though, I can totally empathize. Sometimes the money isn’t worth it.
Welcome back–can’t wait to see what you post for us to drool over next!
I have no idea if any of this will help but:
I can’t say I know precisely how you feel, because that’s impossible, but I don’t think you’re alone in feeling like this, over Windstones or anything else. My own interest in things comes and goes; I tend to dive full bore into something and get completely obsessed with it, then six months later I’m looking up and going, “whoa, what just happened?”
If I’m lucky, it’s something cheap or free–last summer, it was HTML programming and graphic arts, both of which cost me nothing, already had everything I needed. But this year, so far, it’s been Windstones…and yes, it’s easy to fall into the trap of “I want it because everyone else is excited about it, not because it’s special to me.” I’ve had to pull back a bit, to reexamine my feelings (and my budget), and to make sure that when I get a piece, it’s because I truly want it, not just because I’m envious of everyone else and their large collections.
Because my health is permanently impaired, there are some hobbies (and a business) I’ve had to give up entirely. And I did exactly what you did, if for slightly different reasons. I boxed it all up and put it where I didn’t see it daily. Some of what’s been put away, like your Windstones, would bring in a fair amount of money. But it can be difficult to part with things you once cared about, especially when you invested a good deal of time or money in them. I thought the time had finally come to let some of my professional camera gear go last fall–I’ll never be able to use it again, and if by some miracle I could, I don’t need the level of gear I own just for hobby photography. I’ve been telling myself for months to just start selling it off, even researched the best way to do it. Not one piece has left this house. So it goes unused and unloved, and I rail at myself for not doing something about it.
The truth is probably that I’m really not ready. If I desperately needed the money, I can guarantee I’d do it, because I’ve done similar before. But right now, the need isn’t dire, and it’s easy for me to shove out of my mind. Given what you said about it being nice in a way to not have money (I get that one too), you may be feeling similarly. I’ve wandered away from the photography forums I used to belong to because I’ve lost interest in what I can no longer do, and that too gives me an excuse not to think about it (plus it keeps me from being tempted by new stuff). Similarly, there are sometimes threads I can’t look at on here, because I find myself caught up in the hype–and I don’t need to be spending on something I can’t afford, like a $1K ebay piece, no matter how beautiful.
In the end, when you are ready, I’d suggest just keeping the pieces you love–if there still are any that you truly would miss having– and selling off the rest to those who would love to have them. And yes, I know how much easier that is said than done! My camera gear is meant to be used. Your Windstones are meant to be loved. And having at least managed to get rid of *some* things (not NEARLY enough), I know there’s a certain satisfaction in reclaiming the space they take up, in knowing they’re going to people who really want them, and in freeing yourself from the burden of having stuff around that depresses you because you no longer want/need/can use it. Plus, of course, money to pay bills is always a good thing.
If the thought of selling everything at once is too daunting, pick your five least favorites and set a goal to get them out in the next month or so. Maybe put one up each week, either here or on ebay or both. Once they’re gone, I guarantee you’ll never miss them, and maybe you’ll be ready to let go of a few more. If not, hey, at least you made a dent in the pile.
And having said that, I’d best put my own money where my mouth is and go sell a lens or two!
Hang in there on the health. Believe me, after four years of disability, I know that apathy all too well. It’s a tough thing to fight, often harder than whatever underlying disease you’re dealing with. There are plenty of days–most of them, in fact–where I work my way through my day 15 minutes at a time, because I know I can do anything for 15 minutes. That may be 15 minutes with a two hour break in between if it’s really a bad day, but I’ll still get 3 or 4 things done that wouldn’t otherwise have happened. Pathetic compared to what my life used to look like…but better than getting nothing done at all. Best wishes–you’re not alone on that score either.
If things change, well, this place will still be here when you want to come back. I have a couple of forums I wander into maybe every six months. People are always happy to see me, and they understand when I disappear again. No one’s going to hold it against you if you choose to come and go; they just worry a little if it’s been a while since they last saw you.
(As an FYI on the PYOs, Susie mentioned in another thread that they’ve been having issues with the current batch of plaster they’re using as part of the casting process, and that’s the main factor as to the lack of PYOs available. That problem could clear soon, or it might be some time yet, they just don’t know.)
I don’t know. I think my experience takes the cake on poor packaging. I bought a large happy cat off of ebay and the seller sent it in a bubble envelope. Just… put in the envelope like you might send a common plastic toy. Needless to say, it was shattered. Kyrin was kind enough to fix him up, though.
I think people assume because they are so heavy, and appear very sturdy, that they can’t be hurt.
:jawdrop:
Yow. Yes, I think you win (or lose) on that one–glad Kyrin was able to fix him, but that’s just stunning.
I’ve only done a few ebay transactions; all went fine. I did very thoroughly check pics beforehand though, warned sellers who had no clue about packaging & that these guys were fragile, and I’ve only gotten small sculpts so far. Oddly enough, the one with the poorest packaging was the most expensive of the bunch, and was from a collector. When I saw the crushed box, my heart sank–but the sculpt did fine in spite of whatever it went through on its way here.
As for descriptions–while I agree the listing shown is pretty light on details, they’ve provided a ton of pics that show each chip. I’d object to the “like new” phrasing because of those chips, but “vintage” condition generally means it’s got a few issues.
What personally drives me up a wall are the ones who put things up at 7 times their actual going price, declare it as a “rare and unique” piece (never mind that it was in production for years) and then let it sit there for months, presumably wondering why it doesn’t sell. It’s neither “rare” nor “unique” if 5 others just like it have sold for far far less in the last three months. Do they really think people aren’t going to look up the completed listings? (or for that matter, the current ones, when one just like it is also available at the normal going rate?) *shakes head*
Gorgeous new additions!
I finally got mine too. He’s a little bit zebra and a little bit cat! Either a cheetah or a serval I assume. He has blue eyes and a blue crystal. So much intricate detail. Very happy with him 😀
Oooh…Matryoshka, a new favorite! That’s a gorgeous mix!
keepers used to always come into stock in small batches. Took me over a year from the time they were released to snag one! Everyone just has to be patient and vigilant, and remember that Windstone, as nice as they are to us, is a company, that has costs and salaries to pay and maybe can’t wait to make large batches sometimes.
And storage issues–I know that limited storage was brought up in the discussion of holding the GBs back from sale for a day or two after the preview to give people a chance to decide.
I can wait; I’ll just be stalking the store.
Oh, right. I do that anyway. LOL
Photos:
Sigh. I really, really love this tiger, and I really really have nothing on your list. LOL Congrats! Hope someone approaches you with something fantastic in trade!
Ikea can be a wonderful place; my office is about half Ikea right now. And that’s where all the Windstones are. This is the one room in the house the dogs NEVER are allowed in (standard schnauzers tend to roughhouse a lot, so nothing is safe at their end of the house). Of the cats, only the better behaved one comes in here as well, and she’s the one who will actually respond to the word “No” like she understands it.
That’s a good thing, because about half of my crew is not behind glass. I specifically found a small 5 shelf glass and wood curio for this room right after I got my CP male in January–there wasn’t much useable space for a cabinet in here, but I found one that fit. The male gave me dirty looks the whole time he was in there. Once the lap dragon joined him, forget it. She wanted on the desk, so that’s where he ended up as well. And it’s a good thing that the desk is oversized, because a GB poad and a PYO wolf joined them there. The new rule is no more Windstones on the desk! There’s also a curlie on an Ikea Lack narrow tall shelf next to my favorite hanging out chair. So those five are the ones that all need regular dusting–a big PITA. (Those open shelves, BTW, feel solid and are not adjustable–but they have a weight limit of 7 pounds per shelf. A male will fit in the spacing between shelves, so that gives you an idea of height.)
The other Windstones in the house don’t seem to have attitude problems around being behind glass, so the small flap cats, a couple of PYOs, and the GBBs are all in the curio, along with my fossils. It’s just as well; the shelves are tempered glass and those pieces are all pretty lightweight. I don’t think I’d be comfortable with putting the bigger dragons in there, even though they’d look really pretty. I’m trying to stick with small stuff right now as dusting these pieces can be a bit of a chore, but if the larger sculpts start to multiply, I’m going to have to do some rearranging to get a barrister bookcase in here too…!
ROFLMAO!!!!!Red thong AND glitter! 😀 I choked when i read that.LOLOL
LOL–even when we were picking up the Krylon Matte at Michaels, hubby was asking, “Now, you’re sure you don’t need that red glitter?” :p
I got my unicorn today and it’s a beautiful little buckskin with zebra points. I really like this little one, but I had my heart set on a bongo (or similar), so I’ll be putting it up for trade. There’s a good chance that I might just decide to keep it though.
Added note: My mother has decided to put her baby tapir GBB up for trade as well.
*grabs baby & hides*
I hadn’t seen this one, and oh…just gorgeous! I think that might be my newest favorite. 🙂
I thought it was very interesting to hear about this process. When I worked in a bridal shop we would often “tea stain” white items ivory to match the dress. That is what it reminded me of.
I think it was very pretty. I saw some pretty ornate oriental ivory carvings when I was in Vegas and the Ivory dragon on ebay looked like it could have been one of them!
Hubby looked at the Ivory Sun dragon and immediately mentioned tea dyeing as well.
Count me in with the others that say it looks like real ivory. Most Windstones look like they might get up and walk away at any minute. The ivories looks like, well, a carving of a Windstone! I love them to bits and would be happy with almost anything LP done in that color.
(Sorry, drag0n, tomatoes aren’t even close to being in season up here. I could pelt you with fuzzies?) 😉
OK–so anyone who has seen my thread on clear coat knows Night Wolf was a royal PITA in many, many ways. I’ve finally declared him as done as he gets…for now. LOL The glue issue was never completely resolved–short of dipping his whole face in acetone, that eye was not coming out, so in some pics it looks a bit askew. In the closeup, you can see the remaining excess surrounding it that I simply gave up on trying to get to with the brush.
The wings…meh. I gave up on blending, just a few touch ups here & there to smooth it a bit, and redid a few stars until they looked a bit better.
His clear coat–ay yi yi! Even with the same satin finish I used on the other two, came out pure glossy. He was blinding. Many many many attempts later, I finally got him down to something more bearable with a couple of coats from a fresh can of Krylon matte finish.
Here is is, hanging out in his normal place on my desk.
Close up–the eye on the left is the problem child. In both indoor shots, he looks shinier than he appears in life right now.:
Outside, full view. You can see the slight skew to that eye better here. Because of the angle & lighting, his wings look much less metallic, so the detail work on them is better shown in this one; the color change on them looks more dramatic here than on my desk though. Just a tough piece to get accurate pics of!:
None of these show the five different metallics/interference paints on his fur, that’s just been too hard to capture in images. But he’s got copper, silver, two shades of gold, blue, and purple hidden in that fur.
He’s been a learning experience, that’s for sure. I now know I need to practice a number of skills before tackling his brother! LOL
