Before Baron Fig had even announced any new editions, chatter started on blogs, Twitter, forums and podcasts saying that "there was no way" Baron Fig could come up with "inspired" or "unique" ideas for each one of these limited editions. Predictably, when Baron Fig announced the Work/Play II as the first limited edition Confidant, it was criticized as just "a reissue" of a past L.E. (despite the fact that the past Work/Play was highly acclaimed and sold out in days, leaving many - myself included - disappointed and empty-handed). Even the Black Box has been minimized as "just a new cover on a pre-existing notebook." IMHO, the critiques of the Work/Play II have some validity, but the snipes at the Black Box are unfair. (The first year's worth of Field Notes Colors were essentially standard graph-paper notebooks with different color covers and rulings. It took Field Notes a while to get to where they are now). Additionally, I think both overlook why many people would subscribe to Baron Fig products in the first place.
It's easier for a company like Field Notes and Write Notepads to take risks with crazy designs on smaller items like 48-page pocket notebooks. Even if you get an "out there" edition with your Field Notes subscription, like Sweet Tooth or Expedition, you can still find some use for them, whether it be as substitutes for post-it notes (Sweet Tooth) or a garage/car notebook (Expedition). This is harder to do with a larger notebook or a journal. Personally, if I'm subscribing to a service that sends me four large 100+ page notebooks a year, I want a bit more predictability. That's not saying that I'm paying in advance for four reissues - I want to see some creativity - but I also want to be sure that I will receive four Confidants or larger Vanguards that I can reliably use. Baron Fig's following is also smaller than that of Field Notes, and I'd venture to say that a larger percentage of them tend to be professionals who use their notebooks daily for work. I'm not above carrying and using some absolutely insane notebooks, but if I were to subscribe to a service, I'd want some comfort that the notebooks I was going to receive wouldn't stray too far from what I've come to expect from my daily-driver Baron Fig books.
From this perspective, I like what I've seen so far from Baron Fig, and would gladly pay a subscription price to receive products like the Black Box and Work/Play II. With respect to the Work/Play II, it may not have been the best launch strategy to lead with a reissue, but the original Work/Play was such a huge hit and sold out so quickly that I see it as a perfectly legit business decision to kick things off by giving your hardcore fans - those most likely to subscribe - what they've been asking for.
To date, Baron Fig has put a lot of thought into their products. Everything I've reviewed from them has been high quality and - importantly for me - highly practical and usable in my daily life. I'm perfectly willing to give them the benefit of the doubt until they have had, at a minimum, a year or so under their belt with the subscriptions before trying to declare whether it's been a success or not. Enough on this from me. Enjoy your weekending and Holiday decorating!
Disclaimer: Baron Fig sent me the Black Box notebooks featured in this review at no charge. I was not otherwise compensated for this review, and the views expressed here are just like, my opinion, man. If you disagree with me on anything, I'm sure you'll let me know. :)