Oh, it was painful to read about all the big tomatoes and varieties. Here in western Washington state, every year is iffy. This last year was about the worst for growing tomatoes that I've experienced in the 15 years I've lived here. A cold, wet spring that lingered into summer. Honestly, half the time last year I couldn't remember what season we were in. We had a few hot, sunny days in there, but hardly enough. Once the rains start up again in September, all the vines go black, no matter how full of green tomatoes they are. (And I've tried every method of "ripening" green tomatoes; nothing ever works for me.)
When I lived in So. Calif., where I grew up, I once kept a couple of Early Girl vines going for two years! When they were finally over, and I had to buy a supermarket tomato, I couldn't believe the lack of taste. I used to plant Sweet 100's (before Sweet Millions were available); six plants in 5 gallon pots, and I could barely give the tomatoes away, there were so many. I've always tried to garden in whatever dirt I had available, and in pots if nothing else, but this PNW climate frustrates me a lot of the time.
I actually felt better last year when I attended a King Arthur Flour demo in my city and learned that everybody in my area had a bad tomato year. Usually, others' misfortunes don't please me at all, but this time I felt at least that I'd done all I could.
So, each year I try something new and something that's worked. I rely heavily on the "date to maturity" because I've found that anything advertised as taking over 70 days is a waste of time in my climate (thus, none of the truly big tomatoes are possible); this includes, unfortunately, most of the paste-type tomatoes. And I also buy starts from Territorial Seeds in Oregon (www.territorialseed.com) because they have a good variety, I need the headstart, and don't have room for many plants. Also, I hate to start a lot of seeds and then have to "sacrifice" the little plants I can't give away. My mom always said I was too tender-hearted. LOL! Unfortunately, I've found more and more lately that a plant advertised in the catalogs as 65 days might show up with a tag that says 80 days.
Anyway, if anybody's still with me, I try not to suffer envy when I hear about your beefsteaks and heirlooms, which also mostly take 80 days or more, but wish me some sunshine this summer!