Appaloosa FAM Variation #3

As I said recently, I love variations, especially when it comes to the spots on Breyer's Appaloosas.

I saw this small blanket version Appaloosa FAM with spots scattered down her legs on an online sales site  and snapped her up right away.

FAM Speck, #38, 1968-1971, small blanket version w/USA, $22, Kristina Salisbury, 1/2020

She's my third Appaloosa FAM, very white when you consider her age,

 and with moderately large spots all the way down below her hocks. 

I love how she compares to my Appaloosa FAM #2, also a small blanket version, who has huge spots.

 Both of them have the USA mark, making them later than 1970.

 Appaloosa FAM #1 is a belly band version with smaller spots

and no USA mark, making her pre 1970.

 Here #1 is in comparison with #2 - you can really see the differences!

I'm watching some other Appaloosa variations right now - fingers crossed that I will add some more to my collection of variations!

The Happy Trails Signing Model

I bought a damaged honey bay FAM from eBay and painted it in gold paint to be the Happy Trails Signature Horse.

 I think she turned out pretty in gold

and she certainly has a new purpose in being a signing horse!

Big Spot FAM

I love the Breyer vintage molds, and recently have been interested in collecting variations, especially on their vintage Appaloosa paint jobs. So, as you might imagine, when I saw this girl for sale at Great Lakes Congress, I did a double take and then made a beeline to where she was displayed on Liz Cory's sales table.

Those spots are huge!!

Family Arabian Mare, Speck, #38, 1968-1971, $75, Liz Cory. 

 Liz came over and offered her to me for a price that I felt was quite reasonable (even generous), so I bought her then and there.

 I already had this piece in glossy (my new one is matte) but I could not remember if the spots on it were normal sized or tiny (I knew that they were not ginormous like these), so I pulled her out when I arrived home from the show.

 She is a lovely tiny spot version! 

 What a comparison - just look at them together!

The collector in me is all over these two. I just keep looking at them, comparing them, and practically jumping for joy as I sit here at my desk typing.

Model horsedom has many different facets to it. Some people buy models for showing, others use them to showcase their creative sides and paint, sculpt, and make tack.  Then there are collectors like me who get giddy over something like big spots.

Those collectors like me know exactly what I mean!

Family Arabian Mare

This piece was also in a box in my parents' basement.

 Family Arabian Mare, #5, "Hope," 1961-1966, from my or Jenny's childhood collection.

She, too, needs a good bath!

Family Arab Mare

I have had a copy of this piece in my collection since the days of my carpet herd. I just could not leave this one behind, so I rescued her.

Family Arab Mare, #14, 1961-1963, no USA stamp, $15, 2/2014, Sell It Here Antiques, Lafayette, Indiana.

She cleaned up well when I bathed her, but I could not get these spots off her. (This is a pre-bath picture.)

Antique Store Finds

Yesterday I did a quick perusal of Sell It Here 1 and 2 before heading out to work at Hershey. At Sell It Here 1, I hit the bonanza.

 Two Western Horses, an early Family Arab Mare, and an early Boxer. Bingo!!

The horses were all from the same seller and were quite dirty, so I bathed them all before photographing them for documentation. The FAM has some dark spots on her, too.

The Boxer was the only piece I was going to buy as I have two Western Horses and the FAM, but there was something unusual about the saddle-less Western Horse (I think it is a chalky, plus it has a mold mark I have never seen). The FAM just looked bereft there on the shelf, and since she is such an old piece, I "rescued" her and will sell or give her away. The second Western Horse is a very early piece, and mine like it is an oozie and falling apart. How much longer I will be able to keep it is in question as it is deteriorating rapidly.

So, home they all came to Windsong Stables, home of rescue model horses!!