Caterpillar Pa & Hagen Renaker's 75th Anniversary

Breyer isn't the only one celebrating a big anniversary this year - 2020 is Hagen Renaker's 75th anniversary! 

Sue Nikas was kind enough to send Kristina Lucas Francis a bunch of things from the factory to give out at the annual Hagen Renaker Tennessee Fellowship. That is held a few days before BreyerFest every year, but it, like so many other things, had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So, Kristina and her crew have been sending them out to club members. Mine arrived Monday afternoon.

Inside the box was a gift wrapped package containing the goodies I'd been sent. (They are randomly shipped which was fine with me - I like surprises!)

Inside was a sticker, a lovely bar of soap with a Hagen Renaker portrait on it, and my factory surprise.

 I got Caterpillar Pa!

I looked him up in my Hagen Renaker book and he is the first version, so he's Monrovia and old.

What a nice thing for Susan Nikas and Kristina Lucas Francis to do for collectors! Thank you, and Happy Anniversary, Hagen Renaker!

More Clinkies from Nancy Falzone

It was a good mail day yesterday - I received another box from Nancy Falzone! After I'd purchased the Metlox Clydesdale, she'd asked if I were looking for anything else. I mentioned a few things, and soon new models were on their way to my home. 

 When I opened the box and cleared the top layer of packing peanuts,

I found four individually wrapped packages. It felt like I was opening another BreyerFest surprise horse or grab bag!

Nancy's packing jobs are always first rate. Each piece is carefully wrapped in several layers of paper and bubble wrap.

Inside the first package was a Monrovia Hagen Renaker Scamper in matte palomino. ($50) (Photo by Nancy.)

 A Zebra of an unknown manufacturer was in the next one. (I have a guess, but want to confirm that after doing some research.) ($15)

An old Lefton Donkey (with the original label under his belly) was in the third. ($20) (Photo by Nancy.)

And last was this matte palomino Monrovia Roughneck.

Nancy included the card she used to document him - I am thrilled to have this piece of ephemera and to learn the history of the model. ($50)

But there was one more surprise in that box.

Nancy had popped in a little gift - a Christmas ornament!

I always enjoy getting new models. But when they come from a friend, especially a dear friend like Nancy, they are sweet reminders of that friendship. And when I look at them on my shelves, not only do I see the horse, but I see my friend, too.

HR Tennessee's Platinum Jubilee

Kristina Lucas Francis at Hagen Renaker Tennessee has released a model to celebrate Hagen Renaker's 75th anniversary and she is gorgeous.

 Her name is Platinum Jubilee and she is on Maureen Love's Stablemate sized Arabian Mare. (A-106, $187, 4/2020. Kristina Lucas Francis)

 The finish is called San Dimas Nostalgia Steel/Ash Grey and I think she looks stunning in it. 

 A Certificate of Authenticity coms with her

and she is being made only during 2020 and is only available to members of the Hagen Renaker Collectors Club.

I generally don't collect Stablemates, but I do like the HR minis and am happy to add this one to my collection.

A New Circus Pony

I have such a soft spot for the Hagen Renaker Circus Ponies and have acquired quite a conga of them in my minis cabinet. 

But there's always room for one more! 

Linda Shawhan listed this HR Head Down Circus Pony (#A-267, 1956-1957) on Facebook's Clinky Classifieds for $35 plus shipping.  It had no breaks or chips and Linda (a friend) was asking a very fair price for it.

His paint job is pretty average - notice that the hooves are not completely painted gold as they should be. That's common in this piece as well as with the Head Up version. 

You can see the hoof difference in this photo of the new Circus Pony when compared with my first piece in the same color. That first piece also has the scalloped harness and bridle, and if you look closely, a red dot on the bridle where the noseband meets the headstall. Neither of the other two have that detail.

My second piece (in the middle) does not have the scalloped harness, but his hooves have a better paint job than the new one.

My new piece's upper eyelid line extends on both sides of his eye, unlike the other two. I really like his eye.

He is now in the minis cabinet with the rest of my Circus Ponies and a very welcome addition to my conga. 

Hagen Renaker's New Cartoon Horse

Hagen Renaker has dusted off the old Disney Sampson mold and made a new horse that hobbyists have dubbed, the Cartoon Horse.

 HR Cartoon Horse/Samson, #5103, 3/2019, $40, Heather Wells/The Horse You Want, California

I'll admit that I am a little disappointed - the paint job is not very good on this piece.

 Having said that, I am still happy to have him in my collection.

 Currently I have him lying on his side - those legs are so spindly, I am afraid I will break one.

Hagen Renaker Circus Ponies

I added two new Hagen Renaker circus ponies to my collection. I'm super excited to have found them.

Head Up Circus Pony with maroon harness, A-266, $40, 1980 - 1983, Nancy Salander, Columbus OH.

 I'd even call it magenta.

 Here it is compared to the lightest of my head-up ponies - quite a difference. This pony came in a pink and a maroon harness. I am pretty sure these are the pink and purple versions.

 You can see it even better in this photo.

Now it is on the left while the lightest one is on the right. (The lightest one is from Nancy Falzone's collection and has exceptional shading.)

 I also got a head-down pony with yellow harness.

Head Down Circus Pony with yellow harness,  A-267, $40, 1980 - 1983, Nancy Salander, Columbus, OH.

 His shading is pretty unremarkable when you compare him to the one I already have.

I am delighted to add both of these pieces to my collection. I now have eleven Hagen Renakers and eleven of the Hagen Renaker copies. And I'm still looking for more.

HR Sky Chief

I went to the Stone spring horse show and bought myself a retirement gift.

Sky Chief, B-682, 11958-1959, 1968, Hagen Renaker, $225, Alicia Strayer-Mangan, Stone horse show, 5/2018

 He is my retirement gift to myself - I had budgeted $300 and thought I would buy a Stone Andalusian, but they were sold out.

My class motto (coined by the kids themselves) is "Flying high with Mrs. I." Well, he is SKY chief! And so he came home with me!

Hagen Renaker Roughneck

Yesterday I came back to my classroom after doing bus duty at dismissal and looked around. The classroom was in good shape, I was tired, and so I gave our classroom pet goldfish, Moment, her weekend feeder, grabbed my coat, teaching bag, and keys, locked the door, and went home.

Only I decided to head home via three antique shops that I hadn't visited since Christmas vacation. They're side by side in a large strip mall, easy access in and out (just what this tired teacher needed) and so I decided I would drop by and take a quick walk through.

I've had good luck at all three shops in the past, but it can be hit and miss, too. But, the finds I've had have been very good, so I always go in with fingers crossed.

Nothing at Klassy Klutter or Leaping Leopard, but when I was finishing up in Devine, I came around the corner, spied a small glass display case on a counter, and cried aloud, "Holy mackeral!!"

Score one for me - a Monrovia Hagen Renaker Roughneck - tagged for $45! (I was able to get 10% off because of the breaks.)

HR Roughneck with football sticker, #B-550, 1954-1974, $38, Devine Antiques, 3/4/2016.

He had a repaired tail and left hind leg, but still, he was a great find. (Look at those eyewhites!)

He was made from a brown slip and has a large pour home that was left unplugged.

The football sticker.

I am thrilled to add this foal to my china cabinet and collection!

Hagen Renaker Rocking Horses

Claudia Segger on the Facebook Hagen Renaker Collector's page posted this picture and information:

I believe the most common rocking horses are adult with red rockers and baby with blue. The horses with black spots may be old tests or one-of-a-kind pieces. The unicorn foal is a bone china copy; how fun is that!

Here is a picture of mine:

Right away I notice that mine do not have the black socks hers do.

Monrovia HR Mini Set

This is not actually the set as sold by Hagen Renaker, but Teresa Rogers sold them together as a set on Clinky Classifieds. She wanted $35 for all three; I snapped those puppies up! I was lucky to be online when she posted them as at least three people posted after me wanting to buy them.

(These pictures were all taken by Teresa.)

 Look at the detail in the coloring and glazing!

 They're really beautiful - I love the old Hagen Renakers, just as I love the old Breyers.

 Monrovia Mini Rearing Horse, A-234, 1953 - 1985, $35/set, 7/2015, Teresa Rogers, California.

 Since they are from the Monrovia era of the company, that means these pieces were produced prior to 1962. (The dates on their tags and these pictures are for how long the mold has been in production.)

 Monrovia Mini Running Mare, A-233, 1954 - current, $35/set, 7/2015, Teresa Rogers, California.

 The shading in her glaze is so pretty!

 Monrovia Mini Foal, A-236, 1953 - 1985, $35/set, 7/2015, Teresa Rogers.

Super excited to add these three pieces to my collection!