A Superior Plastics Horse

Every now and then, a friend who knows I am horsey will send me a text or message like this one that I got late last week.

After Karen sent me that message, I sent her photos of the black Western Horse and Black Western Pony pulled from the Identify Your Breyer site. 

Based on our message chain, I was expecting a black Breyer Western Pony.

What I got was this pretty boy, and he is most definitely not a Breyer Western Pony.

At first I thought he was made of styrene, but the more I handle him, the more I think it is another type of plastic. It's not quite light enough to be styrene and when I set him down on a table, he makes that gentle "thunk" sound that Breyers do.

The piece has what Nancy Atkinson Young called "scooper ears" in her notes for her books on Breyer Molds and Models.

The tack doesn't match Breyer, Ohio Plastics, or Superior, all of whom are known to have produced similar Western Horse models...

... although it does match Hartland's pretty well.

The saddle is missing its tapaderos and is made of a thinner plastic than the Breyer saddles are. But when I compared it to pictures of Hartland saddles, it seems to match. Could this be a Hartland piece?

I have one Hartland Western Horse, the Victor Over Clock (VOC). It's way up on the top of a shelf, but I am going to see if Craig won't help me get it down so I can compare the two. (I'm still under post op restrictions for lifting and climbing.)

I also have this Ohio Plastics horse and rider to compare the mystery horse to, and the two pieces are very different. My mystery horse is not an Ohio Plastic piece.

Clearly, I needed to do some research - that's part of the fun of collecting. I asked on a few Facebook sites to see if the folks there know what it is. And I found my answer from a post by Sande Schneider - her favorite mold is Breyer's Western Horse and she is a fount of knowledge. She's posted Nancy Young's notes about knock-off Western Horses. And there was my answer.

My mystery model was made in the early 1950s by Superior Plastics in Chicago, Illinois. 

Grey Bucking Bronco

Sande sold me her great Bucking Bronco at Happy Trails.

It's my second one, but they are variations. This one has grey hooves while my other one has pink ones.

Grey Bucking Bronco, #191, 1966 only, $$25, Sande Schneider at Happy Trails 2, 6/2019

Smoke Belgian

This big, ol' "bubble butt" Belgian came from Sande Schneider at Happy Trails 2.

 Smoke Belgian, $92, 1964 - 1971, $40, Sande Schneider, Happy Trails 2, 6/2019.

He's another one that is in great shape for his age!

Breyer Shetland Pony

I no longer have the black pinto Setland pony that my father gifted me for Christmas about 15 years ago (oh, how I wish I did for the sentimental vale!)

 But I do now! I bought one that Sande Schneider had for sale when she came to Happy Trails 2.

Shetland Pony, #21, 1960 - 1973, $15, Sande Schneider, 6/2019.

Sande Schneider - Uber Collector

Sande Schneider is the world's leading authority on Breyer horses. Her collection numbers almost 4,000 pieces! She's also a friend of mine who I met through the hobby. I know a pretty fair amount about Breyer collecting, but if there's a puzzle about a piece, it's Sande who I (and everyone else) turn to! Even Breyer - they have contacted her several times asking to use pieces from her archives.

Sande recently helped me identify the Boxer clock I found last week at Sell It Here.

 My clock.

 Jo Kulwicki's clock - picture from Sande's files.

I did my own research online when trying to figure out of my clock were real or not (I think it is.)

 An image I pulled from the internet as I tried to document my clock, the Davy Crockett Prancer clock, turned out to be Sande's!

 A Western Horse clock - unknown whose it is.

 A Boxer night light - image from internet/unknown.

Sande sent me some pictures of her own files:

 She has eight file cabinets chock full of documentation!

And binders galore.

Yes, she's the real Breyer guru and an uber collector!