New Circus Ponies!

You never know when you are going to find something to add to your collection. I was on Etsy looking for a banner for the Happy Trails show last weekend, and decided to type "circus pony" in the search box when I finished.

I am glad I did because these two popped up!

 They're 1/32 scale and the seller says she thinks they are from the 1970s.

Mini Circus Ponies, $9, 4/2018, Etsy, Linda Thornburg, 1243 Maple View Dr., Charlottesville, VA 22902.

Despite the chunky legs and hooves, I think they are pretty nice overall, especially their heads. The ponies are made from a plastic that is harder than Breyer's Mini Whinnies but with more flexibility than a Stablemate.

I need to do a little research and see if I can figure out who the manufacturer is, when they were made, and other details. In the meantime, I am glad to have them!

My Second Real Decorator

How ironic that I have looked for decorators for years and years, decades even, without success, and then I find two in the space of one month.

(Photos from eBay auction.)

Gold Charm Running Foal, #3130, 1963-1964, $265, eBay, 3/2018, Marsha Alesi, 7630 Chicago Dr., La Mesa, CA 91941.

 He has some black marks and a chipped eartip, but is still beautiful.

I am thrilled to add this piece to my collection.

And I have to smile - it has been a very rainy spring break - I guess when it rains, it pours!

My First Real Decorator

I have wanted a Breyer decorator, the real kind from the 1960s, not the current ones, for decades. While woodgrain was a decorator color back them and I have a lot of woodgrains, what I am referring to are the colors wedgwood, copenhagen, florentine, and gold charm that were done on the Running Mare and Foal, Five Gaiter, Semi Rearing Stallion, and the Fighting Stallion.

You'd think that since I was collecting when those were being produced, I might have one, but I don't!

Prices on Breyers seem to be down, and so I have been watching eBay closely This past week, I scored my very first REAL decorator as a result. (All photos from eBay auction listing.)

 A wedgwood Running Foal! My favorite of the four decorator colors!

 Wedgwood Running Foal, #4120, 1963-1964, $284, eBay, 3/2018, Lauren Bang, 918 Pennsylvania St. #206, Denver CO. 80209.

He's a lighter blue with gorgeous shading. He also has some black marks that I will need to remove and a broken earth to fix.

I am pleased to have him - in the past, they have sold for $1500, more than I would ever spend on a piece for my collection. Spending what I did really gave me pause as it was.

But he is mine now, and I could not be happier.

Vintage Club 2018 #2 Clara and Mae

The second offering in the 2018 Vintage Club is two of my favorite molds, the Grazing Mare and Grazing Foal.

Clara and Mae, #712240, $110, Vintage Club 2018 #2, 3/2018, Breyer.

Indian Pony without War Paint

I bought this Indian Pony from eBay. I am a little disappointed - the seller was clever in how she took photos of the piece, and so I did not realize that the left eartip was missing. It's a small chip, but it's gone, and I went back to the auction link and looked at the photos again - that seller was clever. She has angled the horse so that it does not show in every photo of the head.

I don't like being taken like that. But having said that, I do like the piece and did not spend too much on it.

Indian Pony, #175, 1973-1976, $37, eBay, robraw, Portland, Oregon, 3/2018

Circus Rider Bridle Rosettes

I dislike circuses, yet I have a love of circus ponies. Go figure. And so, while searching for new pieces to add to my collection on eBay, I came across these:

Circus pony/rider bridle rosettes!

There were several bidders on them, and the price was high, so I watched them and thought for a couple of days. Finally, I put a bid in on eSnipe and won! The price was steep ($72) but I felt that I could recoup that in the future as they are very unique and beautiful.

I have ordered a book on collecting bridle rosettes. I don't plan to begin collecting them, although I have done some searches on eBay and found lots for sale. Plus, I have one bridle rosette from Oh Boy's bridle (my dad's circus pony) that I should dig out. (I think it's in my tack box at the barn.

These were bought from Fred Smith, 224 Woodchuck Dr., Ephrata, PA, 17522.

Kaibab

My Kaibab is here! A web special, I was not drawn for him so I had to buy him second hand from a friend.

 Kaibab, #712251,  2018 Web Special, 350 made, $240, Liz Cory, Huntley, IL.

His mane and tail are pearly, and his dapples very subtle and not "fish scale" at all.

I love him!