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!

Irish Dresden Circus Pony

This unusual piece was added to my collection thanks to my friend, Susan Bensema Young. Knowing my love of circus ponies, she keeps an eye out for them and discovered this one on eBay. The price was almost $300, more than I felt it was worth, but after watching it for two months, I contacted the seller and made an offer. She countered, and the piece was mine! (Thanks, Sue!)

 Irish Dresden Circus Pony, $175, eBay, 2/2018, Paige Casey, 15311 Spruson St., Odessa, FL 33556.

 The Irish Dresden Company specializes in using fabrics that they fire onto their pieces. The tack and mane/tail decorations all were fabric at one time.

 The base is stamped with the company's logo and the name of the piece.

A close up of the stamp. Note that it is an "R" in a circle that the stamp from their Facebook page does not have.

 The logo from Facebook.

And, the crown is attached to the line drawn around "MV." (That stands for Muller Volkstedt.)

Another horsey piece of Irish Dresden that I found on the web - there are not many!

Information that I have found on the web:

Irish Dresden began with the late 19th century Germany artist Anton Muller, in the small town of Volkstedt, under the then banner Muller Volkstedt. Muller's skills with fine lace porcelain figures did not go unnoticed and his work quickly gained a reputation. Since his death in 1937 his family has kept up the tradition of pristine porcelain craftsmanship and kept the business alive, despite it having faced a rough history that includes the destruction of their factory during WWII, the deaths of Muller and his son, Herman, as well as the family being forced to leave their homes in what was then East Germany. The family tradition was saved by Johanna Saar, Herman's niece, her husband Oskar, and now daughter Sabina who settled in Ireland in 1962 and continued the business under the name Irish Dresden. Irish Dresden continues the family tradition to this day and its collection porcelain figures are now renown worldwide.

I am loving my most recent circus pony, and send many heartfelt thanks to a dear friend who was looking out for me!

Spanish Flamenco Horse & Rider

Breyer's dolls and horses have begun to appeal to me, so I have been searching them out on eBay. I found this piece for a very fair price and snapped it up.

Spanish Flamenco Horse & Rider, #1338, 2009 LE of 2,500, $65, eBay, 2/2018, QHR Studios/L. Bakhtiari, PO Box 650055, Austin, TX 78765