The New Brownie

There was a surprise in store for me at last Saturday's Great Lakes Congress show and this one made the tears well up when I saw it.

Heather McCurdy called me over and handed me a bubble wrapped package. What was inside was  a total surprise. It was also very, very familiar.

An old Made in Japan china saddle horse with chain reins.

Heather explained that she had found it at an auction in a box with some other horses, and knowing my story, had snagged it for me. 

So what is the story?

 It can be found in Nancy Kelly's recent book, Exploring the Model Horse Hobby on page 60.

This is Brownie, the very first model horse I ever got, given to me by Santa in 1963 when I was six. I loved Brownie so much, and many childhood memories are wrapped around him. For example, I have a very vivid memory of holding him close while lying in bed while very, very ill with the measles. 

As you can see from the photo, living with me was hard on poor Brownie. My dad faithfully glued him for me every time I broke him. Decades later, I considered having him restored, but I decided that I liked him the way he was because the yellowed glue on the multiple breaks was a visible reminder of how much my father loved me.  I look at Brownie and I see my father's love.

Despite having chased after model horses for decades, never have I found another piece just like Brownie. Heather knew that he was incredibly special to me, so when she spied him in that box at the auction, she snagged him for me.

Brownie always has been and will forever will be a reminder of my dad's love. New Brownie is special, too, and is a reminder of the kindness and thoughtfulness of a dear friend.

Thanks, Heather. There are no words to express my gratitude.

The Palomino Metlox Poppytrail Circus Pony

For years I drooled over the one, single photo I had found of the white Metlox Poppytrail Circus Pony.

Photo taken from Google Images, owner unknown.

It was so charming and saucy, and due to my own personal love of circus ponies, I wanted to add it to my collection.

I did numerous online searches, scoured antique and thrift shops, and kept my eyes peeled for years with no success. Susan Bensema Young even tried her own quiet search without my knowledge, wanting to find one for me as a surprise gift.

But no luck. At least, not until last May when Heather Wells and friends held Clinky Mania in California, selling the late Karen Grimm's collection. As I looked over the photos before the sale, there was a white circus pony! And to my great surprise, a palomino one, too! (Go here to see photos of the Black Horse Ranch Metlox Poppytrail pieces.) Someone had once mentioned that they thought that there was a palomino, but never in all my online and other searches, had I seen any photos to confirm that rumor. Now I knew that the palomino version did indeed exist.

Unfortunately for me, the BHR circus ponies were not available and my search was still on. Only now I was looking for both the white and the palomino.

As I wrote yesterday, I found and bought both pieces recently. Here is the beautiful palomino.

Palomino Metlox Poppytrail medium Circus Pony, $500, #684, eBay, 4/2019, Rich Matthews, 3005 Wedge Ct., Matthews, NC 28104.

Under its belly it has the Metlox seal, but it does not have the Metlox Poppytrail sticker on its shoulder that its counterpart does.  I love the contrast of the cream colored mane with its dark palomino coat!

I still cannot believe that I have finally, after decades of looking, found these two pieces. I'll put them in the china cabinet that houses my other Metlox pieces, but in the meantime, they are here in my office where I can see them and enjoy them. 

Grey Metlox Poppytrail Circus Pony - At Last!

The search has come to an end! After years and years of looking, I finally found the two horses that I have wanted more than any others. They are very difficult to find, and it is only the second time that I have even seen them come up for sale. In fact, I wasn't sure that one of them actually existed - I'd heard rumors, but never could find pictures to prove its existence.

In 2016 I began saving up my money in the hopes that I would come across one or the other. (I never expected to find both, especially at the same time.) I knew that they would most likely be expensive so I wanted to be prepared.

Even with the money saved up and earmarked for these two pieces, I thought long and hard before I purchased them. My decision was helped along by the fact that I was offered an emergency vacancy in the alternative school and went back to teaching. Because of that, I had an extra financial cushion and I would not have to touch my savings.

So I took the plunge and at last, the small Metlox Poppytrail Circus Pony is in my collection.

Metlox Poppytrail Medium Circus Pony, $500, #684, eBay, 4/2019, Rick Widman, 3005 Wedge Ct., Matthews, NC 28104

When the box arrived, I let it sit for a day - I just could not believe that I had finally found my most wanted pieces.

While both pieces stand very well, I have them temporarily lying on bubble wrap. I'll put them in the upstairs china cabinet soon, but in the meantime, I like having them in my office where I can look at them.

The white piece has two stickers - one on its flank and the other under its belly. The stickers are in terrific condition, especially considering their age.

I am still pinching myself that my dream has come true. Tomorrow I will talk about the other one, the one I only just discovered really did exist.

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.

Mortens Studio Cat

Oscar Mortens, who was originally from Sweden, had an art studio in Chicago from 1931 to the 1950s. (One online source says the company began in the 1940s, but William Thomas, who was friends with Inge Thelin, whose husband, Gunnar, worker for Oscar Mortens, says the company began in 1931. Go here for that information.)

The pieces that were produced were figurines of plaster layered over a metal frame. They were beautiful but not durable - it is very difficult to find a Mortens Studio piece without some damage to its plaster outer coating.

 Last Saturday my daughter and I went antiquing together. She was looking for red transferware and moon and stars glassware while I was looking for horses. (We make a good team - Lisa has found things that I missed and vice versa.)

I spied this small cat sitting on a shelf in a corner. Actually, it was the COLOR of the cat that caught my attention - I have a Mortens Studio collie in the same butterscotch and orange.

I have some Mortens Studio horses and two dogs, but I had never seen a cat before. Still, the color was just like my collie.

A quick search on my phone showed that there are a few Mortens Studio cats, but certainly not as many as there are dogs and horses.

 With very minimal damage to her ears and for only fifty cents, she came home with me.

If I can, I will pull out my Mortens Studio horses and dogs and do a couple of more posts about them tomorrow or Friday. They're interesting pieces to look at and very collectible in their own way.

Stay tuned!

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.

B Stamp Pacer

 Despite having collected since 1963, I did not have any B stamp Breyers until very recently. During the brief time (1979-1983 or so) that Breyer was adding the B stamp, I was home full time caring for four little children. With only one income, there was absolutely no money to spend on new models.

 I just added my second B stamp model to my collection - this lovely Pacer with black halter.

B Stamp Pacer with black halter, #46, $20, 1967-1987, 22/2019, eBay, Suzanne Duval, 14425 Dilbeck Rd., Springhill, FL.

The Pacer mold is having a resurgence in popularity due to the 2018 BreyerFest Foiled Again and the 2019 Vintage Club Rockford, so I was a little surprised that I won this auction.

 The B stamp can be found on the inner left hind leg.

The Breyer Molding Company stamp is on the other hind leg.

He is in great shape for his age and, regardless of B stamp or not, is a welcome addition to my Pacer conga.