Oh, those Hagen Renaker circus ponies! Head up, head down, brightly colored harnesses, and gold hooves - they are charming and highly popular. These pieces are what most collectors think of first when someone mentions circus ponies.
Sculpted by Maureen Love, the Head Up pony was first released from 1955 - 1957, and the Head Down from 1955 - 1956 (according Gayle Roller's book, Hagen Renaker, 3rd edition.)
The maroon color varies as well. You can see that with my Head Up ponies - dark maroon is on the left and a light maroon/pink is on the right.
The earliest pieces had a red dot at the corner of the mouth and a scalloped bridle and breast collar. Later pieces did not have the scalloping or the dot. The plume is a red pipe cleaner.
A similar pattern of scalloped tack and a red dot at the mouth in early pieces can be found in the Head Down pony. Eye detail varied as well - note how all three of these have different eyes.
Hagen Renaker rereleased the circus ponies from 1980 - 1983. The plume was removed, eyes became black dots,
and the tack colors were scalloped blue, yellow, green, and maroon with a line of gold. The blue varies from royal, sky, or turquoise (mine is the royal variation).
The Head Up ponies in green.
The model market is booming right now, and three of them recently sold online for over $100 each. At those prices, I won't be buying any unless I find them while out antiquing.
What I will still be buying, though, is similar, and I'll show those tomorrow.
Prepare to be amazed!
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