Weighing My Options

Yesterday's talk went well and is in the books. Belle was in attendance and afterward we got some lunch and had some horsey chat.  I have another speaking engagement in June and then in July (BreyerFest Sunday) and that's it until October.

One of the most fun things about collecting is the surprises. Walking around a corner at an antique mall and spying something really good 

like my Breyer Boxer clock.

A neighbor showing you a piece that they have had for years 

and it turns out to be something pretty special and valuable (Kat and her Wedgwood Fighting Stallion),  

or an auction lot that turns out to be far better that you first realized 

because one of the pieces is so lovely that not only does it becomes a personal favorite, it does very well at shows. (Windsong Sherif.)

Yesterday afternoon, I had an unexpected surprise while perusing eBay. (A great way to relax after a speaking engagement, right??)  I came across an auction that had two Freeman Leidy circus horses and their wagon.

I always stop and look at auctions for these pieces. Even though I already have nine horses and three wagons in my collection, I'm looking for a green and purple head down pony and both head up and head down ponies in blue and yellow.

The set on eBay is the the pink and blue horses. That color order is important - it indicates that the manes and tails are pink and the ribbon accents are blue. 

Then there is the reverse or flipped color pair. (My terms for them.)

 An example of the blue and pink pair - blue mane and tail with pink ribbon accents. This is the flip of the pair in the auction.

This is the purple and green pair,

and the green and purple flip version. 

As you might imagine, these color pairs (head up/head down in one coloration) and their flip pairing (head up/head down in reverse coloration) can get really, really, REALLY confusing. Especially when you are looking to purchase them second hand.

I got out my two head down ponies in the pink/blue and blue/pink colors to compare them to the auction pieces. 

Definitely the pink/blue version and paired correctly - neither was the flip of the other, so they are a correctly matched pair.

Another look back at my collection and I already had three of the pink/blue head up ponies and one of the head down pony. (The pink/blue head up is the most commonly found Freeman Leidy circus pony of all.)

So I already have both and I have no need for the wagon. Both pieces show some damage to their ribbons. (Very common for Freeman Leidys - they are fragile.)

I am considering getting this trio. There is some damage but for the price, that's reasonable. 

Questions I am asking myself now:

Does the seller know how fragile these pieces and how to pack them with lots of protection?

If I buy them, where will I put them? The wagons take up a lot of space and I already have three of them. 

The horses take up an entire shelf in the sewing room cabinet.

There is no more space in that cabinet, so buying the eBay set would mean a complete overhaul of shelves. 

As most collectors know, that can be a major project and I am in the middle of the JCs^2's quiet book, plus (and I haven't written yet about this) we are doing a major overhaul of our home. Blinds, painting, flooring, counter tops, and some new furniture. 

Just getting my flowers planted took a lot out of me (I didn't write about it, but I was exhausted and ill for a day afterward - my body cried "Uncle" big time.) I have been learning that I need to parse my time out better and chop things into little bits. 

So, with that all said and those projects either in progress or coming up soon, do I really want to do a rearrangement of my shelves to accommodate three pieces that I already have?

And that actually is the bottom line, the nitty gritty. I'm going to think about all that, weigh those activities and my options, and then make my decision.

Stay 'tooned.