Circus Time: The Grail Metlox Poppytrail & Bonus Pony

I wanted the medium white Metlox Poppytrail Circus Horse for decades. I'd only seen one photo of the piece, and it was so charming and saucy, I badly wanted to add it to my collection. But, during all those years, I never, ever saw one come up for sale.

In 2016 I began setting aside money to buy the piece in case I ever found it. I figured that, since it was so rare, it might be costly, and I wanted to be prepared. 

I did numerous online searches, scoured antique and thrift shops, and kept my eyes peeled for years with no success. It wasn't until May, 2018 when Heather Wells and friends held Clinky Mania in California to sell the late Karen Grimm's massive collection that I saw one. As I looked over the photos before the sale, there was the white Metlox Poppytrail circus pony! 

And to my great surprise, a palomino one, too! 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 made available to buyers during the Clinkie Mania sale and so my search was still on. Only now I was looking for both the white and the palomino.

The search finally came to an end on eBay in 2019 - only the second time ever that I had ever seen them come up for sale. I quietly began watching the auctions and checking my savings to make sure I had enough to bid for both pieces.

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 had come out of retirement for the last seven weeks of school to cover an emergency leave for a very ill teacher. Because of that unexpected income, I had a good financial cushion and I would not have to touch my savings.

It's an odd feeling, after literally decades of looking, to finally acquire your most wanted piece, your "grail" as the hobby calls it. When they arrived, I left them in their boxes for a little while, still finding it hard to believe that I had found them. Even now I still feel like pinching myself when I look at them in my china cabinet.

They are beautiful, mint, and have their stickers, too. I am so lucky to have finally found my most wanted pieces.

Tomorrow, we will look at  some circus ponies that actually came from the circus and are real circus souvenirs!

Prepare to be amazed!