Antiquing After the BreyerFest Crowds

One of the main thoroughfares for people going to BreyerFest is I-65. It runs close my home and often when people post photos of their BreyerFest trip, I recognize exactly where they were when that photo was taken. I've even met hobby friends at restaurants at the exit near my home to say hello, exchange models, and have lunch.

It's a lot of fun. But, there is a downside. It also means that any antique or thrift shop along I-65 has been heavily checked out and picked over by collectors as they travel. I've learned to do my antiquing at least a week before BreyerFest and then even as much as a month after the event has ended if I want to find any HSOs. (Horse shaped objects.)

So, after a trip down to Indy to meet a friend for lunch a few days ago, I decided to try my luck and stopped by a shop that I don't often get to go to as it's a long drive from my home.

Lots of HSOs were evident - it looked as if that particular store had recovered from the scores of collectors who had stopped by.

I was tempted by the 5 Gaiter, but left it behind for someone else. Almost $100 for something I already have was more than I was willing to pay.

The Lone Ranger, Silver, and Tonto caught my eye, but I left them behind, too. (I think they are by Revell.)

I was more interested in the circus wagon than I was the two FASs and their harnesses. I've long wanted a circus wagon made by Dick Eighmy and did not buy one when I had the chance years ago. But this work was done by someone else.

This bust stopped me for a couple of minutes. It was cool but where would I put it?

If I had a quarter for every Breyer Boxer I've found... 

Fostoria made these heavy glass bookends and I see a lot of them in antique shops. I actually was gifted a pair for high school graduation; they're on one of the shelves in my sewing room.

I considered rescuing the Zebra mama and foal and then selling them to another collector (I already have the pair) but I left them behind.

Not only is the Boxer ubiquitous, so are metal western horses. Some standing alone, some on bases, some with clocks, gold colored metal, silver colored, pot metal, big, medium, small... Pass! (But passed with a smile.)

This bobble head donkey with its tail on a spring made me laugh but nothing I needed or wanted.

A very colorful mid century modern planter.

This Revell box stopped me in my tracks and I was hopeful the horse inside would be in good shape.

It was in rough shape - the seams were separating and showing yellowed glue

the mane and tail needed work, and for $32, I was not interested in taking on a restoration project.

I came home without dropping a dime, but I also came home happy and relaxed. 

There may be a second post coming today - if so, it will be posted by noon. If not, look for it tomorrow.

Doing Some Antiquing

What do you do after you go to the dentist? I usually go antiquing before going home. I have no idea why; I just do. 

So, after having my teeth cleaned yesterday, I headed to one of my favorite antique shops to do a little wandering and to see if I could find anything interesting.

I always smile when I see one of the vintage Family Arabs. I didn't need another one, so I left this grand old lady in the glass display case where she was safe and protected.

The Classic Shire A in a homemade harness and cart. That's Tristan, a model from the 2005 Breyer Fun Days. From what I can see, the tag lists the cart as tack maker H Custom Designs. A search online turns up a D & H Custom Designs who makes carts, carriages, and wagons for model horses. Perhaps that is who made this set?

My Little Ponies can almost always be found in an antique shop. I actually have some of my kids' MLPs. Some day I will dig them out and see if I can identify them.

The beautiful old metal boy almost came home with me. He's pretty but he was also heavy and more than I wanted to pay. Besides, I collect enough things; I don't need to start collecting metal horses!

Although truth be told, I do have four or five that are tucked away.

Two Trail of the Painted Ponies were available.

Not at $125 apiece.

I don't collect them, either, although I do have Apple-loosa, a combination of my favorite breed, my teaching career, and the apple orchard that my family owned for decades.

Artists in the model horse hobby do a wonderful job of training our eyes on correct conformation, proportion, scale, and biomechanics. So, when I look at a piece like this one, I can't help but compare it to what I have seen the artists in our hobby create. And usually, the piece I am looking at just does not measure up. 

A souvenir piece from the Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus. I already have this one and their Western Horse knock-off in my collection.

Another horsey piece being kept behind glass was an old Trigger lunch box.

 

$300 originally but now on sale for $150. 

A Classic sized knock off of Maureen Love's Arabian Stallion. Although it's more likely that it is a knock off of Breyer's iteration of this piece and not Hagen Renaker's china one.

This Napcoware horse head planter almost came home with me. I actually have one of these in palomino, but the brown coloring is lovely on this one. But it was very dirty, and had some chips, so I left it behind.

My Napcoware planter, still sporting water droplets from having been washed.

I didn't buy anything this time, but that's often the case when looking for HSOs. I still had fun wandering the aisles and seeing what was out there. My next dental appointment is in May, but no doubt I will visit this shop again long before that!

Playing Hooky

Ever have a day when all your plans go out the window? And it's not because you are sick, or that something pops up; it's because you chose not to do those plans? 

That was me yesterday. It was a beautiful day and I decided I would go antiquing.

Because it was so lovely outside, I treated myself to a long drive and went antiquing out of town. I drove across the path of one of those tornados from earlier this spring and was startled and a bit dismayed to discover that its path took it either directly through or very close to the cemetery in which Craig's folks are buried. There was a lot of damage and clean up was still ongoing. We are going to go check their graves ASAP.

I had some success as I hunted for HSOs like this nice Beswick Drafter. (Left behind but I may go back and get it after Indy Blooms.)

A Hagen Renaker mini in excellent shape and at a good price, but I left it for someone else since I already have it.

A shelf of Breyers and Hartlands. (I nabbed the Lady Phase.)

A Breyer Boxer that sadly someone had scratched patterns on. (The sides were a mess!)

China models that were paired to sell.

More chinas and a Hartland. That cat was really nice - if I go back to get the Beswick, I may bring the cat home, too.

The Lady Phase came home with me and to my surprise, was not listed in Identify Your Breyer. She also has a tail variation that is not listed there, either. 

I am sure she is a Breyer, but I am puzzled as to why she is not listed. I did find her on eBay but the listing had no information about her.

I'll do some research on her next week. In the meantime, I have haversacks to make, sheets to wash, vacuuming to do, and more as I prepare for Liz, Steff, and Ellen's arrival tomorrow.

Drive safely, ladies!

The First Antiquing Trip of 2023

You know how running one errand can turn into several? That was me yesterday - I needed to run to JoAnn's for one thing and ended up spending time antiquing, too.

I had above average HSO (horse shaped objects) sightings.

In fact, the vendors' booths seemed much more full than usual, and it wasn't due to Christmas items - most of those had already been cleared out.

Someone had converted a Breyer Stablemate barn into a display for miniature cars.

Breyer's barn in its current iteration on the Breyer web site.

I was tempted by this early Stablemate play set. I tried to look it up on Identify Your Breyer, but the site is down.

This piece was a shrinky and had the powdery dulling on its legs that comes from the shrinking process. I've been known to buy shrinkies, but I already have this piece. (Mine shows no evidence yet of shrinking but I figure it is only a matter of time.)

The color on the Stablemate beside it was pretty and unusual, but it was covered in rubs and I left it behind, too.

I considered these two prints, thinking they might be good for Happy Trails or live show donations but the cost was more than I felt their detail merited.

I found lots of MIJ (made in Japan) chinas throughout my wanderings.

I'm not sure this is actually a manufacturer's set but instead is a set formed by the seller. The pieces varied in what they were made from; some had finished hooves while others did not, and the eyes differed from dot to more detailed.

I'd never seen this particular piece before, although I have seen labels like that. 

This print made me smile - I used to have it when I was a girl. 

A pretty cool Fred Stone racing print but so many other things were piled in front of it, I could not get close to see it.

A trio of very different horses grouped together.

This palomino pinto almost came home with me.

Do those front socks look odd to you, too? I think someone may have painted them on.

 

The ubiquitous Kentucky Derby glasses. Since Louisville is only two and a half hours south of me, rarely do I go antiquing and not find at least one or two.

I think this is a Breyer, one of Kathleen Moody's molds that had hair manes and tails with combs and brushes. But since Identify Your Breyer is down, I can't check,

I thought about buying this lamp - the price was right, but I didn't have a place for it and it was too expensive to be used as a donation. 

Some pretty cool Pegasi (and a dragon),

coupled with some unicorns. I wonder if these are a hobby mold of some sort?

Another nope!

I walked around the antique mall for about an hour, another bit of healing normalcy that did me good.