Repaired Models Home!

I just received a box containing five models I had sent out for repair, and four of them look lovely!

But the repair on the fifth piece, a Breyer Unicorn, did not last.

His repaired horn broke. 

The model was really not worth the money to repair him, but I liked it and had the money saved, and sent him off to be fixed.  So, I let the artist know what had happened and asked what she suggested. She immediately responded and is going to repair him again.

I really appreciate her fast response and will be packing him up this weekend to send back.

Off to the Vet - Model, that Is!

Yesterday I packed up two boxes of ponies to send to the "model vet" so that they can be repaired. Generally I wait until I have several models to repair before sending them out, and so when I broke my AA Circus Pony a week ago, I already had others lined up to see the vet as well.

I put ID tags on each piece with my name, phone number, and email address. Broken parts are wrapped in bubble wrap or tissue and then sealed in labeled envelopes to be tucked into the box with the models. Models are bubble wrapped and then tucked into pony pouches before being placed in mailing boxes. Those boxes are lined with foam or bubble wrap to further protect my horses.

Packing ponies can be difficult - too much packing materials means that undue pressure may be put on the model.

That was the case with this HR Circus Pony. When it arrived, it was double boxed, but the box it was actually in was tightly, tightly packed with foam. The pony was wedged in there and very difficult to remove, so I wasn't surprised to see that a fragile leg had snapped. The seller blamed the post office, but the boxes were in perfect shape and I have no doubt that it was the pressure of the wedged-in foam that broke the leg.

This HR Hackney was in a pony pouch when it broke. I had taken it to a show and think it was, again, pressure from the padded, velcroed pony pouch that I used. 

 I actually have two kinds of pony pouches - those that are padded with velcro closures to keep them shut, and others that are simply fleece with foldover flaps and no padding. Those do not put pressure on fragile legs and I actually use them more than I do the padded/velcro kind. And when I use the padded ones, I use one size up so that the piece doesn't have undue pressure on its legs and ears.

This pearly unicorn was a Toys R Us special run in 1996. Last summer he tipped and fell off his shelf and the horn snapped.

 This photo shows his beautiful pearliness. 

Finally, my beautiful carpet herd Trimontware Japan china mare is off for a repair. She was one of my favorites and the alpha mare of the herd when I played with my collection while in elementary school. (Frankly, I am amazed that the ear is the only break she has sustained - she was played with daily for years!)

Why? Just look at those pretty eyes - they even have eyelashes! Add to that the fact that she's a charcoal color (my favorite vintage coloring), and she just HAD to be #1!

Is she worth the money it will cost to fix that ear? If you measure it by dollars and cents, certainly not. But if you measure it by heartstrings and sentiment, then she is worth every penny I will pay to have that ear restored.

There are other reasons for fixing some of these more ordinary pieces. For example, that HR Mini Hackney is not too remarkable, and I was just going to replace it after it broke. But a search on eBay and other sites that sell HRs showed how hard to find this piece is - it's from the early 90s and I could not find it anywhere. I figured that the replacement cost might be just as much as the repair, and thus decided to proceed. As for the the unicorn, it is simply beautiful. I like it, so why not? 

 Every piece is now carefully wrapped and packed up...

 ... with their broken pieces in envelopes next to them.

I'll be running errands later this morning, and mail these at the post office then.

I can't wait to see how they look when they come back home whole again!

They're Ba-ack!

I sent some pieces out for some repairs or minor touch ups in April and they arrived home again this week.

 The shading on this Circus Pony is incredible! His free hind leg had broken - now it is good as new.

His full sized Designer Workshop counterpart had a break in the same place that someone had repaired a couple of times before I got him. The repair artist had to soak it in several different solutions to remove the remnants of that old glue before she could fix it.

This DW Two Bits is now retired from the show ring and will enjoy life in my china cabinet. He seems very fragile, more so than any other Hagen Renaker I have owned. Despite being well packed for the last show I took him to, his leg broke while being transported home. Another time, a tiny piece flaked off his ear for seemingly no reason I could see. Both are now repaired, and I will not risk any more damage to him.

 The black marks have been removed from this piece. I tried a Magic Eraser on a model once and not only did the black mark come off, but the paint, too! And the same thing happened when I used toothpaste. So when I got this lovely decorator, I chose to have a professional remove those marks.

I made the same decision with this foal, too. He looks much better.

I have had mixed luck sending models out for repair. Currently I am waiting on a resin that has been with the restorer for almost two years. Another one did excellent work, but there was no communication and I did not know when my pieces would be finished and returned. She is also very, very difficult to get a hold of as she travels a lot. A third person that advertised repair work did not communicate and had my pieces for a year before sending me a surprise box in the mail.

This time the communication was better with this repair artist than the others, and while the turn around time was longer than stated in emails to me, it was only two months longer, not enough time for me to begin worrying if I would see my models again.

I would use her again, and already have one piece to send off, this Circus Pony which arrived broken a few weeks ago. However, she has said publicly that she is taking a break from repairing models, so I am not sure if she will accept more work from me.

I will ask her, but if she really is no longer accepting work, then I am back to square one and looking for someone who does excellent work, communicates well, and completes the repairs in a reasonable amount of time.

Off for Repairs

As a result of past problems, I have become very cautious as to whom I send pieces from my collection for repair work. Recently I was thrilled to discover that a well known hobby artist (and good friend of one of my best hobby friends) with a good reputation for repairs and restoration had some openings. I contacted her and she agreed to do some work for me.

These two decorator Running Foals are getting new eartips.

 And I am sending three Hagen Renakers who need some leg work.

 My glossy Designer Workshop Head Up Pony has a leg break that needs to be fixed.

 Nancy Falzone sold me this Circus Pony with a broken leg and it will be lovely when fixed.

I broke my Two Bits after the last show I attended. It happened while in transit coming home from the show despite the piece being wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in a padded pony pouch. I was so sad!

He has a J carved into the bottom of one hoof. I don't know who did that, and it makes me wonder if he had had some repair work done before I found him at an antique shop.

My Head Up Pony also has a letter carved into a hoof. Perhaps it, too, had been to a repair artist before I bought it?

The gal I am sending my models to has a three week turn around time for repairs, so I should get them back before the end of May. I am thrilled she will be working on them, and have some others I'd like to send when these come back. Fingers crossed!