One thing that’s probably already a goner: the saleslist. It was going to be a stretch to get it done and out to those of you who requested it, but now it doesn’t look like it’ll even happen. Sorry about that. If it’s any consolation, it also looks like I might have to keep some stuff home anyway, since it doesn’t look like I could possibly squeeze everything I want to sell in the vehicle.
And also, those of you who have expressed an interest in the chinas, please note that I prefer to sell them in person. I’ve had the rottenest luck with shipping anything beyond some of the smaller, more compact miniatures, and considering the quality of the stuff I’ve been finding lately (including that black pinto Lefton foal - I had no idea he was so popular!) I’d really rather not risk it.
As far as the preparations go, they’re going. As long as I don’t contract any other major illnesses, I should be able to get done what I need to get done. The Sampler’s almost finished; all I have to do there is a major rewrite on one of the articles (about the Modernistic Buck and Doe!), proofreading and tweaking. The Happy Ending Contest entry will be started by the end of the week, but I’ll put off assembling the costume for the Costume Contest until the week before. (Oh yes, I’m doing it! Nope, no telling!)
My sleep was restless, and full of strange dreams, so I pretty much walked around the flea market in a daze on Sunday. I only picked up two pieces: a Lomonosov Penguin (note: probably not for sale) and this notorious knockoff of the Western Horse:
It’s notorious, because there are still people out there who believe - and will continue to believe - that this sorry thing is a Breyer. It’s not even really a Breyer knockoff: the details of the molded on tack more closely resemble the original Clock Horse - the (now-assumed-to-be) Hartland piece.
Back when we had less history, and less reference material to go by, this particular brand of knockoff was collected rather avidly as very early Breyers. I remember wanting a "Brown and Gold" one rather badly, and not being able to secure one at an affordable price. ($20-25 back in 1980 - you could get an Alabaster Indian Pony for only a few dollars more, then!)
I was glad that I missed out when, a few years later, I actually saw one in person. Blobby hooves, crude seams, an ill-fitting saddle - and made of styrene? I wasn’t quite the "Diva" then, but I knew that Breyer had nothing to do with that sorry thing.
Some people still thought so, in spite of all that, and even now some people still do. Bad (zombie?) data has a particularly long half-life in the hobby, unfortunately. Just when you think it’s gone for good, it bounces back to life.
I did still want one, but now primarily for research purposes. They crop up from time to time on eBay and on MH$P, but I wasn’t willing to buy one "in the market." For some silly reason I had it in my head that if I bought one, others might buy one, then some folks might get the idea that there might be something more to it, and then those rumors of its alleged Breyerness would get going again, and I didn’t want that.
(It’s a consequence of a living a life smaller than you had hoped: indulging in fleeting delusions of power and influence.)
Actually, it was more me being cheap: I didn’t want to spend more on the postage than what it was really worth, which is considerably less than what they were going for back in 1980. Even if it’s a famous knockoff, it’s still a knockoff, and not a very well constructed one, at that.
6 comments:
The black horse in your photo (and the brown & gold one you mention) are made by Ohio Plastics. The brown & gold ones are quite heavy and seem to be of a better quality plastic than the other colors. The hooves don't seem as "blobby" as the other colors. They also made white ones, and made knock-offs of some Hartlands as well. I have a friend who collects them. I have a brown and gold one and I rather like him, even though he is obviously not the quality of a Breyer.
I have(had?) a brown and gold Ohio Plastics model. I attempted to strip it as he was in pretty poor condition. The plastic underneath is swirled green, red, blue, and brown. Neat!
This is a vintage Western Horse made by Ohio Plastics in the 1950s. Ohio Plastics is one of the companies that made plastic Western type horses which looked similar to the ones made by Hartland Plastics and Breyer Molding Co. but their horses looked like the common metal carnival horses. This model originally came with a wide soft plastic rein. In the early 1950s, none of these horses were marked as to maker, but each had distinguishing features. The Ohio Plastics bridle has diamond shaped conchos with little stars inside and the breastplate has little stars inside also. The saddle has no girth and stays on by gripping the sides of the horse, which causes distinctive tenting in the back of the saddle. The feet have no defined coronet bands and are shaped like the carnival prize metal horses feet. These Ohio Plastics Western Horses came in at least five colors: palomino, black, white, alabaster and brown, and they were molded in that color plastic with some airbrush shading and painting added later. The brown one was often given some coppery finish, making it look just like the carnival prize metal horses. For awhile that coppery one was listed in the Breyer books as an early Breyer, but it has since been identified as an Ohio Plastics product and has been removed from the latest version of the Breyer Animal Collector’s Guide book. A friend of mine who collects these was able to contact some old employees of Ohio Plastics and has a lot more information. They were only a side enterprise for that company and were only produced for a short time.
OHIO PLASTICS COMPANY,
History and Horse List
Ohio Plastics Company was apparently the oldest 'injection' molding facility in Ohio and began production in 1939, and finally closed in 2005. The premises is now under the new name of DK Manufacturing, utilizing the original site and still working with some of the first employees of Ohio Plastics. Yes - Ohio Plastics did produce a small line of plastic horses that were in fact made from the 1940's to the 1950's. Catalog Item numbers 20 through 26, were sold in lots of a Dozen packs, comprised of::
20 - TV Horse -
3 assorted colours $1.20 (E)
21 - TV Horse and Rider -
3 assorted colours $1.80
22 - Rodeo Horse -
3 assorted colours .90c
23 - Rodeo Horse and Rider -
3 assorted colours $1.35
24 - Pinto Horse
3 assorted colours .80c
25 - Pinto Horse and Rider
3 assorted colours $1.20
26 - Shetland Twins .90c
The above is their TOTAL horse collection, and the company does state that in fact some of these are quite RARE to find nowadays as they have become so lost in the complexity of Toy Horse brand distinction. Complete boxed sets have increased greatly in price despite the fact that they were/are considered the more inferior versions on the market.
I used to have a few of these in various colors. These horses were made by "Ohio Plastics" and are quite collectible today.
Good luck at the Breyerfest contest!!! Please post pics after BF.
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