Something short again today, everybody: I have a ton of things to get done before the weekend is out, plus I have to squeeze some sleep in there somewhere as well.
First, let’s get a little bit of housekeeping done. Let’s go down the list.
One: I have no idea when the Collector’s Club Exclusive Lafayette will drop, other than to agree with the general consensus of SOON. I am hoping that, in light of recent events and offers, that they’ll either make a ton of them, or offer them up as they did some of this year’s BreyerFest SRs: shipping out what they have, and allowing backorders for a certain number of hours or days.
At least, that’s how I’d be running things. If I were running things. Let everyone who wants a shiny black horsie have a shiny black horsie!
Two: It doesn’t look likely that I’ll be able to participate in the Online BreyerFest Swap Meet at all, and the BreyerFest Photo Show looks unlikely at this point, too.
Since I am not traveling to Kentucky or staying at the hotel, I am not pressed for the money the room sales would bring. The Photo Show took a lot out of me last year, and if I have any extra time in May or June, I really want to spend it finishing the rehabilitation of my garden.
Three: The 15-Year Rule was brought up in the comments a couple of posts back, and while I’m in cleanup mode, I might as well re-explain.
As you all know by now, Breyers are pretty plentiful here, even at the flea market. Over the years I noticed that it takes – on average – about 15 years for a model purchased by a nonhobbyist to end up in the secondary market.
The math makes sense, once you puzzle it out. Most kids go through a horse-crazy phase from around the ages of 8 to 14. Fifteen years later would be the ages of 23 to 29, around the time their parents are reclaiming the space in their house/attic/garage. The children are given the ultimatum: take your old toys with you, or we’re selling them at the yard sale.
And that’s where most of them end up.
Four: Last week I made a trip to a local Salvation Army store to buy a ten-pound sack of vintage calico fabric – I found it earlier and the week and left it behind, until I decided I couldn’t – and made a quick perusal of the book department. This particular store gets a pretty good assortment, so it’s always worth a look.
For some reason I picked out a book – Junior Miss, by Sally Benson – maybe thinking it was an old Scholastic Book Club hardcover, and I’m kind of fascinated by old Scholastics. And look what I found inside:
I’ve owned a number of Linda Leach-Hardy customs in my time, and I’ve even found a few at the local flea markets – which makes sense, because she was a local artist – but this is the first time I’ve found her signature in a book.
Sure, there is a possibility it is another Linda Leach, but finding this after a recent discussion of vintage customs?
So weird.
5 comments:
THAT. IS. AWESOME!!!! :)
Thanks for explaining the 15 year rule. It does make perfect sense. I just wish I lived in an area where Breyers were purchased for children 15 years ago. Even though I'm within a day's drive of Chicago, I have hardly ever seen a Breyer for sale around here in southwest Minnesota. Go figure.
it's not weird, it's wonderful. I collected her drawings. That's her handwriting.
Ah! Yeah, I was wondering about the 15-year rule. I was thinking people who collect do so for 15 years.
Junior Miss: there was a movie with that same title, the story goes that's the origin of Junior Mints, sort of a product tie-in back in the 20's! I was surprised to learn that I was almost a junior miss myself. My parents had so much trouble coming up with a name for me, I was almost named for my mom. Too bad, female juniors are rare. And I always have to spell out my name...
Lafayette dropped yesterday and they made him available to backorder once the initial quantity sold out.
That is so incredible you found this book! It was truly meant to be. Linda Leach IS model horse collector history!
-- ( L Rogers :)
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