Decreasing the herd

 Overall, the herd grows instead of shrinks, but I'm not completely a "black hole" collector.  I've got two Stablemates Club memberships, thanks to the gambler's choice horses and variations, so that produces a few duplicates a year that need to move along.  During Covid lockdowns, I started on the enormous project of inventorying and tagging all the horses, beginning with the Stablemates.  That created a lot of surplus, thanks to Breyer's blind bags and the constant search for the chase horses.  A lot of those got sold at flea markets or in groups to repainters.  Or repainted myself (well, primed, at least. so far.) 

But for the last few years, I've been sharing a rental space at a local antique mall with a couple of hobby friends, and sending some surplus out there.  Some Schleich horses, ceramic animals of all kinds - usually the product of box lots at the auction - and some Breyers.  This week, I sent a few more out.  A duplicate Abdullah from the auction (he came with a dapple gray PAS).  A Hartland Angus bull from a box lot - I kept the cow and the other bull.  The dapple gray Totilas from Breyerfest 2025 - was hoping for the decorator, and the fish-scale dapples are just not my thing.  The chestnut Emerson from BFest 2024 - again, bought in hopes of the green decorator, but I got the bay pinto and chestnut pinto.  

Next up will probably be the Yellow Mount signature horse from Breyerfest, which I got in a grab bag.  Possibly Griffin, the much-too-orange Cleveland Bay web special.  He's the only braided-mane CB I have right now, unless I kept the CB BFest surprise gray, but I think I'd rather get the braided bay Journeyman instead.  And it's time for another culling of the Stablemates collection, specifically the more unstable ones that will not stand up even with the help of sticky wax.  

For funsies, a photo of the new Our First Pony gift set I picked up at the auction last week.  Still has the cardboard gift box, and Midge's halter.  I can't remember if I already have the set, and the inventory spreadsheet isn't helping, so for $30 I bought it anyway.  

 

 

2023 partial wrap-up

 So, 2023 is over.  What happened?  Lots of things. 

• I got a Hartland Lady Jewel, although she's a custom done in acrylics that I plan to strip eventually.  Hopefully the original paint is decent.  
• Got extremely lucky at an auction and won two vintage Hagen-Renakers, a large Honora and a Laying Fez, at wildly cheap prices.  Same auction lots also had a Mortons horse, a knock-off of a HR Crusader with sequin eyes, and assorted other things. 
• The big estate sale find was a pair of Art Deco ceramic animals (a gazelle and a ram, or something) and a clear acrylic Manning Modernistic Doe that I almost missed.  
• I did Virtual Breyerfest again, and had a friend pick up my SRs while she was there in person.  I got Nemea and Scurry, Buggy, two Studebakers (neither were blue), and the SM sets.  

For next year, I rejoined the Stablemates and Vintage Clubs.  Was going to skip the VC for financial reasons, but they're doing a night light next year and I couldn't resist.  

Goals for 2024 include selling off some duplicates, continuing the organization goal, and getting some more photo showing prep done. 

Good grief

 I can tell that I've got a part-time job and my free time has gone down a lot.  Sheesh. Will try to do better. 

2020 Hobby Goals

Hobby goals for 2020

1.  Get the inventory up to date, including tagging all the reachable horses
2.  Look into converting the spreadsheet to a database
3.  Thin out the duplicate blind-bag SMs (I do NOT need 8 chestnut ASBs)
4.  Start learning to do paint touch-ups and minor repairs.  The list of scuffed and broken horses is getting out of hand.
5.  Set up a photo area and get showable pics of at least 20 horses
6.  Find another curio for the Lakeshores


Right now, the injured list is:

1. Dapple-grey Kelso with broken leg
2. Dark brown Kelso with broken leg
3. Ballylee with broken leg
4. Green Shermie with broken tail
5. Buck deer with broken antler
6. Incoming Elk from Tracy with broken antler
7. A lot of Western Horses with missing ear tips