horsesofdifferentcolours
In our June 2005 issue we offered two of the Painted Pony range for sale...Navajo
Blanket (pictured above) and Heavenly Pony. They were a big hit and we got
lots of phone calls asking if we sold any more of the extensive Painted Pony
range. At first we decided against stocking more of these gorgeous ponies...they
were tricky to post for one but mostly because there are so many to choose
from and we couldn't decide which ones to stock!
We kept a Navajo Blanket figurine for the Horsewyse office where it's been
sitting gathering dust on a shelf for the the past 12 months. But an idle
check of the range on Ebay recently literally made our jaws drop...Navajo
Blanket was not only 'retired' (no longer being produced) but it was listed
as 'rare and hard to find' and what we'd paid $50 for was now valued at between
$250-$450!
We ever-so-gently removed our figurine from the shelf (where it had miraculously
survived being knocked off by the pesky office cat), dusted it down and returned
it to its original packaging which fortunately we'd kept. It's now part of
Vicki's (HW editor) Painted Pony collection.
Once a Painted Pony is retired, it's value slowly begins to increase. We were
lucky to get some retired ponies to sell through the Horsewyse giftshop, including
Fireman Pony, currently attracting good prices on Ebay. We offered some for
sale in our September 2006 issue and they were snapped up within days.
History of the Painted Ponies (so far!)
In
1999 an artistic event titled the 'Chicago Parade of Cows' was born, where
life-size fiberglass model cows were painted and decorated by artists, then
auctioned off with proceeds going to charity. From the success of this event
evolved the 'Trail of the Painted Ponies' in New Mexico. A sculptor was commissioned
to cast a life-size horse in resin, models were made and a call went out for
artists to submit designs to decorate the horses with. The response was overwhelming
and the horses were decorated using a series of mediums from paint, mosaics,
accessories, pottery...in fact, you name it! 120 of the horses were auctioned
in 2002 with proceeds going to charity.
The horse was chosen because it was through New Mexico that the Spanish Conquistadores
introduced the horse to North America five centuries ago.
Painted Pony Collectible Figurines
After
the auctions, a licensing agreement was made with Westland Gifts and replicas
of small Painted Ponies commenced with the figurines now the hottest collectible
in America since the Beanie Babies of the 1990's. There's even an award-winning
documentary 'Trail of the Painted Ponies' narrated by actress, Ali McGraw.
So far 155 life-size ponies have been created and these have been purchased
by museums, companies and private collectors. The first set of small replicas
were launched January 2003 with 88 released to date in both ceramic and resin,
including holiday-themed ponies. The ponies are around 15-20cm high and come
packed in a box containing a hang tag with information about the sculpture
and artist.
The numbering system
Each
Pony is marked under the base with its name, the name of the artist, the edition
number (1E, 2E, 3E etc.) and a sequential number in the edition. Example,
1E/1,000 means that pony is number 1,000 in the first edition. There are 10,000
ponies in each edition. If you see a Pony numbered 2E/1,000 then you know
that there have been at least 11,000 of that one made (10,000 in the first
edition and 1,000 in the second). The manufacturer doesn't make all 10,000
at once and some Ponies get retired before the entire 10,000 of an edition
are made, meaning just because you see 2E on a Pony doesn't mean there have
been 20,000 of that one made.
The first release of resin ponies were inadvertently marked with the number
only and did not include the 1E up to about the number 3600. After that the
1E was added. This includes 'Motorcycle Mustang', 'Karuna', 'Fireman Pony',
'Boot Scootin' Pony', 'War Pony' and 'Caballo Brillante'.
1E ponies are in high demand and the lower the sequential number after that
1E, the higher the Pony's value. Why? No reason...all editions are identical
but like anything (such as books), first editions are more desirable. The
Ponies with no edition listed before their number as described above even
more so!
Retired Ponies
In
2004 it was decided to begin a retirement program and twice a year, six figurines
are put 'out to pasture' which limits their availability and increases their
'collectability' and value. The Navajo Blanket Pony was retired in March 2004
(unbeknown to us, we purchased our stock in February 2005) and is becoming
increasingly harder to find. So far 34 ponies have been retired (see full
list at left) and most now command much higher prices than their original
price tag, especially if they are 1E with a low number. Our Navajo Blanket
pony is a 2E but as he was among the first Painted Ponies to be retired and
was limited stock, his value has greatly increased.
Collecting Painted Ponies
Like
collecting anything, it becomes an addiction! Ponies signed by the artist
who created the original design are in hot demand and limited releases of
250 ponies signed by the artist are serious collectibles! You won't find a
signed Pony for under $100 and their value can only keep increasing. The best
place to start looking is Ebay. If you want to keep the price down, stick
to Australian sellers, although these are fairly limited. You can buy a larger
range including retired and signed ponies from US sellers, but cost of shipping
will add around $30-$40US on top of the purchase price.
Keeping the original packaging is an asset, as those of you who have watched
'Antiques Roadshow' can testify. Some collectors purchase ponies and simply
leave them untouched in their original packaging, which we reckon kind of
defeats the purpose of having such lovely horsey ornaments. Having a figurine
in mint condition with original packaging in good condition, including the
hang tag can double a ponyÕs value...weÕve even seen individual hangtags available
for sale on Ebay!
So far the highest price paid for a 15cm pony is $957 on Ebay but no doubt
this record will soon be broken! The range has expanded to include jewellery,
collectible sets, puzzles, ornaments, lamps, picture frames and art prints.
You can even get a blank model and design your own Painted Pony!
Painted Ponies make great gifts and are fun to collect, although you need
to save your pocket money as some of them can be a little pricey. You can
collect your favourite designs in the knowledge that their value will increase
once theyÕve been retired, especially if they are a low-numbered first edition.
For more info, visit www.trailofpaintedponies.com
Left:
Life-size pony 'Horse Apples'. Right: Small figuring 'Sky of Enchantment',
retired January 2006.
© 2006 Horsewyse Magazine
