The New Stone Age

In mid-May, I got a slightly panicked message from my friend Erin asking if by any chance I could fill in for a judge that had to cancel her trip to Stone Horses Country Fair at the last minute. I just so happened to be desperately in need of a vacation and some quality time with friends, so I jumped at the opportunity. Luckily for me, public transit here in Chicago is great, so I hopped on a train that would take me most of the way to Shipeshewana, IN, where the Stone factory is located.  Despite living within a few hours drive (or train ride) of Shipshewana, I had never been, and I was excited to see the town and the factory.

As I'm sure most people know by now, Shipshewana is largely an Amish community, so horses and buggies abound. It's also the home of the Riegsecker family that created multitudes of flockie models back in the 1980s.

Though I attended the first few Stone breakfasts back in the late 1990s when Peter Stone started up his new company after leaving Breyer, I had stopped buying Stones around 2012 because I just couldn't keep up with the prices anymore. (Quick note for those who don't know: Peter Stone's dad Sam Stone co-founded the Breyer Molding Company with a partner in 1943. Peter was the main champion of the plastic animal line, and eventually took over the company. It was sold to Reeves in 1984, and Peter eventually left to start a new model horse company in 1996.) Because of the higher price point, I had largely stopped paying attention to Stones, and I thought I was safe from anything on offer at SHCF. How wrong I was! I have been missing out all these years. I was blown away by the artistry and quality of the models on offer.
 
The host hotel for the event was huge and had what was essentially a second lobby next to the convention space (the red barn in the photo above). All of the event sales models were on display there, and the eye candy was off the charts. I am especially enamored of the new-ish mule mold sculpted by Maggie Jenner-Bennett.

These Bunnies were sold via raffle on Sunday and were wildly popular.

Some of the best offer one-of-a-kinds from that weekend. These are pretty mind-blowing paint jobs and customizations for OFs!

Just look at the details!

On Saturday at the show, I judged Stone and Other Plastic collectibility. The caliber of models in both divisions was absolutely bonkers. My favorite class was probably the Stone Halloween models class---I took a ton of pix, but here are some of my faves.

I'm not normally a fan of zombie models, but the exposed
skeleton bits on this one were so well sculpted.

I adore this little rearing pair, and the green guy in the background
was hilariously named Gelatinous Cube. This DnD fan approves!

My overall Stone champ and reserve were this stunning pony by Jess Hammill and this lovely appaloosa ISH.

The Other Plastic division was full of terrific models as well---vintage decorators, BreyerFest raffle models, rare chalkies, and more. These were my overall champs.

A rare showcase box with a Palomino FAM

Frankenstein Mustang from the VRE event in 2008, only 21 made

 Have you really been to a model horse event if you don't go out for Mexican food?

On Sunday, the factory was open for tours, a barbecue, visits with the guest horses, and more sales. The tour was particularly interesting because it really drove home the fact that Stone is a small, hands-on company, not a giant, faceless corporation. The models are injection molded here in the USA not far from the factory, the paint is also American-made, and all of the seam cleaning, prepping, customizing, masking, painting, and finishing are done in-house by a small but wildly talented group of artists.

Sales and display models in the lobby

Erin leading a tour (photo by Maggie Jenner-Bennett)

Ellen Robbins (painter) and Dock Holliday (model and real)
(photo by Maggie Jenner-Bennett)

Jess Hammill (painter), Maggie Bennett (sculptor),
with Red Hot Color and his mini-me
(photo courtesy of Maggie Jenner-Bennett)

The following day, Erin and I returned to the factory to look through an archive of papers that had belonged to Chris Hess and which Peter had entrusted to Erin's care. I'm going to devote a whole post to the neat things we found, but here's a little taste. Yes, those are Chris' hand-written sculpting notes on the head shot of Lassie from the early 1950s. I had goosebumps!

Me geeking out (photo by Erin Corbett)

After that, we headed to the painting room to let our creative juices flow. I've been an airbrush artist for almost 25 years, and a collector for even longer, so getting to paint at a model horse factory was pretty much a dream come true. I usually listen to music or audiobooks while I paint to keep myself entertained, but I was so in the zone that day that the hours just flew by and I was barely aware of it. I. Had. A. BLAST!

Trial run on a hairless ISH

I could not resist the cabinet full of decorator colors! Copper Boom!

Have I mentioned how much I love this mule mold?
The Pebbles scale version is so freaking cute!

Messing around with masking

Painting at the factory was the icing on the cake of an already wonderful trip. It is so good for the soul to spend time communing with fellow artists and collectors, and I was just so impressed by how well-organized the event was, how kind and helpful the Stone crew were, and by how determined everyone involved is to put out a superlative product for discerning collectors. Stone Horses fill a unique niche in our hobby for 100% American-made, highly detailed, small run or one-of-a-kind plastic OFs, and I am officially hooked again.   

This picture of Dolly Parton hangs in a well-trafficked part of the factory, encouraging everyone to tumble out of bed and pour themselves a cup of ambition. I feel like those lyrics perfectly embody the spirit of excitement and determination at Stone Horses these days, and I can't wait to see where Erin and her team will take the company.

Dolly keeps everyone motivated and inspired