I hope you're still up and running - I've been looking for Magpie Models for a long time!

About 10 years ago I bought an Arab, rider, tack and a stable from Magpie, and I still have most of them today (the saddle got lost years ago). It's nice to see everything is still exactly as I remember it, all the horse, the tack, the jumps...

Please could you put me on the mailing list for Magpie Models - email or postal, or both - I'd love to receive the newsletter and catalogue.

Thank you!
Louise

Hello

I'm new to your website. I have never seen this horse before until I just came across one on eBay. Could you tell me how your horses compare in size to the English Julip horse? I make costumes for model horses. I also live in the US and would very much like to buy from you. I love the hand painted faces of these little horses. I found the Julip horses much smaller than I expected. Are these approximately the same sizes?

Thank you very much!
Melodie

I have recently bought one of your models and was wondering whether it is safe to get magpie models wet. I am just worried that if I attempt it something will go wrong. Is it okay for the models to get wet? Also I have got many makes of models and although magpie models aren't the most realistic of the lot I think the tack and horses are very sweet and are definitely my favourite model:0)

From Becky

Hi again

Just a thought, but any chance you might ever bring back a special run/personality model like the old one, Walnut Whip, the creamy dun Arab? I always, *always* wanted him but at the time it wa between him and Cherokee the skewbald and I could only afford one. I chose Cherokee (my first ever Magpie by the way) and so missed out on Walnut Whip and I've never managed to get one second-hand. I've painted my own cream dun, Almond, who I love to bits, and I may also attempt another one with synthetic hair not mohair this time, but customs are never quite going to be like the real thing of course. It would be great to have another cream dun Arab for sale sometime. Also the dappled blue roan with the white hair, Beamish. I missed out on him too and I just love his bright white hair against his 'blue' body - it looks great. I'd love one like him sometime too.

Anyway, I'm just rambling now. LOL
Best wishes,
Laura

Hiya

I think you know Hazel, right? Well Hazel and I are trying to make a Magpie archive, with pics of as many personalities/specials, normal colours, customs and Magpie collections as we can. It's a bit of a work in progress right now but we're trying to get other people in on that to contribute pics too.

At the moment it's just a photo bucket account with a few pics in of some of mine and some of Hazel's models in (and not necessarily all in the right folders right now) but there's more to come. This is the link by the way.

At the moment there are pics of Hazel's Beamish in there, as well as some other old personalities. We should eventually be able to get a pic of Walnut Whip too. Anyway I'll keep you updated on its progress.

Best wishes,
Laura

Dear Jan,

I have just received my first order from you this morning. I have to say I am over the moon with all of it. Even down to the packaging. Thank you so much.

I am sorry about the 10% deal I told you about. I am so sorry I must have got that wrong. But thank you for the free postage, much appreciated and most generous of you.

I am off to your website again now, as I forgot to order bridles. Thanks for providing such a quick and efficient service.

Regards
Angela

Hello

I have been a long time collector of Magpie Models and I have an example of each mould in every colour. I was wondering if you have any plans to reintroduce the 'Dream Pony Personalities' that Magpie used to make? I have collected all the special horses you have made so far, however I think it would be great if a collection of 6 or so specials could be made for each year and released at the beginning of the year for people to collect.

My collection gets a bit halted because I don't know when there is next going to be a model released that I don't already have, and I would like to be able to collect more consistently, as is probably true for most genuine collectors. Has anyone else raised something similar?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Many thanks for your time,
Kelly

Hi Jan

Thank you for your reply below, I do have some photos of some of the previous personalities which I can send to you if that's any help. Thank you for the link to the photo bucket, it's great to see the photos of some of the persies that I've never seen before, there's some really beautiful models in there. I would love it if the previous specials could be reintroduced because I missed out on a lot of them the first time around.

I have one of the club special models, called Chocolate, who's a dark bay Arab model; I can take a photo of him if you like and send it on.

I'll look forward to the dapples and the appaloosa appearing on the website, I love my dappled welsh pony. I'll also get my thinking cap on to come up with some ideas for future specials.

I would also like to say thank you for bringing Magpie's back, they were much missed while they weren't available, and you can tell how much people think of them by the fact that you hardly ever see any for sale compared to other makes of models. I have loved all of the specials that you have brought out so far and it's great having the website to shop on as well.

I'll dig out my photos and send them on to you.

Many thanks,
Kelly

Hi Jan,

I can't remember if I told you my latest order had arrived. It came on Saturday. I have to say I love all the props that I received. Absolutely brilliant. Thanks again.

Regards
Angela xx

Hi

Got the products today thanks, they are excellent! As good as they were ten years ago when I collected them. My niece will be really excited; they are excellent little stocking fillers! Thanks once again for a reliable and speedy service.

Lili

Dear Jan,

I wasn't sure what email address to send this to but I just wanted to show you my latest projects concerning my much loved Magpie's! Attached are pictures of my stable that I made especially for my several Magpie models. It has taken me 6 months elapsed time and cost just over £35 to make! I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures!

Lory

p.s the picture of the strange looking horse in the stable is my little sisters pet dumbo rat ,skye!

Hi

I hope its not too forward of me to make a suggestion but I was wondering if you had ever considered manufacturing western tack and riders to go with your models. I know I would certainly be very interested in purchasing this type of tack, I'm sure there are others who would be too, especially with the explosion in western performance popularity in the model horse collecting hobby.

Thank you for your time
Sarah

Dear Jan,

Thank you very much for sending the replacement Arab! He arrived yesterday and is just perfect! I really, really appreciate it very much! He looks just like my real horse!

sincerely,
Jessica

Hi Jan,

I was an avid fan of Magpie Models as a youngster, and it's great to see that you are now again offering the custom models!!

I would like to order a custom model of my horse Jack. I'd like a model of him in his winter woollies as he looks cutest like that, and is much darker than in the summer. I will take some pics today for you.

Also, I have a little Fjord Magpie based on the welsh model that I would dearly love to see revamped. I loved this little model so much that I would like to have him/her revamped to pass onto my own children when the time comes.

Again, I will take pics for you, but as a run-down, she needs re-sealing as she has come apart on a few occasions, tail and forelock needs replacing, her legs and face need to be re-shaded with dark brown, her hooves need a new lick of paint and her body could do with a re-spray as the original colour has rather worn off!

I also have a 'bright bay' that could do with resealing and having legs and face re-sprayed with black and hooves repainted. Let me know if this is possible and the approximate cost.

Thanks again, looking forward to hearing from you.

Kindest regards
Sarah

Hi Jan,

Thank you for your response. I haven't seen Jack since my last email, as my lesson got changed from today until tomorrow, so will send pics through of him tomorrow by email for you to have a look at.

I would like him reproduced on the hunter model; bay base would be easiest for you. He doesn't have any white markings, but he looks somewhat like an oversized Exmoor pony in winter as he gets the mealy muzzle and flanks. I'll go through all his 'features' tomorrow when I send the photos through for you.

I have attached pictures of the old models I have that I would love to have revamped.

The first one is the golden dun Fjord pony I got from your newsletter all those years ago. He needs to have his forelock and tail replaced with new hair, have the two halves of the shell re-stuck together, have his legs and head shaded again in the original chocolate colour, have his feet painted and his body colour resprayed.

The bright bay is in good condition, other than needing the two shells stuck together again, feet repainted and black legs and head shading done again.

The dapple grey Arab needs a fair bit of work too, pretty much the same amount as the Fjord pony. For some reason this model has a yellow stain where his shell goes together which I assume must be from the glue?

The last one is a little 'steel grey' foal. He is actually missing one ear, poor little fella, and needs a re-spray and eyes/hooves painted. Not sure if you can fix his ear? If not, are you able to reproduce him? I'd love to have all my originals put back to their former glory, so it would be nice to replace him if you can't fix him.

Thankfully all my other models are in perfect condition as I bought them all when I was a little older, so they were displayed rather than played with!

I will be collecting all the 'specials' you have next and will also slowly collect all of the 'standard' models I am missing from my collection. I thought it would be nice to start my collection again by revamping the older ones and getting one specifically made of Jack!

I remember that you had a donkey and a Shetland mould that unfortunately I never bought. Will you be reproducing these models, as I would love to purchase some if so let me know the total cost for this, if you can, and can I pay by credit card? I live in Australia, so it will take a week or so for my models to arrive at your address once they are posted.

Sorry for the long winded email. Hope the photos come through okay.

Hope to hear from you soon,
Kindest regards
Sarah

Hi Jan,

Sorry for the onslaught of emails.

I've just been looking through your newsletter archives, and found that you published an email I wrote to you last year! Unfortunately Jack came down with impaction colic not long after that correspondence and after a vet's bill that was just plain terrifying all thoughts of re-doing my beloved models were gone. Thankfully he pulled through though, and now that you have decided to revisit the 'personalisation' service, I have him immortalised forever!

If you are happy with how the model 'Jack' turns out, I am happy for you to use his photos and photos of the model to advertise the personalisation service on your website.

I can pay you by credit card (or paypal?) so that you can start on him after I send the photos through tonight. The other models I will post to you and maybe it will be best if you let me know how much it will cost once you've had a good look at them in the flesh so to speak.

Thanks again,
Kindest regards
Sarah

Hi Jan,

That price is fine with me. Thank you for agreeing to restore them for me. I will post them for you this week, and will email you to confirm when they have been sent. It usually takes parcels about a week to reach the UK.

I'm afraid I was so rushed for time before my lesson I didn't get a chance to take any pics of Jack, and afterwards it was dark!! The next time I will be seeing him is Thursday. I'm not having a lesson so I can take pics before I ride in the daylight!

I had a lot of magpie model newsletter etc. Not sure if I still have them. I'll get my Mum to have a look in the garage back in the UK and see if she can turn anything up. Mind you, I don't remember the newsletters having pics of any of the specials; I think they were all hand drawn.

How can I pay? Did you want me to wait until you have had a look at the models and confirmed the price, or would you prefer me to pay you first? I'm happy either way.

Thanks again,
Kindest regards
Sarah

Hi Jan,

I'll pay by pay pal if that's okay as I'd rather that than have my credit card details in the postal system!!!

If it's okay with you I'll pay the full amount on Thursday when I get paid as that makes things a little easier, and then you can start on Jack before the other models arrive.

I may also choose a few other little bits are pieces to buy from you! I rather fancy having a go at painting a horse myself, so I might get some shells from you and also another 'special'.

I think it would be great if you could find the time to create a 'personalities' collection every year. Have you thought about revisiting the 'club' and offering specials to only those people? I guess it might not be worth the effort without an extortionate membership fee.

Can you email the address to send the models to and is it this email address you use for paypal? I've got to try and work out my password now!! It's been a while since I used paypal.

Thanks again,
Kindest regards
Sarah

Absolutely, you would have to charge membership for sure. They used to charge a yearly subscription for the old newsletter. Definitely something for the future. Maybe something you could mention in the next news update on the website, and see what sort of response you get as to whether there would be enough of your customer interested to make it worthwhile?

Thanks for your details and also details of the paints. Will be fun trying to make my own, but I expect a few dodgy ones to start with, hehehe!!

Will you ever be bringing back the Shetland and donkey shells?

I had never heard of Magpie models but just saw one on e-bay so decided to take a look at your website. They look great and the accessories are lovely but I can't figure out what they are made from.

Are they flexible plastic or rigid and are the riders flexible. Also how high do the horses stand? I will mark your web sites in my favourites and look forward to receiving your reply.

Louise

Hi

I was intrigued to find your website as I've been trying to work out who made the model ponies I had in my youth!

I think I had a couple of the old 'Dream Ponies' in the 70s but remember them as unpainted models. I remember one as a solid dark grey colour with a light mane and tail and a chestnut brown foal with a blond mane and tail.

I just wondered if you could tell me whether the old models were in fact sold without paint or whether I'm thinking of some other manufacturer's models.

Whatever they were I would definitely have bought them via an ad in 'Pony' magazine and they were certainly hard plastic (so not Julips).

Thank you and sorry to trouble you with a silly request!
Helen

Reply from Jan...

Helen, Thank you for your email.

You are in fact correct, Magpie models came from 'dream ponies' which were 'do it yourself' models.

There is quite a history to these models; I have the original carved mould that the shells were made of.

If you check out the newsletter archive on my site there is some of the history there and I am collecting it all the time from people such as yourself. I have some more to go on the next newsletter I am compiling at the moment.

I also have a letters page from customers new and old which makes interesting reading, could I put your letter on it? It's lovely to hear from people who used to have (and still have) the original models.

Regards
Jan Adams

Dear Magpie Models,

Just to let you know that I received my order which included a Dapple Grey hunter special (Absolutely gorgeous!)

I'm very pleased with all my items thank you very much! I look forward to ordering from you again soon.

Kind Regards,
Lilian

quick note to say thanks for the items I received today (hunter rugs, chestnut hunter, and tack set) the quality of the items is amazing, I love the colour of the chestnut hunter (so unusual) and it was a nice touch to pop in a sweat rug as I overpaid on postage. Many many thanks again and look forward to ordering from you again.

Katherine

Hi there, I’ve just bought a couple of your welsh pony shells on eBay, and that reminded me I’d been meaning to email you for quite some time!

I wondered if you'd like to have a look at the webpage I've made about my magpie models collection. I’ve been a julip collector for years, and a couple of years ago I joined a julip forum and got to know some other collectors in the hobby - and they persuaded me to go to a live show. I took my julips, and while I was there I 'met' some magpie ponies, and that was it, I placed my first order from you not long after. I like all the moulds, but especially the welsh ponies, and those are the ones I've concentrated on collecting. I've got over 20 'welshies' now, I'm not sure of the exact amount without going off to count them, but that includes all the regular run models, specials, lots of the old personality models from before you took over, and a lot of customs, both my own and other people's. I know Laura and she's always selling me welshies she's bought cheap and customised; I know she's sent you some photos of her collection too. I'm also friends with Amanda, who runs the dream pony and magpie society, you met her when you took some shells to a live show (two of the ones she bought then were posted off to me and are now a black lookalike of a pony I used to ride, and a little grey skewbald called patchwork Pete!)

Anyway, I just thought I'd write to you with my magpie webpage address. They're not all on there yet, it's in need of updating. My main site is about julip horses, I’m very well known among julip collectors as I run the adult collector's forum - we have an other brands section, though, and magpie ponies are very well liked on there, a good half of the julip collectors I know are also great fans of magpies, I think they appeal to the same kind of collector, the ones who never grew up and still want cute models!

Georgie

Hi Jan!

If you still have the moulds for them, you can't lose really! I'm sure all the collectors would buy them. I guess the donkey shell is less versatile than the Shetland, but maybe it would be a good idea to offer them as a 'special' to gauge the response to them from your customer base before ordering lots of shells. I would have thought that the Shetland especially would be a hit though considering most young kids end up with a cheeky Shetland as their first pony!

How about a cremello welsh for your next special! Cream body, mane and tail, light brown shading, blue eyes with white markings. Nice!

:0)

I have just received my order of 'Magpie' tack and I am thrilles with it all. Thanks too for the additional 'bonus' numnahs - that was very kind.

I am an avid collector of Julip original horses (I have over 40) but I am not keen on Julip tack ...... but yours is just wonderful and it fits them like a glove!

I will be ordering from you again this weekend!

Many, many thanks,
Lyn Clark

Dear Jan,

I received the set of Hunter tack which I ordered through your eBay store. Thank you very much!!! I really appreciate the Numnah being included; my Hunter looks so spiffy in her new tack!

I have also received the two Shetland pony shells that I ordered, and I am looking forward to customising them!

I look forward to ordering many more Magpie items in the future!

Sincerely,
Jessica

Hello!

I've only just recently 're' discovered Magpie models; I had a set over 10 years ago, 3 stables, tack room, 4 horses (including a stunning cappuccino dapple Arab and an appaloosa) and 2 Welshies. I dug them out of the loft and thought I'd see if the business was still around and now I think I've got the bug again! Now I'm 23 I guess I should call myself a 'serious collector' but I feel more like a grownup kid!...;-)

I always preferred magpie to other models, I was fussy about realism from a very young age (certainly no unicorns in my Riding School...!) and Magpie offers that right across the board, from the gorgeous horses to the tack and accessories.

I had one or two ideas and feel free to ignore me but one thing I was thinking was that maybe you could lighten up the website pages a bit; they seem a bit dark and oppressive. Not bubblegum pink or anything but maybe something that feels more cheery!

The custom models are a great idea, how long will that be available? I can't afford it right now but I'd love to get some done of the horses I ride regularly.

One more thing, I was wondering what happened with the stables? I guess they must be too costly to produce with doors and hinges etc. Are the new ones the same size as the older stables? I was thinking of getting some wood and dolls house hinges and doing them up some doors in a similar way.

Anyway I think I've rambled enough. Thanks again for a great model horse business!

Kind regards,
Emma

Hi Jan,

Just wanted to say a huge thank you for my order that arrived Saturday. I've spent all weekend painting and hairing my Arab shells - a dark bay and a black with 3 white socks (all went well except for a minor singeing incident with the hairdryer but luckily you sent enough hair for me to fix it!) and of course doing up my stable doors with the hinges and bolts you so kindly sent me. They look fab now; the stable is so well built and solid. I decided to leave it 'rustic' as I like the wood stain finish better than the old white.

I had one question for you re - the personalities; can you tell me which ones will be taken out of the catalogue first? I really want to get all of them eventually so would be great to know which ones are likely to disappear in the near future.

Thanks again!