Painted Ponies - A Collector's Guide

The Trail of Painted Ponies began in the summer of 2000. A major sculptor was commissioned to create a life-size horse that was cast in a durable resin blend. A call went out to the artistic community around the Southwest, inviting famous as well as emerging artists to submit designs that imaginatively celebrated the creative spirit. And the response was overwhelming, with results that ranged from the delightful to the breathtaking.

The first herd of Painted Pony figurines which were modeled after the life size Painted Ponies was released in January, 2003.  Painted Ponies have now become the #1 collectible in the United States, and are now becoming available worldwide.  Each pony is unique and has its own individual story.

My collection is now complete, and I love to share these wonderful Ponies and what I have learned.  Please be sure to visit my e-bay store,  Painted Ponies Fine Art.  If you don't see what you are looking for, please contact me and I will be happy to look and see if I have it in inventory.  I do have a large selection of retired ponies available, as well as signed and low-numbered first edition ponies.

Building your collection

If you are a new collector of Painted Ponies, there is a lot to learn.  To date, ten herds of Painted Ponies have been released, plus there have been four special issue ponies created, Run for the Roses, High Desert Horse Feathers, the Maple Leaf Pony7, and the Phoenix Pony.  The older a pony is, the more difficult it is to find, particularly if it is retired and had less than two editions made.

The first thing to do is decide how you want to structure your collection.  For example, when I started collecting, I made the decision to only collect first editions.  Most collectors consider it important for the future value of their collection to (as much as is possible) make sure that each pony is in its original box, complete with its hangtag (story tag), and its inner styrofoam packing.  Some collectors collect only signed ponies or only ponies of a certain number.  Some collectors only purchase very low-numbered ponies.  It all depends on your preference.

Numbering of ponies

Each pony is numbered with both an edition number and figurine number. Each edition is 10,000 ponies.  Numbering starts at 1E/0001 and ends at 1E/9,999. Then the second edition is started beginning with 2E/0001, and on up.  First editions are most prized by collectors.  Signed first edition ponies are particularly coveted by collectors.

There are special ponies called Pre 1E's.  The first 3,600 of the first six resin ponies were inadvertently made without the edition number.   These ponies are Motorcycle Mustang, War Pony, Karuna, Boot Scootin' Horsey, Fireman Pony, and Caballo Brilliante.  Pre 1E ponies are highly prized by collectors. 

I began collecting in May of 2005, and have now completed my collection of first edition ponies.  Along the way, I have been lucky to have found some wonderful new pony friends, and have had the opportunity to speak and become acquainted with several of the Painted Pony artists.

Painted Ponies - The Large Figurines

There have been twelve large figurines produced to date. The first four were Ghost Horse, Happy Trails, Quarter Horse, and War Pony. Each of these ponies has been retired and is no longer being produced.  Each of these had under 4,000 ponies made.

Eight  new large figurines are now being made. They are Copper Enchantment, Dream Warriors, Fancy Dancer, Year of the Horse, Fetish Pony, Medicine Horse, Tewa Horse, and Woodland Hunter. These ponies are very, very special in that only 5,000 will be produced and then the edition will be retired and closed.

These ponies are numbered a little differently.  Each one is numbered XXXX/5,000, and it is also indicated on the base that this is a limited edition.  I have seen them and they are absolutely gorgeous.  Don't pass up a chance to add some of these beauties to your collection. They will only rise in value.  The new ponies measure approximately 8 X 10, and are all made of solid resin.

When herds are released

Painted Pony Herds are released twice a year, every six months.  The size of the herd varies from eight to 12 ponies depending on if Christmas ponies are part of the release.

Retired Ponies

Ponies are retired twice a year, usually in conjunction with the release of a new herd.  The latest retirement was done on July 1, 2008, when CowPony, Guardian Spirit, Many Tribes, Super Charger, Heavenly Pony, and Wie-tou were retired. To my knowledge, three retired ponies have had less than one edition made.   They are Children of the Garden (only 9,800 made), Golden Girl (only 8,400 made), and Wound Up Time (only 8,600 made).

These retired ponies have had less than two full editions.  This list is current as of the retirement done on July 1, 2008.  The numbers after the name represent the last pony made:

Boot Scootin' Horsey (2E/4520)

Karuna  (2E/3488)

Navajo Blanket Pony (2E/6957)

Wildfire (2E/9117)

Go Van Gogh (2E/3200)

Mosaic Appaloosa (2E/3601)

Patrol Horse (2E/2888)

Quarter Horse (2E/6800)

Rosie the Apparoosa (2E/0577)

Sequential:  A Sequine (2E/0800)

Unity (2E/1945)

Dances With Hooves (2E/5505)

Love As Strong as Horse (2E/5921)

Skyrider (2E/7206)

Willing (2E/6009)

Saguaro Stallion (2E/8401)

Caballito (2E/7207)

Epic (2E/3610)

Native People's Pony (2E/7201)

Painted Lady (2E/7237)

Tropical Reef Horse (2E/8929)

Wie-Tou (2E/8617)

Retired ponies only go up in value, so they are well worth the investment you may have to make to purchase one.  For example, in May of 2005, a Mosaic Appaloosa could be purchased for under $200. Now they can sell for as high as $500 on ebay.  Think about it, Painted Ponies have been rated as the #1 collectible today, and some of these ponies have had less than 15,000 of them made.  That's not a terrific amount considering how many serious collectors there are of these little beauties. 

For a complete list of retired ponies, check out the official Painted Ponies website.