Why so many delays from TOPP?

We know it seems like it's just been one delay after another in getting your Painted Ponies this year, but we want you to know that something is being done about it.


A lot has gone on this year, the first year of Trail of Painted Ponies being manufactured by Enesco. You can start with changes in China with regard to labor laws that have ultimately changed the way things are done in getting products to market. For example: in the past if you needed a bunch of items manufactured hastily you would place your purchase order and the factory would hire as many temporary employees as it needed to push out your product. With China's new labor laws the use of temporary employees is frowned on. To get product out in a hurry now, as with the case of Trail of Painted Ponies re-casts, you're going to have to be a little more creative. I think at this point, almost a year into Enesco's contract with TOPP, Enesco is ready to admit that they could have done a better job getting product out to the retailers and consumers. In fact, right now they are making operational changes that should improve their ability to get the products the retailers want, to the retailers, when they want them.


The most recent bottleneck is the increase in security at customs brought on by the recent news of bombs being shipped into the U.S. from Yemen. I suppose we should have expected this at some point with the continued threat of terrorism, but I guess we just thought all that could be done was being done. None the less, knowing this was going to happen probably wouldn't have changed anything. It's going to delay the arrival of the product regardless.


It appears that Enesco is working hard to improve at least the manufacturing bottleneck by placing smaller purchase orders which will have the affect of getting a greater variety of products out to the retailers in a more timely manner. For now, it's nice to know that they are sensitive to our complaints and are taking steps to improve things. We're looking forward to improvements for 2011.

Breyer 's Horses - 60th Anniversary

The Breyer Fall 2010 release has been out for pre-order for a couple weeks now. We just love the 60th anniversary model, Diamond Jubilee. He's a limited edition with on 2010 being made. Don't wait on ordering this one, my guess is they'll be all sold out long before Christmas.

Here's what we really like. All of the wonderful new products for the Wind Dancers product line. Wind Dancers have been extremely hot this year and these new additions are going to be great for Christmas 2010. Every child loves stickers and Breyer's Wind Dancer stickers are great for decorating book covers, folders and notebooks. What little girl, or little boy for that matter, doesn't love having a diary for their private thoughts and dreams. The Breyer Wind Dancer diary is 160 lined pages and has a sturdy gold tone lock & key. Add to that a Wind Dancers Journal and Memory Book, and you've got hours of affordable fun.

Breyer's Big Lex

Now that's a horse of a different color. I didn't even remember we ordered these, but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I've seen the buzz all over the Internet about these, so I'm glad we've got a few. Big Lex is based on Edward Troye's 1868 portrait of the famous Thoroughbred racehorse, Lexington, Big Lex is an elegant and stunning representative of the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, home to the world's most iconic farms and famous racehorses.

Breyer, maker of the world's finest model horses since 1950, is proud to partner with the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau to make this officially licensed keepsake model horse.

Big Lex is a resin model 5"H x 5.75"L.

Manufacture-to-Order - That's a concept, or is it?

Manufacture-to-order: A production management technique in which goods are produced to meet firm orders, rather than being produced for stock.
I was talking to our Enesco sales representative the other day when, out of the blue, she mentioned that Enesco manufactures to order. We've been dealing with Enesco since late 2009 when it was announced that they would be taking over the license to manufacture Trail of Painted Ponies figurines. It's now May of 2010 and this is the first I've heard of this. We're not used to dealing with manufacturers who operate this way, so it will be a "BIG" adjustment for us. What this means is, we place our order with Enesco, and only then do they place their order to the production facility in China. In the past I've been told that it typically takes 3 months from the time an order is placed with the production facility in China, until it arrives here, on the boat. In thinking through the whole "manufacture-to-order" concept, this is what I've come up with. While I'm no expert, I could see where "manufacture-to-order" could be a great business strategy, here's why. If Enesco is only manufacturing what is currently on order, they are carrying virtually no inventory. By doing this they are getting a greater number of turns on their inventory, which means more money in the bank and more money to invest in other ventures. So, they're getting a greater ROI, (return on investment). It almost seems perfect. The problem is that when a manufacturer operates this way they are, in some respects, asking the retailer to warehouse there inventory for them. If you're a retailer and you know that once the items you have in stock have sold out, it'll take you 3 months to get the next shipment in, you may be inclined to order a lot more than your immediate demand dictates. You would know that you'd have to have a 3 month supply on hand to get you from when you place your next order until the time it arrives. The problem with this is that most retailers are trying to increase their inventory turnover and ROI as well. Most likely, this desire by manufacturers and retailers to improve ROI will result in product scarcity. Now, you might think that Enesco would not want this because it reduces the amount of merchandise they will ultimately sell. This is, of course, why most manufacturers don't operate this way. But, if you believe the work of Dr. Robert Cialdini president of Influence At Work, and his six universal principles of persuasion, then you believe that "If I cant have it, I want it". You believe that perceived scarcity will generate more demand. And if you subscribe to that principle then you could easily believe that, in the long run, Enesco will be selling far more product under it's business model than any number of other manufacturers. I know, just what you wanted to hear, more scarcity of Trail of Painted Ponies figurines. As a seller of Painted Ponies figurines, I'm not really thrilled with the idea either. I've been working on a plan to make sure LAGH Members can get the Painted Ponies figurines they want, when they want them. Of course, we are several months behind, because we just found out about this. There's not much we're going to be able to do about that. We do have a plan moving into the future. We are pushing up orders this week, and we're working on a way to give you more timely information regarding when your pre-orders will arrive. We'll get through this together.

Who's Minding The Store?

In the wee hours of the morning this morning, I was checking prices on the Internet, as I often do. I was looking around in Shopping.com and a particular item caught my eye. I noticed a Breyer Traditional model, Theodore O'Conner, for $14.25. I thought to myself, wow, that's cheap! I clicked on the item and was shown Amazon.com Marketplace $14.25, below that was Amazon.com Marketplace at $19.25 and below that was State Line Tack at $34.99. I clicked "visit store" on the $14.25 and it took me to Amazon.com Marketplace and listed the store as The Original Horse Tack Company. Interestingly enough, it showed the price as $28.90. What happened the $14.25? I then clicked visit store on the $19.25 and it took me to the same spot, again showing Teddy at $28.90. What happened to the $19.25. What's more, Shopping.com listed this store as a "Trusted Seller", and since it had the low price it was designated a "Smart Buy". I don't know about you, but I wouldn't trust that store as far as I could throw it, and I guess it would get my personal rating as "Dumb Buy".
Here's the problem. All of these places, Amazon.com, Shopping.com, Nextag etc. are out selling advertising. Yes, that's right, Amazon.com is in the advertising business. I've purchased advertising from all of these places at one time or another, so trust me, I know what I'm talking about. It's a money driven system where depending on how much money you want to spend you can be a "Trusted Seller" or anything else you want to be. Unfortunately, what is being displayed as a "trusted" price is not really controlled by anybody. The ads that are displayed come from a data feed that the retailer provides. What if they submit inaccurate data, what if they're not all that "honest"? Well, the truth is nobody cares as long as they get paid. There is really no way to monitor all of this data for accuracy. So, who's minding the store? NOBODY!

Horse of a Different Color takes #2 spot

We received our report on Westland Giftware's top 20 selling product lines last week. It contained some shocking information. Horse of a Different Color, a product line just announced in December 2009 that didn't even hit retail shops until February 2010, took the number 2 position. What's really interesting is that the #1 selling product line is MWAHH!, a product line that has over 100 items in it. Horse of a Different Color only has 29 items, total. Horse of a Different Color was announced by Westland Giftware shortly after they lost the license to produce Trail of Painted Ponies figurines and ornaments to Enesco. At the time the licensing switch took place, Trail of Painted Ponies was Westland's #1 product line. Of course, they had to go out and try to replace those sales, and what better way than to produce another horse figurine line to replace the one they lost. Enter Horse of a Different Color; featuring ornate horse figurines of different breeds with only 10,000 of each numbered figurine produced. Now can you think of a better way to ensure value to collectors? These collectibles are "HOT". It may be a horse race, but I'm betting that Horse of a Different Color will jump to the #1 spot on Westland's top selling product lines list by the time the second release hits the retail shelves, probably sometime in August, 2010. Each 6" figurine has a copper plate in the base that identifies the issue number ex. 100/10,000, meaning that figurine was the 100th made out of the total 10,000 that will be produced. If you love horses it's time to saddle up, the first release is still available, but they're going fast. Currently, the entire product line consists of 12 different 6" figurines, 8 mini figurines, 8 - 12"x12" canvas wall art pieces and 1 paint your own 6" figurine.

Breyer Spanish Flamenco Set

It happens all the time. People see a particular, ornate Breyer Horse that they'd really like to have, but they feel it's too expensive. They just can't afford it. They don't make the purchase, and then later, when it's gone, they're kicking themselves for not having purchased it when they had the chance. Breyer's Spanish Flamenco Set is one of those. It's a very ornate limited edition that carries a suggested retail price of $150.00. I know, that's a lot of money. At Look A Gift Horse we are always trying to take the sting out of prices. We offer "Unbeatable Member Pricing", a "MyRewards" points program and a "Free Shipping" program. Our members pay the lowest price on the Internet for Breyer Horses. Today, we want to help you out with that Spanish Flamenco Set. Today, you can get Breyer's Spanish Flamenco Set for just $71.25. Now that's a smokin' hot deal, so don't let this one get away. At $71.25 with Free Shipping you just can't beat it.

Journey of The Trail of Painted Ponies

When we first heard that Trail of Painted Ponies was moving the license for figurines and ornaments from Westland Giftware to Enesco over 5 months ago, we figured that the change may be somewhat difficult for us. As it turns out it's been more like a journey, a long journey, one that we don't expect to end soon. There's been a few twists and turns along the way maybe most significant is the difference in the way the two manufacturers announces new releases. With Westland you always new they'd be announced on June 1st and December 1st. So far we've been unable to get into the rhythm of Enesco's releases. Maybe that will change over time. It seems like there is still a lot of confusion out there about what has happened, and people really don't seem to be able to comprehend that there are many ponies that just aren't available right now, and some that never will be again. We've tried to clarify things by building two separate sub-categories on our site; one for Westland Giftware produced ponies, and one for Enesco produced ponies. Right now, we have a lot of ponies on order through Enesco, but those will be trickling in throughout the summer with the last of them arriving sometime in August. Maybe things will get back to normal then. In the mean time, we've got a lot of customers who want specific ponies now, and they just can't get them. Even so, it's quite apparent that Trail of Painted Ponies remains a strong brand that will survive the journey and may even come out stronger at the other end. Let er buck!

Another Trail of Painted Ponies Point of View

This comment was emailed to us the other day. It speaks a little to the quality of Enesco products and also speaks to TOPP going Hollywood. Since receiving this email we have received the list of new release ponies from Enesco along with pricing. For all those who mentioned concern about pricing, it seems to be very close to what Westland's pricing was. We've been told by several of our members that Music City Cards and Gifts has placed the new release on pre-order already. We're currently tying up loose ends to try to get in a position to place them on pre-order ourselves.

Are you still taking comments on the above subject? I've already commented
once, but have had some more time to think things over.


I'm not concerned about quality now that I know Enesco handles Charmin'
Tails, Dept 56, etc. However, I have a real problem with TOPP making a
Hollywood connection for new ponies. I think that totally takes away from
the basic theme of the ponies and insults the wonderful artists that have
contributed already. Hollywood and basic western values just don't mix.
And with the Hollywood ego involved, I can see the prices being
unreasonable.

I'm seriously considering stopping my collection of TOPP and not ever
starting the new Westland series. I currently have a figurine of every
pony issued so far, including the special runs. And, except for a few
broken ones that need to be replaced, I believe I have all of the
ornaments and most of the pins/pendants. As you can imagine, when added to
my Breyer and Stone collections, I'm running out of room anyway. I just
don't have a good feeling about this changeover.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Maureen"

Trail of Painted Ponies email regarding Enesco move.

These last 2 posts are about the end of the email to retailers from Rod Barker of Trail of Painted Ponies. There was some retailer specific information at the end of the email that won't be posted here. Since we have had some retailers contacting us about what's going on we want to let you know that's okay. We're happy to share any information we have. Okay, back to the trail

Winter 2010 Release - Sneak Peek: "The Trail of Painted Ponies has an established and loyal collector base that is passionate about Painted Ponies. They not only collect for themselves, they love giving Painted Ponies as gifts to others.
The Trail of Painted Ponies has both national and international brand recognition. We are consistently ranked as the top collectible by industry trade publications, including Giftbeat Magazine.
Painted Ponies figurines have a unique authenticity. They are not products of an in-house art department. Each begins as an original work of art created by an individual artist, and each tells a story. Being miniature works of art enhances their perceived value.
Painted Ponies figurines are supported by bestselling books, an award-winning website that is updated monthly, and companion merchandise.
The Trail of Painted Ponies has a history of integrating philanthropic contributions into its business practices, having raised over $1 million for various non-profit organizations.
The Trail of Painted Ponies is committed to helping retailers through:
a) a website that is dedicated exclusively to retailers: www.paintedponiesretailers.com;
b) a Store Locator feature on the home page of our own website to make it easy for customers to find stores close to them that carry Painted Ponies; and
c) in-store special events.
There is only one Trail of Painted Ponies. There will be imitators. There will be knock-offs. But no other collectible horse figurines will evoke the emotions expressed by this California collector: 'It's difficult to tell you how much my Painted Ponies mean to me. Each horse has a special meaning and a special place in my heart.'"

Trail of Painted Ponies Winter 2010 Release - Sneak Peek

Winter 2010 Release - Sneak Peek: "It was seven years ago that The Trail of Painted Ponies stampeded onto the gift and collectible scene, and in that time we have become an inspiring success story. Painted Ponies figurines are one of the most popular and beloved collectibles in America, and have generated over $100 million at retail. What distinguishes us now from everyone else is:"

More on Trail of Painted Ponies move to Enesco from Rod Barker

"We believe this transition is happening at an opportune time. Enesco and The Trail share a similar strategic vision for long-term growth in the gift and collectible industry, and we are both committed to building on the phenomenal success of this world-wide collectible brand.
Right out of the gate, we intend to introduce new dimensions to The Trail of Painted Ponies that will excite and energize your customers and collectors:

1) First, there is the Celebrity Collection, designed to showcase the tremendous artistic talent of well-known celebrities. Legendary Hollywood actor and artist, Tony Curtis, has created the first Painted Pony in this collection, titled 'Shiloh.'
2) We are also pleased to introduce an entirely new horse form to the collection - a classic, Rearing Painted Pony, dramatically balanced on its hind legs and appearing to gallop towards the sky. The 2010 Winter Release will feature three stunning Rearing Painted Ponies.
3) We are proud to add a second Rearing Horse 'Paint Your Own Pony Kit' to the line, complementing the bestselling running horse kit.
4) Painted Ponies manufactured by Enesco will come in attractive new packaging that is specially designed to enhance the collectability of the figurines."

General Response To Last Nights Trail of Painted Ponies Comments

In general it seems that last nights comments centered around what will happen to the quality, price and availability. As I said, I'm not familiar with Enesco so I have no background to comment on quality or price. I guess time will tell.

Availability: I have been told that on December 15th Enesco will purchase all of Westlands remaining Trail of Painted Ponies inventory. It would seem that based on the license actually changing hands on January 1, 2010 that Enesco would not begin selling Ponies until that date. The problem is that Westlands inventory is already very low, and there is one last boat on the water from China. I would estimate, based on the out-of-stock reports that I've seen from Westland that they have less than 50% of the current figurines in stock. From the report I received on what's coming on the boat from China, I can't see where it's going to change things much. It appears that everything on that boat has already been sold. I believe there will be major availability problems at least until January 1, 2010. Past that it depends on how prepared Enesco is.

I'll be posting more of the Trail of Painted Ponies email I received throughout the day. Thank you for your comments.

Email received from the owner of Westland Giftware

"To Our Principals and Managers,

Due to irreconciable differences, Westland Giftware has made a difficult decision to resign as a licensee of Painted Ponies effective December 31, 2009. Westland Giftware and The Trail of The Painted Ponies have enjoyed a properous relationship for the past several years but it's time for both companies to explore other options: Painted Ponies with a new licensee and Westland with its proprietary line of Horses. We would like to thank Painted Ponies for the opportunity of fostering the development of Painted Ponies from an obscure public art project in Santa Fe to a worldwide collectible brand but we also look forward to the challenge of nurturing our exciting new line called 'Horse of a Different Color'. A sneak preview is attached to jump start our enthusiasm...

Happy Trails!

Ken

P.S. This notice was sent only to principals and managers but feel free to share this information with your associates."

First paragraph of Trail of Painted Ponies Announcement

In this paragraph Rod is referring to a letter he sent to retailers this summer. My immediate reaction in reading that letter was that he was moving away from Westland, although I could not get that confirmed at that time.

Rod Barker - Trail of Painted Ponies: "Earlier this summer I promised to make an announcement that would 'rock the collectible world.' Now it's time to make good on that promise. With this letter I am pleased to announce an exciting, new partnership between The Trail of Painted Ponies and Enesco, one of the premiere gift and collectible companies in the world. Beginning in January 2010, Enesco will become the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of The Trail of Painted Ponies figurines and companion merchandise."

Trail of Painted Ponies News Flash!

We've just received word that Trail of Painted Ponies is moving the license for the production of Trail of Painted Ponies figurines from Westland Giftware, to Enesco. We really don't know much about Enesco. We'd appreciate your comments on this development. Please weigh in. What do you think the outcome of this move will be?

Breyer Horses - Breyer Barns - The Lowest Prices

When we started selling Breyer horses almost 4 years ago we set out to sell them at the lowest prices on the Internet. We remain true to that goal today with "Unbeatable Member Pricing". Membership is " FREE" and our members are reaping HUGE savings on Breyer Horses and Breyer Barns every day of the year. This is particularly important as we move into the Holiday Season and our Breyer sales go through the roof. It is our privilege to be able to give our members the greatest value for their Breyer Horse dollar. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our LAGH members for making this possible. Thank You!

Breyer Mail-In Free Doll Offer

From now through December 31, 2009 Breyer is offering a free Ashley Junior Rider Doll with the purchase of any Breyer wood barn. At Breyer's suggested retail price for Ashley, that's a $15.00 value. We've stocked up on Breyer barns specifically for this promotion. You'll find your official Breyer mail-in offer form in each and every Breyer barn you purchase from now through the end of December. Add LAGH "Unbeatable Member Prices" to the mix and this is an even more fantastic deal. Get your Breyer barn and free Ashley doll today. Your Breyer Christmas is just around the corner.

Shopping for Trail of Painted Ponies Figurines

Let's be honest, shopping the Trail of Painted Ponies official on-line store has some advantages, and why not. Where other on-line stores often sell a variety of product lines, the Trail of Painted Ponies on-line store sells nothing but Trail of Painted Ponies products. They certainly should be able to do that better than anyone else. When shopping for Painted Ponies figurines it's nice to be able to go to the Trail of Painted Ponies on-line store and view images of each figurine in 360 degrees. It's also nice to stop in a pick up a collectors list from time to time. We recommend shopping the official Trail of Painted Ponies on-line store, but when it comes time to actually purchase your Trail of Painted Ponies products, better come and see us. You'll save a lot of money purchasing your Painted Ponies at "Unbeatable Member Prices". Let's face it, the Trail of Painted Ponies official on-line store purchases their figurines from the same place we do. Their products are really no more authentic than any other retailer's. Sounds good though. So like we've said shop the Trail of Painted Ponies official on-line store frequently, but when you're ready to purchase come and buy from us. You'll save a ton of money.

Trail of Painted Ponies - Unofficially Retired

We just received an email from our Trail of Painted Ponies sales representative last night noting some 6" figurines, ornaments, and lamps that have been retired by Westland Giftware that were not on the "Official" list of 8 retired ponies we received last week. We didn't even realize there was such a thing as an "unofficial list" Here they are:
Figurines:
Ceremonial Pony
Fetish Pony
Christmas Clydesdale
Ornaments:
Blue Medicine
Silver Bells
Woodland Hunter
Year of the Horse
Twas the Night Before Christmas
Lamps:
Medicine Horse
War Pony
Woodland Hunter
Fancy Dancer
We have some of these items in stock and some we have on order from Westland, but Westland is out of stock on many of these and won't be making any more. If you're a LAGH member get these on order with us now at our Unbeatable Member Pricing. If we are out of stock on the item(s) you want you may find them somewhere else, but hurry. These probably won't be around long.