The Hunt
Hundreds of vintage customs were created since the 1950s, yet so few remain today that it's more a matter of chance to find them. Some fall apart, some are thrown out, and some are lost in dusty boxes and on forgotten shelves. Even more, some are recustomized and painted over!
This means finding vintage customs is more like a treasure hunt—and that can be fun! Indeed, part of the appeal of collecting vintage customs is the hunt for them, the excitement of finding that lost gem in some unexpected place and rescuing it from obscurity.
Complicating matters, many times the artist simply didn't sign their work and so their artistic attribution has been lost in time. Being so, researching those pieces we do find to assign proper credit deepens the experience and helps to unfurl the lost curiosities of our community. A vintage custom embodies a bygone story and rediscovering that story enriches our shared history and collective experience. Every vintage custom counts!
So how do we find them? And the short answer is…all over the place! They turn up in the most unexpected places! For example, think about these possibilities:
- eBay: Every once and awhile, vintage customs pop up here, and often very rare ones. That said, however, it's often a feast or famine situation usually because someone is selling a collection.
- Estate sales: Collections can come up for sale in this way though it's a much rarer opportunity.
- Garage sales: Once in a blue moon, someone will be selling their vintage customs this way so keep your eyes open!
- Flea markets: It's surprising to find vintage customs at flea markets, but it does happen! Be vigilant!
- MH$P: The Model Horse Sales Pages often feature vintage customs for sale.
- Sometimes other vintage custom collectors may sell a piece or two as well!
- Thrift stores: Believe it or not, but every so often vintage customs can be found in thrift stores.
- Antique stores: Just as surprising, don't rule out antique stores either though the prices here may be higher than expected.
- Really unexpected places: Vintage customs literally pop up anywhere! One collector even found some rare vintage customs in a storage unit they bought at auction!
At What Price?
Once we've found a vintage custom, how do we buy it? That is to say, what's the expected price? But here's the thing—there's no standard pricing guidelines when buying vintage customs. It simply comes down to what you're willing to pay. To find that price point, we have to factor in a few things such as:
- Age: The older the piece, the more sought after it becomes, generally speaking. However, many collectors focus on a certain time period for their collection so the issue of age is very much a subjective thing when it comes to pricing. Indeed, the really old pieces tend to be the most damaged or rough-hewn, so age is very much a matter of taste when it comes to collecting.
- Rarity: Those pieces that are especially rare tend to go of the highest prices. Perhaps the piece was done by an artist who didn't create many customs or who only customized for a short time. Maybe many pieces by that artist were destroyed so only a paltry few remain. Any which way, the rarity of a piece plays a big role in its pricing.
- Artist: Along those lines, the artist who created the piece also influences the price. For instance, highly popular artists—often those who tended to innovate or raise the bar—sell at higher prices. However, a particularly rare artist may sell well, too. Who did the piece can be an important consideration to a serious collector who wants to create a well-rounded collection.
- Condition: The state of the vintage custom also influences the price. Some are still in pristine condition, but many are damaged from wear, improper storage, neglect, or from the deterioration of the materials. Predictably then, those in the best condition tend to sell for higher prices whereas those that are damaged sell for much less. But that also means that if you have restoration skills, you can amass quite a nice collection for a relatively small price.
- Known history: Generally speaking, the more that's known about a vintage custom's history, the more valuable it can become. Such history can include the original name, original materials such as photos, show records, or pedigrees, and any backstory about the artist and previous owners. Some even have the original show tags attached to their legs!
- A proper fit: Does a particular vintage custom fit into your collection? Does that artist represent something you want? Some collectors try to find a piece done by as many artists as possible while others focus on only one or two favorite artists. Yet many simply collect what they like. Whatever your inclination, the cohesiveness of your collection may be a motivator for you.
- The "It Factor": On that note, does a particular vintage custom have the "It" you want? Does it appeal to you personally? In the end, each of our vintage customs should hold a special place in our heart for its own unique qualities. Each one is special in its own way. But even more, they represent something that transcends beauty—they embody a frozen moment in time that reveals who we were back than as a community. It speaks to our collective dreams, imaginings, expectations, and ambitious during that time, providing perspective on where we're going today. So that means a vintage custom's "It Factor" isn't juts about its inherent appeal, but also about what it exemplifies—and that's a wonderful thing!
This piece has it all: He's very old (1979), he's very rare, he's done by a famous artist, Julie Froelich, he's in pristine condition, and he has a known history—that's him in the original sales list hand-drawn by Julie herself!
