Gold Charm Secretariats, No Charm Peter Stone

Holy Batman Boots, we’re taking the time machine back to last century, and I’m not just talking about the retro packaging of the Vintage Club Stablemate. Native Dancer is the 2020 VC SM wearing the gold charm decorator color. He is a mini-me of the 1990 Signing Party model, which was (you guessed it!) the Secretariat mold in gold charm. At the time it was exciting because he was a gold charm model-a color from the 1960s, man. These models were available at the 1990 Breyer Signing Parties. Signing Parties were a thing (okay, promotional event) where Peter Stone met with collectors at places where Breyers were sold and signed their models. This was, of course, before he and Breyer parted ways and started his own model horse company. The signing parties went on from about 1983 (maybe 1984?) to 1990. Models specific to signing parties were made only for the last three years of these events, starting in 1988. The first was a Classic set called the Foal’s First Day featuring Johar and the Classic Arabian foal. 1989 saw a red roan-flea bitten grey Lady Phase, and 1990 was the gold charm Secretariat. 

Here is the 1990 gold charm Secretariat glinting in the sun. I am fortunate that he hasn’t tarnished over the decades as some have.

I decided that I had to have a gold charm Secretariat since he had passed away the previous year (October 1989). One of the planned signing parties was in Shipshewana, Indiana, which was the closest one to Detroit. My sister and I made plans to go. We went, and meeting Peter Stone was not what I’d call a charming experience. I cannot remember the name of the store where the signing was held (it has been almost 31 years), but I do remember the meeting. We bought our horses and moved toward the crowd gathered around Peter Stone. He was quite loud while chatting with them, and some lady kept exclaiming, “Oh Pee-tar!” like Wendy from the Disney version of Peter Pan. Since he was occupied by his admirers and Wendy, my sister and I were looking through a large bin filled with Stablemates, roughly five feet from the crowd. To my surprise, I found a solid black Seabiscuit, and held it up to show my sister. The crowd had thinned some, and I said “Look! A black Seabiscuit!” to her. Peter Stone, now on the edge of the crowd closest to us, hollered out, “Those are arbitrary colors! NOT special runs!” Okay, cool, we didn’t ask about the run status, but thanks for the info. We went back to the register, and bought two of the black Seabiscuits along with a few other Stablemates. We returned to the sign line which had dwindled to a few people wanting their models signed. The group of admirers and Wendy were still loitering about trying to talk to Peter Stone. Finally it was our turn to get our models signed. We didn’t want everything signed, so I handed one Secretariat over to get signed, then the second one. Peter Stone sees we have other models, and rudely demands, “Give those models here, girls! Let’s go!” and tries to swipe my sister’s model bag. Fortunately my sister had lightning fast reflexes and dodged him. I said, “Thanks, but we don’t want anything else signed.” Apparently that was somewhat insulting to him; he squawk-shrieked “You DON’T want my signature?!” We both like nope, bye, see ya. Wendy clearly felt it was her duty to be insulted along with Peter Stone. As we were leaving she was roaring about us “being rude to not get our models signed because it was a privilege to get Pee-tar’s signature.” Ummm yeah lady, just because you’ve elevated him to demigod rock star status doesn’t mean everyone feels that way. Of course, we laughed like hyenas all the way back to Detroit, and kept screeching “Oh Pee-tar!” just like the Wendy we encountered.

Gold charm Secretariat and his mini-me Stablemate:

Side note: In regard to the solid black Seabiscuits, they were officially released in 1991 (per the Identify Your Breyer website). I’m not sure why they were available at the Signing Party. Perhaps it was a perk to have it available before the official release or maybe it was by accident. 

*Black Seabiscuit photo from the Identify Your Breyer website.*