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Horse brasses are decorations that were used to adorn working horses years ago. Whilst you might read about them being used on Shire horses that pulled ploughs in the fields, in reality more were used to decorate ordinary working horses in everyday life in the streets of London and other cities during the 1920's and 30's and earlier. In a much earlier period, they *did* get used (in a primitive form) on horses used in agriculture and were supposed to ward off evil spirits, but these rare antique items don't look like the brasses usually seen today. Years ago, people who used horses to deliver their goods would groom their horses and decorate them, and there was a great deal of competition/rivalry between them to have the smartest and best decorated horse. (A bit like
young lads trying to have the flashiest car to impress the girls.) It wasn't all romantic notions as some people would have you believe. The horses were covered in brasses which were attached to leather straps called Martingales. When the motor vehicle took over, all this rivalry died out, and the
brasses found their way onto beams in old English pubs and people's homes. Since those days, brasses have still been made as souvenirs and copies of the original designs, and whilst not being so old, are often collectable in their own right. In many cases a brass will only be issued in a certain quantity, so designs are not always endless in number. The variety & quality variation is immense, and people suit themselves as to what they do or don't buy. Brasses depict historical situations, advertising, country life etc. etc. It's a bit like collecting stamps, where you can collect everything, or specialize. Most people just seem to collect what takes their fancy, which is probably the most sensible route to take ! It doesn't take long to learn about them, but it is more difficult in the USA,
as horse brasses are historically not part of US culture. The general US population is therefore not always familiar with them. In addition, some people put information on websites that is also misleading. There are a small number of new books currently available on the subject, but older books are generally quite hard to find and accordingly tend to be expensive. |
I am a UK seller who sells in US dollars and always has done since 1999 when I joined eBay. In 1999 eBay UK never even existed, and all eBayers had to join the US site at that time and also sell in US dollars. Since that time, I have always continued to sell in dollars as the US$ is the global currency. More people are happy to pay in dollars than any other currency, so I stick with the majority, rather than pleasing the minority and reverting to selling in GB pounds. For a UK purchaser, there is no problem at all, because if using Paypal, the currency you use to pay is irrelevant. You simply click on pay, and the conversion from your account is implemented automatically. However, there are always a minority of British customers who insist on attempting to pay in pounds (using Paypal) after bidding on my dollar auctions. You can't do that! You have to pay in the currency displayed on the auction page as the eBay & Paypal systems will not allow the switching of currencies. It isn't difficult...even though some people try to make it that way! Why try to convert a very easy situation into something difficult? Just click on the button. I won't overcharge you! |