How old were you when you got your first Julip Original?

[george]

I was wondering whether most collectors start out with Julips as childhood toys, or something bought later as a collectible. How old were you? You can tell us a bit about your first horse and how you got it, if you like!

[stacey]

I got my first originals at HOYS 2005, so I think I was about 12 if my maths is right! I had HOTYs for about 12-18 moths before that I think, I got Bertie & Gertie about Easter 2004

[Josie]

I was bought Bob the Cob and Tornado as a child, and was absolutely desperate for an original as soon as I started getting the catalogues through the post. I finally got the catalogue skewbald arab champion Joker for Christmas 2003 or 2004, making her 10/11 years old now!

[garej]

I got Flame in 2004 (possibly 2003) making me 23! I admired Julips as a kiddie, but never had enough money for them. I started collecting HOTYS in 2003 and it kinda exploded from there. Now I have over 100 Julips.

[cookie]

My first Original I was 28. A Mustang from spares page. He was really cute and only really become aware of them over the HOTY range cos of the MHL Forum and EGs postings

Didn't really start collecting them a lot until my health got worse making me give up painting and CMing resins.
Since Katie was born my collection has errm grown mainly as I don't mind as much if she grabs one as they bounce. Now I find they are so much fun and I even play with them to entertain Katie lol.

This year I've gone from 3 Julips to *runs off to count* 17

[jigglypuff]

Okay. This is making me feel really old...
I got my first four Julips in 1982. A Lipizzaner direct from Julip, an Arab Mare from another collector and two Welsh Mountain Ponies (one from Centell Saddlery in Wokingham and one from Centell Saddlery Reading).
I've still got them 32 years later (and a few more...)

[EG]

2007, so I was 17!
I had heard of Julips from ads at the back of Pony magazine and whatnot but didn't realise there was a difference between the Originals and HOTYs. I don't know how I really discovered them but I remember seeing George's gorgeous Lippi, Espiridion and deciding that I just had to have one. I bought Tam 'unseen' off the spares page (whilst absolutely terrified on the phone as I didn't know how else to buy one and I hate phones) and the rest, as they say, is history.

[Beth]

I started off buying HOTYs after seeing them in a Ride-Away catalog when I was about 10ish I think then I started getting the Julip catalogs which had the originals in too. I always thought they looked nice but could never afford one. Then when I was a bit older and started browsing eBay (on dad's account) I found Buttons my bay pit pony and as far as I can remember I paid £20-£25 for him I think and I was about 15

[Manda]

I was in my early 20s when I bought my first Originals,

[Jan]

I was 11 or 12 when I bought my first Julip - after saving my pocket money up for what seemed like forever! I'd seen the adverts in Pony magazine lots of times but one of my new friends when I started secondary school had several Julip horses and I really liked them. I sent off for a catalogue and price list and spent ages trying to decide what to order. Eventually I settled on an Arab mare. I managed to buy a few more during my teens but stopped collecting when I went away to college. In 2006 I got my little collection out (it had been packed away for many years) and started collecting again.

[lydia]

I had my first one from Centell Saddlery too! I was 10/11 I think and I saved up my pocket money for months and did odd jobs around the house. My parents took me there and they had a whole stable scene display, it was magical! I chose a chestnut New Forest pony, girl rider, tack, broom and pitchfork. Still have all of them and love them just as much now as I did then

[thelonehick]

It's interesting to hear the stories since it's such a cultural thing. I competed in live shows and was pretty active in the model horse hobby when I was young but never heard of Julips until a few years ago. Even then, I wasn't entirely sure what they were and had no clue how to get one in the States. The childhood memories make for much better stories than buying one here on the forums a few months ago.

[pip]

i think it was in my last year at primary school? i got bantry's boy but i think hazel has him now. i am not sure if i was 11 yet, but then adult moulds wise i got topsy for christmas in 2006 and a portrait model in 2007 so i would have been 11 or 12 then.

[pinkmouse]

I was 11, I got a speckled grey cob stallion for my birthday. I didn't get another until I bought an eventer (also in speckled grey) from eBay after I graduated!

[debi1963]

I first saw them advertised in an English horse magazine I was given about 1969...then when my brother was in the UK in the 1970's he actually went to the store and got me one!!! A flecked grey AQH and his rider...sadly neither survived to see the new Millenium... I still have the tack but that is all

[capricorn]

I used to look longingly at the adverts in my aunt's horse magazines and in about 1960 when I was 14 I picked up a catalogue at Badminton. Really couldn't resist after that and I went up to Knightsbridge and bought a beautiful heavy hunter in a sort of dark dun colour. Later I went back and bought a dark grey welsh pony. I seem to remember adding a cat at some point. I rather dropped out of horses when I went to college and they were put away and forgotten - although my daughter remembers playing with them when she was little. A couple of year ago I was looking for something on ebay and a Julip popped up on someone's listing. I couldn't believe they were still around ( or how much they cost now) didn't take me long to succumb though! I just wish I could find my two originals!