Hagen Renaker miniature made in America Chihuahua puppy pup begging black

Description

This is Chihuahua puppy begging by Tom Masterson.  It is item 338 and stands 7/8" tall.  It was originally in the line from 1958 until 1978 until recently being brought back into the line.  This piece is free from chips, breaks or repairs unless I have specified above. Any small specs or bright lines that look like scratches are just light reflections. Hagen is the only manufacturer of miniature ceramic animals left in the U.S. The company was founded in 1946 by Maxine and John Renaker.  Maxine passed away a few years ago at the age of 89. John passed away in November of 2014.  The first factory was in Monrovia, CA but in 1962 it moved to San Dimas.  The company continues under the leadership of their daughter to produce these lovely animals. One of the characteristics of ceramics is that as they age they develop small hairline cracks in the finish called crazing. This is normal and is not considered a flaw. If you see some residue around the bottom it is just the paper from the sticker.  It comes off with warm soapy water.   Now speaking of the sticker or the card, Hagen Renaker offers their miniatures either with or without a card. Cards were added later for the benefit of some retailers so they could price the items and to reduce breakage on the shelf.  They were never intended to be displayed, once purchased, with the card; this would be as tacky as Minnie Pearl leaving the price tags on her hats.  Many, many pieces are shipped at the customer’s request without a card.  Cards add nothing to the value of a piece except to prove to untrained collectors that they are authentic.  Some of my pieces have cards others do not.  If they have a card chances are it will not be pristine, they might be badly wrinkled or torn etc. If an item is pictured with a card, it may come without the card and visa versa.  If paper cards are important to you please ask before buying.  I have some extra loose cards that I can include. Oh, and one other thing about the cards.  For a number of years Hagen printed dates on the cards.  This was the date the card was printed not the date the animal was made.  They often bought a several year supply of cards at one time so the date may say 1982 but the animal was not made until 1984 and they still used the same card until the supply ran out.  In later years they quit putting the dates on the cards making them more generic also due to customer requests in the 90’s they added a barcode on the bottom of the card which included the name of the piece and the model number. I know Hagen pretty well (I worked for the company in a former life) and will sell nothing but authentic Hagen Renaker pieces.   All Hagen’s are hand painted so there may be some slight variation from piece to piece. Also the sizes can vary from the number of items taken from a single mold.  Also occasionally a small piece of slurry from the mold or kiln might get on the piece resulting in a tiny bump in the glaze this is all normal with hand produced pieces. The pieces get slightly larger as the mold is used.  Molds can last as few as 25 pieces before detail starts to be diminished and a new mold is put into play. In some cases I have or have had more than one of a particular animal, so the photo may or may not be the exact one you get.  However, if there is a big variation I will reshoot the item. If this is an issue please let me know and I will see what I can do     I expect you to be completely pleased with your purchase.  If not, please contact me immediately so I can rectify the situation.  You may always return any piece for a full refund if not pleased. When you have received your item and are pleased, please leave positive feedback and I will do the same for you. I enjoy talking with folks all over the world and love getting feedback.  I like dealing with nice people and have found the world to be full of them.  If you are a grump please buy from someone else.  Payment:  Most of my listings are buy it now.  So please pay for your item when you commit to purchase.  If there are reasons you cannot please let me know.  If I I don’t hear from you and several days have passed I will submit a report to eBay so that I can relist the item and get my seller fees rebated. Shipping:  I ship every morning Monday through Saturday.  If I receive payment during the night it goes out the next morning.  If I receive it during the day it goes out the following morning.   I use new boxes, include a packing slip and wrap loosely in tissue to allow the item some space to move without breaking.  I do not use tape on the wrapping inside the package so you don’t have to be a surgeon to unwrap.  If you purchase more than one item at a time I will combine them into one shipment. International Customers: I ship worldwide and prefer to use International first class, it is by far the least expensive and the most practical for inexpensive items .  I have had very good luck with this service. However, using this service does not allow me to insure the shipment or to track it.  I can provide proof that I shipped the item but cannot be responsible if it does not arrive. I have only had one person ever make this claim. If you do not trust the mail system of your country then let me know and I will ship a more secure (and expensive way, as much as 10 times).  I do combine shipping, so if you buy more than one item please wait for an invoice.  Please be aware that your country may charge customs fees or taxes on this purchase.  It is illegal for me to mark the item as a gift.  Check with your post office or customs to find out what the tariff might me, I am not responsible for these charges.