"Q" ALPHABET Horse brass (1106)

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I ship immediately. There is no delay on my part and will post your goods on the first available postal day after you have paid. I send all packages from the main PO in my town and always obtain a proof of posting certificate.  Delivery services to all world destinations are constantly being changed by the postal companies. Air services to USA are currently being quoted by Royal Mail as being  5-7 working days instead of the previous 3-5 working days. The cost is now much higher and the suggested delivery date is poorer. Sometimes it can take much longer if the postal service creates delays. It has been known for USA deliveries via USPS to take as long as 20 working days. This is of course, quite unacceptable, but completely beyond my control. Items are rarely lost completely. For any items that are delayed by bad weather or other reasons, the package labelling clearly shows the date I sent your goods.

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PAYMENT SHOULD BE RECEIVED WITHIN 7 DAYS OF AUCTION CLOSING

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What is a horse brass?

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.