Hello borzoi enthusiasts everywhere. My name is Cindy Michalak of Bon-Ton Borzoi. Not a well-known kennel by any means but I was raised with Borzoi since I was 16,back in 1969.Well,I guess I just gave my age away. I am a member of both the BCOA and MBC. I ’d like to share a few Borzoi treasures with you that I have found over the past several years.

This first piece is one of the rarest Borzoi pieces I know of. The porcelain figurine was made by Goebel and Wallendorf jointly. What I mean by this is that it is marked W.Goebel and also Schau Bach, who later became known as Wallendorf. Gwen Post and I believe that it was Goebel ’s mold and Wallendorf borrowed it to make a finer porcelain than that of Goebel. The lady is dressed in her tennis outfit and happily romping with her Borzoi and measures 10"tall.There is a sister to this piece, showing the lady running with the Borzoi along-side, which I ’m sure most of you have seen. That piece was made not only by the Goebel Wallendorf joint venture but also produced in a smaller version by Wallendorf alone. The statues marked with Goebel trimmed the features of the dog in gold, whereas when Wallendorf produced the smaller version ,they used realistic colors. In all my years of collecting, this is the only statue in this pose that I have seen. I highly value this at $1000.

The wood clock shown here was produced around the 1930s.It is carved from one piece of wood. Originally it housed an electric clock but the wiring was worn, so I replaced it with a battery-operated one. The Borzoi measures 83/4"tall x 121/2"long. The value of this wonderful Borzoi with its original electric clock in working order would be valued around $100.

You ’ve all seen the famous Greyhound hood ornament but have you seen one as a Borzoi? I found this many years ago at an antique show. It was on a circular marble base. At one time it was on my vehicle but when I changed cars, I decided it was too valuable to leave on my car for someone to break off. It is now on a pretty marble ashtray base and I have a perfect-sized copper Borzoi ashtray to fit inside. At times I wonder if this piece was made special for someone, as it is identical to the Greyhound ornament but has lots of tail and leg feathering instead and I have yet to see another one. Measuring 31/2"tall x 83/4"long,the value of this very unique item would be around $150.

The Austin Sculpture Company has been known to produce many large Borzoi figurines.They probably use Borzoi because of their Art Deco look. This particular piece was made of an acrylic rather than their usual plaster material.The lady and Borzoi have an almost silhouette look.The statue is titled “Evening Stroll.”This piece was very hard to find when it came out and was discontinued in a very short time. The only reason I was able to obtain one was that I always looked in the JC Penney ’s Austin Sculpture catalog.When I spotted it in there,I ordered it on the spot.It measures a large 163/4"tall x 9".Because of its short production run and difficulty to find,the value on this is estimated at $200. By Cindy Michalak

Colorful, cheery and bright make up the description of this wonderful porcelain grouping. The artist remarkably decorated this piece in pinks, burgundies, blues and gold. Beautiful flowers highlight the lady ’s dress along with the inside of her bonnet. And just look at the gorgeous Borzoi laying next to his lady. This piece measures 61/2"tall x 10"long.I ’m not sure if this has a mark on the bottom, as the green felt to ward off furniture scratches is still attached. I would venture to say it is either German because of the great feel to the porcelain, or an Italian piece because of the vivid colors that Italian artists are so well known for. There is a mate to this piece that has only the lady and Borzoi and that precious beauty is kept at Joyce Brandin ’s (Nightsong) house. A rare and quality piece that is sure to bring a smile to your face, valued at $350.

This next figurine is an uncommon chalk statue. It measures 10" tall x 12"long and has nice coloring of brown and white. I suppose it ’s easier to give porcelain pieces more detail than chalk. In the final phase of casting chalk pieces there is a smoothing out of the mold seams, which ends up scraping off and losing some detail. This was found in an antique shop many years ago. Chalk pieces are easily damaged if they become damp and over the years can crumble. And for that reason, I have a spot in my heart to collect the chalks as much as the porcelains, since chalks are harder to keep nice. With the rarity, size and perfect Borzoi detailing ,the value of this figure would be $90. Trying to cover many forms of Unique Zoitiques, I am including one of my favorite solid bronze Borzoi pieces. With a lovely brass patina, this bronze Borzoi stands with the nobility they are known for. Head held high, this piece measures 101/2"tall x 9"long.

Trying to cover many forms of Unique Zoitiques,I am including one of my favorite solid bronze Borzoi pieces.With a lovely brass patina,this bronze Borzoi stands with the nobility they are known for.Head held high,this piece measures 101/2"tall x 9"long.

By looking at it,you wouldn ’t think it weighs much,because the marble base it is on is only 1"thick.And most metal Borzoi pieces you see are actually pot metal,making them hollow and very lightweight.So you can imagine my shock when I tried to pick this up to look at.At first I thought it was bolted to the table!There is lots of nice detail in the hair definition on this piece but not so overly done that it gets gaudy looking.This is another hard-to-find collectible and since real bronze dogs are so highly sought after today,the value for this would be around $300. Thank you for taking the time to look at a few of my Zoitiques. It is always such fun to go shopping and discover a Borzoi collect- ible.You get that rush in your stomach,the excitement takes over, you pay the bill and then get the joy of placing the piece in that special place in your curio cabinet to look at for years to come. Good luck at the shows and keep your eyes open for that next rare and special Unique Zoitique!§