Twenty Years of Connecting Carousel Horses and Their Next Owners
I'm Tom Shivers, and I've been brokering wood-carved carousel animals, antique rocking horses, and related folk art since 2003. What started as a partnership between myself and a highly reputable artist has grown into one of the longest-running specialty brokerages in the United States for these pieces.
I work with two kinds of people, every week:
- Owners who have inherited, collected, or commissioned a carousel horse, rocking horse, or carved animal - and want it to find a home with someone who will value it.
- Buyers - collectors, restorers, decorators, museums, and the occasional person who just walked past a horse at a fair forty years ago and never forgot it - looking for a specific maker, period, or piece.
My job is to make that handoff happen well. That means honest appraisals, clear photography, accurate provenance, and a transaction that closes without surprises on either side.
How the brokerage works
I run this as a **consignment brokerage**, not a retail store. Every horse and animal you see on the site, unless stated otherwise, belongs to a private seller. I represent the piece, manage the listing and the inquiries, vet the buyers, and for buyers I recommend reputable couriers and freight companies who handle the logistics through to the final handoff. Sellers retain ownership until a sale closes.
Here is what that looks like in practice:
For sellers:
- 1. You send me photographs and what you know about the piece.
- 2. I respond within two business days with my read on the piece - maker if identifiable, approximate period, condition notes, and whether it's a fit for my buyer network. If it isn't a fit, I'll tell you that and point you toward the right venue (auction house, regional dealer, etc.).
- 3. If we agree to list it, I draft the listing copy, schedule any additional photography, set a price range with you, and the piece goes live on the relevant category page - Carousel Horses, Rocking Horses, or Wood Carved Animals.
- 4. I manage all buyer inquiries, screen for serious interest, and bring offers back to you.
- 5. When a sale closes, I handle the paperwork, payment escrow, and help the buyer coordinate shipping/pickup.
For buyers:
Inquiries come straight to me. I'll tell you what I know about the piece, what I don't know, and what's been verified versus what's tradition or seller recollection. Most details are right on the listing page. If you're looking for something specific I don't currently have listed, send me a note - I keep a running want list and reach out when matches surface.
The makers and traditions we represent
Carousel and rocking horses are folk art with deep regional traditions. Pieces I've handled most often come from the major American carousel-carving studios - names like:
- Charles Looff, Gustav Dentzel, the Herschell-Spillman Company, the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, Charles Carmel, Daniel Müller, Marcus Illions, the Theo and Royce Williams Amusement Company
Also, American, English, German, and Scandinavian rocking-horse traditions and contemporary master carvers like:
- The S&S Woodcarvers studio, Stevenson Brothers, O'Day & Son, the Relko Rocking Horse Stud company and others
When a piece comes in by an attributed maker, I document what's verifiable (carving style, paint layers, hardware, provenance) and clearly mark what's tradition or family lore. I'd rather sell a horse honestly described as "in the manner of Dentzel" than oversell an attribution that doesn't hold up.
Recent transactions
A few examples of recent brokerages (I'll update occasionally), with seller and buyer details kept private:
**A CW Parker Stargazer carousel horse, c. 1917, Massachusetts seller to an Indiana private collector, 2023. The restorer of this stargazer painted the chest peytral and blanket one color, including the chimeric face carved in relief, nearly hiding it. The collector noticed it and called with questions. You can see it here.
**S&S Woodcarvers curly tail rocking pony, Colorado family seller to a buyer in California, 2024. When the buyer saw it, she wanted it, but the price of shipping was out of reach for her. A year later she bought it and instead of paying to have it shipped, she and her husband made a trip in their truck and picked it up! See it here.
**O-Day & Son wooden giraffe, inherited by the seller in California to a buyer in Virginia, 2023. The seller's loved one cherished the wooden giraffe and had many stories about it, so the seller wanted it to be loved and enjoyed by another. See it here.
Appraisals, shipping, and what to expect on price
A few questions I get often enough that they're worth answering up front:
Do I do formal written appraisals?
I provide my professional opinion on value as part of every consignment intake, at no charge. I do not provide formal IRS-grade or insurance-grade written appraisals - those require a credentialed appraiser, and for most antique items I do use one.
How do you ship?
Carousel and rocking horses are heavy, fragile, and oddly shaped. I recommend specific couriers and freight companies who specialize in art and antiques freight. Shipping is paid by the buyer unless negotiated otherwise.
Why don't you list price estimates publicly before consigning?
Because a credible estimate requires me to actually see the piece. A photograph alone doesn't show paint history, structural condition, or hardware originality - and those are most of the value. I'm happy to offer an informed range as soon as I have the photos and a short conversation.
Trust and reviews
The brokerage is rated 5.0 out of 5 across 6 verified reviews from past buyers. A selection of those reviews - quoted in full - lives on the home page. If you'd like to speak directly with a past client as a reference before consigning a significant piece, ask and I'll arrange it.
Get in touch
Questions? Email us or call 770.277.0581.
Selling a horse or animal: Use the seller intake form then email a couple photos and a short description are the fastest way to start.
Looking for a specific piece: Contact me and tell me what you're after. I'll let you know if I have it, can find it, or know where you should be looking instead.
General questions: the FAQs covers the most common ones.