Spring-Summer 2000
PLEASE NOTE: This is an archive of our original site, for informational purposes only. We no-longer have a sales catalogue.
Just Added: Comments from Muff Musgrave!
Comments added below some entries.
Plus, Muff says: Real and I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who entered
the competition! We loved hearing from you all!
Thanks to the many entrants in our "How I Discovered Pocket Dragons" Contest. We really enjoyed reading your stories, and we're sure others will enjoy them, too. We found that two stories were so good that we could not decide between them as to which one should have first place, so we decided to make it a tie. Others came so close on their heels that it made for tough decisions all the way around. I'm so glad so many of you decided to write them.
From Muff: CONGRATULATIONS to the 2 winners, Alana and Michelle. Your stories were wonderful.
Alana's story tells me she's led a colorful life. Currently she's a paramedic, living in Nashville, Tennessee. Her hobbies are: entertaining her 3-year-old son, collecting Pocket Dragons, doing cross-stitch, and reading sci-fi and fantasy novels. Her two favorite quotes are: "Wherever you go, there you are," (as used in the 1984 movie "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension", though the original quote is ancient) and "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." (Philip K. Dick).
Michelle currently lives in Southern California. She adores: animals (whether it be romping with her pup, horseback riding, spotting a hummingbird's nest or walking her iguana); literature (she is constantly surround with books, especially children's literature); exploring (she loves to hike in the hills, bike along the coast and happen upon great little family owned restaurants or stores); collecting (always finding little trinkets that "speak to her" and she has to take home. Michelle says, "Sometimes I'll walk into a place and find something that has a bit of a soul, that is . . . it reminds me of a warm memory or sparks particular interest. I was doomed the moment I came across Pocket Dragons.") A couple of great quotes: "The world is but a canvas to the imagination." (Henry David Thoreau) amd "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters in the end." -(Ursula K. Le Guin)
1st Place Winners |
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Jessica, left Michelle, right |
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Alana
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Michelle Kinsman
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| There once was a story about a beautiful princess. She fell in love with a very handsome fellow, who reportedly was a prince from a far-off land across the Mason-Dixon line. He won her heart with poetry and wonderful gifts, including her very first Pocket Dragon poster. She received many other baubles and bangles from said prince whilst subsisting on mac-and-cheese dinners, in order to keep a roof over her head and light on her many books. It came to pass that she found out about his chicanery - Lo, he was actually a FROG!!. He hopped away, ne'er to be seen again in those parts -(mainly because the sheriff was after him) leaving the beautiful princess with only her memories...and the start of her Pocket Dragon collection. The End |
I'm the kind of adult people "kindly" call dreamy. It seems that I've always had my head in the clouds, beginning as a young girl. My head was always full of adventures and puzzles. My eyes would gaze over with the fabricated scenarios that I would heroically solve. Now I know what you're thinking, "What's the big deal? Every kid has an imagination." You would of course be right, but that's just the beginning of my story . . . To say I was a little usual would be an understatement. I was the eldest of two and my younger sister was the cutest, sweetest piece of pie that my dad could spoil and my mother could smile at. I was, well, the different one. What my sister had in beauty, I made up for in creativity. Things I held dear she loathed, and the things I didn't understand she flourished in. Jessie was quite popular in all accounts and could win just about anything with a slight whine and a "pretty please." I had to come up with more solid, logical reasons for the things I wished to attain. In short, my sister and I couldn't be more opposite. Even at a young age I understood the law of the jungle. Parents love all their children, but that doesn't mean they treat them all the same. My challenge was to outsmart them, what we children like to call "helping them to see the light." Unfortunately, at this point in my life, my success to failure ratio was less than ideal. It was a fact that could've proved fatal to my future in pocket dragon collecting. My first glimpse of the expressive critters was in a trinket shop just off the Pacific Coast. I was exploring about, a few steps behind my family as usual, spotting a statuette of an angel here or a square tile painted up with an ocean scene there all guarded by "please ask for assistance" or "please don't touch" signs. It was a "tourist" shop, but that didn't deter me. The first thing I remember was their color. The youthful green was a refreshing contrast to the greys and browns that dominated the store. I rounded a couple displays towards the numerous little forms wearing it and there I found them. Little green dragons everywhere. One had goggles and a flight cap on. Another rocked hilariously as I tickled his tum. All were spunky and full of spirit, and awakened a longing inside of me. By this time the rest of my family had moved further on towards the exit. Something told me that my window of opportunity was moving out of reach. My mind scrambled for the perfect way to win my parent's approval and capture one. I knew to choose my method wisely. Time would be limited and I could not change my approach once initiated. A "just because present" would seem too frivolous with all the money they had already invested in our vacation. Christmas and Easter had long been over and my birthday wasn't for three more months. I began to panic as all my usual scenarios met with flaw. And then it occurred to me. Jessie! Her birthday was only a couple weeks away. Maybe I couldn't directly convince my parents, but if I could get my sister to like the critters she could do the convincing for me. This, I realized, would be no easy task. As mom and dad stopped to admire some artwork, I maneuvered myself to my sister's side. "You'll never guess what I saw." I baited the hook and waited for the nibble. She raised her eyebrow and considered me, "What could you possibly see in here?" "I'm not sure," I taunted. "I've never seen anything like them. They're over there." I lead her. It was a very delicate time. I couldn't sound too enthusiastic or she would loose all interest. She seemed to make it a point not to like the same things as I. We reached the Pocket Dragon display and I held my breath. Everything was riding on their charm to close the deal. Jessie began to form a slight smile. "What do you think about them?" She tested me. This was the moment of truth. Hiding my smile I replied, "I don't know. They seem different, a little unusual." "Well I think they're CUTE!" She beamed as she picked up a clever looking dragon with a mission to consume cookies. I absolutely glowed inside as on cue my parents walked over to see what we were so interested in. The dragons had won not only me, but my sister over as well. I walked out of the store that day with my first Real Musgrave treasure and with the knowledge that even two so completely opposite sisters share a love of little green dragons. |
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Three little girls and their father entered into the fanciest (well, to the little girls it was) store in the mall to buy their mother a birthday present. As always, they went over to the music boxes. Being of the age of 12, I didn't think they were that great so I wandered off. At the opposite side of the store was a glass cabinet that contained these little green dragons. "Ohhh, how cute" was my first reaction. My second reaction was to grab my sisters and pull them over to look. After many "This one is so cute!" all the little Pocket Dragons had been named. When my dad finally came over, he could tell that there was no way that his wife was getting anything but a Pocket Dragon for her birthday. With much argument, the choice was "Friends." We picked "Friends" because we thought of the gargoyle as our mother and the little dragons as us. The next day when it was my mom's birthday, she was very happy with her present (is there a mother who isn't?). The next year, she received another Pocket Dragon. On the third year, I decided it was time that a Pocket Dragon entered into the house more than once a year. So, I started collecting.
At one time I spent a large amount of time on mIRC. My nickname happened to be puffdrgn, someone said I reminded them of the song. One of the channels I frequented on dalnet was 40+renegades, sort of a lost hippy thing. One of the others in channel tag line was Here There be Dragons. We became very good friends, she told me about Pocket Dragons. I did a few searches to see what they looked like, and I kind of was indifferent to them. To make a long story short, the lady I was chatting with is now my wife, and one of the very first things I did was buy her Butterfly Kisses. She and her little green friends stole my heart. We now have over 30 of the imps scampering around our house. She and the dragons have brought so much joy to this house.
It was a summer afternoon in Southern California and I was looking through my Dancing Dragon catalogue when I saw this little green dragon. He was holding an Oreo cookie behind his back and was asking "What cookie?" I fell in love with his precious face. On the next page was another little green dragon. This one had his wings and arms stretched wide and on his head was an aviator's hat and goggles. From that moment on, I was hooked. I couldn't, nor can to this day, get enough of those precious, silly little dragons. I admit there's nothing exciting about this story, but any way you meet these treasured creatures is a life changing, not to mention a checking account changing, event. (I went all the way to England to acquire "Scales of Injustice".) They get under your skin and aim straight at your heart. We are all better off for having these little green Pocket Dragons in our lives.
My fiancee and I are getting married in 19 months and I have been looking for cakes to fit in with a medieval theme. A friend showed me a picture of a cake she had made with a pair of dragons on it, one dressed as a bride, the other a groom. I thought they were the cutest things I had ever seen. She said that they were called pocket dragons and I decided to find out more about them and now, I'm hooked! I have bought my 13 year old two dragons (as she is dragon mad as well) and will definitely buy more. I'm sure there will be a few of these delightful creatures attending our wedding. (Maybe the florist can incorporate one into my bouquet as well.
I have always been a fan of fantasy stuff. Ever since I was child, I adored and fantasized about dungeons, dragons, unicorns and every possible mythical figure one can imagine. Up until now, I could only express it by reading fantasy books. This compulsive hobby of mine kept me coming to bookstores again and again, hoping to find new fantasy books. Dragons have always had a special place in my heart. It may be because dragons exude majesty, pride and indestructibility. The funny thing is I didn't know there was such a thing as pocket dragons. Hey, its not that I didn't watch television or anything. It's just that there is no pocket dragon series here in the Philippines. Well, now to go back to how I found about it. I was browsing the net looking for dragons but the jewelry kind. You see, I was looking for pendants. I thought this was the only way I could satisfy my hunger for dragons. While reading the results from search, I came upon a link to your site. At first I thought you are just one of those online jewelry stores but you proved me wrong. Your site opened a new dimension to how I could enjoy one of my hobbies not just through reading but by actually having one which I could touch, see and cherish to my old days...
From Muff: This is exciting! We didn't know we had any Club members in the Phillipines.
I have been collecting dragons since the mid 80's. I used to live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and occasionally attended Fantasy Conventions. One of the mainstay guests at the time was Real Musgrave. I had seen a few of his prints, and because I was a dragon collector, enjoyed his style of art. I discovered in later years, that the precious little dragons that I was seeing in collectible shops were designed by Mr. Musgrave. It was only natural that I would start collecting them. I used two of his figures, the bride and groom, on my wedding cake. It was made to look like a castle, so the little dragons fit perfectly on it. Now, years later, I am expecting my first child. Of course, I am going to decorate the nursery in Pocket Dragons.
From Muff: It is so nice to hear from someone we met at the Fantasy Conventions. We always enjoyed the Conventions and are even going to be attending two next year as Real will be their Artist Guest of Honor (Portland, OR and Seattle WA).
It all started when my Friend started showing me the dragons in her Pocket Dragon Collection. I myself had been a dragon collector for many years but I did not have any Pocket dragons in my collection. After seeing how many personalities the dragons had and how well they matched the students I encountered every day I decided that may be I should get just one. This was 2 day ago, I now own 6 Pocket Dragons with no end in sight. :)
The Lost Smiles
About 25 years ago I was given the nickname of Sunshine, as Sunshine was growing up she was
always so happy & smiled all the time no matter what, she loved to be around people, because a smile is contagious & the warm glow would spread & spread, then about 6 1/2 years ago a Mysterious Illness befell her & with no cure in site. After seeing 15 different Doctor's hope slipped away & the last Doctor gave some hope, but little by little Sunshine's smiles were gone & in there place were tears & great pain, she felt so alone & scared because the only way that she could make it through the day was the medications from the Doctor, she hated to have to take all of the medications, she would for get things, became confused, & was afraid to even leave the house which made it worse, her husband became very worried & called her best friend & asked her to take his wife out shopping for the day. See I now believe that her friend had an Angel on her shoulder, they had lunch & then her friend took her to her favorite shop, I walked around & all of a sudden a little bit of green caught her eye, so she looked even closer & saw this Adorable green Dragon, she asked the shop owner if he would let her see it, when he opened the display case & handed her the little green Dragon she started to smile, laugh, & cry, she felt at peace for the Dragon she was holding was "take your medicine" & a smile lit up her face, it was the very first Pocket Dragon I bought. Even though the illness has gotten worse all I have to do is go over to my display case & look at all the Pocket Dragons I have, I now have about 40 to 50 Pocket Dragons, Magnets, Brooches, & anything else that is made, & every time I look at them a smile lights up my face & a little bit of Sunshine comes back into my life, Thank you Real & Muff Musgrave for giving me hope, a smile, & my Sunshine back. Your lovely Spirit is in each & every little Pocket Dragon you make gives us all HOPE.
I thank you once again & God Bless you both.
From Muff: It was great to meet you in Denver. We enjoyed your entry very much.
One morning as I awoke and stretched my wings, I was inspired. I yawned and stretched, and reached for my pad and charcoal. When I was done, I had what I called a "really cute baby dragon." I showed it to a few people and those evil mortals had the nerve to call it a Pokémon! I then showed it to my father, a dragon (figurine) collector, and he said, "Oh, it's a Pocket Dragon, but I forget its name." I asked what a Pocket Dragon was and he proceeded to get out a Dancing Dragon catalog and showed me. I was hooked ever since! They're so adorable, and each one has its own personality that you can feel. …And I shall retire to my cavern with my collection of Pocket Dragons, thank you.
I was over in England in the year 1995. My husband was stationed at RAF Upper Heyford. He is in the USAF. The place we shop a lot at is RAF Lakenheath. It was a 2 hr drive there. The shop called Black Knight carried Pocket Dragons. In August of that year, Real & Muff was there for a signing. My husband and daughters have gotten me 3 pocket dragons before the signing. During the signing we bought a few more and signed up for the Pocket Dragon Club. That's where I learn the story about pocket dragons and the artist. We had a very nice time meeting Real & Muff for the first time. Then I just started collecting the dragons. Saw Real & Muff each year after that. Until last 2 years. We moved to the states in August 1998. Now we live in NJ. We just saw Real & Muff again this Spring. On April 29th at the signing in Maryland, at Precious Gifts in Ellicott City. They remember us. We had a good time seeing them again. Today I have 150 pocket dragons. I have always like green dragons.
From Muff: We have met so many nice people on the military bases in the UK and Germany. It's a real treat to see you at a US Event.
It was my first semester of college and also the first time I was away from home for a substantial period of time. That morning had been pretty decent, until I came home from my early class to find a message that my grandmother's cancer was back. I was devastated, she was my musical and artistic inspiration, I couldn't imagine what I would do. I had to go home, but I felt I couldn't show up empty handed. So I was mall walking, finding absolutely nothing that would ever be suitable, and feeling absolutely wretched. I missed my parents, I missed my brother, I missed my iguana, and more than anything, I missed my grandmother. It was about that time that I found the little card shop. I went in, not expecting to find anything that suited the occasion, and after searching high and low, I thought my initial reaction had been right, and I turned to go. As I did, I caught sight of a little pastel purple and green spark. I walked closer, and saw it vaguely resembled Spike (my beloved iguana, who was also my grandmother's favorite ammunition against my mother, though she really didn't mind him.) Then I saw, the purple was a beautiful butterfly, perched delicately on the dragon's nose. If there was anything I knew about my grandmother it was that she adored butterflies and she surrounded herself with all things purple. I bought it with out question or hesitation and took it to her. She laughed hysterically and kept it in the kitchen, where she could see it at all times. Her health continued to deteriorate, and when she went to the hospital, she took the little dragon with her. She finally passed away about a year after we had first heard that she was ill again. But to this day, I see one of my wonderful dragons and I smile. And the little dragon and the butterfly? They sit happily next to my piano... A constant reminder of inspiration that, I'm sure, still watches me.
From Muff: One of the nice things about Pocket Dragons is that they so often remind one of a special person or event. "Different Drummer" was done because my brother was a drummer who always had a pair of drumsticks in his hand. "It's OK To Cry" was a piece Real did for me after he died. So I think of Glenn whenever I see those litle guys. I lost my grandmother many many years ago, but I wear her wedding band always becasue it keeps her close to me. So I can really understand how you feel.
I am in the military. When I was stationed in Germany I saw my first little dragon. A cute little guy with a Santa hat pulled over his eyes and a red and green scarf tied around his neck. He looked like I felt. Lost in a cold new place. I knew I had to have him. I went to the PX to cash a check and when I got back, he was gone. I looked around but there were no more, being close to Christmas, the little guy and his brothers and sisters were all gone. So I went home alone. A few weeks later, on Christmas morning, I found my little soul-mate under the tree in a big box. My kids had bought him for me. (They thought we looked alike). That was my first "little dragon", as my kids call them.
In the mid-to-late 1970s Real had a shop near the campus of Southern Methodist University. At about the same time I was opening a fantasy gift shop in a mall in North Dallas. A customer told me about him and I went to take a look. I owe her a big THANK YOU for introducing me to two of the kindest & most generous people I have ever met, in Muff & Real. My sister-in-law has the small lithograph of the original Pocket Dragon from my initial inventory of his work. Over the next 4 years each of the post Thanksgiving weekends we had a one man show in my shop. It was the highlight of the year. I had better taste than business acumen so I closed my shop in 1981. I am less interested in winning the frame than in letting Muff and Real know that I am alive and OK and so thrilled to see how much success he has had over the last 25 years. It could not have happened to nicer people. Yours will be my shop of choice for purchasing "Real stuff" in the future. I don't know if he would be amused or horrified that my niece (he last saw her when she was about 10 years old) not only has Pocket Dragons, but a fairly large, full color tattoo of one of his paintings on her back.
From Muff: Great to hear from you! Please send us a photo of Leslie's tattoo!
It was 3 years ago around my birthday. I went to the mall with my Mother and sister to get ideas for my present. We went into the store called The Silver Dragon. It was like I was drawn to the case at the front of the store. When I looked into the case there staring at me were the most cutest dragons I had ever seen. They all seemed to be saying please take me home. It was so hard to choose, I loved them all! I left that day with such excitement for my birthday. I called my Aunts and Uncles and my Grandparents to tell them this is what I wanted for my birthday.
When my birthday arrived and I opened my gifts my first dragon was "Happy Camper" 2nd "I'll Fix it" I also received the membership "My Hero". I have a collection of 24 now and I also have the "Computer Wizard". I won this (it was the most exciting day I even met Real & Muff) at a breakfast show here in RI. I am only 10 years old but I have always loved dragons.
From Muff: Hi Scott. We remember meeting you and your family at the RI Event. As I recall your parents, grandparents and siblings were all there. One of our favorite things is when a family gets involved in supporting a Pocket Dragon collection. It is what Pocket Dragons are all about! Hope you are still enjoying "Computer Wizard". We were so pleased that you won it!
As a child I was raised believing in magic, faeries, dragons and the healing power of rainbows after a summer rain. As a teen I buried myself in fantasy stories about elves, wizards, trolls and eventually dragons. A close friend, when I was eighteen or so nicknamed me "Shen-Lung", which in Chinese means "Spiritual Dragon". He told me that I reminded him of a great dragon, graceful, wise and beautiful, but also fierce and protective. I adopted the nickname and began an obsession with the beasts I came to love and know so well. One day a catalogue arrived in my mailbox addressed to me. The heading read "Dancing Dragon Designs". I flipped it open and fell in love with the images seen before my eyes. I began highlighting everything that I wanted to spend my money on. Not having any to spend, but hoping someone would see the highlighted areas around my birthday and get the idea that I liked the items. The first dragon I fell in love with was an adorable little green creature with his tongue stuck out and his eyes closed. It was titled "Time to Take the Medicine", or something to that tune. I soon began to see these little dragons everywhere. I found the plush dragons in gift shops, the statuettes on friend's office desks and greeting cards on coffee tables. I received my first Real Musgrave dragon "Scribbles" as a Christmas gift from my boyfriend at the time. He got it for me because I had just decided that I was going to get my college degree in art and literature so I could write and illustrate children's books. To this day Scribbles still sits on a shelf in my bedroom, reminding me of my love of dragons and drawing.
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Site Founded: August 30, 1996. Page added: May 4, 2000. Last Update: December 11, 2008
