Readers Response Over the Years to My Montag Blue Horse Article

Since I wrote a column in August 2006 about Atlanta’s Montag Brothers Paper Company’s clever Blue Horse awards marketing promotion, I have received a steady flow of flow of comments. My column noted that literally millions of Blue Horse heads were exchanged for cash and prizes, making Montag one of the largest paper companies in the industry by 1950.

One lady sent me two photos of a Blue Horse pocketknife that her mother had owned. It is shown in my column photo. I decided to excerpt from several letters:

“I have several hundred Blue Horse trademarks. Is there a market for these trademarks?”

“I have every Blue Horse Trademark that I collected from the first to the twelfth grade. I never traded them in for any prizes, instead choosing to keep all 1161 of them.”

“I have access to a Blue Horse bicycle, purchased with Blue Horse heads back in the early 1950s. As a student in the sixth grade, I saved them and won one of the bikes.”

“My Father sent in several of the Blue Horse heads and received one of the bicycles. Before he passed away, he gave me the bike and told me to get it fixed. I don't know how many of them are actually left, but I have one and plan to have it restored in his memory.

“I have a complete 42 model bike that has been painted silver, but it has original tires and all.”

“I have a considerable number of trademarks. My older sister gave some to me and I collected others. There is not much information out there about them.”

“I have a Blue Horse spiral notebook in a relic's collection that I started several years ago. I saved enough labels and enough change, 25 cents as I recall, for a Blue Horse Beanie. In fact, I did it twice and was the talk of my grammar school class.”

“Recently while I was working as a substitute at our local library, a gentleman brought in some old books to donate. As he was flipping through the pages, he came across about a dozen Blue Horse emblems. They brought back a lot of memories to this man who, as a child, had apparently clipped and saved them for a gift that he wanted.”

“My son was cleaning out our attic and ran across two small boxes of Blue Horses that really brought back memories of my school days. I was wondering if you know of anyone, such as a history museum, that would be interested in them.”

“My husband has an old pearl handle pocket knife with the Blue Horse symbol on the end of it. We were wondering if it was a prize awarded by collecting the horse coupons.”

“While we were cleaning out my deceased mother’s belongings, we discovered 29 Blue Horse coupons. Mama had saved them for her sons. Printed under the horse’s head are the words, ‘counts as two trade-marks.’ We were wondering if Montag Brothers' Paper Company would honor them now. I would love to have a beanie cap.”

“Do you happen to have the words to the Blue Horse jingle that was popular at that time? I have a friend who is obsessed with finding the words to it.”

Another reader remembered the tune and took a stab at the lyrics: “… paper so white and lines so true (or blue), Blue Horse is …   Stamped on the back is one … (additional) proof, Blue Horse, Blue Horse ….” 

“I found a Blue Horse bracelet in my late sister’s old jewelry box and believe it is a prize from the Blue Horse redemption of horse heads for the 1950’s.  I was wondering if the company gave bracelets as one of the prizes. It has the dark blue horse and two little horseshoe charms. Also, my grandmother ran an old country store that I remember sold Blue Horse paper.”

The once popular old sapphire steed has long vanished from the scene but our memories of him continue to tug at our heartstrings.