What is "model horse collecting" you ask?
Can you answer yes to any of the following questions?
Do you like horses?
Do you want a horse but can't own one right now?
Do you own a horse but want even more involvement?
Do you enjoy painting, drawing, or sculpting horses?
Do you like meeting other people who share one or more of these interests?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might like to join one of America's fastest-growing hobbies: Model Horse Collecting
This wonderful hobby is open to horse enthusiasts of all ages. There are dozens of different ways to get involved! Here are just a few of them...
Enthusiasts all over the world collect model horses of all types: plastic, porcelain, resin, china, and other original sculptures. Most people begin their collections with original finish models bought in stores - of which the most common of these are Breyer model horses, closely followed by the increasingly popular line of Peter Stone model horses, Schleich, and Hartland horses. These are all made of plastic (with the exception of the Breyer porcelain & resin releases), and can be found in most toy and hobby stores. Many collectors collect discontinued or vintage Breyer and Peter Stone models which have increasingly gone up in value over the years due to the manufacturers' releasing special runs and commemorative editions, or the discontinuation of a particular model from year to year.
Just as Breyer and Peter Stone are the most popular plastic models, Hagen-Renaker horses are by far the most coveted porcelain models. The large traditional (and classic) size Hagen Renaker horses are no longer manufactured (except for the mini models). These very fine (and breakable) porcelain horses are quite detailed with exceptional breed realism and beautiful colouration. Unfortunately they break easily and are hard to find without any breaks or chips, but there are talented people in the hobby who can repair broken HRs.
Other china and fine porcelain models available are the Beswick horses (this company merged with Royal Doulton which now carries some of the horses formerly sold under Beswick, but with the RD back stamp), Franklin Mint, Royal Worcester (Doris Lindner's horses are highly in demand) and American Artists (Rene Rushing's Secretariat model is particularly lovely), just to name a few. NORTH LIGHT resin horses produced in Stoke-on-Trent, England (same area where Beswicks/Royal Doultons are produced) and have gained in popularity among collectors due the high quality of material, finish, colours and realism. In July of 2005, North Light was acquired by the Wade Ceramics Co., and thus all future releases of North Light horses are sold under the NorthLight@Wade trademark, making the early releases of North Light horses (with the NL back stamp) very valuable and highly sought after by collectors.
So where do you find these models? Everywhere! Current and discontinued Breyer and Peter Stone models can be found in Toy and Hobby Stores across the U.S., and in many tack shops. Don't live near any toy retailers that carry these products? Not to worry, there are many online resources where one can purchase vintage or discontinued models, including eBay, model horse community forums and discussion lists, online retailers, and elsewhere (google search is a wonderful thing). Many of the mini Hagen-Renakers are available at card and gift stores, as are Lenox, Lefton, Royal Doulton and sometimes North Light. Current run models can also be ordered through the mail, often at a much lower price than in stores. Vintage models and second-hand models can be purchased from other model collectors, eBAY, antique stores, and at flea markets. Many model horse distributors are listed at various model-horse manufacturer sites.
