The Breyer SpotLight: Your Horse Model Market Resource

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• Only Nine More Saturday's Till Christmas
• New Breyer Stablemates Page
• Article: Etching - The Artists Touch

Only Nine More Saturday's 'Till Christmas

At the time that this Breyer SpotLight comes to your email inbox, there will only be NINE more Saturday's before Christmas. And as we've said before, and most of us know firsthand, the holiday season is the best time to sell your models. So the question is: Do you know “how” to market the models you have to sell?

If you are new to selling models, or would like to refresh your thoughts, there are a few simple things that you can do. The first link will help you understand a little more about the value of the models you have which is the first step. When we take a look at the economy for what it is and understand “where” buyers are coming “from” it will help each of us to be realistic with the amount of money we expect for the given models we have for sale.

Determining Breyer Horses Values

The next step then is to know “how” to market and sell the models. It sounds easy enough: you open an account on eBay and list your wares right? It's that simple, the money will come flowing in left and right… Umm - Maybe in a perfect world it would be so easy. But with the challenges we all face today, there are a few steps to take to help you get a better “return” for your Breyer or other models.

We have four simple steps that can be done to help you get started here:

Tips on Selling Your Breyer Horses

And for those of you who are just starting to sell your models there are a couple of other things that can be done. Such as building “feedback” on eBay. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to start by making a few small purchases.

This will do several things for you: First you will have hands on experience as a Buyer. Pay attention to the details of the transaction. Things such as packaging, shipping time, communication from the seller are all keys to being a GOOD seller. Then ask yourself: What can I improve on when I list my models for sale? Take the steps to make those improvements, read the above listed links for more information, and get started.

Be sure to let us know if you have any questions, thoughts or ideas; we'd love to hear from you!

Now for the “Custom” side of the Model Horse Industry; Elaine has shared some great tips on the beauty of “Etching”.

New Breyer Stablemates Page

We have the first Breyer Stablemates page posted! There will be more coming!

Breyer Stablemates

Etching - The Artist's Touch

I don't etch much but I love the look. Etching truly is an art form. It is customizing a model horse by painstakingly removing the paint to make new patterns, such as pintos, appaloosa's, roans, some dapples and white markings on the face and legs. If you are new to etching I would suggest starting out on a practice model and not the one you want to be your master piece. It takes a lot of time and practice to get etching done just right.

When I do etch a model I use Xacto knives and keep plenty of blades on hand. Etching does cause blades to dull rather quickly and you want your lines to be an actual etch not an area where the paint has been dug or dragged off the model. You want to etch the hairs in a smooth pattern without actually digging into the model itself. If you feel your blade getting dull - change it!!

In order for an etched horse to look realistic you have to do all the etching on your model the way the hairs on a real horse would grow, they must run in the same direction as they would on a real horse otherwise you will lose the lifelike representation on your mold.

A simple etch, is just that - a small area, generally removing the paint around the white areas on a pinto, or adding in some white hairs on the models face. A full etch is doing the entire model and is usually extensively done for a roan colored horse. If the etch is smooth and all the hairs are done in the direction that the hairs on real horse run, the model really can end up looking fantastic.

Whether you decide to do a simple etch or a full etch, make sure you work in a well lit area and have plenty of reference photos on hand so that you can continually check to make sure the hairs you are adding to your model run in the same direction as on a real hours. Prepare to put a lot of time into your model it is not a quick way of customizing and a full etch can take hours and hours. When I do technical etching I take breaks in between, it allows my hands to rest and also gives my eyes a break so that when I come back to my work it looks fresh and my hairs are no longer running into each other.

Even if you have never etched a model before - it is a fun technique to try and you may end up surprising yourself with your end results if you take enough care with it.

We hope you've enjoyed this week's edition of the Breyer SpotLight. Until next time - keep imagining!

Breyer Horse Collectors