The Breyer SpotLight: Your Horse Model Market ResourceHi <
It's that time of year already to say “Merry Christmas” to everyone; or at least it will be VERY soon. We do hope each of you were able to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving last month as well. Do you remember in the last Breyer SpotLight we told you we were working on additional projects for you? Well one of those projects took off on Thanksgiving evening. More on that in just a minute. The reason for this particular project is because we know and understand where so many of our readers are “at” right now. We talk daily with those who have been laid off, have health issues, or for some reason are finding it hard to make ends meet. As a result Collectors turn to selling their models. Makes sense. However, because of the rising fees that have to be paid to certain auction sites as well as thousands of others also selling, the return for the model is compromised. So the question becomes … Can you sell your models without paying fees? Yes, you can. You see, this has been a concern for me personally because it hits close to home. Not too long ago my husband and I were in the same situation as many of you. And without going into personal details at this time let me just say, it does get better. As a result it has been my personal mission to try to find the best way to help other Collectors to be able to connect and sell their models as easily as possible. The answer for today? Facebook. If you take a look at the statistics of how fast Facebook is growing you'll understand why. The last report I read stated that Facebook had well over 500 million registered users within their system. Many of which are Model Collectors trying to connect with others within the community. That is not something to take lightly! So at the very last minute we set up a “Model Horse Black Friday” Sale that started on Thanksgiving evening… the results?? Our BHC Fan page EXPLODED!! It was crazy! Those who were there will tell you themselves, pictures of models for sale were being posted faster than anyone could track, including the sellers! I was trying to keep track of it all and answer any questions and offer support for both sides… I do think my laptop was smoking that night! What this told us was that we had touched a nerve. People, Collectors, Buyers and Sellers are looking for a place to share, connect and sell their models without losing money. And we provided that for them on our Fan page. Did models sell? Yes they did. For those who were willing to take some simple steps such as setting up a photo album and writing a description of the models. We've spent some time looking at what worked and what did not work, ironed out a few wrinkles to help and are gearing up for another weekend sales event. It is the last one that we can offer before Christmas and is a perfect time to hit the last minute shoppers. So set up your Facebook profile if you haven't already, and then become a “Fan” of Breyer Horse Collectors. BreyerHorseCollectors Facebook Page And get ready for the next event this coming weekend! We will have instructions posted of how to list your albums of models for sale and how to connect with people who are buying. Three simple steps: Create a Facebook profile, create a photo album of the models you want to sell, post and communicate those on the BHC Fan page this weekend. We hope to “see” you there! And now for today's long awaited article from Elaine: It's All In The Details - Part 2This article is going to address some of the little things that many customizers, when they are finished with their model, just can't put their finger on what is making the horse look a little “off.” Highlighting and shading are all a part of this, you will not ever see a horse that doesn't have any highlights or shading on them of some sort - not even a black one. You just have to look closely. Hooves: White stocking horses rarely, if ever, have a black hoof. The white stocking legs have pinkish toned hooves in nature. If you put a black hoof on your model that has white socks, it will make it look a bit off. Likewise, if you put a pinkish colored hoof on our model that has black legs it is going to look wrong. Hooves are not a completely solid color, they all have growth lines and coronet bands, don't forget to add these in. Eyes: I have seen a lot of models that have been done with a nice white perfectly round highlight on their eyes. Even if the sun is shining directly into the eyes of a horse you will not see a perfectly white, perfectly round circle highlight in their eyes. If you look closely at a horse eye, even the brown ones, many times you will see they have a bluish hue in their pupils. Always use reference photos when you do your eyes so you can see what the eye actually looks like and end up with a nice end result. You can find more of Elaine's great articles in the archives of past Breyer SpotLight issues. Remember to enjoy your Collecting and keep Imagining! |
