Horse figurines are very collectable items, and are enjoyed by many people regardless of age or gender, the vast majority of the collectors are women. The hobby itself started both in the UK and USA around the same time, and has since taken off in Sweden, Germany and Australia. Some people just collect the models, while others take part in model horse shows, although the models do not come in kit form they can be altered by the collector.

Most collectors stick to the same scale and one kind of breed, it is possible for the less wary to find themselves with hundreds of models. The majority of the models a 1.9 scale, while others are very small. There are models of famous racehorses these appeal to the race enthusiast. Models from the same cast can be found in different colors, there are limited edition models these can be very collectable.

The horse figurines are sold manly as toys and are usually made of plastic, there are models that are made out of resins, these are more delicate and cost a little more, and are not really meant for children to play with. Those found in toyshops can cost a few dollars, while the resin models can cost thousands.

Some hobbyists have taken to customizing their models, adding hair, altering the stance and even painting the models, many enthusiasts have tried to add a bit of realism to the models, by trying giving a sense of action and movement. With techniques such as airbrushing, and the use of epoxy putty for re-sculpting, the legs can be moved by heating the plastic with a hairdryer.

Many enthusiasts like to show their models, there are two popular ways in which you can participate, these are live shows and photo showing. The most convenient method is photo showing, the show organizer publishes a class list and invites those interest to enter for a nominal fee. The shower takes a photo of the models they are entering, and sends it along with a description of the model, and the class they are to be entered in, not forgetting their address details, when all entrants are collected in, they are sorted into class and then judging begins. The results are sent back along with any prizes.

Live shows as with photo shows the show holder publishes the class list and invites the enthusiast to attend, these are normally held in conference centers or hotels with large enough rooms, people travel long distances to attend the more popular events. It is important for the shower to listen to the announcements being made as they might miss their class, the model to be shown is placed in the numbered show ring. These types of events are great places for enthusiasts to get together, where stories are exchanged and even some trading of models can take place.

A lot of the model showers belong to clubs, some of the clubs record the points earned by the shower, at the end of the year. Showers can be presented with NAN cards, these cards allow particular model to be entered into the North American Nationals, this is a yearly show held by the North American Model Horse Show Association (NAMHSA), the UK equivalent to this is the Model Equine Championships. Models shown at these events can go up in value.

As well as being fun to collect the horse figurines can be quite educational, many model owners like to research the pedigree of the breed of the horse that the model represents, and learn about the different breeds of horse, and the types of work that was carried out by the different breeds.

Technorati Tags: Horse Collectables, Horse Figurines

The horse has been part of our lives for many years now, before the motorcar the horse was the main form of traffic, in some communities the number of horses a person owned was a sign of wealth.

You can find horses in many sporting events today, the types of horse collectables these generate are programs and photo’s not only of famous horses but of some of the riders.

Many young girls dream of having a horse, the closest some get are the toys that the parents buy at Christmas, as a result these are now very collectable, you can find web sites dedicated to selling model horses many of them are not suitable as toys, they are really for disply.

Other horse collectables include carriages, as with the car these where very much a status symbol, not many people could afford to buy one, there are some carriages the types only seen in western movies still in very good condition, the owners of these store rather than use them these days.

At one time every young boy wanted to be a cowboy, photos of cowboys and soldiers with their horses are very collectable.

The most well known of the horse collectables would be the rocking horse, the rocking horse dates back to 1600’s and are still a favourite of children today.

Technorati Tags: Horse Collectables