Running a Breyer horse reselling business can be profitable. Breyer horses are relatively inexpensive compared to other model horses, which means that you can generate sales without having to invest too much money in your inventory.
The Breyer website offers limited edition and retired Breyer models; however, chances are good that you will be able to make more money by buying Breyers elsewhere (for instance at toy or department stores) since these Breyer models tend not to carry the same hefty price tag as those listed on the Breyer website.
Once you receive your Breyers, you can sell them for double their retail value; some collectors purchase Breyers with the intent of re-selling them once they no longer want or need them.
How to find Breyer Horses for Sale
For example, Breyer model horses retail from $6.99 to $24.99 each; Breyer models purchased at Toys R Us (when they are available) carry a price tag of $9.99 and Breyers purchased at department stores such as Sears tend to be the most expensive – Breyer collector’s edition models go for $24.99 there. A Breyer model that retails for $14.95 can easily be sold for twice this amount – people who collect Breyer models spend a great deal of time and energy “upgrading” their inventory and will happily pay an inflated price in order to add particular Breyers to their collection or replace old Breyers with new ones.
(Read more Breyer horse articles.)
If you are interested in taking Breyer collecting to the next level, Breyer also offers Breyerfest (a yearly convention where Breyer collectors can meet one another and attend Breyer workshops) as well as Breyer scholarships every year.
Breyer Horse Facts:
– Breyer horses are produced in 1:9 scale, which means they’re half the size of a real horse
– Breyer horses come with a ‘birth certificate’ listing their name, color , breed and sometimes year of birth
– Many Breyer collectors also collect Breyer tack, which includes bridles, saddles, halters etc . A complete set of tack can increase the value of a Breyer model significantly. A Breyer model might sell for $5 on its own, but the Breyer collector will sometimes pay several hundred dollars for Breyer tack that matches their Breyer horses
– Some Breyer models have been retired from production and are worth more than when they were in production due to being retired (as with Beanie Babies)
– Breyers come in a wide range of price points, from less than a dollar each to thousands of dollars apiece for some limited edition or retired Breyer models
– Breyer produces over 100 different breeds, including Arabians , Clydesdales , Fjords , Shetland Ponies and miniature horses . They also produce many different color palettes (for example, bay roan, chestnut, palomino etc .) which can sometimes affect Breyer horse values
– Breyers are made of plastic and originally came with a malleable feature that allowed Breyer to sell Breyers with ‘ bent legs ‘, but newer Breyer models do not have this feature. This feature has no effect on Breyer value.
– The Breyer company does not provide any BUYBACK or RETURNS policy for Breyer horses after they have been purchased. If you buy a Breyer model horse from someone who says they will buy it back later, there’s no guarantee the person you bought it from will still be selling the same Breyer line when you want to resell your model or that they will actually reimburse you.
– Breyer horses are produced in the United States by the Breyer company. Breyer also has a Breyerfest convention every year where fans can meet Breyer models and Breyer employees.
– Breyer model horses come in all different shapes, sizes, colors and breeds. It’s not uncommon to see one that looks like your own horse because many Breyers are created using photographs of actual horses as their base.
Breyer Horses That Have Sold Well For Me
– American Quarter Horse: One of several American Quarter Horse Brey er models I’ve sold over time. These tend to sell for higher than average prices due to popularity in various re-sell circles (such as Facebook resale groups)
– Breyer Matings : Breyers that are limited edition Breyer Matings models have sold for several hundred dollars each. The Breyer model horses sell out quickly and often don’t last long on eBay
– Breyer Downs Cuties : Newer release Breyer Cuties tend to sell better than some other Breyer horses, especially if they’re retired or of a special released color.
Breyer Horses That Have Sold Poorly For Me
– Miniature horse Breyers : Some miniature horse Breyers I’ve had for sale haven’t sold after months of being listed. Demand for these was low so I ended up donating them to my local Therapeutic Riding Center. They gave the miniature horse Breyers as prizes in raffles and auctions
– Breyer Models That Are Rare: Breyers that are rare or limited edition Breyer models don’t tend to sell for as much money when they’re for sale. Even Breyer enthusiasts might not know what a Breyer model is if it’s one that doesn’t get talked about often, even if it’s popular in its own way. For example, I’ve had a Breyer Mustang sale for $25 and a Breyer Appaloosa sell for only $10 several times and both were very hard to give up because of their rarity (they can be difficult to find) but sometimes we have to make choices based on Breyer values
How Much Does My Breyer Horse Model Cost?
– You can buy new Breyer models for anywhere between $5 and $90 USD
– Breyer model horses are typically produced in limited numbers so when they’re gone, Breyers are gone
– Retired Breyers tend to increase in value over time, but their value also depends on the type of Breyer it is (fantasy horse Breyer models usually sell better than American Miniature Horse Breyers for example) and what color/model it is. For example, a Breyer retired Clydesdale might go for more than a Breyer retired Palomino
How To Sell A Breyer Horse On eBay
– If you’re selling your Breyer collection on eBay , research similar items that were sold on eBay before. Make an informed decision about what you think your Breyer horses will sell for, and make sure eBay and Breyer horse values match up.
– Breyer model horses tend to go for lower prices with more recent Breyers being sold for even less than Breyers that have been discontinued from the Breyer company’s production line.
– When selling a Breyer on eBay, list all of its features in the description section along with any flaws it might have so buyers know exactly what they’re getting when they purchase it. This will bring in bids faster and also sell your Breyer faster because buyers won’t have to ask questions about the condition of the Breyer after they win it.
What factors impact the value?
Whether you are storing them, playing with them or displaying them, here is a little guide of the best things to do.
To box or not to box:
Some collectors prefer to display their models in their boxes which is a great idea if you do not want the models touched and or kept in mint condition. Before you put them away and forget about them for a couple of years, just make sure you check the models over. Some models may look perfect on one side but on the models off side (side nearest box) there may be a slight rub from the actual boxing. It is best to check this before they are stored so you are able to remove the model from the plastic ties, repackage it and store him safely.
– If the model is wearing any tack (Christmas, Mid Year, SR models) make sure you remove the tack before you close your models box and wave goodbye for a couple of years. Some tack discolours models if they come into contact too long. Once a model has discoloured it is very hard to remove the stain. Q: Do I have to keep all my Boxes?
A: No, it is not essential to keep your Models Boxes. The only boxes that are possibly worth keeping at the coloured background boxes, which add about $2/$4 value onto your model horse.
Sunlight:
Breyer Models and Sunlight do not mix well. Most Breyer models have a vent hole which allows air to escape (and the models to breathe!) This hole can normally be found in the nose or the corner of the mouth of a model. Without a vent hole and left in sunlight, your model can turn from a beautiful model horse into a gigantic beast in a couple of hours. We have a couple of models, here at UH, that look like they are balloons! The simple answer to this problem is do not display your models in a sunny spot or leave them in a hot car too long.
How Much is my Breyer Model Worth?
This is always a popular question within the Model Horse Hobby but there are always two things to remember when answering this question:
1. A model is worth only as much as someone is willing to pay for it.
2. Condition affects the value considerably
The best way to determine what a model is worth is to read sales lists from various people and then see what actually sells at what price. Remember, just because someone is asking a sum of model for a particular model it doesn’t always mean that the person could sell it. For Example: Say a person called Brenda Breyer had a model for sale. The model is Big Ben and she is asking $60 for him.
Remember, just because Brenda Breyer is asking $60 for her Big Ben does not mean she will be able to sell him for $60. Big Ben is a very common model. To know what your models are worth, you have to know what, how common, how popular (i.e.: do people like that mould?), and what condition they are.
If Brenda Breyers model is missing his head and two legs, she probably won’t be able to sell him at all. If he is beautiful with wonderful shading, no rubs or breaks, and comes with his original box in
perfect condition, she might be able to get $30 at the very most for him. Why? As mentioned before, Big Ben is really easy to find and not in demand.
However, if Brenda had a Gold Florentine Five-Gaiter model, even if with a couple of minor rubs and
scratches, she will easily get several hundred pounds. Why? Florentine models are extremely rare. There were very limited amounts made during the 60s and are highly sort after. A decorator model is a model, which is blue or gold in colour. Personally, I have seen decorator models advertised for several thousand pounds.
Q&As
Q: How do I know if my model is a regular run model (common model) or a special model?
A: Regular Run models are models which are shown in the annual consumer catalogues and can be found from Breyer retailers around the world, like Utterly Horses for example. Regular Run models are the most common models. All models not shown in the consumer catalogues are called special runs. Special run models are made in limited amounts and for a limited time.
Mid-year items are models, which are released halfway through the year by Breyer. These include the Christmas models. These models are not in a consumer catalogue and so are classed as special runs. Q: Are all Special Run Models worth the same amount of money?
A: The simple answer to this question is no. Breyer produce a vast amount of SR models but a different quantity of each. For Example The Halloween Horses, they make about 5000 models whereas a special run model at Breyerfest may only make 1000. The Breyerfest model would be more valuable. The SR Models that fetch the highest value are: Test Run Models (only 1 model ever produced in the whole world) and low quantity special runs. However, there are times in which a regular run can be more valuable than a SR. The models which come under this are: Decorator Models (blue and gold coloured models), rare regular runs, flocked models, woodgrain models and sometimes certain limited /commemorative editions.
Q: How do I know if I own a Rare Breyer Model Horse?
A: As mentioned before, if your model is not in the Breyer consumer catalogue then it is classed as a special run and so more valuable than a regular run. Another way of finding out which models are rare in your collection is to invest in a collector’s guide. These books have all the information of every Breyer model ever produced and give values against models.
Q: Do you have to keep the models’ boxes to add to the value?
A: Packaging is not important to the values of Breyers. Generally they add very little to the model’s value. My tip would be to hang onto the boxes, which have colour backgrounds as these ones tend to add about $2- $5 to the value of the model.
Glossary:
Woodgrain models: In the late 1950s and early 1960s Breyer produced some models that appeared as it carved from wood, a brown with light and dark streaks like the grain in wood. These models were produced, as regular runs but are more valuable that most special runs due to the rarity of them.
Flocked Models: Flocked models have a fuzzy coating, occasionally have glass eyes and usually have smooth hooves. Sometimes these models were produced in bizarre colours like purple! These models are rare to find in very good condition as most were produced during the 1980s.
Test Run Models: A test run model is a model produced in a run of 1. It is the only model ever produced in a particular colour. They are made as a prototype to see whether the colour suits the mould etc. These models are extremely rare as normally all test run pieces are kept by Breyer