I thought for today's post I would share a few websites that are invaluable to the model horse collector. Most of these websites are sites that give you information for cataloguing your models.
If you haven't already catalogued your collection then this is definitely something you need to think about doing. There are several reasons for this. Firstly it will help you remember who is who! It seems like a little thing but as your collection grows you may lose track of names, you can't be expected to remember two names for hundreds of models! A catalogue will help you quickly identify a model. Secondly it is important for insurance purposes. Many insurers will ask for this if you have specialist insurance in particular and it is important to keep an accurate up to date catalogue of your collection including values. Finally (and on a slightly morbid note) it is important for your family to know what you have, what it is and what it is worth for when you pass away. This will make sure that if they choose to sell they get a good price for your models and also that any future owners get things such as show results.
The hardest part of cataloguing is often identifying exactly what you own and how much it is worth, so I've put together this list of handy websites to help you identify each model horse in your collection.
But first a note about value. The most important thing to remember when valuing is that old mantra of "something is only worth what people are willing to pay". I find the easiest way to get an idea of a model's value is to look at how much that model has sold for for other people (of course this is really only applicable for OFs but this post is mainly geared towards that). To do this visit eBay (I use ebay.com rather than .co.uk as more Breyers sell through this) and do a search for the item name or number. For example "Breyer Brass Hat". Then on the left hand side click the little box titled "completed items":
Now look for items where the price is green. This will give you an idea of the average selling price for that item. Obviously you need to adjust a bit depending on the condition of your model but this is a great way to start valuing things. Looking at it I can see that this model is selling for between $20-40.
OK so onto our resource link! Obviously these are all external links and I accept no responsibility for their content. At the time of posting I didn't die when I clicked on them but you do so at your own risk!
General
If you aren't sure what something is general searches on MH$P can help you to identify the model you have. You can also use it to help get an approximate value if the eBay method isn't working for you.
Model Horse Gallery - http://www.modelhorsegallery.info/
This contains information about a huge range of makes and models. Great to delve into if you really aren't sure what something is!
OF Plastic
Hartland Horses - http://hartlands.com/horses.html
This website is good for identifying Hartland horses.
Identify Your Breyer - http://identifyyourbreyer.com/
One of the most comprehensive lists of Breyer models in an easy to use format. Invaluable for looking up information such as release dates, product numbers and product names.
Stone Horse Ref - http://www.stonehorseref.com/
This website is good for identifying older Peter Stone models.
China & Resin
Beswick & Royal Doulton Horses - http://www.beswickandroyaldoultonhorses.com/collectables/horses
This is a sales site but is really helpful in trying to identify Beswick model horses as it includes product names and numbers.
CTF Models
G1 ID Machine - http://mylittlewiki.org/wiki/G1_ID_Machine
This is quite useful for identifying older G1 My Little Ponies
Grand Champion ID Site - http://www.angelfire.com/on/raventyde/grandchampion.html
A rather old website but still good for helping you identify Grand Champion model horses.
My Beautiful Horses - http://mybeautifulhorses.awardspace.com/index.html
This is a rather old website but it is really helpful if you want to ID My Beautiful Horse models. Again I've used it successfully for charity shop finds.
Strawberry Reef - http://www.strawberryreef.com/
This is a great site for identifying My Little Ponies. It can take some time to search but I've managed to ID all my random charity shop finds using it!
This is an Australian sales website but it has an incredibly comprehensive list of Schleich model horses. It contains information such as product name, number and release dates. I've used it to catalogue all my Schleich models.
I hope that helps you on your quest to identify your model horses and start cataloguing your collection. If you have any questions or want to recommend a website that you think will help others drop a comment below.
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