September 23, 2009

Breyer Horses - The Traditional Collection

The Traditional Breyer horse collection are the main product line for Breyer and are actually the largest selling line of model horses across the world. As they are typically made to the 1:9 scale in size, they harken back to the very first Breyer model horse that was produced in 1950. The dimensions of a Breyer Traditional are typically about 12" long by 9" in high.

Breyer Horse Traditional models appeal to young and old, horse riders and non riders alike. The more rare Breyer horse models might sell for thousands of dollars, depending on how old they are, how many of the particular model Breyer made, and of course the condition of the individual model.

No other horse models have been more requested in the last almost-60 years. Every one of these Breyer horses is hand-painted and designed to be as realistic and lifelike as possible, the originality going so far as to assure that no two models, even of the same make and model number, are quite exactly same.

The decade of the 1950s saw the toy industry expanding rapidly; after all, this was the time when the first Baby Boomers were children, and toy horses had always been popular. Among the most collectible of all the Traditional horse models from Breyer are the Misty and Stormy horses, which were based upon horse characters in the semi-historical, semi-fictional children's book 'Misty of Chincoteague' published in 1947. Breyer Traditional horses are often made to resemble famous real-world horses such as Newsworthy, the big gray Welsh/Thoroughbred cross pony hunter whom several young riders have ridden to championships in some of the United States' most prestigious horse shows.

To the uninitiated, Breyer horses may just look like a simply toy. In fact, they tend to brush them off after a mere glance with thoughts that they are just plastic children's horse toys. While the Breyer horses are toys and are very fun to play with, they are much more than toys. They are works of artistry.

From the beginning, the Breyer company has limited the number of horses it produces of each model. Retired Breyer horses are a category all their own. Partly this is to keep each individual horse model unique, partly it's to keep the artisans from the drudgery of making the same thing over and over, and partly it's to increase the value of each collectible from both the personal perspective and the monetary one (some Breyer Traditionals will sell for a few thousand dollars at auctions).

Filed under Product Reviews by ama

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