Don't know which horses they already have, or which they want? We have a few tried-and-true items that you can give the collector in your life that will show your thoughtfulness and be truly appreciated!
As a bonus, all of our gift choices in this article are small enough to be shipped straight to your recipient inexpensively. Click on any image or link to view the item's page on our site.
Our Top Picks
Keeping their models safe from damage is very important to all collectors, so our first recommendations are all about collection protection.
Horse Racks are specially designed to keep models from tipping over due to vibrations in the house, bumping of tables, and exuberant pets. Their plastic sleeves won't damage paint, and the accordion-style design allows you to open or close them to make them fit your horses perfectly.
Horse Racks are available in two sizes: Traditional/Classic Size for large and mid-size Breyer and similar models (above) and Stablemates Size for Breyer's smallest models (below). They are made by a father-daughter team in Oregon, USA.
Each rack holds six models, and for any collector who has ever had a beloved model break a leg in a fall, they're worth their weight in gold. We use them in our store to keep vintage models in our glass cases safe. This makes Horse Racks our Top Pick as a holiday gift!
Another wonderful safety item that all collectors will appreciate is Museum Putty. Used by museums around the world to keep delicate objects from toppling or being vibrated off from shelves, Quakehould Museum Putty is a product we use in our own collections. Formulated to not damage either the item or the shelving, Museum Putty stays soft indefinitely, allowing you to pick up the item and reuse the putty over and over. We use it in shows for tippy models and place a tiny bit under the hooves of models on shelves to keep them upright.
One package will hold 60 or more Traditional (large) sized models, or oodles and oodles of little ones. That's cheap insurance for expensive and loved models.
If your collector enjoys models that stand on two feet, but complains that the Breyer bases keep breaking, our recommendation is for solid steel disc bases, made by SMD Customs in Tennessee. Like our Horse Racks, SMD Customs is a family business, and we love supporting family businesses making great items for our hobby.
Each disc is precision-milled to fit a specific horse mold, is guaranteed to fit, and at almost a quarter-pound each, they provide a solid anchor to keep that pony upright. This item is a bit trickier, since you need to know the name of the mold they collect, but believe me, collectors are HAPPY to tell you about their collection, so it would be an easy question to slip into a conversation: "What mold is that?"
Small Items
Collectors will also never turn down a Stablemates Blind Bag! They're like a horse-shaped lottery ticket. We have several blind bag series' available, so each package could contain one of several different models, depending on the series. Or, if they get really lucky, one of their packages might contain the mysterious Chase Piece for the series, and that model is generally valued between $25 and $125!
Breyer 70th Anniversary Stablemates Blind Bags
All the blind bags make wonderful stocking stuffers, party favors, etc. You can buy one package or multiple packages, and they'll have fun opening every single one. All of these are in short supply this season, though, so we WILL sell out. Order yours as soon as you can.
And for tiny stocking stuffers or gift decorations, there's an even smaller blind bag series, priced under $3 each:
Breyer Mini Whinnies Unicorn Blind Bags
Larger Items
Is your horse lover creative? We have some wonderful painting kits that will allow them to create the model of their dreams. Paints are included!
Stablemates Suncatchers Paint and Play Kit includes a set of clear plastic models, six "stained glass" paints and a paintbrush. We have two versions: One with horses and one with unicorns!
We also have single model paint kits for under $6.00 that come with a horse, three paint colors and a paintbrush.
For avid readers, we carry Breyer's Book and Model sets. Each comes with a classic horse book in paperback and the star of the story in model form.
And, of course, for that big "Wow" gift that you want to give them, but don't know which model to pick, we offer Triple Mountain gift cards. You can choose the dollar amount and they get to choose the horses they use it on!
We can mail you a plastic card that you can hand to them, or we can email you an electronic gift card that you can mail or forward to them, so you have it instantly. If they don't use the whole amount, the balance remains available for them to use later. You're guaranteed to impress them with a gift card from Triple Mountain!
Shopping for model horse collectors can be really easy. Honestly, we love every model you buy us, even if it's not one we'd buy ourselves, and even if we already have one! Each model is hand-painted, so even two of the same model will have differences in color and markings, making them fun and unique.
Thanks for encouraging such a wholesome hobby!