|
You have that perfect model in mind that you just have to add to your collection, but it has been discontinued to several years and all your local model stockists are long of out stock. Where can you go that has the good possibility of stocking it? The Internet.
The Internet is a great place to find the model you want. It connects collectors together and allows you to buy, sell and
trade your models. It is very easy to do once your know how. In this little guide we'll help show you how.
Online Auctions:
This is the first place we recommend you try. Online Auctions may not be for everyone but they nearly always have that model you are looking for. The largest auction site with model horse categories is eBay. ( http://www.ebay.co.uk) The Breyer Category can be found under: Collectables: Animals: Horse: Breyer. All items listing in this category are normally from UK based sellers and so shipping costs will be cheaper. eBay Tips: ** If you are looking for a specific Breyer Model is best to search through eBay’s search engine. (to do this access www.ebay.co.uk and use the search box which is located on the top right hand side of the page) This search will return all items that match your search criteria. ** If you are searching for a mould, also trying searching the item by using different search criteria like mould names, numbers, colours. For Example: If you were searching for “Paint Mare” also trying searching using: Lady Phase (mould name), #771 (item number) and Paint (colour). ** When searching you can either choose to search the UK only or globally. If you are looking for a rare model then is best to extend the search globally as you may get more results. This can be done by ticking the “Items Worldwide” box under the search box. **The main thing you have to remember when buying outside the UK is the postage costs. It costs around £25 to ship a Traditional Sized model from the US to the UK via Royal Mail Airmail. And then you could get a customs charge when it arrives in the UK! (Eek!) Q: How can I bid on eBay?
A: It is easy to become a member of eBay. Simply follow the instructions on the website. It takes about 5 minutes to register an account and once that is done you are ready to go.
Be sure before placing a bid that the seller has overall positive feedback. Also, ask questions about the item before bidding if you are unsure. With many of the auctions, you may have to wait a week to see if you have placed a winning bid. Be sure to follow the instructions once you have won the auction so you can get your model quickly and be rewarded with positive feedback.
Being late with payments can result in negative feedback and many sellers may not allow you to bid in the future. Only bid if you are serious and can pay following the sellers instructions.
ModelXChange: ( http://wwww.modelxchange.net) An Auction Site specialising in Model Horses. There are categories for all kinds of models and tack. It runs in the same way as eBay and is an easy to navigate site. If you cannot find it on eBay this a good place to try as it is slightly more specialised.
Other Options:
Other places to try if you have no luck on the auction sites (or do not wish to use the sites) are through email lists or groups. Users within the group email their sales lists to all recipients in the group.
Q: How do I become a member of one of these groups? A: Visit Yahoo Groups ( http://groups.yahoo.com) and log in. If you are not a member of Yahoo, just follow the instructions at the top of the page to become one. One you are a member you can join any member of the groups which will link you into the online model horse community. The Most Recommended group for sales emails is: Model Exchange. To find this group, type “model-exchange” into the Yahoo Groups search box when you are logged in. When the results of the search come up, click on the group and follow the instructions to join.
Another way to find that model you are looking for is to post “Wanted” ads on online Breyer forums for other collectors to see. Utterly Horses has a forum which enables you to do this. ( http://www.utterlyhorses.com/forums/index.php) |
