I just don't understand that group of collectors out there that believes that keeping a Breyer horse in its box increases its value. Except for some of the older, rarer packaging experiments by Breyer, most boxes are worthless and add very little if any value at all to a model horse. Even the older "picture boxes" don't add much to the value.

"Why is this?" you may ask. Well, the model horse hobby is a hands-on hobby. We like to touch our models and smell our models and show our models. Keeping them in a box can actually lower their value because the ties and the box can damage the model. Lots of Breyer hobbyists prefer to buy loose horses rather than boxed ones, because they can see all sides of the horse for any damage. Boxes can easily hide flaws on the side of the horse that faces the box.  Also, many collectors show their horses at live shows and photo shows. A judge will not allow a horse to show if it's stuck in its box! You also can't customize a horse if it's stuck in its box. (OK, so that's a no-brainer!)

I never have liked the "stay in a pristine box" state of mind of most toy collectors. What's the fun of not being able to handle your collection? Model horse collectors recognize this. The box is worthless and most will tell you this. I just hope that some of those people who call themselves "true collectors" because they keep their poor horses boxed up read this and understand that the box does not make a Breyer worth more and may actually make it worth less if it damages the model. And, this is also a heads-up for people outside of the hobby that may have the same state of mind. As I said before, this is a hands-on hobby and you cannot enjoy all the fun aspects of it (like showing and customizing) if you keep your Breyers boxed up. Just ask any Breyer hobbyist!

 Free them and get out there and show!