Molly Vincent woke up to find the back window of her rental car smashed and two bags gone, taking with them part of a collection of artist model horses she had spent a lifetime building. The theft happened overnight on November 7 in downtown Portland, and what came next was almost stranger than the break-in itself: a security guard later told her he saw a man likely experiencing homelessness handing the horses out to strangers near Powell's Books.
Vincent said the bags held individually created works of art, including artist resins, custom models, and original-finish pieces, according to KATU. Many of the roughly three-inch figures were rare, one-of-a-kind, discontinued, or simply impossible to replace, she said. She values the entire collection at $10,000, though she stressed that money alone could not undo the loss of pieces built up over years of collecting.
The categories Vincent named reflect distinct parts of the model-horse hobby: artist resins are often resin copies of an artist’s original sculpture, while “original finish” refers to models kept in their factory finish. Model-horse shows commonly separate original-finish models from customs and artist resins, underscoring that these are specialized collectibles, not simply interchangeable toy figures. A model-horse hobby FAQ explains the distinctions.
The horses themselves carry identifying marks that could help track them down. Each one had a tag bearing Vincent's name and her regional collector number, #1001, and the models were stored in blue and orange protective pouches decorated with goldfish designs, per the same account.
Handed Out Near Powell's Green Room Entrance
According to the security guard's report to Vincent, a man believed to be unhoused was seen distributing the horses near the Green Room entrance of Powell's Books, at 10th and West Burnside. Store employees and the security officer reportedly also saw customers inside the store walking around with some of the models, though those customers had already left by the time the situation came to light.
Vincent said she was heartbroken that her collection had been scattered within minutes of the break-in. Portland Police have confirmed they are working with the security guard in an effort to identify the suspected thief, though no arrest or recovery has been reported.
A Finder's Fee and a Direct Appeal
Vincent is now asking anyone who may have received one of the horses, or who has information about the theft, to come forward. She said she is happy to cover shipping costs for anyone willing to send a model back, and she is offering a finder's fee for information that leads to the recovery of her collection.
She hopes that whoever ended up with a horse will choose to return it, and she has asked people with information to contact her directly at [email protected] or through social media, or to reach out to Portland Police. For now, the identity of the suspected thief remains unconfirmed, and the scope of how many models were ultimately handed out or recovered is still unclear.
