Best carousel horses

Start with the Painted Wooden Carousel Horse — a full-size, hand-painted wooden horse on a stand, the closest thing here to a real carousel mount, and the one to buy if you want a statement piece rather than a figurine.

Who the others suit:

• Design Toscano vintage-style statue — the best middle ground: a proper sculpted decor piece that reads as antique without the antique price.
• 50 in. jumbo lit horse — for a porch, shop window or party, where the lights do the work.
• Carousel Horse on a stand (50 in. tall) — a big, simple display horse for a room or entryway.
• Carousel rocking horse (wood) — for a nursery or a child's room.
• Small figurines, ornaments and music boxes — collectors and gifts; the Lenox and Willitts pieces are the ones to look for.

Check the size and base dimensions before buying: several "carousel horses" here are tabletop figurines, not ride-size horses.