Any suggestions? Other than ebay?
Has anyone bought from Ecrater or Etsy? How’s their customer service? or seller support?
I have tried listing on Facebook marketplace but they tend to have too many scammers.
Honestly, if I were selling a saddle these days that had decent value, consignment is the only route I’d go, unless it was to someone local. I’ve just heard too many horror stories, so for something of that value I’d feel it to be well worth the money to have someone else handle it for me.
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I purchased a used saddle a few days ago at Pelham Saddlery where I have bought saddles before. I needed something kid-sized for a wicked smart, very cool 8-year-old. He’s small and very determined. I found a 15" Argentine AP with a high cantle, deeper seat that is perfect. He could maintain his position, especially his legs. His posting trot looked very good.
20+ years ago there were well-made Argentines built by makers who made some of the brand names. Emailed my saddle fitter: pay attention to the tree, but since it was Pelham it should have been checked. I asked, and they said it was. That saddle hadn’t been used much. Stitching was totally intact, not much wear, and it was $195.
I live in southern Maine, Pelham is in southern New Hampshire, and the fitter is in northwest Connecticut. I drove down - it’s cheaper than shipping. Walking into the store you enter a time warp. It looks exaclty the same as it did 10 years ago. The staff member was knowlegeable and knew the inventory. She pointed out a few Stubbens for $200-300. They had a Stubben badge under the skirt. The leather on seats looked and felt good so i assume they need flocking, billets, etc.
They have been one of the best consignment shops for many years. They have a 7-day trial. Going to the store confirmed to me their reputation is intact. Too many scammers online these days.
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I’ve used Highline Tack…terrific to work with.
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Thank you for posting this. I have a few saddles I need to finally admit I will never use again and part with, and I remembered their name, but of course these days you have to check out everything online to make sure it’s not a scam.
Anyone else we should consider for consignment that do a good job?
I"ve sold one saddle thru Highline Tack and traded in one also, awesome tack shop with a low consignment fee !!! I’ve also sold thru Equus Now, also did great.
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My saddle fitter refers people to and regularly works with Suzy at Highline/Fineline Tack (we are local to her physical location).
She is a legit person who has a great local reputation.
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I think I am going to try Highline. In the past I had a great experience selling a saddle through Old Dominion Saddlery but according to their website they won’t be open for a couple more months. I have no idea why but Highline gets lots of good recommendations and I especially like their policy of having the saddle completely paid for BEFORE it goes out on trial.
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I’ve had great experiences with Highline/Fineline tack.
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I will join the crowd and say consign, 100%. YES it will cost you a commission, but you will have someone who knows what they are doing working to get your saddle sold.
I’ve used Pelham Saddlery a lot because they are local to me. At one point they were really local to me (15 minutes from the barn), and they tolerated me taking out I don’t know how many saddles to try, 3 at a time. I think they were amused more than anything. They charged my credit card for the full price of the saddles I took out, and removed the charges when I returned them, within a week or so. It was pretty silly, actually, but I learned a lot about saddles, including the all-important fact that for most of us, the saddle must fit the rider as well as the horse.
I think over the years I bought 6 saddles from them, and sold 7 (the 7th was one I bought brand new from a dealer, the less said about that the better, but the saddle was a good brand.) One sale was a surprise – an old Roosli that took about 3 years to sell, so long that I’d forgotten it was even there, but when it did, I got a (small) check from them.
The saddle I still have, I did not buy from them, but by the time I got it I had a pretty good idea of what would work. It is a Black Country, semi-customized to me, bought new a few years ago.
I will say that if you need to sell a saddle quickly, there are no guarantees at Pelham. As with everything else, what is currently popular sells quickly.
If you decide to consign, make sure you check out the shop. Pelham is one of the best. They have been around for at least 30 years. The store is packed with hundreds of saddles. They will clean up and detail your saddle for $30 or so.
There was a fitter from Trumbull Mountain at my new barn within the past year. She did some tracings and had a few saddles in her truck. It looked like a couple of people were buying saddles. I won’t speculate on their current reputation. It got very bad after the original owner sold it. My fitter did some work for them. She received part of the fee but finally gave up on the rest of it. She had quite a shock one day when they sent her the balance 4-5 years later.
I’m resurrecting this thread to say that I’ve just had a great experience with Highline Tack. They took my Voltaire in trade on a CWD Mademoiselle that suits my conformation much better. They were super easy to deal with, gave me a fair trade in value for my saddle, and extended the trial period to account for the drenching rains we recently had that kept the rings closed. Plus, I get a thank you gift. 
