I have a devoucoux that I am trying to sell and I just cannot move it. It’s a good size, is fitted for what I would consider a good sized market (fits OTTBS) and is a desirable leather… but no one is interested. I was asking what I paid for it (since it was used a handful of times), have since reduced the price considerably to be on the closer side of 1500 than 2k, and still. No. Bites.
WTH is going on?
Its on all the major FB tack groups I know about.
I really don’t want to consign it as I have had really bad experiences in the past with that.
No idea. It took me a year to sell a similar type of french saddle. I ended up consigning it mainly because I didn’t have the time to continue responding to ads and trials, etc. I eventually got the price I wanted but had to wait.
At the amount of money I’ve dropped it by, I am almost about to just keep it and send it off to get the tree widened and the panels shaved down.
I think the foam saddles are a hard sell for those worrying about proper fit. My friend bought a demo Equipe and in less than a year, it no longer fit her horse. She’s had it for sale on various sites for more than a year with zero bites. I’ve sold 3 wool saddles online. The last one sold within in a week. I think people are hesitant to buy a saddle that can’t be easily adjusted to fit their horse.
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Used is used, doesn’t matter if you rode it once or a lot, people buying used want a bargain, a really good bargain. If people are going to spend new cost or close on a used saddle they’ll just buy new. Keep it and have it reworked if you can. You’ll probably end up needing it in the future if you sell it; can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished a had XX saddle I sold.
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As someone who typically buys a used saddle since they tend to be cheaper, I rarely look at the FB sites because paying for the saddle, getting to examine the saddle and taking it on trial (paying for shipping both ways if it doesn’t work out) are all big hassles.
Credit cards offer convenience and assure me that I can work with my credit card company if I have a problem with the seller/saddle. Shipping saddles all over creation, if it doesn’t work out, gets expensive and not fun. And I feel that people that consign saddles tend to review them for nicks, problems and broken trees before they market them. Also as a generality, when I have looked on FB saddle sales sites…the seller(s) wants a ton more money than the same Saddle is on a consignor’s site.
Your best bet for selling a used saddle is probably not FB, but a local buyer where is it much easier for them to take the Saddle on trial. The saddles I have sold with out consigning have been to local people who take the saddle for a few days. But to be honest with you, my last local buyer was so slow to pay me, I had to hassle the trainer of the client over and over to get paid.
The last used saddle I purchased was actually on eBay. I saw that the shipping location was about maybe 20 miles away and I semi guessed who owned the saddle based on the ebay sellers ‘name’. Through a friend of a mine, I got the seller’s phone number, my friend vouched for me that I wouldn’t steal it and I went and picked it up and took it on trial for a few days and mailed the owner a check after a week. (And the seller wanted way too much money on eBay for it, I negotiated the price before I even picked it up.). But all of this took a fair amount of effort on my part and some good will and faith on the sellers part. Not the typical transaction.
I just find it’s easier to deal with the professionals when buying a used saddle.
Just my experiences.
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I will only buy used saddles with a trial and I have more confidence in getting a trial through a consignment site than working with a stranger over fb.
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I think this is the main reason used saddles are hard to sell on the FB groups. And it is why I’m going to consign the CWD that I am selling - the consignors are better equipped to deal with trials and can take credit cards. The top ones seem to do a steady business these days, and I feel like they have a better chance of selling my saddle than I do!
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Lots of good information above. FB is convenient for sellers to post items, but it is a nightmare for buyers to navigate.
We have a small sales barn. Horse come and go and our saddle needs change. When we sell a saddle, I use Ebay. I offer a trial period and returns are accepted. When we need to buy a saddle, I’ll use ebay but only if there is a return policy in case the fit isn’t right. I will also buy from established retailers that offer short trial periods.
Personally, I have not, and will not use FB to buy a saddle. When a buyer is plunking down 3K, 2K or 1.5K on a saddle, they want to know they can return the saddle if it doesn’t fit or is not as represented. FB isn’t really set up to facilitate commerce and offer protection to buyers.
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@OneTwoMany eBay is so buyer-oriented now that I would be afraid to use it to sell a saddle!! All a buyer has to do is claim the item wasn’t as represented, and ebay will let them off the hook and stick the seller with a refund and shipping both ways. So, someone can get a free trial even on items that have no returns, just by claiming it was misrepresented. It happened to my sister on a pair of new in box Cole Haan boots, she had never even tried them on, and the buyer claimed with ebay they weren’t real leather, ebay’s customer service rep told my sister that he recognized it was a scam, but that under their policy he had to refund her money and stick my sister with the shipping costs both ways!! That was the last straw for me on selling anything on ebay that people might want to check the size and fit on. And if they damaged the saddle, I don’t trust that ebay would hold them responsible for that either, they’d just claim it showed up that way!
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I’m sorry to hear of your sister’s poor experience selling her boots. We’ve had very satisfactory results with ebay. We always offer returns with the buyer paying the shipping both ways. Most of the competition offers a similar option. It is table stakes for doing business.
I sold a friend’s Devoucoux through Dina at Old Dominion Saddlery, she bought it directly from my friend but she will also sell it for you and take a commission. Selling to her gets you paid right away but I saw she turned it around within a couple of days. And her commission was less than the others if she sells it for you, 20% instead of 25-40% that others were asking. I definitely would recommend her and let her do all the work.
Know it’s hopelessly outdated but how about posting Ads ’s on the local tack and feed store bulletin boards? The paper kind. Reaches the target local market.
Last time I sold a used French saddle, I personally dropped by a few trainers barns when I knew they’d be giving lessons and it sold in a week. At a nice price and I did give the trainer who recommended it to her client 10%, Quick and easy 225 bucks her and a hassle free check for me.
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If you are offering returns anyway, that probably negates the incentive for buyer to game the system. I think it is the no-return sales that are now too risky.
@findeight great idea on offering commission to the trainers - that makes it worth their time to deal with!
I’ve investigated a lot of the consignors, and Dina at Old Dominion, Nicole at MD Tack Exchange, and Susy at Highline Tack all seem to be great to deal with. Highline charges the lowest commission, and has a physical store and goes to shows, all of which seems like it would help.
I second Highline Tack, Old Dominion, MD Tack Exchange, I’ll also put in Middleburg Tack Exchange as a good option if you’re local.
Redwood Tack and Goldfinch Fine Tack are also excellent consignment options.
If you want it done quick, I would go with eBay. If you are precise in your description and images, it’s pretty safe for sellers, I would say more than for buyers.
Hi there!
I started my own online consignment 3 years ago when I realized there was this need for a reliable source for equestrians to purchase items without the worry of a scam.
I have sold several saddles and 9/10 it’s the saddles I let buyers trial. I come out to the farm free of charge and put the saddles on the horses back, allowing the buyer to see fit. In order to ride in it, the buyer has to pay in full and sign my contract (fully refundable but protects my clients if something does happen). Most of the time the saddle sells then and there with final sale, as is contract in place.
Some factors that may be limiting the correct buyer:
- Overpriced: buyers are aware that they can get a 5k saddle for 3k and a 3k saddle for 2k and under. If you have a new saddle and want what you paid for it, it’s rarely going to happen. If you have an older saddle (say 2009 and older) once again it might really inhibit the price.
-Style and Size: a 17-17.5 Saddle will sell faster than a 16 or 18.5, given the demand. Also, if it’s a very buyer specific saddle, it will take longer to sell.
-Pictures: buyer’s love clear pictures, and tons of them. I usually pick a nice backdrop, a nice saddle pad and half pad and take a bunch of photos. If buyer needs more, I take more.
I do not use eBay to sell saddles.
I only send invoices via PayPal. I have won cases on PayPal against buyers who bought saddles and tried to pull “misrepresentation” months after they purchased. I tell this to my clients because I have spent time reading the PayPal policies. I also had a lawyer write up all my contracts so if someone tries to pull a quick one, I have recourse.
There is a lot that goes into consignment but overall there’s nothing better than helping equestrians find what they need under retail price, the sport is already so expensive as it is !
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This.
Used is used.
And buying from an individual rather than a company means no return policy, no recourse in case of issue, etc.
[QUOTE=Madison;n10429880]
If you are offering returns anyway, that probably negates the incentive for buyer to game the system. I think it is the no-return sales that are now too risky.@findeight
I think offering returns is a huge gating factor. Buyers want the security of being to return a high ticket item if, through no fault of their own, it doesn’t fit their needs.
This. I have bought several used saddles but only deal with consignment people. I usually need a trial and want to be protected.
Saddle is underpriced by quite a bit at this point.
I had a really bad experience with saddle consigners. I consigned a saddle and it sat for a few months, and then I asked for it to be returned since it wasn’t moving.
I got the saddle back and it was in horrible condition. Scratches all over, moldy. So I now refuse to go that route.
