I have an older French made saddle, specifically a 2012 CWD. It had the original billets when I bought it in 2022 from a barn mate and they were needing replaced, so I contacted CWD. It was in excess of $500. Since that was more than I could justify (or frankly afford), I had the billets replaced through an independent saddle fitter/saddle repair shop. She did great work and the billets have served me well for over a year now. Now I am toying with the idea of selling this saddle and looking into consigning it. I contacted one shop and they won’t take it because the billets weren’t replaced by CWD and it negatively impacts the resale value. Has this been true in your experience? Non manufacturer repairs making the saddle worth less?
Absolutely.
In theory, there’s no way to certify that the repairs were done correctly by someone qualified (since there is no traceability) and that they didn’t damage the saddle in any way. Unlikely with billets, but that is the thinking. My saddler does better work than a lot of high end “custom” factory saddles IMO, but they’re still a third party.
Either way, a lot of buyers expect a discount for any repairs done even by the manufacturer, and triply so for third party work. A 14 year old saddle is already going to be on the lower end of prices and just may not fit the market of the consignment shop. A different place may take the saddle and price it accordingly, since billets are a less invasive repair.
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Thank you and that makes sense. It’s just unfortunate. I don’t expect to get gobs of money out of the saddle. It’s a good old saddle, I just think I’d be more comfortable in a slightly larger seat. My horse budget is such that I’d have to sell it to buy a new saddle.
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It’s not unsaleable. If the saddle is in good condition and the repair is quality, someone will be interested!
Try another consignment shop and trust the appraiser about pricing.
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