I paid $800 for an older used Kieffer Wein. It had just been restuffed, and the billets had been replaced as well. It’s in really good shape, fits me and the horse well. I would have paid more but the price was $800.
I would pay $1200 for a good used Windsor Elite in the right size in black
I have paid $900 for the same thing in brown.
I would pay $900 for a good used Keiffer Wein DL Pro in black.
I have paid $250 for a useable Keiffer Wein in brown.
I would pay $1000 for a good used Passier on the PS Baum tree in black. I have paid $400 for the same saddle in brown and useable condition.
I would not pay anything for a used Wintec Pro unless it was unmarked and was less than 5 years old. The trees and materials are only warranted for 10 years and the Cair panelling for 5. That said, if I found one hardly used with Cair and adjustable gullets in the right size, I would pay $500 for it. They go for $900 new here. There are 3 on consignment in the tack store right now, but none are my size- they range in price from $300 to $700.
When I buy a saddle, I generally buy it to fit. Re-stuffing is a given, but most of the ones I have bought used did not need restuffing at the time. If they need repairs like billets or stitching, I usually pass on it- who knows what else was neglected on the saddle over the years? I have seen too many miracle clean ups on unsound saddles that looked great- and the leather inside was so dry and neglected, that things broke in short order in use.
Quest52,
I don’t think that your question is simple at all - rather, it is complex because of so many variables involved - several have already been mentioned.
Market value also comes into play. Like cars, some saddles retain their market value much better than others. I paid $3600 for a used Hennig - that was about 75% of it’s cost new. Would I buy a used Wintec for 75% of it’s original cost (assuming that the sadde fit my needs)? Nope.
I bought an gently used Albion dressage (Style was the model I think) wide tree for $1500 a couple of years ago. I consider it a good deal. All my horses go with either wide or x-wide trees and they are less common to find used so I am happy if I see an used one that fits both me and my horses and that is in good condition.
I will not buy any Wintect or Bates. Actually I will not buy anything that has air panel or exchangeable gullet. I will not take them free either (don’t like anything to clutter my tack room:D).
[QUOTE=Quest52;4243288]
Hmm… not many answers here???
Play fill in the blank:
For a _______________ used dressage saddle in decent shape I would pay $_______ for it.
But I would not buy a ____________ used dressage saddle, even if it was a good price.
Does that help??[/QUOTE]
For a Passier Grand Gilbert or Antares, Stubben Scandica or Tristan I would pay up to $1200 used if in ‘decent’ condition.
I would not buy a saddle I wasn’t pretty sure would fit my horse or a brown saddle and have to aggreee I have had no luck fitting any of my guys in either Wintec or Bates CAIR panel type saddles, even for a good price 
ETA: just for contrast I have an ancient Stubben Romanus that i rode in when I was younger and started my mare in, it is faded, scratched and hard as a rock but I wouldn’t take $10K for it, so special. Then I have a 2nd Passier Nicole GG that I would sell for $750, doesn’t fit me or my horses. 
I paid $750 for an Albion Original Comfort dressage saddle in 2006. The leather and billets were in excellent condition. It had just been reflocked by my barn owner. It still didn’t fit her horse, but it fit mine (and I have a very hard-to-fit mare). That saddle is what got me started in dressage. I was a hunter rider up until that point. It was brown, but brown looks better on my chestnut paint than black. Unfortunately, the seat was a tad too small for me. I sold it in 2008 for around $900 on eBay.
I’m willing to pay $$$ for a saddle that fits my horse and is comfortable for me. Unfortunately, after much trail-and-error, I could never find a used saddle that worked for us both. I wound up ordering a custom Albion Ultima (in brown) for $3,500. It’s going to be the last saddle I ever buy - love it!!!
I would NOT buy any saddle that didn’t fit my mare or me, even if it was a good price. What is the point?
My horse has such weird conformation, that I gave up trying to buy a used saddle. I was reading all the saddle threads on here, and did a survey of riders I knew. So I think the question is really about your horse, and how relatively simple it would be to fit him. Can you try a few other brands by borrowing saddles from friends to see what would suit both of you? Then you can decide, okay a used INSERT BRAND HERE with this size tree and that size seat would work for us, and go from there. Then you can look on all the used saddle sites (there are many) for one that fits your budget.
Someone mentioned brown saddles, and it reminded me of Goldstern, that gorgeous chestnut police horse that Klaus Balkenhol rode in the Olympics. He always looked fabu in brown tack.
Speaking of brown - Don Charly was in brown tack at the WC in Vegas this April. Looked stunning.
I don’t think I want to sit in somebody else’s butt divot.
Equibrit- GOOD POINT! I developed a nice flaw of sitting left thanks to a used saddle formerly belonging to someone who sat left… You couldnt see it by looking at it, but a saddle fitter long ago looked at it when i was getting it restuffed and said… Hmmm… Here is your left problem… New saddle, no more problem.
It does make me worry about getting a new “used” saddle, you never know how the previous person sat in them and they really do break in to YOUR use…
Don Charly did look FANTASTIC in brown at WC! When i get my money saved up, my custom saddle whatever it may be, will be brown for my chestnut/flaxen/white socks girl… Black looks crappy on her. Havana looks uber sharp on my bay girl, looks nice on her head too. But it took me forever to find a darn bridle that fit her and then i got a fab one on sale for 65% off… So i guess she’ll get a black saddle just to match the darn bridle!
I really dont get the brown prejudice. I HAVE seen it on a black/white pinto, looked sharp. Made him different.
Just remember, good leather fades… So while all you black fans buy your fancy black tack, it fades to a “lovely” shade of green/brown poo… :lol:
Saddles vary so much in price…as does age…it is hard to say.
I have purchased definitely used but still in seviceable shape Passier and County saddles for 700 to 900 on Ebay. My newest Passier GG (with gussets/no freedom panels) is next to new and was 1600…new at the store is 3,500. For a perfect fit someday I need a custom saddle. I have a long leg/thigh and the long flap on the new Passier “barely makes it/could still be longer”. But…at least the horse is happy!
I would pay… what the price is, for something that fits my horse (the easy part) and is comfortable for me (the hard part.) I have an Albion Style I bought used and in good shape for $1300. This is a saddle I can trail ride in, I can do small jumps in, etc. It does not bother my bad hip, and with some minor reflocking it fits my horse very well. A couple of other people have ridden my horse in it and they say it’s one of the most comfortable saddles they’ve ever ridden in.
I wish it was brown, though! With my palomino mare, brown tack is just the best
It’s also important to point out that some saddles, like the 2000D, have been around for YEARS and so are available both well used and new, while some saddles change models pretty regularly. The 2000D used to go for around $2500 so the older ones are pretty reasonable, but a brand new one is pretty pricey.
I learned years ago not to buy a new saddle. Price of course depends on the condition of the saddle.
I bought 2 used Crosbys in very good condition and 2 very expensive French saddles in almost perfect condition at 1/2 the retail when I bought Cloudy and Callie. One “daily” for each of them and one “special” for each, altho we ended up riding in the expensive ones mostly.
The wonderful guy at Charlotte’s saddlery in Texas checked out the serial #s for me. 
I bought a used Stubben for $600, pretty cheap, that was more worn than I cared for and therefore I gave it to a rescue on coth during the Christmas Secret Santa thread.
I just got a Schleese JES Pro Elite in excellent condition from a private seller. I’m pretty happy…as long as it fits :eek:
[QUOTE=CatOnLap;4243661]
I would pay $1200 for a good used Windsor Elite in the right size in black
I have paid $900 for the same thing in brown.
I would pay $900 for a good used Keiffer Wein DL Pro in black.
I have paid $250 for a useable Keiffer Wein in brown.
I would pay $1000 for a good used Passier on the PS Baum tree in black. I have paid $400 for the same saddle in brown and useable condition.
…[/QUOTE]
Wow - I didn’t realize there can be that much difference in price for a brown saddle. Since I am short on $ and acquired a new horse this week that will need his own saddle, I will have to look for brown! He’s a light palomino and I think brown would look good on him.
Remember it can be adjusted to fit the horse if it fits you- if you contact Schleese, they’ll tell you when a clinic can be found nearby you!
Thanks for the tip! I doubt there will be one near me (central Iowa), but hopefully I’ll be able to work something out!
I would not buy a Wintec, or any other treeless saddle for any price.
I might even give priority to buying a brown saddle again, as I am really tired of the color loss off these black/green saddles. There was a time that I was all about “style,” and black certainly is style. No more! I am so over black saddles.:yes:
Wintecs are not treeless.
