How should I price this saddle?

[Bristol_Bay]

I have a 2019 Voltaire Palm Beach that has never been comfortable for me. The rep told me the problem was that the seat wasn’t broken in yet, and advised me to massage the saddle with leather balsam after every ride for a month.

It didn’t change the fit of the saddle. What I ended up with is a saddle that stains my breeches and still makes riding painful.

I don’t see anyone wearing light colored breeches except to show, so I’m sure the staining is common with the stickier seats that modern saddles have. But I tried to stop the staining by applying a coat of sealant like Resolene. It didn’t really help. I eventually removed the sealant with acetone. It worked and the seat looks fine, just has a dull, matte appearance.

Now that I want to sell it, how much should I discount the price? It’s easy to find comparable saddles for sale, and I think there’s someone out there who wants this type of saddle, even if it’s been altered, if it were X dollars less than a similar saddle.

[Scribbler]

I generally think of saddles showing clear use as about 50 per cent of retail. You can start a bit higher and let someone negotiate you down if it doesn’t sell fast.

The big deal about high end semi custom saddles is that you are hopefully paying to have it fit to you and your horse. When you buy a saddle second hand obviously you don’t get the benefit of that. So semi custom saddles lose value on resale.

[erinmeri]

I might also add that it depends on where/how you sell it. I got my barely used Bruno for less than half on eBay. It was maybe ridden in a handful of times. I was lucky it fit me and my horse, as it shipped from Canada and I would have lost money returning it after a trial. I imagine if I got it through an independent saddle fitter or a tack store on consignment, it would have been more. I got it from a junior rider’s mom who didn’t seem to know much. I should also note that I am very tall, and so the saddle had a limited market…

[Bristol_Bay]

It’s a popular seat size and flap configuration, with pro panels, so not really too customized.

FWIW I intend to try and sell it locally so people can try it and see it up close.

[Scribbler]

@Bristol_Bay

It’s a popular seat size and flap configuration, with pro panels, so not really too customized.

FWIW I intend to try and sell it locally so people can try it and see it up close.

Even if the saddle is a fairly standard configuration the second hand buyer is losing the opportunity to have the saddle made to their specifications, which is why a Voltaire is $CAN 10,000. And presumably the panel foam was tweaked for your horse.

[Bristol_Bay]

No, pro panels are generic and while they don’t fit every horse, they can fit most with a lift pad here or there. Demo saddles are made with pro panels, for example. They make a saddle easier to sell.

I can look on eBay and see what unmodified saddles of that year and model are going for. I just wonder how much of a price break a saddle shopper would want in order to consider a saddle that had been modified.

[Scribbler]

@Bristol_Bay

No, pro panels are generic and while they don’t fit every horse, they can fit most with a lift pad here or there. Demo saddles are made with pro panels, for example. They make a saddle easier to sell.

I can look on eBay and see what unmodified saddles of that year and model are going for. I just wonder how much of a price break a saddle shopper would want in order to consider a saddle that had been modified.

That’s going to depend on the market. Like I said, 50 per cent of retail is a standard kind of price for second hand saddles, and also older dead stock.

[vxf111]

If the leather looks dull and that’s not fixable I would expect that to be a major ding to a price anywhere near what you paid. It’s a bummer but it’s going to impact the price.

[Scribbler]

Unless something is truly flawless and basically unused, selling secondhand you take a big hit. I buy a lot of stuff second hand, horse gear, furniture, car, etc. I feel like 50 per cent of retail is very standard for good used condition.

If you are wanting say 80 per cent of retail for a used item, many buyers are going to figure they might as well go with buying new and getting the guarantee, the service, the fitting in the case of a saddle, and the experience.

If the market is very tight you might get away with charging more than 50 per cent of retail. But Voltaire is super popular with the kind of people who buy new saddles (and new horses) all the time, and the last I looked the second hand market was full of Voltaires in the 2 to 5 year old range, some showing odd leather wear. Very popular but also very common.

[floppyammy]

If it were me, I would probably take a look at what the major resellers are pricing similar models at (Redwood Tack, Double Oak Tack, Maryland Tack Exchange, High line Tack, etc.) And maybe consider pricing your saddle an additional 10-15% lower, depending on how much the condition of yours is impacted. There are a lot of Voltaire Palm Beaches in the used market right now, so you might have to price competitively if you really want to get it moved.