Passier Saddle Appraisal Help

[palominodressage]

Disclaimer: I promise I’m not advertising, I just am in great need of opinions on my current saddle.

I’m at the point in my life where I’m looking to buy a new saddle, but I first need to sell my old one. I have an old but good Passier Antares that I’m looking to sell. I love this thing with my whole heart (it was my first dressage saddle, it fit like a glove, too), but my mare retired and I moved on to a new, slightly less massive horse.

I’m not exactly sure what a reasonable asking price for it would be; I don’t want to ask too low of a price, but I don’t want it to sit for a long time either. I was thinking I could ask around $700 for it, but that may be a bit optimistic :lol: If anyone could help me out, it would be amazing.

info; it’s a 17.5" Passier Antares, wide tree, fit well on a roly-poly old stock QH. I’ve kept it in a climate controlled room for the past three years (the whole time I’ve owned it), and it is conditioned regularly. It’s buttery soft, if that helps. Normal wear on flaps and billets.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Scribbler]

How old? You can send the serial number into the company to find out the year it was made, if you don’t already know. What are similar saddles selling for on line?

[palominodressage]

I believe it to be about ten years old, as that’s what I was told when I bought it. The lady who owned it before me rode minimally in it, and she had it reflocked about a year before she sold it to me. I’m sending the serial right now to get a definite year.
As for other saddles on the market, I’m seeing them ranging from $750 for one with more wear than mine to one selling for $1500 in comparable shape.

[palominodressage]

I believe it to be about ten years old, as that’s what I was told when I bought it. The lady who owned it before me rode minimally in it, and she had it reflocked about a year before she sold it to me. I’m sending the serial right now to get a definite year.
As for other saddles on the market, I’m seeing them ranging from $750 for one with more wear than mine to one selling for $1500 in comparable shape.

[svvdressage]

When I’m selling a saddle I always look at the prices that similar saddles actually sold for on Ebay. Looking at prices that saddle list at isn’t much help. People can list them at whatever they want. Looking at what they sell for is a much better prospective. While there are a bunch listed at higher prices, only 2 have sold recently. One for $450 and one for $650

[LilyandBaron]

Yep, on eBay you have to do an Advanced Search and then enter the keywords, then select sold to see what things are actually selling for on eBay, vice the asking prices. The Passier, while a great saddle, just isn’t that in fashion. Recently sold my GG for $650…

[Scribbler]

The folks that love Passier saddles really love them.

If it’s ten years old, it probably has less in the way of thigh blocks, etc., than the brand new “bullfighting” dressage saddles (even new Passiers). That’s what I love about my 15 year old Passier Optimum (that I bought as new, shop worn, 5 years ago).

The very old pancake flat Passiers from the 1970s just keep on going, like Stubbens of the same vintage, and both regularly sell . . . for less than $500.

[Ceylon_Star]

I think it’s a more marketable model than some of the older, flatter Passiers (such as mine, which is 42 years old this year and still going strong. I’m the third owner and have logged more miles in it than either previous owner combined, because it fits me as though it were custom made. So I am a fine example of a Passier lover, haha).

It would probably sell up this way for $700, but that’s in Canadian dollars. GGs tend to go for $950ish if they’re in good shape. It’s mostly younger riders, or low level eventers who seem to go for the oldies-but-goodies like Passiers and Stubbens. Most of the “plain” dressage riders around here tend to go for custom Regals (since Kevin is in the area), or CWD.

I would suggest getting in touch with some local pony club groups and seeing if any kids need to replace outgrown tack. You might not get quite the cash you’d really like, but kids like that tend to appreciate the lovely older tack more than a lot of the teens and adults I’ve encountered.

Just my two cents!

[tempi2007]

I think 700 would be a fair price for your saddle as you have described it. Two other factors that can affect the price of older Passiers is whether or not the panels are gusseted in the back and how narrow the channel is. Gusseted panels are usually more desirable unless your horse is curvy and a narrow channel can be tough to sell. At least three fingers width from front to back is a decent channel or 3 fingers at the narrowest point. Gussets and a good channel could raise the value. It helps that yours is a wide model. Other good selling points are the standard cut back pommel to accommodate a high wither and the Antares model usually has a very long flap. I’ve seen them as high as 1495 with little to no wear but they hadn’t sold yet.
Hope this helps.

[Kolsch]

I’ve seen a like new, wide channel Antares sit on the FB seller pages for $700 for over a year now. I demoed it, it’s a fantastic saddle. The twist was wider than my GG so that’s the only reason I didn’t buy it.

I say keep it. See if a Passier rep can modify the tree. Personally I don’t think an older Antares with wear will sell for an amount worth getting rid of it. I’d keep it as a spare.