Question for horse show parents 4-H local shows . . .

[Foxglove]

My granddaughter aged out of 4-H and has said (nicely) that she does not wish to continue showing horses --she’s in college and, well, she likes cows better and has plans for an agricultural degree specializing in cows.

. Meanwhile, I am downsizing and I have all her show clothes to find a home for. So here’s the question --I sell on ebay, successfully in a small way --generally horse equipment that is used. QUESTION FOR YOU: As a parent who has a child in 4-H or who does local shows, would you be more likely to spend $500 on 10 outfits including hats, boots, chaps, shirts, pants --or would you be more likely to buy a hat from one auction, pants and shirt from another, and a pair of chaps that goes with on a third. My dilemma is do I offer as one giant lot or do separate individual auctions. Now, as a former 4-H parent/grandparent --at this point I’d jump on that $500 lot of 10! I know I’d save a whopping lot of money in the long run --but as a parent just starting out --well --$500 for show clothes seems like too much for a 4-H kid.

Shipping the giant lot will be a nightmare (four hats!), but I can figure it --main goal is to get all these show clothes to someone who will use them as they are hanging in a closet right now.

So–parents --what do you think?

[findeight]

4h kids I know don’t have parents with 500 for show clothes. Might suggest you price individually but offer " bundles" at a discount from the individual pricing. More pieces they buy, deeper the discount.

[Foxglove]

Hummm, great Idea findeight! I hadn’t thought of that! I like that idea!

[cutter99]

I would buy more individual pieces rather than the entire lot. Just like findeight said, most 4-H parents I know do not have that kind of money nor do their kids have multiple show outfits. You could try marketing to the breed show youth, who seem to be very well heeled, at least much more so than many 4-Hers.

[Foxglove]

Good point, cutter99 --the outfits are maybe not quite the quality one would see in high level showing. Everything is more for the local 4-H person --if someone is showing breed shows or AQHA --I suspect they are looking for a more expensive type of show clothes. I used crystals from Hobby Lobby --not Swarovski --just cut glass. But might not hurt to try!

[Bluey]

One more place for you to try advertising:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/408559979301119/

Reining has very strong junior programs that use those kinds of products.

I would think that you could offer both, a complete set as long as you have those and if someone only wants parts of one, sell those higher and break that set up.
Let the market decide what it needs.

[Foxglove]

Thanks, Bluey! I hadn’t thought of the reining people specifically --might be the best place to advertise the Chaps --I think your advise is good --try to sell the set first, then break it up --makes sense --Thanks!

[Palm_Beach]

Most 4H clubs are nonprofits, would you consider donating them? Most 4H members recycle their outfits through the club to younger members.

[Foxglove]

A good thought Palm Beach and I attempted that two years ago at the annual tack swap. I had a blinged out showmanship outfit that Granddaughter had outgrown and literally gave it away, free, along with some other various show items we no longer used. Before the evening was over, I saw the child whose parents had taken the showmanship outfit, swinging it around and hitting other kids with the shirt, and chasing around swinging it at other kids. Crystals cannot take that kind of abuse when glued to knit --the fabric stretches and the crystals come off. I don’t hand sew on crystals, I use glue and I always give a bottle of glue and extra crystals to the new owner of the garment.

It takes me about 50 hours of work to create a blinged out showmanship shirt --I hand crystal and hand cut applique then sew on the applique --sometimes layered – while it was true that I had given away that showmanship outfit, the treatment of the show outfit made me believe that people value what they pay for. The parents had paid nothing, and therefore thought the outfit was worth nothing.

Subsequently I have posted on the 4-H webpage and offered to sell or barter showmanship outfits --I’ve sold two (pretty much at the cost of the materials) and bartered for two --I expect the CHILD to put in 10 hours of labor --clean saddles, trailer, stalls --and I will custom make a showmanship outfit --one parent said, “Would it be ok if I did the work?” --making showmanship outfits for my granddaughter made me happy --she appreciated them and cared for them well. Seeing someone take something that was a lot of work and trash it didn’t make me happy. I think I’m good with selling --even if only get a dollar, I don’t have to see someone misuse what I worked so hard to create.

[fjordmom]

@Palm Beach

Most 4H clubs are nonprofits, would you consider donating them? Most 4H members recycle their outfits through the club to younger members.

That was the case both when my kids were in 4-H and on high school equestrian team. The vast majority of members came from families of very modest means. The 4-H leader had a closet of donated/well loved, outgrown items from past members. Younger ones in need were welcome to put to them use as needed. Often the items would return to the closet when outgrown by the most current rider. Both kids and parents appreciated not having to break the bank as kids grew quickly.

Foxglove, I’m sorry you had the bad experience of your hard work going unappreciated. I would have been upset too if I were in you shoes. Both leader and most parents set good examples for the kids in the club/eq team. I would not have been afraid to speak up to that kid and let them know the hard work that went into the outfit and that a grateful show of appreciation would be much more in order. Sure, I might be the old grump of the moment, but the kids learn and remember. Try not to let one “bad egg” sour you. There are many, many good, appreciative, and deserving kids out there. I hope you will meet some of them soon.

[China_Doll]

If you can afford it I would donate them to 4H. Maybe if they have a silent auction they can sell them and raise funds and kids could get a nice outfit and you could take the tax write off.

[SLW]

A small but measurable percentage of our 4H girls do show AQHA and breed shows. Same in one country beside us. The biggest issue will be how dated the outfits are as compared to what the girls are wearing today.

I do agree with offering the sale by outfit verses bulk.