Selling an orange saddle...

[lucegoose]

I have a lovely Black Country close contact that I need to sell. It was a custom order, and unfortunately, the dealer conned me into the Newmarket/caramel color, assuring me it would darken with oiling. Tried that, tried the leather darkening stuff, didn’t really work. Then I got a fancy French saddle and the BC sat covered in the tackroom for several years.

I know people on here have posted about dyeing saddles before, but I’m wondering if it’s worth doing before I sell it? Would it be more of a turn-off buying a dyed saddle, or a saddle that is an outdated color?

Also, any idea on the market value for a used, good condition BC saddle with the felt serge panels in a fairly friendly seat and tree size? I have no idea.

[enjoytheride]

I bought a saddle at a sale for a song that had some damage to the pommel. I had a saddler repair the damage and he even stripped and re dyed it to even out the color. Looked great.

[GoForAGallop]

Well, here’s my thread: http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?448722-The-Tale-of-the-Ugly-Orange-Saddle-(Or-quot-I-Dyed-My-Saddle-and-So-Can-YOU!-quot-)

Despite all the nay-saying orange saddle lovers who came out of the woodwork, it was a DRASTIC improvement on my saddle. I sold it a year later for significantly more than I paid for it, and I am 99% sure the color made an impact on that.

I bought ANOTHER orange County just last year, and dyed it. This one was not calfskin, however, and while it took the dye fine, it is now fading in areas, and I’m almost positive it’s because I didn’t strip/deglaze it. (Due to my own sheer laziness…I knew I was supposed to.) It still looks fine and I may strip and redye if I ever sell it.

I would say it’s not a turn-off to buy a NICELY dyed saddle. If you feel like there’s even the slightest risk of messing it up, don’t do it, because a poorly dyed saddle will absolutely be a turn-off. Jill of Fresh Ride (a professional saddle restorer, can find her on Facebook) dyes saddles, and that’s an alternative if you aren’t brave enough to do it yourself.

The links on the other thread have expired. Let me dig up some more.

PM me details on the saddle, also!

[GoForAGallop]

Orange County calfskin saddle

No longer orange County calfskin saddle Any lighter area is just the lighting in my kitchen. It was a smooth, deep chocolate over the whole saddle, and remained that way for the next year of ownership before I sold it.

Orange non-calfskin County

No longer orange non-calfskin County Slightly less even distribution of color, but intensified 10000% by my shitty kitchen lighting. It looks completely even out in sunlight.

[Hilary]

My Prestige eventer is really orange - well now that it’s older maybe it’s bordering on lemon. Its a very useful saddle that I don’t need to sell but I’m sure the color would make it less valuable.

It never darkened, despite being oiled, soaked multiple times when it rained, oiled again… At it’s current age, I know it will be hard to miss for the rest of its life.

That County came out beautifully.

[lucegoose]

[QUOTE=GoForAGallop;8627861]
Orange County calfskin saddle

No longer orange County calfskin saddle Any lighter area is just the lighting in my kitchen. It was a smooth, deep chocolate over the whole saddle, and remained that way for the next year of ownership before I sold it.

Orange non-calfskin County

No longer orange non-calfskin County Slightly less even distribution of color, but intensified 10000% by my shitty kitchen lighting. It looks completely even out in sunlight.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the pics! Your thread was on my my mind when I started thinking about selling the saddle. It is the regular English leather, not calf or buffalo, so will probably be more like your second attempt. I will have to think hard on what I’m brave enough to take on. I haven’t even looked at this saddle in a while, so maybe I’ll pull off the cover and it won’t be such a hideous color. I remember being so disappointed when it arrived and it was the orange I specifically said I didn’t want, but of course I wasn’t going to fight with the dealer or wait months to get it redone…oh well!

[galloping-gourmet]

What size is your saddle, seat and gullet…and how much $$

[trubandloki]

I guess I am too used to orange (as you call them) saddles because nothing I have seen in this thread looks like an ugly color to me.

[QUOTE=GoForAGallop;8627848]
Well, here’s my thread: http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?448722-The-Tale-of-the-Ugly-Orange-Saddle-(Or-quot-I-Dyed-My-Saddle-and-So-Can-YOU!-quot-)[/QUOTE]
Bummer, the photo links in your other thread do not work.

[GoForAGallop]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;8628321]
I guess I am too used to orange (as you call them) saddles because nothing I have seen in this thread looks like an ugly color to me.

Bummer, the photo links in your other thread do not work.[/QUOTE]

That’s why I posted a bunch of working photo links right on this thread.

[lucegoose]

[QUOTE=galloping-gourmet;8628307]
What size is your saddle, seat and gullet…and how much $$[/QUOTE]

Yeah I have no idea what to ask for it. Are the serge panels still desirable? It’s a about 10 years old.

[woodstock]

Yes! Many educated people know and appreciate the serge panel. I know that’s what I’d prefer-- they are just harder to find.

I agree that darkening the saddle will likely help it move more quickly. If you’re not in a rush to sell, I suspect you will be fine selling it as is.

[eventer_mi]

I bought an older Bruno del Grange PJ off Ebay, and it was ORANGE. Like, someone poured self-tanner on it and left it too long.

I tried darkening it all the usual ways, to no avail. I finally researched dyeing the saddle (both here and on the internet), and took a chance. I bought the stuff to strip it and the dye, and the finisher, but not the stuff that makes it shiny (I can’t remember what it’s called), and it looks lovely. The flaps and the panels are a deep chocolate color, but the seat is a bit streaky as I got impatient, but it really worked out well. As a matter of fact, I’m going to put it up for sale soon and I’m certain I can get more than I paid for it. It’s been several months and even been ridden out in the rain, and no dye has leaked, and I’ve ridden in it with light colored breeches.

So, if you want to get more $$$ or get a quicker sale, I’d consider dyeing it. Just be sure to do a really thorough job of stripping it first, before you apply the dye.

[GAGirl]

Excellent thread! Especially since I just bought one of the dreaded orange saddles… I couldn’t afford new and the seat/tree combo were exactly what I needed in my price range.

[FLeventer]

My Childeric is orange and all my tack is dark brown. I think I will be dyeing it soon.

[Hilary]

Eventermi, I just have to say that the saddle I mentioned is the Prestige I bought from you. We call it the “magic saddle” because it has fit every horse, but one, that I put it on in the past whatever years since I bought it. It was even the only saddle that fit my last mare, and I tried dozens. My friends borrow it regularly when they have a new horse that none of their saddles fit.

It actually looked really good on my dark bay, and I had a stubben bridle with padding that matched.

[Doctracy]

I like the orange. PM me info on seat,style of saddle and tree. I’m looking for something to replace my Albion because it doesn’t fit any of my three.

[visorvet]

Good thread - I have a Prestige Red Fox that I love except for two factors: (1) its retina-scalding orange color, and (2) the leather finish is crazy-slippery and shiny, almost like patent leather. Prestige really dropped the ball with that particular leather type - the zero coefficient of friction makes starting youngsters a bit exciting occasionally.

Although the saddle matches my horse, who is a similarly unattractive shade of orange, I have often wondered whether stripping would remove that slippery finish and allow a nice dye job. I have never dared to try it myself out of worry that the shell-like finish will resist dye penetration and yield something orange with dark streaks or spots. Anyone tried dyeing tack with that sort of high-gloss finish?

It looks like this:
http://www.equinenow.com/english_saddle-ad-10640
In fact, this might even be the sales ad for my saddle. In real life it is about 4 shades lighter and more day-glo. The shine on the flaps is NOT just oil from a pre-sales clean and condition, but an oil-impermeable patent-type top layer.

[eventer_mi]

Those Prestige saddles were INFAMOUS for their slick orange leather, weren’t they?

Hilary - LOL! You still have that thing? It must be, what, 15 years or so since you bought that from me? I regretted selling it a year after I sold it to you because it was perfect on every horse I tried it on - every horse but the horse it was bought for, that is. I think back then, that “london” color (read: orange) was actually in style.Sigh.

[Hilary]

Yes, and it has taken a beating - one season I swear it rained EVERY. SINGLE. EVENT. My poor mare surely was thinking “wouldn’t this be a nice activity on a sunny day?” And it got soaked through over and over again.

It’s showing its age now; that shiny surface (which you can make sticky with liberal applications of Lederbalsam) is crackled, and the stitching is wearing on the seat seams, but it’s still earning it’s keep on my friend’s pony and still like sitting in a sofa!

It is really amazing how well it fits so many horses, and put my faith into foam flocked saddles forevermore.