Selling the High End Bridle Aftermarket

[erinmeri]

@Renn_aissance

It’s aftermarket but not used, if I’m reading the OP correctly.

OP - I was in the market for some Edgewood replacement pieces last year. I went to eBay and Marketplace first. I was hoping to find used and probably would have bought anything I found in very good condition, but would have expected to pay about 60-70% of retail depending on the wear. With a full bridle in new without tags condition, I would list starting at 75-85% of retail, list why it is for sale, and take offers above 65-70% of retail. But expect it to be slow going, because when people want a NEW bridle, they go to a tack shop.

Your post has me thinking about how subjective it is to grade what “wear” means in strap goods. When you buy used, you do take on some risk. Sometimes it pays off (I got an amazing $5k-7k saddle for half that and under a dozen rides - not strap goods, but an example of the upside!), but sometimes it’s disastrous.

Both of my currently used bridles are from an excellent maker known for the quality of their French leather and their craftsmanship. Out of the box, their strap goods were lovely and have only gotten better with time and use and care: I look at my tack (which is, if I am rushed, wiped down with a damp cloth, but is most often cleaned daily and conditioned as needed) versus a newer bridle from the same maker that a barnmate who NEVER cleans or maintains tack, and it’s like comparing night and day. My tack shows very little wear, is supple (though not quite as much as I would like, but I take a long game approach), and just feels pleasant. Theirs is dirty, stiff and feels like India Leather. Which is odd, because said tack doesn’t feel like that brand new. Another barnmate has the same exact bridle as the “bad” one, and it is lovely, if over-oiled in my opinion. I think the “care” of the owner for used, it even “lightly used” tack matters, for bridles, I wouldn’t buy one that was soaked in oil. But that’s just me.

[enjoytheride]

I think as a private seller people expect you to sell everything for $20.

[floppyammy]

@erinmeri

@floppyammy

I did a stupid thing and impulse purchased a high-end bridle that was final sale.
At the time, I thought my young horse was headed for the hunter ring, but time is proving otherwise.

I’ve tried all the usual resources I know to sell this bridle - Facebook Marketplace, Ebay. I’ve even reached out to 3 high-end tack resellers.

Is it just that much harder to sell bridles than other goods?

Is there anything I haven’t thought of? Any social media site that is popular? I’m not very App-savvy, so I don’t know of any other resources that the kids might be using these days.

I used to have a lot of success selling tack or goods that I didn’t need through Facebook. Their new “Marketplace” setup really sucks. They changed something that used to work really well. So frustrating.

How much was it used (if at all?) and how discounted is it from retail?

@erinmeri It’s completely unused. I haven’t even taken it out of the original packaging. I never even took it to the barn and tried it on my horse. It’s been at my house, in original packaging, including the box it came in. I was selling it at a 10% discount.

I guess if I really want to sell it, I will have to discount it further.

[floppyammy]

@StellaBlue09

I would also suggest the Edgewood Facebook page. Things seem to sell quicker on that. I would agree with what many posters have said though that the markdown to sell quickly has to be pretty significant.

In a recent experience I was looking for an Antares hunter bridle, I saw some posted online in what they claimed was basically brand new condition for around $550. A new one is $610. I tried to haggle down a little more but she was not budging. I ended up buying new. And happy I did. Even a “new” unused bridled that sits in a barn for a few months collecting dust isn’t as fresh as one right out of the package. Bonus my trainer is sponsored by Antares and with the discount it was under 550.

Can you send me a link to the Edgewood Facebook page? I tried looking for it on FB, but the one i found only had 117 followers. Is that the right one?

[floppyammy]

@greywithchrome

I sell all my tack on Facebook! High End English Tack is a good group, and then there are the bigger ones like English Tack Exchange and English Tack Trader but they are almost too big, posts get buried.

I have it listed in all three of those groups, plus a bunch of local ones. I’m just not getting any views on those.

[MissusS]

I sold a BNWT PSoS bridle on FB. It took a long time (more than 6 months) but I wasn’t super motivated to sell so I didn’t refresh my ad very often. I paid $500CAD for it once I taxes and duties were taken into account. I believe at the end of it I sold it for $280CAD. It was a super deal for the new owner and I was happy to not have it hanging around anymore. The buyer had posted an ISO thread on FB and I responded. Otherwise my ad was getting very few views.

[StellaBlue09]

Edgewood Tack For Sale | Facebook

Let me know if this works, it has 1.7k members. I see things sell quickly in there.

[Jealoushe]

I’ve sold many high end bridles on FB and eBay, however I have noticed right now the market is DRY. Online sales are DRY.

No one has extra money. Only things discounted are selling from what I see.

Join all your local horsey groups too, and post it on your own FB and instagram.

[floppyammy]

@StellaBlue09

Edgewood Tack For Sale | Facebook

Let me know if this works, it has 1.7k members. I see things sell quickly in there.

Thanks - that is a huge help!

[Gardenhorse]

I don’t know about Edgewood bridles in particular, maybe it’s a brand that’s never discounted. But most retailers regularly have 10% off sales. So even a brand new, with tags item would need to be discounted more than 10% to induce me to buy it from a private seller rather than a business with a return policy, etc.

[touchstone]

I buy a lot of high end tack used, so there are buyers out there. But I agree with other posters that I expect a pretty significant discount off of retail, even for items that are still in packaging. Otherwise, I’d rather just deal with a reputable tack store that has returns and isn’t possibly a scam.

Ebay used to be a great place for this kind of thing, and it was perfect for finding the exact item you needed. But Facebook has kind of destroyed that marketplace because it has no listing fees. It’s a shame, because Facebook marketplace is so hard to search and use so I think it’s a much harder place for buyers and seller to find each other.

[Equestrian24]

Totally agree with this! I much prefer eBay as well because it is so much easier to navigate and find what you want, and I also like the feedback system. It seems that Facebook has more of a problem with scams and AFAIK, there is no feedback system to really tell if someone is a reputable seller or not.

[vxf111]

That’s the problem. 10% off isn’t enough of a deal to make someone go with a private seller.

[Renn_aissance]

Yes, unfortunately, you will have to discount it further. I think listing it at 75% of retail is a good place to start, but be prepared to accept offers of 60 to 65%. Keep in mind that Black Friday is in a few weeks. 10% off of retail is a pretty typical sale from the manufacturer, and even at 75% off, people are going to be waiting to see what discounts they can get from a tack shop.

[floppyammy]

Thank you all! With the great feedback and resources here, I sold the bridle!

It ultimately sold on Facebook, in the “Edgewood Tack for Sale” group, after I discounted it further.

COTH forums for the win!

[mychestnutvalentine]

There is truth to everything said here.

I’ve been consignment selling since 2017. LLC, the whole works.

What I tell my consignors is that there’s a gap between what the used shopper and the retail shopper will spend. If the item is priced to close to the retail, odds are the shopper can spring for the difference and I lose the sale. So either it needs to be marked down enough to attract the 2nd hand buyer or it will sit.

Girths do sit. Bridles are hit or miss. But truthfully, the market is dry. I went to a tack sale today and I walked away with a fraction of what I have in the past. Online sales have been down too.

[Harringtons_Hope]

Hey mychestnutvalentine this is so off topic but I was wondering if you could give me some information on Harlingtons Hope. You owned her 4 years ago and sold her to Kelly as a brood mare.

[mychestnutvalentine]

I sent you a PM