Where to sell a fancy French saddle

[Alittledownhill]

A year or so ago I bought a “custom” French saddle that fit neither my horse nor me. I decided to take the loss, resell it and have a new custom saddle (a Stubben this time)made. It was expensive but a perfect fit, and I justified the price by reminding myself I’d be getting several thousand dollars back by selling the French one.

It has now been in a consignment shop since June, as have a couple of other Palm Beach models. None have sold. Is Voltaire no longer in demand? I’m starting to think it’s in the wrong place. I know there are companies that specialize in these types of saddles and am wondering if I should send it to one of them. Iselltack and https://saddlesdefrance.net/ are the ones I found so far.

People who have sold saddles of this type, how did you do it and how long did it take.
Has anyone consigned through SmartPak in their retail store? I see nice stuff but don’t know if it sells

I’m almost ready to just list it on eBay. Is that a nightmare? I’m not out to get a super competitive price; at this point I just want the thing gone.

[SnortyPants]

Oof. What a crappy situation. I think, unfortunately, your saddle is in this no man’s land of pricing…people who drop thousands on a saddle want a custom fit, and it’s too nice to let go for nothing. If you put it on eBay, you’ll have to work out trials, as people will want that for this kind of saddle. You havent said exactly what model/size you have, but if you really want to get rid of it, price it 20% below anything else listed online.

Custom fits are unfortunately really only worth the price point for, well, those for whom they are fitted. Can’t really expect anyone else to pay above what a comparable off the shelf saddle would be in materials and workmanship.

[Madison]

Voltaire Palm Beach models are still very popular so I’m guessing it is one of the following factors - yours is not a common configuration, yours is overpriced for the used market, or yours is with the wrong consignor. There have been some recent threads on the H/J forum about who is good at selling them. People have had issues with Iselltack recently, so be sure to look up those posts before considering them. The best places to sell are the FB groups like English Tack Trader or High End English Tack, if you want to list it yourself. For consignment stores, Maryland Tack Exchange, Redwood Tack, and Double Oak Tack (formerly DFW Tack Exchange) all seem to have high traffic and good reputations. Lots of people still use eBay but the risk there is if there is any issue or dispute, eBay WILL side with the buyer no matter what the buyer has done.

[MegBackInSaddle]

Haven’t sold a high end saddle, but I’ve purchased thousands of dollars worth of tack since August, most of it online, and mostly through Facebook marketplace. This includes my used Antarés CC saddle and other higher-end stuff like my CWD girth. Had largely very positive experiences.

PayPal offers some protection, though I’ve used e-transfers without much trouble (no protection, once the money is sent, it’s gone with no recourse). As a buyer, I definitely expected a reasonable trial. Not dropping $2k on a saddle that doesn’t work. My saddle seller was a dream to work with. She accepted a deposit of $1000 on an $1800 saddle for a one-week trial, and 3 days in, I sent her the remaining $800. Trial with full payment is pretty standard on higher-end used saddles, from my shopping experience. I’ve seen listing with “no trials,” but while I bought a cheaper dressage saddle with no trial, I wouldn’t even consider it for anything over $1000.

Good luck!

[Scribbler]

A consignment service will take a % fee, but handle the problem of trials with a credit card deposit for the purchaser. Depending on the fee you might be ahead selling for a bit less yourself.

I would advertise in local tack FB groups first. I’ve bought a lot of used tack including saddles but all locally so I can see beforehand.

[CanteringCarrot]

I would Google/search COTH about Iselltack becaude I want to say that I’ve heard some negative feedback, but cannot remember exactly what.

Since Facebook groups are popular I would post on as many that are applicable to you and what you are selling.

I have sold a few saddles and other tack on eBay and it always went well. I accept payment via PayPal.

[OnDeck]

There’s TONS of websites that consign French saddles and get them sold. Here’s a few that come to mind:
Olddominionsaddlery.com
https://www.dfwtackexchange.com/
https://mdtackexchange.com/product-category/saddles/

Leah at redwoodtack.com will buy your saddle outright instead of consigning it and taking a commission. I sent her a saddle and I maybe would have made a few hundred dollars more if I had sent it to another website to consign at an 18% fee, but I was paid as soon as she received the saddle and I didn’t have to wait for it to be sold.