Owning and caring for horses is sometimes a little like pouring money into a bottomless pit, but we do it with love and with the best intentions. Horse tack and horse riding apparel is very expensive and it has often outrun its usefulness before it has worn out or maybe is no longer used or needed.
So, why let your precious items languish away in the wardrobe or the barn? It makes sense to earn money and recycle them. Too busy? No problem! That is just what Good Apple Equine Consignment specializes in: …. To take all the fuss and hassle out of selling your equine goods and better still, you can buy second-hand too. After all, why buy new when resale will do?
If you are thinking of consigning your used saddles – English or Western -or indeed any gently used horse tack, all kinds of showing or casual riding gear and in fact anything that is equine related, there are several easy but important things you can do to ensure you get the absolute maximum $ return for your money.
1 The most obvious and logical – but it is essential to ensure your items are as clean as possible – clothing simply MUST be dry-cleaned or laundered and all used tack should be clean and well oiled. This may sound blindingly obvious, but you would be surprised at how much this increases the value of your goods. (I always say, put yourself in the customer’s shoes!) Your items will often be ‘competing’ with similar items in the store, so the better presented your item is, the better the chance your item will sell soonest.
2 Information – give as much information as you can about your item:
- Seat Size & Tree Width
- Color
- Make or Brand
- Model/Style
- Age
- History or Provenance – especially if it has had any adjustments or custom enhancements, or ‘claims to fame’ and interesting facts. Supply any relevant documentation – eg bill of sale, certificate of authentication, manufacturers guarantee or warranty, etc.
- Original Retail Price or $ you paid for it
3 For used saddles, high end horse tack, equine fine art, valuable goods and collectibles, it is always a good idea to spend the time to do your own market research. This will put you in the driving seat when it comes to assessing a realistic $ return on your item and will also enable us to really major on the features and benefits. Google your item to find out what its features and benefits are, the average current market price and it would also help if you find some testimonials from other people who have used and love the same product. This all helps when building a description of the product on our website.
4 For English saddles with interchangeable gullets, if you have the key/tools or gullet bands, and the instructions to alter the saddle, this helps significantly and can even often make the difference between making the sale or not.
5 In marketing there is a saying “you need to sell the sizzle, not the sausage!” People will buy on instinct and more spontaneously if your item has been presented in an enticing way. So, we suggest in certain circumstances to provide photographs or images of the items being used. Ie: a nice image of your saddle on a horse, so the prospective customer can see how handsome it is, and how well it fits a horse. If you are say selling a pony cart, then images of the cart would help to visualize the dream of owning your lovely items.
So, these are the most valuable points to remember. Good Apple Equine Consignment is famous for caring very deeply about each and every consigned item that comes into the store and this is reflected in the confidence our consignors have in us. We have over 2000 consignors on our books at present and each and every day we receive absolutely beautiful English and Western used saddles or tack, rider gear, all manner of horse clothing and equipment and some fabulous fine art.
One final point – Good Apple Equine offers an excellent saddle/tack cleaning service. The average cost is approximately $35 per saddle, depending on the amount of time and materials used. (This is normally an ‘up-front’ fee, but well worth the money as we only use approved products and techniques).
For further information on Good Apple Equine Consignment, go to www.GoodAppleEquine.com and take a look around, or come into the store at 255 SW 60th Ave, Ocala, FL 34474. Tel: (352) 789-6544. Store hours: Monday: Closed; Tuesday 10 am – 5 pm; Wednesday: 10 am – 5 pm; Thursday: 10 am – 6 pm; Friday: 10 am – 5 pm; Saturday: 10 am – 4 pm; Sunday: Closed. Or email us at Valerie@GoodAppleEquine.com.