Trying To Sell My Saddle Saga

I hate selling things. I would honestly rather just give it to someone who needs/wants it when I no longer do. I don't barter or haggle. If I am buying something I will pay the asking price. I don't like worrying about scams and people trying to rip me off. In general, I am not enjoying trying to sell my saddle.

I blasted the internet with ads for both the WISE Equestrian and Wintec saddles. I even paid $15 to have the WISE listed on Eventing Nation. I figured that would be a likely spot to sell it. I listed it for $3,000. That's how much I want for it. I should have listed it for $3,250 and let someone talk me down to $3,000, but see the above: I don't barter or haggle.

Unfortunately, I have not sold either yet. I have had one response to the Wintec ad on craigslist. I have that one listed for $250. I bought it for $600 4 years ago and it looks brand spanking new. $250 is a good price. The woman emailed me and asked if I would travel an hour to drop it off. I said sure (worth the drive to get rid of it) but then she asked if that was my lowest price. Um? I don't understand this question (and have gotten it several times). Why would I just offer up a lower price? Make me an offer and I will counter it or accept it. Don't make me make you an offer to buy it from me. Sigh. So anyway I told her if I was driving an hour it was firm at $250, but if she was willing to drive the two total hours distance between the two of us that she could make an offer and I would consider it. I figured that was being fair. Well, then she asked if I had stirrup leathers, irons, a girth, a pad and the entire gullet system. Huh? Read the ad. I have listed everything included: 1 saddle plus two gullets. Nothing else. The gullet system alone is $100. That would make the saddle only worth $150 and that's too low. I told her no and she said ok, but no thanks.

My WISE saddle has been even worse. I have gotten 2 scammers emailing me. The first was obvious from the start. A guy wanted to purchase the saddle for his wife in MO, but he was on a navy ship and had no access to his bank account and could only use paypal. Oh and he had a shipping agent who would pick up the saddle and ship it to him. Ummm...no. Check/cash/money order only. The second was harder to ferret out. I received a nice email asking about the condition of the saddle, any extras and price. I repeated my ad which annoyed me because it was all in there, but oh well. They were fine with the price and would pay by certified check. Great! But then the other shoe fell and they again mentioned a shipping agent who would pick up the saddle. They refused to give me physical address. I will only ship fedex or ups with signature upon receipt to have proof it arrived. They said they would pay me the $3000 plus add some money in for shipping that I would give to the agent and if there was any excess to give back to them. Uhhuh. Right. So basically you give me a fake check for $4000 and I mail out to the agent $1,000 and then find out the check is fake and lose $1,000. No thanks. I told them the above rule of shipping with signature on receipt and haven't heard back. Scammers.

Here is an idea: why don't you get a real job, make real honest money and pay your bills instead of trying to rip others off? That way you are a decent human being making a positive impact on society instead of a bottom dweller.

I tried to offer my saddle to a local girl who has been wanting one. Allowed her to give a deposit and make payments and even let her try it out. She took it to her trainer who promptly told her it wouldn't work because the stirrup bars are in a bad position and could potentially cause a pressure point. Without even putting it on the horse or sitting in it. Sigh. Her loss. Its a great saddle at an amazing price. I'm sure Phillip Dutton who made it and the host of other 4* riders know nothing and would put the stirrup bars in a bad spot. I love how trainers (generalization here from my own and friends experiences) only like one specific saddle and turn down anything outside of what they know without a second thought. Again, her loss.

So, I still have both saddles. I still need to sell them to pay for the new Advantage that is in the works. But the good news is that I have the demo still and should hopefully be able to attend the hunter pace on sunday with it. Anyone want to buy it?