advertising on the sales board

[wantminimore]

I agree with what everybody else has said. I have become addicted to the sale board and when I click on "Details" I like to see details like a web site. I ususally pass by the ones without prices figuring I can't afford it. I don't like the long ads in the fancy font that is hard to read. I tend to mostly check out ads that are in the New England area near me, recently ventured further West.

Leslie

 

[Connie Ballard]

I want to see what you are saying.....show me....if it is a driving horse..let me see him driving...if it is a halter horse...set him up and take a picture. Taking pics arent easy...getting someone to help and take the pic at the right time....horses are fuzzy now...but if you want to SELL the horse...put the time and effort into it...will pay off. When people say 'he has great action' but they don't show it...they are selling the horse short...expecting a buyer to just believe he moves great. When you show a horse moving great...people look at that and think OH MAN...look at him/her! It is so easy to just keep scrolling down the sale page....MAKE them stop and LOOK at your picture! If you dont have a digital camera..try to borrow one or get a cheap or used one....you can see right then/there if the pic would excite a buyer...if not keep working on getting them to move and follow them with the camera..stand still and follow the horse with your camera view finder...anticipate the move...knowing when you turn them back they'll trot off pretty darn nice....etc.

It is work getting a decent picture...but sometimes its your only 'shot' at a sale.

 

[Sterling]

I have not read any of the replies to your thread yet as I wanted to take in your points of discussion before I started reading and lose my train of thought.

For me....my main concern is when I see ads that advertise and then there is no price along with it.

That is a major deal for me. I like to see a short description of what the horse is like, his accomplishments in the showring, bloodlines, temperament, medicals etc..... Lately when I look I always stay looking to the states that are closer to me because if that special one should come my way, I can either go and pick him/her up with my trailer, or hopefully if I can have them shipped it won't be too much of a co$t.

Another few things that irk me are.....advertising a horse and posting a pic of the dam or sire of the horse advertised. I want to see the advertised horse FIRST. Loooooooong ads in weird colors that make me go crosseyed.

Mispelled words don't turn off a deal for me....because lets face it we all make typos...but things like "this horse is out of such and such stallion" are an eye opener because the foal is "OUT OF" a mare and "BY" a stallion.

Yes I have contacted the seller before just to let them know I enjoyed reading the ad.....or just to let them know I thought their horse was beautiful. Even tho I was not in the market to buy...and let them know clearly up front.

Those are just a few things that I can think of.

 

[Chaos Ranch]

I wanted to come back and mention that though the really loooong ads get totally ignored by me... I do understand why some of them are lengthy. Instead of one seller posting 7-10 ads in a row, we are to combine our ads and that will cause some ads to be longer than others. Keeps one person from getting the entire front page of nothing but their ads. Right Mary Lou?

 

[Kendra]

I also skip right over long ads ... and too many colourful descriptive words bug me too. I don't need to be told the that horse is "stunning" "gorgeous" "amazing" "typy" "exotic" "extreme" all in the same sentence!

It drives me nuts to see "serious inquiries only". I do a lot more advertising for selling than buying, and I absolutely welcome all inquiries on my horses! Why wouldn't you? Just because someone is only casually interested at first, doesn't mean they won't change their minds! And if you are helpful and courteous when they first ask about a horse, next time the ARE serious about buying, chances are you'll be high on the list of sellers! Besides, any inquiry at all is a compliment and I take it as such.

I think threads like this are great tools for all of us who sell horses!

 

[Reble]

Just sharing..

Do not pass on minis that do need to be shipped.

I live in Ontario Canada & all my horses now in our bloodline have been bought out of Ontario.

$450.00 for one from Arizona shipped last winter and we also have met sellers at the border.

Have travelled 16 hours one way for our future Stallion. Only cost us about $300.00 in gas and food.

You could be missing out on a good horse and the shipping price does not have to be expensive.

I recommend (Mary) [email protected] and 613-822-0375 check out her price before turning down your future dreams....

 

[Katiean]

I did forget to say that an ad with "Private Treaty" Or "Call For Price" don't get a second look from me. Something my dad always said is "If you have to ask, you can't afford it". I won't even look at those no matter what the horse is like.

 

[Jill]

I agree, I like to see the price up front but if the horse looks like something I may really want, I don't have a problem asking and don't have a problem letting them know Thanks, but that's more than I want to spend right now if that turns out to be the case. I think sometimes with private treaty, it may not be a high price after all, but variable considerations given depending on the home (and there's not anything wrong with that imo).

 

[Kitty]

I can say from my stand point of living up North it is HARD to advertise and sell your horses in different directions. We seem to always hear the same thing. TRANSPORTATION COSTS.

That is why when I can I offer reasonable or free transportation I hope people will JUMP on it. It is the sellers way to SAVE YOU MONEY. It is EXPENSIVE to travel anymore. I almost fell over getting a estimate to Texas. $900.00 one way OUCH.

BUT people also need to understand that it is nice to have websites but everyone doesn't have them or aren't able to get them updated as they would like. (I'm working on that problem myself ) and have to put on ads email for current pics or saleslist. I wish I knew how to update the darn thing myself. So don't pass over those ads you may find a nice horse listed. It's not always that we don't want to update but can't get them updated as we would like

And I understand the serious inquiries comment. It gets old people emailing they will offer you $200.00 for a horse. That may buy you hair from the tail but that is about it

It is difficult because alot of people are bargin shopping, hoping for that "GREAT HORSE FOR NO MONEY". I work hard to produce quality horses and it does cost alot of money to do that and I'm not going to give them away. They can stay with me and I will enjoy their beautiful looks.

Since I posted a question similiar to this once I have added heights, prices and when possible pics. I notice more hits and more emails.

This is a good topic to keep coming back to. If the market changes it could help with promoting and what to do with yours ads

 

[user 488]

I don't need to be told the that horse is "stunning" "gorgeous" "amazing" "typy" "exotic" "extreme" all in the same sentence!

Ha Ha......it's so ridiculous!

1. PICTURE/PICTURES......current.

Show me some good ones......not pro photos......but good pictures. Pictures are worth a zillion words. I am throughly convinced that most people don't have a clue what a good picture is. If someone starts with the "AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, AWESOME, BLA, BLA, BLA" it just makes me laugh. I am perfectly capable of knowing if a horse is amazing or not. Then, worst of all, I look at the horse that they are using all those "descriptive" words for and my jaw falls to my feet. Better to just let people make up their own mind.

I am truly amazed by the constant use of terrible photos with the horses face in the grass, a filthy ungroomed animal, or one running across the back forty. (a running blob as Liz put it...LOL) You always have to ask yourself the question "Would I buy that horse from that picture?"

2. Give me the PRICE.

3. Give me a SHORT, simple description on pedigree and what nots, (height, registration where you live, etc

Then I will call or email for more information.........and if you have a horse for sale DON'T tell me that you can't email me more photos or photos of the parents or photos of past foals if it is a mare, or photos of a horse driving if that is what you claim it to be. In other words....show me what you are advertising.

If you are selling the BE PREPARED to sell. To many horses out there for sale to play stupid games. I can't tell you how many times I have asked about a horse and they tell me they will take more pictures NEXT SPRING!

Don't even get me started. OH!

 

[ponyarab]

I love this topic and I agree with several on the postings as a good picture is a must because the first impression is a lasting impression. I do check the board everyday but I don't use it much because I have not gotten hardly any action from it as I use other sources where I get lots of interest. For me I do not like long ads as I always skip them and go to the next one. I realize that Mary Lou wants us to list all of our ads at one time though.

I like the ads that are to the point with a good picture and the basic information and I don't inquire on ads that have no prices or list private treaty because my thinking is that the price is way to high. I very rarely will email someone for pictures as I want to see the picture right away before I inquire.

I like ads with a website address so I can go and see more pictures and pictures of their other horses.

I have sent folks emails to let them know how gorgeous their horse is but at the same time I let them know that I am not buying. I also like emails from people letting me know they like my horse even if they are not going to buy it. Keep the information coming as I think this topic will help alot of folks out.

P.S. I am going to take into account the feature ad like Mary Lou mentioned!!!!

 

[Songcatcher]

. It gets old people emailing they will offer you $200.00 for a horse. That may buy you hair from the tail but that is about it

You must have received an offer from the same woman I did. I had a very nice, lab tested homozygous yearling filly that I had advertized for $1,500 and had marked down to $1,000 as I needed to make a sale. This woman emailed and said how much she liked her but she could only offer $200. I politely thanked her for her offer, but declined. OH! Not long later, a colt I had sold the year before (same sire as filly) was advertized on the saleboard for $500. The people who had bought him decided Minis were not for them. Next thing I know, the woman who had offered me $200 for the filly has the colt advertized on her website for sale for $5,000.

I'm all for a person making a profit, but be reasonable and respectful of others. Needless to say, I won't be searching that woman out to do business with and when I come to her ads, I skip right by them.

Edited, prices mentioned are approximates. It has been a year or so ago and I could be off by a few dollars, but close.

 

[Carolyn R]

Must haves..

Photo, current (and have some ready of the bite all the way around, legs, body side and back view)

price (real price not the inflated but "just for you price")

Who is on the papers (not those funky hard to read line pedigrees, who is actually listed and if there

has been any hardshipping)

Show record or abilities (driving, obstacle....) NOT THE SHOW RECORD OF SIBLINGS DOESN"T MEAN SQUAT

height

registries (don't say double reg'd and have it be R reg'd and the hunky dory of the americas registy for the other, LOL)

HONESTY

 

[yankee_minis]

Well my latest ad did not have prices lol That's only because the last time I posted my ad-- which was the 2nd time in two weeks-- fewer people viewed it. I figured I needed to see what would get people to look at the ad and then maybe go to my web site. Forgot all about the prices! lol

I had almost 100 views but no contacts.

I'm not complaining-- it's not like I'm paying to post the ads like I have to on other sites. So I truly appreciate the LB sales board.

Suggestion on pictures: take them in the summer or when your horse looks the best. I am always taking pictures, partly because I have a web site, but partly because I'm always looking for the best picture. I do it even for the horses I don't plan on selling because I'll need pictures of the dam and sire of my babies.