Marketing Ideas?

[alongman]

We got confirmation that all of our mares bred to Cloverdown's Ranger Blue (Roan Ranger son) and Jandt's Our Champion (Boone's Little Andy son) are all settled for 2006. We have been advertising a few of them for sale as well as our "great gelding giveaway" but haven't had a lot of interest. Anyone have any great ideas for other marketing?

Longman Miniatures

 

[lilhorseladie]

I like advertising mine on line. I used the lilbeginning sale board, midwest minis for sale, and My Webpage. I also, am out and about volunteering many places, which stirs interest and potential customers.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

First Lil Beginnings Sales Board, do post prices and pics and links if possible, Equine.com is ok, though I've not had alot of success selling there. Lots of inquiries but no hard sells.

BTW I see this is your first post! Welcome to the best place for minis!

 

[kaykay]

wow i love that silver dapple mare cloud. I cannot believe she hasnt sold. is that a recent pic?? Jandt mares dont usually last long and that is an unbelievably low price. The low price may be why no one has bought her. Its a weird thing but if you price a horse too low people wonder why. If i wasnt moving and had some xtra money i would have to inquire on her LOL

 

[lilhorseladie]

Ditto KayKay, I had to peek and she is gorgeous. I can't afford to have one shipped to Nebraska though.

 

[alongman]

Thanks for all the help. I have posted several times on the Lil Beginnings website and had a lot of interest, just no buyers. The picture of the mare Longman's Clouds of Independence was taken 3 years ago when she was showing - she is since a broodmare, but if she doesn't sell she'll go back out (she still looks that way!). As for the price, I want her to go to a good home, not one who has big bucks! I know how expensive shipping, etc... can be, so I'm trying to make it feasible. I'd gladly take MORE money if someone wanted to... he he he

If anyone knows of a good home looking for three boys (soon to be geldings) please let me know. I usually donate a couple each year to the 4-H or other youth organization, but there has been little interest.

 

[SuziB]

Thanks for all the help.  I have posted several times on the Lil Beginnings website and had a lot of interest, just no buyers.  The picture of the mare Longman's Clouds of Independence was taken 3 years ago when she was showing - she is since a broodmare, but if she doesn't sell she'll go back out (she still looks that way!).  As for the price, I want her to go to a good home, not one who has big bucks!  I know how expensive shipping, etc... can be, so I'm trying to make it feasible.  I'd gladly take MORE money if someone wanted to... he he he 
If anyone knows of a good home looking for three boys (soon to be geldings) please let me know.  I usually donate a couple each year to the 4-H or other youth organization, but there has been little interest.

488390[/snapback]

​

Zowie! What SPLENDID horses! In which part of Minnesota are you located?

SuziB (NE MT)

 

[yankee_minis]

I saw your ad for the geldings and I thought that was a good thing. But since I can't promise a permanent home, I didn't feel right in responding.

Perhaps that's why you didn't get much interest.

I know a lot of people up here that would like a little gelding, but I just don't have the room to keep three here. We could use one gelding to show and maybe train to drive, but that's it.

 

[lenasjbug]

just wanted to ad www.dreamhorse.com as a good place to put ads on. It's free w/o a photo but I have had the most sucess with my ads there.

Danielle

Promise Acres

 

[Russ]

Hello Adam! Welcome to the forum! I have seen your horses and your show team many times at our Iowa State Fair. You do a really nice job and your horses always look very nice and do extremely well in the ring!

I am a friend of the Park's(Timberview Appy's)

I'm fairly new to mini's but the "market" right now seems kinda flat. I believe it's a combination of many things that people just aren't buying right now and it seems to be all over the country. Fuel, shipping, weather/natural disasters, economy.....the list could go on and on.

I can't offer any creative sale techiniques because I don't know any. BUT I would encourage you to present your 05 show accomplishments to potential buyers/web viewers, show them what you have done with your breeding stock in the ring this year. You did extremely well at the IA State Fair and I'm sure there were many more shows. Mention it in your adds for your show horses and include pics of your 05 wins. Our midwest shows are no slouch

competition is pretty good....so when you place well, get your name out there and give your self credit for a job well done.

In todays market, you not only need quality horses....you need to catch the buyers eye and peak their interests to inquire/view your website. You'll get those sales

, just keep at it and be creative. Good Luck!

 

[alongman]

Thanks again for all the help. I'm located in Western Minnesota near the South Dakota border.

Thank you also for the great compliments regarding our show string! We did have an EXCELLENT show season. Our accomplishments at the Iowa State Fair (with our string of 8 horses) attained:

- Both Stallion - Under Grand Championships

- Both Mare - Over Grand Championships

- Both Mare - Under Grand Championships

Plus multiple other first places. All of our horses came home with at least one Junior or Senior Grand!!!! At the Nationals, we took several Top Tens (which I consider a huge accomplishment in classes of greater than 30 horses).

We only take a few horses each year so that our clients and their horses become like part of our family. We think that both the horses and clients deserve that - plus, we've met some great people and made some great friends along the way.

I'm still checking out the varying options for ads. I am willing to work with a good family in placing the boys. I know I'm asking a lot, but these are my KIDS and I don't want them sold in an auction or travelling around and ending up in the wrong hands. I'd rather keep them for an extra few weeks.

 

[New_Image]

I make a few ads printed off and put them up at the feed/tack stores....

And adds on all of these web site!

Dreamhorse.com (By far the best Ive found for listing horses of any breed)

Equine.com

Equinehits.com

Horsetopia.com

Freehorseads.com

And of corse LB Sale Board

 

[Cathy_H]

We only have 2-4 to sell each year. I've had good luck with the Lil Beginnings sale board. The last two years I have sold 5 to local buyers who just stopped in (we have a farm sign by the road).............. This year we sold two of our bred, raised & retired champion older show mares. A previous buyer had always voiced interest in them, so to get them into a good home I sold them for what I felt was below market value & affordable to her....................... You cannot know where your babies are going to end up. I have told a few buyers that if they got to where they could not keep the horse then call me first. This year that happened. We picked up the horse & had it in a loving home within two weeks....... Yes the market is bad right now & I personnally do not expect it to get any better unless breeders stop breeding so many mares every year............................. Some avenues that I was going to suggest, have already been mentioned above. You could consider leasing them.

 

[Sanny]

Just wanted to say HI Adam

.....we've seen you around and can vouch for the quality of your horses!!!

As soon as I post this, I am going to your website to take a look and to the saleboard to read the latest ads.

Pretty much anything I would suggest to you on marketing has already been posted so I can't be much help to you.

Our family is looking for another A size mare or gelding as an all-round performance show horse but we haven't been aggressively looking, just keeping our eyes open for the right horse for our family to come along. We are going to the I-90 sale on Saturday to look around and there are really some super quality minis listed in it and I am hearing a lot of mini people we know are going to it both to sell and to buy. I know the market is soft right now though, so it is hard to predict what the horses will go for. I know you don't want to go that route (auction) but you could always "no sale" the horse if the sale and the buyer didn't feel right. I think the serious buyers will all be at the preview held on Friday which would give you a chance to meet those (like us) that are serious about buying and making the right choice and have a million questions for the sellers. Having said we are going possibly to buy, I know I probably couldn't bring one to sell that way for the same reasons you gave and MORE (my kids would never go for it - they are very attached to all of our horses and even the ones we are not showing that are more pet quality are special to them and selling isn't an option they want to consider.

 

[alongman]

Thanks again all for your comments -

I am hoping to go to the sale as well, but only for social events... he he he. I know that I could bring my kids to a sale if I were that desperate, but I am sure that I will be able to find a good home if I am patient. I think that it's a pretty good deal (free horses...how much better can it get?). I ONLY want a good home for them. No fancy barns, no first class trailer, just a lot of love and attention.

I am hoping to get all of my professional pictures downloaded so I can use them in ads. What do you guys think of using professional pictures instead of snapshots for advertising?

 

[Russ]

I think professional pics are great for adds and advertising a farm's name and are necessary to be competitive in sales. BUT as a rule of thumb, a good snapshot showing the horse naturally is just as important in cinching the sale deal for the seriouis buyer. So I'd have those ready for a buyer to view also.

I am going to make a general statement(not geared at anyone or you Adam) and it may not be how most people feel but is my opinion......SOMETIMES and I stress sometimes.....I have seen professional pics that were just outstanding, only later to see the horse in person or in another non professional pic(in all the cases the horses were groomed nicely) but it was a major disappointment of the quality of the horse versus what the professional pic portrayed. Maybe it was just me but I know I have discussed this with a horsey friend and they agree about the importance of viewing casual non professional pics too.

So, I guess I am a saying.....pro pics in adds are great.....just have some casual snapshots as they have an equally important place in sales too.

 

[Sanny]

I also think a really good quality professional picture is important if you are selling a horse with a higher than average price tag but in addition to that, have available lots of snapshots of different angles and views of the horse. One of our horses we are currently showing was not anywhere near show shape when we saw him in person, but we saw several really great photos of him when he was in shape and groomed to perfection and it did seal the deal. I agree with Russ though that it is disapointing when a horse comes nowhere near the perfect photo originally presented. I DON'T think people should be altering or touching up photos of the horses. Just show them at their best and leave it at that. Kind of like when woman go to Glamour Shots for a photo and they end up looking nothing like they really do with all the heavy makeup, special lighting and special effects.

 

[DebiM]

I also agree that Dreamhorse.com is a great place for selling. We sell most of our horses from our website, past buyers, references from past buyers and then comes Dreamhorse's sales board. As a couple other people mentioned, I've had very little luck selling on our sales board here at LB.

I also wanted to add your foals to Blue should be awesome, too. We purchased a mare last year bred to him. We certainly were not disappointed with the colt she had! He'll be showing in the north central states next year.

 

[alongman]

Thank you all for your input. I'm glad that I spent the money on the professional pictures, but I will grab some snapshots as well. I know that my professional photos were not touched up, but I do know that there were MANY MANY pictures taken to get those good ones.