Selling horses.......

[kareng]

I'd be interested in hearing everyone's experiences with selling their horses. How many ads do you generally place? Do you only advertise via your website? How many responses do you generally receive to your ad(s) (besides the ones from Mr. So and So from South Africa or Nigeria!!)? Do you get interest from people just window shopping or seriously in the market to buy? What is the average time frame to sell your horses?

Thanks!

kareng

 

[Jill]

I feel really lucky because the horses I wanted to sell this past year sold VERY quickly and easily. I advertised them on LB's sales board, on a couple other sales boards, and on my website. I think I had deposits on all of them w/in 2 weeks after placing them for sale.

One mare sold off my website before I could even really take current pictures of run real ads here on her! To read my emails back and forth with her new owner, you'd think I was trying NOT to sell a horse. She wanted her wanted her and wanted to send the money but I wouldn't let her do it until she saw current pictures.

Also, on all of them, I was very upfront with the new owners (at that time perspective purchasers) about every fault I thought I saw in each of the horses. It didn't hurt me in terms of moving them on. I wanted to be sure the new owners knew as much as I do about the horses to do what I could to insure they'd be going to long term homes (since if they were unpleasantly surprised, they'd be likely to sell them again soon...).

I did run some advertising in our local "Horse & Livestock Trader" magazine, however, by the time those ads came out, the horses I had submitted were already sold

Anyway, I have more experience buying than selling but have been happy so far at how "easy" it has been to find new owners for the horses I wanted to sell. I just tried to handle them they way I've been treated by people I've bought from (again, I feel I've been very lucky to date!).

It wouldn't be right for me to go into prices because that wouldn't be fair to the new owners, but I did get exactly what I was asking on all but one where I did negotiate. I was very happy with the prices.

 

[Bluerocket]

Well -- horses I have sold in the past were sold to friends -- and/or word of mouth.

I have BOUGHT horses -- at auctions - from friends and from Lil Beginnings Saleboard Ads.

I plan to sell horses via:

1) Lil Beginnings Saleboard and Supporting Lil Beginnings

2) Auctions

3) National advertising in Driving Magazines (ADS, CAA, AmeriCan Carriage Driving, Driving Digest)

4) National advertising in AMHA/AMHR Magazines (business card ads) and on AMHA breeders listings

5) Word of mouth and referrals

6) Posters at CDE competitions

7) Club newsletters/advertising (Driving and Mini clubs)

8) Our website

At this time we don't really have anything for sale except possibly one bred mare and a pet quality mini gelding candidate that needs a good home.

JJay

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I've only sold one horse before (QH) and that was just a few months ago in the terrible horse market. His blood lines spoke for himself, and I listed him on a whole three free websites. That night I got an email from someone who was seriously interested, the next afternoon (20 hours after listing him) I got a phone call from a second person. Four days later he passed his vet check and was paid in full, trailer scheduled to pick him up that day to ship him 750 miles to his new owner. That is HIGHLY unusual I think... I just happened to have a bargin priced, phenominally blooded QH with unbelievable potential (read, unbroke). I owned him a whole three weeks... wish I could have kept him, but he financed my truck, Deacon, Deacon's toys, and a lot of other things I really needed, so I have to thank him deeply for helping me out.

Even trade... I save him from an uncertain fate, he bails me out of budget issues.

Arg, I need to stop pressing "enter" before I'm done...

I listed him on Equine.com (where both people who were interested saw him), dreamhorse.com, and freehorseads.com.

 

[littlearab]

I use LB sale board, my web-site, other sale boards, horse classifieds on the web and papers.Also place posters with my cards on it around feed stores. Ect..... ect.. Any way I can think of to get the word out my horse's are for sale for buyer to see.

Normaly all my foals are sold long before weaning, but ths year I had lots of looky lou's but only a couple sold so far.

I'm pretty sure they well sell. But maybe may take alittle longer.

It's a buyer market this year for sure.

There a couple I'm open to offers on. but a couple where I'm firm..I have alittle more room this year,, more pens and new stalls. So can keep them if I have to.

 

[nootka]

I use LB and my local club's classifieds (both A and R) as well as on my own website.

There are no hard and fast rules about response time, etc.

Right now a lot of Miniature Horse people are at Nationals browsing and shopping. I find I sell quite a few in the months of Oct. and Nov. after the Nationals and people might not have found what they wanted there or realized I have something just about as nice that is less expensive.

Anyway, the majority of my sales have gone through LB. It doesn't hurt to let your local mini friends know what you have, etc. as I often dont' have something someone wants, I will refer them to my miniature horse breeder friends that I trust and think will be decent and fair with them.

My breeder friends do the same for me.

Liz

 

[Marty]

I don't have any trouble selling horses until I go to the bank and the check bounces.......more than once.

Or

I go to check out a vet reference that does not exsist.

Other than that, heck no, I don't have a problem selling horses

:

That's why my colt is still here. Geesh, I need a break.......

I do use the LB sales board and my website. I do get hits and I do answer them right away.

 

[hairicane]

I have show dogs and when I have pups available I can never count on them selling right away. And I find its the same thing with our horses. Especially with the better quality higher priced ones, so I just expect to have them here for the long haul till they sell. So the short answer is when I put an animal up for sale I expect it to sell when it sells. And with the economy being like it is I have had a lot of lookers and a lot of sales fall through, more than ever before. Of course I did just sell everything I had for sale and more but the buyers found my website and I had just what they wanted. Sometimes u just get lucky!

 

[HGFarm]

I usually use my site, Lil Beginnings of course, LOL and a couple of other sites out there. Most of my foals are sold before they are weaned. I have only had a couple that were not, and they sold shortly after. Ha, I have even sold a couple that I really didnt want to and had not advertised.

I get a few that are just looking <and the darned Nigerian folks that occasionally send a scam> but most have been serious buyers, who followed through with what they said.

 

[vvf]

I use Lil beginnings and a couple other sites. (not just the saleboard, but i also purchase Banner Ads)

This year we still have several foals still for sale. (usually they are sold by weaning time)

But....we really had a colt year this year.

I usually don't sell too many horses locally, but did sell 2 colts locally that i hadn't even had time to get listed on our website.

Then i sold a mare that i didn't advertise for sale, but a lady happened to see her on our website and liked her. I hadn't planned on selling her, but i did need to reduce the herd a little.

I am planning on gelding 3 of my colts and will reduce the price on them as geldings, and will run an ad on LB.