Tips for selling?

[Wiggy]

Two nice horses for sale for months, and not even a bite... I wonder what I am doing wrong? I priced them at "market value" last summer and got no interest... wanted them gone before winter so I dropped them WAY down... have had no interest and here comes spring. They absolutely must be gone by summer, but I don't know how to do it!

Both are healthy, both are trained in everything, both have shown, both are double registered (A/R)... mare has bred successfully and has good lines and exceptional conformation (res. champ halter horse)... gelding is a "typical perfect gelding", great personality, done it all, not fantastic conformation, but a total all-around horse.

Had the mare listed at $3,000 at the highest and that was/is with being exposed to a nice registered stallion. Had a "gauranteed" home for her, but they ditched out a couple months ago.

Gelding was $1,500 at the highest, and down to $750 by fall... not even a single inquiry.

Advertising locally, on as many free online places as I can find... have friends spreading the word as well... I dont know what else to do...

 

[Mona]

Well, if you really want to move them, I guess you'll have to drop their prices even further. Otherwise, if you want your asking price, you'll just need to accept the fact that they may not sell quickly, and you'll have to keep them for as long as it takes to sell them. That's just the way it goes with raising and/or selling horses.

:

 

[Wiggy]

How can I go lower than "$750OBO - ALL offers considered"? I cannot keep them any longer, as I am moving across the country this summer... catch is, of course, that I also need some kind of money from their sales to survive the move... :no:

 

[minisforme]

Do you have a website? Or pics? I may know someone interested in the mare. Let me know! Thanks!

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

Do have the email ddresses of previous buyers?

You could send out a multiple emailing to previous buyers, stating what you have for sale, send a pic of hich horses are for sale. State prices but that there are discounts to previous buyers.

Every year after my foals are born, I email previous buyer to let them know what is available. It helps a lot.

Good luck!

 

[Warpony]

The pet mini market around where I live (which is really the only market I'm familiar with here) is going through the same thing... People trying to sell mini's for $200/$300 can't move them, even nice little horses with good temperaments and papers. I'm finding the same problem with selling equipment, though I think I'll have better luck as the weather warms up. Perhaps a renewed push to sell as the spring weather improves and people start thinking about getting out and about and playing with their horses will get them sold for you.

The up side to this (the local situation for me) is that hopefully the two horses I have been trying to decide between will still be on the market when my equipment sells and I can afford to buy one of them.

:

 

[lvponies]

As Mona said, if you want to sell them quickly, you'll have to bring the prices down. Otherwise, you'll have to hang on to them until the right buyer comes along.

 

[Lynne360]

I can't speak for your market area, but I know that the market seems slow here as well. I will offer one tip... when you advertise on the free online places, I would make sure to have a picture add even if it costs a little money. I know many people who only look at picture adds when they use those types of sites.

Good Luck with your sale and your move,

Lynne

 

[Kendra]

If you really need to move them, there's a nice auction for registered horses in Olds on March 23. We sold 2 mares there last spring and they brought very respectable prices. Didn't consign any to the fall sale, but we did buy two!

:

http://www.simplyuniqueauctions.com

Also, if I might suggest advertising in your local club newsletter, I've found it really is effective.

 

[Cathy_H]

If you are really intent in moving them I would suggest letting them go to the first "good home" for what the buyer can afford.. A good home for my beloved horse means more to me than a few extra bucks............... With people still breeding like they are, the market is not going to get any better.

 

[Sterling]

Have you tried setting up a website (I don't see one in your signature or your card) and advertising them on either the LB Last Chance Auction or the Sales page? Also putting up an ad at your feed store may generate interest.

 

[RockRiverTiff]

What kind of pictures are you advertising with? I rarely respond to ads without pictures. The catch is that I won't respond at all to an ad with a bad picture. I suggest this spring you get some nice, clear, clipped pictures of your horses. You said the mare's a halter champion, so if you have any show photos advertise her with those for now. Forget the details--nothing gets my attention faster than a pretty horse.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I see people (and I am sure I have fallen into this myself) who say my horse has perfect conformation and in reality in less then seconds I can find tons of faults with them so I am not sure if this is a pet or not (as I cant see the horses) and again I am sure I have in fact I know I have been guilty of the same thing.

The first part in successfully and quickly selling a horse is seeing what you truly have in front of you in order to really price it fairly.

I expect alot out of a gelding I expect a gelding to be as nice as a stallion in almost all respects cause if you are showing especially nationally let me tell you the compitition is HARD in those gelding classes with a majority of them even those getting the gate are better then a huge portion of stallions I have seen.

Of course I am just now reading that this is Stacy and then IF IT IS my answer to you would be you were banned from the sale board and the forum for a reason so sneaking back on here to try and sell your horses isnt the right thing to do

If not then take some good pictures be honest with what is in front of you ask others what they feel the value is honestly and go from there.

 

[kaykay]

In this business reputation is everything. Once you get a bad reputation it is very hard to overcome