How To Make The Most Out Of Tack Sales
Miranda Allyn Horsemanship
Tis The Season For Tack Sales!
My favorite part about winter is it’s Tack Sale Season!
I’ve had some amazing finds through the years, and wanted to share a few tips and tricks with you I’ve learned along the way!
BUYERS
Don’t Overlook Dirt - Why I have no idea, but so many people are too lazy to clean their tack before they try to sell it, and you can use this to your favor to heavily discount the item. 9/10 all it needs is a good washing and it will be like new.
Don’t Skip Over Trophy Tack - There are a lot of trophy saddles, halters, pads, leg boots floating around that someone won and it didn’t fit their horse, so they try to sell them to get something that does fit. As long as you don’t mind a little lettering, you can get some great items at a discount price.
Make A List And Check It Twice - Spend a few weeks before hand writing down tack items you’d like to look for, the budget you want to spend, and share it with your friends. It’s so easy to forget items or miss out on something buried in a pile that might catch your friend’s eye for you.
SELLERS
CLEAN Your Tack! - Seriously, clean your tack. It is not only a reflection of your horsemanship, but also decreased the value you can get for the item.
Organize - If you have clothes, find a way to hang them. Saddles go on saddle racks. Make prices visible and clear.
Availability - I get it, you want to shop too, but please have someone available who is clearly designated to your booth so potential buyers know who to pay. And please have cash for change and accept Venmo.
Here are some of my most memorable deals:
I straight traded a CLEAN saddle I had priced at $350 for a dirty saddle someone had that I secretly knew was really a $700+ saddle, but hey they wanted new & shiny. (A little elbow grease goes a long way!)
A $10 lead line outfit that led to me getting wrapped up in to the lead line world and spending hundreds over the next few years, but hey it lead to my daughter winning a buckle!
A giant stuffed horse for $1 that my daughter rode daily for YEARS. (By the same people who sold me the $10 lead line outfit lol).
A handful of English Headstalls for $4 ea. I prefer English headstalls for training colts because they can’t shake them off, and they’re often easier to change bits on.
