How much are you asking?

FreddiesGal said:
This. I either think it's going to be ridiculously expensive, or have so many issues the buyer can decide what its worth. I don't see why some people don't put a price on.
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Well I have been trying to find a purchaser for my boy for some time, I have discovered that there are few people who can actually ride at the required level.
...... I have to speak to them to find out what level of competence they have, and although some ads have his price, [some include all tack], and others don't.
I am not asking a lot, but I want them to ring me so I can "screen"" them, find out if he will get a good home. The newer ads tend to have a lot of detail, and should exclude the less experienced.
Though not today, a lady [Preloved] asks about him, I say he needs schooling to bring his jumping back to former level, she says she has not enough time to school, well I respond he still needs to be worked to improve fitness, ,,, apparently that is an ask too far..............
I have now put the price on, but at the time I was not sure what the market price was, don't want to give him away to someone who will sell him on....
 
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Plus, I find it odd that you would then ask them 'well what can you afford?'
IMO that's very unprofessional and just makes it sound like you are tryingit on to rip someone off.

If you want to sell something, you decide how much you want for it then advertiseit complete with price.

I certainly wouldn't waste my time going to see a horse only to find out it was far more than I was willing to pay.
 
Just to add to hat seems like some pretty repetitive answers.

I never would call about a horse with no price on it.

I earn a decent living and can afford tack, vets, dentist, farrier etc without skimping, my horse wants for nothing. However I still had a budget when buying, buying is about how much you can or want to stump up at the beginning not about how much you will spend on it moving forward.

At the end of the day how you feel about selling your horse doesn't really come into the selling process apart form how you choose who to sell to. You have chosen to sell your horse, whether you think it is or not it is a commodity that people will want to know the price of.

So yes I do think you are being a grumpy old trout :p
 
Miss L Toe said:
Well I have been trying to find a purchaser for my boy for some time, I have discovered that there are few people who can actually ride at the required level.
...... I have to speak to them to find out what level of competence they have, and although some ads have his price, [some include all tack], and others don't.
I am not asking a lot, but I want them to ring me so I can "screen"" them, find out if he will get a good home. The newer ads tend to have a lot of detail, and should exclude the less experienced.
Though not today, a lady [Preloved] asks about him, I say he needs schooling to bring his jumping back to former level, she says she has not enough time to school, well I respond he still needs to be worked to improve fitness, ,,, apparently that is an ask too far..............
I have now put the price on, but at the time I was not sure what the market price was, don't want to give him away to someone who will sell him on....
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Exactly! That says it all for me, as this is a green horse and I'd hope her value is increasing as her education progresses. Some would-be purchasers are just not suitable and they still won't qualify just because they have lots of money.

How do you deal with someone who views, shows they haven't a clue, then pulls out a wad of cash? I know many will be tempted! It's so much easier to quote a price you know will be refused. I'd rather sell cheap to a good home. And I think I'd prefer to keep my cards close to my chest in the meantime.

But from the obviously sincere advice here, I think I'll withdraw my adverts until the horse reaches the next stage in her education and then post again -- with a price!:D I hope that pleases Flame_ at least. I hate telephone calls!:p
 
patterdale said:
Plus, I find it odd that you would then ask them 'well what can you afford?'
IMO that's very unprofessional and just makes it sound like you are tryingit on to rip someone off.

If you want to sell something, you decide how much you want for it then advertiseit complete with price.

I certainly wouldn't waste my time going to see a horse only to find out it was far more than I was willing to pay.
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I was being facetious!;) I've never actually said that -- though after a long day hay making, it can be very tempting!
 
Just a last comment about not being able to afford if you can't pay for a horse. Upfront, we'd never be able to pay more than about £300 for a horse. However, Reg wants for nothing. He is shod every 5 weeks, regular dentist visits, chiro sessions every other month and is fed the best quality feed/ hay/ haylege we can find and is liveried at the perfect yard for him. They have weekly lessons with a respected instructor, compete regularly at affiliated/ PC comps and he is loved and adored. He literally wants for nothing.

But actually paying upfront for a horse (especially a reasonable one!)? Couldn't unless they went without all of that for months, which defeats why the horse was bought in the first place!
 
Just because you have a price on an advert doesn't mean you can't still screen people exactly as you would as things stand without a price.. I think you would just get more realistic people ringing actually. If there is no price, surely the big I ams with money tend to ring more than the sensible horse shopper..?
 
Honey08 said:
Just because you have a price on an advert doesn't mean you can't still screen people exactly as you would as things stand without a price.. I think you would just get more realistic people ringing actually. If there is no price, surely the big I ams with money tend to ring more than the sensible horse shopper..?
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There is surely an established market price for a particular type of horse?

Since writing the last post, I've received an email from someone wanting to come and view. There's still no price on the advert and no price has been mentioned. I'm assuming they will know what sort of price that type of horse is worth and how much they want to pay and make an offer.

I think that sort of deal was probably a lot more usual in the past. Haggling was a bit of a game, like playing poker. Lots of fun though!:D
 
I know what you mean DR. Occasionally I get emails for puppies on the lines of

"do u hav any pups 4 sale how much r they"

Which I just bin. All the info is on my website apart from price and if they can only be bothered to write something like that I can't be bothered to reply to them.

I do understand what folk mean about not wanting to waste anyone's time not knowing the price and I agree with that too but I think it's often not what you say but the way you (or rather they) say it if that makes sense.
 
As a buyer I may well know what price I would expect to pay for an animal of a certain type, but the vendor may well have an over inflated view of the worth of the animal. I would not be answering any advert which did not state an amount, as it appears that they are often placed by people who have an unrealistc view of the value of their animal. I also am not interested in the vendors state of mine tbh
 
Lots of websites where horses are advertised allow you to minimise your choices by selecting a price range - I never even look at POA adverts cause if I have to ask I probably cannot afford it and POA ads are historically due to the fact that the horse is rather expensive.

So you could find that by not adding a price to the ad you are excluding a whole bunch of potentially excellent homes - mine would be one of them - my horse wants for nothing and is very well cared for.

Just a thought.
 
The very first thing I want to know about any potential purchase of anything at all is the price! It's hardly unreasonable to ask this first. I'm also a blunt speaker and wouldn't dress it up in niceties, I'd just ask outright. I don't want to waste my time typing long introductory emails or text, nor do I want to spend 100 pounds on phone credit chatting to 20 people for a few minutes each about their horses virtues and the reason for sale, if the price is twice what I intend to spend. So I'd be one of these people you think is rude, asking the price and nothing else to start with.

I only buy cheap horses. I can break in, school on, rehabilitate from injury, reschool bad behavior. I'm happy, riding wise, to do anything the horse is capable of. If you can sit on it in an arena, get some form of walk trot and canter out of it, if its not lame of ill, doesn't bite or kick (my pet hates), then as far as I'm concerned its good to go. I'd work to improve it and make it as best as it can be, within my limitations as a rider. So I don't need an expensive horse. Having miserly tendencies doesn't make me a bad owner!

Yes there is an average market price for a particular type and standard of horse. But as the buyer you have no idea if the seller lives in the real world or a fantasy land. I don't even skim read the ad if I see POA, I skip straight past. Doesn't matter if the horse turns out to be worth the price or not, I figure the horse must be expensive if the seller wants someone whose first priority is not their budget. As for what to say to people who are unsuitable, how about telling them straight that you don't think your horse is the right one for them and if they start arguing ask them to leave.
 
For some reason, very few highlands (like the OP's) are advertised on the HPS website with prices given, or at least they haven't been when I've bought. It just doesn't seem to be the done thing.

If you weren't prepared to contact a seller about a non-priced horse, you probably wouldn't be able to buy a highland.

The thing is, there are ways and means of asking questions like that. I can understand why DryRot objects to "how much is it?" straight off - it makes it sound as though price is the primary consideration in purchase, rather than one of many considerations. An email / phone conversation with a few primary questions about the horse itself, followed by an inquiry as to the ball park figure wouldn't provoke the same response (and I speak from experience there). The most the buyer has lost is a few minutes if the horse is way out of their price range.

Finally, I don't think (lolo et al.) that DR meant to suggest that those who buy cheaper horses aren't suitable as owners. I think he meant to suggest that those who would only buy cheaper horses primarily on the strength of their low price may well not be ideal by his standards.
 
I think I see more now where you're coming from DR, since your last post, however I'm really not sure how to resolve your points with the common perception of adverts the way it is these days.

I'd suggest putting some sort of ballpark figure in the advert and then pointing out that you're seeking a very special home for a very special horse. Personally I would answer an advert like that because it implies to me that the current owner cares for the horse and wants to ensure the next home is going to be the same.

I've only ever sold once in my horse owning time and it was a pony outgrown by my daughter. It was awful and I doubt I'll ever do it again. I refused one home outright because I felt the people had no idea what they were doing and for the eventual buyers I more than halved my asking price because it was a home for life on their own land and they knew what they were getting into.

Really hate selling but have to say if you put a price on your adverts you would be the kind of seller I'd want to buy from! I wish you luck with your selling. :)
 
JFTD said:
The thing is, there are ways and means of asking questions like that. I can understand why DryRot objects to "how much is it?" straight off - it makes it sound as though price is the primary consideration in purchase, rather than one of many considerations.
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but for most people it is the primary concern - and I would not wish to discuss the merits of a horse and get myself all excited at the prospect of thinking I have found the perfect horse only to then ask the price and realise I cant afford the initial outlay. I have a good income, and can easily afford to care for a horse, but I might have limited funds to actually purchase an animal, so my primary concern is "how much is it" - else Im wasting my time and the sellers
 
Hevs said:
but for most people it is the primary concern - and I would not wish to discuss the merits of a horse and get myself all excited at the prospect of thinking I have found the perfect horse only to then ask the price and realise I cant afford the initial outlay. I have a good income, and can easily afford to care for a horse, but I might have limited funds to actually purchase an animal, so my primary concern is "how much is it" - else Im wasting my time and the sellers
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And further to this, presumably the person has already answered many of their other considerations from information in the advert - age, height, ability of horse etc. Price is unlikely to be the most important consideration (or they'd go for a freebie ex racehorse!) but one of the key ones that needs answering if its not included in the advert!
 
I thought that where the seller was more concerned about the home than anything else, it would be stated in the advert. Don't people do that any more? Eg. 14 hh bay mare...free to good home/for permanent loan/for sale 1000 pounds home more important than price. All of those let you know what's on offer, and make it clear that the seller isn't just after the cash and won't sell to you if you're not the right person.
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
I thought that where the seller was more concerned about the home than anything else, it would be stated in the advert. Don't people do that any more? Eg. 14 hh bay mare...free to good home/for permanent loan/for sale 1000 pounds home more important than price. All of those let you know what's on offer, and make it clear that the seller isn't just after the cash and won't sell to you if you're not the right person.
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That sounds like a very good idea but in practice it doesn't work for me. The reason it doesn't work is that people tell you what you want to hear -- and those are often the last people you'd want to sell to! It is also difficult to tell people to their faces that they are, for some reason, considered unsuitable as owners (at least, without getting a black eye)!

I suspect I'm from a different generation from most here. Today, we have excellent communications and most know what things are worth -- and if they don't, they can very soon find out. I suspect a lot of the "How much are you asking?" type of enquiries are from people wanting to know what their own horse is worth!

Does anyone on here ever make an offer where no price is quoted? I wonder how many would haggle over the price of hay, for example? Or even ask for a discount when they go to buy feed from their local retailer? I'm a farmer and we know horsey people always pay more!:D

Unfortunately, I'm bred wrong for this straight quotation business. I once spent a whole afternoon trying to get 50p knocked off the price of a dog (in Ireland, of course). The owner wouldn't budge and I ended up buying at the price stated. I've always felt that was a significant blot on my career.:(
 
It sounds as if you maybe equating 'having a budget', to wanting something 'budget-priced' and by doing so you could be screening out potentially great homes.

I would be somewhat offended if someone assumed that by knowing how much capital I have/want to spend on the initial outlay of purchasing a horse, that I didn't have sufficient income to keep the horse.

Discussing money/price is an inherent part of buying/selling and, while the OP may be flexible on price to the right home, an early enquiry of asking price saves time for both parties.

I doubt people ask purely to get a valuation on their own horse... 15 mins spent on the internet is a much more efficient method!
 
DR - I have never paid the asking price for a horse (usually 10-40% less) - I haggle on EVERYTHING........BUT you need to know what the ballpark figure is before you start.

With a horse, I need to know roughly what they want for it, as I'm not going to go see a horse someone wants 10k for because it's 'got potential.' People sometimes have a very inflated view of what their horse is worth.

Buying hay for example is different. There is a generally accepted price band for hay. If I go and see an ad for hay with mo price on, I'm unlikely to drive all the way there to find they want £25 a small bale........with horses however this wouldn't be out of the ordinary!

So IMO you do need the price!

Ps, if you find selling animals difficult you must be in constant tears being a farmer....;) :D
 
I haven't sold a horse but on my recent horse hunting expedition I always confirm price on the phone with the seller and usually ask if it's negotiable to gauge if there is any leeway on the price. I appreciate it's frustrating for the seller if you've spent the day preparing your horse for a viewing, someone spends an hour trying it and then tell you it's out of their budget!
 
Dry Rot said:
I suspect I'm from a different generation from most here. Today, we have excellent communications and most know what things are worth -- and if they don't, they can very soon find out. I suspect a lot of the "How much are you asking?" type of enquiries are from people wanting to know what their own horse is worth!

Does anyone on here ever make an offer where no price is quoted? I wonder how many would haggle over the price of hay, for example? Or even ask for a discount when they go to buy feed from their local retailer? I'm a farmer and we know horsey people always pay more!:D
(
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Horse pricing is completely different to hay pricing though.

Different people would have the same horse for sale for 3k and 8k. There's no way that I would waste my time, and the seller's time, by spending a day going to view a horse I didn't know the price of and making an offer if the seller had no intention of accepting anywhere near what I was prepared to pay for the horse. What's the point?
 
I rarely haggle. The last two ponies I bought I felt were below market price and I paid the asking price (one advert did say no offers).

I would not budge on the price of a pup or trained dog either. I know how much they are worth and how much it took me to rear them train them to that stage and I price them to sell at that price.

People who bring the price down for hagglers most likely over priced it in the first place to compensate for coming down in price. :p
 
FfionWinnie said:
People who bring the price down for hagglers most likely over priced it in the first place to compensate for coming down in price. :p
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I have done this, when selling most things, because I expect people to haggle...I would always haggle on a horse or anything second hand, because I think people put it slightly higher with the expectation that people will haggle, unless they explicitly state this.

I always think, when I have sold a horse, that I would rather take a few hundred less, even if under-selling, and have the better home for the horse, which I think is what DR is saying...but, I always put a figure there to start with, and would expect to see the same if buying, to avoid wasting everybodies times, and having the embarrassment of somebody offering £500 for a £2000 horse, for example, which I think you offer yourself wide open to if you suggest 'how much do you think it's worth/want to pay'...awkward! :o
 
I DR you possibly underestimate how emotionally difficult buying horses can be. Especially for those of us looking to buy a horse that will be their only horse and offered a home for life.

I spent ages looking, I had a fairly decent budget for the sort of RC allrounder I wanted, but that didn't mean I would have paid that for all of the horses I viewed. In fact the one I bought was well within that budget, leaving money spare for a trailer.

But I really didn't want to invest time and emotion looking at horses that were unsuitable and checking the asking price early is one way of preventing this. I exchanged messages with a lady on here who was selling a horse who sounded lovely, got quite excited, she didn't mention price though until really pushed. I knew he'd be at the top of our budget or maybe a little over, but he was nearly double. I'm sure he was worth it but I hadn't got that kind of cash and wasn't prepared to borrow to buy a horse. The result was I'd spent a week or so while we emailed each other getti.g excited and then being disappointed.

Sellers often underestimate how tough it can be for buyers.
 
Yes, I would want to know how much the horse was. Just because I *could* pay £10k for a horse doesn't mean I *would* pay £10k for a horse if I was intending to pay around £5k for what I had in mind for my needs.

Or are you suggesting I should pay £10k for your £2k horse just because it'd be rude not to? Or to prove I am 'well off' enough for the precious creature? :rolleyes:

As YorksG said, a lot of people have a rather unrealistic idea of what their horse is worth. If I saw a not-particularly-impressive-but-just-what-I'm-looking-for horse advertised as POA, my first query would be the price; I would not travel to see a horse without first knowing how deluded the owner was. If I did, the horse would no doubt be 're-advertised due to timewasters'!

If it bothers you so much, put an OIRO price on your ad.
 
Can I ask why you don't put a price in the advert and also why is the price 4 times what you'd accept to a good home?
If they ask the price at the outset of the telephone conversation it avoids wasting both yours and their time.
I won't even ring if the price isn't in the advert, nothing more embarrassing than having a long conversation about a horse to find its out of your price bracket!
 
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