WOW saddles out of fashion?

zoon

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I've been browsing ebay and noticed that there are a lot of saddles and flaps going cheap. Are the WOWs going out of fashion or are people just plain broke at the moment? EVen during this recession they seem to be fetching around 800-900 pounds and flaps for about 200-250, but now there are saddles and flaps for loads less. I have my eye on a few things!
 
There are lots on there for 700-900 and they finish with no bidders. I paid £250 for some dressage flaps about 4 months ago and now there are flaps on there for £20!

I've been looking for an ideal dressage saddle second hand and these are still selling for about £750 (suzannah and roella ones) so I'm thinking maybe the WOWs are out of fashion???
 
I would think it is a case of they were the best thing ever when first introduced but now things have settled people buy them if they want them. I have two and wont be selling them at the moment but tbh I hate the weight of them. I also think there are better styles of saddle available at lower prices. Just my horse doesnt like them LOL! I bought the WOW as a last resort really! And it did do the job so wont knock them at all. But I also think they have made them too complex and the individual parts are too expensive. If they made the panels a more reasonable price then the saddles would be more flexible. £450 for a pair of flaps is also OTT IMO.

I think it is a great concept but they are too pricey.
 
I bought one off ebay about 2 months ago, everyone wanted it and I ended up paying a lot. It hasn't suited and guess what? I can't sell it for anything like what I paid for it never mind the extra headplate, fitting charge , new girth etc.
 
People who have wows know how tricky they are to buy secondhand as they have too many different options. Maybe this is a ploy by First Thought Equine. Wow fitters are expensive too. Like I said, I like the concept, but they are too pricey and if they want to maintain a market they need to rethink now.

If the secondhand market is poor then people wont take the risk.
 
If you search for topics on these saddles here, you will find several people have had problems with them. I've heard that rather a lot over the last year or so. The key is a really good fitter.
 
I have never had a problem with mine, but living close to the head office I get one of the original fitters. Think they are like marmite really.

Prices for new parts have just gone up so a pair of flaps in now £575! So would have thought that would have increased demand for the second hand things. Going to be buying the cheap flaps on ebay if they stay so cheap and maybe the XC seat too...

Here's another WOW question - do the magnesium headplates really help with the weight? And why have they stopped making them and now you can only get them second hand?
 
OUt of fashion? Hardly. There's NINE week backlog of orders in the workshop. I'm having no problem making a profit selling my spare ones, but there is an art to advertising them. I have another, jumping saddle, coming up soon, PM me if you are interested - £750, nearly new.

Oh yes they help with the weight all right - over half a kilo difference! They don't make them any more, I am guessing, because they snap under too much pressure. I have heard of two snapped plates ..... just a guess though.
 
I wonder if people are becomeing a little more educated about them, realising that they need the exact right panel and seat to fit the horse, but maybe not sure what type that actually is unless they've had one fitted.

I'm looking to buy two but can't afford it at the moment. Want a flat size 1 seat with size 0 panels (for stupidly short backed cob) with extra wide gullet with tabs and no gusset. And an size 2 medium seat with wide gullet, tabs and a gusset and no stitch line. Need to less than #600 each too. Anc can I find that combination? Can I hell, esp the size 0 panels!
 
Second hand pair of flaps just sold for £350, so I think you just saw a blip in the market of a few that were badly advertised. I bought two of them!

You'll be very lucky to get anything for £600 Kallibear. Can you compromise on the no stitch line and use a geleze like I do? Works a treat. If you can, I have an old but pretty good condition brown size 2 deep seat with size 2 SDWG panels with tabs and gusset and very good condition dressage flaps probably for sale this Friday, depending on what my newly bought one turns out to be like when I pick it up Thursday. PM me if interested.
 
Well since others are saying what they have to sell........
Mine is a competitor, havana, size 1 with deep seat, vsd flaps and moveable blocks, DXWG panels with tabs and no stitch line, barely used, beautiful saddle but not suited to my daughter for jumping in hence sad sale!!
 
Well I have been looking for plain DWG no front gusset, no tabs and stitch line for over a year now. I bought the only ones that came up on eBay and I am still looking.

They are marmite, I have a horse that won't go in anything but his wow, and his full brother doesn't go that well in them and prefers a normal flocked saddle.

I think half the reason why Wow's don't sell on eBay is that the seller are rubbish. They don't know what they have or the tree type, which is really unhelpful

You could easily end up buying an old resin tree because the seller doesn't know the difference.
 
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