Monday, January 16, 2017

It Went Shopping, Part the Second

As y'all are aware, Courage is a dressage horse. As you are probably also aware, I wish he would jump. I mean, the horse jumps likes this:
But for complicated biomechanical reasons we aren't going to get in to right now, he is better off not jumping regularly with me. The point is, I have a jump saddle. The saddle really doesn't fit me great and it really doesn't fit him that well.

So while I'm out wandering the internet and buying anything in plain sight, I stumbled across a certain French Gentleman.

In case you weren't aware, Canadian dollars are basically monopoly money, so omg super cheap!! And yes, of course I know both Courage and my specs in the various French saddles. It's just part of being a tack ho.

Anyways. I went all crazy-go-nuts and bid on the French Gentleman and then drove Teresa and Leah nuts counting down the hours on the auction (quote: "you're giving me a saddle ulcer."). Those of you penny pinchers out there ought to be proud of how I didn't just completely freak out when I got outbid in the final minutes and let the Frenchman go to someone else.
too much monopoly $ for me
But here's the thing: just because I missed out on on wildly excellent deal I didn't need doesn't mean I can't look for another. #youmightbeatackho

I tried to be objective about it. I don't need a shiny new Frenchman. I only jump a few times a year. I just want something that fits both of us well enough to be safe and balanced. I don't jump enough to spend a lot.

And I want a monoflap.

Dammit.

I do.

So I scoured the entire internet. Sadly, all the monoflap Frenchmen were 3-5k+, which isn't in my price range for a saddle for a discipline I actually do, much less one I dabble in once a quarter.
and it has been reasonably pointed out that i'm not even riding right now



But then I stumbled across this one saddle:
18" medium tree monoflap saddle. Reasonable asking price. A friend has one and raves about it, but she rides a horse different than mine and I've never sat in it. It's a bit of an off-brand and it's not French, but it's affordable.

Despite what you think, I'm a pretty frugal person. I hemmed and hawed and tire kicked and gave Leah a jump on another saddle ulcer. Oh and I definitely didn't tell Alyssa because she's a bit of a hater on the tack purchases unless they're purple. But I didn't want a purple monoflap.
did want  purple polos. got them.

The seller agreed to a trial, but we went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth on price and details and weren't really coming to an agreement. I will close a deal NAOW if I really want something, but I didn't neeeeeeed it per se and I didn't know if it would fit and ehhhhh that's a big risk for me.

Finally, I told the seller I'd keep looking. (Translation: try to sell my current saddle so I actually have a budget and can start making sexy eyes at Frenchmen on ebay).

She said toodles.

Then she countered with an offer lower than my last offer. And the trial I wanted. And threw in some accessories. So I guess it was less like "countered" and more like "caved".
celebratory dinner party for one
I paid her. Things got weird.

Funny joke no. They were already weird. But once I paid her, the weird hit new and bizarre levels, including the seller messaging me to demand more money because she'd rather get more than than she told me she'd sell for, which is a fascinating way of doing business to be sure.

Not gonna lie, it was three days of sheer entertainment. The negotiations kept getting crazier. I laughed out loud a lot.

But at the end of day three, I was out $$$ and didn't feel like shelling out more to get a saddle I only half wanted and didn't actually need. So I asked for a refund, and to the seller's credit, she promptly complied.
SAY HES A BIRD

And that is the story of how I both bought and didn't buy a saddle, but sold a bridle to finance it and thus ended up with a hearty paypal balance and we all know paypal money isn't real money, so I rolled that balance into purchasing...

DUN DUN DUN

to be continued...

41 comments:

  1. Still giggling about the negotiations... 😂

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  2. You can't make this shit up! I love the internet.

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    1. Yeah I bought a manual lawnmower on Craigslist and when I went to pick it up (thank gawd in public) the lady took my cash $60, as agreed then gave me the mower. Ok, cool. Then 5 min later after I loaded it up and was about to drive away proceeded to run screaming up to my car that her husssssssbund was now pissed she only got $60 and wanted it back. I said ummmm no. She tried to block me in my parking spot with her car with her kids in it!!!!!!! Omg. I called the cops, too afraid to get out and give her the darn thing even if I was willing. Finally she gave up and left but who does that???? Peeps be crazyyyyy!

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    2. Uhhhhhh wow that's super nuts. ;-) At no point did this seller in any way physically threaten me nor did I feel I needed to get law enforcement involved.

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  3. I feel like you need to compile your tales of buying and selling stuff into a book of short stories or something.

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    1. This one absolutely takes the cake on craziest experience. I'm just shocked I could be that entertained and not have it cost me a dime. Better than movies!

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  4. I'm just sad you didn't share the screenshots, because I've been entertained for DAYS hahaha.... My post on this subject will have to be later this week 😉

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    1. I debated, but it is not my intention to trash an individual seller just because we see the world differently.

      But omg.

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  5. The only thing worse than regular internet whackos are internet horse wackos.

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  6. That is truly wild! So far, my only crazy tack story involves a seller who tried to convince me that just a noseband was the entire bridle. She had photographic evidence and everything.

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  7. Lol PayPal money will NEVER be real money.

    Also. Horse ppl are crazy.

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  8. OMG How crazy!!!! I am so glad you got a refund!

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  9. Funny story, I had an ebay seller do the exact same thing to me. I won an auction, paid, the seller messaged me to demand more money, and I was like "I don't think you understand how auctions work." And left a negative review and got my money back.

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    1. I got a prompt, full refund. No harm, no foul.

      And lots of hilarious screenshots.

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  10. Every time you share stuff about your shopping all I can think is that I need you as my personal tack shopper. So I need a CWD 17-17.5 with 4C flap, medium tree, and pro panels for less than $3k if you happen to see one...haha!

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    1. My problem with shopping for people is sometimes I end up buying stuff. 😜 I'll keep my eyes open.

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  11. Kinda off topic but where do you think is the best place to buy\sell saddles online? I have a saddle up on a few fb groups but have not gotten any bites.

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    1. I hate selling saddles.

      Um beyond that it's all about finding the right buyer, so list as many places as possible, bump regularly, and omg PRICE COMPETITIVELY. Also where I'm at, January is really not prime saddle selling season. YMMV. I'm way better at buying than selling.

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    2. Haha thanks. I hate buying and selling saddles.. So stressful. I like looking at tack but when it comes to saddle fitting. Ugh...

      Is ebay where its at to buy tack these days? I have never tried ebay and I think I should just take the plunge.

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  12. Was it a fB site? I'd report then as a bad seller and get them blocked.

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  13. I can't keep up with your tack adventures!

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    1. That's probably a sign of emotional health. I wouldn't worry.

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  14. omg i am looking for a monoflap jump saddle too (casually not as crazy as you are :) HA HA but i hope i dont come across that looney toon! :) Glad you got your money back. Meanwhile keep posting photos of any you find :) HA HA HA I can learn from you....

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    1. Hey, think of the blog post you can write if you do. ;-)

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  15. HAHA i love when you negotiate and then the seller is like "jk i didnt actually think you'd take that and now i hate you"

    looking forward to part 2 B-)

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  16. Buying tack online from a private seller is always rife with adventure, sometimes in the not so good way lol I got super lucky with both my saddles working out from the get-go and with good transaction experiences. I'm glad you got your money back though and probably now have the fire under your butt to really spring on something that ends up working better!

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    1. Actually I'm hoping the butt-fire is out until the budget is more amenable. ;-) We'll see.

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  17. Ok first, that cliffhanger is just mean.
    And what a story. That saddle seller sounds a touch bipolar.
    I got called a cheap whore by a seller on ebay last week. So that was nice. Did you know, it's perfectly within ebays policy for someone to swear at you in private message?

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    1. Right? Because they had a best offer option on something and I offered $5 under their asking price. But then I realized her ebay profile pic is of a party bus, complete with stripper pole, so maybe to her it's not really an insult?

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  18. You and I are in the same boat. I've been fox hunting once...and plan to go again. They didn't seem to mind my western saddle, but a couple comments were made to suggest that maybe I should get an english one if I decided to join the hunt more regularly. So I have been looking around...but I don't want to spend money... I have bid on a couple, but haven't really wanted to fight for any of them... Plus I am pretty specific in what I want... Bah.

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