Do you think it is right that they post prices from tattersalls

[susie_Q]

I do not think they should post prices and lot numbers at tattersall because people that want to sell a nice horse can't because that is what people think they are worth? even if you got a great deal!! I don't know why they posted them I think that it should be between office and buyer?? any input

[wstrngrl]

It would be IMPOSSIBLE to keep that information between the office and the buyer. It's a PUBLIC AUCTION, which means EVERYONE at the auction will know what every horse sold for. There is NO way around that.

[susie_Q]

I understand but posted online, I just don't think that is right for the buyer???

[VLayne]

I think it's fair game. It's a public auction and the prices are public information. If you don't want people to know what you buy or sell a horse for, don't buy or sell it at Tattersalls.

I don't think it's a disadvantage for anyone involved - and I DO think it offers future buyers some protection. If they know a horse went through TSE for say $5k, and someone is trying to sell it a month later for $50k, they won't get screwed.

I have no problem with it - and I sent a horse through TSE a few years ago and her price was posted online and I was fine about it.

[attafox]

What Amanda said. It's a public auction. In private sales, it is often a seller's market. Here, it is a buyer's market.

[roadpony]

Just as the others have said, it's a public auction. I have consigned two horses at Tattersalls. The first one a few years ago didn't bring her reserve. The final bid was less than 25% of what I originally paid for her. I ended up donating her. The most recent one was the 4th highest seller in the sale, but I still lost money on him. Despite all that, I fully realized that whatever these horses brought, the "world" would know. That goes with being a public auction.

[susie_Q]

thanks for the input! It is just some horse don't bring a lot of money and it is hard if you ever want to get alittle more then you paid to cover boarding and training fee's but I understand... thanks to all of you that were nice and explain this to me!

[ASB Stars]

Many years ago...you know, before the advent of the internet...there came a time when the prices were published in a magazine. There came a hew and a cry from who? The professionals. They were essentially "pinhooking" horses, and reselling them at a profit- one would hope- and they did not want anyone knowing what had been paid.

My personal opinion is that a horse is worth exactly what you are willing to pay for them, on any given day. I predict another buyers market- of major proportions, at this sale. However, if someone brings that horse home, and invests themselves into the horse, and subsequently sells them to a home where they are appreciated, and they also make a profit- GOOD on them, I say!

[lshiely]

I have always loved that the auction prices were public knowledge. It gives the "little guy" a chance to get a nice horse, and will learn somehing along the way

[Peris Mom]

ASB Stars, you are absolutely right. There is nothing wrong with getting a bargain & nothing wrong with making a profit. If you are fortunate enough to get a really nice horse at a great price, why shouldn't you ask whatever you want to for it? You are the one who did the homework & took the risk of buying the horse -- if someone then doesn't want to pay your asking price, let them go find their own bargain & take the risk.

[SmartAlex]

True story...
A few years back we bought a horse at TSE for $2500. There was some confusion amongst the party bidding against us. They were bidding against each other, and while they were trying to sort it out, the horse was sold. They came to us afterwards, and asked to buy him, but we weren't interested. (at the time) They left us their phone number.
We took the horse home and found him to be dangerous for anyone but a crazy professional. We stuck with him for a year, and decided to get rid of him. We called those people. Explained that he was dangerous (and had totally destroyed his beautiful tail), but were they still interested? Yes, they were. They came and tried him. He pulled his nasty stunts. They still wanted him. We told them we had shipping and training expenses in him, and we needed to sell him for several thousand more than we bought him for. They still bought him.

Moral of the story? Disclosure of public prices will not disuade future buyers from paying what they want to pay, be it higher or lower than past value.

[GottaDrive]

Ok to report/post prices. Its a public auction. If you don't want people to know what you sell or buy a horse for go the private sale route.

[Cynthia]

Ok to report/post prices. Its a public auction. If you don't want people to know what you sell or buy a horse for go the private sale route.

Hmmm...and they will probably still find out anyway. :shifty:

[horseluvr]

I agree with all the other posters - plus, knowing the prices let's the people in the industry know what is going on financially, rather than having rumours circulate that inflate prices and give false information that distorts the reality.

[wstrngrl]

So far we've bought 3 horses through the sale, sold 2 of them a couple years afterwards for a "profit"(still have the third :p)

Notice I said "profit"... After feeding, shoeing, vets, showing, and other expenses during the time we owned them, plus all the time and effort we spent training them; I doubt we actually MADE any money even though we bought in the low to mid 4 figures and sold in the low 5 :dots:

Though, that's usually true of most horse sales isn't it ;)

We have no problem with people knowing what we paid for the horses, and it didn't effect our ability to sell them later on for what we were asking (and we're AOTs to boot)

No matter what you spend to buy a horse, if you invest the above mentioned, and IMPROVE them (further their training, put show ring miles on them, and/or get 'em a decent show record) they will be worth more.

Course, there's always the saying "a horse is only worth what someone is willing to pay for them"....

[walkinghorseowner]

I have many times been able to sell a horse I bought at a profit even before I left the sales grounds...I have had people that for one reason or another either miss the horse going thru, or the "gee didn't think they'd sell him" (walking horse sales do not set a reserve in advance)......I have been offered several thousand over what I bought the horse for...sometimes I took it and sometimes I didn't....

[kittymom]

Obviously, it would be impossible to prohibit the posting of auction prices online. I think prices in general of all Saddlebreds need to be taken in context but at least when we are able to read about some prices, it gives us a little bit of a basis to gauge other asking prices, etc. (Remember, I said a little bit of a gauge!) People in the business for years understand that.

For example, I bought an aged horse(former RWC) outside of the Spring sale last year for, most likely, a little more than he would have brought had he gone through the sale. My agent was ready to bid and the horse wasn't there so he investigated and found out that his former owners had re-purchased him to spare him from going thru the sale. They were afraid that, with his age, he might end up in the wrong hands. My agent arranged for me to purchase him and the price was based upon what was paid to the consignment owner plus shipping costs. There is no doubt I received a bargain... and so did the people I purchased him from because we all got what we wanted; most especially, a home for life for a horse that so well deserved it.

My point is, there are usually special circumstances for almost all sales-either public or private--some people pay too much and some too little so it is difficult to compare apples to apples. There are too many variables to say what horse A is worth based upon what horse B sold for.

[GottaDrive]

I want to point out that what you "pay" for a horse has little to do with what you sell it for.

[sunridge]

Walt, you didn't want to post prices from a breeders auction. How is this different to you? i just don''t get this business.

Mary