hivemind Report post Posted December 30, 2009 Sometimes Tandy has their imported skirting on sale for less than $100 a side, I'm thinking as low as $80. It might not be the easiest to work with, but I don't think you're gonna have to lose sleep at night wondering if the saddle you made out of it is going to fall apart and you're going to get sued. IT was on sale a couple months ago for $65 a side, and I'm still kicking myself for not buying four or five of them. But yeah, it goes on sale pretty regularly to under $100 - I know because I watch for it, since one of the games I make armor for requires 12oz minimum thickness to count as armor. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alan Bell Report post Posted December 30, 2009 Living in Greenville Tx (the Saddle Making Capitol of Texas) I am right in the heart of factory made saddles. They by their hides by the lot and if they go and pick through the hides then the $65/side price applies if they just take from the top of the stack they may get an additional discount. That applies to hardware, screws, latigo sides, etc they are NEVER buying the heaviest sides and they care very little about scars. The ground seats can use these and their build ups are minimal to say the least! Even though they click parts they throw away a remarkable amount of good leather and I go to their dumpster to get practice pieces to tool on so that tells you how big the pieces are they are dumping! They use Mexican American toolers that are remarkably good at what they do. Their machinery cost are the same as anybodies but they manage to cut cost on just about everything else. Tandy is their "heaven"! They never use real shearling (even on so called 'custom' saddles). I am having quite a time explaining to people that ask me to evaluate their 'custom' saddle that it is custom only in name and basically from the tree up. The seat shape and the carving may be custom but the rest is stock! Tree included! I know this does nothing to help with the answer to this question but it might help explain the justification for the price of the parts a true "Custom Maker" charges vs the factory maker to others reading these post. Even though I am not of the caliber of Kieth Siedel, or Bob, or Clint, or Ashley my cost are the same as I use the very best materials I can and I use 3 sides per saddle to get the best part per piece (and I'm a goober that makes mistakes)! I set a fairly high base price ($2650) for that reason and I don't sell many saddles to my fellow Texans! But I feel that my time is at least worth that of a day laborer at a loading dock! I still drive over the road for a living so I can afford to sit on a saddle until it sells BUT I would try and look at the time I spent learning this craft (and braiding and horsemanship) and honestly consider what MY time is worth (let alone materials) if (and when) I decide to make saddles and tack for a living. There are no millionaire saddle makers......... but there should be! Vaya con Dios, Alan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOB BRENNER Report post Posted January 23, 2010 Denise, You have run up on the age old question. Custom saddles and productions saddles are like apples and oranges. Unfortunatly, to the general public a saddle is a saddle, thus a $1000.00 saddle with a custom fit. For pricing go to the American Saddle Makers Association website for a guide line -- www.saddlemakers.org and look in the Standards and Practices section for an explination of a custom saddle base price. Don't let it get you down. For the past 20 or so years I have been making a trail riding saddle where my cost is around 530.00 and retails for $1,695.00 using Hermann Oak leather. Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
olroper99 Report post Posted January 27, 2010 OK then...what I'd like to know...How the heck can the "Corriente Saddle Company" sell Wade and Association saddles in their ads in the Western Horseman for $625 each? Do the folks who make them do it for a hobby...or maybe they are made in a prison somewhere????? Just wondering...even a cheap saddle still takes time to build. I think there is cheap...then there is ***CHEAP***... I bet that's a comforting thought eh....to go out in the pasture and rope a big ol' bull offa yer brand new $625 Wade saddle...dally up to that horn...and then what? LOL! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Newfman Report post Posted February 9, 2010 (edited) Geeze, you guys have absolutely ruined me! A couple years ago, I would have been happy to go down to the local tack shop and buy a "Big Horn" saddle for $600 and ride off into the sunset. Now When I am at the tack shop and the sales girl says, "Hey what do you think of this one?" (pointing to a $750 production saddle) I have to bite my lip to keep from saying, There is now way in 'ell that is going to sit on my horse! Gives me the creeps just thinking about it! To my own credit, I NEVER had any attraction to a 'cordura' saddle! :+) Even a 'free' education ends up costing a fortune! I'm not complainin'! Glad to be learning. . . Edited February 9, 2010 by Newfman Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Newfman Report post Posted February 9, 2010 Do the folks who make them do it for a hobby...or maybe they are made in a prison somewhere????? . . .gotta' git sum paper towels to clean the coffee spray off'n ma' computer scrin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
