Re-Sell It Day!

The tack store right down the road from me has a horse-y community yard sale every six months or so.  I’ve been a seller at the last several, so didn’t have much opportunity to shop.  This time, I had to work at 11am, so only had enough time to do a quick shopping trip.

I was looking for two things: an anti-sweat sheet around size 80 & a thin cotton dressage pad in any colour but white.  Both things I rather spectacularly failed to find.

The first thing I saw, as I walked from my parking space in BFE was a neon orange saddle pad.  “Oh, please let that be a dressage pad!”  No.  No, of course it was not.  Why do only AP pads come in interesting colours?  I kindof wish I’d kept my AP saddle just so that I could have an excuse to buy ridiculous pads.

The next thing I saw was a set of four Boomer’s Bandages.  I’ve been eying these for awhile, but hadn’t yet managed to budget for them.  They retail for $45-$50 a pair.  These used-but-still-good beauties were being sold for $5 a pair.  I zeroed in on them, picked up one pair, & asked the seller if she thought they’d fit a 16 hand Thoroughbred.  While she was answering me, a guy elbowed past me, picked up the other pair, & asked the seller what they were.  She launched into an explanation of what they were & why they’re awesome, followed by Guy rambling on for seemingly ever about what he’s currently using.  Meanwhile, I’m standing there holding one pair, looking at the other (that Guy has now put back on the table), & wondering what the etiquette is in this situation.  Do I just hand the seller $10, snatch the other pair & run?  Do I interrupt?  “Excuse me, but I’ve got to be at work in 45 minutes… can I just go ahead & buy these now?”  While I’m pondering, Guy finally says “okay, I’ll buy a pair.”

“Um… I was actually going to buy both pairs, & I was here first.  So, now what?  Do we fight over them?”

Did I really offer to fight a guy over leg wraps?  Yes.  Yes I did.  I’m not proud.  But dammit, those wraps were mine by right!  Besides, he was older & smaller than I am.  I was pretty sure I could take him.  ;}

The poor seller looked uncomfortable for a moment, then revealed that she had a third pair.  Awkward bargain-hunting crisis averted!

In addition to the wraps, I scored a pair of Devon-Aire breeches for $10, and an old purple & black bridle (which I don’t need & is missing the throatlatch & is probably too small for Moon, but was ONLY ONE DOLLAR).  Best score of the day, though, was a black leather dressage bridle, really nice leather & still in really good condition, for a whopping $5.   I have never owned a bridle this nice.  I even made my non-horsey husband feel my old cardboard-leather bridle & then compare it to my newly-purchased buttery leather bridle, so that he could fully appreciate my good luck & compliment me on my amazing shopping prowess.

I got to work & gushed to my co-workers about the amazing bridle I just bought for $5.  “What’s a bridle?”  I then drifted through ten hours of work day-dreaming about oiling my delicious new bridle.  Which is what I’m going to go do, now.