CUSTOM SADDLE MINIMUM BASE PRICE

For any industry to be economically viable, it must be profitable. Simple put, if the bills cannot be paid and the individuals engaged in the industry cannot receive a reasonable income, the industry will fail. Therefore, ASMA has developed a custom saddle minimum national average base price that both saddle makers and consumers can use as a benchmark or guideline.

Arriving at a minimum national average base price for a custom saddle is not an easy task. The variables in costs, experience, regional differences, types of saddles etc. make it hard to determine a one base price that everyone can use. The following information is based on a working/roping saddle developed by the editors of the ASMA "GREEN BOOK" GUIDE TO PRICING ( complete details are available in that publication) . The working/roping saddle is being used because that is what general public visualizes as a western saddle.

In arriving at a minimum base price the following assumptions have been made.

1. Times – The times are based on a full time saddle maker with 3 to 5 years of experience in the discipline in which she or he has been trained.

2. Materials –

A. Leather is premium leather ( No. 1 or A grade) native hides and domestically tanned.

B. Tree is a top quality domestic custom wood tree covered with rawhide made by one of the major tree manufactures.

C. Hardware is stainless steel or solid brass when available.

D. The cost of materials are based on the minimum quality for the materials used in a custom saddle .

(Most established custom saddle makers will use higher quality materials than this example and therefore higher material costs.)

3. Wages – The wage data is based on the median household income for the United States with payroll taxes, health insurance, and retirement account included.

4. Overhead – The overhead data is based on average overhead costs.

Minimum national average base price for a working/roping saddle:

$ 3,016.77

BASIC CUSTOM WORKING/ROPING WESTERN SADDLE PRICING

TOTAL MATERIALS MINIMUM COST WITH RETURN ON INVESTMENT		$935.27
HOURS OF LABOR NEEDED TO BUILD SADDLE BASED ON A SADDLE MAKER WITH 3 TO 5 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE 45.25	SHOP RATE TOTAL (LABOR AND OVERHEAD EXPENSES)	MATERIALS & SHOP RATE TOTAL (LABOR AND OVERHEAD EXPENSES)
HOURS OF LABOR AT A SHOP RATE OF $46.00 PER HOUR BASED IN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME	$2,081.50	$3,016.77

This minimum national average base price is somewhat subjective, there are many variables in this pricing, but this figure is a good starting point. If regional differences in the median household income are taken into account the price range is from $2,334.24 to $3,410.44 or about 20% on each side of the average.

e-mail mailto:info@saddlemakers.org