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Billy cook Maker

1K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  Angela Kohls 
#1 ·
I am hoping someone can help me with some information on this saddle and maybe even the value. I have owned this saddle for 15 years and it is in great condition. It is a Billy Cook Maker from Greenville Tx, so my understanding is it is a saddle he made prior to being bought out, the serial number is under the cantle ( I can not find out under the fender) pretty sure it is 172660091, if I understand correctly that means it was built Feb 17, 1966 and the model # would be the 0091 but I am not for positive on that. It looks to be a western pleasure with very little wear on it. It is a acorn style pattern with a little silver on the back skirt, horn and back on the saddle it does have the Billy Cook Maker stamped into the silver on the horn as well as the fenders.
Any information or advise would be greatly appreciated, I have somebody interested in buying it but I have no idea what it is worth.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the Forum!!

More than anything else your saddle is worth what your area will pay.....
Look at Craigslist under the Farm & Garden section for other good brands of saddle for a idea of what they are worth.
Look at some of the online tack sale pages, Ebay or Amazon and see what a comparable saddle like yours is advertised for.
My gut feeling is somewhere in the area of $500.00 depending upon seat size, wear & tear to the leather, tree size and the overall appearance of the saddle..
Billy Cooks by me go for that $500 on average by me, but I've also seen more and much less. :|
So, it all depends upon what people are looking for and willing to spend.
:runninghorse2:...
 
#3 · (Edited)
Could be a 66. I called his shop in Sulphur. They don't have any records from his Greenville days, but said he started making them over there 1953. What she found odd is he didn't usually stamp them with a serial number back then.


Have any pictures?


Also, if it's a 66 - It probably will not fit a modern horse unless they're on the smaller side. Unless it's really fancy, something terribly special, it's probably not going to bring more than 300.00, if that, simply because it most likely won't fit a modern horse but also trends in saddles, the tooling, the fender shape, the seat shape and detailing have all changed dramatically from the 60s era saddles.



SOME of the 70s era saddles will do well money wise because A. They will fit a modern horse; B. some of the styling cues in the 70s are back in style - buck stitch being chief among them.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the help! The seat is a 14" seat and skirt 25". It has very little wear on it at all in great shape. It does fit my horse well but he is just over 14 hands so not a big horse but very barrel chested. I paid $500 for the saddle years ago but am being offered $1,200 so it sounds like I am getting a deal. I have attached some pictures so you can see it, it is acorn style with a little silver. Footwear Shoe Sculpture Art


Leather Chair


Iron Font Metal
 
#5 ·
Ooohhh. That is indeed an oldie. The style is absolutely from the 60s, IMO. From the looks of it, it may have indeed been a custom job and hence the SN stamped into it.

Very nice find!

If it were me, and I could get 1200 for it, with a 500.00 investment - it'd be gone yesterday.

(WARNING AND FULL DISCLOSURE - THIS IS HOW FLIPPING TACK AND SADDLES CAN BECOME AN ADDICTION ON PAR WITH GAMBLING. Ahem)

Locally, those go for about 200.00 - so don't tell your buyer! (That said, it's a buyer's market where I live - throw a rock and you trip over a nice western saddle for sale on the cheap).

I do hope the offer is local - be careful selling online, don't ship without money in hand from Paypal first, and do follow all the seller protection rules so you don't loose the saddle, the money, and your shirt if they try to defraud you. IF you're shipping it, absolutely have the buyer pay for it and purchase insurance so they can't dun you for money if the shipper destroys it en route or conveniently 'loses' it.

Now - it being the age it is... and I have some that old that I use as autopsy and display saddles... it may well fit your horse, given his size. I think the 14 hh range sized QH's are more in line with the 'old' build. I have one that's a Doc Bar grandson, and a saddle from the 60s fits him like it's made for him... we don't ride it because it's so dad gum uncomfortable in terms of seat positioning. Very... weird... compared to modern roping and barrel saddles for us. LOL

TL;dr: SELL THAT THING!
 
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