antique steel fork saddle

Question
how much would a antique steel fork saddle be worth?

Answer
Hi Sophie,

First caveat is that what something is worth is what someone is willing to pay for it. There are lots of antique saddles for sale on ebay in the $275 range. HOWEVER, lets say you have a saddle made by a famous saddle-maker that has been kept in really good shape and has all the original pieces.  The price could go way up.  If I really wanted to know what a particular saddle was worth, first I'd visit a saddle maker that I trust.  A good saddle maker can answer several questions.  Approximately how old is this saddle?  There is a big difference between a 40 year old saddle that's been treated badly and a 200 year old saddle in great condition. You want to see if there is a maker's stamp or distinctive workmanship that will tell you who the saddle maker was. A "circa 1890 Visalia saddle ridden by John Wayne in his first movie in perfect shape" will fetch a much higher price than just an "antique saddle".  You need to know when it was made, who made it if possible and where it was used if you can get that information.  Old isn't what makes a saddle worth more, it's the history that changes things. Did your great grandfather win it in a bucking contest? Was it found in a mystery trunk that was in your great aunt's attic along with posters from Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show? In art, knowing all this and being able to prove it is called "provenance".  That can make a difference of thousands of dollars.  Go visit a good saddle maker, take your saddle to him, buy him a cup of coffee and have a chat.