BUYING A GYPSY HORSE
There are basically 3 ways to purchase a gypsy horse - you can get top quality and
the horse of your dreams from any of the options:
1.  Import it yourself:
Pros:
a.  possibly purchase from a real-live gypsy person
b.  bloodlines may not be available Stateside (some top sires remain overseas)
c.  bypass middlemen and their markups (may save thousands)
d.  many overseas breeders are used to shipping to the States and will gladly help
you through the process
Cons:
a.  Large import costs:
1. flight to U.S. (5k and up)
2.  quarantine - depends on age and sex of horse, but can run into the thousands
3.  transport to your farm/ranch
b.  Significant delay between purchase and arrival
c.  Requires international money transfers, sometimes at rates that are not very
beneficial to the buyer

2.  BUY FROM AN IMPORTER
Pros:
a.  may have  a large selection to choose from
b.  they take care of the import process for you
c.  usually deal with reputable overseas breeders
d.  may have guarantees, incentives, etc
e.  established reputation
Cons:
a.  importers are middlemen. They usually mark up the horse, sometimes the
markup is huge
b.  imported horses often have had minimal handling
c.  horses may be part of huge herds
d.  horse's background may be unknown, sketchy, or incorrect
e.  importers are in the business to make money. They move as many horses as
they can.  They deal in quantity.

3.  BUY FROM A U.S. BREEDER:
Pros:
a. have hand-picked their stock
b. do not have import costs
c. no middleman markups
d.  some very good deals here - possible to get much more horse for your dollar
than you would get from an importer.
e.  often the horses have had better feed, care, and handling than their imported
counterparts
f.  quality instead of quantity
g.  many have already undergone the lengthy registration process
h.  one or both parents may be on site, or at least known
i.  some horses may have show experience
Cons:
a. do not have the selection of a huge importer, individually. Collectively, they do!


Gypsy horse prices are all over the place. There is no established pricing criteria.  
Price, like beauty, seems to be in the eye of the beholder. Prices are up to the
sellers and they can ask whatever they want. Do not confuse price with value.
Some horses are priced way above their value and others are priced way below.  
One breeder may market a horse for $50,000 and another would market the same
horse for $10,000. Paying more does not make your horse worth more. High-priced
horses are not necessarily any better than lower-priced horses and by the same
token, paying less does not mean your horse is worth less. There are many myths,
exaggerations, and downright lies out there with regards to these horses.  There
have been incidents of attempted price-fixing in order to keep prices high. The line
between what is or isn't ethical is somewhat blurred, but there are breeders that
are clearly on one end or the other. In any event,  it pays to do your homework and
shop around.  We wish you the best of luck with your gypsy horse shopping. We
sincerely hope you find the horse of your dreams, regardless of who you buy it from!
American Gypsy Horses