– Elm Hollow Classifieds –
– A new heifer calf –
– Our new office –
Would a vetted classifieds page be of interest to you?
If you have been receiving Elm Hollow newsletters for a while, you know that I have frequently railed against the scammers who flood social media with promises of registered Highland calves that will be delivered to your door. I’ve heard so many sad tales of loss of money and difficulties obtaining registrations, especially when people unwittingly search for “miniature” Highland cattle that I’ve decided to fight back.
While Facebook is a quick way to let people know that you have Highlands available or that you are looking for Highlands to buy, it is also a quick way to encounter scammers. When I recently did a search for someone looking for a particular color heifer, I was overwhelmed with the number of smaller breeders who responded with beautiful, available, registered Highlands. There were a couple of scammer responses, but they were easy to spot among the others.
After conversations with some of the breeders who responded, I discovered that there are many smaller farms with very nice, registered cattle that simply don’t have a venue other than social media for advertising their available cattle.
The only way, other than word of mouth, for them to sell is to take their calves to an auction where they will have no way to talk to buyers before entrusting them with their babies’ future. I’m hoping to offer an alternative
I’ve spoken with my webmaster about creating an Elm Hollow’s Classifieds page. It will be time consuming and there will be expenses associated with such a page. I know some people will not want to provide information that I will ask for and that’s ok, but since I will ultimately control the content of the page, if I don’t feel I have enough information to be comfortable that the seller is sincere, there will be no post.
I will do my level best to provide a place that is safe for buyers and where sellers can work directly with buyers interested in their Registered Highland Cattle. Although there will be an advertising fee for using the classifieds on the Elm Hollow Farm website, there will be no commission fee based on the sale price of an animal that is sold on the page. The current plan is for this to be a separate page from the for sale page I’ve been using to advertise our Elm Hollow calves/cows.
A vetted classifieds page would provide these services:
- FOR SELLERS: A very accessible place to advertise your registered calves for sale. If you google Highland Cattle for sale, you will see that Elm Hollow farm is among the top 10 sites on that search and is the only actual seller of cattle.
- FOR SELLERS: A guide to creating an informative advertisement. There is some information that will be required on every listing.
- FOR SELLERS: A guide for sellers of questions to ask prospective buyers so they can determine if the home seems suitable for their calf/cow.
- FOR BUYERS: A guide for buyers to help them determine what they need to provide good care for a Highland and what type calf/cow will meet their needs.
- FOR BUYERS: A place where sellers have been screened to weed out scammers. Be aware that some scammers are very clever and there is a possibility that one might fool me, but I’ll be doing my best to make sure every offering on this site is legitimate. The ultimate decision to purchase will be the responsibility of the buyer.
- FOR BOTH SELLERS AND BUYERS: I plan to do more frequent newsletters. Sellers with a deluxe ad will have the option to have their new classified listings mentioned with a photo, brief description, registration number, and contact information.
If you would be interested in listing on such a page, please respond to this newsletter, email me directly at nancy@elmhollowfarm.com, or call 912-674-8401 for additional information. I will be happy to send you examples of both ad sizes and the requirements for posting on the Elm Hollow Farm website.
News From the Farm!
Lulu had her baby! Elm Hollow’s Raquel arrived on August 1st. Raquel is curious about halter training already! She is such a little doll.
We are finally getting our much awaited office! Hoping to have it up and running by the end of November. This will make it easier for Sarah and me to share information and keep the records straight.
