Huge IHC sale in MN

Some prices from a sale at Steffes Auction, Litchfield, MN 10/15/16 where 95 IHC tractors were sold.
'53 Super M, restored $2000.
'47 W-9, restored w/belt pulley and hydraulics $1050.
'54 Super W6TA, restored, 6277 hrs., $3100.
?? MDV. new tires, restored $2700.
?? SMTA $1950
'68 756D, good TA, newer tires plus duals, 3,725 hrs, 150 hrs on engine overhaul, $3400.
?? 1206 cab, good TA, 9,700 hrs, un-restored, $8000.
?? 1566, open station, rear tires 85%, repainted, shifting update, $9500.
?? T-9, with hyd. blade, 12v, one owner, $3000.
'50 C, white demonstrator restored w/original tires, $800.
?? WD6, hydraulics, $800.
?? SMD, restored, new Firestones, pulley, $3200.
'55 300, restored TA works, new tires 13.6X38, new battery, $1700. I bought this one.
?? W6, $600.
'67, 1206, duals, 7,725 hrs., $8000.
Unusual: '41 IHC 42R Combine in mint condition, inc. canvas, manuals and parts books, 42" cutter head, pull type, PTO. $2700.

The letter series IH and JD will hardly bring what the tires cost unless there some thing rare/special. The serious collectors have moved up a few generations of tractors. The price the IH 1206 brought unrestored shows where the market is going.

Looks like the 756 was kinda cheap if it was anything at all.

I am not an IH guy but I was there. I thought some tractors were very nice but many were rough to very rough. Many that they called restored, I would call an older repaint. One 1206 had clam shell fenders and needed injection pump work, other was OK but far from nice. Couple of the bigger ones were no 3 point so they bought more than I thought they were worth. 856 was a very poor parts tractor. A friend of mine bought the W6 and I think it was a very good buy. I think there were some good buys but I also think some brought more than they were worth. Typical for a consignment auction. I heard several people people say "I had a lot more than that in it" but that is common. I buy a lot of stuff from these auctioneers and they are a very good company. Pictures and prices should be on their website. I didn't buy anything.

Galen I also attended the sale and noticed when I arrived that there were several trailers in the parking lot, I assumed this meant there were people intending to buy tractors. As the day progressed I noticed these same trucks and trailers leaving empty. If a person came intending to buy a tractor or tractors, as the case may be, there were plenty of opportunities to buy a tractor at a fair price. Why didn't any of these people buy tractors and as a result leave with an empty trailer? I'm just curious and it sounds like you are fairly tuned in to this market, perhaps even more than some of us. I agree the auctioneers did an excellent job coordinating the auction, I don't know how they could have done any better. For instance in your post you say, and I quote "I think there were some very good buys. I didn't buy anything." This was in your back yard, you admit there were some good buys and yet you didn't buy anything. I live over three times farther away than you, I did not bring my trailer and yet I ended up buying three tractors because I think they were good buys. There were other things that they got good money for, but with any auction some things sell well and a few things don't bring as much as they could have. All in all I think the auctioneers did an excellent job and I will continue to do business with the Steffes Group in the future.

I had a trailer there but hauled home a JD plow from a previous auction for a friend. Then I went to my brothers in Grove City and picked up a wagon I had left there. I am done collecting because my shed is full. I am in a selling mood. I just buy to resell now or buy something to play with for awhile and then sell. I knew a lot of the people there and I won't bid against anyone I know. I do best with tractors from $3,000 to $10,000 and industrial equipment. Some people might call me a Jockey but I don't like that term. I won't pay much more than half of what something is worth so if people aren't willing to pay more than me they don't really want it. If I buy something, I make sure everything works and then sell it for 3/4 of what it is worth. I take all of the risk and get burnt plenty. The nice bigger stuff sold for what I could sell it for and tractors without 3 point are really a tough market. The smaller stuff just doesn't have enough profit even if it is cheep. Another thing is that I am trying to buy equipment that someone might want to use and not collector tractors. Hope you got some nice tractors!