Trying to Plan an Auction.....

RTR · Mar 7, 2019

Are there any big tractor shows, swap meets, auctions, etc. coming up between April and July ? I am trying to help plan an estate auction of a local tractor collector and want to make sure to pick a good date for anyone across the US that might want to come.

Don't worry......I'll be sure to advertise the auction on here for yall.

rrlund · Mar 7, 2019

Hart Parr Oliver Collectors Assn Summer Show July 12-17 Emporia Ks.

SweetFeet · Mar 7, 2019

Hope both surgeries go well for you and your son.

Le Sueur, MN big swap meet
April 26, 27, 28 (Fri. - Sun.)

Dave H (MI) · Mar 7, 2019

ah yes...the orphans and oddballs club.

rrlund · Mar 7, 2019

They're talking about having it at Oakley in 2022,so you'll be able to see what it's all about.

SweetFeet · Mar 7, 2019

Oops... wrong post regarding surgeries.

Dave H (MI) · Mar 7, 2019

Awww...you didn't take the bait! I was going to say that I wasn't talking about the tractors.

Have to come out of the closet. A love of Olivers is my dirty little secret. Gonna buy a 550 some day.

rrlund · Mar 7, 2019

Get one by 2022 and bring it along.

Dave H (MI) · Mar 7, 2019

Always have my eyes open. The right one with the right price tag comes along and I am all in.

Keith Molden · Mar 7, 2019

Where are you located? I've done auctions at the same time another auctioneer was doing one 2 blocks away. I wouldn't worry about what else is going on in the country, advertise appropriately and the buyers will be there. I would think it would have to have some awfully rare and excellent conditioned tractors for someone to travel across the country to attend and at that it would only be a couple people. Most auctioneers now accept bids by phone so they can bid that way and still attend something else. Get an auctioneer with a good reputation and talk things over with him would be my advice. Be aware though, some auctioneers do mostly household sales and don't know anything about farm equipment ad they don't have a clue as to what a collectors tractor is worth but the buyers will. Also, keep in mind just because the person was a relative or friend, what he considered collectable is not the same in a buyers eyes. Good luck with the auction. My email's open if you want to talk about it 740-992-2128

RTR · Mar 7, 2019

I agree with you. It’s in Alabama

jm. · Mar 7, 2019

I think Keith is giving you some very good advice. Worrying about tractor shows hurting your crowd is not really what you need to be doing. Byers and looks are two different folks. You want buyers and if you advertise and a guy is not interested enough to make the auction over a show doubt if he was a very serious buyer. I am like Keith and just a little more blunt, don,t expect too much out of an antique tractor auction right now . Unless you friend has some very rare tractors they may well be disappointed. Again hope you have a crowd and do well. Weather might favor something earlier in the year, gets hot in the summer months.

Madisonbob · Mar 7, 2019

I agree With comments above. Make sure you get a detailed breakdown of what it will cost you. The advertising and promotion costs added on top of auction fees
can get you up to 20 -25% before you know it. Many times the end cost of a Mecum auction for example can be significantly less than a local or less well known
auction company. A good auction firm is really a marketing firm and that is how you get buyers both locally and on the internet.

Destroked 450 · Mar 7, 2019

Recent estate auction in my area with over 50 old tractors, a couple where rare models and many had been fully restored and stored inside.
But the old gentleman hadn't been about to keep them up and running, the auction company couldn't get many of them to start so they sold as non runners.
Most of them sold pretty cheap.

RTR · Mar 7, 2019

I think the owners will be disappointed too but they can’t keep them so......

Traditional Farmer · Mar 8, 2019

Excellent advice a big collection sold here in my area a few years ago the owner got a nationally know auctioneer to come do the auction.There were some rare tractors a lot not,some with
pretty good paint jobs but nothing outstanding.The auctioneer spent a lot advertising in national publications but not much locally,word locally was everything was going to sell real high so very few locals went to the sale.Turns out most pieces did not sell that well and I think the owner would of had a bigger gross for the auction if he'd of advertised locally in the 4 state area with a good local auctioneer.And the local auctioneer would have charged far less money.

Traditional Farmer · Mar 8, 2019

A lot depends on who the auctioneer is and what type of following that auction company has in the area too.There are people I see at auctions that only show up when certain auctioneers are having a sale.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 8, 2019

RTR,
Research the cost of an auction. By the time it all said and done, you may end up with a small piece of
the pie.

rockyridgefarm · Mar 8, 2019

DEFINITELY tie in with an auctioneer who does online auctions and live auctions at the same time. It is getting common around here, and More and more stuff is sold to the “internet” at local live sales. This is especially good for people who do have other obligations, be it another sale, a funeral, a wedding, work, whatever. Sale I attended Monday had the larger items online, and about 10% sold “internet”. BUT the online bids likely had raised the other prices as well.

For advertising, be sure to go heavy on the much cheaper online notices, and less on print. I think those pretty, glossy print notices mailed out and posted at local businesses are a waste of money.

redforlife · Mar 8, 2019

Went to an auction early winter that had numerous older tractors. Most were in various stages of not running.
Allot of em I think could of ran without much messing around. The collecter had gotten old and then died. The
reason tractors had set along time and therefore didn't run. Anyways, they sold enough tractors there that day
that it kind of flooded the market. I think it actually hurt the market and how much some of these tractors
brought.

That said, it be worth the time to make sure any tractor that can run the day of sale, be made to run whether it
be dead a battery, flat tire, corroded points, or whatever. Be better off to fix these things ahead of sale on
anything that can be made to run. Also, if collection is rather extensive, it might be wise to not sale all of it
on one day. Maybe split it up and sale on 2 or more dates. For instance newer and then older. Or John Deere's one
time, and the IHC's the next. Or common tractors one time, rare tractors the next. Depending on what the
collection is made up of. You gonna find that the same people not going to be interested in all the tractors. No
need to sale them all on one day. Like as in, one guy interested in a rare John Deere, is not going to be
interested in any of the common IHC's. Or a farmer interested in a modern tractor that can go back to the feild,
is not going to be interested in anything that is antique or a collected item.

rrlund · Mar 8, 2019

Alabama huh. Dang,I'd tell you to line it up with the 127 Yard Sale so I could be there,but I don't know if we're gonna make it down again this year. My nephew is getting married that Saturday,unless they end it before then.

Determined · Mar 8, 2019

If there is a meet or show within a couple hundred miles on the same day as the sale then yes you may not see as big a turn out as you would like.

If there is a meet or show nearby the same day as the sale it potentially could bring more buyers to the area and the sale.

When it comes down to rare, got to have it items the serious buyers will find a way to get there or get his bid in.
But only if you have done a good job of advertising so they know it is there.

I have been known to drive 10 hours one way for the right piece.

The Famous Grouse · Mar 8, 2019

(quoted from post at 17:53:42 03/07/19) Where are you located? I've done auctions at the same time another auctioneer was doing one 2 blocks away. I wouldn't worry about what else is going on in the country, advertise appropriately and the buyers will be there. I would think it would have to have some awfully rare and excellent conditioned tractors for someone to travel across the country to attend and at that it would only be a couple people. Most auctioneers now accept bids by phone so they can bid that way and still attend something else. Get an auctioneer with a good reputation and talk things over with him would be my advice. Be aware though, some auctioneers do mostly household sales and don't know anything about farm equipment ad they don't have a clue as to what a collectors tractor is worth but the buyers will. Also, keep in mind just because the person was a relative or friend, what he considered collectable is not the same in a buyers eyes. Good luck with the auction. My email's open if you want to talk about it 740-992-2128

This ^^^.

Special emphasis on two poings above:

Getting an auctioneer that KNOWS tractors and farm equipment. Very important to have a realistic view of values and prices, many collectors or families have VASTLY inflated views of what collections are worth. Just because you put $20,000 into a tractor does NOT mean it's worth that or more on auction day.

And getting an auctioneer that has a good, time-tested, easy to use site for online bidding.

Grouse

Traditional Farmer · Mar 8, 2019

That horse is already out the gate if I understand what he posted before,he's trying to help out an auctioneer that doesn't have a clue about anything about tractors apparently and is relying on this guy to figure things out.Not too hard to see where this auction is going.

Trying to Plan an Auction.....

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