Equipment Auctions...Beware

[charlz]

I've found that you have to go to A LOT of sales to get any real bargains. Even then, wait around all day and find out somebody else is ready to pay more for the item than you could get it for new!!

Yep. That's how you learn the 'value' of things though

One thing I find interesting about estate sales is whether or not the family is on site. I went to a sale a few years ago at a retired farmer's place. His name was Bruce and he was there. He was a kind and wonderful man. He sat there and watched the stuff he'd bought his whole life get sold bit by bit. Right from old CASE tractors that were hand crank up to an $80,000 J. Deere that went for about $42,000. I felt bad for him, watching his whole life sell, but his daughter said to me "he's OK, he knows that part of his life is over now...."

Shortly after we moved in the old guy across the street was being put into a home and his whole place and all his possessions were auctioned off. The furniture was out front and the rest of the auction was out back. He sat on his couch, which was on the front lawn, and watched the wind blow through the trees the whole time. That was a pretty sad scene

 

[valley]

It would break your heart to see what you just discribed. A while back bought the kind of battery charger I always wanted from a lady whose husband had passed away. I gave her what she wanted for it without question. When I use it I think of this man, who I never met,how he must have taken care of this tool. Many of my tools I appreciate more because of who owned and used them.

 

[D7E]

Theres nothing wrong with auctions....Just treat it as you see it and believe nothing that you read or are told......I buy virtually everything from auctions from a $5 CB radio to a $100'000 combine...Just price it knowing the fact that it way cost half what it is worth to fix it...Unless you know the vendor and the item in particular it's only as good as how hard you inspect it...........

 

[D7E]

It would break your heart to see what you just discribed. A while back bought the kind of battery charger I always wanted from a lady whose husband had passed away. I gave her what she wanted for it without question. When I use it I think of this man, who I never met,how he must have taken care of this tool. Many of my tools I appreciate more because of who owned and used them.

Heartbreaking story and rightly so but my sister got caught this way .....Lady in her 80's,Husband died so had an auction .....My stupid sister went and bought a 5 year old car without asking me ,dad or any of the boys to look at it......5 years old , polished real nice,30'000 on the clock... the transmission was shot and the back axle was bent......Auctions are auctions..?

 

[Taylortractornut]

most auctions here you cant bid yourself up, and if your from out of state some will drop taxes or the buyers fee or both. I have been known to switch numbers with my friend if its a super high buyers fee. I dont like an auction thats advertised as absolute then they start no selling the items. C&W trailers has one yearly and I had won a pallet of cylinders and steel, for 450. They no saled it and picked it up with a fit and moved it down the line I rebid 250 and got it then lol. TAC Enterprises runs a good quarterly auction and have a pair of absolutes rows and then the standard rows. They run 2 auctioneers and no BS. They dont tend to mix good stuff with junk either. I went to another auction last mnth and they would have a good item in with pure crap, then auction pallets of crap off peice by peice. I didnt stay for that one either.

 

[survriggs]

I've always wondered what a "reverse" auction would be like. You start the item about twice what it's worth and go down from there. The first person that bids gets it.

 

[D7E]

I've always wondered what a "reverse" auction would be like. You start the item about twice what it's worth and go down from there. The first person that bids gets it.

I think the scottish did something similar to that at land and property auctions did'nt they...?