Auction Markets

[Tinto Phil]

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a cattle market on their doorstep but it might be worth seeking out your nearest one and seeing what else they get up to apart from the more obvious business of stock sales.

We live near Lawrie & Symington where we bought our Isa Browns, Bob the pig and, over the years, lots of Texel sheep and lambs.

Once every month they have an impliment sale which is basically a car boot but with the lots auctioned. The emphasis is obviously on farm equipment but there is a general auction of brick-a-brack.

Over the years I have seen just about everything for sale and most items can be negotiated with the seller prior to auction.

An Example;
My neighbour (more of him later) bought 4 Calor Gas heaters, complete with bottles, for £10. He later sold two of them for £15 to a fellow 'shopper' who was waiting for the auction.

It may also be an opportunity for you to market some of your produce/wares/errrr.....................junk! Spend a few visits getting to know the routine and, importantly, find out the autioneers costs.

It's also a great way to 'network' (I hate that word!) and you'll find people who have a ready supply of shavings/straw/hay bales etc who may require your professional services. A deal is agreed and your wallets/purses stay shut. I will supply and fit a handsfree kit for 10 haylage bales by the way.

The one piece of advice I would offer is that if you do go, take a trailer or very empty car. You will come home with something.

[Meanqueen]

Hi Phil
We don't have any cattle markets round here, we have a couple of auction places though that have all kinds of stuff, usually household furniture etc. People usually look for antiques, something to make money on. Sometimes stuff from businesses closing down.

I get the Yorkshire Post which has auctions advertised, but they are not near me. I spotted one which said sale of undelivered parcels, I thought that would be good but it was at Oldham. :cry:

Ilona

[spudley]

Danger Danger, auctions are particullaraly dangerous for people like me and mr spud, who can not resist a bargin. we have so much scrap metal that we are always threatening to weigh in, pots pans and such that are just in the shed that we have had to get in a lot for only one item. We are now stuck with such a random lot of junk that we never have time to get back into sales.
This sept we are both of for a couple of weeks so are going to get it all back into one sale-but are not going to take any money with us!!!

Although we have had some bargains, a double cast iron bed nobs and broomsticks bed for £5... a couple of mangles for £50 and a garden roller thing that was soooo heavy for £2. a bench for the garden £2. Thie list just goes on, but it is dangerous for us......

Mr Spud likes old agricultural machinery so if let loose god knows what he would come home with. Its the same when he goes down to the tip.....

[Teasal]

I am in heaven at a farm auction, where the contents of the farm are being dispersed - have bought lots of bargain furniture, and farming stuff there. I have a passion for antiques and rural bygones - old farm machinery, kitchenalia etc. I got to Clitheroe auction when they have the rural bygones sale, and can quite easily fill the car. Sometimes I buy two or three boxes of kitchenalia, and keep what I want - the rest goes to a car boot sale.

[spudley]

We went to an auction while we were off. Mr Spud was left unsupervised for 10 mins and had managed to buy two complete rolls of heavy duty stock proof fencing for £20. (bargin) then a set of drawers for tools (will serve a purpose but nowhere to put it in the shed)

and

a baby wallsey rotivator/tiller with a little Brig and statton? engine that weighs a ton abd had to fight to get it in the car...... for £20. will it ever go again? £20 down the drain or just another excuse to potter out of the house... If I see that engine on the kitchen table then the rolling pin will be coming out...........
if it works though I can kiss goodbye to all that digging and Mr spud will get all the yorkie puddings I can make (I have turned into queen of the puddings since we have had the chickens..)

[julie2]

We have a cattle market in nottingam, it has auctions on Saturdays It dosn't do any live stock now.But when i left school at 15, I worked at a hairdresses that were closed on Mondays.My Gramdma worked at the cattle market cafe, and got me a Monday job, rounding the pigs and sheep from the pens and on to the lorrys, i loved it, realy loved it, i thought the amimals were going to new homes. I left when i found out they were going to slaughter. and OMD i'd got them into the lorrys.

[ged]

Hello All,
don't do auctions personally,not my interest focus,so to speak.
MQ,
Did you mean Oldham in Lancashire?I would not go there even if I was lost,very dangerous place to be at any time of day.
I have a farmer friend who goes to farm auctions and has brought back 'nothing fit for purpose' over the last 10 years or so,a prize example of one of his 'bargain buys' was a very large locked safe with no key available!!!
His long suffering wife has now said enough is enough!
Talking of redundant engines on the kitchen table,I have a friend who was rebuilding a Harley Davidson for a number of years,using his kitchen as a workshop.His girlfriend said,'its the bike or me' he happily chose the Harley!!!!
IMHO, real bargains are few and far between,better to make use of what you have and devote all available spare land or space to growing food or keeping chooks,HARD times are coming!!!!
atb
ged