I love auctions. And, I hate auctions. I attended several auctions lately. One was an estate sale with farm equipment and several parcels of farm land. The equipment was nothing special, although I was interested in a corn planter that was on the sale. It needed a fair amount of work, so I did not even bid on it. The real estate sale was interesting. A family member was there and made quite a scene and was very intimidating to the other bidders. Let's just say that the final bid prices were not reflective of the land values of the area, but what is the value of farm land when the winning bidder might fear for ones safety if they actually bid what the land was worth. I like bargains, but not at any price, especially when dealing with a person who may be a bit unstable.
On Labor Day, I attended the annual Chariton Farm Equipment auction in Chariton, Iowa. It is a rather large consignment auction that attracts a fairly large crowd from the local area and machinery jockeys from surrounding states. I consigned two pieces of equipment to the sale -- an International grain header and an 8-row Deutz corn planter. I was pleased with the outcome of the sale, as the equipment brought in total about what I was expecting -- just not the way I thought it would. The grain header sold for $1,250 and I thought it would bring about $500 since the cross auger in it was damaged. The corn planter brought $900, and I thought it would bring about $1,500. So, I expected to get about $2,000 and I actually got $2,150. Not a bad day.
But it is an auction, and I did some bidding as well. I ended up buying a 1983 Wilson Hopper Trailer for grain hauling. I think I got a bargain. It seems in pretty good shape structurally, and the tires and brakes are good. The roll tarp needs some repairs, but Brent and I have already done some of those repairs. I don't know that I need a semi truck to haul what grain I have. But at the price I paid, even if I only use it as a "big wagon" it is cheaper than buying 1,000 bushels of capacity. But it will be handier than a couple more wagons.
But auctions take time. Lots of time for the Chariton auction. It actually is a 2-day sale, although I only attend the second day of it. Even so, it starts at 8 am and runs to nearly 6 pm or later. That is a lot of time to stand around while waiting for a particular piece of equipment to sell. And bidding on used equipment is a crap shoot. You really do not know exactly what shape the equipment is in and there almost always are surprises. But I must say that I think I have been generally pleased with the used equipment that I have purchased at sales.
Acquiring used equipment through auctions and sales is not just a way of life for a Lucas County Land Baron, it is a necessity. Small scale row crop farmers cannot afford to have brand new equipment -- the depreciation costs are just too high to justify. But using used equipment carries a cost -- it comes with a high cost of frustration and aggravation as it often breaks down more than new equipment and the rusty bolts are a real pain to break loose. But I have more psychological capital than I do cash capital, so I make do. But don't get me wrong, I am enjoying the adventures of farming in Lucas County Iowa. I would not trade the time on the tractor and the joys of seeing a crop growing for either more free time or less frustrations. I guess once one gets "being a farmer" in their blood, it is very hard to get it out.
