A couple of issues ago, I highlighted some of the many concerns that were brought up from the four-page questionnaire regarding our tribal members meeting, which took place on Wednesday April 12, at the Multi-Purpose Facility. The big issues were agricultural loans, training vs. buying services, access to equipment, and on-site consulting. Within the “access to equipment” concern, I wanted to talk about something that I have been quite curious about for a long time — auctions.  

It just so happens that one of my relatives from Dulce, N.M. works with an auction company out of Hesperus. Colo. I shared with him the concern that many of us have about buying hay equipment. If we are lucky, we may be able to make one or two big purchases per year. I’ve been following a couple of farm channels on YouTube, and it seems like farm auctions are a great way to get used equipment at a great price. He agreed that they do come across some nice finds, and I felt the need to see for myself. 

Overview (How it works) 

I am no expert in how auctions work but here is my understanding of this one. This auction was the Living Estate sale of Steve and Marge Titus. They live in Durango off Lightner Creek road. In their plans of moving to a new life, they needed to minimize their belongings. They reached out to Treasure Auction Services to conduct an auction of things that they were wanting to sell. The week before the auction, a team of people from the auction service come in and help people sort their belongings into categories such as kitchen, hand tools, power tools, furniture, animal tack, farm machinery, vehicles, clothing, etc. The auction service provides the auctioneer, the men who work the items for sale, call out people bidding, and keep the auction moving fast (called “ring men”), the recorders who keep track of who buys what, the runners who run the tickets to the accounting trailer, and then the bookkeepers who record the transactions, sort the transactions by bidder, and then finish the purchasing process by taking payment. Coming from a retail and corporate environment in my previous careers, I can say that their operation execution is very efficient. 

The Goods 

I think most people are used to driving up to a selling venue in which the products are brought to a store and sold. In the case of this auction, the property of the selling party is the venue, and the auction service company is merely onsite to facilitate the transactions. Again, because this was my first auction; I was thrown back because here were all these cars parked out in someone’s field and people were walking right up onto the property and looking around. The way that things were sorted out, there were flatbed trailers for various categories. There was one 16’ flatbed trailer of hand tools, power tools, and cookware. There was one trailer of just horse tack and saddles. There were probably six flatbed trailers of belongings to auction. Though the items were plenty, the auction goes fast, and you need to be ready to bid on things as the trailer is emptied. There was also a line of farm implements, a dump truck, three tractors, two ATVs, a skid steer, and even a standing shed available for auction.  

Start Bidding 

After walking around the property to look at the trailers and all the items on the ground that were to be auctioned, I saw people leaving from a small RV set up to the side of the trailers. I assumed that this would be a good place to ask what I needed to do. The kind people inside let me know that if I wanted to participate in the bidding, I would need to present my driver’s license and they would assign me a bid number. I could then use this number to bid for items. If I was the winner of any given bid, the recorder would write down my bid number and send it (via runner) to the accounting trailer after collecting a certain number of bid result tickets. This means that immediately after winning a bid, you are free to take the items to your car. Your bid tickets will accumulate throughout the auction, and you can pay at any point. You do not need to wait until the end of the auction.  

Lasting Impression 

I understand the allure of an auction. Many staples of the household, workshop, farm, and fleet can be bought at an auction at a low price (with the right timing). “Buyer beware” is always a risk when buying some else’s old stuff, but there were many deals to be had. I believe that items that one might shop for at auctions specifically to save money with minimal risk are: hand tools, power tools, chains, boomers, extension cords, saws, compressors, jacks, chainsaws, tables, chairs, workbenches, tool chests, nuts, bolts, fasteners, ratchet straps, truck hitches, pots, and pans. 

Tips If You Are Going 

An auction can last all day. Though the items are separated into selling areas (such as the 16’ trailers), it does take time to get through all the categories. I began to immediately take mental notes on things to bring for the next auction.  

A pen or pencil is a must. As you win bids, the accounting team is aware of how much you owe. You should be aware of your running total as well. The bid number that you are assigned has spaces on the back to write down your wins and keep up with how much you have spent. Without having a pen or pencil, you will find yourself going back and forth to the accounting trailer to pay for winning bids often.  

A water bottle and snacks are a good idea. At this auction there was a vending truck there with quite an impressive menu. Still, I would suggest being prepared for the long haul and stay hydrated. People with experience bring lawn chairs. I understand this now and will have one or two in the truck from now on.  

Have a collapsible wagon or space to keep your wins beside you. Bring another person if possible. As soon as a bid is won, the table space is cleaned off for the next item or bundle of items and so you will need to be prepared to take an arm load of items either back to your standing spot or to your vehicle. Multiple trips to the car to put away things gets old very fast. Some people come with hand trucks, trailers, and chains just in case.  

Stay level-headed. These auctions are high energy, and it can be easy to into a bidding war. I can imagine that in some instances, a person may just be trying to run the price up. With each item that you want to bid on, know what the maximum price you are willing to spend before the bidding begins. Happy Hunting.