Machinery Sale Report: January 2010

January is always a time to contemplate the previous year as well as having high hopes for the forthcoming one. Certainly last year was more than acceptable: over 40,000 lots were offered at the saleground and we sold 3618 tractors, surely more tractors sold than all the other auctioneers in the UK put together! Trade during the 2009 was generally robust and the mosaic of nationalities who attended the sale added to the strength and depth at the auctions. New buyers from Korea, Angola, Chile, Bolivia and even war-torn Afghanistan attended the sale in addition to a fair number of the other 30,000 plus buyers we now have registered. It never ceases to amaze me just how far people travel to attend a little ol’ tractor auction in the Cambridgeshire Fens but with the advent of the world- wide web, to find out what’s happening on the other side of the world is now I suppose, only a mouse click away.

Regarding 2010, well it wasn’t the best start! Snow or the over optimistic forecast of such persuaded many buyers and vendors alike to stay at home resulting in the smallest sale we’ve had for sometime. The entry was disappointingly poor (if you can call 264 tractors poor!) and we finished selling sooner than I can ever remember but… it was not all bad. Certainly the first law of economics: “supply and demand” helped as a significant number of the tractors entered met with some quite forceful bidding from regular and new bidders alike. It was refreshing to see one of our long term regulars kick the day off to a buoyant start by dominating the MF 3000 series, buying all dozen of them straight. The following Ford trade was selective but strong: £11,000 purchased a Ford 8340 c/w McConnel hedge cutter, a straight from farm 2002 TM125 was bid over reserve to £13,600, a clean example of a 2003 TS 115 range the bell at £18,900 and a brace of TL’s both from the same home made £9100 for a TL80 and its big brother, a TL100 sold for £10,700.

John Deere trade during the latter part of 2009 was dominated by one or two select buyers from Spain and Poland and the question was “were they going to be about in 2010”. Answer..Yes albeit not so strongly. Certainly they purchased their fair share of the JD’s on offer but slightly dampened and chilled spirits together with the limited numbers of desired models failed to reproduce the “grin factor” from both auctioneers and vendors alike. Of the 49 John Deeres entered, prices would include £26,500 for a 2007 6820 showing 2700 hours, £32,700 purchased a 6430 c/w loader, a square looking 6910 with the all important TLS topped £17,500, another without front suspension sold for £15,300, a 2004 6520 was bought for £22,400 and its smaller sibling a 6420 and 06 registered is Hungary bound having been exchanged for £25800.

Tractor sale 2 faired rather well although it was disappointing to see so many gaps due to cancelled entries. A small select band of export buyers pushed many of the tractors beyond reserve price and it was great to see the 600 series Masseys, often the poor relation along the MF line up, receive some spirited bidding: how about £4500 for a rather sharp and rust free 690, £3400 was paid for 698 4wd, a 3 gear stick 675 made £4000 and a plain 690 subject to a spray can restoration sold well enough at £2550. 575 and 590’s just about sold out and the 100 series experienced demand for the sharper and bigger horse power examples.

Better things are anticipated for next month. February normally signifies the start of strong selling period so it will be interesting to see how trade develops. Entries from both trade and private buyers are all welcome so if there’s any item you’re thinking of selling, do give us a ring, you might be surprised just how much its worth and where it could end up!