[AndynJ]

Do you think they are a good place to buy or not.
Some items seemed to go for silly money like sheep hurdles at £15 each plus VAT & premium, and a creep feeder for £200 ++
We bought a few bits that we needed others that we just wanted

[Fleecewife]

It depends really on your own reaction to auctions.  They can give you a huge buzz so you get caught up in the bidding and forget how much you would be willing to spend on that item if you were the only buyer.  If you can keep a level head, have a good look round and check over what you want very carefully before the rush of the actual bidding then you can pick up some real bargains.  This can depend too on why the farm is selling up.  If the owner has retired or died, then the stuff for sale is unlikely to be new or well maintained as there will have been little investment in recent years as the farmer winds down or becomes too decrepit to manage, but you might find some worthwhile bargains if it's a foreclosure sale or similar.
 
The items with a lot of bidders are not going to be bargains.  Everyone wants hurdles, hay racks and so on and possibly have no idea of new prices, so as well not to get caught up in that.
 
We have picked up some great stuff at farm sales, and also some absolute junk - buying groups of things together because you want one item from that group is the perfect time to pick up a pile of cr@p which you then have to get rid of.

[SallyintNorth]

The thing about farm sales is, particularly if the farmer is retiring, the neighbouring farmers want to give him a good send off.  So if there's something there they can use, they'll buy it.  They don't care what the retail price is for a new one, they just want to buy something from Old Fred's Farm Sale, help Fred on his way and have something to remember him by.  I've seen rickety old wool sack frames go for twice the new price because it was the only half useful thing left to sell!    All the unsuccessful bidders had to pay tenners for bags of bits of screws, old dosing guns that probably don't work, rusted up old G-clamps, caked dry branding fluid... you get the picture.

So if you don't know Old Fred from Adam, make sure you know the retail new prices of things, and only buy things that you'll use and are good value to you.

And every time you see something go for more than the new price, don't think "farmers don't know the value of things  ", instead, think how lucky you are to live somewhere where the local folk really know the value of things, and what things are of value.

[SallyintNorth]

buying groups of things together because you want one item from that group is the perfect time to pick up a pile of cr@p which you then have to get rid of.

That's the stuff you hold onto for your farm sale, gets sold in job lots for all the local farmers who didn't manage to get any of the useful lots! 

[ladyK]

Sorry about the daft question, but how does one find out about farm sales?

[devonlad]

I keep my eye on auctioneers websites as the few round here tend to have sales calendars.
I LOVE farm sales- it is such a buzz. Like others I have bought real rubbish because it was " only a pound" which years later ends up at the tip. Things like fencing stakes, and tin sheets usually are a real bargain, but it is hit and miss

[in the hills]

My 15 year old loves them!!!! Finds them advertised in local papers, on the net or local people tell him. Loves looking through the lots, talking to the farmers and bidding.


He bought a box of "bits" for £2 and sold a drill out of it for £38. He was chuffed.

[AndynJ]

To find out about farm sales type in google "farms sales North wales" hey presto
We bought about 10 lots total most of it chicken related apart from the green thing it's a 1991 with 9000hrs and a 40k box 75=80% tyres £7200 £200 premium no VAT

[bigchicken]

Yes I agree with Sallyintnorth and Fleecewife, been to a few and bought some things for what I thought was a good price and that's the thing when buying at auction pay the price you think the item is worth and pay no more. Usually a good day out and can been some bargains to be had. Once bought a nearly new Ritchie hay feeder for £80 and got some strange looks when I strapped it on to the roof rack on my old escort van also bought a corigated feed storage container for £10 and a sheep stretcher for £4 what a good day and I had a blether with the out going tenant farmer who's family had farmed the same farm for three generations. He had the largest collection of farm forks I have ever seen. Old sheep farmer with a vast knowledge and someone worth talking to

[Lesley Silvester]

My 15 year old loves them!!!! Finds them advertised in local papers, on the net or local people tell him. Loves looking through the lots, talking to the farmers and bidding.


He bought a box of "bits" for £2 and sold a drill out of it for £38. He was chuffed.

[/size]
[/size][size=78%]I'm not surprised he was chuffed. That is a nice profit.[/size]

[ellied]

Same around here - most roups are advertised in Scottish Farmer and depending who the retiring farmer is you can see folk really dig deep to help see him off, taking all sorts of old crud away proudly and good for them too.

I've had a few bargains and love the auction a bit too much to go very often!  Things like an old bread tray or 3 all full of plantpots will still be useful when I need them, but the trays helped me display my own castoffs at a carboot sale so it goes around 

[Sudanpan]

We love going to the farm sales - and the more we go the more we realise that 90% of the rest of the group are like us and not there to buy but to mooch    It also means we get to explore more parts of the county.


We do keep an eye out for stuff, but are always aware of the 'new' price as well so we don't get lumbered.


Except OH did get carried away at the end of a very long, wet day and we bought a hen house we didn't need for well over the top..

[SallyintNorth]

Except OH did get carried away at the end of a very long, wet day and we bought a hen house we didn't need for well over the top..

That's just money.  You had a grand day out and have something to remember it by 

[Rosemary]

And every time you see something go for more than the new price, don't think "farmers don't know the value of things  ", instead, think how lucky you are to live somewhere where the local folk really know the value of things, and what things are of value.

 

[Tudful Tamworths]

A friend recently went to a poultry auction and mistakenly left her young daughter in charge of the bidding number. The family ended up going home with two cross-bred Indian runner ducks for £85.