After the coldest winter I can remember, spring is finally here, and with spring comes "auction season". Our local sales paper gets flooded with auction listings in the spring months. Whether you are just getting started in farming or homesteading, or have a few years under your belt, auctions are a great opportunity to purchase equipment. Machinery and implements, hand tools, supplies, even household items can all be found at huge discounts at an auction. My personal experience is that the older pieces were generally built heavy and built to last.
If you've never been to one, be prepared for a fast paced day where almost anything can come up for sale. Here are a couple of tips to get you started:
1. Don't get into a bidding war. Once you've hit your price limit for an item, stop bidding.
2. Set a price limit on items you are interested in.
3. Show up at least 30 minutes early in order to look over everything and take a closer inspection of anything you might want to bid on.
4. Keep track of what you bought. Write the items and prices down on your card. Keep small items in a pile.
5. Take the family. Most of the big auctions around here have food, drinks, kids running around.
6. Have fun. You can learn a lot at auctions and over time you'll get an idea of what price items usually sell for.
We're looking forward to a great spring and a busy auction season.