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Co. C. E. Chandler of Butternut, Montcalm county, a well known auctioneer who has conducted numerous sales through this section, in a recent interview with the Press, gives a number of suggestions that might well be acted on by every proprietor of an auction sale.
“The question is often asked,” said he, “When is the best time to make an auction? Any time of the year is good if the parties have made up their minds to make an honest auction. Some people advertise an auction sale simply to invoice their personal property. This always makes auction sales a failure. My experience has convinced me that in the spring the early sales are all good ones. Persons who have sold stock, especially horses, are looking about to supply their needs ready for spring use. Parties who have moved from other localities are seeking to purchase farm implements, etc. As to the day, any day is preferable to Saturday, which by custom become a kind of holiday of trade day with the majority of farmers.
The first thing in making a sale is preparing a list of articles. In this it is a good plan to make a list including as near a full list of articles as possible. It must be remembered the would-be buyers read the lists carefully and often something which may seem of little value is just what some persons want and which causes them to attend the sale. If articles are good, or extra, so specify them.
The selection of auctioneer and clerk is an important matter. The clerk of a sale should be an accurate and good business man. The auctioneer should be well posted as to the value of farm and personal property and should understand human nature well. Persons should never have their advertisements or sale bills printed before the services of an auctioneer are secured, as his name should appear. This will apprise the public of whom they have to deal with, and the name of the popular auctioneer will tend to attract buyers.
All loose property should be gathered in a suitable place to prevent too much ‘gadding” about. Stock (livestock) should be confined to clean yards and pens if possible. This is important and should not be neglected.
Side bidding never pays, but invariably injuries the sale of property. Make an open sale; the public is invited to pass judgement on the worth of articles offered. Property sold without reserve will bring a fair value. Let me repeat it does not pay to bid in property.
Among the minor features of the auction sale, the free lunch should not be overlooked. It always pays. People become indifferent when lank and lean. A cup of coffee will prove a good investment to him who furnishes it. The public should bear in mind that a good natured man bids best.
All terms of sale should be made without interest. It is false economy to save necessary expense at an auction. It is as essential for a man whose goods inventory at $500 to get their full value as though they were worth $1,000.
In speaking of advertising he said that this is of the utmost importance. “The first thing to be considered”, said he, “is thorough advertising. See that the newspaper advertising is not neglected. I think the newspaper is the best way to advertise an auction sale, because it covers a wider territory than can be covered by bills. In the first place when you put up auction bills people read them and then forget what they have read. But an ad. in the newspapers that they get in their own homes is more impressive. You can never tell where a bidder may come from, and a newspaper of large circulation not only covers the whole territory, from which bidders may be expected, but places the advertisement right in their homes, where you are sure it will be read.”
When bills are employed and posted in open air, always use paste that will prevent the wind from whipping them to pieces and rain from washing them down. Bills should not be posted longer than eight days before the sale.
The whole question is summed up by Co. Chandler when he says: “It is my experience as an auctioneer to see that nothing is left undone to secure good prices.” An injunction that is too often not followed, or only partly observed. (Michigan: Pontiac Press)
As Col. Chandler noted most farm auctions were held in the spring. However, most farmers would not have the funds to pay for auction purchases until their crop came in. Therefore payment terms were designed and posted on the auction broadsides. Typically, all purchases of $10.00 or less were paid in cash the day of the auction with the balance being paid within eight months. The purchaser would sign a note. Sometimes interest was due on the balance of 8%. All farm auctions were held on-site at the farm and normally started at 10AM. Typically the family hosting the auction would provide food. Free lunches were served at noon. If a farm auction were small the broadside would boast a 12-noon start which meant there would be no free lunch. By studying many early broadsides and auctioneer’s correspondence I have come to the conclusion that the “Free Lunch” ended about 1920.
One commodity that sold well at farm auctions was “standing grass”. One 1872 broadside offered 45 acres to be sold in “suitable lots by the acre”. Can you imagine trying to harvest 45 acres of hay in 1872 on your own? The auction allowed the farmer to sell the 45 acres to many different purchasers who were responsible for removal after the auction.
On-site Farm Auctions are just as popular today as they have been over the past 200 years.
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