A Tractor Event
Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 7:25 am
I attended an auction this past Saturday with many, many tractors and old cars up for sale. The volume of items intriqued me, so I began asking some questions. The attendant who was parking cars was also one of the young men who had helped pull this event together. I say event, because after he explained it to me and confirming his account from another friend, it was clear that this tractor auction was an event indeed.
As I discovered, the man who passed on owned three tracts of 40 acres each. Much of the property was treed and shaded, but some (as the pictures show) was in the open. He began attending auctions and local sales during the '60s and '70s, buying many pieces that others would not. He'd come home with tractors, cars or parts for both and pull them out into the woods behind his place and leave them there. It was told to me, that when money got tight, he'd go out and part or scrap out a vehicle or tractor to get money. I didn't find out what he initially did for a living, but apparently he had such a reputation, that when local auctioneers knew they had items at an upcoming sale that was in poor condition or junk, they'd especially invite him to come, knowing he'd buy it if no one else would.
The tractors (75 counted) were a mix of Allis-Chalmers, Ford, IH Farmall, John Deere, Massey and others. He had every implement from multi-gang discs and plows to cultivators and cultipackers. Since the items were all down in the woods, the auctioneer staff had to use a Bobcat with front-end loader to drag each car and tractor out in the open field. Get this: according to the auctioneer, this was only 20% of what they found in the woods.
None of the cars or tractors ran; they were all non-runners. Some of the tractor engines were stuck, some free. The auctioneer announced that if anyone was able to start one of these tractors, they'd have to talk to him about it and maybe auction it off again.
Here are some pictures of the event:
Since these were shaded in the woods for who-knows-how-long, here's an example of the "lichens" that were growing on (almost) every tractor:
There were a couple Cubs; a '48...
...and a '65 with mower:
And a few Cub implements:
The '48 sold for $300; the '65 went for $900 (only because the auctioneer talked it up and said it would run w/o too much trouble). The Cub-22 mower (complete w/ pulley) sold for $55 and the Cub-54 (early type) blade was bought for $35 (not complete). Can't remember what the 193 plow with the modified 3-point end sold for.
There were crates full of carbs and other tractor parts. Steel wheels, spoke wheels, and on and on it went. Typically, most of the tractors sold in the $250-$500 range, while the implements went for $500-$1200 depending on what it was. Some who attended, no doubt, were gleaning parts for their projects at home.
Remember, this was only 20% of what was in there. They still are sorting through the rest of the 120 acres to see what's there. It appears there's more to come and another auction is tentatively planned for this Fall.
As I discovered, the man who passed on owned three tracts of 40 acres each. Much of the property was treed and shaded, but some (as the pictures show) was in the open. He began attending auctions and local sales during the '60s and '70s, buying many pieces that others would not. He'd come home with tractors, cars or parts for both and pull them out into the woods behind his place and leave them there. It was told to me, that when money got tight, he'd go out and part or scrap out a vehicle or tractor to get money. I didn't find out what he initially did for a living, but apparently he had such a reputation, that when local auctioneers knew they had items at an upcoming sale that was in poor condition or junk, they'd especially invite him to come, knowing he'd buy it if no one else would.
The tractors (75 counted) were a mix of Allis-Chalmers, Ford, IH Farmall, John Deere, Massey and others. He had every implement from multi-gang discs and plows to cultivators and cultipackers. Since the items were all down in the woods, the auctioneer staff had to use a Bobcat with front-end loader to drag each car and tractor out in the open field. Get this: according to the auctioneer, this was only 20% of what they found in the woods.
None of the cars or tractors ran; they were all non-runners. Some of the tractor engines were stuck, some free. The auctioneer announced that if anyone was able to start one of these tractors, they'd have to talk to him about it and maybe auction it off again.
Here are some pictures of the event:
Since these were shaded in the woods for who-knows-how-long, here's an example of the "lichens" that were growing on (almost) every tractor:
There were a couple Cubs; a '48...
...and a '65 with mower:
And a few Cub implements:
The '48 sold for $300; the '65 went for $900 (only because the auctioneer talked it up and said it would run w/o too much trouble). The Cub-22 mower (complete w/ pulley) sold for $55 and the Cub-54 (early type) blade was bought for $35 (not complete). Can't remember what the 193 plow with the modified 3-point end sold for.
There were crates full of carbs and other tractor parts. Steel wheels, spoke wheels, and on and on it went. Typically, most of the tractors sold in the $250-$500 range, while the implements went for $500-$1200 depending on what it was. Some who attended, no doubt, were gleaning parts for their projects at home.
Remember, this was only 20% of what was in there. They still are sorting through the rest of the 120 acres to see what's there. It appears there's more to come and another auction is tentatively planned for this Fall.
