Autumn has long been the traditional time for rural land sale settlements. This also generates an annual ‘Clearing Sale’ season, which is all but finished for the year with just a few sales left to round it out for 2022.
Selling any rural property comes with a lot of emotion and closing of a chapter in people’s lives. The associated clearing sale often becomes the focal point and the ‘line in the sand’ to finalise attachments and connections that have been made to the land, sometimes over a very long period of time.
Gathering all of one’s farming possessions and tools of the trade for one and all to fossick through, bargain downwards, and generally assess and make comment on, can be a very daunting set of circumstances. There are always many weeks and months of preparation for such events, with many difficult decisions to be made about what to keep, what to throw away, and then the all-important decision of what to actually present on sale day. Many a sale has seen items being dragged out and put into line just moments before the auctioneer calls “Salo Buyers, Salo”.
Clearing sales can vary greatly in both size and quality. For discerning buyers, a run through the 'Bible' (Farm Weekly) each week throughout the season can sway the decision to make a trip to near or far to see what bargains may present, or perhaps help locate a particular item of need. Many a buyer has headed home after a long hot day at a sale with much more than they anticipated on the back of the ute. Often, some fast talking is required, when dad arrives home, to convince mum the additional item was either well worth going over budget for, or, in fact, that the said item was absolutely necessary. In the days when ample liquid refreshments were available after the sale (and in even earlier days, during the sale) this issue was commonplace and the cause of much contention.
Paying well-over new price for items is also a phenomenon seen at many a sale over the years. A seasoned sale-goer suggested a quick call to the local resellers in town, prior to attending a sale, can save a lot of pain and explaining after the fact. Generally, items like fencing material, poly pipe and items still in near new condition can often make well over new price, as some are not fully up to speed with where their market price is. This often creates some friendly ribbing and looks of amazement from the crowd.
One of the funniest quirks of clearing sales is watching partners, whether it be a married couple or siblings, unknowingly bidding for the same item. They have obviously agreed to have a punt on a particular item, before getting separated in the crowd and not being able to find each other when the auctioneer gets to it. Hence, away they go, both bidding vigorously, hoping to get a bargain! A good auctioneer may let them have a couple of bids and then inform them of what’s happening, much to the crowd’s delight! The other, often amusing, scenario is two neighbours, who may not have the greatest deal of time for each other, purposely going well over market value once they work out who they are bidding against. Their pride doesn’t want to allow them to lose in front of a home crowd. The spirited bidding it creates brings great joy to an astute auctioneer!
Other quirks that can make or break a good sale, and create plenty of good banter are:
· Items with reserve prices the crowd deems ‘ridiculous’ and ‘well over the top’.
· Machinery failing to start when buyers test it out just before sale, or even during!
· Older owners standing next to the auctioneer and giving a running commentary on each item, its history and when they purchased it, as the auctioneer is trying to do their thing.
· Items mis-described or even withdrawn from sale prior. Many people travel a long way to bid at times.
· Punters being too slow to bid and finally joining in for a bid as the auctioneer knocks the item down as sold.
A good sale will always have a lovely gathering of locals catering for the event. Often local sporting or service clubs offer a vast array of freshly-baked and homemade goodies. It is usually a very hectic day for such clubs, but one of good reward, with plenty of banter and interesting people to meet. These days, portable EFTPOS has made it very convenient for those who don’t carry cash, but it is always good to check in advance, or the day can be a very long, thirsty and hungry one.
So, as the Clearing Sale rounds draw to a close, we wish both sellers and buyers well for the remainder of the season. We understand the emotional pressure that the sellers face in seeing their life’s work picked over and carted off. We also understand it’s human nature for buyers to want to get a bargain! As the saying goes; ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’, making clearing sales an ultimate form of recycling.
Having attended many clearing sales in his time, Wayne Manoni suggests doing your homework beforehand, setting a budget, and keeping your hands in your pockets at all times if you don’t want some explaining to do when you get home!!
