By Matt Reese
This year, Farm Science Review will be doing something different – a virtual equipment auction on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 12:30 p.m. with Equipment Connection, sponsored by Upper Sandusky-based Walton Realty and Auction Co.
“We are very excited to announce the first-ever virtual equipment auction that will be held here at Farm Science Review in 2024,” said Darby Walton, auctioneer with Equipment Connection and Walton Realty and Auction Co. “We are really excited to see what this sale will look like. This is an equipment auction with live on-site bidding and online bidding, but there will be no equipment at the point of sale. Everything will be sold via large screens. The live bidders will be present in the large tent in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the far west end of Farm Science Review.”
The auction is the next in a series of Equipment Connection auctions since the beginning of last year.
“These virtual sales started for us in March 2023 when we had a lead on two really nice, newer John Deere tractors. Sellers didn’t have a really good way to market their machines, and we put together our first virtual equipment sale within a matter of weeks. We ended up getting tremendous results and that birthed this virtual equipment auction brand that we now call Equipment Connection,” Walton said. “We’ve done five of these virtual equipment auctions since then – four standard consignment-style sales and one dealer inventory reduction sale this spring alone. It’s brought a whole new selling experience where you don’t have to move any of your equipment and we can still market to audiences across the United States and actually around the world. The buying experience is a little different too, because we don’t have anything on-site, we still give buyers the opportunity to look at that equipment before it’s sold and then of course continue to apply the live and online auction concept to these virtual equipment sales. They are going really well for us and we are very excited to bring this to the Farm Science Review.”
Ohio’s most important agricultural fair seemed perfectly suited for this purpose.
“For us, this was really a no-brainer. We were looking for a venue that would make it not just an auction, but an event. Last year alone, they had over 100,000 attendees. What better way to showcase this to the agricultural industry than to hold it at one of the largest agricultural shows in the United States? We know there will be buyers from the agricultural industry there, and who doesn’t love a good live auction,” said Walton.
After a long period of record-breaking prices for used farm equipment in recent years, the slowing market could now lay the foundation for good deals, says auctioneer Sam Baer of Equipment Connection.
“The declining commodity prices have had a negative impact on the equipment market. The markets have changed a little bit and you’ll see prices come down compared to last year. This spring we had the highest inventory of planters on the market since 2006 and we’ve seen some price drops on some of the newer combine models. If you’re looking to upgrade your equipment, there are definitely some places in the market where you can get a good value right now,” Baer said. “However, tractors with low hours and no DEF equipment and pre-DEF horsepower numbers are doing very well for us. That’s still in high demand. Anytime you invest in newer equipment models, prices have come down a little bit, but if it’s quality equipment and serviceable parts that people need year after year, there’s still good demand for it.”
Equipment Connection is still accepting shipments for this unique sale on September 18th.
“Live sales are a gathering place in the agricultural industry. A live auction is one of the social aspects of the community, whether it’s farm equipment, farmland or even the livestock industry, they love live sales. When you combine that with an online offering, you get bidders not just from Ohio or Indiana, but from all over the United States. So what better way to really market your assets than to hold a live auction and offer online bidding? You get the best of both worlds, especially at Farm Science Review,” said Walton. “Anyone interested in bidding or wanting to see the auction offering from this year’s 2024 Farm Science Review Virtual Live Equipment Auction should definitely visit our website at waltonauctionco.com or call our office number 419-294-0007 with any further questions. We can send one of our representatives directly to your home or even to your stable and ensure that we can market your equipment so that both the seller and the buyer are satisfied.”
