[AT] Saturday auction

[Indiana Robinson]

	Son Scott and I went to an auction a little over a mile from here 
Saturday. Not a lot of farm equipment, just a few pieces. It was mostly 
many years accumulation of a long time farming family. The seller was 
the oldest son of a fellow that my father and I were long time friends 
with. The father and his brother were second generation seed corn 
growers. Their father had held the title of "World Corn King" for 
several years. They had farmed mostly with Farmall's, mostly M's and 
Super M's during the years I knew them.
	I bought one batch of "misc." for $35 and a couple of guys looked at me 
like I was nuts... They hadn't looked in the one box. I had done my 
homework.   :-)   That one beat up looking cardboard box held 4 brand 
new, new style, triple baffle IHC fuel caps to fit the "M" series etc. 
all still in the original boxes. It also held 2 brand new complete fuel 
shut-off / sediment bowl assemblies for the M series and a new smaller 
one like for the CUBs etc. again all in the original boxes. I don't 
recall what all else was in that batch.
	I bought a very good PTO shield for the MTA / 400 for $6. I also bought 
two IHC belt pulleys (fits M etc.) and a couple of odd items for $30. 
One pulley does have a bit of mouse chewing marks around one edge but is 
still solid and will clean up OK. Bought a good little 6 amp  6/12 
battery charger for a buck, a nice 16 ton hydraulic bottle jack for $2 
and a pair of gear pullers for $12. We bought a good bit of other stuff 
some of which we needed and some of which we didn't...   :-)
A cell phone call to the wives (who were out together doing the yard 
sale bit) brought a second truck to the site...   :-)
	Diana and I have a double booth at a fairly large local indoor flea 
market and much of the odd stuff I bought for almost nothing will go 
there. Its one of those where you don't have to be there, just keep it 
stocked and the company handles all check-outs and stuff like sales 
taxes etc. It works fairly well but is slow in the summer months.
	I love auctions but I must confess to standing there like a deer 
looking at headlights and missing several great buys that I should have 
bought.
	One item I was forced to bid on (just because) I didn't get since 
several guys wanted it even more than I did.   :-)   It was a "HUGE" old 
machinist vise in perfect condition. I think it was the largest one I 
have seen in captivity... I took it to about $100 but it just kept going...
	I think it sold for about $200.
	I also bought a hot dog but it was only $2.
:-)
	Auctions are funny things. I am amazed at how high some things went and 
at how low some things went. That $2 bottle jack for example was 
something that about any farmer could have used but no one bid against 
me. I also bought a nice 12' wooden ladder with a pair of ladder jacks 
for $1. About any farmer could have used that as well even if they cut 
it down for a truck/wagon ladder or something, but no one else bid on 
it. If I were to go to another sale next week those same type items 
might sell for near new prices...
	One item I found interesting was a 300 gallon fuel tank with supposedly 
about 100 gallons of old gasoline in it. The auctioneer is an old friend 
who lives around the corner from me and is quite honest. Still I would 
be slow to trust an auctioneers estimate on the number of gallons of 
fuel in a tank.   :-)  He had ran out a jar full and it looked pretty 
dark... He said that the tanks don't sell very well anymore (I have 3 I 
don't use) and it was OK if the buyer removed the fuel and left the 
tank. It sold for $100.




-- 


"farmer"


I don't mind being absent minded so bad if forgetfulness
could just be a little more selective. Just last week I
was saying so to "whats-her-name..."



Hay & Straw Exchange (Buy it, sell it and trade it.)
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/HayandStrawExchange


Francis Robinson
Central Indiana, USA
robinson at svs.net