Mecum Auctions

[1955]

Just curious, I have always wanted to attend one of those Mecum Gone Farming Auctions, as I follow them all the time.

Has anyone ever went to one? It seems as though most of the tractors are from collections and they all look like museum quality restorations. Are they really as good as they look? Or are they just painted up for show?

I'm just wondering because even with currency exchange, buyers fee, and taxes to get one back to Canada, they still seem to work out way cheaper to buy than all the rusted broken junk people here in Ontario are trying to sell.

I can't even get one of mine painted for the price I see these perfect looking tractors sell for.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Just curious, I have always wanted to attend one of those Mecum Gone Farming Auctions, as I follow them all the time.

Has anyone ever went to one? It seems as though most of the tractors are from collections and they all look like museum quality restorations. Are they really as good as they look? Or are they just painted up for show?

I'm just wondering because even with currency exchange, buyers fee, and taxes to get one back to Canada, they still seem to work out way cheaper to buy than all the rusted broken junk people here in Ontario are trying to sell.

I can't even get one of mine painted for the price I see these perfect looking tractors sell for.

Mecum discontinued that auction for this year. Not sure if they will reinstate it or not. Guess there was too much competition from the other auction houses that actually specialize in tractors.

Mike

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Mecum discontinued that auction for this year. Not sure if they will reinstate it or not. Guess there was too much competition from the other auction houses that actually specialize in tractors.

Mike

I don't think it was turning a good profit for them. If it was making money, they would have continued it despite any "competition."

From what little I could stand to watch of their television broadcasts over the years, very few of the tractors were anything special. I saw a lot of mismatched tires, missing panels, incorrect seats, bad paint jobs, obvious farmer fixes... and the prices were about what you'd see at a local consignment sale. Hundreds, not tens of thousands, of dollars. They're used to selling hundreds of cars with high-5. 6 and 7 figure values.

...and the commentary... About the only thing the commentator would ever get right is the color of the tractor, and then not always. I know he has to fill air time but talk about politics or something. Leave the tractor knowledge to people who have it.

Aumann recently had an online auction with hundreds of rare and unusual machines. Most of them derelict, but complete to mostly complete. They mostly brought scrap value. No auction house is chomping at the bit to get in on that action.

 

[plattman]

Just curious, I have always wanted to attend one of those Mecum Gone Farming Auctions, as I follow them all the time.

Has anyone ever went to one? It seems as though most of the tractors are from collections and they all look like museum quality restorations. Are they really as good as they look? Or are they just painted up for show?

I'm just wondering because even with currency exchange, buyers fee, and taxes to get one back to Canada, they still seem to work out way cheaper to buy than all the rusted broken junk people here in Ontario are trying to sell.

I can't even get one of mine painted for the price I see these perfect looking tractors sell for.

I go in person to their Indy auto auctions. The car auction goes on for days with the high dollar stuff being sold weekends which is what you usually see on the TV feed. Cheaper stuff sells during the week. A lot of the weekend stuff doesn't sell cause the reserve isn't met. I went on Saturday this year and a little sad to see how much really doesn't sell. I'm not a buyer but its better than seeing cars in a museum. 1000s also a lot of owners are on site and can talk to them.

 

[1955]

That's why I was wondering, because the stuff I saw at Mecum was always nice looking stuff, that looked like show tractors, whereas Aumann and the others usually seem to have mostly ones that look like they just came off working in the fields.

I bought all my tractors within a 10 hour radius of me in Ontario Canada and I KNOW I overpaid for all of them, LOL

I've seen WD45's that look like brand new at Mecum sell for $1500 USD whereas here in Ontario you could buy a CA missing half it's parts for less than $2500 And stuff like Massey 35's with Tractor Supply paint jobs for $12,500

 

[DoubleO7]

@1955

Sounds like you should be a border hoping tractor jockey........................

 

[1955]

@1955

Sounds like you should be a border hoping tractor jockey........................

Yep. Still got tractors I want for my collection, LOL