The auction of turfcare equipment, as publicised in Golf Business News.com, at Manheim’s Colchester location on Monday 12th March turned out to be a real success for all concerned.
Not only did all the equipment put up for auction proceed to attract bids and sell well above the reserve price but a number of clubs have done themselves some very good deals in terms of the prices paid for the machinery.
Most of the machines were the market-leading Toro range of grass-cutting ride-on equipment, all of which had been well maintained and came with relatively low hours readings. Besides the Reelmasters, Greensmasters, Groundmasters and Greens Mowers, there were also some Toro utility vehicles and a couple of bunker raking machines.
Alex Wright, Manheim’s sales director for commercial vehicles, was quietly pleased with the results. “Auctioning turf care equipment was a new venture for us, and with relatively minimal advertising to whip up some interest, some 30 or so buyers came along. From what I’ve gathered about the price that clubs can pay for this kind of equipment in that kind of condition, I’d say some very good bargains were had by those who came along.
“More importantly, this gives us the ability to begin to put a credible market value on machinery that isn’t usually sold this way. Manheim are certainly going to explore the potential of turfcare equipment for future auctions, as there is obviously a strong demand for it.”
“Manheim will also bring some new features to any future auctions of this kind, such as high quality pictures of the machines for potential bidders to get a better idea of what’s on offer, full details of which will be made available on our website. We are also exploring the idea of running an online auction alongside the actual one, which we already do for commercial trucks, so that more people can join in the bidding.”
Anyone interested in the possibility of acquiring either turfcare equipment or buggies via auction from Manheim can contact Alex Wright at alex.wright@manheimeurope.com or contact his office on 0117 300 4525.