Buying used things/equipment - Farm auctions or MarketPlace/Craigs list..?

[Drifthopper]

What's your preference..?

For those that buy used equipment and other things, do you prefer to go to farm auctions / estate auctions..?

Or... do you look on Market Place or Craig's List for the item for sale.?

I do like auctions, you can get some good buy's, but I'm limited to the auctions on Saturday's, and it just seams like I can't blow a whole Saturday standing around at an auction waiting for the item to come up, when work at the camp is waiting.

I tend to look on Craig's List and Face book market place for equipment.
If I am interested in something, I can go during the week to check it out and if so.... cut a deal.

 

[DustyRusty]

I find lots of items on the Facebook marketplace, and I inquire about many of them. For the most part, the sellers are trying to get rich on each item, so I will pass. Occasionally I do find a good deal and am ready to move quickly to acquire it. A few years ago I scored a BX snowplow with hydraulic angling for $400, and when I arrived I inquired if there were any other items that he was selling. I wound up with a BX mower vacuum, Landpride 6' rake, Landpride 60" brush hog, 54" Landpride rototiller, a Post Hole digger and auger, and a BX snowblower and mounting hardware. I brought it home on multiple trips, and then sold off what I didn't want and kept the rest.
Last week I bought a bunch of new BX parts from a fellow that was selling a BX23S that he got when he purchased a home. The tractor had a Curtis cab on it and 2.3 hours. I probably;y should have made him an offer on the tractor because he just wanted to move it quickly, but I didn't, and it sold this week. He was asking $29,000, however, I don't know what it sold for. I toyed with the idea of selling my 90-hour 2019 BX23S and keeping that one but decided that I didn't need it since mine is like new.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I'm retired, so I'm not as time limited as some.
I bought my Honda gas welder from FB Marketplace. Had to clean the rheostat
I bought my L35 from a used heavy equipment dealer. It was the smallest thing on his lot. Turned out to be his FIL's
I bought a Miller welder at an auction. Had to re-wire it and replace some diodes.
West of town is farm country; some guys just park their sale items out by the road in front of their houses.
The best deals usually require time, patience and a little luck.

 

[DustyRusty]

I once found a 50-cent piece on the streets of Manhatten. I asked my brother to loan me the money, but he refused.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I once found a 50-cent piece on the streets of Manhatten. I asked my brother to loan me the money, but he refused.

I hope you thanked him when you came to your senses.

 

[DustyRusty]

I hope you thanked him when you came to your senses.

 

[old and tired]

The good old days (early on with Craig's List), WAS a great resource. Not any more, as far as I can tell. It used to be older gentlemen / real farmers selling off stuff. Now it's mainly resellers that slap a coat of paint on a rusted old POS.

Auctions around here are bad. Never heard a good deal, things sold for more money than brand new at Tractor Supply!!

I found all I needed (and then some) in the early days of Craig's List but I checked the listings about every hour for 10 hours a day for years!!! I think that everything that I bought needed some work to get it right... reason for me to learn to weld!

 

[85Hokie]

What's your preference..?

For those that buy used equipment and other things, do you prefer to go to farm auctions / estate auctions..?

Or... do you look on Market Place or Craig's List for the item for sale.?

I do like auctions, you can get some good buy's, but I'm limited to the auctions on Saturday's, and it just seams like I can't blow a whole Saturday standing around at an auction waiting for the item to come up, when work at the camp is waiting.

I tend to look on Craig's List and Face book market place for equipment.
If I am interested in something, I can go during the week to check it out and if so.... cut a deal.

In the past 13 years - I have bought and sold over 150K of stuff off of both sites. I have met over 250 people, and 99% of them were wonderful. Only had one little old lady try to screw me over. If you ever watched Andy Griffith you'll remember the little ol lady car salesman that screwed over Barny. She wanted to give me a check for my car ........ well, I said thank you .........noooooooooo.....

When you have kids as I have had - all grown, you'll find things on the net - cell phones, cars , stereos ........ you name it! I have sold cars for friends - and always told them the truth about what I knew about those cars.

Lets see - I have bought 4 Kubotas and sold 1 on MP and CL too!!!!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

FB won't allow me to use FBMP, as I do not have a 'smart device'.......which apparently you MUST have....
too 62 days for them to delete my application to join.

Auctions cost waaaay too much up here. between 'buyer's premimum' and the 13% Hot potato sales Tax, items cost a LOT. IE rusty old Mustang sold for 70K, out the door >$92,000 !!!!

Kijiji is the Canuck upgrade to CL, use it a lot..both to buy and sell.....need to SELL more though, can't fit 8200 sqft of stuff into a 2 car garage for some reason.

 

[NCL4701]

Auctions here are terrible. Stuff that’s completely worn out/heavily damaged goes for 50% new price plus all the buyer premium and taxes. Stuff that’s undamaged, half wore out and needs $ refurbishing such that total spent is over new price by the time it’s ready to run goes for new price plus buyer premium and taxes. Stuff that’s ready to run goes for higher than new price even if the new stuff is readily available on dealer lots for immediate delivery. Been that way since before COVID and has just gotten worse. It’s like the buyers have no clue what new costs and assume they’re getting a good deal just because it’s used when in reality they’re getting screwed hard. Makes no sense to me, but that’s how it is so I quit wasting time on auctions as I’m not paying over new price for used.

We’ve seen some reasonable deals at estate sales but I’ve not run across any that had something I really needed or were such a great deal I’d pick something up just to resell.

CL for equipment pretty much is priced for the same clueless buyers that drive up auction prices past new price. FB Marketplace is hit/miss. Many of those sellers around here seem to be folks who inherited something from grandpa and have no clue what they have or what it’s worth so their prices tend to be stupid as well.

Other than the occasional estate sale pieces only things I see reasonably priced at times are sitting out by the road with a for sale sign on them.

Edit: One thing to add… I have seen reasonable prices on used stuff on dealer lots. They have the new stuff a couple aisles over so they can’t realistically price the used stuff without a discount from new, unlike auctions and private sellers. If they’re a dealer worth anything they’ll also go through it to make sure it’s functional before putting it up for sale.

 

[My Barn]

I've done it both ways buy and selling. FB Marketplace is good source to buy on same with Craiglist. Craigslist selling stuff always has the low ballers on it.
They are far better than selling on E-bay! Buying on E-bay is gone down hill...

 

[motionclone]

I use marketplace quite a bit for equipment type stuff as i rarely buy anything new anymore. There is a local "swap and sell" that you can buy guns from also, private sale. Of course marketplace and craigslist where created by commies so no selling of guns on those platforms even though doing so would be 100% legal.

 

[fried1765]

I use marketplace quite a bit for equipment type stuff as i rarely buy anything new anymore. There is a local "swap and sell" that you can buy guns from also, private sale. Of course marketplace and craigslist where created by commies so no selling of guns on those platforms even though doing so would be 100% legal.

The tough part is that Kubota Mini-Ex buckets, and other such attachments, never do seem to show up on CraigsList

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Although I sold a few of my personal items many years ago on CL. Now I avoid it. CL seems to be the way thieves sell stolen products. I bought a couple wine racks off of CL from a business that was closing. But only because that seemed to be legitimate.

I think I would trust an auction house more than CL. Especially if the seller knows nothing about the item.

 

[motionclone]

The tough part is that Kubota Mini-Ex buckets, and other such attachments, never do seem to show up on CraigsList

up my way you have to be willing to travel a little to get a deal. I stopped even looking at craigslist since it seemed like only thing there was scams. Marketplace owns the market for local selling and buying.

 

[fried1765]

up my way you have to be willing to travel a little to get a deal. I stopped even looking at craigslist since it seemed like only thing there was scams. Marketplace owns the market for local selling and buying.

Kinda the same for me.
You must go South 150 miles to find anything.
I must go North 150 miles to find anything

 

[RCW]

I don't do FB, and have only looked at CL a couple times. I did sell my Harley via CL, which wouldn't have happened without my young son (at the time).

I love in-person machinery and farm auctions. Part of the rural fabric of USA.

Consignments and dispersals are common here, especially this time of year.

Grew up with them, including weekly livestock sales as a kid. My Grandfather and I still went to the livestock sales after we sold the cows and equipment.....it's what we did.

I don't buy much other and coffee and hot dog(s)...sometimes sausage(s) too. Keeps my hands occupied with eating and NOT bidding.

For me it's entertainment, like it was with my grandfather decades ago.

Bargains can be had. Fools and their money can be separated quickly too. Seen both many times.

You have to know what you're bidding on. Many people don't and prices climb way beyond reasonable.

Couldn't count on my fingers and toes the number of decent chainsaws that sold at or above MSRP of the same saw...new with warranty.......

Saw countless junk tractors sell for ridiculous prices, because everything was pressure-washed to hide the bad stuff....

Like others said, the key is knowing ultimate cost. You have to include your final offer price plus Buyer's Premium and applicable sales taxes.

18% total is common at many auctions here: 10% BP + 8% NYS Sales Tax (if applicable).

 

[Lil Foot]

I've never been on FB, but I scan CL 1 to 10 times a week, for machinist stuff, tractor stuff, and metal stock.
I've probably been doing it for 30+ yrs.
Of all that scanning, I have only actually made 5 purchases- a short PU load of metal stock, a sheet metal shear, a diamond/alox grinder, a bunch of machinist cutters/tools, & a pair of 75lb weights that became tractor wheel weights.
Decent deals, but a lot of ads to have to sift through to find those.

Lots of idiots also.
One ad was for a large quantity of 2" aluminum barstock, for a decent price per stick.
Location was within 3/4 mile from me, so I called several times, but never got an answer. The ad ran for months, and I kept calling occasionally, but never got an answer. Finally, one day a guy answered, and I asked about the aluminum. He said "Oh, I sold all that months ago." I asked why he was still running the ad months later. There was dead silence for a while, then he said "I don't know." and hung up on me.
TaterHaid.

 

[D2Cat]

I've never been on FB, but I scan CL 1 to 10 times a week, for machinist stuff, tractor stuff, and metal stock.
I've probably been doing it for 30+ yrs.
Of all that scanning, I have only actually made 5 purchases- a short PU load of metal stock, a sheet metal shear, a diamond/alox grinder, a bunch of machinist cutters/tools, & a pair of 75lb weights that became tractor wheel weights.
Decent deals, but a lot of ads to have to sift through to find those.

Lots of idiots also.
One ad was for a large quantity of 2" aluminum barstock, for a decent price per stick.
Location was within 3/4 mile from me, so I called several times, but never got an answer. The ad ran for months, and I kept calling occasionally, but never got an answer. Finally, one day a guy answered, and I asked about the aluminum. He said "Oh, I sold all that months ago." I asked why he was still running the ad months later. There was dead silence for a while, then he said "I don't know." and hung up on me.
TaterHaid.

One of the reasons situations like you describe is because you can not delete an ad on CL if you don't have the original link to confirm to post it in the first place. If that email gets deleted for any reason, accident or on purpose, you have no access to the post you made!! On the other hand, some folks don't pay any attention to a listing once they have sold an item.

 

[mattwithcats]

Government Planet

or

Government Deals

Hint - sort by distance…

Just snagged an 21.5 iMac 14.1 with 16 gigs memory, and 500 gig SSD, along with a 27” 14.2 imac, 8 gigs memory, 1 terabyte 7200 RPM platter drive, for $200…

Total was around $225 with taxes and buyers premium…