Auctioneers Halls have hailed the success of its collective plant and machinery sales at Shrewsbury Auction Centre during 2009 and pledged to continue the winning formula next year.
The company launched the bimonthly collective auctions of tractors, agricultural machinery, plant, equipment and tools in February, having previously held quarterly sales at Forton Airfield, Montford Bridge since the 1960s.
The move to the modern facilities at Shrewsbury Auction Centre has paid dividends as more entries, sellers and buyers have flocked to the six sales during 2009.
The final sale of the year was held on December 4 when a large crowd saw 1,200 lots go under the hammer, with buyers travelling from all over the country.
Top prices were: £13,000 for a McCormick MC100, £7,000 for a Hyundai 1.5 mini digger, £6,200 for a Niftylift HR12, £3,200 for a beet harvester, £2,450 for a Massey Ferguson 675 two wheel drive, £2,400 for a McCormick G25 mini tractor, £2,400 for a Peljob mini digger, £2,150 for a Standard Fordson tractor, £2,050 for a Kuhn power harrow and £1,700 for a Mattbro loading shovel.
"It was a very diverse sale which attracted many new faces," said auction manager Tom Jones, of Halls. "We had one buyer from Scotland and there was a good clearance rate throughout the sale.
"We had a lot more equipment entered by farmers this time. As we move into the new year, I would encourage farmers to carry out an audit to see if they have any unwanted pieces of machinery or equipment that could be sold by auction."
Halls’ next collective sale will be on February 5, followed by further auctions on April 2, June 4, August 7, October 1 and December 3.
"The turnover from the plant and machinery sales has increased tenfold during 2009, which demonstrates the wisdom of moving to Shrewsbury Auction Centre," said Mr Jones.
"The move to modern facilities, coupled with improved marketing, has generated great enthusiasm from sellers and buyers alike and we are looking forward to building on this success in 2010. Our thanks go to everyone who has supported the sales in 2009."
For more information about the sale contact either Mr Jones on Tel: 07971 188313 or John Rossiter on Tel 07825 557175.