Prices match sunny weather at Stone auction

A clash with the Royal wedding persuaded auctioneers Halls to bring forward the date of their monthly collective auction at The Gallops, Stanklyn Lane, Stone, near Kidderminster to Thursday last week.

The auctioneers were rewarded with fantastic spring weather, a large crowd and a series of excellent prices.

Top prices were achieved by a JCB 530/70 Farm Special Super Telescopic Handler, which sold for £12,900 a Bobcat 322 Mini Digger, which made £5,000 and a Case International 885xL, which sold for £4,700.

The farm implements section included a New Holland 570 conventional baler at £4,200 closely followed by a John Deere 590 baler at £3,500. Another notable price was £3,450 for an eight ton Fraser silage trailer with a grain/potato door.

The usual high volume of entries in the trailer section saw Ifor Williams models making the top prices, including a 12ft DP120 stock trailer at £2,050, a 505 trailer at £1,700 and a 12ft x 5ft drop sided trailer at £1,180. Other entries in this section included a Corniche 14/2 caravan, which sold for £1,000 and a Richardson horse box, which made £620.

The vehicles section saw a MGF 1.8 petrol convertible sell for £1,600, a Vauxhall Astra Van make £700 and a 1970 Land Rover make £550.

Top price in the garden machinery section was £850 for a Countax ride on mower.

"With entries already coming in for our next sale on May 27, we would like to remind everybody that the sale will be reverting to the last Friday of the month," said Daniel Lovatt, a director of Halls based in Kidderminster. "Catalogue deadline is Monday, May 16."