mildly amusing story

ken werner

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Location
Central NY State
So after working 7 out of the previous 8 days, I had yesterday off. A hardware store about 1/2 hour away was being auctioned off. Lots of tools etc.

So I went to the preview at 8am. Some nice stuff that I figured I could buy low, enjoy or share...wandered around, writing down my wish list.

9 am - first they sell the building. Then the land. Then a fellow bids on the contents, and I mean ALL of the contents. The pick-up, the forklift, and all the inventory, which they claimed was worth $100K.

So by 9:45, it was all over. The sale of all the tools, lumber, and hardware cancelled by the sale of everything to one bidder.

Maybe I'm naive, and that's how these things go. The good news was I didn't have to hang around there half a day to get a few things I didn't really need anyway....

Ken
 
If you were that fellow, you need to forget that I have a truck right now! :rofl:

Sorry you didn't have the chance to bit on anything, but also glad you didn't spend a whole day for nothing.
 
Yup. It was in your neck of the woods too, the True Value in Vernon.
Ken

Oh - the buyer got a '93 F250 with 30K orig miles on it, 4x4 and plow, as part of the deal. Honestly, it was OK to cut bait and run, the day was getting hot and the place had no AC...
 
usually at any auction of any business, the entire contents, including vehicles, land, boats, anything with the companys named claiming ownership, is offered at the beginning if they can get a requested bid or a bid offered that is sufficient.
Ive bought some merchandise at insurance recovery auctions, but was ejected years ago because I brought along a wholesale book on prices, and had words with the auctioneer when I noticed pallets of home detergent and housewares were being bid 20 % above wholesale price.
Naturally, the only merchandise worth bidding on in quantity was the pallets of detergent and home goods, most likely brought in by the auctioneer to attract a large crowd, then musta had shills bid the price way up.
Im only guessing, but when I made a bit of a stink, offering to sell anyone there the same merchandise, with delivery for 5 % less, they asked me to leave nicely.
Ive been to store closing auctions recently.
Usually nothing worth left buying once the vultures pick the bones.
 
A few years ago we went to the auction of an ice cream shop up the road from our business. The big bidders all knew each other and bid things up to almost retail prices.

We picked up a few little things but nothing substantial.

The windfall for us came 45 minutes after the auction when the winning bidders came in and rented a Ryder truck from us to haul away their merchandise. :thumb:

Cheers

Jim
 
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