Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-10-23
THE PUBLIC FARM SALE

teresting and sometimes pathetic.
Often it is merely the disposal of sur
plus stock Again it is the closing
out of all the farm chatels prior to
move to some other state. 1t is
the invoicing of the farm property,
for by sale the farmer learns his
financial status. 1t is pathetic
when some old couple left alone on
the farm in their old days finally
have to sell the horses. often like
old friends to them, and part with
all the homely but time-endeared
tools their hands had become accus-
toned to through years of service,
The morning of the sale finds
all the neighborhood astir early and
going the extra chores demanded by
absence from the farm for the day.
The curious crowd finds amusement
in looking over the stock and ma
chinery and in rough jokes among
the younger men. The women gos-
sip and inspect the household chat
tells that are set about the yard in
more or less confusion.
The public sale is clearing house
of ideas on farm topics. One can
hear opinions on all public ques-
tions and frequently hears some
keen debate as to national policies.
II it is winter, the crowd comes early
intent on recreation. Many do not
come to buy, but merely to meet
neighbors and pass the time. Others
frankly are looking for bargains,
and there is sharp bidding for the
more desirable stock and machinery.
When the auctioneer arrives and the
hour for the sale there is loud call
and the crowd gathers to hear the
sale terms.
When these are given and the sale
begins, the auctioneer selling the
small stuff of little value very fast.
He knows the time must be conserv-
ed for the more valuable stuff to be
sold later. 1t is more pleasurable to
be the onlooker than the maker of
the sale. The farmer who parts
with all the paraphernalia of the
farm must sell some which he hates
to part with. But the particular
question is: does the sale maker as
rule get full value at public sale?
Does he get enough to replace his
stuff with property of equal grade in
some other place II he wishes to be-
gin over again?
The concensus of opinion is that
farm property usually sells near its
worth in the majority of cases. The
exceptions are the tools and stock
not properly fitted for sale. We
are convinced that in case of sale
it pays to overhaul and repair and
paint all machinery. To offer a
machine needing repairs is to invite
loss. To sell horses thin in flesh or
rough-looking cattle is poor policy.
The harnes with broken tugs or lines,
for instance. sells poorly. The most
successful sales we have ever attend
ed were where everything was in
good repair machinery ready to run,
painted, with all parts bright, like
the shares of a pillow or the shovels
of the cultivators.
In contrast to the sale of god, well
kept stuff, one has but to attend one
of the other kind to see why the one
is a success and the other a practical
failure.
The actual difference in value may
not be great, but the crowd sizes II
up as larger than it is. The effect
of poor, ill-prepared stuff on the
crowd is psychological, to use a sci
entiic phrase The comment Is adj
verse and hurts the sale of articles
which are really very little out of or
der. In one case I noticed a cream
separator offered for sale with a
small, unimportant part broken. The
owner vouched for the working quail
titles of the machine, but the crowd
had come to believe everything out
of ord"r and had ceased to have in
terast In the sale.
Another instance In point: the sale
maker ofeced some very good horses
which Tore too thin for the buyers
who ship horses in fair flesh, and the
consequence was that very dis
gruntled owner saw them sell far be-
low their value. Men who are nat
ural mechanics take advantage of
the poorly prepared stuff to buy
things which may cheaply and easily
be put in repair. With the object
lesson Of other poor farm sales in
his mind many a man makes a sim
liar mistake. II takes time to proper
ly prepare for a public sale--time
and a little money. The man who
goes over every article worth while
and puts II in repair gets mighty
good pay for his trouble.
Whether 1t pays to buy at public
sale depends upon the individual.
Some men are poor buyers and bid
too much. Some are not good
Judges and value property too high
Others are excited by the bidding and
are worked" to make bids against
Judgment. Lastly, the auctioneer is
half of the battle. The poor auc-
tioneer is dear IL he works for moth