Horse auction in PA last wkend

[zoey829]

I would love to know the prices of the horses at the last sale. I heard thier was a lot of no sales. I also heard a lot of nice horses were added and not in the catalog.If someone could give list the prices that would be great

Thanks

 

[WhiteTailsMinis]

I'd be interested as well - I had heard there was a PA sale but didn't have any info - didn't even know there was a catalog? Was it online as well? I don't recall seeing any advertisements for it?

 

[Mystic Rose Minis]

I was at the sale and no saled my 2. The bid for my yearling stallion was $150 and my 2 yr old stallion was $225. I didn't stay for the whole sale but while I was there most of the horses were getting bids in the $100 - $300 range, which is why most people did a no sale.

 

[lilfolks]

Boy, by that prices are really down. Many of us have expensive horses compared to prices to todays market.

Joyce

 

[WhiteTailsMinis]

I had several thoughts reading this post - the economy question - the auction prices - not sure how to put it exactly as I thought of it - but I'll take a stab at what I was thinking and hope not to offend anyone - just my observation or opinion:

I think lots of folks (and yes, I'll include myself here too) expect to get lower prices at auctions than straight off the farm - and while there are lots of good horses in the auctions - usually farms don't bring their highest most valued horses to sell in an auction either - they sell them off the farm. But if the audience is expecting to get cheap prices then they aren't going to bid very high on a particular horse - they'll wait and try for another and another until they get something from the auction cheap - thus we see the auction results with low numbers and gasp.

Sometimes you may see a horse in an auction that you know will command a high price - you can't believe it's being auctioned - perhaps it's there (consigned) to bring the potential crowd (the crowd that thinks a horse will go cheaper in an auction will go just to try to get that horse cheap) but those horses have high reserves and will go back home if the reserve is not met. Or if that farm is lucky, there will be that one person in the crowd that knows the value and is willing to meet or exceed the reserve because they would have spent the same directly from the farm anyway - and they happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right bid and a trailer in tow.

I have bought horses from the reputable auctions (farm/breeder auctions) - and have gotten fabulous horses every time - never disappointed in the ones I bought. Some I had to go way over what I had in mind but I knew the value of the horse and wanted it bad enough. Others I was shocked would agree to sell at the bid I won so I felt lucky on those that didn't no-sale at my winning bid but there just wasn't enough people bidding on the same horse (and yes some time my excitement was busted when they just wouldn't take my bid and took them back home). And there are others to this day i wished I had stayed in there and bid just once more to get it - LOL.

I also think the size of the audience has an affect on the bids. If there aren't enough people there interested and bidding against eachother, the price just isn't going to climb but so far. When you have four or more people bidding on the same horse, the price jumps quite rapidly.

I do not blame breeders for no-saling a horse at an insulting bid amount. Those bids rarely cover the cost of care and feed for one horse for the last year (or even the gas to haul it back and forth to the sale) - I'd take mine back home too before giving them away - consignments cost you money - there is a fee to consign a horse and there is also a fee to no-sale your horse - so these farms are walking away costing them money without selling the horse (or multiple horses). I commend them because they are helping the market by not giving away their horses for cheap prices.

My comments are not meant to be negative. My thoughts are that we expect to get horses cheaper through auctions - but I do think that these are ridiculously low prices. I don't think horses should be given away at those prices - it'll hurt the industry in the long run. In principal - I'd pay the commission, consignment, no-sale fees, gas and hotel, etc and take my horses back home too before giving them away.

I guess the main point to what I was trying to say was - that it's really not "todays market" - - it is simply that people think they are going to get deals at auctions and probably go with a limit in mind - so the bidding just doesn't happen as it should. Good quality horses are still selling for good prices off the farm - the large reputable well known breeders are still able to get good prices for good horses.

I may regret this post as soon as I hit "add reply" but I don't see a cancel button. LOL

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

I had several thoughts reading this post - the economy question - the auction prices - not sure how to put it exactly as I thought of it - but I'll take a stab at what I was thinking and hope not to offend anyone - just my observation or opinion:
I think lots of folks (and yes, I'll include myself here too) expect to get lower prices at auctions than straight off the farm - and while there are lots of good horses in the auctions - usually farms don't bring their highest most valued horses to sell in an auction either - they sell them off the farm. But if the audience is expecting to get cheap prices then they aren't going to bid very high on a particular horse - they'll wait and try for another and another until they get something from the auction cheap - thus we see the auction results with low numbers and gasp.

Sometimes you may see a horse in an auction that you know will command a high price - you can't believe it's being auctioned - perhaps it's there (consigned) to bring the potential crowd (the crowd that thinks a horse will go cheaper in an auction will go just to try to get that horse cheap) but those horses have high reserves and will go back home if the reserve is not met. Or if that farm is lucky, there will be that one person in the crowd that knows the value and is willing to meet or exceed the reserve because they would have spent the same directly from the farm anyway - and they happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right bid and a trailer in tow.

I have bought horses from the reputable auctions (farm/breeder auctions) - and have gotten fabulous horses every time - never disappointed in the ones I bought. Some I had to go way over what I had in mind but I knew the value of the horse and wanted it bad enough. Others I was shocked would agree to sell at the bid I won so I felt lucky on those that didn't no-sale at my winning bid but there just wasn't enough people bidding on the same horse (and yes some time my excitement was busted when they just wouldn't take my bid and took them back home). And there are others to this day i wished I had stayed in there and bid just once more to get it - LOL.

I also think the size of the audience has an affect on the bids. If there aren't enough people there interested and bidding against eachother, the price just isn't going to climb but so far. When you have four or more people bidding on the same horse, the price jumps quite rapidly.

I do not blame breeders for no-saling a horse at an insulting bid amount. Those bids rarely cover the cost of care and feed for one horse for the last year (or even the gas to haul it back and forth to the sale) - I'd take mine back home too before giving them away - consignments cost you money - there is a fee to consign a horse and there is also a fee to no-sale your horse - so these farms are walking away costing them money without selling the horse (or multiple horses). I commend them because they are helping the market by not giving away their horses for cheap prices.

My comments are not meant to be negative. My thoughts are that we expect to get horses cheaper through auctions - but I do think that these are ridiculously low prices. I don't think horses should be given away at those prices - it'll hurt the industry in the long run. In principal - I'd pay the commission, consignment, no-sale fees, gas and hotel, etc and take my horses back home too before giving them away.

I guess the main point to what I was trying to say was - that it's really not "todays market" - - it is simply that people think they are going to get deals at auctions and probably go with a limit in mind - so the bidding just doesn't happen as it should. Good quality horses are still selling for good prices off the farm - the large reputable well known breeders are still able to get good prices for good horses.

I may regret this post as soon as I hit "add reply" but I don't see a cancel button. LOL

I agree with you entirely and I see nothing in your post that is negative or should not be said because it is the truth!

 

[zoey829]

Well said! I dont think anything was out of line and very true.

I was sent the catalog. THere was a lot of GOld Seal and young horses. I pted not to go. I am cutting back and I dont need another mouth to feed))

 

[KenBen]

That was well said.The only auction I have been involved in is Gray's Auction in Harriston,Ontario. There you can not put a reserve on your horse anymore so you have to bid on your own horse and then pay 5% on the bid price to bring that horse home is you don't get the price you want.

kenben

 

[WhiteTailsMinis]

Thanks everyone for the comments - sometimes what I type doesn't always come out exactly right - glad it was okay - boy am I relieved! LOL

Wow KenBen - selling without a reserve - that's rather scarey.

I'm not really familiar with Gold Seal ....

 

[Maxi'sMinis]

Exactly Marlene. Gold Seal I think is equivalent to WCMHR. I have seen a lot of 4G horses reg Gold Seal at the Greencastle Auction.