Good Profits from a “Sale Barn”

 

Good Profits from a “Sale Barn” 

    IN EVERY farming community there is an opportunity to conduct a sale barn and earn regular profits the year round. If there aren’t now too many in your community it is worth trying. You don’t even need a barn, although you can conduct the business better if you have a large lot and a building. You can, of course, rent one for the purpose. These sales are conducted in the following fashion: The operator of a sale barn advertises that on regular dates he will conduct a sale of any and all property brought to the barn. Usually the sales are held regularly, once a week, or twice a month. Saturday is frequently the day selected, although one of the most successful operators of sales conducts his sale at a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio, every Tuesday. Horses, mules, pigs, cattle, sheep, vegetables, seed, shrubbery, fruit and all kinds of farm equipment as well as furniture, stoves, and similar articles are in demand. In fact, almost anything you can name is sold regularly at these barns. Sales are for cash and the auction plan of selling is followed. At the S. F. Snider Sale Barn, at Washington Court House, Ohio, each seller pays the operator of the barn a commission on all sales. The customary figure being 3 per cent on live stock and 10 per cent on miscellaneous equipment. One of the contributors to this book attended a sale one afternoon at which a wagonload of grapefruit, a disc plow, cattle and several horses were sold. A six-year-old gelding brought $215. The way to start is to select a good location. This may be a vacant lot, close in to the business section, or if you think you need more room for the buyers and sellers to park their cars, select a larger lot on the outskirts of town. It is better, of course, if there are sheds, an empty barn, or some kind of shelter. When you have selected your location, visit the farmers of the community and explain your plan to them, telling them the date of the first sale. At first it may be necessary to persuade them to bring in things to sell. When talking with the farmers ask them if they haven’t a horse, mule, calf, cow, some extra fruit or canned goods, a plow, rake, cultivator, manure spreader or something of the kind they would like to sell. Nearly every farmer has some surplus of one kind or another. If your first sale is properly advertised and talked about you will have a big crowd. A good auctioneer can always get something for almost anything offered. After the first sales results are known in the community there will be little difficulty in getting things to sell and crowds to attend other sales. If there is a county or community fairground near your town and you can arrange to use the fair property for your sale, you will have an ideal place. But any location on good roads, easily accessible, will do for a start. Commissions are paid the sale operator at the time of the sale. Usual rules of bidding at auction sales are followed. Small advertisements in the local papers, and handbills or sale bills, as they are called, will be sufficient advertising until the regular day and date of your sale becomes established and known in the community