I love going to sales…equipment sales, livestock sales, local sale barn, premium sales, etc. I especially enjoy the live sales that have killer good food with icy, cold beverages. Especially sales like Mock has with the authentic Cajun food and the bud light iced down in the stock tanks. I can then get in the right frame of mind to buy a pair of goats from Ralph and Lex (which both made the sale at Tulsa last year) and watch some high $ goats sell to Texans with deep pockets and grand desires. I like the adrenaline rush that comes from the anticipation of the one you want coming into the ring and then the bidding begins. Where to stop? Some get scared and stop early. Some think, if nobody else is bidding, then he can’t be very good. And some get pissed and keep going till they own him.
Online sales are a little different. That extended bidding crap wears me out. I don’t have the time or PATIENCE to sit and wait. 5 minutes, then 4, then 3, now 2, maybe we are finally done, 1 minute….hit refresh. SON-OF-A-FEMALE DOG! Somebody bid again. Here goes 5 minutes of my life that I will never get back. I normally bid immediately. Just get it over with. Actually, I use the max bid feature more and more. Put it in and walk off.
Selling goats is different than buying. Buying is fun. Selling is stressful. Live sales require a lot of physical activity and organization on sale day. Getting goats to and from the ring. It can be real hard for me as I am normally trying to also buy goats and/or coach people as to what to buy. This is why my operation requires good help to get my goats in the ring. Take our Labor Day sale for example. Tyke makes sure my goats get into the sale ring and back because he wants me bidding on his goats. For me, it is less stressful to sell in a live sale because it gets done quick and you don’t have much time to think about it. If something sells too cheap..oh well. I hope he gets a good home and turns out. At least he is off the feed bill.
Selling in an online sale, the physical work is done. Animals clipped, photos taken, write ups & breeding info sent in. Now, you just sit and watch and think. And think.
That one isn’t bringing enough. I wouldn’t give that for that one. I wonder who that bidder # is? Crap, somebody is paying too much for that one and I wish they would stop. I wonder if that bidder is one of them that came and looked or called me? I hope they all come get these pretty quick as I need the pen space and I’m ready to get them off my feed bill. Will this thing ever end? I’ve got stuff to do.
And my favorite part of an online sale: after it is over, the new owner calls. They haven’t called before or came to see the animals but they now own the animal. They call and ask the question….Is he any good? RUSM! It’s too late now. You should have thought about that before you submitted bids. Fortunately for me. Several of these have won banners and made premium sales. I do a good enough job of not having the animals very bloomy and only half-assed photographed, so they actually look better in real life.
No matter what, if you are selling live animals and you put them in a sale–online or otherwise, then you better be prepared to sell them. You can’t worry about the money part of it. The market will determine what they will bring. If they are truly good enough, they will turn out and the pay off will come next year. If you buy one back, then you have to put more feed and time into that animal and take the risk of death, sickness or injury. Get them off the feed bill and into new homes. If you are raising good ones, it will eventually pay off. No matter what method you choose to buy or sell, do your homework. Study the genetics. Talk to the breeders and to others familiar with the goats. Then bid until it hurts.
Then hit it one more time.
And again.
Yes. It is your bidder # that they want.
Do they take credit cards at this sale?
Now figure out what to tell the wife if she asks.
