2006
Spring Newsletter
Aasness Auctioneers
"The Auction Marketing Specialists"
As the
New Year has arrived we have began preparing for Spring, Summer and Fall 2006. Auctions are in the air! With the warmer
than usual weather talk may have started early this year and the cafe’s are buzzing with excitement.
Just to recap 2005, we have many good things to reflect upon in the auction business and our family life. The auction season took off full throttle with Real Estate Auctions leading the way. Sellers continue to contact us to sell their property now more than ever as they see and hear about the success’s of Real Estate Auctions, not only here but across the state and nation. The Sellers all seem to like the possibility of letting competition, derived from marketing the auction, decide what the real estate is worth. We discovered that in the real estate auctions we conducted this year over 50% brought more than the seller was thinking. A well marketed and professionally run auction most always brings buyers prepared and qualified to buy. Our real estate auction marketing group sold property at auction all across Minnesota/ND from Ottertail County/lakes area to the Valley including Fargo/Moorhead to as far Northeast as Grand Rapids and the Iron Ore Region. They all SOLD with a happy and satisfied seller and a qualified, ready and willing buyer. The National Auctioneers Association, in surveys taken by Morpace International, have discovered that the fastest growing sector of the Auction business is in Real Estate Auctions. Thousands of people are discovering Real Estate Auctions because THE BOTTOM LINE IS - THEY WORK!
That same survey discovered how large
the auction industry actually is over a 200 billion dollar industry and still growing. The numbers show the auction
industry will contribute near 227.5 billion to the 2005 economy. Along with these numbers we here, as well as other
areas across the nation, continue to see trends in the agriculture auction sector. Meaning less Farm Auctions
because (there are less farmers) but when conducted are on a larger scale or on a hobby basis. Good demand as always for
good clean farm equipment. As we see it farmers want to spend their money on well taken care of equipment - down time,
shop and parts all weigh heavy on a successful operation. Take care of that equipment - it will always retain some value
if shedded and clean.
The Collector Market continues the trend of the past couple of years. Rare and hard to find primitives and antiques continue to sell well in our area but we’ve seen less interest in the common items-especially in the furniture. Collector/Classic tractors and autos also follow this trend. The rare hard to find ones need to go to Auction because it is hard to put a value on them (as they can sell the roof off the tent). We also find values have leveled off on the common ones.
Registered Horse/Bull Livestock Production Auctions we have conducted went very well this year following the trends of the cattle markets - higher. And as always, there is people prepared to pay the money for quality and bloodlines. This is especially recognized the past couple of years in the horse industry as there are a lot of common ones for sale with no real market for them. Yet the quality and blood bring the money.
At one of our purebred bull production auctions this spring in ND we saw the average increase from $2100 per head to $3075- per head. The demand is there! It’s a great time to be it the cow business!
Also in 2005, lifetime memories were made. I was fortunate to win the 2005 International Auctioneer Championship at the National Auctioneers Association conference and show in Pittsburgh, PA in July. It was an unbelievable honor and accomplishment for me on a professional level. Believe me. being judged the NO. 1 from amongst the best in the world is no small task. To top it off, my son was there to share it with me.
The title has brought a lot of traveling into my schedule already this year as I’ve spent January - early February traveling to several states speaking and putting on seminars.
Also 2006 has found me traveling to
Scottsdale Arizona in mid January to be one of the auctioneers on the prestigious Barrett-Jackson Classic Auto Auction.
To see it was fantastic and to sell those caliber of classic and muscle cars was unbelievable. The Auction was six days
this year and we sold over 100 million dollars worth in those days. Saturday six vehicles brought over one million with
the top (a 1950 GM Futureliner bus) bringing 4 million dollars. Absolutely INCREDIBLE!
With a
tent the size of 5-6 football fields full of people is incredible to see and participate in. The event is televised on
the Speed Channel. What great exposure for the auction method of marketing. Watch for reruns you may still get to see
the action.
Family Business... Family Fun...
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Being a family run business all our kids have helped in our business and continue to experience the importance of maintaining good team work. Efficiency is an important item in keeping things flowing during the busy spring, summer and fall season.
We continue to have great staff with several now with us over 10-15 years. We feel blessed as we know how important they are for our business now and in the future.
We also want to take the opportunity to say thank you to all of you sellers who continue to have confidence in our service and to all the great buyers who continue to shop at auctions. We really appreciate you all.
Auctions are incredibly popular across the nation and are becoming even so across the world. I feel very fortunate and blessed to be involved in this incredible auction industry!
Thanks and see you at the auctions
Cary M. Aasness