Our Industry, 8000 Deer Farmers, Only 300 Attend Auctions

John Swank said:

Let's talk a little about the 3% who do attend and consign to the auctions. Say they consign a doe that sells for $3,500. Now lets figure in the expenses incurred to attend the auction, advertise, pay for booth space, food, travel expense, lodging, etc. $500 for a booth space, another $1000+ for print design, booth design and advertising, $250 travel expense, $300 lodging, $200 food expense and $100 misc.



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Since reading the post above I have wondered what I actually spent to attend each auction. Since I try and keep all receipts for each auction I attend for taxes I looked it up.

Instead of putting what I spent for each and every auction I will only take the HIGHEST amount for each category.

Gas was $198.29 (Note to self take Laurie's car from now on

Hotel was $221.98

Food hardly seems fair to assess to the costs since I do eat when I am home as well. But hey it is cheaper to eat at home also. The most I spent was $132.10

Booths tend to run at $400 each time. Some are even free to the consignors.

Print ads are $600 per full page ad.

I do have a big banner that hangs on the back wall of the booth and that cost me $198.37 That cost should be divided among the 8 or so times I am getting to use it though. So $24.80 per show.

Total bill per show (again using the highest numbers from each show) is $1577.17



Now that total got me an ad in the sale book that will be seen by who knows how many farms. Most sale books are kept for years and therefore give returns to the advertiser for much longer than the one sale event.

I also make numerous contacts that are difficult to put a price tag on. Gosh only knows how many sales I may make based on those contacts and the exposure obtained at each sale or event. Disregarding the actual animal/animals being sold at the particular sale event.



I can't stress enough how important I think it is for growers to attend at least one of these events each year. I know some people have special considerations that have to be accounted for. Spouses with special needs, outside jobs, children, church rules, tending to the deer farm its self. I myself don't leave the farm unattended during any type of deer function of any kind. I have relatives or friends that stay here and care for the deer and dog. But attending these events like auctions and state and national org meetings are very important to the growth of your own farms.

I encourage everyone to make at least one show per year.

Take business cards to hand out to others.

Ask for their business cards and or flyers and then make notes on them to remind you of who you spoke with. (I need to get better at this myself)

Talk with anyone and everyone. But don't get hung up spending too much time with any one person. I know how deer people can talk the day away, but you have many people to see and little time to do it in.

Watch.

Listen.

Ask.



See ya at the sales!

It would be nice if this "new deerfarmer" program worked. I think I'm understanding it setting aside a portion of the sale for new farmers......am I correct? What will be the difference new or older but the animals just aren't marketable. How about all those that put many years and money into the industry getting left out??????? Face it -the people, not so much sometimes the deer that are getting paid better for many reasons. They have given back many times/ways and are visible in the industry, good to people, honesty,...etc. The scammers that so many talk about have a short life spam.....they are figured out and it catches up them.

It is not fair to those that get this label of wrong doings because of others jealousies.

Unfortuneantly it is not fair for those that get caught in the scammers web either which I thing is stem to the displeasure with the industry.



The issue at hand needs to be solving the end market not reinventing the wheel.

This all sounds great and i really mean that but Eric you started this thread asking why don't people attend and you have seemed to ignored my input. Was it not what you wanted to hear or what because what i said was the truth many people do not like to sit and here someone talk about their consighnment for a hour thats what the catologs are for or stop auction when people quit bidding talk then get people start bidding again . Also many do not like to see the guys running the auctions bidding at their own auctions like i said conflict of interest maybe i'm the onlyone that feels this way but i was just telling you how i see it. Guess my opinion doesn't matter not trying to be a smart alec just trying to help you see it threw a customers eyes.

Virgil take the hint!



Heres another hint for ya they have spell checker available.

Its that little checkmark with the ABC on it on the message box. BAM___BAM

I've never posted on here but I'm a PA assoc member and our Pa auction is put on in partnership with midwest deer sales, the proceeds of the auction are split between the two assoc I think. According to your ideals Virgil then the Pa assoc members should not bid because the assoc is profiting, therefore conflict of interest?

Hey Homer, Thats a little different that money is going to a good cause and is not to benifit any individauls. Eric i'm not the only one who feels this way i've heard many people comment on it at the auctions.You could always buy at someone elses auction or do you not attend other auctions.

Shasta did you see Isiacs post on joke page if you can read that then you should be able to understand me .

Eric, give me a call and I'll give you any help that you need. As far as the auction company employees bidding on a lot, GO FOR IT... Just make sure it's one of mine... I would rather see them bidding then find out later that JoeBlow bought it for them. They have ever right to purchase an animal just the same as you do Virgil

Mike i know how you feel and thats fine wiyh me but trust me many others feel differently and i was just trying to give some input on why others may not be attending or buying.

Eric must been typing at same time don't make me out to be bad guy only telling you what you asked for if you don't like it oh well I'm happy you care so much for the industry I'm not telling you what to do you can do what ever you want it is a free country but some don't attend because of these reasons. I brought a friend to a auction to check it out and he didn't want to go to another for these very reasons.Sory if i affended you and if your not makeing a profit my hat is off to you for all the hard work you do i mean that for real.

Virgil

I don’t have any trouble reading your post. But then I can not spell either. My wife gets anal when she reads my typing. So I did learn to use the ABC button. Love Ya man !!!!!



Concerning the auctioneer bidding. Here is a true story a upset hunter told to me last week.

The hunter was at a bear camp with some friends. The outfitter and guide was running the camp, bait sets and charging each hunter $2000 for his services. After about three days the hunters had not killed any thing and the guide decided to hunt one of the baited stands to prove to the hunters, bears were hitting the baits. As a result the guide shot a very huge bear. Most of the paying hunters were furious. The hunter telling me this story is still pissed and telling every one he meets. Needless to say that the bear guide in trying to make a point lost focus of why he was there. To focus on his hunters or clients. As a result the guide lost six customers and how many hunters because of negative advertisement from disgruntled clients..

A business owner dealing with the public should listen to the public. In business 101 the customer is always right. Guess it comes down to dose and auction company want a successful blameless business or a deal on a cheep deer and at what or who’s cost. Dose the bear guide want to guide or hunt.

Not picking on you Eric or picking sides. Just my thoughts as a business man

unfortunately with all the stuff that goes on at some of the auctions I can see and agree where it can look bad for the auction owner to bid on something at his own auction........unfortunately it looks like (even though I know it's not your intentions) you are trying to get the bid prices up so that you will make more commissions when you bid on animals at your own auction.......i am not saying that this is what you are doing by any means...but i can see where people would view it that way........

I don't see the "money going for a good cause" as being a difference. It either is wrong or it isn't.

Personally I see nothing wrong with ANYONE bidding on a lot being sold. Auctioneer, auction owner, a worker of the auction house, a family member or whoever. I actually HAVE been out bid by the guys in the front of the room. Did I feel screwed? Nope. They were willing to pay more than I was.



Now about this loooooong winded talking in the front of the room. I do think that there are a couple of people who are very consistent in taking lots of time. BUT I do think as a seller putting some of their very best in a sale they deserve the chance to give as much info and background as they can to get the best dollar they can. Some truly do drag things out more than they need to though.

That said I think it is also EXTREMELY rude when people in the crowd are talking while someone is in the front representing their animal. Maybe YOU don't want the animal up next, but someone else might next to you. And I hate trying to listen to what is being said and can't because someone else is talking so loud around me.



I have some very small idea of the work Eric does for the sale books and all I can say is holy crap what a hard job!

You want to help the auction companies get things right in the books, get your lots in sooner and turned in, in such a manner that they are LEGIBLE so that the information can be put into the book correctly.

By the time the consignments are sent in, decided who is in and who isn't, then put together in the book form, then proof read and corrections made, then proofed again, and then sent to the printers, and then sent out to all the growers, there is SOOOOOO much work and it all has to happen in a very quick turn time.

Can someone explain to me how "running up" a bid hurts the end buyer? I mean am I wrong in my assumption that everyone can stop bidding at any point they choose to? I have never been forced to pay more than I wanted to. I might have paid more than I hoped to, but not more than I wanted to. There is a difference!

I guess the difference depends on weather you are buying or selling. Excluding benefit auctions

To the inexperienced(mine) the sales book's look kinda easy just some names and pic's but i know i am sooooooo wrong!!As far as eric or any other auction guy's i don't see where it would be a problem.Im there to sell he's there to buy.I think if he was tryin to bid up deer for more money for himself he would be biddin on alot of animal's and we would see that and if he is he better have deep pocket's because he might end up buyin alot of deer!!!

Roger get your head out of the crack it is a benifit auction big difference.

Anyhow, it really doesn't matter it is all up to the auction owners if they want to bid or not.......people are going to like it or they are not going to like it and if they are willing to take the chance of turning some people away then that is their choice......I am thankful for the auctions and will just leave it at that. This is not going to go anywhere and i honestly for the benefit of everyone think we should move on. Eric as i stated before i commend you for looking out for the little Deer farmers as we need all the help we can get.