It’s not a shock to anyone when I say over the last 5 years auction activity has greatly increased. At the end of 2014, used equipment inventories where at all-time highs. The auction market became a dumping ground for all kinds of equipment — late model, high hour and everything in between.

George Annen of Annen’s Machinery Ranch in Arlington, Wis., reflects on the digital transition that shaped his career, sharing the benefits, pitfalls and lessons learned trading used equipment in the modern age.

In 2013, the signs of a looming collapse were becoming clear. In Farm Equipment, Dr. Jim Weber had been writing a series titled “The Business of Selling.” An article from the series “Gathering Storm Clouds” was posted in July 2013. I am paraphrasing but, in the article, Dr. Weber talks about low return on sales, dealerships dependence on volume and market share payments. Because of the low returns, dealerships should have been failing in droves. But because of record high commodity prices, record low interest rates and record on-farm income, dealerships were able to spike margins with new and used wholegoods.

In 2013, the signs of a looming collapse were becoming clear. In Farm Equipment, Dr. Jim Weber had been writing a series titled “The Business of Selling.” An article from the series “Gathering Storm Clouds” was posted in July 2013. I am paraphrasing but, in the article, Dr. Weber talks about low return on sales, dealerships dependence on volume and market share payments. Because of the low returns, dealerships should have been failing in droves. But because of record high commodity prices, record low interest rates and record on-farm income, dealerships were able to spike margins with new and used wholegoods.

The risk of every dealership is in used equipment. So much of a dealership’s profitability is directly tied to its ability to generate cash by selling its used inventory.

The risk of every dealership is in used equipment. So much of a dealership’s profitability is directly tied to its ability to generate cash by selling its used inventory.