Vintage machinery has seen a boost in demand as people pursue hobbies during lockdown
BOOMING demand for second-hand machinery was expected to continue in the first half of 2022.
Agricultural machinery sales thrived in 2021, with Cheffins reporting it had sold more than 52 million of second-hand machines in 2021.
Rising costs and delayed delivery times for new machinery had driven more buyers into the second-hand market, according to Cheffins head of machinery sales Oliver Godfrey.
Demand
“The combination of both Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic has led to a boom in sales of machinery, with a marked increase in not only the on site sales which we offer but also the number of buyers taking part in our auctions from both the UK and overseas,” he said.
“Dealers have definitely come back to auctions in their droves this year as the lack of new tractor registrations and a drop in trade-ins has continued to affect supply levels.”
Kivells auctioneer James Morrish said they had seen a huge increase in the number of machines coming either directly from farmers or from dealers.
He added people used to buy new machinery from the dealer and trade in their old one at the same time.
“Now, they are bringing the older one to us and sometimes buying a new one to replace it too,” he said.
And Mr Morrish was also optimistic demand would continue into 2022.
“I think there are a lot of younger people in the industry looking at second-hand machinery,” Mr Morrish said, adding people had the skills and the knowledge to buy equipment and get it up to the standard they needed at a cheaper price than buying new.
And the role of an auctioneer was more important than ever, added Mr Morrish, highlighting buyers who were not able to view it before the day, relied on them to send photographs and accurate information before they bid significant amounts of money.
“We as a company, our role had to change, doing videos and Snapchats,” he said.
Lockdown Brits look for vintage machines
Vintage tractor sales had also thrived during the Covid-19 crisis, with many people turning to their favourite hobbies as they found themselves with more time on their hands.
Mr Godfrey said: “The coronavirus lockdown also had a very real impact on the sales of vintage and classic items which saw an uptick in values achieved as people were able to spend more time at home and indulge in pastimes.”
The Cheffins vintage have grossed over 5 million in 2021, representing an uplift of 42 per cent over last year’s gross total of 3.5m with a number of records set for vintage and classic tractors throughout 2021.
Mr Morrish added Kivells had also seen an uplift.
And he added while it was now easier to go out, he did not see the trade for vintage equipment tailing off.
